not imparted to them, of standing in his place to forgive sins, instead of declaring out of scripture whose sins will be forgiven. These men, however, were not affected by any sensibility towards the honour of God. Their feeling was no other than that which they often expressed when Jesus performed his cures on the Sabbath day. They watched for such occasions of traducing him, and lowering him in the opinion of the people. Evil, and not good was in their thoughts, whilst they professed to defend God's honour. And this he perceived, "and needed not that any should testify" concerning them; "for he knew what was in man." 6 5 4. And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5. For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6. But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7. And he arose, and departed to his house. Thus he proved that he had power on earth to forgive sins, by performing a miracle which showed that "God was with him." He could not employ God's power, without also knowing God's will. Whenever a king intends another to act in his name, he entrusts the ambassador with his seal: who would not have the seal in his hands, if he had not the authority of him to whom the seal belongs. And this power, which as Nicodemus perceived and owned, Jesus could not possess "unless God were with 5 See Mark iii. 2, &c. &c. 6 John ii. 23. him," was the seal of his ministry; the proof of his being the Messiah; the proof which these scribes had seen, and ought to acknowledge. As he argued with them elsewhere. If .ye believe not me, believe the works. "The works that I do, bear wit ness of me that the Father hath sent me." 8 66 Jesus, however, had power on earth to forgive sins, for a reason which could not be then understood by those who beheld his miracles. God might have entrusted him with miraculous powers, as he had entrusted Moses, and Elijah, and many of the prophets. But Jesus had power in himself: an authority which he purchased at the price of his own blood. He came to give his life a ransom for many." He is the propitiation for our sins.” “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."9 This fulfilment of the prophecies was soon to be made known to the Jewish people. It was among the many things to be declared to them, which as yet they "could not bear." 66 We, however, know it. We know that we do not deprive God of the honour due to him, but rather pay him honour, when we trust to his beloved Son for the remission of sins. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father."' And happy indeed are we who do know this: who neither depend upon the vain pretensions of men, claiming to be the 8 John v. 37. John v. 22-23. 'John iii. 1. vicegerents of God, and to hold his mercy in their hands; nor rest on a vague hope, that repentance may efface the memory of the past; nor comfort ourselves with a groundless belief, that God will make no "difference between him that serveth him, and him that serveth him not." We depend upon an actual price, paid to discharge a debt incurred we appeal to satisfaction really made, to reconcile the offended to the offender. He who made this satisfaction, hath power on earth to forgine sins; and, trusting to this, we have real comfort when he says, Be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. And such is his gracious assurance to every sincere penitent, who comes to God through him and trusting to that assurance, may "have joy and peace and believing" that "God hath given to us eternal life;" and that "this life is in his Son." 2 8. But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. It might have been said here, Because they have seen the paralytic man relieved, does the multitude marvel? They shall "see greater things than these."3 They had seen the effect of sin removed, and the man who through the fault of the first Adam had been afflicted with disease and pain, by the goodness of the second Adam restored to health and strength. But it would be a greater thing than this to see sin itself overcome: to see men who had been alienated from God through wicked works, delivered from the dominion of Satan, recovered to the favour of God, 3 See John i. 50. 21 John v. 11. ness. and walking before him in righteousness and holiThese are the blessings at which we may justly marvel, and never cease to glorify God, who has shown such mercy unto men. LECTURE XL. SINNERS CALLED TO REPENTANCE. MATT. ix. 9—13. 9. And as Jesus passed from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith unto him, Follow me: and he arose, and followed him. 10. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with him and his disciples. 11. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? Matthew, himself a publican, had friends of the same vocation who came to his house, wondering, perhaps, at the sudden impulse which had caused him to arise, and leave his business in the midst, and follow "the prophet of Nazareth." The vocation of publican was odious to the Jews; not merely because it reminded them of their being tributary to the Romans; but because the publicans too often yielded to the temptation of becoming harsh, extor tionate, and unjust; being under-servants of the higher officer, the farmer of the revenues. In consequence, they were a degraded class; and it always sinks men lower, to be as a class in low esteem. They were treated as a sort of lepers; scarcely allowed the privileges of ordinary citizens. So that the phrase, publicans and sinners, had become a kind of general term for persons who had lost all character. It may have been for this very reason that the Lord chose Matthew from the receipt of custom, in order to show, by example, that no degree of sinfulness is to be treated as desperate, and no class of men is excluded from the regard of God. Considering this, the Pharisees might naturally be surprised at what they saw, and ask the disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners ? The question might have been sincerely asked. The Lord, however, as lately in the case of the Scribes, knew that their thoughts were not good but evil; that they were intending to cast reproach, not honestly to seek a reason for what seemed to them inconsistent with the office of a prophet. 12. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.1 Our Lord justifies his conduct, first, as being natural. He was to the soul, what the physician is to the body. Is it not to be expected that a physician should attend to those most, who most need 1 Hos. vi. 6. |