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alive the Jews were to every part of our Saviour's conduct. It fhews that his miracles were presented not to perfons prepoffeffed and prejudiced in his favor, not to inattentive or negligent, or credulous fpectators, but to acute, and inquisitive, and hoftile obfervers, to men difpofed and able to detect imposture wherever it could be found. And it is utterly impoffible that the miracles of Chrift could have passed the fiery ordeal of so much shrewdness and fagaci ty, and authority, and malignity united, if they had not been carried through it by the irrefiftible force of truth, and of that divine power which nothing could refift.

5. The miracles of our Lord were not merely tranfient acts, beheld at the moment with astonishment, but forgot as foon as over, and productive of no important confe quences. They gave birth to a new religion, to a new mode of worship, to feveral new and fingular inftitutions, fuch as the rite of baptifm, the facrament of the Lord's fupper, the appropriation of the first day of the week to facred purposes, the establishment of a distinct order of men for the celebration of divine offices, and other things of the fame nature. Now this religion and these institutions subsist to this day. And as the books of the New Testament affirm that this religion and these inftitu tions were first established, and afterwards made their way by the power of miracles, they are standing teftimonies to the truth and the reality of thofe miracles, without which they could never have taken such firm and deep root at the first, and continued unshaken through so many ages to the prefent time. The magnitude and permanen cy of the fuperftructure prove that it could not have had a less solid, a less substantial foundation.

6. And lastly, when we confider the great facrifices made by the first converts to Chriftianity, particularly by the apostles and primitive teachers of it; how many deeprooted prejudices and favorite opinions they gave up what a total change it produced in their difpofition, their temper, their manners, their principles, their habits, and the whole complexion of their lives; what infinite pains they took to propagate it; how chearfully they re

linquished for this purpofe all the eafe, the comfort, the conveniencies, the pleasures, and the advantages of life; and instead of them embraced labours, hardships, fufferings, perfecutions, torments, and death itfelf; we cannot rationally fuppofe that fuch patience, refignation, fortitude, magnanimity, and perfeverance, could poffibly be produced by any less powerful cause than those evidences of divine power exhibited in the miracles of Christ; which demonftrably proved that he and his religion had a divine original, and that therefore the fufferings they underwent for his fake in the prefent life would be amply repaid by the glorious rewards referved for them hereaf

ter.

When, therefore, we put together all these confiderations, they can leave no doubt on any unprejudiced mind, that the account given in this chapter of the first commencement of our Saviour's ministry, and the reasons of his aftonishing success, are perfectly accurate and true; namely, "that he went about all Galilee, teaching in the fynas gogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of ficknefs, and all manner of disease among the people." And our conclufion from this muft neceffarily be the fame with that of the great Jewish rulers, who, with a laudable anxiety to know the truth, came to Jefus by night, and addressed him in these words : "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doeft, except God be with him.”*

* John, iii. 2.

LECTURE VI.

MATTH. CHAP. V.

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UR bleffed Lord having by his miracles ef tablished his divine authority, and acquired of course a right to the attention of his hearers, and a powerful influ ence over their minds, proceeds in the next place to explain to them in fome degree the nature of his religion, the duties it enjoins, and the difpofitions it requires. This he does in what is commonly called his fermon on the mount; which is a discourse of confiderable length, be ing extended through this and the two following chapters; and we may venture to say it contains a greater variety of new, important, and excellent moral recepts, than is any where to be found in the fame compass. At the fame time it does not pretend to give a regular, complete, and perfect fyftem of ethics, or to lay down rules for the reg ulation of our conduct in every poffible inftance that can arife. This would have been an endless task, and would have multiplied precepts to a degree that would in a great measure have defeated their utility and deftroyed their effect.* Our Lord took the wifer and more impreffive method of tracing out to us only the great outlines of our duty, of giving us general principles and comprehenfive rules, which we may ourselves apply to particular cafes, and the various fituations in which we may be placed.

He begins with difcribing thofe difpofitions and virtues which mark the Chriftian character, in which the Gospel peculiarly delights, but which the world defpifes and rejects.

"Bleffed, fays he, are the poor in fpirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Vid. John, xxi. 25.

Bleffed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted, Bleffed are the meek, for they fhall inherit the earth,

Bleffed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteoufnefs, for they fhall be filled.

Bleffed are the merciful, for they fhall obtain mercy. Bleffed are the pure in heart, for they fhall fee God.

Bleffed are the peace-makers, for they fhall be called the children of God.

- Bleffed are they which are perfecuted for righteousness fake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my fake: rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”*

It is evident that our Lord here ment at the very outlet of his public inftructions, to mark at once in the strongest and most decided terms the peculiar temper, fpirit, and character of his religion; and to fhew to his disciples how completely oppofite they were to all thofe fplendid and popular qualities which were the great objects of admiration and applause to the heathen world; and are still too much fo even to the Chriftian world. "There are (as a very able advocate for Christianity well obfervest) two oppofite characters under which mankind may generally be claffed. The one poffeffes vigour, firmnefs, refolution, is daring and active, quick in its fenfibilities, jealous of its fame, eager in its attachments, inflexible in its purpof es, violent in its refentments.

The other, meek, yielding, complying, forgiving; not prompt to act, but willing to fuffer; filent and gentle under rudeness and infult; fuing for reconciliation where others would demand fatisfaction; giving way to the pushes of impudence; conceding and indulgent to the preju

Matth. v. 3--121.

† Dr. Paley, V. ii, p. 39.

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