for the work. They were all of one occupation, and that not of high eftimation in the world, being plain fifhermen. Jefus fought not his Apoftles out of the palaces of kings, or the fchools of philofophers: but, while he chose the poor and the unlearned, it more evidently appeared, that "the excellency of the power" in their preaching " was of God, and not of men."

When he addreffed himself to them, he found them diligently engaged in their bufinefs: and we alfo are taught to expect his favourable notice, though our time and attention be much taken up with the lowest offices of life. The people in Galilee with great eagerness preffed after him to hear his inftructions, not merely in the fynagogues, but wherever he went. On one occafion, therefore, we perceive him delivering his doctrines to them by the fea fhore, and out of Peter's veffel.

When this was done, that he might encourage Peter and his three companions the more cheerfully to follow him, by affording them a fort of typical reprefentation of the wonderful effects, which fhould be produced by their miniftry, he defired them to launch into the deep, and let down their nets. Peter replied, that they had laboured all night in vain, but that animated by his direction they would make another attempt. He, that gave the word, commanded fuccefs, and proved that he was Lord of the whole creation; for, through his influence, an immense multitude of fishes were brought to the net and taken up, fo as to fill them all with amazement. The prefence of the God of nature was acknowledged; and Peter in particular, overwhelmed with confufion and terror, under a fenfe of his unworthiness and unfitnefs to ftand before fuch an exalted Perfonage, cried out, "Depart from me, for I am a finful man, O Lord." The Saviour, however, inftantly difperfed his fears, and then explained the miracle, as exhibiting an event of far greater confequence, the fuccefs of

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his

ne wengine for the time he bould "catch

Wow then zuid nut neitar a devote themselves valu u is ec in vit had they to dread? Ter cheerful medie, met frick their worldly Etuations and connections, ne anger anxious about der es ter fus, ter ends; and, at his ärvidor der al recane ns catat followers. Nor dit ner Lord among the bopes, which he gave them. Wær fra truiend Joels were conTemer er monter of the any of Pentecoft, they atpeared toeed to come and a far more £upendous mince vis much than this draught of Ebes.

Stall not we ale crees and adore the divine power of Jefist B let us not T, Depart from me, O Lord," but rather, Come, Lord, to my bel, for I am a filman: Come, and fubdue, as well as pardon, mine iniquity, that I perish not, as I deferve!”—But are we willing to follow Christ? And do we refolve to force all, though not exactly as the Apofles did, yet fully and deliberately to give up and to fuffer, whatever he may require? Otherwife, we cannot be his difciples. O may that fame energy, which fo difpofed their minds, be exerted upon us! Efpecially, may the minifters of Chrift, in our day, obey his call! May they be furnished for their office, by an abundant measure of faith, love, and zeal, and fo taught to caft the net of the Gofpel, that they alfo may catch men, in bringing them to the knowledge and the fervice of their divine Mafter! Amen.

JESUS

JESUS CHRIST.

SECT. &

The first part of our Lord's fermon on the mount, con taining the eight beatitudes.

If we confider, what manner of perfon Jefus was, how uncommon the works he performed, and the inftructions he delivered, we fhall not be furprifed, that immenfe multitudes flocked to him from every quarter. We shall rather wonder, that they were not more deeply affected by what they faw and heard, and that fo few in comparifon became fincere converts and difciples. During his abode in Galilee, when he perceived himself furrounded by a numerous affembly, with generous compaffion for their fouls he feized the opportunity, to preach a fermon of peculiar extent and importance, in which he declared, more publicly and exprefsly than he had done before, the purposes of his coming, and explained more clearly the fpiritual nature of his kingdom *. «He went up into a mountain," probably that his voice might reach to a greater diftance, and, according to the cuftom of the Jewish teachers, he fat down, as at other times, according to the fame cuftom, he stood up to read. His difciples were his near attendants, and to them in a more immediate manner he directed fome parts of his difcourfe, whilft many things concerned the multitudes at large. With peculiar folem

the opened his mouth, and taught them" with et wildom and majesty as aftonished them all.

This sermon of our Lord upon the mount is a rich and valuable treature, containing inftructions of the higheit moment. We do not say, that it is an expilot and entire declaration of the Gospel method of alvation; for the feafon was not then come for the wondrous plan to be as fully disclosed, as it afterwas was. During the continuance of Jesus upon maren, before he had finished the mystery of redempfrom by the tacritice of himself, he thought it not proper to inuit, very minutely or very publicly, on the mature and reafons of his death, or on the spiritual benches to be received through faith in his blood. On thele fubjects, indeed, he was not wholly filent, But he left them to be further opened to the Apoftles acmicives by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, that ehov night communicate them to the world, after the grand event had taken place. We are, therefore, to look for a more perfect fummary and clearer account of evangelical doctrines in the apoftolical writings, than in the history of our Lord's life.-Some, indeed, bare allerted, that nothing more need be preached to the people, than what the fermon on the mount conand perhaps thefe very perfons would not be that every part of this difcourfe should be preffed upon their confciences. Let us pay ble deference and respect to every word of and endeavour to enter into the full meaning of this folemn address: but let us not *portance to fay, what fome have abfurdly and impimaintained, that this alone is fufficient, as if echer portion of the scriptures might be fafely ged or difrer ded.

Reems to ation beft

dial rece adually tr

the defign of Jefus, on the epare his hearers for a more Gofpel, and to lead them dge of himself. With that

view

view he endeavoured to correct the falfe notions they had imbibed concerning his kingdom, and to imprefs upon their minds a deeper fenfe of fpiritual and eternal things. He fpoke, therefore, in fuch a manner, as to difplay the dignity of his own character, and to fhew the neceffity of their fubmiffion to him. For he pronounced benedictions, as being invested with fupreme authority, interpreted the divine law, not as a common expounder, but as the fovereign Lawgiver, with "I SAY UNTO YOU," and reprefented the grand decifions of the universal judgment as depending upon himself, everlasting life or everlasting mifery being awarded to the fons of men according to his irreversible sentence.

May we liften with reverence and profound attention to this glorious Prophet, and, while we meditate on his word, may we learn his will, and bow with unfeigned fubjection to his command!

In the first part of his fermon, he appears like thegreat High Prieft, bleffing his people. He fpeaks, not as from mount Sinai with thunderings and lightnings, but with invitations and promifes of mercy. He had been already preaching, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand;" and of this his followers entertained very grofs conceptions, expecting that he would erect a temporal dominion with outward pomp and splendour, and exalt them to places of power and dignity. But now he ftrikes at the root of their errors, fhewing them that his kingdom is of a fpiritual. nature: and, after defcribing the tempers and blessedness of those, who are the true members of it, con-trary to their preconceived ideas, he reprefents it as indifpenfably neceffary, that they should be diftin-guished by a peculiar holiness.

Here are eight different parts of the Chriftian character delineated; to each of which a promife is annexed, and on each a bleffing pronounced. These are not to be separated, as if the Chriftian might

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poffer