have supposed that the sermon would be delivered to the multitude at large, and not, exclusively, to the disciples. The Evangelical Historian, you will observe, has been very particular, in stating this to have been the fact. At the close of the chapter, immediately preceding this sermon; after having observed that Jesus went about all Galilee, preaching the Gospel, or good news of the Kingdom, i. e. of the kingdom of the Messiah; he says, there followed him great multitudes of people, from Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, from Judea and from beyond Jordan. And in the beginning of the next chapter, the historian says, that, seeing the multitudes, which flocked to him, from these different places, he went up upon a mountain and opened his mouth and taught them. It is true, indeed, the historian adds, that when Jesus was seated his disciples came to him-but, it is evident that his seeing the multitudes, was the exciting cause of his address: His disciples, therefore, made only a part of his audience. But this matter is put out of all doubt, by the Historian's remark, at the close of the Sermon, that when Jesus had ended his discourse-the people were astonished at his doctrine and that it might clearly be understood who were meant by the people, the historian adds that when Jesus was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

More, I am sure, needs not to be said to you, upon this subject-I shall therefore, immediately proceed to lay before you what, as I observed before, appears to me to be the spirit of the Beatitudes,

The Jews, in consequence of their expectation that

the Messiah was to be a temporal prince, naturally enough entertained, the pleasing imagination of enjoying high distinction and of possessing places of great trust and importance under his reign; insomuch that two, even of his own disciples, actually aspired to those of the greatest dignity; requesting him to permit them to sitone on his right hand and the other on his left, in his Kingdom, i. e. most unquestionably, in the kingdom of the Messiah. To counteract this aspiring dispositionJesus says-Blessed-or happy-are the poor in spiritor who are unambitious and humble minded; for their's is the kingdom of heaven-they only are qualified to become the subjects of my kingdom.

With the possession of universal dominion under their Messiah, the Jews, it is probable, connected great pleasures and enjoyments of every kind-but Jesus, knowing the extreme depravity of their character, as a nation, taught them that a state of sorrow and mourning, was best suited to their circumstances and most agreeable to the declaration which he had, originally made, that Repentance was a preparation, absolutely necessary for the true enjoyment of the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. Blessed are they that mourn-for they shall be comforted. In the midst of the calamities which are coming upon the Jews, as a nation, they shall have their peculiar consolations, arising from a sense of God's favour and from an enjoyment of the happiness of being under the reign of the Messiah-while they who have in view, no higher objects than worldly pleasures, shall have their expectations completely frustrated and shall, instead thereof, be involved in the general ruin which is ap proaching.

The Jews considered a war-like spirit, in their nation, as essential to the promotion of their aspiring and ambitious views, with regard to the conquests which, under the banners of their Messiah, they expected to make in order to their becoming the Masters and the Lords of the World. But, to this, you observe that Jesus opposed a spirit, both in its principle and in its effects, which was totally different. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. This temper will better qualify themfor enjoying with comfort and satisfaction, all which this world can afford-all which the condition of human life, even under the reign of the Messiah, will admit of, and the providence of God may allot them, than the most warlike courage and the most heroic and enterprizing spirit.

The Jews were thirsting for exemption from their servitude to the Romans and still more to conquer and subdue them and their appetites were not to be satiated, but by their obtaining, under the auspices of their Messiah, an Universal Empire. But in the true spirit of his religion, you perceive he directs their attention to a very different and a far more noble object for the exercise of their ambition. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness -after the possession of those moral and religious qualities of the heart which

If the words are to be understood only of bodily thirst which Ladner says they are; (Cred. vol. 11. p. 796.) and which will be best reconciled with Luke; then must dixaloruine be governed by κατα. In this case, one Evangelist will be explanatory of the other and the blessing pronounced, not barely on those who suf

are the principal ornaments of human nature and without which, he who is rich in this world may justly be deemed poor. They shall be satisfied-there is no true enjoyment without them.

The Jews confined their charity and compassion within the narrow circle of their own Nation and held the rest of mankind in the utmost contempt. But to counteract this narrowness of disposition-this unsocial selfishness, our Lord says-Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. In St. Luke, the mercy they were to obtain is particularly described-Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful; which is finely illustrated by both the Evangelists; the one saying that he is kind to the evil and to the unthankful-the otherthat he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust and both too, concur in recommending the love even of their enemies, from the consideration of the beneficence of their heavenly Father. What a noble lesson was this, to those who thought that it was unlawful to keep company with, or even to go to one of another nation!

The heart, you know, when in an unsound state, is the fountain from whence all sorts of impurities flow. With great propriety, therefore, did our Lord, pronounce them blessed who were pure, or clean in heart;

fer hunger and thirst; for many a bad man does that---but on those whom poverty, that is, hunger and thirst, cannot tempt to violate the laws of righteousness.

For this judicious criticism I am indebted to my learned friend, Mr. Jackson, the Vicar of Ospringe, who has been pleased to express his approbation of my labours.

alluding, probably, to the legal purifications of the law of Moses; hereby, strongly intimating that it was the grand object of his religion, not merely to regulate the external conduct, but to influence the secret motives and springs of action; for that would be the best preparation for their seeing God; seeing God, denoting the enjoyment of supreme felicity in his presence.

The sentiments of the Jews concerning the nature of - the Messiah's character, naturally led them to cherish dispositions, unfriendly to peace-but to check and, if possible to root out propensities so extremely inimical to human happiness and even to the quiet and security of mankind, in general, and of their own nation in particular; our Lord pronounces them blessed who are Peacemakers; for they shall be called or accounted the children of God, as the God of peace-By cultivating this peaceable disposition, they would be eminently qualified for becoming the subjects of the Messiah's kingdom, “as a kingdom of righteousness and peace-of peace and good will to men.

A state of suffering, though not, entirely incompatible with the ideas which the Jews had formed of those glorious times, which they were then, so ardently expecting, was not what they imagined would take place, at least, to any very great extent. If, however, opposition should arise; they were sanguine in their expectations that, under the conduct of their Messiah, it would soon subside and terminate in the completion of their ambitious views. But the doctrine of our Lord, upon this subject, taught them, what, by referring to the his