cur." Seek the Lord, while he may be found; call upon him, while he is near.

"When Jesus saw the impotent man lie" in his helpless condition, "and knew that he had now been a long time in that case, he said unto him, Wilt thou be made whole ?"

The length and greatness of this man's calamity, and the peculiar imbecility of his state, seem to have been the reasons, why Jesus made choice of him, as the subject on whom to display his healing power; while the rest were left under their infirmities.

The evangelists tell us, that "Christ healed' all who came to him." They who made application to him in their own behalf, or in behalf of their friends, received the favour, which they asked. But the sick at Bethesda never applied to him at all. They were looking for relief from another quarter. They were not, therefore, such persons, as those, to whom he usually extended his healing mercy. Among them, however, there was one, whom he singled out from the multitude, and favoured with unsolicited health.

Analogous to this is the method of his grace in the salvation of sinners. Them who come to him he will in no wise cast out. Them who apply to him, with humble and penitent hearts, he will not reject. To obtain that grace which is necessary to repentance, awakened sinners must attend on the instituted means of religion. And it is usually, in an attendance on these means, that they are first brought to serious consideration. Particular instances, no doubt there are, in which God is found of them who sought him not. He sometimes, by his special providence, or powerful grace, arrests sinners, when they are in full pursuit of their guilty designs, and quite out of the way of ordinary means; as Jesus shewed mercy to the impotent man, who was looking for help only from the pool.

But this is not God's ordinary method. And for sinners to neglect the use of means, because, now and then, one has been suddenly and surprisingly awakened to conviction and repentance, is as absurd, as it would have been for the sick people in Jerusalem to expect a cure from Jesus without applying to him, because one impotent man at Bethesda had received this favour. In healing those who came to him, he acted as a faithful Saviour. In choosing this man from a number, he acted as a wise sovereign. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy. The man who was healed, had reason to admire this distinguishing goodness. They who were left under their infirmities had no cause to complain; for, though they saw the power of Christ in this remarkable instance, yet it does not appear, that they ever applied to him. This is his complaint of the unbelieving Jews; and this will be the condemnation of sinners under the gospel; "they would not come to him, that they might have life."

Christ says to the impotent man, "Wilt thou be made whole ?" The man now opens his sorrowful case." Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am going another steppeth down before me."

Jesus puts the question, that the man, in the presence of the multitude, might declare the greatness and inveteracy of his disorder. Thus the miracle to be performed would become more conspicuous, and others, from his goodness and power, would be encouraged to seek relief. The mercy shewn to this poor man, was mercy offered to all in distress. If the impotent people, who saw the miracle, would not apply to the Saviour, well might they be left under the burden of their diseases.

It is observable, that, though Jesús made the first motion to the unhappy patient, yet he did not

actually heal him, till the man had humbly expressed his desire of health, and his inability to obtain it. In this manner, the Saviour usually dispenses his spiritual benefits. "Behold," says he, "I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me." To those who have not sought him, he applies himself in a way of exhortation and address: He calls them by his word, admonishes them by his providence, and awakens them by his spirit. These kind influential visits are grant ed previously to any promising and towardly disposi tions in them. But before he actually bestows on them his saving mercy, they must see their guilt, feel their impotence, and repair to him as the only Saviour. They who are whole need not the physician; and they who think themselves to be whole, will not seek to the physician; but they who are sick. There are some, "who say, they are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not, that they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." These despise the counsel of Christ, to "buy of him gold tried in the fire, that they may be rich; and white raiment, that they may be clothed, and to anoint their eyes with eyesalve, that they may see.' invitations and offers of the gospel, which are made to all indiscriminately, are often addressed, in a very particular manner, to the hungry and thirsty, the weary and heavy laden.

The

Jesus says to the man, Arise, take up thy bed and walk."-" And immediately he was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked." This order was given, that, by the perfection and suddenness of the cure, the miracle might be rendered indubitable. It is added, "The same day was the sabbath." When the people, who on this day rested from their labours, should reprove the man

for carrying his bed, he would not fail to relate the mercy which he had experienced, and thus make it known to many besides the immediate spectators.

Christ's miracles in healing the sick, were designed to convince men of his heavenly mission, divine authority and saving power. And works of goodness, in particular instances, were acts of general benevolence. By these, as well as by the invitations and promises of his gospel, let all be encouraged to repair to him for relief in every distress, for succour in every temptation, and for deliverance from the wrath to come. To him let them commit their eternal interest, for he is able to save to the uttermost, and to keep that which is committed to him against the great day.

Then he called for a light and sprang in, and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, What must I do to be saved? And they suid, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

THESE two apostles were sent to preach the gospel in Philippi, a considerable city in Macedonia, which was inhabited chiefly by Romans, and is therefore called a colony.

Their doctrine soon gained such credit, that the superstitions of paganism yielded before it. Some principal men, who had long made gain from the ignorance and credulity of the common people, by employing servants to tell them strange things for money, alarmed at the mighty change effected by the preaching of the Apostles, seized them, brought them before the magistrates, accused them of making dangerous innovations, and procured them to be imprisoned. The jailor, having received a spe