SECTION XXI.

ST. MATTHEW, x. 29.

ARE not two sparrows sold for a farthing, &c.—The reasoning is to this effect. Men cannot hurt us without leave from God; and, if they should, when they have done their worst, still we are in the hands of a good providence, shall be safe in our best and dearest interest, and owned by Christ at the last to our unspeakable happiness, whatever we may suffer in the mean time for owning and confessing him. Here then is the great counterbalance against all other fears, present suffering

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in one scale, and hell in the other. Take notice again, that your trials are not so great as theirs; and think what you now risk the destruction of soul and body for. Dearly beloved, this is no vain threatening; if you would be safe, have it always before your eyes.

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Ver. 34. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. The world can come to no agreement with the Christian, without such concessions on his part as he ought never to make. Hence war and opposition; Christ's disciples contending for him, and his gospel, with hearts full of peace and good will; others against them, with deadly animosity. A person may have a good deal of what passes for religion, without being against the world, or setting the world against him. From this, as well as other passages, such may take occasion to examine into the ground of their hope. If all is quiet, it is to be feared there is ignorance, or desertion of truth, in the case.

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Ver. 35. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, &c. 36. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. This is true, more or less, at all times, though it was more especially so, at the first

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preaching of the gospel, when there was an opposition of different religions. Let but one or two of a family enter deeper into the spiritual life, or understand the Bible in a way of greater strictness than is commonly thought necessary, and the rest will set themselves to oppose a singularity which they do not choose to imitate, and suppose to be a condemnation of their conduct.

Ver. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me Cleaves to them in opposition to Christ.

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-Is not worthy of me. He refuses the greatest of all blessings, and, living and dying thus, will be left to his choice.

Ver. 38. And he that taketh not his cross In a readiness to suffer. If we bore patiently, for Christ's sake, and in obedience to his will, the little crosses we daily meet with, we might have some ground to hope we are prepared for greater.

Ver. 39. He that findeth his life - Prefers it to me.

Shall lose it.-The happiness of it here, himself for ever.

-And he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it. Unto life eternal.

Ver. 40. He that receiveth you-As sent by me, in love to your office and instructions.

-Receiveth me. - Truly, and actually, with all my

benefits.

-And he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. What farther encouragement can you desire for receiving Christ's ministers? You cannot say he does not send them to you. Whatever you may think of me, St. Matthew certainly is now speaking to you in his

name.

Ver. 41, 42. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, &c. It appears from hence, that what God regards in all, is the will, the intention, the ground

of the heart, and where these are equal, will reward them equally. There is comfort in this: you may not have the gifts of another man, but you may have faithful, loving hearts. So receiving a righteous man with goodwill and doing the least act of kindness to a disciple of Christ, as such, being an indication of the same faith, temper, and disposition, will as effectually show our interest in the divine favour.

Blessed God, we are bound to thank thee for the gift of the holy apostles by thy Son, and adore thy good Providence for planting the gospel of thy kingdom in this country. It is of thy mercy that we are not now sitting in darkness, and in the region and shadow of death. It is thy gracious will that we should be called to the knowledge of thee the true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Support us in the way of godliness, against all the temptations of an ensnaring or opposing world; that, taking up our cross in obedience to Christ, confessing him before men, and being examples of peace and innocence, of patience and holy living, we may, through him, be accepted to the reward of his faithful followers.

LECTURE.

In this chapter our Lord solemnly appoints his twelve disciples to the office of preaching the kingdom of heaven, and gives them instructions for that purpose. He also, in great good-will to mankind, gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease; but the chief errand on which he sent them, and the great work they had to do, was to "preach, saying,

The kingdom of heaven is at hand." And what he or dained and commissioned them to preach, he likewise gives in charge to all his ministers to the end of the world. Here is their pattern, and the rule of their preaching at all times: they must speak to you in his name of the kingdom of heaven; tell you that it is at hand, and brought to your knowledge, one generation after another; set its blessings before you, and the necessity of entering into, and continuing in it. Is there any such thing as a kingdom of heaven upon earth; and may we be the subjects and members of it, children of God, living under his immediate government, and heirs of his promises? Yes, it is your happy birthright; at hand to you now, the moment you hear of it; freely offered to you, and your lives were given you that you might freely choose and enter into it, as the way to God's everlasting kingdom of glory in heaven. It is that kingdom which Christ came to preach, and set up in the world, as the mercy of God to perishing sinners; in which we are received to the grace of forgiveness, washed from all spot of sin in his blood, entitled by covenant to his perfect righteousness, born again of the Spirit, and live to him in obedience. In a word, it is Christ and his salvation, his grace opened to the soul, and his gracious rule in the heart, the entrance upon, and beginning of, the kingdom of heaven in us, or that new state, in which, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, rejoicing in our conscience, and account it our duty and great glory to be led by the Spirit of God. This is what you are generally to understand by the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven, so often spoken of in the Gospels; it is the love of God, and the law of heaven brought down, and the door of heaven opened to us in Christ Jesus, and now is our time of entering into it.

This grace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, is all the relief you want in your undone state, all the blessings you can desire; mercy and peace are now sounded in your ears, and presented to your choice. Now, I say, is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation for you; and, accordingly, as you hear, understand, and believe, you either enter into the kingdom of heaven, as the children and heirs of God, or have it shut against you for ever.

My brethren, has this blessed kingdom of heaven been spoken and manifested to your hearts in the knowledge and love of it? Is it your great aim, and earnest desire, to be in and of it, whatever it cost you? Is Christ precious to you as your best portion from the Lord, so that you can say to your souls, you would not come short of his salvation for the world? Are you altogether on his side, so that you resolve to have no peace with your sins, nor with any who are his and your enemies, and would keep you from him? Can you give up your old state, and suffer the life of it to be taken from you, that you may find your true life in him? Do you love his name and ways, esteem his people as the excellent of the earth, and rejoice to help them for his sake? Can you take up your cross, and follow him to the loss of all, if need be? If you know him, and what he has done for you, you cannot but know that he is worthy for whom you should do this. He endured the bloody fight, and overcame the sharpness of death, that he might open the kingdom of heaven to all believers; and, if sin were your burden and great fear, you would be careful above all things to get and keep his peace, and dread nothing so much as to lose your interest in him. When you hear him saying to his messengers, if the house, man, or woman, be not worthy, by hardening themselves against the peace you offer in my name, let it return to you, it cannot belong