SERMON XXIV.

THE FAMILY OF OUR LORD.

MAT. xii. 49, 50.

And he ftretched forth his hand toward his difciples, and faid, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whofoever fhall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the fame is my brother, and fifter, and mother.

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ADDRESS this affembly in the language of our Saviour to the Pharifees; "What think of Chrift?" And furely a more ferious inquiry it is impoffible to make. Your opinions upon various other fubjects are comparitively of little confequence; but it is of the highest importance to entertain proper apprehenfions of the person and character, the offices and work of Chrift.

There is however another question which it is equally neceffary to afk, What does Christ think of you? What you are in the sentiment of your fellow creatures fignifies little. It is a light thing to be judged Your happiness does not depend upon him; he may be deceived in his conclufion.

of man's judgment.

He that judgeth you is the Lord; his decifion is infallible, and his fentence regulates your doom. Does He view you this evening as enemies or friends? As strangers or relations? Is it poffible to determine this? It is not only poffible but eafy. Observe what he did, and remember what he said in the days of his flesh. "And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples "and faid, Behold my mother and my brethren! For "whofoever fhall do the will of my Father which " is in heaven, the fame is my brother, and fifter, and "mother."

Our Saviour preached in various places. He was now in a private house; and is faid to be "talking to "the people." It marks the ease, the fimplicity, the familiarity with which he fpake. When a preacher can exemplify this mode of addrefs without finking, he is peculiarly pleafing to his hearers, and often most fuccessful in the force and fublimity of his thoughts. "While he yet talked to the people, behold his moth"er and his brethren stood without defiring to speak "with him." What was the defign of his friends it is impoffible to determine; but they had fomething interesting to communicate, and could not approach him for the intervening multitude. The people therefore conveyed along the notice of his relations from one to another till it reached the person who stood by him. "Then ONE faid unto him, Behold thy mother "and brethren ftand without, defiring to speak with "thee." Our bleffed Lord was despised and rejected of men; but there were fome who knew his worth, and loved and honoured him; and at hearing of his mother and his brethren, they were ready to exclaim,

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O happy brethren! to have fuch a brother! O hapmother! to have fuch a fon! Our Saviour was not fo confined to his subject, as to refuse a new idea fuggefted by the occafion; therefore knowing their thoughts he tells them of another connection with himself; from his family according to the flesh, he leads them to his fpiritual kindred; and from a union with him, which was temporal and confined to few, he leads them to one which was everlasting and embraced all good men. "But he answered and faid "unto him that told him, Who is my mother? "and who are my brethren? AND HE STRETCHED "FORTH HIS HAND TOWARD HIS DISCIPLES, AND 66 SAID, BEHOLD MY MOTHER AND MY BRETHREN! "FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL DO THE WILL OF MY FA"THER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN, THE SAME IS MY 66 BROTHER, AND SISTER, AND MOTHER."

Whence we observe, that OBEDIENCE TO THE DI

VINE WILL IS AN EVIDENCE OF OUR BEING RELA

TED TO JESUS CHRIST. Our Lord here gives us the character and the privilege of his difciples.

I. Their CHARACTER; they do the will of his Father.

II. Their PRIVILEGE; they are his brother, his fifter, his mother. "Remember me, O Lord, with "the favour that thou beareft unto thy people: O "vifit me with thy falvation; that I may fee the good "of thy chofen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of "thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.'

I. We have the CHARACTER of his difciples. He

describes them as DOING THE WILL OF HIS FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. All obey; but some do the will of the devil; fome do the will of man; fome do their own will; and fome do the will of God.

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Some do the will of the devil. This is a dreadful charge; but it is fully fupported by the addrefs of our Saviour to the Jews; "Ye are of your father the "devil, and the lufts of your father ye will do." And what is all fin, but "the work of the devil ?" "the devil finneth from the beginning." He therefore who lives in the practice of fin co-operates with him, refembles him, ftrives to please him, fulfils his wishes. The devil loves pride, and the finner cherishes it; he takes pleasure in revenge, and the finner indulges it; his empire is maintained by iniquity, and the finner commits it.

Some do the will of men. They are entirely governed by others; they receive the law from the opinions, maxims, and manners of their companions, fuperiors, relations; from the converfation received by tradition from their fathers; from the example of the multitude. And by no better authorities than these, are many influenced even in the concerns of religion! But "we ought to obey God rather than man ;" and "to live the rest of our time in the flesh, not to the "lufts of men, but to the will of God."

Some do their own will. They are as regardless of the authority of God, as if they were perfuaded that his being and perfections were a fable; they live without him in the world, never afking when they engage in any courfe of action, whether it will please or offend him, whether he has forbidden or enjoined it ?

They follow only the bias of their own inclination, and this being fince the fall depraved and irregular, carries them widely aftray from their duty and happinefs. For it is as dangerous as it is criminal to obey fuch a guide. Hence to be abandoned to its influence is spoken of as the greatest curfe; "So I gave "them up unto their own hearts' luft; and they "walked in their own counfels." It has been faid of children, that they are undone if they have their own will; and the reason is, because they are not wife enough to choose the good and refuse the evil. But this is much more true of man; if he has his own will, he will be sure to ruin himself; for a finner is much more likely to make a foolish choice than a child; and he who wants grace, has lefs understanding than he who wants years.

But the Christian makes the will of God the grand, the only rule of his life; and every consideration induces him to fay, "Not my will, but thine be done." His authority over us is fupreme, and his relations to us are numerous. He is our Father, and we owe him honour; our Master, and we owe him fear; our Benefactor, and we owe him gratitude; our God, and we owe him obedience, devotion, all we are, and all we have! Nor does our obligation fpring only from his dominion over us, and his claims to us; but from the very nature of his will, which is wife, and righteous, and good.

That we may not be ignorant of his will, he has been pleased to reveal it; this revelation is contained in the Scriptures of Truth. Opening thefe, we find all needful information; they are a lamp unto our