wife pafs from the Law till all [in this fenfe] be punctually fulfilled. And I have begun to fulfil it (as a righteous Judge) in this fenfe already. They who refuse my Gofpel, to them it is a favour of death unto death. They are not only curfed to death by the Law, but damned to death, as infidels, by the Gofpel: "He that believeth not shall be damned."He that believes not my word, hath one that "judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the "fame fhall judge him in the great day. They that « mock, their bands shall be made ftrong.-They are "bound on earth, and in heaven they are bound."They that believe not are condemned already, "and the wrath of God abideth on them.-This is the condemnation, that light is come into the "world, and men love darkness rather than light, "because their deeds are evil.-Yea, for judgment "I am come into this world, that thofe which fee "not might fee, and that thofe that fee might be "made blind." As a Judge, I have begun to fulfil (in the fouls of mine enemies) the penal fanction of the Law already; and my Gospel shall be preached in all the world, for a witness against fuch, and then shall the end come. All my difciples fhall love their brethren, and from their heart forgive every one his brother their trefpaffes; otherwife my heavenly Father shall never forgive them. Righteoufnefs will I lay to the line of the precept, and judgment to the plummet of the sentence; the hail fhall fhall fweep away the refuges of lyes, and the floods of wrath fhall overflow the hiding-places.-For till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wife pass from the Law till all be punctually fulfilled. But I will fend the Holy Spirit into the hearts of my dear disciples, which shall flay such envy, make them forget anger, and forgive and love their brethren, as I have loved them. The Law worketh wrath; but the love of the Spirit worketh no ill to a neighbour, much less to a brother in faith. The kingdom of heaven within them fhall deliver them from fuch evils. They fhall be angry at fin, and at finners; at evil doctrines, and evil practices. Thus "they shall be angry, and fin not." But anger against a brother shall not reft in them; for they are not fools, but the children of Wisdom. Mofes and Elias fhall both refign their offices to me; and my people fhall have one Prophet, one Lawgiver, one Mediator, and one Shepherd. They fball all be taught of their God, Ifa. liv. 13. And a Law fball proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light to them, Ifa. li. 4. I will be their Day's-man, Mediator, Interceffor, and Advocate; and they shall be the humble fheep of my fold, under one Shepherd. They fhall pafs from the ministration of death to the promise of everlasting life, I will deliver them from the yoke, "Do and live;" and from the dreadful burden of "Curfed is be that " continueth not." And they fhall take my yoke upon D them, them, "and learn of me, who am meek and lowly; Kingdom of Heaven is preached, and every man "preffeth into it." Luke, xvi. 16. And none fhall enter into that kingdom that do not receive it as à little child. The fubjects of my kingdom fhall be kept by my power; none fhall pluck them out of my hand, nor fhall the gates of hell prevail against them. I will deliver them from that anger that refts in the bofom of fools, and from that envy that flays the filly one. The murderer fhall not reign and rule in their hearts. "I will give them power to tread "on ferpents, fcorpions, and over all the power of "the enemy; and nothing fhall by any means hurt "them." Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of thefe commandments. The Saviour having faid this, he goes on to fhew what his meaning is. 1. That whosoever is angry with his brother without caufe, fhall be in danger of the judgment, Ver. 22. He shall be in danger of the judgment of Zion, who fhould judge him unworthy of communion; or rather, in danger of being arraigned at the bar of the Law, and left in bondage to it, and to the buffetings of Satan. 2. Wkofoever 2. Whosoever shall fay unto his brother, "Raca," or, "Vain, empty fellow," fhall be in danger of the Council. By the Jewish laws, and by the counsel of God, it is deemed an offence or fcandal, and woe be to him through whom the fcandal cometh! Or, Whosoever faith unto his brother, "Thou fool," shall be in danger of bell-fire. It doth not mean an idiot, but calling him a wicked reprobate, judging his inmost foul, and fixing his final doom. And he that thus judges, shall doubtlefs be judged; for it is the judgment of a child of the devil. For, firft, he is angry with his brother without a caufe, which is murder. Secondly, his malice breaks out into words: he calls him empty and vain fellow; and then proceeds to try his reins, and at laft to fix him in hell. "If thou bring thy gift before the altar, and thy "brother hath aught against thee; go and reconcile "thyfelf first to him, and then offer thy gift.-The "facrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how "much more when he bringeth it with a wicked "mind!" It is easy to fee that the Lord, in this difcourfe, ftrikes hard at the Jewish Scribes and Pharifees. This appears plain, by the gift, or free-will offering, being left at the altar, till the offerer had reconciled himself to his brother; which altar and offerings the faints are delivered from. And terribly muft this difcourfe have cut thofe who were fo defperately angry and envious at Chrift and his followers, who, according D 2 according to the flesh, were their brethren. And they were angry without a caufe; and had not only called them Raca, and Fools, but they judged them. They called the Lord a Fellow, and a Deceiver; yea, Beelzebub. And curfed all his followers: This people, that know not the Law, are accurfed. Yea, they cast them out, excommunicated them, reprobated them, and paffed the curfe of the Law on them. 2dly, The Lord here handles the Law lawfully;" and fhews the spiritual meaning of it, it's unfathomable reach to the inmost foul, and it's unlimited demands; fo as to make every fenfible finner for ever defpair of help from it, or any falvation by it. He doth not drefs it up as an evangelized Covenant, nor call it the believer's only Rule of Life; but tells the finner, that a mouthful of malice fpit at a fellowcreature, does by this Law expofe a man to the danger of bell-fire. 3dly, The Saviour ftrikes hard, in this difcourfe, at the hypocrite alfo, who gets into the church before. his first husband be dead. This appears from the breakers of these commandments being called leaft in the kingdom of heaven. If they were not in the church, they could not be faid to be in the kingdom of heaven at all. Thefe tares getting among the wheat, are the children of the wicked one getting among the children of the kingdum; and being in bondage to the Law, which worketh wrath, and deftitute of faving grace, they are the most desperate at 1 the |