Chap:2 .Seet. z Looking rmto 1efta. Booic IV• to p..teach the qojpel to th~poore: no queftion but he preached both _to poore and rich : Chrtft preacl1ed to all, but for the power and fruit of his preaching, it was only received and entertained by the poore in fpirit. J n the following particulars, his office is fet out fi ill in an higher tenour, to hrale the broksn-hearted, topreach deliverance t a the captives, and recovering of fight to the blind, or asit is in !fay 6r .I, the opening ofth f prifon to them that are bound; a fad thing to be in captivity, but fadder to be bound in chaines, or lockt up ina prifon there;but 'tis moil: fad of all to be imprifoned having ones eyes put out; asit was the cafe of S ampfon, and Z cdeciah; Now the Evangelift willing to render the Prophet to the higheft comfortable fenfe that might be, he ufeth an exprefiion that meets with the higheft myfter}\; that is, wheo a man is not orlty iliut up in a blinded pri!on, bu( when he himfelfe alfo hath his eyes put out ; and to fucb Chrilliliould preach ; preach what? not only deliverance to the captives, ·but alfo reftoring , ofligb~to captive prifoner,s, nay yet more, recovering of fight to k blindedprifoners, as the Evangelift renders it. Lu e 4· 1 s. S Now it was that he delivered the admirable Sermon, called the Sermon uponthe mo1mt. It is a breviary ofall thofe precepts which are trudy called Chriftian; it containes in it all the moral precepts given by M ofes, :md opens a ftrieter fenfe, and more fevere exeofition then the Scribes and Phari:ees had 'given; it hold• forth the doctrinesofmeekneffe poverty offpirlt, Chriftian mourning , defi re of holy things, mercy, and purity, aqd peace, and patience, and fuffering of injuries ; he_teacheth us how to pray, how to fa ll, how to give almes, how to contemne the world, and howto feeKtheKmgdome ofGod, ·and its append·ent righteoufndfe. And thus hri fr being entred upon his prophetical office; in thefe and the refr of his \ermons he givesa deare tefl: imony, thl t he was not only an interpreter of the law, but a law-giver. and thar this law ofCbrift•m1ght retaine fome proportion at' leafr with the law ~,f Mufes, Chrillm th is !aft Sermon went up into a mountaine, and from thence ga.ve the Oracle. I cannot ftand to paraphra z~ on tbis,er any other of his Sermons, but feei ng now we finde . ·hri~ 10 the exercife ofh1s prophetical offi ce, let us obferve firfr his ~itles i~ this re(peet. 2. The reafons of his b;ing Fff 3 a
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