words; what I have stated being their true sense. An address to God like that made by Christ would be wholly incongruous in the mouth of a person who did not feel that he was habitually an object of God's peculiar care and favor. The very form of expostulation marks its character in this respect more strongly. The words were uttered by Christ, like his prayer on another occasion, "for the sake of the people who stood by, that they might believe that God had sent him." Just before expiring he thus professed, for the last time, what he had in his ministry such frequent occasion to profess, his confidence in God, and his reference of all his actions and sufferings to Him.

APPENDIX.

ON THE ADAPTATION OF THE DISCOURSES OF CHRIST TO THE CHARACTER AND CONDITION OF THE JEWS, AND TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH HE WAS PLACED.

A CONSIDERATION of the character and condition of the people to whom our Lord was sent, and of the circumstances in which he was placed, is necessary to the formation of correct views respecting the design and the excellence of his discourses as a teacher of religion and morality. His teachings will excite much stronger admiration when we consider them in these relations, than when we regard them merely in the abstract, as general commendations or precepts of virtue and piety. In the former case, we shall perceive not merely their intrinsic excellence, but also their excellence of propriety and adaptation. We shall perceive why some virtues were particularly selected and

insisted upon; and the character, the feelings, and the purposes of our Saviour will appear in bolder relief and more striking colors, when contrasted with those of the persons whom he was addressing. I propose, therefore, to give a sketch of the character and condition of the Jewish people at the time when our Saviour commenced his ministry, and to illustrate what I have been saying by pointing out the reference which he had to their feelings and expectations in those declarations, commonly called the Beatitudes, with which he began his public instructions.

THE Jews had been separated by God from the rest of mankind, and had received a religion from him, the foundation of which was a knowledge of his existence, his unity, and his supremacy. They had not been made acquainted with a future state of retribution by direct and express revelation. In the time of our Saviour their notions of religion were very imperfect and erroneous. This was the case even in respect to the character of God, though they were especially proud of the distinction of being the only people to whom God was known. The representations of him by the Jewish Rabbis, and their stories concerning him, as they have come