at large, that is, Chriftians in general, without any Limitation to the Twelve chofen Difciples in their apoftolick Capacity, tho' they are included as Difciples. From whence it will clearly follow, that whatever is afterwards faid in the Sermon, (unless otherwife fpecified and directed than in this Preface,) belongs entirely to all Chriftians in general, and is by no Means to be limited to ApoAtles, or their Succeffors the Bishops and Pastors of the Church. The firft Argument I made ufe of to prove this, was, that the conftituting of Apostles was pofterior to this Sermon; and that they who were afterwards made Apostles at the Time when this Sermon was preached, were as yet but in the Rank of Difciples, and had not then their apoftolical Commiffion. This I proved at large from the Relations of St. Matthew and St. Luke, who are the only Writers that have left us an Account of this Sermon, and have been much more careful to clear this Matter, than Interpreters are aware of. I proceed now to another fort of Arguments, taken from Obfervations upon the Body of the Seamon it felf, by which I doubt not to make it very plain, that unless we will go contrary to all the Rules of speaking and reafoning, this Sermon must be understood as directed to all Chriftians, and ought not to be limited to Apostles or Paftors. 1. First, then, It appears from the Sermon it felf, that it is all addrefs'd to one Auditory; there are no Words, no not so much as Looks or Glances mentioned, from which we may be allow'd to infer that fome Parts of it are defigned for ordi nary nary Chriftians, and fome other Parts for Apoftles. From which Obfervation I argue thus; that if by the Word Difciples we are to underftand the Twelve Apoftles exclufive of common Chriftians, then the whole Sermon must be addreffed to Apostles; and it is by Chance if private Chriftians have any Thing to do with it. All the Ye's, and You's, and Thou's, and all the Verbs that are used here in the second Perfon, I would fain know who they are addrefs'd to; for it is an unaccountable Liberty to allow an Interpreter out of a great many Precepts, which by the ordinary Senfe and Meaning of the Words are addreffed to the fame Auditors, to fay that fome of thefe Ye's belong only to one fort of Hearers, and some of them, perhaps, in the fame Sentence, to another: For Example, who could bear it, if an Interpreter fhould fay that these Words, Ver. 11. (b) Blessed are ye when Men fhall revile you, belong to all Chriftians; and the next Ye, almost in the fame Breath; (c) Ye are the Salt of the Earth, and ye are the Light of the World, belong only to Apoftles; and the next again in the fame Paragraph, (d) Let your Light fo fhine before Men, that they may fee your good Works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven, belong to all Chriftians? Is not this to abuse any Author, and to give the Interpreter a lawless Liberty of putting what Sense he pleases upon him; nay, Senfes totally incoherent and inconfiftent with the common Rules of Speech? Since, then, it must be confefs'd that the far greatest Part of this Sermon will bear no other Senfe but to be addrefs'd to Difciples at large, that is, Chriftians in general, and yet in one conti (6) Mat. v. 11, 12. (e) Mat. v. 13. (d) Mat. v. 16. continued Tenor of Difcourfe it is all addreffed to one and the fame Auditory; that Auditory must be Chriftians in general, unless there be fomething of particular Apoftrophe by Looks, or Geftures, or Words, or the Neceffity of the Matter, that obliges us to believe it is defigned for. any other Hearers. And that this is not the Cafe in any of the Addreffes of this Sermon; that there is nothing faid in them but what is very proper for Chriftians in general, might be eafily demonftrated, but that it would be too great a Digreffion in this Place, and will come in more properly when we come to explain thofe Paffages of the Sermon which have by fome been thought to be Descriptions of the Duty and Character of Apoftles: There it fhall be fhewed, that all Cbri ftians (e) are the Salt of the Earth, that is, that they are all to be inftrumental in seasoning and fanctifying the putrid Converfation of the World, and in preferving Men from Corruption; and likewife that all Chriftians are to be fo far (f) the Light of the World, as to shine brightly in it by a moft exemplary Converfation; and thefe two are the only Paffages that feem to look more particularly towards the apoftolical or paftoral Function. And therefore there is no Occafion in the leaft to vary the Meaning of the Address throughout the whole Sermon; but they are the fame re that are meant, when our Saviour fays, Ye are the Salt of the Earth, and ye are the Light of the World; as when he fays, After this Manner, (g) pray ye, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c. (b) or Whatsoever ye would that Men fhould do to (e) Mat. v. 13. (f) Mat. v. 14. (g) Mat. vi. 9. your you, do even fo to them; and when he gives them all the other excellent Precepts contained in this incomparable Sermon, which is the beft Colle&tion of common Chriftian Duties of any in the World. 2. Next to the Addrefs, if we will confider the Occafion, Scope, and Defign of the whole Dif conrfe, which, as I have already fhewed, was to correct the common Errors about the Kingdom of the Meffiab, and to cure Men's wrong Difpo fitions for it; this must convince us that the proper Auditors of it are all our Saviour's Difciples in general, and not the Twelve only: For all thefe Errors and bad Difpofitions being general, there is all Reafon to interpret thefe Precepts of our Saviour, which are defigned to cure thofe Errors and Distempers, in a general Senfe, and as directed to the Community of Auditors; otherwife the Remedy would not be proportioned to the Distemper, and the Plaifter would be narrower than the Sore. Befides, how incongruous a Thing would it be, when even the promifcuous Multitudes, as I formerly fhewed, were taught by this Sermon, to exclude any of our Lord's Difciples, or to limit the Difcourfe to the Twelve only? 3. The many excellent Precepts contained in this Sermon, do all of them manifeftly belong to the Duty of Chriftians in general, and not one of them is to be limited to the apoftolical Function; and therefore the proper Auditors of this Sermon must be all Chriftians, in their Chriftian, not Apoftles and Paftors in their Apoftolick or Paftoral Capacity. I know not fo much as one Duty here recommended, which thofe very Interpreters who make make a great Part of the Sermon to relate to the apoftolick Function, will not confefs to be a Duty incumbent on private Chriftians, except one, by a Mistake of a new Opinion, which I fhall confider in a Postscript to this Difcourfe. Is it not then much more probable that it is defigned for Difciples at large, that is, for all Chriftians, whofe Duty it exactly defcribes; than for Apostles, none of whofe Duty it defcribes, but in fo far as is common to them with other Chriftians? 4. The many excellent Arguments with which the Precepts of this Sermon are backed and enforced, are all taken from Confiderations equally binding upon all Cbriftians, and not one of them peculiar to the apoftolical Function. I fhall fhew this in the Poftfcript to this Sermon, as to the Arguments brought to diffuade from Covetoufnefs, and the inordinate Cares of the World. The fame may be obferved of all the other Duties; they are all enforced with Confiderations taken from the Perfection of Christianity, and from the Promises of Admiffion to the Kingdom of Heaven, and Threatnings of Exclufion from it, or fome other Reafons equally binding upon all: And therefore whatever Force is in them, it equally relates to all Chriftians. 5. I fhall add but one Confideration more, taken from the Form and Stile of this Sermon, as the former have been from the Matter of it. And as to this, (1.) I can't but observe what a different Stile St. Matthew and St. Luke ufe, when they intend to acquaint us with any Thing peculiar to Apoftles, from what they use with relation to Difciples or Chriftians in general; for as here, and in St. Luke too, |