founded on the rule before us. There is a medium to be observed between a superstitious adherence to forms and a profane neglect of them : and it must be our endeavour so to approve ourselves to God, that we may have his Spirit \vit- nessing with our spirit that we are accepted of him°.]
o The question of the British and Foreign Bible Society was here considered. The union of all sects and parties, in dispersing the word of God throughout the world, may be supposed to be, in some respect, a violation of order. Then the question arises, Shall a regard to order be considered as a reason for not imiting every creature under heaven in a work that is so good in itself, and so necessary as that of endeavouring to enlighten and to save the world ? To any one who should entertain a doubt on this point, I would say, " Go and learn what that meaneth, ' I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.' " And the very same answer must be returned to those, who, knowing that a fellow-creature will receive only the Bible which is accredited in his own Church, withholds it from him, and leaves him to perish in ig- norance, because he differs from him as to the books that should be included in the Sacred Canon.
Matt. ix. 28 — 30. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him : and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am. able to do this ? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying. According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened.
WE are so much accustomed to read and hear the miracles of our Lord, that the recital of them pro- duces little or no effect : but had we seen the multitudes of diseased people continually coming to him, crying after him, and breaking in upon his retreats when he was in the houses of his friends, we should have been greatly astonished. In the passage before us we have a specimen of their im- portunity : two blind men, having in vain supplicated our Lord's assistance in the street, followed him into a house, and there obtained that relief, which, from prudential considerations perhaps, he had not chosen to impart in the presence of the people.
Waving many observations which will arise, when