d review of the doctrines ment, I fhall begin with on the mount, the longest rable difcourfe that we preached by him. We hiefly of moral precepts, the regulation of the conples; of exhortations to ity, forgiveness of injujudging of others, refigidence of God, and the nd equity, and of that exe, which comprehended "liken hi houfe u "fcended "winds b " and it f "rock"." difcourfe of of which H them to the virtue; and was then g fcribes and them, "E Lord inculcates the practice of these virtues on his disciples with peculiar emphasis and force, as the only thing that could recommend them to his favour, and on which they could place any rational dependance. "Whofoever," fays he, "heareth these fayings of mine, and doeth them, I will "liken him to a wife man who built his "house upon a rock; and the rain de"fcended, and the floods came, and the "winds blew, and beat upon that house, " and it fell not, for it was founded on a "rock" It is with these words that this difcourfe of our Saviour ends; in the whole of which his defign manifeftly is, to lead them to the fincere PRACTICE of piety and virtue; and to a greater degree of it than was then generally practised by the Jewish fcribes and Pharifees. For our Lord tells them, Except your righteousness shall "Matt. vii. 24, 25. Z 3 66 ex entering into the kingas the righteousness of them. Our Lord is g them to PERSONAL he is throughout his culcating virtues which e to practise. His meant if they would gain the attain eternal life, they emselves with a formal ternal duties of religion, to men to be religious, marifees, and hypocrites, att. v. 20. our neig ing of h of whom he was fpeaking, did; but that they must regulate their lives by the rules of religion and virtue, not in appearance only, but in reality, in fincerity and finglenefs of heart. WE find our Lord, in the other parts of the gospels, enforcing the love of God and our neighbour, as the fum and fubftance of religion. And he in particular represents the practice of benevolence, and the exercife of the focial affections, as the distinguishing characteristics of the profeffors of his religion. " By this shall all men know that 66 are my difciples, if ye have love one to 13 ye another "." And he represents the keep ing of his commandments, as the proper criterion by which they might judge of their love to him. "He that hath my com"mandments, and keepeth them, he it is 14 "that loveth me '4" 13 John xiii. 35. 14 John xiv. 21. |