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mised to make like unto his glorious body. Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven, shall so come again in like manner, the man whom God has ordained to be the Judge of quick and dead. Let us wait for his appearing. Let us look forward to that his coming, as the day of our final deliverance; let us rejoice with trembling at the glorious prospect, that, as we are saved by his blood, and sanctified by his grace, so also when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

88

SERMON VII.

PREACHED ON THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER, 1837.

THE TOO ZEALOUS DISCIPLES REPROVED.

LUKE ix. 55, 56.

But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; for the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

It would be a pleasing and an instructive task, to review the miracles of our blessed Lord, as they bear testimony to the merciful character of that dispensation which he came to introduce. With two exceptions, exceptions perfectly justified by the circumstances under which they occurred, the actions of Jesus Christ were marked by a compassion evidently indicative of him who came to seek that which was lost. To the varied evils of man's earthly condition he was ever ready to afford the sufficient relief. To the cry of distress his ears were always open, and no sup

pliant applied in vain for the exercise of his merciful power. The sorrows of the Jew or of the Gentile, of the rich or of the poor, of the afflicted and distressed in mind, body, or estate, all found their appropriate relief or consolation from the friend of sinners.

It might appear, then, somewhat strange, did not the gospel teach us something of the deceitfulness of the human heart, that shortly before the time arrived "when he was to be taken up, as he journeyed to Jerusalem,

certain of his chosen followers wished to inflict a signal punishment upon the inhospitality, tinctured no doubt with religious bigotry, with which their Master was treated, by the inhabitants of a village of Samaria. The zeal of these his followers, one of them the beloved disciple of Jesus, however it might have shown their regard for his honour, and their affection to his person, savoured little of those feelings which had animated his heart, in the performance of that work which his Father had given him to do. Little was it consistent with the love that had called him from heaven to earth, to send fire from heaven upon those who refused to admit him to their dwellings, however vain might have been their excuse for this inhospitable treatment. If, at a former period of his mission, he had commanded his disciples, when they went forth to preach his doctrines, to shake off the

dust of their feet against them that should refuse their message; if he had even declared that it would be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, yea, for Sodom and Gomorrha, in the day of judgment, than for them; still this did not exclude even those against whom these denunciations were uttered, from repenting and turning from their evil way, if haply they should be converted and understand their error. They might yet hear the voice of mercy, and receive with willing hearts that message which they had once rejected. But the extinction of any who refused his mercy, while it would exclude them from all further hope of participation in the blessings once offered, would have tended little to exhibit the merciful character of the dispensation of the gospel; nor would terror have impressed with the most appropriate feelings, those who were called to listen to a message of divine compassion. His reply, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of," conveyed something of reproof; and the argument by which that reply was enforced, "The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them;" while it gave a sufficient answer to the misguided zeal of the affectionate disciples, contained also a concise declaration of those purposes of the gospel, which Christians, in all ages and under all circumstances, ought to set before themselves, as the grand end of their privileges, and the great

object of their exertions.

"The Son of man is

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come to seek and to save that which was lost." "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

Our church having selected this portion of scripture for our meditation, on this day of solemn thanksgiving for national mercies, let us examine its details more closely; that we may better understand the motives under which these two apostles acted, and the principles expressed in the rebuke which they received. received. And we may then take occasion to remark the suitableness of this narrative, for the purposes of this day's celebration.

Be it then observed, that on the occasion here mentioned, our Saviour was removing from Galilee, which for more than two years had been the chief scene of his labours, to Judæa; where he intended chiefly to employ the remaining portion of his ministry upon earth. Passing through Samaria, with the avowed purpose of proceeding to Jerusalem, he was refused admission into a certain village, upon the very plea of this his avowed purpose. But it may be asked, why upon this occasion this refusal was made; when, at other times, neither Jesus nor his disciples appear to have been thus treated; nay, rather, many of the Samaritans are known to have expressed their conviction of the truth of

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