t г acquiescence under those personal injuries, and stemporal losses, which they would often endure on a relig ious account; when judicially spoiled of their goods. gladly to suffer still further injustice for the name of Jesus; and, when customary acts of oppression occurred, to shew mildness instead of reluctance; so as, after a compelled assistance, to give a voluntary one to the oppressor, instead of resenting the wrong. Such might well be exhorted to unbounded liberality; and to lending, not only without usury, as Moses directed, but without hope of receiving any thing again. Though love of our enemies, as modified by Christ, is a duty at all times, yet it was peculiarly fit to inculcate it on such; when the profession of Christianity exposed them to hatred, curses, despiteful usage, and the fiercest persecution. The ministry of such would have been obstructed by attention to gain having a received freely, they were to give freely and if any thought that the gifts of God could be purchased by money, the dispensers of them were to say with St. Peter, "Thy money perish with thee. Such also might well be exhorted to take no 'care for food or raiment, and to make no solicitous provision for the morrow. The labourer was worthy of his hire; and had a special assurance of God's protection: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things, which your heay Matt. v. 39. d Luke vi 30. Matt. v. 40. a ib. 41. f enly Father knoweth that ye have £ need of, shall be added unto you." Whatever disciple of Christ, at that time and in those circumstances, literally obeyed these precepts, built his house on a rock his hope rested on the sure foundation of God's veracity and power. In another of our Lord's discourses, somewhat later in point of time, one of these precepts is repeated. "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on." And again: "Seek not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink and live not in careful suspense." Our Lord adds this further injunction: "Sell that ye have, and give alms:" and he enforces it with the same 'reasons which he had formerly assigned for not laying up treasures on earth the superior nature of heavenly treasures, and the danger lest earthly ones should engross our affections. But as this latter precept must be restrained to those particular times, we have a proof that the other commands naturally admit of the same restriction. Agreeably to this sense, we again find the promise of a special protection, and that the whole discourse is directed to our Lord's m disciples, his friends, his little flock, those whose apology the Holy Spirit was to dictate when they were brought before synagogues and magistrates for preaching the gospel, and whose lives would be so f Matt. vi. 32. If men have need of these things, in the common course of human affairs they must use the natural means to procure them, such as economy, foresight, diligence. 8 Matt. vii. 24. h Luke xii. 22. 33. xii. 31. i ib. 29. See the marginal rendering. kib. ." Luke exposed to danger on this account, that it was necessary to arm them against the fear of those who killed the body. It must be very carefully observed that our Lord's address to the people at large is different: "Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Dr. Clarke in his discourse on the words, "Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed ?" observes, "that there was a particular time, and there were particular persons, when and to whom, and when and to whom only, this precept was given in its literal and strict sense. Our Saviour sent forth his apostles to preach the gospel from city to city, in such a manner as was altogether inconsistent with their attending to any worldly affairs. Accordingly he invested them with miraculous powers, and promised to afford them a miraculous support. And suitable to the circumstances of such a mission were the precepts he gave them to observe therein. Luke xii. 33. Matt. x. 8. In like manner the words of the text, considered as spoken to the apostles, during their preaching from one city to another, may well be understood literally." So also Tillotson quotes Matt. vi. 25, 26, 28. and says, "This discourse of our Saviour's was not intended for a general and standing rule to all Christians; but only designed for his disciples, to take •Luke xii. 4. Serm. clix. p. 283. fol. Comp. . 15. with v. 22. * Matt. vi. 31, 32. them off from all care about the things of this life, that they might attend upon his person, and wholly give themselves up to that work to which he had called them. Blair combats the Archbishop's exposition as "an odd and dangerous opinion," and as "opening a great gap," "as if there were any part of this sermon not binding upon all private Christians as such." sees. This useful author has turned the current of most expositors his own way and I agree with him in asserting that throughout our Lord's discourse" pas. tors were not instructed in opposition to laymen, nor the Twelve in opposition to the other disciples: but that the followers of Christ were taught in opposition to heathens, hypocrites, Scribes, and PhariHowever, they were followers of Christ at a particular time, and in peculiar circumstances. From many of these the Seventy were to be selected; and many of these were to receive the Spirit after Christ's ascension, and to become teachers of his religion. Some duties therefore might reasonably be required of them, which are not incumbent on Christians in all ages of the church: and it has been clearly shewn that a precept does not bind always, because our Lord enjoined it to his disciples. As to the particcular passage interpreted by the Archbishop, it is true that the original word sometimes signifies to Serm. xxxvi. v. 1. fol. on Luke xii. 15. p. 255. ⚫ Discourses on the Sermon on the mount, by James Blair, 4 vol. See vol. 1. p. 96. 100. " p. 95. observations on Luke xii. 33. p. 34. W p. 84. * p. 9.5. y See the be excessively careful: but it is also true that it is used in a good sense: and it will remain to be well considered whether, Matt. vi. 31, 34. there be not too strict a prohibition, and whether, Matt. vi. 33. there be not too large a promise, for Christians at all times. Reason will sufficiently mark the distinction between temporary and perpetual rules of conduct contained in the Scriptures. And it is much safer to admit such distinctions, than to encourage enthusiastic expectations and practice, and to represent the gospel as advancing doctrines contrary to common sense and to common experience. But lessons delivered by our Lord in some other of his discourses have likewise been considered as hard sayings. If the solemn assertion, "I say unto you that *every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment," were understood of inadvertent and superfluous words, it │ would be impossible to converse innocently. But the context shews that they are such as an evil man brings out of the evil treasure of his heart: they are opposed to such prudent and profitable conversation as will justify at the last day; and men must give an account of them in the sense of being condemned for them. By idle words therefore are meant false or evil words; as dunfruitful works signify such as are * Phil. iv. 6. b 1 Cor. vii. 32. 2 Cor. xi. 28. Phil. ii. 20. Matt. vii. 36. Eph. v. 11. 'Agròs is d'egyòs, ab opere cessans, otiosus ; and may as easily signify what tends to a bad purpose, as anagos, what tends to mischief. So Heb. xiii. 17. avoTaxis, unprofitable, is dangerous. Matt. xxv. 30. dxguos is evil; see v. 26. Sol Eph. v. 4. và に |