Chapter Verfe Jordan.' Having collected this multitude, he, from a mountain, taught them-humility, charity, brotherly love, and continence. Commands them not only to forgive their enemies, but to love them, pray for them: nay, offer themfelves ready and fubmiffive victims to their infolence, violence, and fraud. Hard leffon! and I believe human nature incapable of performing it. He himself, poffeffing fupernatural power and perfection, might love his enemies; certain it is that he prayed for them: but it is as certain that he many times withdrew from their violence. After telling his audience, that when a man looked upon a woman with a luftful eye, he committed 29 adultery with her in his heart: he adds-' If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caft it 'from thee; for it is profitable for thee that V. 25 6 one of thy members fhould perish, and not that thy whole body fhould be caft into hell.' The fame is faid of the hand. Poor Origen, who turned most of the fcripture into allegory, unfortunately took this paffage in its literal fenfe, and by amputation of a part, prevented his whole body from being caft into hell; at least for adultery. (In ch. xviii. v. 8, 9. Jefus again preaches this hard doctrine to his difciples.) Jefus purfuing thefe inftructions to the multitude, fays→→ 'Take no thought for your life, what ye fhall eat, or what ye fhall drink; nor yet for the 6 body what ye fhall put on.' Adding, that their heavenly 26 28 heavenly Father, knowing that they had need of Chapter Verfe thofe things, would provide them. In fupport of this theory, he adduces two practical or fimilar proofs Behold the fowls of the air: they vi. fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into 'barns: yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. 'Confider the lilies of the field, how they grow: 'they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I 'fay unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.' Neither of these, in my opinion, hold as fimilies. Men cannot live as the fowls do, upon berries, worms, and flies, (for if man provided not, they would have nothing else); nor will cloathing grow upon them as it doth upon the lilies: both fimilies are defective. The other- Which of you by 'taking thought can add one cubit to his sta' ture,' is worse. The difciples indeed, who had all things in common, Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's fteward, and Sufannah, and many others which miniftered 6 6 unto him (or them) of their fubftance.' (Luke, ch. viii. v. 2, 3. might without inconvenience, for a time comply with these directions -Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow fhall take thought for the " things of itself: fufficient unto the day is "the evil thereof.' But if, as a general rule, it had been followed by all, a very few years would have reduced all to a very uncomfortable state. He 27 34 Chapter Verfe 17 He tells them-Think not that I am come to 'Heaven.' Notwithstanding this declaration, he 31, 33 immediately explodes their law of divorce, oaths, or vows, made to the Lord: vindictive retalia38 tion, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth: hatred for hatred, &c. If by the law he meant the ten commandments only, would it not have been candid to have told them fo plainly? He next cautions them against making a parade with their alms-giving, or their prayers. Both should be done privately, and the latter as fol9 lows Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. (Luke fays, Give us day by day our daily bread. And our commentators, who will have it that the proper ⚫ tranflation of this paffage is-Give us this day 'bread for to-morrow, do not confider that this would would be a breach of his former command. Chapter Verfe 'Take no thought for to-morrow, what ye fhall vi. eat, &c.) And forgive us our debts, as we for : give our debtors. (Luke fays--And forgive us our fins for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. I hope Luke practised this: 'but being a phyfician, it is likely he received 'his fees in ready money, and in course had no ' debtors. The governors of the church, not being phyficians, or collectors for the benefit ' of others; have wifely rejected both; substitu 'ting-And forgive us our trefpaffes as we forgive them that trespass against us). And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (The phrase of lead us not into temptation, is, 'I think, highly exceptionable: that the Al mighty will lead us into temptations, or trials 'that may be too powerful for us; is a fuppofition repugnant to common fenfe, and totally 'inconfiftent with the idea we form, or ought to form, of his goodness and parental care. Support us in every temptation; would have properly preceded-and deliver us from evil.)] For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.' This conclufion is generally allowed to be an interpolation. Luke has it not the prayer is not mentioned by Mark, or John; and Luke introduces it in a different way. He fays, (ch. xi. v. 1, 2.) that as he (Jesus) was And it came to pafs, praying in a certain place, 12 13 Chapter Verfe place, when he ceafed, one of his difciples vii. I 'faid unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John alfo taught his difciples. And he faid unto them, When ye pray, fay-Our Father,' &c. In this fermon from the mount, Jefus fays Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with 'what judgment ye judge, ye fhall be judged : and with what meafure ye mete, it shall be 'measured to you again.' He advifes them to discover and remove their own blemishes, before they reprove or reproach their neighbours. What 6 follows, I do not understand- Give not that which is holy unto the dogs: neither caft ye your pearl before fwine, left they trample them ⚫ under their feet, and turn again and rent you.' To apply this literally, is to fuppofe the audience fools; add to this, the improbability of their being poffeffed of pearls. Take it allegorically, and it breathes not a spirit of charity or brotherly love. It is followed by a very different leffon- There12 fore all things whatsoever ye would that men 'fhould do to you, do ye even fo to them: for this is the law and the prophets.' This moft excellent precept; this most equitable maxim; ought to be written in letters of gold, upon every church, temple, altar, and place of worship throughout the world. A rule fo plain cannot be mistaken by the ignorant: a rule fo juft, complete, and comprehenfive, must be admired by the |