were poffeffed of the fubftance. When a more perfect rule was come, the more partial rule might reasonably be done away. But on the observance of the whole Moral Law he conftantly and ftrongly infifted, as the indifpenfable and unchangeable duty of man. He gave it greater energy, and spread it into a wider compass, than had ever been conceived before. He conftantly taught mankind to deny ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, and to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world; having given himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Not fatisfied with the form, he required the power of godlinefs. This might be inftanced in that purity of worship, which he taught in reference to God, and that law of equity and charity, which he enjoined in relation to men. But this is most especially to be feen in the obligation which he imposed of personal purity. The spirit of his law undoubtedly struck at the root of those two prevailing indulgences in the ancient world, concubinage and polygamy. And the liberty of divorce, which the Law of Mofes had permitted to the Jews, because of the hardness of their hearts, he expressly disallowed, except in the cafe of adultery on one part; in which it is granted. on a principle of reason and justice, that the chafte may be feparated from the unchaste. On the whole he reduced the law in this important article of focial life to the original design of God in creating male and female 1. But in order to purify the whole man from every moral taint, he did not account it fufficient to enjoin the purity of the body, he infifted on the purity of the heart. Not satiffied with forbidding adultery in act, he forbade it even in imagination and defign; "Whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart." He therefore taught men to suppress every loose and licentious thought, and to diveft themselves of every paffion or defire, though incorporated fo much into the nature and habit, as a right hand or a right eye, which might incite them to tranfgreffion. On the whole he required them to confider themselves as confecrated both in body and foul to God, and on that principle to keep themselves entirely pure to his honour and fervice 1. i Mat. v. 27-32. h Mat. xix. 3-9. And And hence we may collect the characters of those, whom our holy Teacher heré diftinguishes by the title of the Pure in heart. Affifted and encouraged by divine grace they have made fuch proficiency in Chriftian holiness, as to have brought the body in fubjection to the fpirit, and to have furrendered the will of man to the will of God. Animated by faith in his merits, who hath made a perfect expiation for the truly penitent, they have washed away their fins by the baptifm of repentance, and have purified their hearts by the regeneration of the Holy Ghost they have ftedfaftly purpofed, not only to forego the actual indulgence of unlawful appetite, but alfo, as far as human infirmity will allow, to keep their hearts with all diligence from entertaining any licentious thought or affection. Senfible that God is a fpiritual Effence, they are folicitous to yield him á spiritual fervice. Confcious of his continual prefence and infpection, they are cautious not to commit any thing, which may tempt him to withdraw his countenance and withhold his approbation from them. Fully eftimating the price, that has been paid for their redemption and fanctification by the blood of Chrift, they are affiduous to prefent themselves 7. 2 themselves both body and foul a living, holy, and acceptable facrifice to God. To perfons thus difpofed our Lord affigns a special Blessedness, that they shall fee God. To see God is a privilege, of which the children of this world do not feriously think. It could feldom enter into the minds or engage the contemplations of the Heathens; for so far were they corrupted in their understandings, that they retained no knowledge of God, and therefore they could not estimate the happiness of seeing him. To fee God under the ancient economy of the Hebrews was a privilege imparted but very rarely and occafionally to fome few Favourites of Heaven. With the Patriarchs and the Prophets he converfed at fundry times and in diverfe manners, by vifion, by dream, by Urim, by the meffage of an angel. To the most distinguished among them he difplayed himself in a visible form. Thus he converfed with Abraham as with a friend; hence he was called the Friend of God. He converfed with Mofes face to face1. And Ifaiah teftifies, that he faw the Lord in his temple encompaffed by the Seraphim, who * James ii. 23. 1 Exod. xxxiii. II. fung But with fung his holiness and glory m. these rare exceptions, he had not perfonally divulged himself of old. And from the terrors which invested him, though veiled from public view, when he delivered the Law from Mount Sinai, an opinion had prevailed in Ifrael, that none could fee God and live. Under the Chriftian Revelation God is reprefented, as divefted of all those terrors in which he gave the Law, and is arrayed to our conceptions in the most endearing attributes of paternal grace and goodness. And hence to fee God is proposed to our defires and hopes as the fulness of happiness. To see God in the literal fenfe is not indeed indulged to us yet, while we remain under the veil of mortality. Yet in the spiritual dispensation of the Gospel he is manifefted to us more freely and fully, than under the carnal economy of the Law; "For the only begotten Son, who is in the bofom of the Father, he hath revealed him "." He hath manifefted the Father to the eyes of the faithful in the fairest and brightest attributes of grace and truth, as continually present with them in his holy Spirit, defending them against all the affaults and feductions of the Tempter, supporting m Ifa. vi. 1, 2, 3. n John i. 18. them |