ber, but all of them were cleansed. Nothing could more strikingly evince the power of Jesus, who could heal the distressed applicants for his relief at a distance, as well as when the patients were immediately before him; and who did so on this occasion with peculiar advantage for the establishment of his own claims and authority, inasmuch as the number and simultaneous cure of those whom he restored, left no room for the supposition of collusion or imposture.

The surprise of the restored lepers we may well imagine to have been great indeed; and it is probable they all went to the priests, as they had been directed by our Lord, for the purpose of being reinstated in the privileges of society, and to accomplish the enactments of the Mosaic ritual. One, however, more deeply affected than the rest by the mercy which he had experienced, returned to his Benefactor, and in a devout and solemn manner gave him thanks for the benefit which he had conferred, having also glorified God with a loud voice, while he was on his way to Jesus. This individual, it is particularly remarked by the Evangelist, was a Samaritan; one who belonged to a nation or community generally despised by the Jews, and who did not possess as a member of that community, the religious advantages which the Jews enjoyed.

The contrasted conduct of these parties elicited, on the one hand, the merited censure, and, on the other, the gracious approval of our Lord: his merited censure of the nine, (probably his own countrymen,) who had neglected to acknowledge the obligation under

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which they lay; his gracious approval of the Samaritan stranger, whom he dismisses with an intimation, that a higher blessing had been conferred on him, whose faith had made him spiritually whole. This appears to be the import of our Saviour's concluding words; otherwise we see no peculiarity in the case of this approved Samaritan as the result of his faith, which can account for those words,-inasmuch as the rest, no less than he, were cleansed of the leprosy with which their bodies had been infected.

Having thus taken a cursory view of the narrative before us, our further object will be to deduce from it such GENERAL INSTRUCTION as it appears well adapted to convey. May the Holy Spirit of God direct and bless our attempt!

I. In the first place, then, we may briefly observe, that A SIMILARITY OF CONDITION LEADS MEN TO ASSOCIATE WITH EACH OTHER.

This is true in a natural, a civil, and a moral sense. Those whose bodily constitutions, or intellectual qualifications, bear a more than ordinary resemblance to each other, will generally be disposed to consort together. The same may be said of those who occupy a similar rank in the gradations of society; and of those who are of like mind as to their vicious and depraved, or their virtuous and religious, habits of life. In the case before us, their common degradation and wretchedness, their exclusion from the ordinary privileges of the community,-caused these afflicted lepers to form a connected company

among themselves. And where,' we may ask, with the pious Bishop Hall, shall we find one spiritual leper alone? Drunkards, profane persons, heretics, will be sure to consort with their matches. Why should not God's saints delight in a holy communion? Why is it not our chief joy to assemble in good?' With reference to these seasonable and emphatic inquiries, we may at once observe that in proportion as we are cleansed from the spiritual leprosy of sin, and renewed in holiness of heart through the influence of Divine grace, we shall indeed rejoice in having fellowship one with another, and holding holy converse together, inasmuch as we shall feel a common interest in the apostolic declaration, Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." We proceed to observe,

II. That DISTRESS LEADS THOSE TO APPLY TO THE SAVIOUR, WHO OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE HAD

NO COMMUNICATION WITH HIM.

In this instance it was corporal distress which induced the supplicants to make application to Jesus. We have reason to apprehend, that with many of them, this was the extent of the misery which they felt for had they been spiritually affected, they would have joined the Samaritan in presenting to our Lord the tribute of grateful praise for the mercy which he had shewn them. Temporal affliction, however, is sometimes graciously sanctified, so as to become the means of convincing the afflicted of their spiritual wretchedness, and thus bringing them, in

deep humiliation and fervent prayer, to the Lord Jesus Christ in his all-important character as the Saviour of sinners. Till such a conviction has been wrought in the mind, the sinner, however contaminated and defiled, will never sincerely apply to the Saviour for relief and deliverance. In his own opinion he will be in the situation of the whole who need not the physician's aid, and therefore do not look to him for assistance. How many, alas! are in this awful state, who will not be convinced, in spite of all that can be said on the subject, of their perilous condition, and of the destructive consequences to which it exposes them! May God grant that such persons may be brought to a real sense of their guilt and danger! Then, in answer to their earnest inquiries how they may obtain salvation, and where relief is to be found, they will be directed to Him who has power to forgive sins, and to cleanse from all unrighteousness :-then humbly resorting to him, and imploring his mercy, they will obtain deliverance, and find rest to their souls. In whatever way so important an event is brought about,-whatever is the instrumentality employed in producing that conviction of sin, by which it is preceded, it is most earnestly to be desired, and should be the object of our frequent prayer in behalf of those who know it not by a happy experience.

III. We remark, in the next place, that OF THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED SIGNAL BENEFITS, FEW COM

PARATIVELY ARE PROPERLY THANKFUL ΤΟ THE GREAT AUTHOR AND GIVER OF ALL GOOD.

In the present instance, out of ten who had been cleansed by the effectual power of our Lord, which attested his Divinity, one only returned to him, for the purpose of yielding the grateful homage of unfeigned thanks for so remarkable a favour. Perhaps we are ready to condemn the ingratitude of the nine; and undoubtedly it cannot be excused. But alas! there is too much cause to lament that the like conduct is extensively prevalent in the world. Are not all receiving continual and innumerable benefits from that God in whom they live, and move, and have their being? Are they not preserved by his power, sustained by his bounty, and unspeakably indebted to his providential care?-When they are visited with sickness, or any kind of affliction, is not the visitation sent from Him who "doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men," but punishes or chastens them with a view to their profit?-When such visitations are graciously removed, is not an additional instance afforded of the forbearance and lovingkindness of God, who in judgment remembereth mercy? Questions of this kind might easily be accumulated; to all of which an affirmative answer must be returned. Nevertheless, countless are the multitudes who are living as though they were altogether destitute of a sense of their obligations to Him, whose goodness endureth for ever, and is daily and hourly,―nay, every moment of their lives, renewed to them.