they take pleasure, and we promise them for doing so, such joys in Heaven, as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into any body's heart to conceive them, they do not mind us: they think only of the present: they think not of the future. And yet the future will one day be present. Time passes very swiftly. years soon roll on: and Heaven and hell which they think so far off, will be near, will be present, will be seen by them. Then will they call, but the Saviour will not hear: then they will knock, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, and will have this answer,-Depart from me, ye that have despised me, and worked iniquity and wick, edness.

When our Saviour had reached his own city, the people of it were glad of his return, not indeed because he was to save them from their sins, (for many of them did not think about this) but because he was able to heal their diseases. They had faith

in him that he was able to do this: and though it was but a small degree of faith, yet our Saviour, who never despised small things, was pleased with it, and did as they requested. They brought unto him a man sick of the palsy. This sickness had taken away the use of his legs from him. They therefore brought him lying on a bed. Jesus seeing their faith, and wishing them also to believe in him, as able to save them from their sins, said immediately unto the sick man, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. What do you think? some foolish conceited people were surprised that he should attempt to pardon a man his sins, and said within themselves, This man blasphemeth: this man does what God only can do: he makes himseif equal to God. And so, my friends, he most certainly was. For though they only thought so in their hearts, yet he knew their thoughts, and who but God can know our thoughts, and he immediately said to them with great mildness; Wherefore think

ye evil in your hearts? For whether is the easier thing to say, thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? Both are too hard for man: He only, who is God, and came down from God, can do them both with the same ease. And both, says Jesus Christ, I will do. For I have power on earth to forgive sins, and as a proof that I have, I have power to heal diseases: I therefore say to the poor man, thus lying on his bed, unable to walk on account of the palsy, Arise and walk: take up thy bed and go to thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. Then the multitudes when they saw it, were astonished and glorified God, who had given such power unto men. This is a most instructive story: it teaches us a great deal. Perhaps when you are all so indifferent about believing in your Saviour, you do not think what that Saviour is to do for you. He is to save you from the punishment of your sins. You are all, even the best of you, sinners in the sight

of God. You have all done that which you ought not to have done: you have all left undone that which you ought to have done. God is a righteous, just, and holy God. Not one of his laws can be broken without exposing him, who breaks it, to the punishment of hell. Every wicked word, every wicked thought, every wicked action exposes us to damnation. God is so just, and so holy, that he must punish all such wickedness. If this be the case, (and that it is so, the Bible tells us; I do not deceive you, I tell you so from the Bible) if this be the case, I say, how wretched, how miserable is our condition. Think of suffering the punishment of hell for ever; not for one year or more; but for ever. After hundreds and thousands of years are ended, still to be suffering, what a dreadful thought! Now it is Jesus Christ, who saves us from all this. He gave himself for us: he suffered death upon the cross, to do away this punishment, to procure our pardon. Our sins were punished

in him. God Almighty accepted the sacrifice which Jesus Christ freely made of himself. In this way, God has been just in punishing, and yet good and merciful in punishing it in such a way, that sinners may yet be saved-Perhaps you may not all understand this fully: you will understand it better, the oftener you hear me. But still you can all understand so much of it, as to know that unless your Saviour saves you from your sins, you will be punished for them, and that if you value your souls, you will love, serve, and believe in your Saviour. You will come unto him that you may have life, eternal life in the Heavens. You will come unto him, that your sins may be pardoned, washed away by the blood which he shed upon the cross, and that God Almighty may have mercy on you for his sake.

After Jesus had cured the sick man of his palsy, he passed on, and saw a man named Matthew (who afterwards wrote