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ven, without this influence of the Spirit, difpofing us to fhew favour to our fellow-creatures upon earth.

6. "Bleffed are the pure in heart." The Lord is a God of purity, who "defires truth in the inward parts," and is not to be imposed on by any external display or pretences of piety. But ah! "how abominable and filthy is man" He has " yielded his members fervants to uncleannefs," his " mind and confcience is defiled," his "heart defperately wicked t." We muft, therefore, not merely be reformed, as to grofs immoralities, but " renewed in the fpirit of our mind t." The fubjects of Chrift's kingdom are "born again," their principles are changed, their tempers are fanctified. They renounce all iniquity, not in appearance or profeffion only, but with a cordial defire and determination never more to return to it. They cheerfully " yield themselves unto God," and he is pleased to make their hearts his own habitation through the Spirit. Thefe, then, are " the bleffed of the Lord:" for, however they must deny themselves many fenfual gratifications, the Lord God hath bestowed upon them nobler enjoyments. They are separated from the world: but he hath confecrated and united them to himfelf; and it ought to fuffice them, that "they fhall fee God." Even here, he will manifeft his grace and glory to them, and "lift up the light of his countenance upon them." And can any earthly delights be compared with their happinefs, when they are favoured with his vifits, and the discoveries of his love? Yet this is only an earnest of their future felicity. Soon fhall the vail, which now in a great measure hides from them the brightnefs of his face, be entirely removed; and, when they are admitted to that beatific vision, they fhall be tranfformed into his righteous image. "We shall be like

* Job xv. 16,

+ Rom. vi. 19. Tit. i. 15. Jer. xvii. 9. + Eph. iv. 23.

him; for we fhall fee him, as he is:"-" and so fhall we ever be with the Lord *.”

7. " Bleffed are the peace-makers." In fuch a world as this, various contentions may be expected, which will prove and evidence our characters and difpofitions. Amidft warm and angry debates, the men of grace will be diftinguished by their labouring for peace. They "ftudy to be quiet," and to promote harmony in their families and neighbourhood, willing rather to facrifice their own intereft, than bitterly to ftrive for it. Having much forgiven them, they refufe not to forgive an offending brother, though it were "feventy times feven;" but eagerly embrace him, and renew their affurances of kindness to him. It grieves them to obferve difcord among others, and, as far as their influence will extend, they will endeavour to repair the breach, and effect a reconciliation. This is indeed a happy temper, and we need not fear to pronounce the poffeffors of it "bleffed," not only as enjoying a sweet tranquillity of mind, but as having in themfelves an evidence of the divine fa- vour. For, by their refemblance of him, who is the God of peace and love, they prove their relation to him, and fhall be taken notice of under the honourable diftinction of his children. They are " born of God," who has put his Spirit upon them; and as children, they are heirs; heirs of the kingdom, where all will be united in bonds of ftricteft union for ever and ever.

Will not a character fo excellent meet with univerfal esteem and respect among men? No: quite: other wife. As "the friendship of the world is enmity with God t," all, who bear his image, must look for contempt and hatred from thofe, who are in a ftate of oppofition to him. But we add, according to our Lord's declaration,

* 1 John iii. 2. 1 Theff. iv. 17.

✦ James iv. 4.

8. "Bleffed

8. "Bleffed are they, which are perfecuted for righteousness' fake." The faints of God are a contant reproof to the wicked, who, from that very circumstance, are often extremely mortified, and frequently enraged. Hence it generally happens, that the more eminently holy, zealous, and ufeful any perfons are, the more malignity and violence they meet with. But, while they fuffer for their attachment to the Saviour, in the cause of truth and righteousness, let them take up their crofs with faith and patience, nor lament their cafe as fevere and calamitous. He, who has separated them to himself from the midst of an evil world, as his own peculiar people, will support and comfort them; and, whatever temporal loffes they may fuftain in his fervice, he will bestow upon them an abundant recompence. They may, poffibly, be excluded from earthly poffeffions, but they fhall inherit the kingdom of everlasting glory.

The character, last mentioned, so exactly described our Lord's difciples, who ftood by him, and whom it was necessary to encourage in the profpect of their approaching fufferings, that he made a particular application of it to them. While he pronounced his benediction upon them, he taught them to expect fcorn, oppofition, and infamy, for their adherence to him, even though they were ever so circumfpect in their conduct. But he called upon them to maintain a holy confidence and joy, and to exult in the lively hope of the glorious reward, which awaited them, remembering that all the Patriarchs and Prophets of old had trodden the very fame path, and endured the crofs before them.

Let the difciples of Jefus in every age be reminded, that they alfo fhould look for fimilar treatment from the world, and that it will become them to be equally bold and vigorous in the fervice of their Lord and

Master';

Be folicitous, therefore, to be rescued out of your prefent wretched fituation, and cry with importunity, "O Lord, remember us with the favour that thou beareft unto thy people; O vifit us with thy falvation; that we may fee the good of thy chofen, that we may rejoice in the gladnefs of thy nation, that we may glory with thine inheritance" Amen.

Pfal. cvi. 45

JESUS

JESUS CHRIST.

SECT. 9.

The fecond part of our Lord's fermon on the mount, in which he expounds certain precepts of the moral law.

THE multitudes, who flocked around the Saviour, were, probably, very eager to know, what new doctrine he would preach, or averse to receive him from an apprehenfion, that he undervalued and meant to fubvert the goodly fyftem, which the Old Teftament eftablished, and of which they boafted. To give them, therefore, the neceffary information concerning himself, and to remove their prejudices, he folemnly afferted, that he came not to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfil *.

Since the Lord God changeth not, one revelation cannot be repugnant to another. Yet there may be in one age a more full and express declaration of the divine will, than in the preceding: and the former communications might be intended to prepare the way for a clearer manifestation of the fame truths. Thus, in fact, the increase of facred light has refembled the gradual approach of day. The great plan of redemption was intimated to Adam upon his fall, and in fucceeding generations fresh and brighter discoveries of it were afforded to the Church, under the Mofaic difpenfation, and by various prophets, till the appearing of Jefus Chrift, to whom, as to one

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