proud imaginations of temporal confequence, renouncing every vain defire after temporal dignities and honours, which are commonly at variance with the knowledge of God as

laid

open in the Gospel, they freely furrender every thought to the obedience of Chrift %, Under the impreffion of that knowledge, which he has imparted to the world, they entertain a feeling fenfe of their own weaknefs, ignorance, and want in fpiritual things; they pay an awful deference to the power, the wisdom, the juftice, and the benevolence of God, and a profound submission to all his difpenfations. And while they dif claim all merit and fufficiency of their own, they commit themselves entirely in devout and perfevering prayer to God, being folicitous to receive the benefit of his affiftance and fupport, the light of his truth, and the riches of his grace, in whatever manner and by whatever means it may please the great Fountain of blessedness to beftow them. Thus conforming to the primary instruction, as alfo to the leading difpofition and character of the lowly Jefus, they have the firft diftinction in the feries of his beatitudes: For theirs is the Kingdom of Hea

ven.

2 Cor. x. 5.

R 4

The

The promise of a Kingdom, as accepted in the worldly fenfe, might be welcome to multitudes, as it coincides with a ruling paffion in the mind of man. Among the different objects of human defire and pursuit there is none that has a more general and more commanding fway than that of eminence above their fellow-creatures. It is the lot of very few to reign: But most men are ambitious of obtaining confideration, authority, and power. Accordingly a spirit of ambition from the highest to the lowest ranks of men has univerfally prevailed. This operates in common life by the pains that are taken through the feveral gradations of fociety to advance themselves in the fcale of focial order, and to obtain a preeminence in rank and station over those around them. In public life it operates with more baneful effects. It has prompted men by all manner of lawless and fanguinary means to ufurp a dominion over their fellow mortals. The love of empire has been the great spur of human enterprize in all ages and nations of the world. Hence the military atchievements of the Greeks and of the Romans. Hence the ardour of Alexander to conquer other nations, of Cæfar to enflave his own.

In this pursuit after fancied happiness how

little do they really attain what they fo anxiously and affiduously feek! for they seek it where it is not to be found. In common life, if they fucceed in their defigns, they find the elevation they have attained to be at best but an ideal good, but in general no better than vanity and vexation of spirit. In public life the object that they feek is ftill more chimerical and full of fearful and continual hazard. Among the feveral candidates for empire and dominion how few can poffibly attain that gilded prize, that glitters in the eyes of the multitude! If they fall, deftruction is almost the certain confequence; and to those very few, who by a fingular combination of fortunate events attain the most lofty station which ambition could propofe for the fummit of their defires, what real happiness is in ftore to recompence the dangers long encountered and anxieties long endured? More dangers and anxieties in long fucceffion must attend their steps. In the midst of a palace they are ill at ease. In the height of their dominion and in the fulnefs of their authority they are continually encompaffed by jealoufies and terrors. In the revelries of the festive board, in the fecrefies of their chambers, the pointed sword perpetually

perpetually hangs over their guilty heads. They have no real enjoyment of the present hour; and they have no hopes to gild the profpect of futurity.

In oppofition to this common aim, our holy Teacher proposes to the defires and pursuits of his Difciples a bleffing of another kind. He has also a kingdom to offer: but his Kingdom is different in all refpects from those, which animate the defires and enterprize of the ambitious of this world. It must be fought by other difpofitions, and cultivated by other means. The Kingdom of Heaven is the fcriptural expreffion for the reign of the Meffiah, the general theme of ancient prophecy, the final hope of the Children of Ifrael. This Kingdom the Hebrew Prophets, for want of terms and images appropriate to fpiritual themes, most ufually represent under types or fymbols of temporal dominion and authority. In this form of imagery it very powerfully engaged the expectation of the Jews. Actuated by ambition and a love of worldly greatnefs, they equally mistook the nature of this Kingdom and the temper effential for a place and interest therein. Accordingly they looked for a temporal dominion fupported by the fword,

fword, in which they fhould triumph far and wide, and hold a preeminence of power over all the nations of the earth.

This

Far different was the Kingdom which the Meffiah came to establish; for it was not of a temporal, but of a spiritual kind, after the model, not of men, but of God. indeed was expreffively fignified in the form of his appearance upon earth, which bore no external semblance of dignity and power; fince he came in every circumstance of poverty and humility. He had no lure to offer to worldly ambition: He had no posts of honour, no functions of authority, to bestow upon his followers; for his Kingdom was not of this world. And this he himfelf explained in answer to the enquiries of the Pharifees: "The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here, or lo there; for the Kingdom of God is within you h." It is not attended by external images of worldly grandeur: It is not circumfcribed within local or temporary bounds. It is an invifible dominion, which, without any fhew or form of jurifdiction over the body, is exercised with power in the fpirit and on the foul. It is a It is a Kingdom of

h Luke xvii. 20, 21.

grace