Scripture, it is evident at once that you are in the darkness of unbelief, and have no manner of concern about your souls. But if you do read it, though it were daily, yet what better are you if you do it not to the end for which it was given, to be instructed, and corrected, and made wise by it unto salvation? Christ is the sum and substance of all Scripture. It was written, and put into our hands, as a light from heaven, to guide us to him, and by him to God. Him, therefore, we must look for in it, as the way, the truth, and the life; him we must find in it, as the Physician of our souls, knowing that we are sick of a deadly distemper, which none but he can cure; his blood must be applied to our consciences for healing; his directions we must follow; his words we must treasure up in our hearts and memories, and make them the subject of our daily prayers. Do not say you cannot do this; I have observed to you more than once, that you would, if it was for your bodies. If you were blind, or lame, or sick, and knew that he stood over you, you would tell him of your disease, and say, Lord, help me; and if he put you in a way of recovery, you would be sure to follow his advice.

In the former part of this chapter, you heard how Christ resisted the devil, and baffled all his temptations, by saying to him, thus and thus it is written. If you are in earnest with God and your soul, you will say upon hearing this, how can I follow a better example, and where shall I find a more successful method to keep off sin? Nay, you will both say and do more: You will say, then, As I am an ignorant creature, I must study and search the Scripture, to be perfect in the knowledge of God's will; and as I am a weak creature, I must also keep close to God in prayer, to make what I learn from thence effectual to my support. You have also heard to day, that when Jesus entered upon his ministry, he began his preaching

with saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." If you have any desire to turn what you hear to your own benefit, you can; you will say, This is a short sermon, and easily remembered; but then I must also apply it, I must enter into the depth of it, I must take it into my heart; I must repent, for else the kingdom of heaven, or Christ, by whom alone we enter into, and continue in it, will never come to me.

When you read how he called Peter and Andrew, James and John, and accompanied his word with such power, that immediately they left their occupation, and followed him; you can say, though he does not now call me to leave my farm, trade, or labour, yet he does call me to be his disciple in truth and sincerity; he calls me to the way of salvation by him, and has as powerful a word for me, if I will but hear it. I read how he went about teaching, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, or the glad tidings of grace, mercy, and peace from God to undone sinners, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. Blessed be God, may every one say, that he is still teaching in his word, and has now been preaching to me! Blessed be God that he has healing for me, for my soul; that my disease, desperate as it is, is not beyond his skill; and that every miracle he wrought is a certain pledge of his power and will to help me, if I do but come to him in faith and longing for his salvation! Dearly beloved, if ever it pleases God to accompany my endeavours among you with a blessing, you will know the truth of what I am saying. You will think yourselves happier for having a Bible in your houses, than if it was your title to a large estate. You will be enabled to see how it suits your case as lost sinners, to open your hearts to it, and rejoice in the mercy of it. And till you do this," as new-born babes desiring the sincere, pure milk of the word, that you

may grow thereby," to find Christ in it, to know him as your only Saviour reconciling you to God by the sacrifice of his death, to follow him in the way of his holy commandments, to give yourselves up to the guidance of his Spirit, to be made partakers of his blessings.—I say, till you do this, if it was the last word I shall ever speak in this place, you must not hope well of your condition.

PRAYER.

Blessed Lord, who hast given us thy word to enlighten our souls, to rule our consciences, and direct us in our actions, give us grace to receive it with all readiness of mind, and to make it the solemn purpose of our lives to be governed by it. Thou, O Jesus, hast taught us the use of it in all our dangers and temptations. Thou didst arm thyself with it in thy conflict with the devil, and wast proof against all his assaults by thy perfect knowledge of the will of God, and resolute conformity to it. Let thy example be ever before our eyes; that whatever difficulties we have to struggle with, whatever straits we are brought into, we may stand ready in the power of the word to resist the enemy of our souls, and employ it as our sure defence against the sins we are by nature or custom inclined to, and by which we are most. liable to fall. Grant, O Lord, that we may study and treasure it up in our hearts to this end; and do thou bring it seasonably to our minds in every time of need, and make it effectual to our support. Enlighten, strengthen, help us, that we may perfectly know what things we ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord God, who didst send thy only begotten Son to preach repentance, to set up thy kingdom of grace in the world, and open a way for us by his death into thy ever

lasting kingdom of glory; grant, we beseech thee, that we may receive him with all humility and thankfulness as our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, rejoice in his salvation, and be made partakers of all his blessings. Let thy Spirit convince us that we are sick of a deadly distemper, and perishing in sin; that we may come to him as the physician of our souls, and follow him in his heavenly instructions with a deep sense of our blindness, and full submission to his authority. His fame is gone out into all lands, and his words into the ends of the earth. What he preached is written for our learning, and of thy great mercy we have been baptized into the name and power of the all-healing, all-saving Jesus. Suffer us not to continue in darkness now that the light of heaven shines round about us. Awaken us out of the dead sleep of a sinful, careless, or worldly life. Open our eyes to see the things which belong to our everlasting peace. Cause the word of thy grace to sound deep into our hearts, that we may repent and believe the Gospel; and, knowing that we are heirs of salvation, give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, and hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

SECTION VI.

ST. MATTHEW, v. 1.

AND seeing the multitudes-Destitute of knowledge and perishing in sin. This was a moving sight to him, who came from heaven to die for them.

-And when he was set.-He knew his authority, and would not be wanting to it.

-His disciples came unto him.-Not the twelve, for

they were not yet chosen; if some of the company were more especially entitled to that appellation, he spoke to them for all, in the hearing of all.

Ver. 2. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying.-Think who it is that is now going to open his mouth, and what a loss it would have been to the world, if what he then taught had not been left upon record. Who cannot commit the several particulars of this sermon to memory, meditate upon them, and pray over them?

Ver. 3. Blessed.-The Christian has his eye and heart upon Christ's blessedness, knowing assuredly, that he could not possibly be mistaken in it.

Note. There is a dreadful reverse implied in all these blessings. If we neither have them, nor are following after them, let us be what we will in other respects, we are, and must for ever be, accursed.

-Are the poor in spirit.-Those who are deeply conscious of their sin, guilt, and helplessness, and have a constant, abiding sense of their poverty and dependence; who, knowing their desert, think any condition of life too good for them, and neither court riches nor distinction.

-For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.-They are fitted to enter into it, will enter into it, and receive all its heavenly, self-denying doctrines; and having chosen God's kingdom of grace here, shall be admitted into his kingdom of glory in heaven.

Ver. 4. Blessed are they that mourn-For sin, past and present; for the prevalence of it in the world, and the remainder of it in themselves; for the miseries it brings upon men here and hereafter; feeling and suffering for all mankind.

- For they shall be comforted—In time or eternity. Ver. 5. Blessed are the meek-The patient toward God and man.

-For they shall inherit the earth.-If the words should