is not the nature and character of man. The generality are grievously offended at this ugly representation of themselves, and take pride in an outward courtesy of manners, or acts of generosity; but who, almost, does not feel in himself more of the wolf than the lamb, when he is admonished, though ever so gently, to be better?

Ver. 16. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.-Guard against ill usage, and be sure not to deserve it.

Ver. 17. But beware of men.-He does not mean that they were to desert their office for fear of them; but warns the disciples, and in them all others, of their danger; and, knowing that they would be fortified against it, does not scruple to paint it in its worst colours.

The

Ver. 19. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what shall speak. ye -As to the manner. great thought must be to speak the truth, and to speak it boldly.

-For it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. This will always be made good.

Ver. 20. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.-From their inward sense, and steady assurance of divine things, the Spirit's work in them; and also by his present immediate assistance.

Ver. 21. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, &c.-Religious quarrels, to the shame of mankind, are the fiercest of all others, so as to counteract some of the strongest workings of nature, and dissolve the ties of nearest kindred. Christendom has had its full share in the guilt of a persecuting spirit, and it is hardly ever enough abhorred.

Ver. 23. When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another. Not barely to escape, though that was lawful, but still to go on preaching.

Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come. Though they drive you out of one place, there will still be more left than you can well go through before their general destruction, the coming here spoken of.

Ver. 24. The disciple is not above his master-So as to be exempt from reproach and persecution.

Ver. 25. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master. He must be content with the same lot. Our Master has set us all a very high pattern; and it may be some comfort to us, in the worst of times, to know that he suffered more.

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Ver. 26. Fear them not therefore. Let nothing they can do to you stop your mouths. What you learn of me is for their sakes as well as your own, and must be fully declared to them, in spite of danger.

LECTURE.

In this chapter we read of our Lord's calling unto him his twelve disciples; of his giving them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease; of his commanding them to preach wherever they came, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand;" and of the charge he gave them to enter immediately upon the work to which he had appointed them, without staying to make any provision for their journey, hereby teaching them to depend on the providence of God, and giving them a right to a maintenance from those to whom they preached. Now you must observe that the power he gave them of working miracles; to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils, was chiefly in order to a farther end, viz. to prove their mission, to gain attention, and give

authority to their preaching. And what they had in charge to preach was, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand;" God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, in which we are received to the forgiveness of sins, made heirs of heaven, governed by the laws of heaven, and prepared for the joys of heaven; that kingdom of grace and mercy promised from the fall of our first parents, and foretold by all the prophets, they were to declare was now at hand, and going to be set up under Christ the head of it. This was the great point they were commissioned to preach at that time, and afterwards to open more fully, when they were endued with power from on high, and the Holy Ghost was come upon them; which they did faithfully, and with the hazard of their lives, remembering Christ's words, not to flinch from their testimony, nor conceal any part of their message for fear of men. And, accordingly, the kingdom of heaven, under Christ, the head and governor of it, has ever since been in the world, published to all nations, and by the mercy of God, is come to us, who are baptized into it, and called to be partakers of all its blessings.

Brethren, I have a word to say to you upon this. You see plainly what I am to preach, and you to hear. The kingdom of heaven, or God's kingdom of grace, mercy, and peace, under Jesus Christ, the glory of belonging to it, and being made inheritors of it, as members of Christ, and children of God, what it is, together with the way and means of attaining to it, and securing our portion in it, is what I am to open and explain to you from time to time, as God shall enable me, upon the peril of my soul; the great mercy of your redemption and salvation by Jesus Christ, is what you are to hear and understand upon the peril of your own, to bless God for it, to rejoice in it, and live worthy of it. What do you say to this? What have you done hitherto, to persuade yourselves,

upon good grounds, that you are Christ's disciples in his kingdom of heaven? What do you think of doing for the time to come? Do you think you can be Christians without Christian knowledge, faith, and practice; without repentance and conversion; without coming to Christ for the forgiveness which is by him; without living unto him that died for you; without valuing the Christian hope, and resolving to hold it fast, as your best portion from God? Christ is here appointing his twelve disciples to the office of making him known to the world; knew what opposition they would meet with in the discharge of it, and tells them beforehand that they should be hated of all men, for his name's sake; but, nevertheless, strictly commands them to publish and declare their message fully and faithfully, in spite of danger and death. But to what purpose did he do this? Why did he die himself, and give them up to death, if there was not a necessity, that what they had to speak in his name should be known, in order to its being received and believed? Do you know it? Are you seriously inquiring after it, knowing that it is the great mercy of God to you for the life of your souls; and that you must perish, if you are not established in the faith of the gospel, repenting of your sins, trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of them, and walking with him, as all his servants do, in the way of holiness? When Christ sent forth his apostles, he commanded them to "preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand;" but it never yet came to you, and is still at as great a distance from you as ever, if in heart and will you are not brought into it. You must, therefore, know what it is, and what you want Christ for; you must be stirred up to seek after him with great earnestness, as the one thing needful; you must know that you are undone by sin, that you

are saved by grace, through faith, and snatched as brands out of the fire; you must be God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works; you must be diligent readers of the word, and attend constantly upon the preaching of it; praying always in knowledge and faith, with truth of desire, sincerity of affection, and warmth of devotion, to be kept by the mighty power of God unto salvation.

PRAYER.

Blessed God, who hast called us to the knowledge of thy grace and faith in thee; increase this knowledge, and confirm this faith in us evermore. Stir us up to a diligent study of thy word, and reveal it to our hearts; that knowing thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, we may love thy salvation, be steadfast in the truth, fight manfully against our corruptions, and hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in him. If it be thy will that we should suffer reproach and persecution for Christ, make us to know that we are the disciples of a suffering Master, who endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that was set before him of rescuing us from death, and left us an example that we should follow his steps. Let the blessings he has purchased for us be the great desire of our hearts, that we may fear nothing so much as to lose them, and be ready to take up our cross in imitation of the meek, humble, and holy Jesus. And, O Lord, stand by us, and strengthen us in all our trials; preserve us in truth and purity, in faith and love, in innocence and holiness of life, and accept us to thy mercy in Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.