nature itself are made victims on its "He is of age, ask unhallowed altar. him-let him fpeak for himself. These words fpake his parents, because they feared the Jews—for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that JESUS was CHRIST, he should be put out of the fynagogue." OUR Saviour had performed this cure on the Sabbath. Never is charity unfeasonable; never is it more seasonable, than on that holy day devoted to a GoD of mercy. Yet even this can afford fubject of accufation to the bigotted and fcrupulous cavillers, who mifconstrued the very wonders which proved the divinity of our Lord, and deemed them impeachments of his holiness. "Therefore did the Jews perfecute JESUS, and fought to kill him, because he had done these things on the Sabbathday.' WE WE now find the man who once fate and begged, witneffing a good confeffion before the affembled Pharifees. We find him defending the gracious Author of his cure against the cavils of malignity and injuftice. We fee him, a refolute confeffor, fuffering excommunication for the name of CHRIST, and maintaining the innocence, the honour, the divinity of his benefactor-we hear him teaching the doctrines of truth to them. who fate in the chair of Mofes, and convicting them of blindness who punished him for feeing. O BLESSED and zealous fervant of thy Mafter, how valiant art thou for the faith of that GOD, who helpeth them that are fallen-that GoD, who giveth fight to the blind! From thy ftate of poverty and wretchedness, thou art exalted to be an advocate for thy Saviour.. Thy gain of bodily fight hath opened the eyes of thine understanding. H 4 Thou haft. haft loft a fynagogue, and haft found the way to Heaven. Thy father and thy mother forfake thee-but the Lord taketh thee up. Thou art rejected by hypocritical finners-thou art received with a gracious welcome, by the GoD of glory. LXXXVII. LXXXVII. THE WIFE OF ZEBEDEE. THE time now drew nigh, when the Author of our falvation fhould depart from the world, and go unto the Father-he foreknew, and he had foretold his diffolution. Every moment feemed precious to those, who had any favours to folicit either for themselves or others. Had the wife of Zebedee been as judicious with refpect to the subject of her petition as fhe was with refpect to the time of urging it, fhe had met with no reproof at the hands of her Redeemer. The fuit is half-obtained, which is seasonably made-it was at the departure of the Angel, that Jacob implored plored a bleffing-the double portion of Elijah's fpirit was not afked for, till the moment of his afcending. THE mifapprehenfion of this anxious mother muft not be concealed-but her faith makes atonement for her errour. While fhe hears CHRIST fpeak of his fufferings and death, fhe talks of his glory-while he points out his cross, the looks forward to his crown. Had she feen the elders of the Jews approaching our Saviour with a fubmiffive proffer of their allegiance-had fhe feen the ufurper Herod, or the governors appointed by Cæfar, tendering to CHRIST the fceptre of his royal ancestor, the wif dom of this world would have been led to entertain the thought of his fovereignty. But, when the found of ignominy, fuffering, and death was in her ears, then to requeft diftinction and pre-eminence for her children in the kingdom of Jesus, argues a degree of conftancy, |