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When fame had spread the palsyd servant's case, Another, lingering of the same disease, Through the uncoverd roof his friends convey And at the feet of Jesus humbly lay.

JESUS HEALS A PARALYTIC,

Pleased with their faith Christ said-Thy sins forgiv'n,
I loose on earth, and thou art loos'd in Heav'n:
He rose to health and vigorous strength; and bore
The useless couch away, on which he laid before.

"THEY brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed; and Jesus seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." (Matthew ix. 2.) The faith of the friends of the poor afflicted man, was a strong faith; they firmly believed that Jesus Christ both could and would heal him

The favour of Christ. in what he said to him; "Son be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." This was a sovereign cordial to a sick man, and was enough to make all his bed in to make it easy to him.

his sickness; and Christ bids him

to be of good cheer, and then he is instantly cured. He would have those to whom he bestows his gifts, to be cheerful in seeking him, and in trusting in him; to be of good courage. Thy sins are forgiven thee, therefore thou shalt be healed. Sin may be pardoned, and yet the sickness not removed; the sickness may be removed, and yet sin not pardoned: but if we have the comfort of our reconciliaton to God, with the comfort of our recovery from sickness, this makes it a mercy indeed.

Whether the sick man most desired or expected this forgiveness at the hands of Christ, we cannot tell; but if he thought not of it, what a surprise of love! They that earnestly seek pardon with sorrow, shall assuredly find it with joy; and they that find it without previous sorrow, shall yet be sure to feel that sorrow for sin

after they receive pardon, if they do not before. Well may Christ say, Be of good courage, thy sins are forgiven thee. What can dismay after this? The heart wholly filled with Divine peace and love, bears up all, and sorrow is turned into joy. But though this is great encouragement to sinners, it is by no means an encouragement to sin. If thou confess thy sins to Jesus Christ, as thy malady and misery, and pray to be cured of and be delivered from them, it is well; but to presume to come with them, as thy darlings and delight, thinking still to retain them, and receive Christ's favour, is a great mistake, a miserable delusion. The intention of the blessed Jesus in the redemption he wrought, is to separate our hearts from all sin.

The scribes cavilled at that which

Christ said and did, and branded it as blasphemy; and so it would have been, if he had not had Divine power for it.

Our Lord Jesus has perfect knowledge of all that we say or think within ourselves. Thoughts are secret, yet open before Christ, the eternal Word. He could say to the scribes, who disputed his power, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? There is a great deal of evil in sinful thoughts. In them lies the root of bitterness. He asserted his authority in the kingdom of grace; and showed that the Son of man, the Mediator, has power on earth to forgive sins. Christ's miricles clearly confirm that he was the Son of God; the power that appeared in his cures, proved him actually sent of God; and the pity that appeared in them, proved that he came from heaven "to seek and to save."

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