opinion of good men, the fatisfaction of being well received and well thought of, the benefit of being known and diftinguished, are topics to which we are fain to have recourse in our exhortations, the true virtue is that which discards these considerations absolutely; and which retires from them all to the single internal purpose of pleasing God. This at least was the virtue which our Saviour taught. And in teaching of this, he not only confined the views of his followers to the proper measure and principle of human duty, but acted in consistency with his office as a monitor from heaven. Next to what our Saviour taught, may be confidered the manner of his teaching; which was extremely peculiar, yet, I think, precisely adapted to the peculiarity of his character and situation. His lessons did not confift of disquisitions; of any thing like moral essays, or like fermons, or like fet treatises upon the several points which he mentioned. When he delivered a precept, it was seldom that he added any proof or argument; ftill feldomer, that he accompanied it with, what all precepts require, limitations and distinctions. His inftructions were conceived in short emphatic fententious rules, in occafional reflections, or in round maxims. I do not think that this was a natural, or would have been a proper method, for a philofopher or a moralift; or that it is a method which can be fuccessfully imitated by us. But I contend that it was fuitable to the character which Chrift affumed, and to the situation in which, as a teacher, he was placed. He produced himself as a messenger from God. He put the truth of what he taught upon authority*. In the choice, therefore, of his mode of teaching, the purpose by him to be confulted was impression; because conviction, which forms the principal end of our difcourses, was to arife in the minds of his fol * I fay unto you, Swear not at all; I fay unto you, Refist not evil; I say unto you, Love your enemies †. +Mat. v. 34. 39.44. lowers : lowers from a different fource, from their respect to his person and authority. Now, for the purpose of impression singly and exclusively (I repeat again, that we are not here to confider the convincing of the understanding) I know nothing which would have fo great force, as strong ponderous maxims, frequently urged, and frequently brought back to the thoughts of the hearers. I know nothing that could in this view be faid better, than "Do unto others, as ye would that others should do unto you; the first and great commandment is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." It must also be remembered, that our Lord's ministry, upon the supposition either of one year or of three, compared with his work, was of short duration; that, within this time, he had many places to visit, various audiences to address; that his person was generally befieged by crowds of followers; that he was, sometimes, driven away from the place where he was teaching, by perfecution, and, at other times, thought fit to withdraw himself from the commotions of the populace. Under these circumstances nothing appears to have been fo practicable, or likely to be so efficacious, as leaving, wherever he came, concise lessons of duty. These circumstances at least shew the neceffity he was under of comprifing what he delivered within a small compass. In particular, his fermon upon the mount ought always to be confidered with a view to these observations. The question is not, whether a fuller, a more accurate, a more systematic, or a more argumentative difcourse upon morals might not have been pronounced; but whether more could have been faid in the fame room, better adapted to the exigencies of the hearers, or better calculated for the purpose of impreffion? Seen in this light, it hath always appeared to me to be admirable. Dr. Lardner thought that this difcourse was made up of what Christ had faid at different times, and upon different occafions, several of which occafions are noticed in St. Luke's narrative. I can perceive no reason for this opinion. I believe 1 believe that our Lord delivered this discourse at one time and place, in the manner related by St. Matthew, and that he repeated the same rules and maxims at different times, as opportunity or occasion suggested; that they were often in his mouth, were repeated to different audiences, and in various conversations. It is incidental to this mode of moral instruction, which proceeds not by proof but upon authority, not by disquisition but by precept, that the rules will be conceived in absolute terms, leaving the application, and the distinctions that attend it, to the reason of the hearer. It is likewise to be expected, that they will be delivered in terms, by so much the more forcible and energetic, as they have to encounter natural or general propenfities. It is further also to be remarked, that many of those strong instances, which appear in our Lord's fermon, such as "If any man will smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also: If any man will fue thee at the law, and take away E 4 thy 1 |