SERMON XV.

THE CAUSES CONSIDERED THAT MADE OUR LORD'S WORD WITH POWER.

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LUKE iv. 32.

His word was with power.

UR Lord, having made his escape from the Jews of Nazareth, who fought to destroy him in the. beginning of his divine ministry, went to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught the people

on the fabbath-days." Such was the effect of his preaching here, that they were aftonished at his doctrine; for, adds the holy evangelist, in the plain, unaffected ftyle of the gospel, "his word was with "power." Previous to his coming into

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the world, indeed, the Jews had been taught by an illustrious feries of prophecies to believe, that a divine energy would diftinguish the words and actions of the Meffiah. Yet they were weak enough to expect a mere temporal prince; one that was to eclipfe the glory of David, and deliver them from the dominion of the Romans. But when "the "winds and feas obeyed him; when they

faw the dead raised to life, the blind recover their fight, and the lame man leap "as an hart;" all might have known, that these were the works which beft correfponded with the office of the Meffiah, and the benevolent difpenfations of providence in fending a Saviour upon earth,

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He whom the prophet ftiled "The everlafting Father, the Prince of Peace," was not to fpread flaughter and devastation among mankind, like the ambitious princes of this world, under the vain pretence of glory and of conqueft; but to establish a fpiritual kingdom, a kingdom of peace, of righteousness and true holiness. It was

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his fuperior glory" to preach good tidings "to the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, and to proclaim the acceptable of the Lord." Yes, it was the object of his divine miniftry "to give unto "his people the knowledge of falvation; "to afford light to them that fit in dark"nefs and in the fhadow of death, and to

guide our feet into the way of peace."

As the only begotten Son of the Father, he was invested, we are told, with all power both in heaven and in earth, and exalted far above the angels. Nothing less than the exertion of this divine power, in performing miracles and wonders, was neceffary to fubdue the prejudices, and enlighten the ignorance of a degenerate world. At this distance of time, we can only adore, without hoping to imitate, the mighty works which diftinguifhed the miniftry of our Lord, and which he performed, at once to manifeft his love to man, and to afford the most unexceptionable grounds of faith in his kingdom. But though thefe miracu

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lous proofs of his divinity have ceased, and that, we may fuppofe, because infinite wifdom faw there was no longer neceffity for them; yet there were other caufes, very fufficient, of themfelves, to make the people wonder at his doctrine, and to convince the whole world that "his word was with "power." As thefe caufes proceeded from perfections of character which we ourselves, as chriftians, are required to imitate, we cannot make them too often the subject of our meditations, efpecially in those hours which are fet apart for the discharge of devotional duties.

I SHALL endeavour to fhew, therefore, that the word of our bleffed Lord was always attended with power; I. From the truth and difinterestedness of his doctrines, and the superior excellence of his sentiments. II. From the gracious manner in which thofe fentiments were delivered. III. From the openness and fincerity of his reproof; and IV. From his example.

BEFORE

BEFORE the chriftian æra, the whole world was given to the groffest idolatry. Even the Jews, who were taught the knowledge of the one true God, and at least the first rudiments of revelation, by Mofes and the prophets, did not long remain uncontaminated by the example of their neighbours. Every one embraced the errors and fuperftitions of the country in which he lived, without giving himfelf the trouble to enquire whether his religion was worthy of a rational being or not, and without confidering whether he "worship

ped the Father in fpirit and in truth.” Their devotion was feldom attended with any fentiment that connected the reverence of the Deity with the mild duties of humanity; and as they were but little interested in the practice of their respective fyftems, from motives of confcience, they were but little concerned either for their purity or fuccefs. The warrior, indeed, was ever ready to proftrate himself before the altars of his tutelary gods, when he hoped for victory, or when he wished to

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