titions in prayer; covetoufnefs, worldly care, cenforiousness: and, on the other fide, commands loving our friends, doing good to those that hate us, bleffing thofe that curfe us, praying for those that defpightfully use us; patience, and meekness under injuries; forgivenels, liberality, compaffion: and clofes all his particular injunctions, with this general golden rule, Matt. vii.. 12. "All things what"foever ye would have that men fhould do to you, do ye even so "to them: for this is the law and the prophets." And to fhew how much he is in earneft, and expects obedience to thefe laws; he tells them, Luke vi. 35. That if they obey, "great fhall be "their REWARD;" they "fhall be called, The fons of the higheft." And to all this, in the conclufion, he adds this folemn fanction? "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I fay?" It is in vain for you to take me for the Meffiah your king, unless you obey me. "Not every one who calls me Lord, Lord, fhall

enter into the kingdom of heaven," or be the fons of God; "but "he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven.' To such disobedient fubjects, though they have prophefied and done miracles in my name, I fhall fay at the day of judgement, "Depart "from me, ye workers of iniquity, I know you not."

When Matt. xii. he was told, that his mother and brethren fought to speak with him, ver. 49; "ftretching out his hands to "his difciples, he faid, Behold my mother and my brethren; for "whofoever fhall do the will of my father, who is in heaven, he is

my brother, and fifter, and mother." They could not be children of the adoption, and fellow-heirs with him of eternal life, who did not do the will of his heavenly father.

Matt. xv. and Mark vii. the Pharifees finding fault, that his difciples eat with unclean hands, he makes this declaration to his apostles: "Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever from without en❝tereth into a man, cannot defile him; because it enters not into "his heart, but his belly. That which cometh out of the man, "that defileth the man: for from within, out of the heart of men, "proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, "falfe witneffes, covetoufness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, "an evil eye, blafphemy, pride, foolifhnefs. All these ill things come "from within, and defile a man.'

He commands felf-denial, and the expofing ourfelves to fuffering and danger, rather than to deny or difown him: and this upon pain of lofing our fouls, which are of more worth than all the world. This we may read Matt. xvi. 24-27. and the parallel places, Matt. viii. and Luke ix.

The apostles difputing amongst them who should be greatest in the kingdom of the Meffiah, Matt. xviii. 1. he thus determines the controverfy, Mark. ix. 35. "If any one will be first, let him be "laft of all, and fervant of all:" and setting a child before them, adds, Matt, xviii, 3. "Verily I fay unto you, Unless ye turn, and "become as children, ye fhall not enter into the kingdom of "heaven.".

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Matt. xviii. 15. "If thy brother fhall trefpafs against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he fhall hear thee, thou haft gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witneffes every word may be established. And if he shall ec neglect to hear them, tell it to the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an Heathen and Publi"can." Ver. 21. "Peter faid, Lord, How often fhall my brother fin against me, and I forgive him? till feven times? Jefus faid "unto him, I-fay not unto thee till feven times, but until seventy times feven." And then ends. the parable of the fervant, who, being himself forgiven, was rigorous to his fellow-fervant, with these words, ver. 34. "And his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to "the tormentors, till he fhould pay all that was due unto him. So likewife fhall my heavenly father do alfo unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trefpafles.".

Luke x. 25. To the lawyer, afking him, "What fhall I do to inherit eternal life? He faid, What is written in the law? how réadeft thou?". He anfwered, "Thou fhalt love the Lord thy "God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy «ftrength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Jefus faid, "This do, and thou shalt live." And when the lawyer, upon our Saviour's parable of the good Samaritan, was forced to confefs, that he that fhewed mercy was his neighbour; Jefus difmiffed him with this charge, ver. 37. "Go, and do thou likewife."

Luke xi. 41. "Give alms of fuch things as ye have: behold, all "things are clean unto you."....

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Luke xii. 15. "Take heed, and beware of covetoufnefs." Ver. 22. "Be not folicitous what ye. fhall eat, or what ye fhall drink, "nor what ye fhall put on;" be not fearful or apprehenfive of want, for it is your father's pleasure to give you a kingdom. Sell that "you have, and give alms: and provide yourselves bags that wax not old, and treafure in the heavens that faileth not; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be alfo. Let your loins be girded, and your lights burning; and ye yourfelves like unto 46 men that wait for the Lord, when he will return. Bleffed are "thofe fervants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, fhall find watching. Blefled is that fervant, whom the Lord having made "ruler of his houfhold, to give them their portion of meat in due “feason, the Lord,..when he cometh, fhall find fo doing of a truth

I fay unto you, that he will make him a ruler over all that he "hath. But if that fervant fay in his heart, My Lord delayeth his " coming, and fhall begin to beat the men-fervants, and maidens, and "to eat and drink, and to be drunken: the Lord of that fervant "will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour "when he is not aware, and will cut him in funder, and will ap"point him his portion with unbelievers. And that fervant who "knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himfelf, neither did ac"cording

cording to his will, fhall be beaten with many ftripes: for he << that knew not, and did commit things worthy of ftripes, fhall be "beaten with few stripes; for unto whomfoever much is given, of " him fhall be much required; and to whom men have committed "much, of him they will ask the more."

Luke xiv. II. "Whofoever exalteth himself, fhall be abafed; " and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Ver. 12. "When thou makeft a dinner or fupper, call not thy "friends or thy brethren, neither thy kinfman, nor thy neigh"bours, left they alfo bid thee again, and a recompence be made "thee. But when thou makeft a feaft, call the poor and maimed, "the lame and the blind, and thou fhalt be bleffed; for they cannot "recompenfe thee; for thou shalt be recompenfed at the refurrection of the just.’

Ver. 33. "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that is not ready "to forego all that he hath, he cannot be my difciple."

Luke xvi. 9. "I fay unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the "mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may receive "you into everlasting habitations. If ye have not been faithful in "the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true "riches? and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another "man's, who shall give you that which is your own?”

Luke xvii. 3. "If thy brother trefpafs against thee, rebuke him; " and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trefpafs against thee seven "times in a day, and feven times in a day turn again to thee, faying, "I repent, thou fhalt forgive him.”

Luke xviii. 1. "He spoke a parable to them, to this end, that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint."

Ver. 18. "One comes to him, and asks him, saying, Master, what "fhall I do to inherit eternal life? Jefus faid to him, If thou wilt "enter into life, keep the cominandments. He fays, Which? "Jefus faid, Thou knoweft the commandments: Thou fhalt not "kill; Thou fhalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal; "Thou shalt not bear falfe witnefs; Defraud not; Honour thy "father and thy mother; And thou fhalt love thy neighbour as "thyfelf. He faid, All these have I obferved from my youth;

Jefus hearing this, loved him; and faid unto him, Yet lackeft "thou one thing: fell all that thou haft, and give it to the poor, and "thou fhalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." To understand this right we must take notice, that this young man asks our Saviour, what he muft do to be admitted effectually into the kingdom of the Meffiah? The Jews believed, that when the Meffiah came, those of their nation that received him fhould not die; but that they, with those who being dead fhould then be raised again by him, fhould enjoy eternal life with him. Our Saviour, in answer to this demand, tells the young man, that to obtain the eternal life of the kingdom of the Meffiah, he muft keep the commandments. And then enumerating feveral of the precepts of the law, the young nan fays, he had obferved these from his childhood: for which, VOL. IV,

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the text tells us, Jefus loved him. But our Saviour, to try whether in earneft he believed him to be the Meffiah, and refolved to take him to be his king, and to obey him as fuch, bids him give all he has to the poor, and come, and follow him, and he fhould have treasure in heaven. This I look on to be the meaning of the place this of felling all he had, and giving it to the poor, not being a standing law of his kingdom, but a probationary command to this young man, to try whether he truly believed him to be the Meffiah, and was ready to obey his commands, and relinquifh all to follow him, when he his prince required it.

And therefore we fee, Luke xix. 14. where our Saviour takes notice of the Jews not receiving him as the Meffiah, he expreffes it thus, "We will not have this man to reign over us." It is not enough to believe him to be the Meffiah, unless we also obey his laws, and take him to be our king, to reign over us.

Matt. xxii. 11-13. He that had not on the wedding-garment, though he accepted of the invitation, and came to the wedding, was cast into utter darkness. By the "wedding-garment," it is evident, good works are meant here. That wedding-garment of fine linen, clean and white, which we are told, Rev. xix. 8, is the diapala "righteous acts of the Saints" or, as St. Paul calls it, Ephef. iv. 1. "the walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called." This appears from the parable itself; "The kingdom of heaven,' fays our Saviour, ver. 2. " is like unto a king who made a marriage "for his fon." And here he diftinguifhes thofe who were invited into three forts; I. Those who were invited, and came not, i. e. those who had the gofpel, the good news of the kingdom of God, propofed to them, but believed not. 2. Those who came, but had not on a wedding-garment, i. e. believed Jefus to be the Meffiah, but were not new-clad (as I may fo fay) with a true repentance and amendment of life, nor adorned with thofe virtues which the apostle, Col. iii. requires to be put on. 3. Those who were invited, did come, and had on the wedding-garment, i. e. heard the gospel, believed Jefus to be the Mefliah, and fincerely obeyed his laws. Thefe three forts are plainly defigned here; whereof the laft only were the bleffed; who were to enjoy the kingdom prepared for them.

Matt. xxiii. "Be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your mafter, even the Meffiah, and ye all are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your father which is in "heaven. Neither be ye called mafters; for one is your mafter, "even the Meffiah. But he that is greatest amongst you, fhall be Ec your fervant; and whofoever fhall exalt himself, fhall be abafed; "and he that shall humble himself, fhall be exalted."

Luke xxi. 34. "Take heed to yourfelves, left your hearts be at any time over-charged with furfeiting and drunkenness, and cares "of this life."

Luke xxii. 25. "He faid unto them, The kings of the Gentiles "exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon "them, are called benefactors. But ye fhall not be fo: but he that

"is greatest amongst you, let him be as the younger; and he that "is chief, as he that doth ferve."

John xiii. 34. " A new commandment I give unto you, That ye "love one another; as I have loved you, that ye alfo love one "another by this fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye love one another." This command of loving one another is repeated again, chap. xv. 12. and 17.

John xiv. 15. " If ye love me, keep my commandments." Ver. 21. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is "that loveth me; and he that loveth me, fhall be loved of my "father, and I will love him, and manifeft myself to him." Ver. 23. “If a man loveth me, he will keep my words." Ver. 24. "He << that loveth me not, keepeth not my fayings."

John xv. 8. "In this is my father glorified, that ye bear much "fruit; fo fhall ye be my difciples." Ver. 14. "Ye are my "friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."

Thus we fee our Saviour not only confirmed the moral law, and, clearing it from the corrupt gloffes of the Scribes and Pharifees, fhewed the ftrictnefs as well as obligation of its injunctions; but moreover, upon occafion, requires the obedience of his difciples to feveral of the commands he afresh lays upon them, with the enforcement of unspeakable rewards and punishments in another world, according to their obedience or difobedience. There is not, I think, any of the duties of morality, which he has not, fomewhere or other, by himself and his apostles, inculcated over and over again to his followers in exprefs terms. And is it for nothing that he is fo inftant with them to bring forth fruit? does he their king command, and is it an indifferent thing? or will their happiness or mifery not at all depend upon it, whether they obey or no? They were required to believe him to be the Meffiah; which faith is of grace promised to be reckoned to them for the completing of their righteousness, wherein it was defective: but righteousness, or obedience to the law of God, was their great bufinefs, which if they could have attained by their own performances, there would have been no need of this gracious allowance in reward of their faith; but eternal life, after the refurrection, had been their due by a former covenant, even that of works, the rule whereof was never abolished, though the rigour was abated. The duties enjoined in it were duties ftill their obligations had never ceased, nor a wilful neglect of them was ever difpenfed with; but their paft tranfgreffions were pardoned, to those who received Jefus, the promised Meffiah, for their king; and their future flips covered, if renouncing their former iniquities, they entered into his kingdom, and continued his fubjects, with a steady refolution and endeavour to obey his laws. This righteousness therefore, a complete obedience and freedom from fin, are ftill fincerely to be endeavoured after; and it is no where promised, that those who perfift in a wilful difobedience to his laws fhall be received into the eternal blifs of his kingdom, how much foever they believe in him.

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