bit, but Contractct any cheme, as account of morial law. was the fubwe seen weak, me Saviour, were impor tended comment de, not as if mee was every ged to repre moral law. hels, the creado y peculiar te ame in all ver eruire his ra er hearts, and Ths we nagnified aswa cbedience Liennes te bevel te extent and #6 by df to demands, 1" is prima expofition he 1 Mount vrom the alle mercremations put upon 1, and my kid 100% precepts he engined the obferof soon all as sencle. From this view of ช uppert, that bellevers, though released per fendtions, are All indipentably bound tempers and conduct, agreeably to He hath ally completed the defign of all former oddions, and fupplied their defects. The days of man, therefore, are called "the laft te no fucceeding revelation is to be ex pected. pected. Patriarchs and Prophets looked forwards to his incarnation, and paved the way for him; and now, fince he has come, and accomplished every thing predicted of him, nothing more is wanted, either to discover the will of God or to make reconciliation for us. What thanks, and love, and service, do we owe for our diftinguished privileges under the Gospel! And what returns are due to Him, who hath perfected for ever the great work of our falvation! Our Lord proceeded in his fermon to maintain the authority and full extent of the law, declaring, that God will not recede from his righteous demands, and confequently, that either obedience must be paid, or punishment inflicted. Wilfully, therefore, to transgrefs the leaft of these precepts, and encourage others to do the fame, as if they might be difpenfed with, would render us unfit for a place in his kingdom; and to be distinguished in that fociety, we must yield an univerfal fubmiffion to them, though they may seem ever so trifling, and enforce the fame conduct upon others. While Jefus inculcated the neceffity of holinefs, it is probable that the people might fix their attention on the Scribes and Pharifees, whom they held in high veneration for their profeffions of fanctity. It would, therefore, aftonish them to hear this new Teacher, requiring his difciples to go much farther than those, whom they confidered as the most eminent patterns of religion, and afferting, that otherwife they could have no place in heaven. But it was proper to expose these vain pretenders, to detect their errors and hypocrify, and to warn their deluded followers no longer to be led by them. For they were of all men moft oppofite to the temper of Chriftianity. They boafted much of their attachment to the divine law, while, in reality, they could not bear the ftrict and fpiritual fenfe, in which it ought to be understood, and, by their fubtle interpretations, they explained away away much of its meaning. Jefus, however, has inftructed us, contrary to their gloffes, that it enjoins perfect holiness, in the difpofitions of the mind, as well as the practice of the life. Their righteoufnefs was merely external; for all their works were done *to be feen of men:" but we are taught to feek for inward purity, and not to be fatisfied with regularity of manners, or a fhew of piety. They were influenced, even in their religious duties, by bafe principles; for a pretence making long prayers," and Bouting of their own works, as if the happiness of heaven were no more than a just recompence of their deicits. But we are warned of the fin and danger of trutting to ourselves, whatever our attainments may be, and of the neceffity of a better obedience than our own, to procure our juftification before God. From a general declaration, our Lord defcended to a particular expofition of the spiritual nature of the law, in certain precepts, which had been fhamefully perverted; guarding the people against their erroneous teachers, and requiring their attention and fubmiffion to himself. 1. He infifted on the extenfive meaning of the fixth commandment. This was understood, as if it bad forbidden nothing more than the actual commiffion of wilful murder. But Jefus, the great Lawgiver, inftructs us, that it condemns whatever may lead to fuch violence, and, therefore, that all lefs anger or defire of revenge, and all opproous language, arifing from this vehemence of pafGs will justly expofe us to the divine vengeance. Leordingly, it were vain to worship God, or exantage from his ordinances, fo long as s under the influence of malignant e muft lay afide our animofities, and reftitution for injuries committed, "compafs God's altar;" for the most coftly coftly facrifices and profeffions of the warmeft devotion will not compenfate the want of brotherly love. Common prudence, alfo, as well as religion, requires, that contentions be dropped and a reconciliation effected, as foon as may be. If you are threatened with a fuit by one, whom you have offended, how much better is it by a fpeedy accommodation, to repair the breach, than obftinately to perfift in the contest, till matters are brought to an extremity, and rigorous juftice must have its courfe! If it be thus in human affairs, how much more is it your intereft and duty, without a moment's delay, to feek peace with the Lord God Almighty, whom you have provoked; left, being fummoned to his bar, you be caft in the trial, and fentenced to the infernal prifon, from which there can be no release! Such was the substance of our Lord's address: and fhall we not allow the suitableness of it to ourselves? Or fhall we boaft, like the Pharifees, that, because we have not fhed the blood of a fellow-creature, the fixth commandment has no charge against us? Are we free from all violence of temper? Or have our tongues never betrayed the vindictive defires of our hearts? Are we now at peace? Or have we, at leaft, anxiously fought for it? And when we lift up our hands in prayer, is it" without wrath?" We may thank God, that fo many powerful reftraints are laid upon the finful affections of men; or else every part of the world would prefent us with fcenes of horrible confufion. But, though our fury may be repreffed, fo as not to break forth to the disturbance of fociety, God may behold much iniquity within us. For it is poffible, that, where a calmness and benevolence of fpirit are pretended, much rancour may remain in the heart: and, in God's account, "whofoever hateth his brother is a murderer *.” VOL. III. * 1 John iii. 15. 2. He 2. He opened the spiritual and extensive nature of the seventh commandment. Here alfo, as in the preceding instance, the prohibition had been confined to merely external acts; and he only was deemed an adulterer, who had been guilty of the groffeft uncleannefs. But Jefus teaches us, that inward impurity brings us under the divine condemnation, that a luftful defire and a wanton eye are forbidden in the full fenfe of the law, no lefs than the abfolute violation of the marriage bed. And will any person say, I have never felt any fuch irregular motions in my heart my eye hath never wandered in a lafcivious manner? Let us remember, that we are always open to the inspection of that God, who "fearcheth the heart, and trieth the reins," and that he hath noted down all our fecret imaginations, looks, and wishes. Let us not prefume to juftify ourselves before him. If we would avoid the fin of lewdnefs, we muft refift every fecret propenfity to it, and fubdue the corrupt affections of the flesh. This must be done at any pains or expence, as Jefus has inftructed us: the inordinate defire must be abandoned, though it may feem as dear to us as a right eye, or profitable as a right hand, and though it may coft us as much to part with it, as to cut off the moft tender and useful member of the body. For, as in chirurgery, a gangrene must be ftopped, or elfe death enfues: fo here, the most favourite paffion must be given up: there is no room for hesitation: it must be done, or elfe everlasting deftruction in the torments of hell muft be the confequence. Our Lord was naturally led from the expofition of the feventh commandment to condemn the prevailing practice of divorcing their wives, as fancy, difguft, or refentment might dictate. Separations, indeed, had been allowed by the Mofaic law under certain reftrictions; but the permiffion had been abufed to the worst purposes; and we are now taught, that nothing |