Confequence of this Notion, to expect to gratify their Lufts and carnal Appetites with as great Variety of tempting Objects, as they could defire or project, and as they thought would be at their Devotion upon fubduing the flourishing Roman Empire; and, in order to all this, to fet the World in a Flame by Wars and Tumults, Infurrections and Rebellions; and to perfecute to the utmost all that stood in their Way, without any Thoughts of forgiving the Injuries, or of patiently bearing the Loffes they had sustained from their Enemies. Now could any Thing be more contrary to Christianity than all thefe Difpofitions of Mind; or could any Good be wrought upon Men so poifoned with fuch wrong Principles? Certainly then it must be granted that it was very neceffary that these should be rectified in the firft Place, and that that Rubbish fhould be removed, before any folid Foundation of good Doctrine could be laid. But

now,

Thirdly, I come to fhew that the Doctrine of this Sermon on the Mount, particularly this of the Beatitudes, is excellently levelled at this End, at the rooting out the wrong Difpofitions of Mind which were the natural and immediate Confequences of these carnal Notions of Chrift's Kingdom; and therefore we may fafely judge this Temper of the People, and of the Difciples, gave the Occafion to it. This will appear much better, when we come to confider the particular Parts of the Sermon; but in general, to take a View of it, what is the Purport of all thefe Beatitudes, but to tell all Men who were the happy Perfons that were fit for the Meffiah's Kingdom, and to give fuch Descriptions of them, as were directly

contrary

contrary to the bad Difpofitions of Mind they labour'd under, occafioned by their carnal Notions of that Kingdom? What more contrary to Covetousness and Ambition, than (d) Poverty in Spirit? What more contrary to a fenfual, luxurious Life, than a Spirit of (e) Humiliation, Mourning and Repentance? What more contrary to Fiercenefs, Fury, and Revenge, than a Spirit of (ƒ) Meekness and Humility; or to Rapine and unjuft Conqueft, than a Spirit of (g) Justice and Righteousness? What more inconfiftent with Hard-heartednefs and Cruelty, than (b) Mercifulness and Compaffion; or with Luft and Uncleannefs, than (i) Purity of Heart? What more contrary to Litigioufnefs, Infurrections, and Rebellions, than to be (k) peaceable and Peace-makers? Or to perfecuting others, than (1) Patience and Martyrdom? So that I think it is very plain, if we can gather our Saviour's Design in this his looking upon the Multitudes, either from the prefent bad Temper of their Minds, or from the Confideration of what was at this Time moft proper and neceffary to be offered to Men in their Circumftances, or from what he actually spoke to them in these Beatitudes; we must conclude that the Occafion of the Sermon was the Confideration of the poor People, gladly receiving the good News of the Kingdom of the Meffiah, and believing in Jefus, as the Perfon; but most grofly mistaken in the Nature of that Kingdom, taking it for a worldly Kingdom, and fuch a one as was to be obtained in the

(d) Mat. v. 3. (b) Ver. 7.

(c) Ver. 4. (i) Ver. 8.

(f) Ver. 5.. (k) Ver. 9.

fame

(g) Ver. 6. () Ver. 10.

fame Way with other worldly Kingdoms, viz. in the Way of Covetoufnefs, Ambition, Cruelty and Conqueft, and the fame Way to be made use of for all the Purposes of Luxury and Senfuality: Moft terrible Notions, which would have pulled up by the Roots all the Principles of the Moral Law and Natural Religion.

And as our Saviour lays this Foundation in the Beatitudes, the reft of the Sermon is a Defcant on the fame Ground: For after he has shewed what fort of Perfons the Subjects of the Meffiab's Kingdom ought to be, he tells thefe his firft Dif ciples not only how they must abstain from the grofs Vices of the worldly Spirit, but what eminent Degrees of Virtue he expected of them, whom he was to make ufe of to preferve the reft of Mankind from thofe Errors and Corruptions; (m) and defires them by no Means to feed themfelves with the Fancy as if he were come to loofen them from the Obligation of the Moral Law, (2) which thefe carnal Notions of the Meffiab's Kingdom were apt to make them believe: So far from that, that he came, inftead of diffolving the Law, to finish and perfect it, by teaching them higher Degrees of Holiness and Virtue, than their beft Doctors, the Scribes and Pharifees, had taught. (0) And fo all that follows in the Sermon is only to inftruct them in higher Degrees of all Virtues, efpecially fuch Virtues as had been moft mifreprefented to them, and were moft directly oppofite to their carnal Notions of the Meffiah's Kingdom; as, God willing, fhall appear by the Particulars, when we come to treat of them. So much then for the firft Inquiry I propofed to VOL. I.

F

(m) Mat. v. 13, 14. (n) Ver. 17. (0) Ver.20.

make

make from the Words concerning the Occafion of the Sermon; a Discovery which we shall find of good Use in helping us to the true Senfe and Meaning of it; there being no better Way to find out the Meaning of any Author, than to obferve well the Scope and Defign which he aims at in his Difcourfe. It feems to me an effential Defect, that hitherto this has not fo much as been inquired after; and it is no wonder that for want of fuch a Guide, how to steer their Course, Interpreters have gone often wrong in the Explication of the particular Parts of the Sermon, and have loft the Clew and Method of it; as we shall have Occafion to obferve, when we come to them.

I fhall obferve but one Thing more from our Saviour's Looking on the Multitudes, namely, that if this Sermon was made upon his obferving the present State and Circumstances of the People, this ought to be a good Example both to Paftors and People. To Paftors, that in the Choice of their Subjects, and the Manner of handling them, they have the Circumftances of their Hearers chiefly in their Eye, and adapt their Difcourfes to their Neceffities and Edification: And then to the People, that they take no Offence, when neceffary, free, and ufeful Truths are deliver'd to them (tho' ever fo contrary to their worldly Intereft and Expectations;) as if the Preacher defign'd to have a Fling at them; but that they learn to fuffer the Word of Exhortation; and not only to fuffer it, but to apply it to their own Edification and Salvation.

As to the other Inquiry I promised to make concerning the proper Auditors of the Sermon, I find I must refer it to another Opportunity. Now God bless what we have heard, and give us a right Understanding in all Things: To bim be all Praife, Honour, and Glory, Might, Power, and Dominion, for ever and ever.