commanded or exhorted to be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect, fince nothing but Disappointment can be the Iffue of our strongest Endeavours after this Perfection, from which we stand excluded by the unalterable Laws of Nature? This Difficulty is too obvious to escape any one's Notice. Some therefore tell you, that the Text contains only Matter of Counsel or Advice, but not of Precept or Command, and with this Softening they think the Difficulty may be digefted; as if it were more reasonable, or more becoming an infpired Teacher, to advise than to command Impoffibilities: Whereas the only Difference in the Cafe is, that in Matters of Command we muft either obey or fuffer, in Matters of Counsel only we have a greater Latitude allowed us; fo that with respect to ourselves it is more tolerable to be advised than to be commanded to Things impracticable: But, with refpect to the Lawgiver, it is one and the fame Thing, and his Reason and Equity can be no more justified in advifing, than in commanding Impoffibilities. Others tell you, that it is not Equality, but Quality of Perfections that is enjoined in the Text; that is, we are commanded to aim at the fame Perfections with God, though not in the fame Degree;

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that, as God is juft, and righteous, and merciful, fo muft we endeavour to be just, and righteous, and merciful, though not to the fame Degree of Extent that God is. This Expofition avoids the Difficulty complained of; for there is nothing extraordinary in commanding Men to imitate the Perfections of God in a Degree fuitable to their own Nature and Ability. But then this is an Expofition, not arifing from the Circumstances of the Text, which lead us to a more extenfive View.

In the 43d Verfe our Saviour fays, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour, and hate thine Enemy. In the 44th Verse he corrects the Partiality of this Law; But I fay unto you, Love your Enemies, bless them that curfe you, do good to them that bate you, and pray for them which defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you. In the 45th and 46th Verses, he confirms his own Precept from the Example and Authority of God: That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven; for he maketh his Sun to rife on the Evil and on the Good, and fendeth Rain on the Juft and on the Unjust. For, if ye love them which love you, what Reward have ye? Do not even the Publicans the fame? And

in the 48th Verse he concludes this Argument in the Words of the Text; Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. From whence it is evident, that the Quality or Temper of Mercy and Compaffion was not the Thing recommended to us by our bleffed Lord from the Example of God, for that he told them even the Publicans had in fome Degree, for they loved those who loved them; but it is the Extent of this Mercy and Compaffion which was difcernible in the Works of Providence, which he preffes from this Example: Your Father in Heaven is bountiful to the Evil as well as the Good; to the Unjust, as well as the Just Go ye therefore and do likewise, and learn from hence to love your Enemies, as well as your Friends; to do good to those who hate you, as well as to those who love you. This certainly was recommending not only the Temper of Mercy, which is natural to the Deity, but also that extensive Exercise of it, that Perfection of Goodness, which fhone forth in all his Works.

Since then we can have no Relief from Expofitions of this kind, we must confider the Text in another View, and fee what Affiftance we can have from the Circum

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ftances of the Context, or the general Reason in which the Precept is founded. And these two Inquiries will take in what is neceffary to be known upon this Subject, For, if we confider this Precept as Part of the Gospel Doctrine, it will be fufficient to know, how far it may be extended upon the Authority of the Gospel: Or, if we confider it as a general Maxim and Rule of Religion, which had a Foundation in Reafon antecedent to the Promulgation of the Gospel, it will be fufficient to understand, how far the Reason of the Command goes, and how it may applied to the several Duties of Religion and Morality.

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First then, Let us examine the Text as it ftands limited by the Circumstances of the Context.

It is evident from what has been already observed, that the Precept of the Text stands applied to the particular Cafe of Charity and Mercy. Had it been otherwise, had our Saviour intended, in every Inftance of our Duty, to refer us to the Perfection of God, as the proper Rule and Measure of our Obedience, this Precept should have stood at the Clofe of his Sermon, which might have given it a Reference to all that had gone before,

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and

.

and not been confined in the Middle of his Discourse to a particular Duty. It is farther to be observed, that the Inftance of Duty to which this Precept is annexed, is illustrated by a particular Mention of God's dealing with Men in like Cafes. We are bid to love our Enemies, and are told how merciful and compaffionate God is to the Evil and Unjuft; the natural Application of the Example lies in the Exhortation of the Text, that we should aim at that Perfection of Mercy and Goodnefs, which we may every Day fee exercised by God towards us all. But, in other Inftances of Duty mentioned in this Sermon, the Example of God is not propofed; and, confidering the Connexion between the Example and the Application, there can be no Reason to carry the Application to other Cafes, in which the fame Example is not propofed. Nay farther, there are fome Points of Duty explained and enforced in this Sermon on the Mount, to which neither the Example nor the Exhortation can be applied. Such are the Duties arifing from the Relations which are peculiar to Man, and nowhere elfe to be found: As in the Cafe of Afflictions and Perfecutions, which we ought to bear patiently, not in Confideration of the

Example