The Sermon on the Mount.... 37 Cabbages O! A Hint to Servants 53 40 41 42 43 44 ........ ........ ........... ib. ......... ..... 47 THE GAZETTEER:-Sudbury... Names and Titles of Christ. The Psalms of David.... A Picture for a Cottage Thoughts on Various Subjects.. Live to God...... Answers to the Questions in English History Questions in English History .... THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. MY COTTAGE FRIENDS, PERHAPS there are few parts of the Sacred Volume which will better employ your time and attention, than the Discourse delivered by our blessed Saviour to the assembled multitudes on that part of Mount Tabor, which, from the blessings pronounced by our Lord in the opening verses, has been since called the "Mount of Beatitudes." I refer you to the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of the Gospel of St. Matthew, which I earnestly recommend you to read yourselves, and to teach your children. En-. deavour not only to read, but "mark, learn, and inwardly digest" this and other portions of Holy Writ; "for VOL. XIV. NO. 14. D length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee." Read the Scriptures with faith, reverence, and humility; for they are the inspired Word of God. "Incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thy heart to understanding; so shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man." The Sermon on the Mount may be considered as containing promises, threatenings, and instructions. The 5th chapter of St. Matthew opens with promises of blessings on the humble, the afflicted, the meek, the merciful; those who seek after God and endure persecution "for righteousness' sake;" the pure in heart, and the promoters of peace and goodwill. Qur Lord, in his public instructions, marks in the most decided terms the peculiar character of the Christian religion; and the last of the Beatitudes was full of comfort to the Disciples, who were thus cheered and encouraged under the prospect of their approaching trials; and this blessing is intended also for support to the Christian in every time of need. From the contemplation of this part of our Lord's instructions, we may learn the character of the real Christian. It is therefore our duty to examine our hearts, and to watch and pray, that by divine grace we may be enabled to conform our lives to the rules and the spirit of these instructions. Jesus explained to the multitude, that his dispensation was not intended to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. The great plan of Redemption was intimated to Adam upon his fall; brighter discoveries of it were afforded to the Church under the Mosaic dispensation and by various Prophets, till the appearing of Jesus Christ. We are also taught that the religion of Christ strikes at the very root of all evil, by requiring the thoughts to be purified, and all corrupt affections to be subdued; and leading us to seek for divine grace, to enable us to overcome the evil of our nature. It commands faithfulness to the marriage vow, and it forbids us to use the name of God in an irreverent manner, or on light and trivial occasions. Our Saviour likewise took occasion to explain the Mosaic law of retaliation, which had been much misin 1834.] THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 39 terpreted, and forbade his followers to "resist evil," or to seek revenge, commanding them to bear with patience the violence and injustice of others," not rendering evil for evil;" and of this our blessed Lord himself set the example. We here learn that we are to seek to cultivate a merciful disposition, as children of that Heavenly Father whose mercy and compassion are visible in all his works. The next chapter opens with a forbidding of ostentation and hypocrisy in almsgiving, fasting, and prayer; and our blessed Lord, having pointed out the proper frame of mind in which we ought to address God, condescends to instruct his followers in the form of words called the Lord's Prayer. This most excellent Prayer is the model on which all our petitions should be framed. It teaches us, that, above all things, God's name is to be reverenced and hallowed: that we are to forgive injuries, as we hope that God will forgive us. Let us ever remember that we pray to be forgiven our sins against God, upon a supposition that we forgive those who have injured 'or offended us; and that therefore we pray in effect for God's vengeance upon ourselves, if we forgive not those who have injured us. We next learn the evil of fixing our hopes and desires on worldly possessions, as this feeling tends to obscure the heavenly light within us; and we are likewise warned against an immoderate anxiety about our bodily welfare. We are taught to trust to the goodness and mercy of our heavenly Father, which extends to all his works; and we are enjoined to "seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.' The last part of the Sermon on the Mount opens with a strong reproof on those who form severe judgments on others, not considering their own unworthiness. This is illustrated by an expression taken from a Jewish proverb, proving that as the eye must be clear to see distinctly, so must the mind be pure to judge honestly of others. It proceeds to condemn an irreverent use of holy things, and encourages us to make application to God in all our difficulties. We are instructed to avoid all which leads the mind from God, and to "strive to enter in through the strait gate and narrow way which leadeth unto life." The whole is wound up by an impressive comparison, showing the weakness of any foundation for our faith, but Christ and his religion. The concluding verses show the effect produced on the multitude by this divine Address; the people were astonished at his doctrines, "for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes." The Close of Sarum, Oct. 30, 1833. ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE THOUGHTS. E. ONE great means of acting well, is to think rightly; it must be so; thoughts are the foundations of actions; a house built on sand cannot stand when the storm rages; conduct unfounded on right principle is at the mercy of every gust of passion; right principle requires thought; and again the connexion is mutual; thoughts are greatly in need of principles to keep them from erring. Perhaps there is nothing more difficult to prevent than wandering thoughts, a great proof of fallen human nature: how prone are we to attacks of this malady, when engaged in the concerns of the soul! Alas! what a proof is this that we are not entirely earnest in what we are doing. If we cannot keep our minds steady, for two or three hours, whilst religion is the subject, whilst the Bible is read, and whilst we are offering up our prayers at the throne of grace, are we in a state to enjoy an eternity, in which to serve God will be the constant desire and delight of his redeemed people? What hypocrisy is it to kneel down, pretending to worship God, and yet to be thinking of earthly trifles! The Prayer used every Sunday, before the Commandments are read, contains admirable petitions to this effect; and, when we consider that "to God all hearts are open," that "from him no secrets are hid," however bad, however unfit to meet the eye of Divine Majesty, surely we must feel our deep need, that he should cleanse the thoughts of our hearts. Without his doing so, it is impossible we can "perfectly love him," or "worthily magnify his holy name." And, when the corrupt state of our hearts rises up to our view, it seems too much to ex 1834,] THE WAY OF PEACE. 41 pect that such a mass of corruption should be cleansed. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, but with God all things are possible: "though thy sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow;" yes, through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ, if we sincerely trust in it, we shall be washed from our sins and made whole. If we allowed the will of God, as revealed to us in the Bible, to be our real guide, we should be satisfied with our condition here, feeling it to be ordered by him, who knoweth what is best for us, we should fight against that idle discontent which makes thousands unhappy, and which would still embitter their cup, were they even possessed of the fancied good; something would still arise to create dissatisfaction. Haman valued not all the wealth and splendour once so anxiously desired, be cause Mordecai the Jew rose not up to do him honour! So it will ever be, if we begin wishing; by which I mean, if we get a habit of expecting happiness from events not in our own power, refusing to be contented with the blessings we already possess; in such a state of mind, we shall never want a Mordecai, at the gate of our desires, rendering their completion of no avail. I would not be understood to say, that the right government of the thoughts is easy; far from it: so difficult do I deem it, that the remedy of prayer suggested above is the only real one, when the evil arises solely from mental disease; but it may sometimes happen that uncomfortable thoughts arise from a diseased state of the body; in this case we may apply for such medical advice as the case requires, seeking, at the same time, to strengthen the remedy by fervent petitions to the Most High for his aid; and by these appointed means we may reasonably hope that our thoughts will be brought into better order, taking care, at the same time, never to be idle, but to find plenty of occupation of such a kind as may employ the mind and body fully and usefully, THE WAY OF PEACE. F. (From the Bishop of Chester's Commentary on St. Luke.) YES; the king who came in the name of the Lord, has brought blessings to those who belong to his train, and |