best knew the time, gives not the account of his own being call'd 'till a confiderable time after this fermon was deliver'd.

2. THAT the neceffary and particular inftructions which concern'd the Apoftles as fuch, viz. as preachers and publishers of this doctrine*, are deliver'd in another place. So that what was utter'd in this difcourfe upon the mountain, concern'd the twelve (thofe of them who were prefent) rather as Difciples than Apoftles.

3. THE matter or argument of it, as a collection or body of certain precepts for the ordering of a religious life, can with no manner of reafon be apply'd peculiarly to his Apoftles, but must be of equal concern to all his followers, to the whole Christian Church. And,

4. At the close of this fermon it is exprefly faid, the people, pi "Oxλor, the multitudes were aftonifh'd at his doctrine. So that the number must be greater than those twelve. The only obfervation I fhall draw from this enquiry, and the conclufion form'd upon it, is, that the following precepts belong not to the Apoftles and their fucceffors, the Bishops and Clergy of the Church, in a particular and diftin-. guifhing manner, but in general to the whole body of Chriftians, to all who were, or are, or ever hall be admitted into Chrift's Religion, and expect falvation by him. I proceed now,

III. To confider the fermon it felf, with regard to two general obfervations which ought to be made upon it.

THE firft is, that Chrift was herein the author of a new law. He improv'd the moral law, deliver'd by God and Mofes to the Jews, to a much greater height and feverity of duty than it was

thought to extend to, or really did extend, before, I do not fay he abfolutely laid a new foundation; for that he admitted those ancient elements and principles of morality, is plain, by his infifting in this difcourfe (either directly, or by oblique reference) upon the feveral articles of it, as laid down in the old Jewish law. But the additions he made, and his improvements of them, are fuch as the Jews had never learn'd, their doctors never taught before, For this reafon our Saviour tells his followers, * that except their righteousness exceed the righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, they should in no cafe enter into the kingdom of heaven. Their Scribes were the publick expounders of the law; the Pharifees, not only the fevereft fect among them in their pretences to piety and purity of manners, and the most rigid obfervers of the law, but doctors alfo who undertook to inftruct others in it, and were always forward fpeakers upon that occafion; and yet the highest and the ftricteft fenfe they either practis'd, or understood, or taught it in, fell very fhort of the measures of improvement which Chrift by divine authority refin'd and rais'd it to. Accordingly, in the 17th verfe of this fifth chapter of St. Matthew, he fays of himself, Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets; I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil: viz. to perfect and compleat it. For by law there we are not to understand the ceremonial, (for that he came indeed to put an end to, fo foon as he should have first fulfill'd it, by the great expiatory facrifice of himfelf, which was the fubftance myftically pointed at in all those legal fervices:) but the moral law, which he fulfill'd, by filling up thofe lines and measures of perfection which were not (or at least were undiscover'd) in the former literal obligation.

* Matth. v. 20.

'Tis true, this has enlarg'd our duty in many particulars, more than nature or than Mofes told us of; but that's the excellence of the Chriftian Religion. And 'tis highly reasonable that we should be call'd up by it to an higher pitch of virtue, and a train of duties greater than before, because the rewards propos'd, the promises of life and falvation made to the obfervers of it (which were but imperfectly and obfcurely hinted to the Jews, and fcarcely thought of by the Gentiles, except by fome few, and that with great uncertainty,) are reveal'd, by the fame Gofpel, in the fulleft and cleareft light. The helps and affiftances alfo to perform what is requir'd of us, are proportionably greater than were given before; and therefore the Gofpel is call'd* the adminiftration of the fpirit; the grace and influence of the holy Spirit of God being more abundantly pour'd out upon the Difciples of Chrift, than ever they were upon thofe of Mofes. And because fuch mighty encouragements and affiftances are given, it is no wonder that our work and bufinefs is encreas'd, and that it exceeds the natural abilities and strength of men. It may be objected, perhaps, that Chrift has affirm'd of his own inftitution, that it is a light and eafy burden; and that St. John hath taught us, this commandments are not grievous. But it may be anfwer'd, that as the ceremonial law, to which the Jews were fubject, was apparently troublesome and uneafy, a yoke which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear; it was very proper to recommend the Chriftian Law to them under the contrary character of eafinefs, which certainly belongs to it in comparison with the other, because he erected this new fuperftructure upon old foundations, beating out only fuch propofitions as were before indeed

# 2 Cor. iii. 8,

Matth, xi. 30. 1 John v. 3..

in the mafs and fubftance; or at least making up for what he added by the more powerful effufions of his grace and fpirit to affift us. If it be objected, that Chriftianity, as to the practical or moral part of it, is therefore no new inftitution, because, as we obferv'd juft now, it is very much built upon the old foundation of Mofes and the Prophets, and there wanted not many excellent perfons in the ancient Jewish Church, who in the light of that difpenfation only could fee beyond the letter of their law, and fhew'd by their practice they understood it in a feverer fenfe; it is not hard to reply, That this may be refolv'd into particular revelations and affistances from God, to draw those nearer to himself whom he found difpos'd to come: And thefe illuminations were not unfrequent amongst the zealots and prophets, who were oftentimes acted by the Spirit of God, and exceeded the common measures of fanctity and religion; but the particulars might nevertheless not be then enjoin'd fo pofitively, as in this discourse of our Saviour's; for furely had they been defign'd a part of the Jewish law, as well as of the Chriftian, they would have been more clearly and punctually inferted in the body of the precepts, by which that Church was to be govern'd. Thefe eminent examples therefore are inftances out of the common road, and influenc'd by a special illumination; tho' living under the law they were infpir'd with an higher principle, enjoy'd a foretaste of the fpiritual beauties of the Gofpel, going beyond the bounds of common practice and obligation, aim'd at a more perfect piety and virtue than what the religion of their country taught them, and were a law to themselves where the Mofaical law was carnal and imperfect. So that my obfervation is ftill conclufive, that the doctrine of Chrift was a new inftitution. And the ufes we are to make of this are two,

1. THAT

1. THAT we fhould pay a fuitable reverence to it. *If he that defpifed Mofes law died without mercy, of how much forer punishment fuppofe ye fball he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

2. THAT WC fhould fuit our lives and converfations to it. Is the Chriftian law and improvement beyond all former fyftems of morality, a new injunction from above, with a much larger compafs of precepts, and much greater certainty of rewards? and fhall we Chriftians content our felves with the ceremonial holiness and imperfect morals of a Jew, or the obfcure awkard virtues of an Heathen? Our converfations furely ought to be improv'd, in pro portion to the doctrine we profefs. Our rightcoufnefs ought to exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees; to be more fincere, and inward, and univerfal, as the law we are under is more refined, and fpiritual, and extenfive. But I proceed to the fecond general obfervation upon this fermon in the mount; and that is,

THAT it seems to be a different fermon from that recorded by St. Luke in the fixth chapter of his Gofpel. Some interpreters, it's true, are of another opinion, and take them both to be the fame, because there are many particulars of both in the fame words and order; both directed to his Difciples, and not to the promifcuous multitude; and it might be thought ftrange that St. Luke, who was a ftudious collector of all the remarkable paffages in our Saviour's life and preaching, fhould omit an inftance fo material as this difcourfe upon the mountain. But this last is no argument, because it's cer tain he has omitted a great and noble variety of discourses, and of very great importance, recorded

Heb. x. 28, 29.

by