(1.) Be at peace with God.

(2.) Be at peace with conscience.

(3.) Be at peace with thy understanding.

(4.) Be at peace with Divine Providence.

II. We now proceed to examine the promise appended to the exhortation of our text." Good shall come

unto thee."

This is one of the many instances in which the sacred writers, failing to embellish with ornament, or to illustrate by the most sublime figures, the happiness of the saints, descend in their description to the simplest and most comprehensive words. "Good" is a word of infinite meaning; and the experience of the believer in time and through the realities of eternity, will only be sufficient to develop the glories it contains.

But here we must be careful to regulate our brilliant expectations by reasonable trust. The fulfilment of this promise will be the consequence of duty performed. And in proportion to our compliance with the command here issued will be our realization of the promised good.

1. Temporal "good shall come unto thee." The blessings of this life may all be comprised in prosperity and satisfaction. By prosperity I do not mean luxury nor wealth-for such indeed often prove a greater curse than a blessing-but I mean such a portion of this world's goods as is consistent with the will of God concerning us. The measure of this portion, will depend much upon the wise decisions of Providence, the peculiarities of your constitution, and your various circumstances. But be it great or small, if a faithful follower of Christ, you will always testify, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." Industry and integrity shall be rewarded even on

this side the tomb. Your path shall be clear and your plans shall succeed, so long as they are subordinate to the direction of your Heavenly Counsellor.

But some will ask, How is it, that many of the Church of Christ, whose piety we cannot doubt- ?

Satisfaction, which carpets the hovel of poverty with contentment, and challenges the darkest temptations with songs of deliverance, shall be unto you.

Arising from the knowledge of God.
Conception of his purposes.

Filial relation to him.

2. Spiritual" Good shall come unto thee." Here lies the essence of this precious promise, and the ultimate of all your other blessings. For all the purposes of a gracious God converge to this grand design of his love, that we might be ransomed from death, renewed in righteousness, and reinstated in his favour.

(1.) A satisfaction of their acceptance with him. (2.) Grace reigning in the heart.

(3.) The sustenance and guidance of his Holy Spirit. (4.) In everlasting glory.

The hortatory spirit of this passage precludes the necessity of a formal application of what has been advanced.

save.

I shall conclude by observing, that its Gospel sentiments powerfully proclaim the ability and willingness of Christ to Mark the terms employed to express the fulness of his grace. "Good shall come."-The inexhaustible streams of the water of life are limited only by the conditions of repentance and simple faith. 'Tis thine to open the living fountain; and its healing streams shall flow into the soul, cleansing the pollution of inbred sin, and sweeping before it the empire of unbelief.

Yorkville, 7th Sep., 1850,

SERMON LIX.

THE TEN LEPERS.

"And it came to pass us he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain vilage, there met him ten lepers, which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made the whole."-LUKE Xvii. 11-19.

A more comprehensive epitome of the life and character of our blessed Redeemer was never perhaps uttered than that by Peter, when he styled him "Jesus of Nazareth who went about doing good." Follow him where you will, and when you will, through the whole period of his natural sojourn; and whether instructing in the synagogue, or conversing in the social circle; whether performing miracles in the presence of the amazed multitude, or breathing his doctrines in the retirement of some solitary mountain; whether in the subjection of his youth, or the authority of his manhood; whether in the denunciation of his wrath, or the invitations of his mercy; whether in the humiliation of his life, or the agonies of his passion and death-the

same untiring zeal inflamed his soul, and urged him to constant exertion, "to do the will of him that sent him, while it was day." His very hours of leisure, if leisure they may be called, were distinguished by the same spirit of ardent benevolence. He was always devising some plan, declaring some doctrine, or doing some work pertaining to the spread of his kingdom. Hence, while a guest at a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, he establishes his Divinity by a striking miracle; when a visitor to the bereaved sisters of Lazarus, by shivering the bolts of death, he proves himself to be the "resurrection and the life;" and when leaning, a wearied traveller, on Jacob's well, in conversation with a Samaritan woman, he deposits an evangelical leaven, which spreads extensively and effectively to numbers around.

us.

An example of this feature of his character, not less interesting and instructive, we have in the passage before We behold him journeying through the midst of Samaria and Galilee to Jerusalem; Jerusalem, that city whose name associated with his gloomy prospects-with events the most awful and important. One would have imagined, that the terrors of the approaching trial, the dismal scenes of Gethsemane, and the ignominious crucifixion of Calvary, would so have absorbed his thoughts, as to render him insensible to all passing circumstances. But Christ was God. His infinite mind was too conversant with the great end of his coming, to tremble at the eventful hour. And while he neared the fatal city, his feelings show him, not a guilty prisoner, but a redeeming Deity. He enters a village and is met by ten poor lepers. His magnanimous soul now yearns with all its native compassion; and he stops to hear their cry. Oh, how exemplary the tenderness, the diligence of your faithful High Priest.

In the exposition of this narrative, replete with some of the most important evangelical doctrines, we claim your attentive consideration—

I. In the first place, to the state of these individuals by whom our Lord was accosted.

1. They were lepers. Amongst the motley train of diseases in the sultry climate of Palestine, none was more loathsome, nor dreadful than the leprosy. The nature of this awful malady, as described by Moses in the Penteteuch, has been sufficiently corroborated by the testimony of oriental travellers.

(1.) Although the plague is distinguished by several/ species, some of these more malignant than others; they were all regarded with the most terrible apprehensions.

(2.) On account of its infectious qualities, the unfortunate leper was excluded from all society, and treated universally with abhorrence and disgust.

(3.) It was usually one of the severe visitations of the Almighty, upon those who had grossly violated his law, and thereby incurred his wrath and judgment. Hence laws the most rigid were enacted by God concerning it in the ceremonial code of the Jews; and it was commonly regarded with feelings of religious horror, as the penalty of flagrant transgression. Even as early in the Israelitish history as two years after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, we find lepers were obliged to reside without the camp, lest they should defile the place of Jehovah's residence. And so strictly was the law enforced, that Miriam, the sister of Moses, when visited with this distemper, notwithstanding her honourable relation to the sacred Law-giver, was shut out from the camp seven days.

It was generally admitted that this awful disease was incurable by any power but that of God-such an