must needs amaze the people, who had never known any thing like it from their other teachers. (3.) THE matter of his doctrine was every way worthy of a teacher fent from God. The Scribes indeed entertain'd the people with a set of idle traditions, fuperftitions, and trifling obfervances, and many little exactneffes in ceremony: But our Lord inftructed them in the weightier matters of the law, laid out to them a most divine and excellent scheme of morals, and taught the infide, as well as the outfide of religion. He would not fuffer them to reft fatisfied with the formal fhews, or with the outward mechanism of virtue; but carried his precepts to the heart, requir'd fincerity in the inward man, and thereby alfo fhewed an authority to which the Scribes could not pretend: For who can impofe laws upon the heart, the thoughts and the defies of man, but God who made him, and fent our bleffed Lord, his only and eternal Son, to inftruct and govern him? (4.) AND laftly, thefe precepts were delivered with fuch a certainty, boldness, and plainnefs, as far excelled the teaching of the Scribes. They, as being guided only by the opinions of their schools, could deliver nothing clearly, and with a full affurance; and as human ignorance might mislead them, fo did human paffions too: They were to oblige the people by fervile and undue compliances, enervating the law of God by fuch interpretations, as would gratify the pride, and other vices of their congregation, or give fuch a turn to religion, as would beft ferve their own base and worldly interefts. On the contrary, our Saviour's teaching was with a pofitive and definitive certainty, becoming one who thoroughly knew the mind of God, one in whom was hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead Godhead bodily. *For he whom God hath fent (faith John the Baptift, fpeaking of our Saviour) Speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. And as he delivered his precepts with an authoritative certainty, fo he delivered them with an authoritative boldness and impartiality: He had no occafion to fear that any thing in his own conduct fhould reproach him with his own precepts. He boldly delivered the most fevere doctrines and inftructions, not caring whom they would difpleafe; he fearch'd the wounds of that imperfect and corrupt morality the Scribes had taught them, to the bottom, as knowing that this was neceffary to fet them right, and bring them into the healing way of Salvation, though their falfe guides would ftorm at it, and the people too would probably be offended to be undeceiv'd, and put upon a more laborious and effectual straitnefs than that to which they had hitherto been trained. THUS I have explained, as well as I am able, the difference betwixt our Saviour's teaching, and that of the Scribes, in refpect to the authority and power with which he preach'd, according to the Evangelifts obfervation. I fhall conclude with a few words to recommend the excellency of the revelation made by Chrift, (including the whole fyftem of it, as well as this his fermon on the mount) which fhould farther affect us Chriftians with a fpecial regard to it. And here particularly, we are to confider, that it was the revelation, not of an inferior Prophet, though commiffioned and infpired from heaven; but of the eternal Son of God, under the disguise of human nature. And of how much greater authority fuch a revelation ought to be, we may learn from the author to the Hebrews, * John iii. 34. * There *Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, left at any time we should let them flip. For if the word Spoken by angels was ftedfaft, and every tranfgreffion and difobedience receiv'd a just recompence of reward; how fhall we efcape, if we neglect fo great falvation, which at the first began to be Spoken by the LORD, and was confirm'd to us by them that beard him? And again, Mofes was faithful as a fervant, but Chrift as a Son, over his own house, or family, the Church. Thus does the Apoftle amplify the authority of Chrift's teaching, as being firft revealed to the world, not by angels, not by prophets, not by ufual and common meffengers; but by the Son of God himself. We are to confider this revelation alfo as moft clear and perfpicuous. The most important truths were formerly hid in types and fymbols. Mofes had a glory upon his face, but a vail put upon that glory. But now the vail upon his face is done away in Chrift, and we all with open face, as in a glass, behold the glory of the Lord. Now are the greatest truths and promises no more mask'd under types and fhadows, but exposed unto us with open face. No precepts can be plainer or better than those which are given us by our Saviour. Were all the philofophers of former ages, were all the prophets that ever lived, were all the angels that are in heaven, fummon'd to meet and confult together, to prescribe laws, and to propose motives to human nature, they could not add one useful thing to what Chrift has revealed. He has forbidden whatever difhonours God, disturbs the world, or weakens and blemishes human nature, as pride, covetoufnefs, fenfuality, and all the other fins that flow from them; and on the *Heb. ii. 1, 2, 3. 2 Cor. iii. 14. † Heb. iii. 5, 6. contrary, contrary, has commanded whatever tends to the glory of our Creator, to the general welfare of mankind, and the eafe and comfort of every fingle perfon; as, Faith in God for our fupport under all the uncertainties of this world; love to him, that we may enjoy him, and fo be happy and bleffed in him; mutual love to one another, and all the virtues thence arifing, meekness, patience, and humility, that we may be eafy to our felves, and also helpful each to other. And lastly, that we may want nothing to perfuade or affift fincere obedience to these precepts, our Saviour affures us of God's grace to ftrengthen our weakness and infirmities. He threatens everlasting woes to obftinate and impenitent finners, and he promises eternal happiness to every true and faithful penitent. We may add farther, that this revelation by Chrift is the very last revelation, that God will ever make to the world, and therefore we ought to have the greatest regard imaginable to what he has delivered as the mind and will of God. All former revelations were but introductions to this, Carnal ordinances, fays the Apoftle, impofed on the Jews, till the time of reformation. This time of reformation, was the difpenfation of the Gospel by our Saviour. † God, who at fundry times, and in divers manners, pake in times paft unto the fathers by the Prophets, has in thefe last days Spoken unto us by his Son. The Gofpel therefore, is the last discovery and attempt of the divine wisdom, for the reformation of the world; nothing has fince appear'd, or ever will appear, by divine authority and appointment, to make the leaft alteration in it. If ever we aim at, or expect eternal happiness, it must be in the way which Chrift has taught us, upon those terms, upon that faith, and that scheme of piety and vir *Heb. ix. 10. † Heb. i. 1, 2. tue, tue, which he has prescribed to us. Let us there fore pray, in the words of our most excellent Church, Bleed Lord, who haft caufed all boly Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in fuch wife hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever bold faft the bleed hope of everlasting life, which thou haft given in our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen. FINI S. AN |