ferious Senfe of Religion, and to encourage us to lead a careless inconfiderate Life. These Hearers were not foon weary of their great Teacher's Company; what they had learned, only quickned their Appetite for more; and they refolved to cultivate the good Beginnings they felt upon their Spirits, by going along with Chrift, and by obferving and following his Example as well as his Doctrine. his Doctrine. This is one great Point of fpiritual Prudence, whenever we find any good Impreffions made upon our Minds, not to run presently into promif cuous Company, or to betake ourselves immediately to our worldly Affairs, but either to go alone, and by Meditation fix in our Hearts what we have been hearing with our Ears; or else if we can find a pious well-difpofed Friend, to confer with him about what we remember, and obferved most tending to Edification. Alas, how few have we in our Days, who are thus ftruck and pricked at the Heart with any Sermons they hear, or have any lafting Impreffions made upon their Spirits from the beft Doctrine that can be preached to them? This fame Sermon on the Mount, which made fuch Impreffions on the Hearers in thofe Days, how coldly do we now read, or hear it read and explained? Or if a Serinon makes any prefent Impreffion, how quickly is it gone? For if we like it ever fo well, and afford perhaps to fay it was a very good Sermon, that is all; we take no Time to apply it to our own Ufe, and to say, I must amend fuch and fuch a Thing from what I

have

have heard to Day; I am convinced I am in an Error, let me now fet about the amending of it, while the Remembrance of it is fresh, and the Conviction lively upon my Spirit. These are Things of great Confequence, and the Text gives us a fair Opportunity for them, that we be excited to Attention, that we hear without Prejudice the moft touching and awakening Truths, that we cherish and cultivate fuch Convictions and Admonitions as our awakened Confciences do fuggeft, upon the hearing of Duty fairly reprefented; and that Iwe endeavour to make Application of what is faid, all of us to our own Hearts and Consciences, and take Care to make fuitable Amendment and Reformation of our Lives. This is the Way to reap Benefit from all Sermons, not to mind fo much carping and cenfuring of fuch little Things as we may perhaps think deferve Cenfure; but to mind the cenfuring of ourselves, where we are convinced we deserve it, and the cultivating those Convictions to a thorough Reformation and Amendment of Life.

I have now done my Part as to the Explication, not only of this Text, but of the whole Sermon on the Mount. I fhall think my Labour well beftowed, if I can but leave you convinced of this one Truth, that it contains the choiceft Rules of Life, and fuch, that if ye will duly weigh them, and meditate and practife confcientiously upon them, ye fhall not fail of attaining to a true ChriBb 2 ftian

1

ftian Life here, and the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter. Which God of his infinite Mercy, in due Time, bestow upon us all, for his dear Son Jefus Chrift's fake.

To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, be all Praife, Honour, and Glory, Might, Majefty, and Dominion, for ever and Amen.

ever.

FINI S.

ΑΝ

INDEX

OF

SCRIPTURES quoted in these
Four Volumes.

There being many Paffages of the Holy Scripture
explained in this Work, it was thought neceffary to add
the following INDEX of the Scripture-Quotations in all
the Four Volumes, that if any one would know the Senfe
of any of them, he may eafily turn to it.

The firft Figure is the Chapter, the fecond the Verfe, the third
the Volume, the fourth the Page.