fays the Angel to St. John concerning those who are clothed with white Robes, and had Palms in their Hands, Rev. 7.14. These are they which came out of great Tribulation, and have wafb'd their Robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the Throne of God, and ferve him day and night in his Temple. And he that fitteth on the Throne fhall dwell among them.

And now fince there is a brighter Crown of Glory prepared for Martyrs, and those that fuffer Perfecution for the fake of Righteousness, all that further remains is to commend from the Premises these two Practical Inferences.

First, That we entertain no hard Thoughts of the Juftice or Goodness of God for fuffering fo many fevere Perfecutions in the Chriftian Church, fome whereof were violent, as under the Roman Emperors; fome Fraudulent by Hereticks, as Arius, Neftorius, &c. And fome of a mixt nature, confifting both of Fraud and Violence, when both Temporal and Spiritual Power did combine together (as now in the Papal See) against the Lord and his Chrift. I fay we fhould learn from hence not to cenfure the ways of God for this, nor to charge him foolishly, fince there is fo plentiful a Reward laid up for those that fuffer in the Caufe of Righteousness.

Secondly,

Secondly, That we do fortifie our felves with the Confideration of this Beatitude, That if God should ever honour us fo far as to call us to the Trial of the Crofs, we may be fo true to God, to Religion, and to our own Souls, as to fuffer couragiously and thankfully, ever looking up to that glorious Crown, that white Robe, and thofe Triumphant Palms which diftinguish the Noble Army of Martyrs, who eternally fing Hymns and Praife to God for the Bleffing of thofe Croffes, which now fpring up into Crowns, and in bearing of which they find fo great Reward.

Glory be to God on High,

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The Conclufion of the Whole, in a Difcourfe concerning the Beatitudes in general,

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Aving hitherto Difcourfed upon every Beatitude particularly by it felf, I think it may not be improper for the further Accomplishment of this Work, to conclude all with a Difcourfe concerning the Beatitudes in General. Where there are three Material Enquiries that feem to demand Satisfaction,

The First is, Concerning the Manner and. Way of this Divine Sermon, Why our Lord chofe to deliver his Laws and Precepts by the way of Bleffing?

The Second is, Concerning the Number of the Beatitudes.

The Third is, Concerning their Order and Method.

For Satisfaction to the firft Enquiry, I confider firit, That Chrift who came into the World upon an Errand of Love, the greatest Love that an infinitely good God could exprefs to a Creature, and who no doubt had also a Soul well tuned, and a Body well temper'd, and both fet to the softest

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Key of Harmony and Sweetnefs, was willing to deliver his Laws in the molt indearing and charming manner that could poffibly be, that he might the better recommend both Himfelf and his Doctrin to the good Will of his Auditors, and reconciled them thro the Love of the Former, to the Obedience of the Latter Which is a very laudable affectation of Popularity, firft to engage Men's Affetions to our Perfons, that we may the bet ter win them over to the Acceptance and Entertainment of our Doctrins. This indeed ought to be the Care and Endeavour of all Preachers; but there was this more particu lar reafon for it in our Lord, because the Love of his Perfón was not only an Indearment of Obedience, but also a very confiderable part and inftance of it. He therefore instead of ufing an Imperative Style, by down-right commanding fuch and fuch things, chofe ra ther in a more gentle and condefcending way to infinuate what was his Will, and our Duty, by pronouncing them Bleffed that do fo and fo.

Secondly, I confider that our Lord Chrift being to act the Counter-part to Mofes, and to relax the rigour of his Law, by being the Author of a milder Difpenfation, thought fit to give an early and a folemn Specimen of his greater Mildnefs, by varying the Style of his Legiflation from that ufed by Mofes 0 3 And

And therefore whereas Mofes deliver'd his Law after an Imperatorial way, by faying, Thou shalt not do this, and Thou shalt not do that: Our Good Lord chofe rather to express his Law more tenderly and Humanly, by declaring the Bleffedness of those that fhould obferve it. And the rather because Mofes had armed and immured his Law with Curfes and Maledictions. Firft in General, Curfed is every one that continues not in alt things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them. Secondly, more particularly, by annexing a Curse to particular Tranfgreffions, as in that famous Commination in the 27 of Deuteronomy, to evey Claufe of which the People were to fay Amen. And therefore to fhew of what a different Spirit the Chriftian Inftitution was from that of Mofes, our Lord chose to adminifter his Law in a form of Bleffing, in Oppofition to Mofes his Curfings; thereby verifying thofe farewel words of St. Peter's Sermon to the Jews, in a larger fenfe than he intended them, Gad having raifed up his Son Jefus, fent him to blefs you, in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities, A&t. 3.26.

Thirdly, I confider that our Saviour was to deliver a Law of Love, a Law that required Love both as the Matter and as the Prin ciple of Obedience. Love was both the thing to be done, and the Motive of doing it. The

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