Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

titude, " Except your righteoufnefs fhall exceed the " righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhall " in no cafe enter into the kingdom of heaven.""

1. He taught, not only that killing, but anger, without a very juft caufe, is unlawful to his difciples, his followers."

2. He prefers concord above devotion; mercy before facrifice: he that will not use his utmost endeavour to be reconciled to his brother, fhall find no place for his prayers with him that can only make them effectual.* And every man is this brother.

3. He not only forbids adultery, which the law forbids, but luft. The axe of his doctrine is laid to the root of the tree; it reaches to the first feeds of things, to the innermoft and most hidden conceptions of the mind, because he has brought his light near, and searches the innermoft parts of the belly with his divine candle.

4. From keeping and performing legal vows, to not fwearing at all. And indeed, what ufe can there be of any fwearing, where mens yea is yea, and their nay, nay? There their speech, their anfwers, on all occafions, fhould be, at the most, but yea, yea; or nay,

1

nay.

5. He taught, not to refift evil, but to fuffer loss, rather than enter into contention: his divine wisdom did foresee how much eafier it would be to overcome the violent paffions of men by patience, than controversy.* And he that juftly confiders the unruliness of fome mens difpofitions, their heats and prejudices, will find, that it is not always a real injury or lofs, but fome paffion, revenge, or bafe intereft, that puts them upon clamours, and fuits of law.

6. He taught us the highest complacency and charity: "If any man compel thee to go a mile, go with " him twain." Be of an eafy and ready mind to do good; to all friendly offices be easily perfuaded; and

Mat. v. 20. 29, 30.

w Verse 22.

≈ Verse 33, 34.

* Verse 23, 24, 25. ▾ Verse 28, a Verse 39, 40.

b Verse 14.

therein

therein rather exceed, than fall fhort of, any one's intreaty or neceffity.

7. He taught as great liberality and bounty, "To "give to him that afks,, and from him that would "borrow, not to turn away." In fhort, to be ftewards of our external fubftance for the good of mankind, according to our refpective abilities; not grudging, knowing whofe it is; nor difbelieving, as knowing him who is both able and bountiful.

8. He advances the doctrine of loving friends, to the degree of loving enemies. "Ye have heard," faid Jefus, "that it hath been said, thou fhalt love thy "neighbour, and hate thine enemy; but I fay unto "you, love your enemies, blefs them that curfe you, "do good to them that hate you, and pray for them "that defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you.” Surely, then, where no anger dwells, no revenge can grow; and if we must love enemies, there is no mán left to be bated. This is the doctrine of that Jefus that laid down his life for all; and this is the end for which he preached it. "That," fays he "ye may be "children of your Father which is in heaven; for he "maketh his fun to rife on the evil and the good, " and fendeth rain on the juft and on the unjust." It is as much as if Chrift had faid, No man can be like God, who does not love his enemies, and cannot 'do good to all.' Confequently, he that does love ' enemies, and is ready to do good unto all, he is like 'God the Father that is in heaven, who is love.'

9.

[ocr errors]

Chrift teaches us to avoid oftentation in our charity: "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to "be seen of them."

10. He teaches us the duty of prayer, and what: "not in the corners of the street, nor in the fynagogues to be feen of men: but in the clofet, in the "fecret of the heart, betwixt God and the foul." heavenly precepts! he knew our natures, our weak

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

O

Mat. v. 42. Verse 43, 44, 45. John iv. 8. Mat. vi. 1,

Verse 5, 6.
G 2

ness,

nefs, and how to meet with it, and mend it. A bleffed phyfician indeed!' Let us receive him, for he is fure, and he is free.

II. He forbids boarding, and laying up of money in bank; but "preffes our treasuring up wealth in hea"ven;" and the reason is this, "That the one is "corruptible, and the other is incorruptible."

12. He teaches dependance upon the providence of God; calling the diftruftful," "O ye of little faith! " which of you," fays he, " by taking thought, can "add one cubit to his ftature? Therefore take no

[ocr errors]

thought, faying, What fhall we eat, or what shall cc we drink, or wherewith fhall we be clothed? For "after all these things do the Gentiles feek; for your "heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all "these things. But feek ye firft the kingdom of God " and his righteousness, and all these things fhall be "added to you.'

i

[ocr errors]

13. He fets up a difcrimination or diftinction between falfe and true prophets; thofe that are his difciples, from counterfeits. "Ye fhall know them," faid Chrift, "s by their fruits: do men gather grapes "of thorns, or figs of thiftles 2 Even fo every good "tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree "bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring "forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring "forth good fruit: wherefore by their fruits ye fhall "know them." This was the diftinction given by Chrift to his followers; the tree was not accounted a good tree by the leaves, but the fruits; not by a meer opinion, but holy living. The faith in that day, was an intire refignation and dependance upon God, and not a subscription to verbal propofitions and articles, though ever so true: that was the work of after-times, more corrupt and fuperftitious ages, that laid more ftrefs upon confent, aye, the very fhow of it, than i Mat. vii. 15,

Mat. vi. 19, 20.

h Verse 25, to the end. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.

holiness,

holinefs, without which no man fhall ever see the Lord. But.

14. Lastly, Chrift preaches the general judgment. "Many will fay to me in that day," [What day? The laft day, or day of account, and final reckoning with mankind:] "Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in

k

thy name, and in thy name caft out devils, and "done many wonderful works? And then will I pro"fefs unto them, I never knew you: depart from me

ye that work iniquity. Not every one that faith, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of heaven, "but he that doth the will of my Father which is in "heaven. Therefore whofoever heareth thefe fayings " of mine, and doth them, I will liken him unto a "wise man, which built his house upon a rock, and "the rain descended, and the floods came, and the "winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell

not, for it was builded upon a rock. And every "one that heareth thefe fayings of mine, and doth "them not, fhall be likened unto a foolish man, which "built his house upon the fand: and the rain defcend"ed, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and "beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the "fall of it. And it came to pafs, when Jefus had "ended these sayings, the people were astonished at "his doctrine; for he taught them as one having au"thority, and not as the Scribes.'

By all which it is moft plain, that as Chrift is the rock, on which true Chriftians build, fo none can be faid truly to build upon this rock, but those that keep his fayings, that do his commandments, that obey his doctrine. Wherefore that faith of Jefus to be the Son and Christ of God, must be fuch a faith as does the will of the heavenly Father, and keepeth these sayings of Chrift.

1

There are two places, in which Chrift seems to fum up his bleffed doctrine: one is this, "Therefore all things, whatsoever ye would that men fhould do

Mat. vii. 21. to the end.

1 Mat. vii. 12.

<< to

G 3

"to you, do ye even fo to them; for this is the law "and the prophets;" which, by the way, Chrift came not to deftroy, but to fulfil. But the other paffage feems to be more full; the first relating only to our dealings with men, this fecond paffage comprehending our duty both to God and men, viz." "Thou "fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and "with all thy foul, and with all thy mind; this is the "firft and great commandment: and the fecond is "like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy"felf. On these two commandments hang all the law " and the prophets.'

n

This is the fum and perfection of the Christian religion, the great commandment of Chrift, and the certain token of discipleship. "A new commandment,” faid Chrift, "I give unto you, that ye love one another ; "as I have loved you, that ye alfo love one another: "by this fhall all men know that ye are my disciples, "if ye have love one to another." Again Chrift fpeaks to his difciples; "If ye keep my command

ments, ye fhall abide in my love, even as I have "kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his "love: and this is my commandment, that ye love "one another as I have loved you." Yea, once more: "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command "you, that you love one another. He that hath my "commandments and keepeth them, he it is that lo"veth me; and he that loveth me fhall be loved of "my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest "myself to him: but he that loveth me not, keepeth "not my fayings," So that only those are friends and difciples of Chrift Jefus that do his fayings and keep his commandments; and the great commandment of all is love; for upon this one commandment do all the rest depend.

And indeed the reason is very obvious, fince he that loves God above all, will leave all for God: not one

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
« EdellinenJatka »