faith and their allegiance to the wickedness of the age they lived in. And is this a difgraceful poverty to the minifters of the Gofpel, which fo evidently bears the marks of the Lord Jefus.

Never does Chrift more truly fuffer in his members, than when his members fuffer for him: nor can our acts of mercy ever more nearly approach him, than when we relieve those who endure afflictions for his and the Gofpel's fake. Here then, my brethren, is Chrift Jefus evidently fet forth before your eyes, fuffering among you; fuffering in these members, who inherit the poverty of his prophets; which they, for his and the Gofpel's fake, embraced.

Had the parents of these children been turned to the more advantageous employments of the world; had they, with the fubftance which was spent in their education, and in fitting them for the ministry, bought any knowledge but the knowledge of the Gospel; it would have made an answerable return to them and their families; for every workman receives his hire, and a due recompence for his labour, except the poor minifters of Chrift, who have this only for their comfort, that they are worthy of it.

It is this poverty of the prophet, which was the undeserved lot of his holy office, that now claims our charity and have not the children a right to afk in the prophet's name, fince it is the prophet's poverty that afflicts them? Is it not juft that they fhould plead their father's relation to Chrift, for a fupport under their prefent wants; fince their father's relation to Chrift has entailed these wants upon them?

If therefore there be any arguments for pity, in

age and infirmities, oppreffed with poverty; or if youth and innocence, expofed to want, have any charms to move compaffion; if the poverty of the Gospel has any right to a Chriftian's charity; or if the Christian priesthood has for its work's fake, and its near relation to Chrift, any title to love or honour; behold, how all these motives unite to plead the cause that is now before you!

If the least charity, bestowed on one of Chrift's little ones, fhall draw down the bleffings of heaven upon us; if to receive a righteous man, fhall entitle us to a righteous man's reward; and if, by fhewing mercy to a prophet, we fhall receive a prophet's reward; what rewards may we not expect to reap from this charity; where the little ones and the rightcous are united into one object, by suffering under the fame common calamity; and where both have the prophet's name, and the prophet's poverty to plead?

To these motives what further can we add, but only our prayers; that God would regard this poor family of his prophets, and raise them up friends for their comfort; that he would open the hearts of the people towards them for his fervants the prophets' fake.

And may the charity bestowed on these poor orphans, be ever had in remembrance before the Lord. May he, whom their fathers ferved in the Gospel, and with whom they now reft from their labours, be ever mindful of the kindness fhewn to his household of faith.

DISCOURSE III.

LUKE ix. 54, 55.

And when his difciples, James and John, faw this, they faid, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and confume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them, and faid, Ye know not what ́manner of Spirit ye are of.

WHAT provocation the difciples had to call

fire from heaven to confume the Samaritans, may be learnt from the 51ft and following verfes: And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he fleadfaftly fet his face to go to Jerufalem, and fent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, becaufe his face was as though he would go to Jerufalem. And when his difciples, James and John, faw this, they faid, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and confume them, even as Elias did? And he turned and rebuked them, and faid, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to deftroy men's lives, but to fave them. The hatred between the Jews and Samaritans was founded in a religious controverfy; and

had proceeded fo far, that all offices of common humanity had ceafed between them; infomuch that when our Saviour asked a woman of that country but for a little water to drink, fhe marvelled at it, and faid, How is it that thou, being a Jew, afkeft drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? John iv. 9. The reafon of her wonder is added in the next words; for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. From the 20th verfe of the fame chapter we may gather what the foundation of this quarrel was: Our fathers, fays the woman, worshipped in this mountain; and ye fay, that in Jerufalem is the place where men ought to worship. This account is likewife confirmed by Jofephus, who tells us, that there were perpetual quarrels and animofities between the Jews and Samaritans, occafioned by a conteft concerning the holiness of their temples: the one affirming the temple at Jerufalem to be holy; and that all Jews ought to fend their offerings thither: the others affirming the fame concerning the temple in mount Gerizim.

It was about the time of the paffover that our Saviour took this journey to Jerufalem, as we may collect from what is faid in the 51ft verfe; And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he fteadfastly fet his face to go to Jerufalem. The time that our Saviour was received up, we know, was at the Jewish paffover; and this time being come when this journey was made, fhews it to be about the time of the celebration of this feast. And this may account, together with what has been already faid, for the unkind reception which the difciples met with in Samaria. The Samaritans