of it, and consider what mutual indulgence, tenderness, and forbearance, is required betwixt husbands and wives.

Ver. 33. Again; ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time," Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths.”—As if a sufficient regard was paid to the third commandment, if in the use of oaths there was nothing contrary to truth, or nothing but what we intended to perform. But in order to keep us at the greatest distance from all profanation of the great sacred name, Christ here warns us to avoid oaths of every kind, except in cases of necessity, how trifling soever they may seem to us; as implying an appeal to God, contrary to the reverence we owe him, and to that simplicity of speech which becomes those who fear him.

Ver. 37. But let your communication be yea, yea; này, nay. Let the general probity of your character, and known regard to truth be such, that your bare word may be credited; and, whether it is, or not, resolve to go no farther, for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.

LECTURE.

ONE great design of our Lord in his sermon on the mount was to furnish us with a rule for the right understanding of the law of the Ten Commandments; to the end that he might fasten a charge of guilt upon every soul of man; that so, under this conviction, we might fly to him as our only refuge from the curse and punishment of sin; and then endeavour, as his disciples, in virtue of our faith, and with the utmost sincerity of intention, to fashion our hearts and lives by the rule of the law, as stated and explained by him. The Scribes and Pharisees, the Jewish teachers, by stopping short at the letter, or outside of the

law, he tells us, in effect destroyed it. If they did not kill, they looked no farther. They would not understand that, when murder was forbidden, love was commanded; and that anger, scornful reviling, bitterness, and malevolence in the heart, was the very root of the sin of murder, and made them guilty before God. If they did not actually commit adultery, they never concerned themselves about inward purity. And again, in the matter of oaths, by feigning several cases in which it was pretended they might lawfully be used, they had taught men to depart from that simplicity of speech, and reverence for the name of God, which the third commandment strictly requires. In these three instances Christ sets himself to correct their mistakes; and, as I said, hereby furnishes us with a rule for the right understanding of all the rest of the commandments; for every one of them has an inward and spiritual, as well as an outward, meaning: and if we have not an eye to both; if we do not take in the whole compass of our duty; if we understand only one thing by each of them, when God intends we should understand two or more; we shall of course judge ourselves by a false rule, and be blind all our days to the sin which he sees in us.

The first commandment says, "Thou shalt have none other gods but me." Take notice, not the world, nor any thing in it; for whatever has our heart is our god; and we are plainly told the meaning is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength."

Again; What is the reason that you never charge yourselves with the breach of the second commandment? You are sure you do not make, nor bow down to, an image: but do you worship God with a pure heart, according to his mind and will, and put your whole trust in him?

You rest from bodily labour on the sabbath day, and,

perhaps, attend upon the service of the church; but, behold, this is nothing but custom, and a mere force upon you, if you do not purpose, in all respects, to keep it holy to the Lord, as a working day for your souls, and a means appointed of God to call off your thoughts wholly from the world, to remind you of, and prepare you for, your

eternal rest in heaven.

Father and mother, with all who are comprehended under those names, governors, ministers, masters, as well as natural parents, are they honoured according to the extent of the command, not only in speech and behaviour, but with that inward respect and reverence of the heart, which is due to them for their several offices and relations?

You may labour diligently to supply your own needs, and think you abhor the base vice of stealing; at the same time that you are not over nice and scrupulous in the point of not defrauding others in buying and selling; and, perhaps, have kept back many a penny which God put into your hands for the use of the poor.

You may not bear false witness against your neighbour upon oath in a court of justice, in a matter which concerns his life, or property; but how greedily do you listen to evil reports of him, and often join with others to wound his reputation?

You do not covet what is another man's, so as to endeavour to deprive him of it, right or wrong; but see whether you do not envy him in secret, and are thoroughly contented with your own lot.

Now, let me tell you, that your understanding, or not understanding, the commandments according to the mind of Christ, is a matter of very great consequence; even no less than that of your acceptance or refusal of salvation by him. The Scribes and Pharisees knew very well that killing, adultery, and false swearing, were forbidden by

the law of God; and not being guilty of the outward act, or open breach of the commandments, they thought they could justify themselves to God and man, and needed no forgiveness. Christ, therefore, here shows how short they were in their interpretation of the law, and what lame work they made of their obedience. And what he said to and of them, he says to all; you must let him meet with the Scribe and Pharisee in your hearts, or else you will justify yourselves, and plead not guilty to the last, when all the while he has damning sin to lay to your charge. In a word, and all I shall say further to you at present is, that the great difference between believers and unbelievers is this: believers see and acknowledge that to be sin which the word of God tells them is so, believe that all sin is damnable, and fly to Christ for the hope of forgiveness; the rest of the world either overlook the greatest part of their sins, or make light of all sin; and, seeing no need of Christ, live and die unbelievers. The Lord deliver us from all blindness and hardness of heart, and bring us to him in prayer for mercy, hungering and thirsting after the blessings of Christ.

PRAYER.

Blessed God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in him of all believers, look down with an eye of pity and compassion upon this congregation; awaken the dead souls in it, that they may see, before it be too late, the things which belong unto their peace. Lord, let not our sin be hidden from us, lest we perish in it. Let Christ be our teacher to bring us to the right knowledge of the law, and the law our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ; that, being condemned by it, we may cry to thee out of the depth of our misery, trust only in thy mercy, be revived with the offer of it, and washed from our sins in the blood of the holy Jesus. Let thy Spirit go with us into the

depth of our hearts to try and search us, to convince us that we are sinners, and that the wages of sin is death. Suffer us not to be deceived to our eternal undoing, either by overlooking our transgressions, or lessening the guilt of them. Thy law, as interpreted by Christ, is the law of our inward parts, as well as outward actions; the measure of our duty, and the rule of thy justice; and if we are not conformed to it in every thought, word, and deed, it gives us up to condemnation. But, O blessed God, here thy mercy found us, lying in our blood; and though thou art the same unchangeable God for ever and ever, and wilt not suffer sín to go unpunished, yet thou didst not leave us to perish, but gavest thine own Son to be a sacrifice of atonement for our sins. O Lord, humble us for them, that we may fear nothing so much as to offend thee, and be won by a sense of thy goodness to live unto him that died for us. Hear us, O God of our salvation; bring us home to thy flock, and keep us in thy peace; increase our faith, and confirm us in the truth of a pure obedience; supply all our wants, pardon all our failings, and accept us for his sake, thy well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

SECTION IX.

ST. MATTHEW, v. 38.

An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. This was to be the rule in judgment; or the judge, from a knowledge of circumstances, might proceed to this extremity; but it was not to be the rule and measure of every man's forbearance.