their falling short of the Christian character. Others desire honour-they wish above all things to be in repute among their neighbours. Credit at home, or honour abroad, are the things which they hunger and thirst after; and these, especially if they pursue reputation by means which are not ordinarily deemed dishonourable, are no less confident of the sufficiency of their virtue. Thus, all seek some worldly good; and all imagine, that they shall be supremely blest. if they can but attain their object.

But "blessed," says our SAVIOUR: (who here again is opposing the common maxims of mankind) "blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness."--"Blessed is the man who no longer hungers and thirsts after the things of this life, of which the attainment is uncertain, and which will be found unsatisfying, if they should be attained; but blessed is he who hungers and thirsts after righteousness; —that is, blessed is he who longs, like one who is hungry and athirst, to obtain possession of every thing which is included in my Gospel. Blessed is he who desires pardon of his iniquities, and peace with GoD, a share in the atonement which I am to offer up for man; and the aid of all the influences of my Spirit. Blessed is he who longs to have the victory over his sins, and to have all holy affections excited in him. Blessed is he who wishes to have his understanding enlightened, that he may know all the doctrines of my religion; to have his conscience made tender and afraid of sinning; and to have his heart purified by faith. Blessed is he who accounts his chief joy to be joy in God; and his chief consolations, the consolations of my Spirit. Blessed is the man whose hungering and thirsting is of this description; for he shall be filled: he shall obtain the things which he desires; his very longing for them is a pledge that he shall possess them. Worldly things disappoint him who pursues them: but it is the maxim of my kingdom, that he who has the true desire after righteousness,-he who hungers and thirsts, not after a part only, but after the whole of my Gospel, shall assuredly be filled; and such is

the gracious and encouraging promise which I now promulgate to my disciples; he shall possess all the privileges of the children of God; he shall be a member of my kingdom here; and, in the world to come, he shall have life everlasting."

Such is plainly the meaning of this saying of CHRIST. Let us then be fearful of fixing our hearts on earthly things; and let us remember that the promise extends to all generations : "BLESSED ARE THEY WHICH DO HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS: FOR THEY SHALL B.E FILLED."

V.

ST. MATTHEW, V. 7.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

No temper of mind has been more absolutely required by Christianity than a disposition to show mercy; and the reason is plain. The Gospel teaches that man is himself an offender against his Creator; and that he owes to the grace of GoD all his own hope of salvation. If, then, we expect to have the benefit of the Divine Mercy, we ought to be ever ready to show mercy to our fellow-creatures. CHRIST, in many modes, and on various occasions, urged this duty on his disciples. At one time, He related to them the story (or parable) of a servant, who, having had the great sum of ten thousand talents freely forgiven, cast his fellow-servant into prison, on account of a debt of only one hundred pence. "Oh thou wicked servant," said his lord, "I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me. shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow. servant, even as I had pity on thee? and his lord was wroth; and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should

pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Our SAVIOUR, even in that short summary of a prayer, which He taught to his disciples, has inserted an expression which forcibly inculcates the necessity of this forgiving spirit. He instructs us to say, "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." And it is observable, that, after He had delivered the prayer, He addressed these words to his disciples, "for if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

This expression remarkably accords with those words in the Sermon on the Mount which we are now considering. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy;" and it might have been added, woe be to the unmerciful, for they shall not obtain mercy: or, as the Old Testament expresses it," he shall have judgment without mercy who hath showed no mercy."

This saying of CHRIST, like many others which preceded it, would undoubtedly seem new to the multitude; for the world was then much less inclined to mercy, than it is at present. On the one hand, the Jews, though taught by their Prophets to show mercy, were become false interpreters of their own Scriptures. They admitted, indeed, that they were taught to love their neighbour; but they deduced from this very precept a right to hate their enemy. On the other hand, the heathen had no idea of the duty of forgiving injuries.

Now, indeed, we all agree, that it is a Christian duty to show mercy. CHRIST has said this so plainly, that it is not possible to deny it. But has the spirit, which is here condemned by CHRIST, been expelled out of the Christian world? Far from it. If this were the case, if this one Christian temper were fully attained, we might fairly hope

*St. Matt. vi. 14. 15.

that other graces might be possessed in like perfection; for one Christian disposition fails not to accompany another, and thus, according to the expression of this passage, since all were become truly merciful, so all might obtain

mercy.

It is much to be suspected, that many, who freely admit the excellency of this saying of CHRIST, contrive to evade it. They, for instance, who say that they freely forgive an injury but cannot forget it, break this admonition of CHRIST. They also, who profess both to forget and to forgive, may manifest by some part of their conduct that they are transgressors on this point. And even they who confer some favour on the person who has injured them, may not be clear of the sin in question; since the very pride of superiority may lead a man to confer a favour on him from whom an injury has been experienced. To receive a favour from an enemy is a better proof of a forgiving spirit than to bestow it.

The chief point for examination is the temper of mind in which we live towards those whom we account our enemies. Do we, then, rejoice to show mercy to others, heartily and freely, and in the same manner in which GoD shows mercy to us, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not? Are we the first to seek to be reconciled when we have had a quarrel against any, or do we expect the other party to make previous submission? Are our

reconciliations, also, sincere and complete? Is there no root of bitterness left within us, even after a seeming agreement has taken place? Do we feel alienated from no one? would our very heart, if it could be seen, exhibit compassion, and tenderness, and benevolence, and lovingkindness to all, not excepting him whom we have accounted to be wanting in proper kindness, and beneficence towards us?

Do we live, in short, under the powerful influence of that great principle of the Gospel,-that we ourselves have sinned against GOD, ten thousand times more than any fellow creature has ever trespassed against us; and that, as we

hope nevertheless to find mercy, so we must also show mercy, and show it not only by some special acts, but by our whole character and conduct among our fellow-sinners ?

VI.

ST. MATTHEW, V. 8.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

PURITY of heart is another principal point in the character of the religion of CHRIST. In this respect, Christianity differs from the common systems of the world. Men of the world make morality to consist in the external act, and pay little regard to the motive. They are, also, partial in their morality. Men, for instance, who are occupied in the administration of government, are apt to consider obedience to the laws to be the great test of morality. Only the outward act, indeed, is cognizable by them. They do not concern themselves about purity of heart. Masters, in like manner, are inclined to judge of the character of their servants by what those servants are to them. If the external conduct of the servant be proper, the master is satisfied. He adverts not to the secret sins which the servant may commit; nor does he know whether the servant's motive to obedience to him be religious, or not. Many a servant, therefore, is called a good servant, who in the sight of GOD is a wicked man; "for God judgeth the heart." Traders estimate the character of their fellow-traders by the honesty of their dealings and all men, indeed, are agreed in esteeming honesty very highly, because they have an obvious interest in maintaining it. The poor judge of the moral character of the rich, by the liberality of their character; and do not inquire whether the beneficence spring from ostentation, or from any other evil principle in the