Advantage. What they knew but obfcurely, we know now with all Certainty, that this Jefus is the Chrift, or the Meffias; what they were then ignorant of as to the Nature of his Kingdom, we know now distinctly, that it is not a worldly, but a spiritual Kingdom, viz. the Kingdom of Grace and Glory, with the due Difpenfation of the Means of each. As to Chrift's Sufferings, Refurrection, Afcenfion, fitting at the Father's right Hand, Interceffion for us, and his coming again to Jugdment; and the Holy Ghoft's miraculous Descent at first, and his ftill working by his Grace in our Hearts; thefe Things are more clearly and fully communicated to us than to them, and therefore our Duty in that refpect is fo much the more facilitated. And for any additional Duties, which are chiefly the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and the new Commandment of Brotherly Love, they are rather additional Helps to the performing of these fame Duties, than any Thing differing from them. And therefore to us, as well as to them, this Sermon on the Mount is an excellent Syftem of Chriftian Morals, and whofoever learns, and takes due Care to reduce the Precepts of it into Practice, fhall ftill prove the wife Builder, whofe Hopes of Heaven shall not deceive him.

III. A third Thing I observe from the Words is, that this Doctrine of our Saviour's, contained in this Sermon on the Mount, belongs to all Men. For the Words cannot be expreffed in more general Terms; Whofoever heareth thefe Sayings of mine, and doth them; he doth not fay, any of you Twelve fhall hear thefe Words of VOL. IV.

If

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mine, and do them, as fome fancy upon very flight Grounds, that he gave the Twelve Apoftles thefe Leffons and Inftructions apart; but all of you that are now my Hearers, which in the very next Words we are told, was the Multitude; and by a Parity of Reason, whofoever shall hereafter hear thefe Sayings of mine, and do them, he takes the only wife Course for his own Salvation. It is a great Miftake to think, that God has, by any Act of his, precluded any Man from Salvation without, or antecedently to any Fault of his own; fome Men indeed give horrid Notions of God, fuch as are more proper for the Devil, as if he were the great Hinderer of Mens Salvation; but the Scripture every where corrects thefe wicked Notions, and gives us to understand, that Chrift offers Salvation to all, upon the gentle Terms of Faith, Repentance, and new Obedience; and that if we perish, our Damnation is of ourselves. It is true, this Doarine is not without its Difficulty; we are poor, weak, impotent Creatures of ourselves, and if we were to depend only on our own Strength, it might be thought a Mock-Propofal to offer us Salvation, even upon thefe Terms. For removing then the Difficulties attending this Doctrine, 1. We are not to understand, that in this corrupt and depraved State, we are able of ourfelves to yield any tolerable Obedience to the Laws of the Gospel; it is only by the Grace of God we are enabled to yield Obedience; this Grace prevents us with its good Motions, and concurs with our own Endeavours, and bleffes us in the Ufe of Means, whenever we fervently afk it, and diligently use it. 2. But we are not to think,

that

that by any Measure of Grace beftowed upon us in this Life, we fhall be enabled to keep the Commandments of Chrift fo perfectly, as never in the least to tranfgrefs. Such an high Degree of Holiness as this is, is referved for Heaven: the best Obedience we can attain to here, is a fincere and unfeigned Obedience, but ftill capable of further Perfection, to which it grows up by Degrees, as we advance in Holiness and Virtue. Nor, 3. Are we in a Condition at all Times to yield even this fincere Obedience. We are fometimes fo weakened with evil Habits, and fo intoxicated with the deceitful Pleasures of Sin, that at those Times we are utterly indifpofed for all Good, and ready for Mischief; but we must take Pains, by avoiding the Occafions of Sin, and by Confideration of our Ways, to shake off our fpiritual Sloth and Lethargy, and to do the beft we can to put our Souls in Tune, and to bring ourselves into a right Temper for doing good. With these Explications and Limitations we may fafely, aver, that Salvation is offered to all in the Gospel, and that it is folely our own Fault, if we build not our Hopes of Heaven upon folid Foundations.

IV. A fourth Thing I observe from the Words is, that Chrift's Doctrine is a practical Doctrine. Whofoever heareth these Sayings of mine, and doth them. There is nothing he has taught in this excellent Sermon, but what both may, and ought to be reduced to Practice.

1. It is fuch a Doctrine that in its own Nature it is all reducible to Practice; I mean that holy Practice, which confifts in regulating and amend

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ing our Lives and Converfations. It is not then a Syftem of hard and unintelligible Terms and Distinctions; it is not a prying into adorable Mysteries; it is not an Art of arguing and difputing; it is not a Jargon or Rhapsody of religious Cant, fuch as taking hold of Chrift, or rolling ourfelves over upon Chrift; it is not a fpeculative Science, which ends all in Faith and Knowledge; but it is a practical Science, which directly teaches good Life. Let any one look back upon this Sermon on the Mount, and fee if it has not all a direct Tendency this Way, to clear us of those worldly and carnal Notions and Difpofitions, which the Jews were prepoffeffed with concerning the temporal Kingdom of the Meffias; and to raise us to a higher Degree of Virtue than their beft Doctors taught them out of the Law of Mofes.

2. As the Doctrine of the Sermon is all reducible to Practice, fo it is our Saviour's great Defign, that it be applied to this Ufe: and that chiefly for these three Reafons; the Glory of God; the Good of our Neighbour; and the Benefit of our own Souls.

1. The Glory of God. There is nothing tends more to God's Honour, than that they who profefs themselves his Servants, live fuitably to their Profeffion; and fhew the Beauty of his Precepts in the Exemplarinefs of their Lives and Converfations. For indeed bare Precepts are but a dead Letter, in Comparison of living Examples. As well behaved Children or Scholars, are a great Honour to their Parents and Masters; and as a well difciplined Army brings great Honour to the General; fo fuch Chriftians as live up to the Laws

309 Laws of their holy Religion, bring great Honour to God and Chrift. They give a lovely Idea of the Christian Religion to the World, and adorn the Doctrine of God their Saviour in all Things. And therefore it is no Wonder our Saviour prescribed this as the most proper Way to glorify God, Matth. v. 16. Let your Light fo fhine before Men, that they may fee your good Works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.

2. The obeying the Commands of Chrift, tends very much to the good of our Neighbour, both as it gives him a good Example, and as it frees him from many Inconveniencies, and actually procures him many Benefits. (1.) The Example of Chriftian Duties gives our Neighbour a clearer Understanding of them, and convinces him that they are feafible and practicable, and lovely and excellent, and confequently is a great Spur to his Practice of them; as a good Mixture of Men of Courage in an Army, inspires the like Spirit and Bravery into the rest of their fellow Soldiers. (2.) Obedience to the Commands of Chrift, does our Neighbour great Service in freeing him from all the great Evils and Inconveniencies that flow from unmortified Lufts and unruly Paffions, and all the Mischiefs which Covetoufnefs, and Ambition, and Drink, and ill Nature, and wicked Company, and Pride, and Malice, and Refentments, prompt Men to. If the Fear of God had faft hold of the Hearts of Men, it would reftrain them better than all human Rewards and Punishments. (3.) There is no manner of Bleffings and Benefits, which Obedience to the Laws of Christ would not procure to Men. It would draw down God's Blef