we fee this promife is generally accomplished; the meek do inherit the earth, that is, have the best chance of acquiring and enjoying the bleffings of this life, as well as the happiness of another.

MATT. V. 7.

Μακάριοι οι ἐλεημονες, ὅτι αυτοι ἐλεηθη

σουλαια

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain

CR

mercy.

RUELTY is the most unpardonable of all crimes, because it is without temptation, and therefore without excufe, Mercy is the most amiable attribute of God and a virtue moft becoming the fituation of man, because the fins which he perpetually commits, and the dangers with which he is conftantly furrounded, oblige him to stand in need of it every hour: it is peculiarly congenial to the benevolent spirit of the Christian religion, and as fuch is here enforced by the Author of it, in this short but emphatical declaration; in which it is remarkable, that we find nothing which limits our exercise of this amiable virtue within any bounds, or confines it to any defcrip

tion; not to our relations, our friends, our neighbours, our countrymen, nor even to mankind from whence we may reafonably conclude, that he requires us to extend it to every thing that has life and fenfibility. The words feem to regard more the difpofition of the actor than the object on which it is exerted: Bleffed are the merciful," that is, those who are of a tender and compaffionate temper, who feel for the miferies of every thing that has life, and endeavour all in their power to relieve them. Whoever, therefore, can wantonly inflict pain on the meanest animal, or receive a diabolical pleafure from its fufferings, can have no claim to this bleffing, nor to obtain that mercy to which he is a ftranger.

MATT. VI. 16.

Όταν δε νηςεύητε, μη γινεσθε ώσπερ οι ὑπο

κριται.

Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites.

JESUS Chrift having been born and

educated under the Jewish inftitution,

complied with all the ceremonies and cuftoms of that law, and required none of his difciples to relinquish them, in order to receive the religion which he came to teach. Among thefe, fafting at particular seasons was one, which was commanded by their law, obferved by all, and particularly by the Pharifees, with fuperftitious rigour and hypocritical oftentation; which he here with fome afperity reprehends. He reproves them, not for fafting, the use of which, as well as that of all the reft of their religious rites, he approved and encouraged; but it is obfervable, that in these words there is

nothing

nothing which requires it; taking it for granted, that they would faft in obedience to

their law, he only fays,

"not as the hypocrites ;"

"When ye fast, be

and then proceeds to instruct them how to perform this duty in a proper manner: but does not command them to perform it at all.

This filence of their mafter, on a fubject which they thought fo important, induced many of the Jews, who had become his difciples, to excufe themselves from complying with this unpleasant ceremony; as is evident from the queftion put to him by the disciples of John the Baptift, who faid, " Why do we " and the Pharifees faft often*, but thy dif

ciples faft not?" From hence it appears plainly, that though Chrift obferved this, as well as all the ceremonies of the Mofaic law, it was no part of his inftitution, nor was enjoined by him as a Chriftian, or a moral duty. This indeed, and every other mode of self-punishment, are fo oppofite to the benevolent fpirit of the religion which he

*Matt. ix. 14.

taught,