have objected, they could not think themfelves cured, before they had fome appearance of it in themselves. They might have been tempted to call it an infult, and not a cure; to go on fuch an errand, when they had not a promise that he would heal them, but only fome hint of his kind intention. Yet fuch was their Faith in him; fuch their Reliance on his Goodness and Power, that they doubted not of the event. They immediately went their way as he had commanded, and left the management to his care. They not only believed, but performed

Faith

and Obedience must go together. The Faith that is faving is not made up of confident hopes and expectations only; but is obediential, and engages us to do what Jefus bids us. As the body without the spirit is dead, fo Faith without works is dead alfo. When Perfons are in the way of their duty, they are in the way of a Blessing; but when they are engaged about what is not lawful, they cut themselves off from every reasonable hope.--Though our prayers are not immediately anfwered, and the ways of Providence feem dark and perplexed; yet notwithstanding we

fhould

с

James ii. 26.

hould perfevere in our duty, in this confidence that all will end well.

FOURTHI Y, --- And one of them, when he Jaw he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. v. 15. And fell down at his feet giving him thanks, and he was a Samaritan. v. 16. The manner of their cure left them no room to doubt its being divine. It was performed without any external applications; without fo much as a touch, or a word's fpeaking, by a perfon at a distance. But then only one is full of the conviction, and be a Samaritan. The other very likely were Jews, between whom and the Samaritans there was no friendly The Jews would have no dealings with them. See here a common affliction had reconciled them; they can beg together, though they will not deal together. A Publick Enemy and Scourge will many times remove the prejudices of Parties, and unite men in affection and intereft, who were a little before estranged to one another. The Jews valued themfelves much on being the peculiar People of God, and had reason to do fo: Yet we see here they had the least fenfe

commerce,

John iv. 9.

fenfe of Gratitude. The fairest Profeffor is not always the best Christian. -God is not influenced by our Anger, and party prejudices in diftributing his favours. In the Cafe before us we see a stranger, and a Samaritan the object of his mercy. He is no respecter of perfons; but in every Nation, and in every Party, He that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. Not many are fenfible of a Benefit, here we have but one in Ten. His ingenuity is remarkable, his voice is as much raised to exprefs his thanks, as it was to afk for the favour. The other receive the mercy, and run away with it; take the gift and forget the donor.

FIFTHLY,

In the text you have

our Saviour's Reflection on thofe incidents.. And Jefus anfwering faid, were there not Ten cleanfed, but where are the Nine. There are not found, that returned to give glory to God, fave this ftranger. q. d." Were they not all

very earnest and importunate for mercy?: "Did they not give me a moving reprefen"tation of their cafe? Was not their fubmif"fion low, and their promifes fair? And "when I granted their requeft, fhould they

e Acts x. 35.

" not

"not have had the ingenuity to have owned "it, and have given God the Glory? To " him their Gratitude was certainly due, as "the Original and Source of all Goodness, "whatever their opinion was of me. The "Benefit was fo great, that their Thankful

ness for it should have been as publick as "their cure, and as lasting as their lives; but to my astonishment I find only one of them " in this difpofition”.

This cenfure of ingratitude deferves our regard; especially on this occafion, when a finğular mercy rifes up to our view. That we might guard against this reproach, let me obferve to you from the text, and the case it refers to.

I.... That Perfons under any preffing af fliction ufe to be importunate for mercy. II....That when a Mercy is vouchsafed, it is too foon forgotten.

III. That God refents fuch a deportment, reasonably expecting from us the returns of Gratitude.

I. I obferve, that Perfons under any preffing affliction ufe to be importunate for mercy. Had man never finned, he had never known

what affliction meant; but Sin brought in with it a train of diseases, mifery, and Death. Some afflictions are the natural fruits of Sin. Thus a difeafed body is the fruit of luxury and intemperance; anxiety and fear, of Covetousness; disturbance, of Paffion. Other afflictions are medicinal, and have a tendency in the defign of Providence to awaken in us a proper fenfe of things. Indulgence and Eafe deprefs the mind, and leave it secure and unguarded; but when we are handled a little roughly, and feel the painful impreffion, we begin to reflect, and cry out for Help.

་

A fight of danger generally awakens our fear, and that prompts us to avoid or remove it. When gentler methods fail, God is pleafed to take this. Thine own wickedness fhall correct thee, and thy backflidings fhall reprove thee. Some are fo obftinate in their ways, or fo fecure in their fins, that to affect them, the Gospel had need be delivered to them, as the Law was formerly, in a storm of Thunder and Lightning. When the terrors of God have opened their ears to difcipline, and scourges have made deep furrows on them, then, poffibly confiderations of Religion may have their full effect.

f Jer. ii. 19.

In