wholly destitute of this divine temper. The Scriptures acknowledge no Christian of a selfish, ungovernable, and contentious spirit; nor can anything be invented involving a greater absurdity than a morose, highspirited, spiteful disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a character implies a palpable contradiction. It is true that, with regard to poverty of spirit, allowances are to be made for the natural disposition and temperament of different individuals. One professor will acquire this childlike frame of soul with far greater facility than another: though every true believer will see its worth, acknowledge its loveliness, and labour hard for its attainment. The warmth of a man's natural temper may indeed throw many discouraging impediments in the way of his progress towards this inestimable grace; but, if his heart be right with God, he will never cease to watch and pray, to resolve and wrestle, till he has overcome them all. And when this is accomplished, the consolation arising from such a victory will abundantly overpay the difficulty of achieving it. The tranquillity of that man's soul shall

flow as a river: the work of righteousness with him shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for

ever.

Rarely as this lamb-like spirit is to be found at present among nominal Christians, we are expressly assured that it shall grow and spread with the increase of Christ's church upon earth, till it attain a decided ascendancy among Christians in every place. And in that day, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy moun

tain.

One thing still remains to be considered, and that is the benediction pronounced upon those, whose character has been now pointed out theirs is the kingdom of heaven. As the present opportunity, however, will not allow me to touch upon this part of my subject, it must necessarily be deferred till

we next assemble together in this place. In the meantime, I commend you, brethren, to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified, through faith that is in Christ Jesus.

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SERMON XIII.

MATT. V. 3.

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

OUR Lord was pleased to open his first public discourse in such a way, as might serve to indicate the benign nature of his mission to our lower world. Not that he was disposed indiscriminately to scatter his benedictions upon the surrounding multitude, or that he intended to excite expectations in his hearers, which were never to be accomplished. But amid all the warm overflowings of his love, the beatitudes he holds out are so accurately marked, and so exclusively appropriated to certain characters and classes of men, as scarcely to admit the possibility of a mistaken application.

Among other classes of mankind, we find particular mention made of that, which has so lately occupied our serious attention. And here I would just remark, by the way,

that, as our Lord knew all the secret sources of happiness, together with all the various kinds and degrees of it possible to man, so he pronounced the poor in spirit to be peculiarly blessed. I say peculiarly blessed; because having to speak of several classes of privileged and happy persons, he purposely gave to these the place of honour, fixing them in the first and highest rank of those, whom he meant to distinguish in an extraordinary manner from their fellow-men.

In my last discourse, I endeavoured to exhibit to your view this honourable selection of Christ's disciples: and some of you, perhaps, may still remember, that I described them as characterized, first, by a humble and lowly heart; secondly, by a meek and gentle carriage; and, thirdly, by a mild and forgiving temper. We are now to consider the nature of that benediction, which our Lord here pronounces upon persons of this description-Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The poor in spirit are peculiarly blessed in several points of view.

First-They are blessed in the very state

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