DISCOURSE IV.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

MATTHEW, C. vi., v. 1.-"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men; to be seen of them; otherwise, ye have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven."

I resume my promised remarks on Christ's SERMON ON THE MOUNT; but, I must recommend to my hearers, to read, with deep attention, this most sacred and improving portion of "the Word of God;" that they may see and understand, the connexion between its various parts, and the observations, which, (in all humility,) I have ventured to make on them.

When our blessed Lord was accused before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea; among other questions which were proposed by this timeserving iniquitous Judge, to the spotless, patient prisoner; was the important enquiry-" what is TRUTH?" The query was made, probably, either

through wantonness, or in derision;* as Pilate did not wait for an answer to it; "for when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews." What the reply of the holy Jesus would have been to this question, had he deigned; and had an opportunity been afforded to Him, to return one; we may (in all humility) infer, from the declaration which Christ makes, in his awful, sublime, and affecting address to his "HOLY FATHER," on the evening preceding his crucifixion-"THY WORD IS TRUTH"-implying, (with submission be it spoken) that the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which God had inspired: and the DOCTRINES and PRECEPTS, which the Saviour had taught: were the only sources, from which fallen man, blinded by sin, and wandering in error; could derive the precious principle of TRUTH" a light for his eyes :" "a lamp for his feet"-a rule for his actions: a consolation for his spirit: and an anchor for his soul.

Happy, my Christian friends, had it been for that portion of mankind, on whom the light of the Polar Star of Revelation hath shone, had they been content to seek this "pearl of great price"-— TRUTH-holy, pure, simple, unchangeable TRUTH— at the fountain, to which their anxious and incessant search after it, is directed, by Him, " in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and know

* "What is TRUTH? said Jesting Pilate, &c."-Bacon's Essays.

ledge" "THE WORD OF GOD"-had they not "forsaken the fountain of living waters; and hewed themselves out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water”—had they not indulged their fancies, in opposition to Revelation: and substituted "the traditions and commandments of men," in the room of the plainly-discovered, (and, therefore, only essential,) doctrines of inspiration; and the unequivocal precepts of Jesus Christ. If, I repeat, instead of thus, wilfully, wandering into error; they had pursued their enquiry after TRUTH, by the torch of scripture: conscience and right reason: and not, perversely, lost sight of the spirit and design of the one: disregarded the dictates of the other and blinded their eyes, against the just conclusions, of that intellectual faculty, with which God has endowed man, to be, (under due restraint and regulation) "the candle of the Lord within him"-if man had not been thus perversewe may well believe, that the Christian community, would never have exhibited the innumerable feuds and divisions; the gross errors in opinion; and unholy mistakes in practice; by which it has been disgraced, for ages: but, that its members, enlightened and directed by the sole WORD of GOD, acknowledged by conscience, and confirmed by reason; would have continued, to the end of time, "to dwell" with each other, "like brethren, in unity:" to "go together, to the House of God, as friends:" and, (like the primitive believers) to

"walk in the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost."

I do not mean to say, that Christians ever have neglected, or do at this day neglect, the "searching of the scriptures," "and the hearing of the Word" but, it is much to be feared, I apprehend, that too many of them, do both, as a matter of theory, rather than of practice—that they go to the BIBLE, rather to confirm themselves in previously conceived, or adopted, erroneous opinions; rather, than, seriously, calmly, and dispassionately, to enquire after "the truth as it is in Christ Jesus" and "heap to themselves teachers," who exercise the imaginations of their hearers, with matter for speculation; rather than impress their consciences, with a humiliating sense of their sin, blindness, and utter unworthiness; or, engrave upon their hearts, a deep conviction of their religious and moral obligations.-That TRUTH-eternal, scriptural TRUTH-should be the result of an enquiry after it, conducted upon such erroneous principles as these; is, to the full, as unlikely, as that Pilate should have obtained any knowledge of it, from merely having asked what it was, and going out, before he had obtained an answer to his question.

That the immediate hearers of Christ should have listened, attentively, to his teaching, and left

his presence, with such mistakes in their minds, with respect to TRUTH, as those adverted to, was quite impossible. The "gracious words" which fell from the Saviour's lips, " quick and powerful," (as the Apostle speaks) "sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit; and of the joints and marrow discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart”—these gracious and powerful words (I repeat) prevented the possibility of such mistakes being made by his auditors, as to the practical nature of his religion: and its intended influence, upon the affections of the soul; the desires of the heart and the actions of the life. They heard, and must have felt, that his word was unsophisticated TRUTH: admitting no interpretation, that was inconsistent with heart-felt devotion: sincere and steady piety: and with uniform virtue, humility, benevolence, and charity, in the personal behaviour of the Christian. As a proof of the accuracy of this statement, I need only refer you, to that portion of the gospels, which, for the few last past Sabbath afternoons, has formed the topic of my pulpit instruction; and of your meditation: and which, as I have already hinted, will again engage the attention of us both, for a short time, this afternoon-CHRIST'S SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

The part of this heavenly address, at which we are now arrived, like all its preceding parts, probes