commanding Will is the Bond-fervant's Rule; it is. the Creditor's Hand-writing, and the Debtor's Account-book-but the Good-will of the Father is the Son's Rule. Thefe are the two Covenants. And what the Law requires, the Gospel gives; and what Chrift commands, he works in his faints by his Spirit to obey, and their obedience is the obedience of Faith. Neither juftification, fanctification, falvation, hope or help, life or love, come from the Law, or by the Law. Minifters of the Spirit, and thofe evangelical fervants who ferve God in the newnefs of the Spirit, and not in the oldnefs of the Letter, are not breakers of God's commandments: they are delivered from the Law, and wedded to Chrift, that they might bring forth fruit unto God. He that breaks the least of thefe commands

And teaches men fo, fhall be called the least in the kingdom of beaven. He that is angry at a brother without caufe; he that calls him vain fellow; het that calls him a wicked reprobate; he that has eyes full of adultery; he that fwears; he that refifts evil with evil; he that fmites the juft; he that, to gratify his malice, fues him at the law for coat or cloak, &c. &c.-thefe things are breaking the commandments, and by fpeech and example they teach others to do the fame. The names Antinomian, and bad Spirit, that have been cast at me, are in the mouths of thoufands of poor ignorant fouls, who know no more what they mean by fuch names than the image

of

of Jupiter that fell from the moon.

And their

hearts are filled with malice against me, and their mouths with reproach, who never heard me, but having learnt it from the pulpit. And woe be to him, and to them, through whom the offence or Scandal cometh; for they that live in fuch fins, and teach men so,

Shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. By the Kingdom of Heaven, here, is meant the Church, or Church State. And who is this leaft perfon in the church? Not the most humble foul, who is like a little child; for he is neither a breaker of the commandments, nor a teacher of men so. The leaft perfon here, in Christ's fenfe of the words, is not a hypocritical profeffor, but a hypocritical, falfe teacher: and he is leaft eftcemed by Chrift; a man of the least value in the church, and one of the least and last in God's account. This is the man: he is an impoftor, a hypocrite, and a finner; and, as he TEACHES men fo, he must be a teacher, and a wicked teacher too. And he fhall be called the leaft in the kingdom of heaven; and fo he is to them to whom God discovers him, and that have light to fee through him.

The Saviour, in his application, clearly fhews, that his difciples are the brethren that are hated without a cause; and who are called empty fellows, fools, and reprobates. And counfels thein how to behave under fuch reproach: Whosoever shall fmite

thee

thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other.-If be fue thee at the law for thy coat, give bim thy cloak alfo. If he compels thee to go a mile, go twain. If be afks, give; if he will borrow, lend to him. If he is your enemy, love him; if he curse you, do you bless bim; if he hate you, do good to him; if he perfecute you, and ufe you despitefully, pray for him-THAT YE

MAY BE THE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER WHICH IS

IN HEAVEN. By children, here, is not meant reprobates, for Chrift never calls them children of his heavenly Father: nor does he allow them to call themselves fo, but calls them children of the devil. This application fhews plain enough, that it is the children of God that are hated, perfecuted, and flandered; and that it is pharifees, hypocrites, and false teachers, that break the commandments, and teach imen fo; and fuch are, and fhall be, called the leaft in the militant church, or kingdom of heaven: and fure I am that fuch are the fartheft, of all men, from the triumphant church, or kingdom of glory. We go on

But whosoever fall do [thefe commandments] and teach them, be shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. We will enquire,

1. What the Saviour fays about the great things of the Law.

2. What by doing these things.

3. What by teaching them. And,

4.

In what fenfe fuch a Teacher may be faid to be great.

1

First, What the Saviour fays about the great things of the Law. We will follow his advice; we will swallow the camel firft, and ftrain at the gnat afterward. The Lord Jefus begins: "Woe unto

you Scribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye pay "tithe of mint, and anife, and cummin; and have "omitted the weightier matters of the Law, judg"ment, mercy, and faith: these things ought ye to "have done, and not to leave the other undone. "Ye blind guides, which train at a gnat, and swal"low a camel." Matt. xxiii. 23, 24. According to this text, the natural inference to be drawn is this, that every preacher who is deftitute of judgment, mercy, and faith, is a carnal fcribe, a felfrighteous pharifee, an hypocrite, and a blind guide; and his preaching is nothing but fly-catching, or, as Chrift fays, it is ftraining at gnats: for the Lord does not fay, that he catches the gnat. In Luke, xi. 42. it is thus worded: "But woe unto you Pha"rifees, for ye tithe mint, rue, and all manner of "berbs; and pass over judgment, and the love of God. "These things ought ye to have done." According to our dear Lord's preaching, judgment, mercy, faith, and the love of God, are the great things of the Law, which all good preachers muft do. These things ought ye to have done. And these things are to be preached to others, by them that are great in the kingdom. Whofoever shall do, and teach them, he Shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Here

we

we fee, as in a glafs, who is great in the kingdom, and who is the hypocrite and blind guide. Now we will take notice

1. Of Judgment.
2. Of Mercy.
3. Of Faith.

4. Of the love of God.-For, if we are deftitute of these things, our profeffion, or preaching, is nothing but a noife.

He that has no Judgment, is an ignorant man, that knows not God: and "He that made him will "have no mercy on him; and He that created him " will fhew him no favour."

He that hath not Mercy, is in a carnal, hardened ftate. "God hath mercy on whom he will, and "whom he will he hardeneth."

He that hath not Faith, "is condemned already, " and cannot pleafe God. The righteousness of the "Law is not fulfilled in him," nor one precept kept by him; "for whatfoever is not of Faith, is " fin."

And he that hath not the Love of God, or Charity, in his heart," is nothing but founding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." I come to the first head. First, What is Judgment? Why, in the first place, it fignifies the righteous fentence of the Law executed on the Saviour, who ftood as man's Surety by which Justice got Satisfaction, and the Law got judgment done. "He was taken from prifon, "and