tells the many miferies which he forefaw men would bring upon themselves, by the abuse and perverfion of the religion which he taught them; the latter informs us of the pacific spirit and benevolent defign of that religion, and the falutary effects which it must ultimately produce on the morals and happiness of mankind.

MATT.

МАТТ. Х. 41.

Ὁ δεχομενος προφήτην εις όνομα προφητε μισο θον προφητε ληψεται.

He that receiveth a prophet, in the name of a prophet, fhall receive a prophet's reward.

Y" a prophet" is here to be understood, a

BY

holy, religious, and good man; and the meaning of the whole fentence is this:-"He "that receiveth a prophet," that is, he that entertains, affifts, and patronifes a religious and good man; "in the name of a prophet," that is, because he is, and has the name and character of a religious and good man; “shall "receive a prophet's reward;" that is, is entitled to, and shall receive as great a reward as the religious and good man himself. That he should receive an equal reward is perfectly agreeable to divine juftice, because, entertaining and patronising a pious and virtuous man, from the fole confideration of his merit, demonftrates a heart as much devoted

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voted to piety and virtue as any action which the worthy object of his favour can poffibly perform.

If this is true, the converse must be true likewife; that is, that he that entertains, protects, and patronifes an impious, a profligate man, for the fake of his vices, is as criminal, and shall receive as fevere a punishment, as the most abandoned of his favorites and this with equal justice, because the approbation of wickedness in others, having no temptation for an excuse, is more atrocious, and demonftrates a more deprayed difpofition, than even the practice of it. The feduction of pleasure, the lure of intereft, or the violence of our paffions, may be fome, though a poor apology, for the commiffion of crimes; but to fit cooly by and view with pleasure the iniquities and profligacy of others, and to encourage them by our favour, approbation, and rewards, indicates a difpofition more compleatly depraved than the commiffion of them but, depraved as it is, we fee inftances of it every day;

day; we see the most impious and profane, the most corrupt and diffolute, fometimes the idols of the vulgar, and more frequently the idols of the great; we see them, without any introduction or recommendation, except their vices, entertained, careffed, and patronifed by the rich and powerful, who look with envy and admiration on a degree of profligacy in them, which they themselves are unable to arrive at,

MATT. XI. 25.

και

Εν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ αποκριθεις ὁ Ιησες, έιπεν Ἐξομολογεμαι σοι πατερ, κυριε τε έρανε της γης, ὅτι ἀπεκρυψας ταυτα απο σοφων και συνετων, καὶ ἀπεκαλυψας αυτα νηπιοις.

Jefus answered and faid, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, becaufe thou hast bid these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unto babes.

IT feems not a little extraordinary, that

Jefus fhould, in this folemn manner, return thanks to his heavenly Father, for having hid from the wife and prudent the myfteries of that gospel, which he himself came into the world to promulgate, on the knowledge of which the falvation of mankind depended; but this may be very well accounted for by a proper explanation of these words.

By the "wife," I apprehend, are to be here underftood, thofe felf-fufficient reafoners who

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