fimilar circumstances. Many inftances of the most unbiaffed exercise of judgment and reproof prefent themselves to view in the hiftory of our bleffed Saviour's ministry, which we may confider as the accomplishment of this prediction.- -Would you then refemble Jefus Chrift in your humble fphere? Take heed that, in delivering your fentiments, as well as in your actions, you be not improperly fwayed by the external condition of thofe whofe characters and conduct come under your review. Beware of extolling thofe who rather deferve cenfure, and of condemning those who ought to receive your commendation. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Lord of glory, with refpect of perfons *.-If ye have refpect to perfons, ye commit fin, and are • convinced of the law aš tranfgreffors +.'

4 But with righteoufnefs fhall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity, for the meek of the earth and he fhall fmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips fhall he flay the wicked.

The fubject which was introduced in the foregoing verfe is here illuftrated and amplified. Having foretold that the Meffiah would not pay improper regard to fpecious appearances, and uncertain reports, our prophet pofitively declares the rules by which his procedure hould be conducted, and the characters of the perfons among whom he should exercise the functions in which he was to be employed.The whole of our Lord's government was to be managed with confummate righteoufnefs, and perfect equity. Invested with fupreme authority, and having all power in heaven and in earth committed to him, all his admonitions, precepts, and decifions, were to be founded in righteousness, and established in the stricteft juftice; and, therefore, the James ii. 1.

James ii. 9.

obedience.

obedience he requires, is, with great propriety, called a reafonable fervice. All his laws were to be holy, juft, and good; requiring only thofe things which are true, honeft, juft, pure, lovely, and of good report, accompanied with promises of gracious affiftance, and a glorious reward. And every portion of authority which he hath delegated to men, is conferred for the very purpose of teaching others to obferve whatfoever he hath commanded.The poor and the meek of the earth, are the characters of the fubjects of the Mefliah's fpiritual kingdom, whom he judges with righteoufnefs, and for whofe fakes he reproves with equity. To perfons of thefe defcriptions, he affigns the kingdom of heaven, in his memorable difcourfe delivered from a mountain in Galilee: Bleffed are the poor

in fpirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' The apoftle James calls our attention to this circumftance: Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not • God chofen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him?' Indeed the church, compofed of the difciples of Chrift, are called the congregation of the poor, being poor not only in fpirit, but often likewife in their worldly condition. By admitting the poor into his kingdom, Jefus Chrift nobly difplays the riches of his adorable grace, to which this.diftinguishing favour must be wholly afcribed: he makes ample compenfation for external poverty, by internal riches: he preferves the indigent from manifold temptations, and conforms them to that condition in which he appeared in this world.—————The meek of the earth are poffeffed of a humble and teachable difpofition of mind, ready to receive divine inftruction without prejudice, and cordially to fubmit to the authority of the great Prophet of the Lord, who is anointed to preach good tidings to the meek. This excellent qualification of the Meffiah's fubjects is neceffary not only to receive the ingrafted word, which is † James ii. 5.

* Matth. v. 3.

able

able to fave their fouls, but to refign themselves wholly to his difpofal, to regulate their turbulent uneasy paffions, to preferve them in an agreeable tranquillity amidst repeated provocations, and to difpofe them to live inoffenfively in the world. When, therefore, Christians are directed to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called, they are required to exercife all lowlinefs and meeknefs *.' Such are the perfons whom Jefus Chrift pronounces bleffed; for they fhall inherit the earth, fo much of the good things of this life as fhall prove to them a real blefling. For their fakes, he who is their Lord and Protector, is ready to rife to judgment to fave them, and he will reprove with equity. Moft people are averfe to reprove: fome are afraid, and others are unable to perform this difficult work; whereas the illustrious Perfon who is here spoken of, is not afraid of man: for this end alfo he is poffeffed of confummate ability, and fhews himself ever ready, on every proper occafion, to discharge this office with the utmost skill and effect. Many remarkable instances of the accomplishment of this prediction are written in the New Teftament. How righteously did he judge, how equitably did he reprove the Scribes and Pharifees, the woman of Canaan, and many others, I ftay not to mention!--Confider poverty and meekness of spirit as most excellent difpofitions, abfolutely requifite to form the amiable temper of the subjects of the Redeemer's kingdom; and diligently use every inftituted mean, in dependence upon the divine bleffing, to acquire thefe lovely ornaments of the mind. Seek meekness from the Author of every good and perfect gift: behold it exemplified in Jefus Chrift, of whom you ought to learn to be meek and lowly in heart. Reft not fatisfied until you have attained these Chriftian graces, which are the fruits of the Spirit; and employ every prudent precaution to avoid the oppofite paffions.

* Eph. iv. 2.

And

And he fhall fmite the earth with the rod of his mouth. These words point out in what manner the King of Zion fhould treat his obftinate enemies, and form the counterpart to his gracious regards for his people. The prophet divides his subject into two parts, the lat ter ferving to explain and illuftrate the former. The Prince of life, and King of glory, to whom this prediction relates, having received a kingdom, was to rule all nations, to fubdue all oppofition, to vanquifh all his adverfaries, and to provide for the defence and fafety of his fubjects. By the earth that he fhall fmite, is not meant the terrestrial giobe upon which we live, which God hath given to the children of men for a habitation, but its inhabitants, who have it for a place of refidence. In this fense the earth is fometimes mentioned in fcripture, as in Gen. xi. 1. where we read, That the whole earth was of one language, and one fpeech.' The word, however, muft here be understood in a limited fenfe; for among the inhabitants of the earth, there are not only the incorrigible enemies of the Lord Jefus Chrift, but likewife his faithful friends, whom he will not fmite in the fenfe now intended. The expreffion, therefore, must be interpreted as having a more restricted meaning, in which, on fome occafions, it is used by the facred writers, to denote the land of Canaan, or the whole Roman empire. In this fenfe, the evangelift Luke affirms, that, at the time of our Saviour's crucifixion, there was dark

nefs over all the earth. The earth then may here fignify earthly men, who are of this earth; who have their portion in this life, and mind earthly things; whofe god is their belly, whofe glory is their shame, and whofe end is deftruction. Thefe enemies of the Lord Jefus Chrift our prophet declares, that he will fmite. The expreffion intimates, as in fome other paffages of the facred writings, that he would exert

* Luke xxiii. 44.

his mighty power in executing righteous vengeance upon those who act in oppofition to his kingdom and glory. He would afflict them with direful calamities, ftrike them through in the day of his wrath, and deliver them over to death, accompanied with all its terrors. This he would do with the rod of his mouth; or by the word of his mouth, wherewith the prophet Hofea affirms, that he hewed the perverfe and difobedient of his people. The word of God is very properly called the rod of his mouth, as it proceeds from him, and ferves not only, like a rod, to fupport those who use it aright, but to wound thofe who perfift in their oppofition to our Lord, and his Chrift. By this rod, Pharaoh and the Egyptians were fmitten, and afterward the Affyrian army; and by the fame rod, the land of Judea was to be fmitten, because the citizens thereof would not fubmit to the government of the Mefliah, but hated him, rejected his gofpel, and refifted his Spirit. And afterward the Roman empire, which acted in hoftility to the interefts and fubjects of Jefus Chrift, was fmitten and overthrown; exhibiting, in its deftruction, an inftructive reprefentation of the perdition of all the wicked of the earth.

And with the breath of his lips fhall he flay the wicked. The Hebrew word used to describe this character, denotes, that they are unquiet themselves, and that it is their employment to trouble and disturb others. The wicked do not fin merely through precipitation and inadvertence, but with deliberation and fixed purpose: to them tranfgreffion is not odious and painful, but agreeable and pleasant. They perform not acts of impiety and injustice occafionally, through fome prefent powerful temptation; but their time, their strength and fpirits, are confumed in committing iniquity; whilft, with great diligence, and no little skill, they perfift in their pernicious practices. Having laid afide fubjection to the law of God, and regard to juftice and honefty, and divefted themselves