I regard the two discourses as distinct and different, and consider them as delivered at different times.

For one thing, the occasion of the discourse recorded by St. Luke, is not the same as the occasion of that recorded by St. Matthew. The discourse reported by St. Matthew, was one delivered on 66 a mountain," and previous to the appointment of the twelve apostles. The discourse reported by St. Luke, was delivered "in the plain," and after the twelve apostles had been ordained. To me it seems impossible to get over this discrepancy.

For another thing, there is a wide difference between the persons called "blessed" in the discourse in St. Matthew, and the persons called "blessed" in the discourse in St. Luke. In St. Matthew the point brought forward in each case is the spiritual character of the person, in St. Luke his temporal circumstances and condition. There is a wide difference, for instance, between "Blessed are the poor in spirit," and "Blessed be ye poor."

For another thing, the variance between the two discourses in length is very notable. St. Luke's report can in no sense be called an abridgment of St. Matthew. Many things that St. Matthew reports, he omits altogether. Some things that he inserts, on the other hand, are not to be found in St. Matthew at all.

In the last place, it seems unreasonable to suppose that our Lord never repeated the same lessons on different occasions. All public teachers find it necessary to do so. We cannot doubt that He did also. In the present instance He repeats to a different audience some of the truths which He had before preached at greater length in the Sermon on the Mount. And the repetition was meant to show their importance.

For the above reasons, I believe that St. Luke and St. Matthew are recording two different discourses. In saying this, I consider it only fair to myself to remark that the view I maintain is held by Pool, Cartwright, Doddridge, Whitby, Scott, and Watson.

[Blessed be ye poor.] The poverty spoken of here, as well as the hunger, weeping, and being hated, of the rest of the passage, must be taken in a literal sense, remembering only that it is poverty and sorrow for the Gospel's sake to which our Lord refers. The expressions, "rich," and "full," and "laugh," in the latter part of the passage, must evidently be taken in a literal sense. It seems unreasonable to interpret the one set of words spiritually and the other literally.

The promises, of course, in one case, as well as the threatenings in the other, admit of a much wider interpretation. "Ye shall be filled," and " ye shall laugh," are promises which to

many of God's saints are never fulfilled in this world. In like manner, "ye shall hunger," and "ye shall mourn and weep," are words of which the wicked, in many cases, will not know the full bitterness till hereafter.

22.-[Separate you from their company.] The Greek word so rendered, according to Suicer, is specially applied to ecclesiastical excommunication.

24.-[Ye have received.] The Greek word so rendered should rather have a present sense, "ye are receiving or having your consolation."

26.-[Woe unto you...all...speak well of you.] Let that expression be carefully noted. Few of our Lord's sayings are more flatly contradictory to the common opinion both of the Church and the world, than this. What is more common in the world than the love of every one's praise? What more frequent in the Church than to hear it said in commendation of a minister, that "every body likes him!" It seems entirely forgotten, that to be liked and approved by every body, is to be of the number of those to whom Jesus says, "Woe unto you." To be universally popular is a most unsatisfactory symptom, and one of which a minister of Christ should always be afraid. It may well make him doubt whether he is faithfully doing his duty, and honestly declaring all the counsel of God."

LUKE VI. 27-38.

27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34 And if ye lend to them of whom

ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

THE teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, in these verses,

is confined to one great subject. That subject is Christian love and charity. Charity, which is the grand characteristic of the Gospel,-charity, which is the bond of perfectness, charity, without which a man is nothing in God's sight,-charity is here fully expounded and strongly enforced. Well would it have been for the Church of Christ, if its Master's precepts in this passage had been more carefully studied and more diligently observed!

In the first place our Lord explains the nature and extent of Christian charity. The disciples might ask, Whom are we to love? He bids them "love their enemies, do good to them that hate them, bless them that curse them, and pray for them that despitefully use them." Their love was to be like His own towards sinners-unselfish, disinterested, and uninfluenced by any hope of return.-What was to be the manner of this love? the disciples might ask. It was to be self-sacrificing and self-denying. "Unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other."-" Him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also." They were to give up much, and endure much, for the sake of showing kindness and avoiding strife. They were to forego even their rights, and submit to wrong, rather than awaken angry passions and create quarrels. In this they were to be like their Master, long-suffering, meek, and lowly of heart.

In the second place, our Lord lays down a golden principle for the settlement of doubtful cases. He knew well that there will always be occasions when the line of duty towards our neighbour is not clearly defined. He knew

how much self-interest and private feelings will sometimes dim our perceptions of right and wrong. He supplies us with a precept for our guidance in all such cases, of infinite wisdom; a precept which even infidels have been compelled to admire.-"As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." To do to others as they do to us, and return evil for evil, is the standard of the heathen. To behave to others as we should like others to behave to us, whatever their actual behaviour may be, this should be the mark at which the Christian should aim. This is to walk in the steps of our blessed Saviour. If He had dealt with the world as the world dealt with Him, we should all have been ruined for ever in hell.

In the third place, our Lord points out to His disciples the necessity of their having a higher standard of duty to their neighbour than the children of this world. He reminds them that to love those who love them, and do good to those who do good to them, and lend to those of whom they hope to receive, is to act no better than "the sinner" who knows nothing of the Gospel. The Christian must His feelings of love,

be altogether another style of man. and his deeds of kindness, must be like his Master's,-free and gratuitous. He must let men see that he loves others from higher principles than the ungodly do, and that his charity is not confined to those from whom he hopes to get something in return. Anybody can shew kindness and charity, when he hopes to gain something by it. But such charity should never content a Christian. The man who is content with it, ought to remember that his practice does not rise an inch above the level of an old Roman or Greek idolater.

In the fourth place, our Lord shows His disciples that in discharging their duty to their neighbours, they should look to the example of God. If they called themselves "children of the Highest," they should consider that their Father is "kind to the unthankful and the evil," and they should learn from Him to be merciful, even as He is merciful. The extent of God's unacknowledged mercies to man can never be reckoned up. Every year he pours benefits on millions who do not honour the hand from which they come, or thank the Giver of them. Yet every year these benefits are continued. "Seed time and harvest, summer and winter, never cease. His mercy endureth for ever. His loving-kindness is unwearied. His compassions fail not. So ought it to be with all who profess themselves to be His children. Thanklessness and ingratitude should not make them slack their hands from works of love and mercy. Like their Father in heaven, they should never be tired of doing good.

In the last place, our Lord assures His disciples that the practice of the high standard of charity He recommends shall bring its own reward. "Judge not," He says, "and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you." And He concludes with the broad assertion, “With the same measure that ye mete withal, shall it be measured to you again." The general meaning of these words appears to be, that no man shall ever be a loser, in the long run, by deeds of selfdenying charity, and patient long-suffering love. At times he may seem to get nothing by his conduct. He may appear to reap nothing but ridicule, contempt, and