SERM, the kingdom of heaven against them, III. and would hardly admit them to the common privileges of Israel. One maxim of theirs, which the gospel notices, is a sufficient mark of their uncharitable sentiment, This people, who know not the law, are cursed.

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But this contemptuous disregard of the common people was heightened into hatred toward such among them, as in any shape gave a countenance to a foreign authority. The encroachment of the Romans was obnoxious to all the Jews, who considered freedom and independence as essentials of their inheritance in the land of promise: but it was more especially grating to the Pharisees and Scribes, the Chief Priests and Elders, because it abridged them of that consequence which they derived from their rank or station in society. Though they could not deny, yet they were most reluctant to acknowledge, that they were in bondage to any man. Yet this unwelcome truth continually annoyed them both in their avarice and their ambition, when they were called upon to render tribute unto Cesar. To col

lect this tribute was the office of the SERM. Publicans. The nature of their office III. made them odious to the Pharisees; and being contemptuously treated by their own Countrymen they might become less attached to the institutions of their Country. Hence by the Pharisees, always ready to aggravate whatever was reprehensible in their character, they were regarded as apostates both from their country and religion, they were classed with Heathens, and accounted reprobate.

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The same kind of hatred they extended to a People in their neighbourhood, who made some pretensions in common with them to the covenant of promise, though they were neither pure in their descent from Abraham, nor correct in their observance of the Mosaic Law. When the King of Assyria had removed the ten Tribes of Israel to a distant exile, he supplied their place in the land of Palestine by a Colony of promiscuous people from some remote provinces of his kingdoms, who from the chief, Town of their new Country were called Samaritans. They here became incorporated with the remains of the people, whom the Assyrians had left; and

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SERM. and from them they adopted the Law III. and Ritual of Moses, which however they corrupted by a mixture of their ancient heathen superstitions and idolatries. Thus rivals to the Jews they soon became their enemies. They ob structed them on their return from Babylon in rebuilding their Temple and re-establishing their State. And they aggravated this offence in later times by building a Temple of their own in opposition to that of Jerusalem. A continuance of reciprocal provocations produced an inveterate enmity between them; all intercourse of commerce and good offices was set aside; and hence the gospel records it as an established maxim, that the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans f,

THIS outline of the Jewish history, and of the several distinctions under which the Jews are mentioned in the gospel, will prepare us to understand the dispositions of those who came to hear our Lord, and also to conceive the peculiar aim of that instruction,

' John iv. 9.

which he severally addressed to the va- SERM. rious characters of his Hearers.

The general complexion of his discourse was to preach the gospel to the poor, and to offer mercy to the penitent. His company and conversation would therefore be highly acceptable to persons of that description; the more so perhaps, because they were so very different from the manner of their professional Instructors. Thus we are told, that the common people heard him gladly &. To them he freely spoke in a gracious and conciliating tone. And though he found them incompetent to receive the mysteries of divine knowledge, yet he readily imparted what was necessary to their spiritual peace. Thus also we are told, that the Publicans and Sinners drew near for to hear him h. To them he also spoke in a strain of compassion and consolation. While he shewed them the full guilt of their transgressions, yet he would not overwhelm them with severe denunciations of divine wrath. a good Physician of the soul he sought by friendly counsel to correct the errors of their past lives, to bring them to

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SERM. repentance, and to reconcile them to III. God.

Yet welcome as his language was to these, it was totally repugnant to the sentiments and doctrine of the superior orders, especially the Pharisees and Scribes; who boasted of their own knowledge and trusted in their own righteousness, but were not at all disposed to impart instruction to the poor or consolation to the penitent. Hence whenever they came to hear him, they came not with any view of deriving instruction or edification to themselves, being abundantly satisfied with their own attainments, but with a captious intent of finding fault with the Teacher. Thus we see their disposition to take offence, when they murmured at his conduct in receiving sinners and eating with them. When therefore he applied his discourse to them, though in the manner of his language he was very mild, yet in the substance of his doctrine he was most severe. He exposed the vanity of their pretensions to superior righteousness, and he taught them that a formal observance of the law was of no account in heaven, without a surrender of the heart in vital piety

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