ciously bestowed upon you; fince he can as easily preserve, as create. Behold the tender care, which he exerciseth over inferior animals! He conftantly provides fuftenance for the fowls, which are of far less value than you. But with all your anxiety, how little can you effect for yourselves! You cannot lengthen out your exiftence one moment. Or, should you be diftreffed about procuring a fuitable covering for your body, we refer you to the flowers of the field. The Lord God has clothed them with a gayer attire, than the most splendid monarchs can exhibit: and fhall you be unwilling to intruft yourselves with him?

Befides, this worldly folicitude, which may be expected to prevail in them, who know not God, is unfuitable and dishonourable to your character, who profefs to be his children. If God be your Father, he cannot be inattentive to your wants. Is there not, alfo, a more glorious object propofed to you, which demands your warmest affections and most diligent purfuit? You cannot be too earneft in preparing for your eternal state: and if that be your first and grand concern, as it ought, every earthly care will appear comparatively fmall. But to secure an admiffion into heaven, is the best expedient for promoting your temporal intereft; fince God has engaged, by his Covenant, to bestow all needful fupport in this life upon the heirs of his kingdom. You ought, indeed, to be affiduous in your application to business. For to expect your fuftenance from God, though you neglect the appointed means of obtaining it, would be extreme prefumption. But, with all your oft ftrenuous exertions, it will become you to live cheerful dependence on the providence of God day to day, and not to look forward, with ar dread, to any future events. Each returning time brings its difficulties with it: and Inftead of anticipating the trials of the ufhould diligently improve the prefent feafon

G

feason, in which you may find enough both to do and to fuffer.

Such is the temper of mind, which Jefus has inculcated in his fermon on the mount: and fo fuperior to the world must all his disciples be. Yet this is an excellency, which can be attained only by the knowledge of him. For "this is the victory, that overcometh the world, even our faith *."

But how few appear to poffefs that divine principle! We perceive and lament the prevalence of a Pharifaical spirit among ourselves. Are not most perfons hurried away by an immoderate attachment to their gain? And do not fome, even of those who profess godlinefs, betray a fordid, unbelieving, diftracted ftate of mind? We need not advert to the multitude of open and profligate offenders; for perhaps more are deftroyed through the fatal influence of covetousness, which may confift with a fair character among men, than by any other fin whatever. Let us beware, and examine, where is our peculiar danger. Let us watch and pray, left our hearts be totally engroffed by thofe fecular cares, which may, to a certain degree, be expedient and neceffary: and, remembering how very poor is the richest treasure, which can be attained in this life, let us "covet earnestly the best gifts," and defire above all things to poffefs "the unfearchable riches of Chrift." Amen.

■ John v. 4.

JESUS

JESUS CHRIST.

SECT. 31.

The conclufion of our Lord's fermon on the mount, in which he gives various practical directions and ́ex

bertations.

WE have already perceived much of the excellence and importance of the fermon, which Jefus delivered on the mount; and the conclufion, to which we now proceed, will appear equally interesting. We shall meet with further proofs of the holiness of that religion, which he taught, while we confider the various directions here given for the conduct of his difciples *.

To guard them against the cenforious disposition of the Pharifees, who were ever prone to condemn others in the most rigorous manner, he commanded them to abstain from all rafh and fevere judgnient. "Judge not," is indeed an extenfive precept. We cannot help forming an opinion of those actions and characters, which force themselves upon our observation nor are we forbidden, furely, to blame what is evidently wrong; nay, our duty requires us, as we love our brother, to point out his faults to him, and warn him of his danger. But we are enjoined

> conclude against any perfon precipitately, nor Auenced in our decifions by pride or malevo

Matt. vii. I, &c.

lence.

lence. Yet do we not perceive amongst ourselves much of this very spirit, which prevailed with the Pharifees of old? How few are actuated by that divine principle of love, which "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things!" Do not the various parties, who contend fo warmly for their refpective fentiments and adherents, both in politics and religion, discover a bitter and malignant difpofition? For how unwilling are they to believe any thing favourable of each other, or to make any candid allowance for the mistakes or the failings of their opponents! How keen in their remarks; how glad to find any thing justly cenfurable; and how eager to fix names of contempt and reproach, one upon the other! We need not enquire or affign a reason for this, befides our own depravity, We need not inveigh against the bigotry and malevolence of perfons on this or on that fide of the queftion; fince these are the weeds, which spring up in every foil, and are the natural produce of the human heart. "The fpirit that dwelleth in us lufteth to envy +.”

Jefus has fuggefted fome important confiderations, which fhould deter us from forming any rafh judgment. Thofe, who are most severe in their reflections upon others, need expect no favour from their fellow-creatures. Men will not be difpofed to pardon or palliate their mifconduct; but will greedily catch at an opportunity of requiting them with the fame acrimonious cenfures, which they have liberally dealt out. And what treatment may they look for, at the hands of a righteous God? How will they ftand before him, when their characters are scrutinized with that rigorous exactness, with which they have decided upon others? He has determined, that "they fhall have judgment without mercy, who have fhewed no mercy 1.

*

It should also be confidered, that we are but ill qualified to pass sentence on any perfons around us. Few of their actions, in comparison, fall under our notice, and, perhaps, of those few we see not the whole. We may not underftand their inward principles; or we may conclude too haftily from appearances, which are deceitful, or from mere reports, which are generally vague and uncertain. If, however, there be fomething in their manners, which we muft condemn, may not certain extenuations be admitted in their behalf? We know not, under what temptations and difficulties they have laboured, and how much they have been excluded from opportunities of information or admonition. At leaft, a sense of our own ignorance and liableness to err, through prejudice and misconception, fhould incline us to draw the most candid and charitable conclufions; and the remembrance of our own numerous and aggravated faults fhould deter us from speaking evil of any

man.

Jefus has inftructed us, likewife, to look well to our spirit and conduct, when we undertake to reprove. Our office in life, and our chriftian duty in a private fituation, may frequently render this painful talk neceflary. But, while we narrowly infpect others, we fhould pay a ftrict attention to ourselves. It would be abfurd and prepofterous to fpy out every minute failing in a brother, and at the fame time to be wilfully blind to our own enormous offences. Yet this is generally the cafe with cenforious perfons, who are, of confequence, incapable of paffing a fair judgment, and giving a proper admonition. Correction and reformation fhould begin at home. For hofe, who allow themselves in bad habits are like n, whofe eyes are fo obfcured, that they cannot in objects aright. And, as the fight must be 1, in order to form any juft decifion concerning around us; fo muft the mind be freed from

the