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7. Bleffed are those who are merciful and compaffionate, ready to relieve the Neceffities of thofe that want, and to forgive the Faults of those who have offended them: For to fuch Men God will be proportionably compaffionate, in the more ready forgiveness of their Sins, and in beftowing on them the greater abundance of his Mercy.

8. Bleffed are those who are truly pure and holy, free from Hypocrifie, and Uncleannefs; from all Filthinefs both of Flesh and Spirit: For to fuch Men, God will make greater and clearer Manifeftations of himfelf in this Life; and in that which is to come, they shall have a nearer and more immediate Accefs to his Prefence and Glory.

9. Bleffed are thofe, who make it their Business to promote the Peace and Welfare of Mankind; to do to all Men all the Good they can, at all times; and to endeavour to fettle the World in univerfal Quiet and Love: For these Men, being made like to God in the imitation of his moft Excellent Attributes, his Goodnefs and Love; fhall be owned and received by him as his peculiar Children, and fhall be made like him alfo in the participation of his Happiness.

10. Laftly, Bleffed are thofe, who undauntedly fuffer for the fake of Virtue and true Religion: For thefe Men, having given the greateft poffible proof of their Sincerity and Conftancy, fhall receive an extraordinary Crown, and a particular degree of Reward in Heaven.

II. When therefore Men fhall revile and reproach and perfecute you, and all manner of evil things of you 3 falfely,

ye when men fhall
revile you, and fay
perfecute you, and

falfely, and do all manner of Injuries to you unjustly, only for the fake of Virtue and the profeffion of the Truth; then esteem your felves doubly happy.

12.

Then rejoyce, triumph, and leap for Joy; for exceeding great fhall be your Reward in Heaven. For thus in old Time were the Prophets and the best of Men perfecuted; with whom if ye patiently indure Sufferings, ye fhall alfo partake of their extraordinary Reward.

fhall fay all manner of evil against you falfely for my fake.

12 Rejoyce, and for great is your rebe exceeding glad:

ward in heaven: for

fo perfecuted they' the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the falt of the earth: but if the falt have loft

his favour, where

with fhall it be falt

ed? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be caft out, and to be troden un

13. Be courageous therefore, and conftant, and patient. Ye are to be Teachers and Examples to the World. If by your found Doctrine and unblameable Lives, ye propagate true Religion and Virtue, ye shall preferve the World from Corruption: But if ye, who are to be the Inftruments of reforming Mankind, fhail your felves degenerate der foot of men. into Softnefs and Vice; wherewithal fhall ye be corrected and amended? Ye will become the most useless, and incureable, and contemptible of Men.

14. Ye are to be fet up as a Light in the World; to lead Men by your Doctrine from Error to Truth; and to convert them by your Example from Wickednefs to Virtue. Ye are to be the Standard of true Religion, fet up in the Sight of all Men, like a City built upon a Hill.

15. As therefore a City upon a Hill, cannot be hid from the Sight of those that pafs by: And as a Candle useth not to be put under a Bufhel, but to be fet in a Candlestick to give Light to the

whole Houfe:

16. Even fo ought ye to be careful to make the Example of your good Lives

14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is fet on an hill,cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bufhel but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all

that are in the house. 16. Let your light fhine before

fo

men

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bright and confpicuous before Men; that they being thereby convinced of the excellency of your Doctrine, may be converted to the Belief of true Religion, and to the Practice of true Virtue, and so give Glory to God.

17. And do not think, because I give you thefe new Precepts, that therefore I am come to destroy or abrogate the Law and the Prophets. No: I am not come to diffolve any one natural or moral Obligation; but on the contrary, to fulfil what was typified, to explain what was obscure, and to compleat what was imperfect.

18. For affuredly there fhall not be any part of the typical or ceremonial Law, but fhall truly be fulfilled: Nor any one Precept of the natural or moral and obligation fo long as the World enLaw, but fhall continue in its full force

dures.

19. Whofoever therefore fhall break any one of the leaft of thefe moral Precepts, not ignorantly or by furprize, but willfully and prefumptuoufly, fo as to perfift deliberately in the Breach of it, and to teach or incourage others to do fo likewise; he can be no good Chriftian, nor fhall have any Place in the Kingdom of Heaven. But on the contrary, he that practises all these moral Precepts, and teaches others the neceffity of doing the fame; fuch a one is the beft Chriftian, and fhall be fure of the greatest Reward.

20. So that unless your Righteoufnefs be more univerfal and more fincere than that of the Jewish Doctors, Scribes and Pharifees, who frequently preferred outward Ceremonies before moral DuVOL I. C

ties,

ties; ye cannot be good Chriftians, nor enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 21. Thus the Chriftian Religion is not defigned to abolifh the Moral Law, but to perfect and exalt it in many Inftances. As for Example: The Exod. Law forbad Murder, under the pain xxi. 12. of Death. Lev. xxiv.

17.

22. But I fay unto you, Whofoever
fhall fo much as indulge rash and caufe-
lefs Anger or Paffion; fhall be liable to
be punished by God in another Life,
with a Punishment proportionable to
the feverity of that capital one inflicted
by the Jews on Murderers. But he that
fhall fuffer his Paffion to rife higher,
and ufe himself to mock and deride
others; fhall be further punished by God
with a feverity proportionable to the
greater Punishments which ufed to be
inflicted by the higher Council of the
Jews upon the boldeft Offenders. But
he that fhall yet further indulge his Paf-
fion, and accuftom himself to rail, flan-
der, and revile others; fhall be punish-
ed by God with the fevereft of all the
Degrees of Punishment, answering to
that extraordinary one amongst Men,
of being burnt alive.

23. If therefore, when you are about
to pay any Act of Worship to God, you
remember that there is
any Offence or
Difference between you and another;
which may thus provoke God's Anger
against you:

24. Go immediately, and be first re-
conciled to your Adverfary, and then
come and worship God.

25. Above all things, be fure to put a timely End to all Contentions that may arife; before things come to extremity, and it prove too late.

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23 Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there

remembreft that thy brother hath ought against thee,

thy gift before the 24 Leave there altar,and go thy way, firft be reconciled to thy brother,and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with ly, while thou art thine adverfaryquickin the way with

him: left at any time
the adverfary deliver
thee to the judge,
and the judge deliver

thee to the officer,
and thou be cast into
prifon.
26 Verily, I fay
unto thee, thou shalt
by no

means come

out thence, till thou haft paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

28 But I fay unto you, That whofoever looketh on a wo

man to luft after her,
hath committed a
dultery with her al
ready in his heart.
29 And if thy
right eye offend thee,
pluck it out, and caft
it profitable for thee
that one of thy mem-
bers fhould perish,
and not that thy
whole body fhould
be caft into hell.
30 And if thy
right hand offend
thee, cut it off, and
caft it from thee:
for it is profitable for
thee that one of thy
members fhould

it from thee: for it

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28. But I fay unto you, Whofoever locketh on a Woman with unchafte Defires and Intentions, is guilty of Adultery in his own Mind, and in the Judgment of God, though he has uot opportunity to commit the Fact.

2930. Perhaps these more ftrict and exalted Precepts may feem very difficult to be practifed, like plucking out a right Eye, or cutting off a right Hand. But if any thing as dear to you as your right Hand or right Eye, be a caufe of making you to fin; 'tis much better to refolve to part with it, and to fuffer the prefent inconvenience, how great foever it be; than to let it be the cause of your eternal ruin.

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