The Withered Hand Stretch Forth and Restored

Dr. Colman 's SERMON ON THE Wither'd Hand: May 17. 1739.

THE Withered Hand Stretch'd forth and restored.

T HE Words are part of that famous Story, which is related by three of the Evangelists , of our LORD'S merciful and miraculous curing the Man that had a withered Hand. It was on the Sabbath Day, and in the Synagogue, where no doubt our Lord had been preaching, and in Confirmation of his Doctrine He wroit this Miracle. Works of Charity and Mercy do very well agree with Acts of Devotion, and are a becoming Sabbath Exercise; suited to the Place and Time and Act of Worship when Occasion offers.

The superstitious Scribes and Pharisees thought otherwise; not that they had the least Shadow of a Reason for their Affectation and Pretence of a more strict and precise Sanctification of the Sabbath; but they had fondly imbib'd it as a venerable Tradition, which was not to be spoken against on any Account, nor parted with, because it gave 'em a Credit among the People, carrying a Face and Form of strict Devotion.

On the contrary our Lord declared both in his Doctrine and Practice this necessary Truth; That to do good on the Sabbath-day, as well in Acts of Mercy as those of Worship, was the proper and true Sanctification of it.

For this he was particularly malign'd and hated by the hypocritical Priests, Elders and Formalists of that Day; and therefore we find 'em in our Context watching Him whether he would heal this poor Man on the Sabbath, that they might accuse him. V. 2.

In to what Spite and Villany will not blind Superstition, as well as Profaness, carry Men? the most Divine and God-like Works shall be traduced, reviled and persecuted.

The Patient 's Case was very piteous: It should have pleaded with 'em to have carried him to Christ, and besought Him to have Compassion on him. But on the contrary they play the Spies upon our Lord, that they might accuse him for a Breaker of the Sabbath. They doubtless hoped in their Hearts, that Christ would not fail to heal him, but not from the least Pity to the miserable Object before them, nay from a diabolical Spirit of Revenge on Christ, when he had healed him. That which should have charmed 'em into the highest Reverence and Love, provoked their Rage.

To shame 'em out of their Ignorance and Wickedness, or to inform their Judgment and move their Compassion, our Lord bid the Man stand forth; and then reason'd the Matter with them: " Is it lawful, said He, to do good on the Sabbath-days, or to do evil? to save Life or to kill?—but they held their Peace. He put it to their Consciences, but they obstinately resisted the Light and Conviction they felt within themselves; and having nothing to say against so clear a Truth, they would however say nothing for it.

Our Lord beheld this with great Grief and Anger; " He looked round about on 'em with Anger, being grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts. Justly was he provoked at the Sin, yet kindly grieved for the Sinners. They hated him for his Goodness, and he pitied them for their horrid Impiety and Hypocrify.

He looked — his Anger appeared in his Face. His Anger was very just and holy, for he was angry at their Sin. He was grieved at their Hardness, to see 'em obstinately set against Conviction. There is nothing should give us so much Grief, as to feel the Hardness of our own Hearts, and to see that of others.

However, neither their Prejudice, and the Offence they took, nor the malicious Use they resolved to make of Christ's curing the poor Man, could hinder our Lord from doing it. It was a most known Act of Goodness, and He resolutely did it; as we read in my Text,—He said to the Man, Stretch forth thy Hand! and he stretched it out, and his Hand was restored whole as the other.

It may seem a strange kind of Command given to the Man, for his Hand was withered: How then could he be required to stretch it out? It was not in his Power, it was a thing impossible for him to do; and it might therefore seem vain to attempt it.

But see the good Effect of our Lord's commanding him! Power accompanied the Precept; Power was given him to obey it. He tried at the Word of Christ, and found Strength put into the Arm, and out it stretched; yea and was restored whole as the other. The Effect was sudden and perfect, in an Instant, like the Work of GOD. He found the Cure wroit, upon his first Essay to obey. CHRIST spake and it was done! so the FATHER worketh still, and He works. The impotent Man tried to obey, and was enabled and restored.

It was his right Hand, Luke vi. 6. The Hand with which he had wrought, or was to work for his Livelihood, at his Trade or Calling. It is said, he was a Mason or Bricklayer The poor have the Gospel preached to 'em, and they receive the Gospel. The greater was the Charity the poorer the Man was, and the more he needed his right Hand to work with.

It was a very teaching Miracle, and is fit to be spoken of and spiritualized in all the Churches of the Saints. This Day might it be verified upon Us ourselves. Many a Time it has been, since our Lord's Ascension, in the Spirit, though' not in the Letter.

"The Cure in my Text is a lively Specimen of the greater and more happy Cures, wroit by the Grace and Spirit of Christ on poor withered Souls, under the Preaching of his Word."

It is not indeed now the Sabbath-day, yet are we assembled for the solemn Worship of God; and our LORD JESUS is present in his Ordinances, and here are Souls whose Powers to what is spiritual and holy are withered; and what should they come hither for, but Healing and Recovery? and what is the Voice of Christ to them here, but this in my Text? "Stand forth, and lift up thy Heart to me, and be made whole. Let our Hearts answer, " Unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my Soul! O my God, I trust in Thee! Psal. xxv. 1, 2.

I have now, as it were, done my Sermon! this is in effect all I meant in the Choice of the Subject. And it were abundantly enough, a blessed Season to any or every One present, if Hand and Heart were stretching forth together unto God. Lam. iii 41. Let us lift up our Hearts with our Hands unto God in the Heavens. Psal. cxliii. 6 I stretch forth my Hands unto Thee, my Soul thirsteth after Thee.

Nor are there any here present that will envy you the Benefit, nor Christ the Glory. Our Sabbaths and Lectures serve for this very thing, and this shall render 'em in our Eyes " the Holy of the Lord and Honorable. Then indeed are they sanctified to us, and sanctified by us, when Souls seek and meet their Savior in his Instituted Worship, and receive a Cure from Him.

It may be a repining Devil may come among the Sons of God, and gnash while he beholds it and melt away; but numerous Angels of Light will rejoice, congratulate thee and laud thy Savior. Luke xv. 10. I say unto you, there is Joy in the Presence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth.

To come then to that spiritual Allusion and Application, which I design of the blessed Story in my Text.

I observe,

I. We are by Nature as this Man with a withered Hand; laboring under a moral Weakness and Impotence, thro' the Loss of those spiritual Powers, which Man was certainly created with. By the Sin of our first Parents we have left our first State, and how are we fallen! Our Nature is corrupted, our Souls enfeebled and disabled, indisposed and averse to what is holy and good. Our moral and spiritual Powers are gone from us, and as it were withered away.—So the Scripture represents to us our sad & deplorable State, and teaches us to bewait and lament it; as

— The Representation of this moral Impotence you see is indeed a will not, rather than a cannot; but the being disabled to will that which is good is the worst kind of Inability, and the most lamentable Degree thereof. — When a Soul is therefore brought to will, and in some Measure to do, being in part restored to his Original Inclination and Strength; it then becomes deeply sensible of its Disability, and bewails it as coming altogether of its Corruption. Just as in the natural Body evil Habits and Lusts do often corrupt it, and procure the loss of Strength and Limbs; in like manner has Sin taken away the Powers of our Souls, to a dreadful Degree; so that we are become spiritually halt, lame, crippled and without Strength. The Remains of this Impotence on the Regenerate themselves, are heavily felt, and groaned under by them; Rom vii. 18. For I know that in me, that is in my Flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not: I find then a Law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me: O wretched Man that I am! who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death! — In our natural State we are altogether destitute of any Power so much as heartily to will and desire the things that are spiritually good; and in our renewed State we have no Strength of our own to command and use, when and as we will, on one Occasion and another. We are not sufficient of ourselves, to THINK anything as of ourselves." Here is a wretched Disability indeed; a withered Mind and Will that cannot so much as meditate heartily and purpose, of itself, the Thing that is good. — "But this inability does not at 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page missing〉

The diseased and miserable were wise and careful to improve their Opportunity, and lay themselves in Christ's Way, in the Days of his Ministry: They were sure of finding Him in the Synagogue on the Sabbath, and thither they came to be healed: Insomuch that some of the Rulers of the Synagogues took Offence at it; thinking (it may be) that these Acts of Mercy were too great an Interruption in the Solemnities of Worship: But others were filled with Indignation at the Fame and Glory, which Christ hereby procured among the common People: As he, Luke xiii. 14, who answered with Indignation because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath-day, and said unto the People, — There are six Days in which Men ought to work, in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath-day. A very doughty Speech truly, for Sense and Piety! — But however, this precise Fool and Hypocrite would allow that the Sabbath was a suitable Time, and the Synagogue a proper Place, for the Healing of distempered Souls, for the Cure of Means spiritual Maladies. They are the appointed stated Time and Place for these, by the Confession of all Men. If Men ought to labor six Days, and provide for their Housholds and the Life that now is, yet on the Sabbath let 'em bestow all their Care and Pains for their Souls, and come to the Ordinances, the ordained Means of Sanctification and eternal Life to them. For,

I. CHRIST is present here, though' not bodily, yet in Spirit and Power; to meet miserable Souls, work savingly on 'em, and heal 'em of whatever Infirmities and Plagues they labor.

This the ascending Savior promised, when he gave to his Apostles their Commission; Matth. xxviii. ult. " Go ye and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even unto the End of the World. Amen.

Christ truly is with his Ministers, in the Administration of his Ordinances. He works with them, in them and by them. This is to Souls, what the Waters of Jordan were to Naaman, for his Healing: the Waters of the Sanctuary sanctified for the Use and Benefit of Souls. Christ worketh hitherto, and the Day of our Holy Rest is the Day and Season of his Working on our Souls for their everlasting Good. His Rest is glorious in the saving Operations of his Holy Spirit. He only, by the Power of his Grace, can heal our Souls. It is not within the Power of Means or Instruments to reach the Soul, or produce a saving Effect; but it is the Prerogative and peculiar Glory of Christ alone to put Life into dead Souls, or Strength into feeble Minds, and to work in us both to will and to do of his good Pleasure.

The Divine Effect manifests a Divine Presence and Power, and Ministers or their Ministrations are at best but Human, and nothing able to contribute of themselves hereunto. 2 Cor. iv 5, 7. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your Servants for Jesus sake: For God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness, hath shined in our Hearts, to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ: But we have this Treasure in earthen Vessels, that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us. Mark xvi 20. They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them. Acts iii. 12. Ye Men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us? as though' by our own Power or Holiness we had made this Man to walk! The God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son JESUS, and his Name thro' Faith in his Name hath made this Man strong, and given him this perfect Soundness in the Presence of you all.

Truly in vain do we go to the House of God at any Time, in vain do we wait on our Ministring, or use the Instituted Means of Grace, if we do not believe, realize and rely on the Presence of Christ, and the Blessing of his Spirit necessary for the healing of our Souls. We read of a certain Day, as Christ was teaching, that the Power of the Lord was present to heal, Luke v. 17. Truly it is always thus, when ever the Word of Christ is duly preached, his Power is present as it seems good in his Eyes, to heal what Souls he will.

II. The Call of the Word to impotent Souls is always in effect this, "stretch out thy Hand. The Lord now says so to everyone here present before him. He saith

1. Imploy those Hands in holy Endeavors, to work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling, for I am ready to work in you to will and to do, Philip. ii. 13. As he who will not work with his Hands, neither shall he eat, by the Order of the Gospel; so he who will not improve the Powers of his Soul in working out his own Salvation, shall never be saved. The Apostle calls upon strong and weak together, but especially upon the Feeble of the Flock, to lift up the Hands that hang down, and make strait Paths for their Feet, Heb. xii. 12. We have a Race set before us to run, and the good Warfare and Fight of Faith, which call us to put forth all our Agility and Might. Yea with all our Might we must set ourselves to do, whatever our Hand findeth to be done, in the great Work of God and our Souls, because there is no Work, nor Device, nor Knowledge, nor Wisdom in the Grave, whither we are going, Eccles. ix. 10.

2. God calls us to lift up our Hands to Him in Prayer, for Life and Strength and Vigour; "that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in all our Needs, Heb iv. 16. When we pray and when we praise we are said to lift up our Hands in God's Name, and also to stretch them forth to Him. It is a Sign of spiritual Life and Strength received, and a blessed Means of receiving more. Prayer and Labor should go together, as in providing for the natural Life, so also for the Spiritual; first stretch out the Arm in Prayer, and then employ it also in diligent Working: Receive Strength from God by the one, and then lay it out for God in the other.

3. The Call of God to us in his Word is, that by the Hand of Taith we lay hold of Christ and Eternal Life. We can neither pray nor work without Faith. It is Faith that gives a Soul Life, Strength, Activity. If Faith be weak, the Hands hang down and the Knees are feeble. Faith makes Prayer fervent and effectual, it wrestles and holds the Angel and prevails. It lays hold on the Power and Mercy and Truth of God; on the Covenant of Grace and the Righteousness of Christ, on all the precious Promises in Him, and keeps its Hold. Moses by Faith held up his Hand in the Mount, and kept it up till the Evening, and Solomon 's Faith spread forth his Arms toward Heaven. We are also taught the Exercise of Faith, and the Property of it, in those Precepts and Phrases, truly Evangelical; " Lay hold on Eternal Life; lay hold on the Hope before you. . Faith is to the Soul in doing this, as the Hand is to the Body.

Thus as often as we come up to the House of God to pray or hear, the Voice of God to us is in effect this, " Impotent Soul, stretch forth thy Hand. Wherefore,

III. Impotent as we are, the Lord expects that we try to exert ourselves, as well as we can, and in whatsoever we can, under the Call of his Word. When God commands us to do that which is holy and spiritual, his Right from us by the Constitution of our Nature, we may not think to excuse ourselves from our Obligation thereto, by pleading the Weakness and Indisposition which we have wickedly brought upon our Selves. No, up and try and do as thou art bid. God looks for some Endeavor, and an instant Sign at least of a Mind to obey, if you could; and a Will to do what you can. And surely there is something to be done & that you can do toward the thing required of you; though' the thing itself be beyond your Ability.

The God of Israel is not like the Egyptian Taskmasters, nor their Tyrant Pharaob, who exacted the whole Tale of Bricks when he refused them the Straw! No, He will find thee both Materials and Wisdom and Strength, if you listen to his Word and strive to obey it. — You must say at least, " Lord, what will thou have me to do? O work it in me, both to will and to do it! Would that I had a Heart and Power to perform! Prepare this in me, and me for thy Self!

Christ saw the impotent Man lying at the Pool, and long had he lain there for Healing, with a patient Hope and much Desire; the Lord said to him, " Wilt thou be made whole? He answered, " Sir, I have no Man when the Water is troubled to put me into the Pool, but while I am coming another steppeth down before me, John v. 7. q. d "Ah Lord! willing to be made whole? Yes most gladly would I! why lie I here waiting but for this desired Cure? but my Impotence is my Malady! I am halt and withered, and need some kind Hand ready to attend and take and put me in, when the good Angel comes down to move the Waters! Good Sir, will You stay and do me this merciful Office?— Tho' he could do no more for himself, though' he could not stir a Hand or Foot, yet this his Wish and waiting in the Means of healing, was his Preparation thro' Grace for his finding Favor in the Sight of Christ, and Mercy from his Hand. — So You, impotent Soul, must express your reverend Regards to the Lord that heals, to the expected and desired Cure, and to the Means ordained of God, where he commands the Blessing: So You must confide in and look for his Presence in and with his Word; receiving it not as the Word of Man, but as it is indeed the Word of God, which worketh effectually when and as he pleases. 1 Thess. ii. 13. And this leads me to add in the last Place,

IV. If we are not grossly wanting to God and our own Souls, in doing what we easily might, the gracious Presence of Christ and his efficacious Blessing would be found in and with his Word upon our Souls, unto all saving Effects and Purposes. The Mercy and Grace of God, revealed and proposed to us in the Gospel, supposes this. Christ is of a Truth in his Word. Power goes along with it to make manifest the Secrets of the Heart, while we fall down on our Face before it and under it. 1 Cor. xiv. 25. Let us try to hear as for our Life, and see if God do not give us an Ear to hear, and a Heart to understand. Are not God's Ways equal? ours unequal? Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord! will God be wanting to Him that is not wanting sadly to himself?

Believe it, that Christ says to You this Day, as to the impotent Man of old, " Stand forth now in the midst! present thyself before me, who sees thy Spirit, now in the Presence of these my People!— And might the blessed Spirit of God now single out every One as by his Name! to Thee personally, to each Individual, it is said! And do thou say unto thy Self, " I am the Man, Woman or Child! and come forth. The Word of thy Savior to thee is, " Stretch out thy Hand! exert the remaining Powers of thy feeble Soul, and lift it unto God. — What! will you not try? no not to move a Hand, or stir a Finger at his Word! who made thy Hand, and Mouth and living Soul! can he not upon thy Wish and Prayer to move, give Strength to leap up, as the Feet and Ankle Bones of the Cripple found at the Temple Gate, Acts iii. 7. He did but look when he was bid, and up he leapt. Think you the great and compassionate God will bid thee try in vain? Can he trifle with thee in things of an everlasting Consequence! He is serious, hearty and in good Earnest with thee in the momentous Matter of Life and Death, whereon thy everlasting Weal or Woe is depending. — Ah! that we were but as truly and as much concerned for our own spiritual and eternal Welfare! but we dally and trifle with Heaven, and at last to excuse our own Sloth and Folly in the great Concerns of our Souls, we are ready with the wicked and idle Servant to cast the Blame on God, and say,— " Lord, I know that thou art an hard Man, reaping where thou hast not strowed; so I was afraid, and went and hid my Talent in the Earth; lo, there thou hast that was thine, Matth. xxv. 25. But will this serve the Turn? will God be put off with this Pretence, or be satisfied with this Lye? No, thou wicked and slothful Servant, thy hard and unjust Thoughts of God, and Speeches against him, will but incense (instead of appeasing) the Wrath of God: for what an Aggravation is it of our Sin, to be ready to charge our willful Neglects and Contempt upon the Severity and Exaction of God? which is the Language of our Disobedience, in not setting our Selves to do all we can when God commands. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee no more than is right, nor will lay more upon thee, that thou shouldest enter into Judgment with Him. " O that God would speak, and show thee the Secrets of Wisdom; that they are double to that which is known to us, in all that He requires of us, and in all his Judgments on us. Job. xi. 5, 6.

Suffer me then to speak a little in God's behalf! And wilt thou know O vain Man, that there is something you have to do, which God requires and expects, & which he will make you to do if ever his Mercy & Grace do take Effect upon you. You have natural Powers made for use, and you cannot pretend that you cannot think, consider of things and reason with your Self about them, and wish and ask of God his Pity, Help and Pardon, his Influence and Power upon thy poor languid Soul. Altho' your Strength and Limbs are utterly gone, yet can you lie and look up unto God on High, to perform all things for you. " Look on us, said Peter and John to the Criple! that he could do, though' he could neither rise, stand or walk! and as he looked he leap'd too at the Name of JESUS.

Only look to Jesus, and He can give thee Faith to be healed. The dumb could look to him, the blind cried after him; " Thou Son of David have Mercy on us! So did blind Bartimaeus, as he sat begging by the Highway, and when the Lord stood still they say to him, " Be of good Comfort, rise, he calleth thee, Mark x. 49.

Come, lie not still at Christ's Call! say not to Him, " I cannot stir! it were to reproach his Calling thee, and to suspect his Power or Truth! for will he require of thee that which he will not help thee to do! for though' of thyself thou canst do nothing to a saving Effect upon thy Soul, yet Christ strengthening thee thou shalt be able to do all things, whatsoever he says unto thee. —Thou art not a Stock neither in respect of Motion, nor a mere brute Creature in respect of Understanding; but thou canst say to thy Self, " Where is God my Maker? who teacheth us more than the Beasts of the Earth, and maketh us wiser than the Fowls of Heaven! None say this to themselves, says Elihu, and yet they may charge God foolishly that he is wanting in Regards to them! but it follows—" Surely God will not hear Vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it! Altho' thou say st thou shalt not see Him, yet Judgment is before Him, therefore trust thou in Him, Job xxxv. 14. — Say then to thyself, "Where is the GOD that made me? and what must I do for this living Soul which He has made me? Men and Brethren what must we do? Will God, his Word, his Spirit, or even his Minister, some Ananias, in this Case be wanting? for " behold he prayeth

I will lay down, and leave with You, a few Maxims and Rules of Truth, which are proper Corrolarys on what has been said, and may be of great Use in the important Matter of Conversion and Salvation.

I. There is no Inability ever to be pleaded, where Christ commands. For wilt thou dare to object against a plain Order and Command of God, or question the Equity or Righteousness of what He requires? If He bid thee go on the Waters, they shall bear thee, as they did Peter, till his Faith sank; or if he order thee thro' the Fires, thou shalt bear them; and as the Prophet speaks shalt not be burnt. If he bid thee fly up to Heaven, he will give thee Faith and Eagles Wings, or his Angels shall bear thee up in their Arms. No Hesitancy may be allowed in us, where God positively declares his Will. " Lord said Moses, I am not Eloquent, but of a slow Tongue, a well since Thou hast spoken to me, as before! And the Lord said to him, " Who hath made Man's Mouth? 〈◊〉 who maketh the dumb or deaf, the seeing or the blind have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will 〈◊〉 with thy Mouth, Exod. iv 11.

II. Not to offer and attempt when God commands plain Disobedience. Angels stand ready all Ways to fly God's Order: they excel in Strength by hearkening the Voice of his Word; they are ever on the Wing to go swiftly: "Thy Will be done on Earth as it is by Them! —Seem it above the Power of Nature, or (which is more) against Nature, if God say do it, all that remains for us is, like Abraham, to rise early and go about it, and go thro' it. So shines the Father of the Faithful in the Eyes of all his spiritual Seed, their bright Leader and Example to the End of the World! and so shone he in the Sight of God and of his Angels: Gen. xxii. 12, 16. " Now know I that thou fearest God! And by my Self have I sworn saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, that in blessing I will bless thee! because thou hast obeyed my Voice. It is thus always with the Soul, whom it pleases God to call by his Grace, and to reveal his Son in; immediately it confers not with Flesh and Blood; raises no Scruples, makes no Objection, but is all Ear and Duty; " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? "Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth.

III. It is no ways unjust or absurd for God to command us to do those things, which of our Selves we are unable to do, because He is able to make all Grace to abound to us, and to give us an Alsufficiency in all things, unto our abounding to every good Word and Work, 2 Cor. ix. 8. We may not stagger at any Precept or Promise of God, no not though' our Soul be dead to it as was Abraham's Body. When the Lord said to the Apostle Paul, "My Grace is sufficient for Thee; for my Strength is made perfect in Weakness; how nobly did the Saint answer? " Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my Infirmities, that the Power of Christ may rest upon me, 2 Cor. xii 9. The Lord's Reproof to Sarah silences every rising Doubt or Fear; Gen. xviii. 14. Is anything too hard for the Lord?

IV. There is a Promise of Grace given with the Commandment, which everyone, set to obey, may humbly and confidently depend upon. Prov i. 23. Turn you at my Reproof; behold I will pour out my Spirit unto You, I will make known my Words to you. Isai. xliv. 1, 2, &c. Yet now 〈◊〉 , O Jacob my Servant, and Israel whom I have chosen! Thus saith the Lord that made and formed thee from the Womb, which will help thee; fear not! For I will pour Water upon Him that is thirsty, and Floods on the dry Ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed, and my Blessing upon thy Offspring! And they shall spring up as among the Grass, as Willows by the Water-courses: One shall say, I am the Lord's! and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his Hand to the Lord, and surname himself by the Name of Israel. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts; "I am the first and I am the last, and beside Me there is no God: And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in Order for me, since I appointed the ancient People? and the things that are coming and shall come? let them show them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid! have not I told thee from that Time, and have declared it? Ye are even my Witnesses: "Is there a God besides me? yea there is no God, I know not any.

V. Those that perish are verily guilty and convicted in their own Consciences, of willful Indolence & Inactivity. As suppose that this Man had refused to try whether he could reach out his withered Arm; had it not been contemptuous to Christ? and would it not have been just upon him, never to have been healed? Or could he expect that Christ would heal him? — Could he have pleaded his Impotence, or would it have excused him in the least? — Not to endeavor under a Divine Call, is to reject the Motions of Divine Grace, and to resist, grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. And this alas! is the Condemnation under the Gospel: Acts vii 51. Ye uncircumcised in Heart and Ears, ye do always resist the HOLY GHOST, as your Fathers did, so do ye. Eph. iv. 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the Day of Redemption. 1 Thess. v. 17, 19, 22. Pray without ceasing, quench not the Spirit, despise not Prophesyings, abstain from all Appearance of Evil: And the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved Hameless unto the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

VI. They that are saved have nothing to boast of, but the whole Glory must be given to the free Grace of God alone, and his Almighty Power. What though' the poor Man did at the Command of Christ stretch forth his Hand, and found it immediately restored! What though' the Cripple looked wishfully at the Apostles, and at the Name of JESUS leapt up on his Legs! What though' the the Lepers went to wash in Obedience to the Word of Christ, and as they were going found themselves made clean! was there anything in the Obedience of one or other of them that could claim any part of the Glory of the Cure? By no means! who gave 'em the Heart and Wisdom to obey so readily the Divine Precept? who gave 'em Faith to be healed? and who put Strength into the withered Arm and Legs to reach out and leap up? — To the Power and Grace of God therefore we ascribe all the Praise and Glory; for of it alone could the Effect be expected. Well therefore was it to see the Cripple that had been, leaping and praising God; and to see One of the Lepers turn back and give Glory to God with a loud Voice, and cast himself down at Jesus Feet. We can neither work Grace in our Selves, nor in the least deserve it at the Hand of God; but the Chief of Saints must say, " By the Grace of God I am what I am, and his Grace given me was not in vain! and if under the Power of it I have labored more than others, than all others, yet not I, but the Grace of God which was with me. 1 Cor. xv. 10.

VII. We learn upon all, that it is our incumbent Duty to be found in the diligent Use of Means, but not to trust in them.

With all our Soul and Mind and Strength we must endeavor to comply with the Demands of the Gospel, but at the same time (as Workers together with God, and altogether under Him) to rely on Him alone to work all in us and for us. The little Powers we have we must put forth, for Strength to do the whole Will of God; but our Dependance on God must be such as the greatest Inability to the least of it can suppose. When we have most considered, and prayed and strained our feeble Powers, we must give all the Honor to free and Sovereign Grace, if there be any saving Effect produced: " Not I, but the Grace of God with me. —At the Word of Christ try to stretch out thy withered Hand; and if it be restored fall down at his sacred Feet, and adore the Mercy and Compassion glorified to a wretched Miserable, a vile Sinner and the chief of Sinners. Let the Lord find thee in his House of Prayer, impotent Soul, and do thou listen to his Word there, and lay it up in thy Heart, and carry it to thy House and Closet, and pray over it (pray it over) with thy Family, and in secret; and thy Father who sees in secret, and into the inmost Recesses of the Heart, shall abundantly and openly reward thee! there is no saving Fruit and Effect of his Grace but you may then humbly hope to receive from Him.

Philip. iv. 13, 19, 20. I can do all things thro' CHRIST which strengtheneth me! and my God shall supply all your Need, according to his Riches in Glory by Jesus Christ! Now unto GOD and our FATHER be Glory, forever and ever. Amen.