in our souls. As thou camest to us with the fulness of blessings in thy hands, with love in thy heart, healing in thy blood, and the light of truth in thy words; grant unto us, we beseech thee, that, in the sense and feeling of our poverty, we may come to thee, hungering and thirsting both for that righteousness which thou art, and that which thou workest in all who receive the kingdom of God as little children, and rejoice to learn of thee the way of present and everlasting blessedness. Make us to know, that of ourselves we are blind and ignorant, and can only be recovered from the misery of our condition by submitting to thy heavenly doctrine and instructions. Thou knowest that by nature we are proud and unhumbled, and, though perishing in sin, do not mourn for it, nor desire thy comforts; that we do not choose meekness for our portion in the earth, nor to be filled with righteousness; nor seek to obtain mercy, to see God, to be called his children, and have our reward in heaven, in the exercise of mercifulness, purity of heart, love of peace, and readiness to suffer for thy sake. Oh! send down a mighty power of thy Spirit to enlighten our dark minds, to bend our stubborn wills, to quicken our dead hearts, and to convince us of our sin; that, coming to thee for pardon and reconciliation with God, and being grounded in the faith of thy love, we may from henceforth live unto thee, gladly receive a law at thy mouth, be blessed upon earth in the love and practice of thy holy commandments, and made partakers of the blessedness of thy faithful servants in heaven; where thou sittest at the right hand of God, to succour all those who rejoice in thy salvation, and come unto God by thee, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

SECTION VII.

ST. MATTHEW, v. 13.

YE are the salt of the earth.—All true Christians, especially faithful ministers. How desirable and excellent to be that to men, without which they must corrupt and putrify!

But if the salt have lost its savour · -It is not here asserted, that salt can lose its quality, but only that those who have the nature of it, and are compared to it, may; and, when they do, are in a more dangerous condition than others.

-It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men.-As dirt. O teacher! never lose sight of this image.

Ver. 14. Ye are the light of the world.-Ordained to shine for the general good; but still, as the sun does, without merit.

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

- And those should not, who have light given them. God no more intends they should hide it, than men light a candle only to cover it up again.

Ver. 16. Let your light so shine before men— Improve it, keep it always burning, and then be not afraid to let But mark, to what end; not to take pride in

it

appear.

it, but

-That they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - That seeing the beauty of goodness, and the power of God in you, they may glorify him by their own conversion. Make a duty of speaking and acting for the good of men, to the glory of God.

Ver. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or

the prophets. By a partial, lame interpretation of them, as the Scribes and Pharisees do. Mark, therefore, that not taking the law in its whole comprehension and extent, is in effect destroying it. The perfection of our hearts consists most in those points we think little of, and most easily overlook. What a scene of new, unthought-of guilt is opened to us in what follows!

-I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. — In my own person; to show you how the law is fulfilled, and then to put you in a way of doing it; thus establishing it, and securing obedience to the whole and every part of it.

Ver. 18. Till all be fulfilled.-Surely he means by himself, and in his own person. For who else ever fulfilled every tittle of the law? Nevertheless, the sacredness, and everlasting, indispensable obligation of it, is here asserted in the strongest terms; and if this is not the mark we are aiming at, we cannot be his disciples, nor have any benefit of his fulfilling it for us.

Ver. 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so.-Christ does not hereby authorize us to suppose any of the commandments to be little. But the meaning is, any thing contained under, or included in, them, though seemingly small to us, as anger, scornful speaking, and reviling, in the sin of murder.

Shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. --As little in it, as he accounts of them; that is, nothing: they shall be excluded. Observe the danger of vacating God's commands, in any respect, in any one instance.

-But whosoever shall do and teach them, shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.-The most perfect teaching without doing, will signify nothing to our own reward, whatever effect it may have upon others. In reality, all teaching without doing, is not only very imperfect, but for

the most part defeats itself, and is a fatal injury to the truth.

Ver. 20. Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. What they taught, and therefore we may be sure did not practise better.

--

Ver. 21. Ye have heard, that it was said by them of old time. Rather, to them, viz. in the law.

-Thou shalt not kill.-You are sure you never did, and that God can have nothing to lay to your charge in this respect. But are you sure you understand the command as he intends you should? Not only as forbidding murder, but commanding love, and that freedom from hatred and malice, which would keep you at the greatest distance from it. Be upon your guard; for Christ is at hand with his light; and, if he finds this sin in your hearts, you must not think to clear yourselves of it; you have nothing to do but to think of your danger.

Ver. 22. But I say unto you-With divine authority, and infallible certainty. Now, therefore, as you love your souls, hear and understand, that you may take a right measure of your duty, and thereby of yourselves. Great force in that little word I to a true disciple.

cause. -

-That whosoever is angry with his brother without a -That is, (if the words, without a cause, are to be retained) except the case require some severity of behaviour, or expression; but still with real kindness, in pity to him, for reasons respecting his good, and so that the anger may be against the fault, and not the man. Observe the word brother. So God teaches thee to call every one. Think with what tenderness and love thou oughtest, and perhaps wouldest behave to him, if he was really such.

-Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca. A term of reproach and contempt, well understood by Christ's hearers.

But whosoever shall say, thou fool With still greater bitterness and malevolence, thou greatest of all fools, the Scripture fool, thou vile, wicked fellow. But does not Christ himself call the Scribes and Pharisees fools? Yes; but, with divine compassion, to rouse them to a consideration of their state. The sin is in the anger, the scorn, the pride of heart, in one sinner towards another.

-Shall be in danger of the judgment—of the council -of hell fire. It may be an allusion to three different kinds of judicature, or punishment, among the Jews. But whether it is or not, the meaning is plain: every one of these, though not every one equally, proceeds from an evil root of hatred, is a breach of that charity we owe to one another, and will bring us under condemnation.

And now who will plead to the sixth commandment, not guilty? Take notice again, if you would not be deceived, that it is in the inward root, the thought of the heart, that is our own bane, and makes us guilty before God. He does not want to hear us speak, to know what

Ver. 23. And there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee.-Whether he knows it, or not. God knows it for him.

Ver. 24. Leave there thy gift.-Nothing will be accepted from thee in this disposition.

Ver. 25. Agree with thine adversary-Thy brother; and God, on his behalf.

-Quickly, &c.—The loss of an hour may be the loss of thy soul.

Ver. 26. Till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.— If we could pay the first, we might have some hope of paying the last. He, who only could, paid all for us.