XIV. firing him to depart out of their coafts; DISC. "he entered into a fhip, and paffed over, "and came into his own city, Capernaum,' i. e. the city not where he was born, but where he lived; a trafficking, luxurious, proud city; and for that reason, as mercy looks out for the miserable, and a physician for them that are fick, chofen by him; who, though the only man that ever was without fin, difdained not to dwell and converse with finners, feeing he came to call fuch to repentance. Here it was that he performed the miracle mentioned in the text, which it is the defign of the following difcourfe first to il luftrate, and then to apply. It being "noised about" (as St. Mark in his account informs us) that Jefus was returned to Capernaum, and was in a certain house in the town, "ftraightway many "were gathered together, infomuch that "there was no room to receive them, no not "fo much as about the door; and he," who U 2 DISC. who always rejoiced much more to teach XIV. than any could do to learn of him, "preach "ed the word" of life and falvation" to "them." The fermon was with authority and power, and the audience very atten tive. But behold (for fo St. Matthew introduces this miracle, and well worthy our beholding it will appear to be) an object on a fudden presented itself, which quickly engaged the notice of the speaker, no less than that of the hearers. A bed, with a poor wretch confined to it by the palfy, was seen defcending from the roof, till it came down into the room and rested, where all that want reft must find it, at the feet of Jesus. Some good neighbours and friends of this unhappy man, it seems, who by the nature of his disease was rendered incapable of helping himself, were fo kind as to carry him between four of them where they knew he might have relief. For it is plain, by the pains they took, that they had no doubt but Chrift could and would heal XIV. him, if they could only contrive to place DISC. fuch a spectacle before his eyes. But here was the difficulty. For upon bringing their burden to the house, they found such a crowd of people even about the door, that there was no room for a fingle perfon more to get in, much less for four, with fo ponderous and cumbrous a load. Men were not to be torn by any means from the lips of fo eloquent a preacher, but were listening at the very doors and windows, to catch, if it were poffible, fomewhat of his doctrine. Such was, and fuch ever ought to be the vehement and unfeigned defire of hearing Christ's word, whenever it is preached. What therefore is to be done? Shall they give it over, and return without having accomplished that for which they came? A lukewarm charity would have done so, contenting itself with the effort it had made, and concluding it impoffible to do any thing more. But these men were not to be discouraged. They thought therefore of an expedient, and immediately put it in practice, U 3 DISC. practice, the relation of which we cannot XIV. fo well understand, without confidering that the houses in the eastern countries were built very low, and with a flat roof, in which there was a kind of trap door, as the inhabitants often used to go up from within, and spend fome time upon the "house top," where we find "David "walking," and St. "Peter praying." The friends of the fick man therefore having contrived to raise the bed to the roof (as it was not unusual to have a pasfage likewise by stairs on the outside of the houfe), they broke open the aforementioned door that was therein (faftened probably on the infide), and let down the bed, fufpended by ropes, into the midst of the affembly, before Jefus. Behold then this fad fpectacle-not fo properly a man as a corpfe. Of motion the disease deprived him; and without the power of motion, what is life? What avails it to have limbs, if they cannot be ufed? Nor does this diftemper affect the extreme XIV. extreme and exterior parts of the body DISC. only, but the tongue is tied, and the head difordered. The understanding is benumbed; the memory becomes like a leaky veffel, and lofes all that was committed to it; the judgment is naught, and the vigour of the mind perished. Many diseases are noifome, many painful, but still the use of the limbs is not taken away; and in most the foul is ftill at liberty to perform her operations. But the object before us was deprived by the palfy of both. There he lies, thofe that carried him looking down from above, and the eyes of all in the room, we may be fure, fixed upon him. He falls not on his knees; he lifts not up his hands; he opens not his mouth; but his helpless condition was more effectual than if he had kneeled, his filence more eloquent than any prayer he could have put up. In the ears of mercy nothing speaks fo powerfully as mifery. The meek and gracious Redeemer was not at all offended at being thus interrupted, |