myself, and improve the pain of my body to the health and everlasting salvation of my soul. I confess my sins are more in number than the hairs of my head, and deserve a more severe chastisement; but thou dispensest thy corrections with unerring wisdom, and I desire to submit myself in all things to thy gracious disposal, and to choose what thou choosest for me. O let me say, by a mighty power from thy grace, It is good for me that I am afflicted, that my life may be a continual preparation for death, and death welcome, through a living faith in Christ Jesus, who hath taken out the sting of it, redeemed us unto thee by the blood of his cross, and ensured our justification by his resurrection from the dead.

Bless, I beseech thee, the means used for my ease and recovery; for my help and trust is only in thee; and if thou dost not think it fit to grant my request, enable me to bear what thou layest upon me, without a murmuring thought, and with perfect resignation to thy blessed will.

O Lord God of my life, and of all my mercies, deal with me as thou pleasest. Do thy own work in thy own way. Into thy hands I commend my spirit. Grant me thy peace. Carry me safely through all my trials; and make it the desire of my heart to know, love, and bless thee, and be prepared for the everlasting enjoyment of thee through Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

THE substance of the following exposition was delivered weekly, in the evening, to an illiterate audience. I mention this, because some passages have a reference to the time and occasion, and because the repeated inculcation of the same thoughts might otherwise be liable to censure. My business, and single aim, was to instruct and awaken persons in an inferior rank of life, of small attainments in Christian knowledge, and to turn their attention to the great point of redemption by Christ, and his power and will to save them. The exposition, therefore, must, of necessity, be practical or exhortatory, and addressed as much to their affections as under

standings. How far it may be profitable to others, I am not able to judge: but can truly say, that the publication of it is owing to the advice, and even importunity of some who perused it; and, if any of the Clergy in parti

cular, into whose hands it may come, should be induced by it to labour in the same way, on this or any other plan, from a due consideration of the state of their parishes, I shall wish it had been published sooner. I have only to add, that, if these annotations should meet with a favourable reception, they will be * followed by a set of Lectures, which accompanied them, when they were delivered a second time from the pulpit, on Sundays in the afternoon.

From the manner in which the author expresses himself, it was not quite clear to the Editors, whether his intention was to publish the Exposition and the Lectures together, or separately. They have, however, determined to give them to the public in the way they were delivered by the author to his congregation. The whole is divided into sixty-six sections, each of which, containing an Exposition of the passage, a Lecture, and a Prayer, forms a complete religious exercise for the use of Christian families.

AN

EXPOSITION

OF

ST. MATTHEW'S GOSPEL.

PRELIMINARY LECTURE.

TOLD you the last Sunday, that I intended, with God's help, to read St. Matthew's Gospel to you; and I then desired you to bring your Bibles, to look on them as I read and expound. The Lord look upon you in mercy, and incline your hearts to the work; to attend duly upon it in this place, to consider what you hear, to read the passage of Scripture over again when you go home, and beg of God to enable you to understand and apply it. Till you do this, no good is to be expected. St. James tells you how it will be with you; you will be "hearers only, deceiving your own selves," forgetting what you hear, or never reducing it to practice. And then, what better are you for that holy word, which was "given you by inspiration of God, to make you wise unto salvation?" What plainer proof can you have that salvation is no part of your concern, and that you are still in a heathenish, unconverted state, than your neglect and wilful ignorance of Scripture? If it was your title-deed to an estate, and

taught you how to get and keep it, or shewed you the way to thrive in this world, there is not one of you would be ignorant of it. Whatever your station and business is, you would find time to know what it contained; if you could not read it, you would get somebody to do it for you; some way or other you would be sure to be well instructed in it, and thoroughly acquainted with it. When it is for your souls, for recovery from death and condemnation, for God, for the knowledge of Christ, and of the way to secure your eternal inheritance in heaven, you have a multitude of vain excuses to plead. You say, you are unlearned. Alas! this is too true; but it is because you choose to be so, and will not read the Scripture to be taught of God. If you did, you would take especial notice of what Christ tells you, and rejoice to hear him saying, that "the poor have the Gospel," the knowledge of the way and means of salvation, therein "preached to them." You would observe how he thanks God, and be very thankful to God for it yourselves, that " he has revealed these things," Christ and his blessed doctrine, "to babes," to the poor and unlearned, to the working part of mankind; surely on purpose that they might know them, as they may, whatever they pretend. You say, you have not time for this. What, not on the Lord's day? when you know in your consciences that it is the work you should be doing, and God has set you at liberty from all other business, on purpose that you might think of your souls, and spend some part of the day in reading your Bibles, to put yourselves in the way to heaven. Indeed, not only then, but often when you do not; when time hangs so heavy upon your hands that you know not what to do with it, and waste it in idle sauntering, or something worse.

My brethren, you know what I say; you know it is the truth; deceive yourselves no longer; be not blind all