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severity was blended a powerful infufion of mercy and mildnefs, the particulars of which had a direct reference to the times. and the fpirit of the Gofpel. Of thefe the year of jubilee was one of the moft diftinguished. It was ufhered in with the found. of the trumpet, "proclaiming liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof." On the return of this hallowed fiftieth year, debts were remitted; alienated lands reverted to the original proprietor; the Hebrew bond-fervant to a Hebrew," he and his children with him" were to be fet free, and reftored to their rank in Ifrael; the poor Hebrew, who had been reduced to the fad neceffity of selling himself as a flave to a stranger, was to be redeemed by his next of kin. In a word, at the expiration of every feven times leven years, all the diforders which had crept into the commonwealth, from the period of the preceding jubilee, were to be rectified, and all reinstated on the original bafis. It is easy to conceive how fuch an era would be looked unto and longed for, what a happy tendency it had to ameliorate the condition of myriads, and to check the progress of oppreffion. In contemplating it, the Pfalmift exclaims: "Bleffed is the people that know the joyful found!"** It was a figure of that "acceptable year of the Lord" which it was predicted the Meffiah should be sent to proclaim, the perpetual jubilee ofthe Gofpel, for the remiffion of fins; for the reftoration of the forfeited inheritance of the faints; for the manumiffion of the flave; for the redemption of the captive; for releasing and bringing back the exile: in a word, “to deftroy the works of the devil," to repair the ravages of fin and death, to introduce univerfal and everlafting liberty, and peaceand joy.

The fequel of this fervice of the fynagogue, and the effect which it produced, will be the fubject of the next Lecture.

Learn, Christian, to compare Scripture with Scripture, and predictions with their correfponding events. Search diligently for him to whom all the prophets give witnefs, and in whom "all the promises of God are yea, and in Him amen, unto the glory of God." Much is clearly manifefted, and pointedly applied; but much ftill remains to be brought to light. Truth will not obtrude itself on the careless, fuperficial reader or obferver, but discloses its hidden charms to the diligent, the devout and the inquifitive. It is the injunction of Chrift him-felf: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which teftify of me." Search then in this particular view, and you will have to tell to others what Philip said to Nathaniel; "We have found him of whom Mofes in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jelus of Nazar

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eth." "With joy fhall ye draw water out of thefe wells of falvation:" and having tafted how fweet and refreshing it is, you will be difpofed to impart it to others, for in this, if in any cafe,. the faying of the wife man is verified: "There is that fcattereth. and yet increafeth:" and "it is more bleffed to give than to receive."

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LECTURE XIII.

LUKE, IV. 20-32.

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minifter, and fat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the fynagogue were faftened on him. And he began to fay unto them, this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which pro'ceeded out of his mouth. And they faid, is not this Jofeph's fon? And he said unto them, Ye will furely fay unto me this proverb, phyfician, heal thyself: Whatfoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do alfo here in thy country. And he faid, verily I fay anto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Ifrael in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and fix months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias fent, Jave unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Ifrael in the time of Elifeus the prophet; and none of them was cleanfed, faving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the fynagogue, when they heard thefe thing's, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thruft him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, that they might caft him down headlong. But he, paffing through the midst of them, went his way, and came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Jabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine : For his word was with power.

T is truly affecting to think on what a flippery foundation men attempt to rear the fabric of happinefs. They dream of deriving it from their own ftores. In the pride of his heart, a man imagines himself to be equal to every thing. What can elude his penetration; what can refift his force; what can fatigue his induftry? Nevertheless, the stammering of a child bebetrays his purpofe; the ruftling of a leaf melts his refolution; a ftone cut out of the mountain, and hurled at him by an invisible hand, crushes in a moment all his powers into the duft: Are they more fecure, or more fuccefsful, who depend on foreign aid; who build their felicity on the ability, the conftancy;

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or the affection of others? Alas, it is an attempt to erect a houfe upon the fand; the washing of the next tide levels it to the ground. Friendship, in a flufh of zeal, promised you all encouragement and fupport. The hour of need comes, and you have recourfe to the heart which fondly cherished you; it has waxed cold, it is alienated, it acknowledges you no long. Your mountain flood ftrong in a prince's favor. What fhall not "be done to the man whom the king delights to honour ?" Ah, his breath is in his noftrils, he died yesterday, he has returned to his duft. Applauding multitudes hang upon your lips, the public finger points you out with approbation: but "you have heard" of the fufferings, as well as of the patience of Job. "When I went out to the gate through the city, wher I prepared my feat in the ftreet, the young men faw me and hid themselves: and the aged arose and stood up. When the ear heard me, then it bleffed me; and when the eye faw me, it gave witness to me. Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept filence at my counfel. They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth as for the latter rain; I chose out their way, and fat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army.-But," O fad reverse! "they that are younger than I, have me in derifion. And now I am their fong, yea I am their by-word. They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to fpit in my face.Upon my right hand rise the youth, they push away my feet: they mar my path, they fet forward my calamity."-And fuchis every one who trufteth in popular favour; he feedeth onthe wind and grafpeth the east wind in bis arms.

But a more illuftrious and more inftructive inftance, to thispurpofe, than that of Job, is before us. Now the eyes of the admiring multitude in the fynagogue are fastened with wonder and delight on the face of Jefus ; anon they are filled with. wrath against him: now all bear him witness, and dwell upon "the gracious words which proceed out of his mouth;" next moment they are up in arms, they thruft him out of the city, they hurry him to the brow of the hill, with an intention to caft him down headlong. The cry to-day is, " let us take him and make him a king, never man fpake like this man;" tomorrow it is, away with him, crucify him; not this man but Barabbas." Let us trace the progrefs of the fcene, and obferve what produced the fudden change, and learn to cease from man, and to draw confolation and fupport from the approbabation of God, and from the teftimony of a confcience void of offence.

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The paffage which he had read from the prophet was deeply interefting and affecting. It held up to view a most illuftri

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ous perfonage, fupporting a dignified and important character, and fingularly qualified for the exercise of it, employed in ren. dering the most seasonable and the moft effential fervices to mankind; evangelizing the poor, healing the broken-hearted, redeeming the captive, enlightening the blind, fetting the prifoner free, proclaiming the Jubilee year, the era of univerfal joy. The value and weight of the fubject were greatly enhanced by the manner in which he rehearfed it. Into his lips grace was poured: what majefty fat enthroned on his brow! what mild glory beamed from his eyes! what dignity and grace in his attitude as he rofe and fat down, in receiving the book and delivering it again to the minifter! Behold every eye is fixed upon him, every ear is attention, while in thefe few but emphatical words, he explains and applies the prediction of the prophet, "This day is this fcripture fulfilled in your ." "I'am He to whom the prophet gives witnefs; come into the world on this benevolent defign; I, your bone and your flesh, your brother, your neighbour, your fellowcitizen, your friend.” "Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft."

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On this admiration gradually gives way to a feeling lefs gentle. Familiarity lowers the object with which it converfes felf-love cannot brook to acknowledge a fuperior in an equal; envy feeks to indemnify itself under the oppreffion of emin ent worth and excellence, by discovering and fixing upon fome humiliating, mortifying circumftance, that reduces the hated: greatness nearer to its own level.. This explains the change which so quickly appeared in our Saviour's auditory. zled, at firft, by both the matter and manner of his addrefs, they crown him with applaufe.. But perceiving themselves eclipfed'in the luftre of his graces and virtues, finking as he rofe, they ftrive to tumble him from his excellency, as if by degrading him, they were themfelves to mount: His parents age is his only vulnerable part; that was poor, and mean, and defpifed, and that, accordingly, envy brings forward with af fected furprize. Is not this Jofeph's fon ?" And when once this baleful, malignant paffion has taken poffeffion of the breast, every claim of juftice, every plea of worth, every call of gratitude, every emotion of mercy, is difregarded, stifled,. trampled under foot:

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Christ observes it with pity, not with indignation; for he came not only to relieve the miferable, but to bear with and overcome the froward, to convince, fub due and melt the obftiaate, to cure prejudice, and to inftruct indocility. Their uncivil, invidious inquiry excites in him no refentment; it can

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