'He spake as one having authority. '
A Divine Teacher needed-Desired-Might have been
expected-Was predicted-His advent in the person of
Christ--His lowly condition--Herald-Installation to
office-Subject proposed--A very small portion of his
discourses recorded--Scope of his teaching--First char-
acteristic, authority. I. Authority of goodness--Invi-
tations--Beatitudes. II. Authority of greatness-
Claims universal audience-Superiority to Jonah, Sol-
omon, and all the great names of the Jewish Church--
Supremacy--Central object of the judgment day--
Impresses his name on every thing-Speaks of all
things awful and sublime, calmly, like one familiar
with them-Teaching, declarative and dogmatic.
III. Authority of solemnity--His peculiar formula--
His denunciations of woe. IV. Legislative authority
-Revises the Mosaic code-Asserts his superiority to
law--Repeals existing economy--Controls laws of na-
ture himself, and confers the power on others--' I say
unto you, --His new commandment-Not only enacts
laws but ensurse obedience-Forgives sin-Reposed
on his own personal authority--Conclusion--His
teaching exempt from all supposable circumstances
unfavorable to authoratative teaching--Taught with
the perfect conviction of the truth of his doctrine--
His example enforced it--Cordial sympathy with it—
Knew the ultimate principles on which his doctrines
rested--And the supreme value of the truth he taught
--And the purity of his own motives--And the ulti-
mate triumph of his doctrine--All this must have
clothed his teaching, especially when contrasted with
the prevailing mode of Jewish instruction, with com-
manding power--His disciples should be distinguished
by reverence and docility-These dispositions to be
sought and found at the throne of grace.