to them; surely it would strike cold to your hearts, to think you are never to have any share in the salvation of God. But so it must be, if you do not hear their words and as Christ commanded them to shake off the dust of their feet as a testimony against all such, so it is a declaration of his own purpose to cast them off for ever. God be merciful to us, and teach us the right use of this chapter; that, hearing the kingdom of heaven preached, we may gladly enter into it, and make it our daily prayer to be established in it, and be made partakers of all its blessings. PRAYER. Blessed be thou, O Jesus, and blessed be thy goodness, for the gift of thy holy apostles, by whom we have been brought to the knowledge of the true God, and of thee, the Saviour of the world. Let thy Spirit stir us up to a diligent study of the doctrines and instructions which they have delivered to us in thy name, to value them as our guide to eternal life, and to be steadfast in the truth, in opposition to the deceitfulness of our own hearts, or the malice of those who are enemies to thy salvation. Convince us of the great blessedness of being admitted into thy kingdom of grace upon earth; that, for the hope which is set before us, and rejoicing in the mercy of our God, we may live worthy of thee, and be received into thy eyerlasting kingdom of glory. Hear us, help us, O Jesus, our God and Lord; confirm us in our most holy faith, give us all one heart to bless thee for thy salvation, to love thy name, ways, and people, and to endure faithfully to the end, that both now and evermore we may praise God for thee, our blessed and only Saviour. Amen. SECTION XXII. ST. MATTHEW, xi. 1. Ver. 1. He departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.-Who would not but have heard Jesus preach! His discourses are upon record; and, if we do not hear them, we should not have regarded him. You know all his preaching was to this effect, Repent, and believe the Gospel. See your sin, and be vile in your own eyes; fly to Christ for remission, lay hold on mercy, and sin no more. If you think this is hard work, pray. Ver. 2. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples.- God sends us to him. God bring us to him! Ver. 3. And said unto them, Art thou he that should come? The promised Deliverer, the Restorer of mankind to a new state of favour with God, and holiness in themselves. How dost thou read this Scripture, and what does thy soul say to it? Is this he, whom thou wantest, and art looking for? his being come, and of his being the Christ; but is the desire of thy heart to him for the salvation he brings? If it is not, what can it signify to thee what answer he returned to John's disciples, or what proofs he gave of his being the person that should come? Thou hast no doubt of Ver. 3. Or do we look for another?-I do not suppose you do; but it does not, therefore, follow, that you look for him. You cannot, till you know that you are. perishing without him. - Ver. 4. Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see. John was in prison; it might be a dark hour with him; and, though the greatest of all the prophets, and holy from the womb, possibly he might now want some comfort, or satisfaction upon his own account. But whether he sent the disciples for his own sake, or only for their conviction, it is remarkable that Christ refers them to his miracles, as full evidence in the case, and the ground of our belief in him, if he himself knew what was. And the belief of them establishes us in the belief of his doctrine, without gain-saying or disputing, and however cross it may be to our natural reason or inclinations. Ver. 5. The blind receive their sight, &c. -So may you. If you believe all this, you cannot help saying, "Great is our Lord, and great is his power." But this is not saving faith, this is not the belief that will help you. It can be nothing but faith in Christ for your own cure; and, if you stop short of this, you are no better for any thing you hear or believe of him. - -The poor have the gospel preached to them. The blessings of the gospel are offered to the poor, as what they want equally with all others, and their circumstances in the world would more especially incline them to receive; but they are received by none who are not poor in spirit. Ver. 6. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.-Christ's outward appearance was the great stumbling-block then, the perfection and spirituality of his doctrine now; it is because he lays all flesh low, and comes with his fan in his hand. Ver. 7-15. Christ, having observed to the people that they went to John more out of curiosity than for spiritual benefit, and looked for any thing in him rather than what he was, takes occasion' from hence to tell them who, and what he was; and in magnifying his office, as his own forerunner, gives them to understand what great blessings were at hand, and ready for their accept ance. Ver. 7. What went ye out into the wilderness to see? May I ask what you come to church for, read the Scriptures, and believe in Christ? -A reed shaken with the wind? A teacher, pliable, and bending to your notions, or wavering in his own judgment? No such thing. Ver. 8. A man clothed in soft raiment? Such as they expected and wished Christ's forerunner to be, suitably to the notion they had entertained of his kingdom. Ver. 9. Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. The reason is given in the next words. Ver. 10. For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy fuce, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Behold, therefore, in what the pre-eminence of John consisted; it was in being sent to prepare the way of Christ, and usher in his coming. This office advanced him to a greater dignity than all that went before him. What then is Christ? Ver. 11. Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven. - God's spiritual kingdom of " righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," opened by Christ, and still open to all that will enter into it. -Is greater than he. Every preacher, or hearer, truly Christian, knows and sees more of it than John did, it not being then fully manifested. What a happiness is it for us, if we knew how to value it, that we live under the full daylight of the Sun of righteousness! And it is all comprehended in two particulars, what Christ has done for us, and will do in us. - Ver. 12. And from the days of John the Baptist, until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. The same kingdom of heaven, in which we are received to the " grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost." Mark the words, that you may know what honour you are called to here upon earth. Let us be in, and of this kingdom, whatever it cost us; for we are here given to understand, that there must be an earnest seeking after it. O for penitent wills, a lively faith, and the holy violence of prayer! Ver. 13. For all the prophets, and the law, prophesied until John. And no longer. The prophecies concerning Christ looked no farther, being then actually fulfilled. But there was a difficulty still remaining; for Elias must first come. He therefore adds, Ver. 14. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. And therefore Christ himself must immediately follow. Alas! they did not receive it. They had fixed their own interpretation of Scripture, and would not be set right. Ver. 15. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.- What it so much concerns every one to understand, and hear effectually. Bring your hearts and consciences to the hearing of the word. LECTURE. My brethren, what have we heard from the mouth of our Lord to-day, and what use do you intend to make of it? Do you charge it upon yourselves to remember and consider what you read and hear; and have you a prayer for your souls that God would accompany it with his blessing, and seal the heavenly instruction of his word to your hearts? The passage I have now been reading, and a very awakening one it is, is to this effect: John Baptist, who was in prison for the faithful discharge of his office, haying heard of the works of Christ, sent two of his disciples to him, for their information and conviction, with this question" Art thou he that should come, or do |