if

feed could not penetrate-there is, fecondly, the ftony foil-there is, thirdly, the foil choked with weeds-and, fourthly, there is the good foil; that is, in plain language, there are three parts in four of mankind, that make little use of the knowledge they receive. And then their knowledge only arifes in witnefs against them.-What avails. it to know you are loft, and fallen creatures, you ftill fuffer your natural corruption to continue?-if you never ftrive, nor pray to remove. it? What avails it to know, you can expect falvation only through Chrift; if you do not, by holy lives, make his death efficacious in taking away your fins? Will the knowledge, think you, of these things fave you?-Are the truths of the Gospel intended to enlighten the understanding, or to improve the heart?-The goodness of the tree is known by the fruit it bears-And fo is the goodness of a Chriftian. We must know our duty, it is true, before we can practise it: but if our knowledge do not lead to practice-if it do not produce in us good lives, we are fruitless trees, and only cumber the ground. You remember what was faid of him, who knew his mafter's will, and did it not: his fentence was defervedly fevere

Let

Let me then conclude as I began. I can add nothing stronger; and let it be deeply imprinted in your minds. They are your Saviour's own words-if ye know thefe things, happy are ye if ye do them and may the grace of God, through Jefus Chrift, imprefs them upon you!

T 2

SERMON XXV.

JOHN, Vii. 46.

NEVER MAN SPAKE LIKE THIS MAN.

HE chief priests and Pharifees being deter

THE

mined, if poffible, to deftroy our blessed Saviour; and having gotten, as they supposed, fome handle against him, fent their officers to apprehend him. The officers were fo ftruck with what Jefus faid to them, that they returned without him. "Never man," faid they, "fpake like this man." What our Saviour faid to thefe officers does not appear; but we may be fure, from his answering on other occafions, it was fomething, which they thought extremely uncommon and affecting.

As we are often apt to pafs over things flightly which deferve great attention, many of us, in the present

7

prefent cafe, may not confider in fo ftrong a light as we ought, the extraordinary power with which our Saviour always fpoke. In the following dif course therefore, I shall endeavour to explain the text, by fhewing you, firft, the great wisdom with which he oppofed his adversaries-fecondly, the divine precepts he gave his difciples-and, thirdly, the grand scheme of redemption which he opened; in all which he spake as never man fpake.

We first admire the great wisdom with which he oppofed his adverfaries. Thus when they asked him, whether it were lawful to give tribute to Cæfar? they wanted only a handle against him.

-If he had faid, it was lawful, he would have offended the Jews, who thought themselves naturally free from all tribute. If he had faid, it was not lawful, he would have offended the Romans, who had impofed the tribute. An ordinary man might have held his peace; or have answered, he was no judge of the cafe: the wifdom of Jefus meant to confound thefe malicious enquirers. He afked for a piece of money with which the tribute was paid. Whofe image, faid he, does this coin bear? On their answering Cæfar's,

т 3.

Cæfar's, he bade them give it then to Cæfar, if it was Cæfar's. But, as his manner was, always to introduce fome moral inftruction, he bade them remember, they had a heavenly power to serve, ftill fuperior to Cæfar. His enemies, aftonished at his wifdom, left him in confufion.

The fame fnare was laid for him, when the woman taken in adultery was brought before him. If he had faid, they ought not to put her to death, he oppofed the law of Mofes; and if he had advised the contrary, he laid himself open to the Romans, who forbade the Jews the power of life and death*. Here again he might have avoided the difficulty by filence; but he chofe rather to confound his wicked adverfaries, by fetting their confciences and their practice at variance. Let him, faid he, among you, who hath never been guilty of this crime himfelf, throw the firft ftone. This roufed the confcience of each, especially as they were probably confcious of each other's guilt, and they retired in confufion. He then told the woman, it

* See John, xviii. 31.

t This appears rather to be the meaning of our Saviour's expreffion, than our translation of it; for fin of some kind they had all undoubtedly committed.

Was