21

Scribes and Pharifees, ye shall in no cafe enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Ye have heard, that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill, 22 shall be in danger of the judgment. But I fay unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment (/): and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (m), shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall fay, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.

23

Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberedst that thy brother hath ought 24 against thee (n); Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy bro25 ther, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him: left at any time the adverfary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the 26 officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing (0).

27

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, 28 Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto

cording to their respective guilt, with the utmost rigour; and, how ever they may escape all temporal punishment, are certainly in danger of the more dreadful judgment of God, who trieth the heart.

(1) All groundless and immoderate anger and refentment, all scornful and provoking language, proceed from ill-will and a rancour of spirit, and are therefore within the intent and meaning of the fixth commandinent.

(m) Raca is a term of contempt, signifying an empty fenfeless wretch. Fool in Scripture language, fignifies a wicked impious perfon. Let us learn from hence to beware of the fin of pride, and especially of that great corrupter of the human heart, fpiritual pride; and let us be careful to do our own duty with deep humility towards God, and Christian compaffion and charity to others.

(n) It is in vain to expect that God will accept any of our fervices, or restore us to his favour, unless we do all in our power to regain the good-will of those whom we have injured, or offended. (0) See Luke xії. 58.

you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath committed adultery with her already 29 in his heart. And if thy right-eye offend thee (p), pluck it out, and cast it from thee (q): for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be caft into 30 hell. And if thy right-hand offend thee, cut it off, and caft it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that 31 thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been faid, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him 32 give her a writing of divorcement. But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, faving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery (r).

33

Again, ye have heard that it hath been faid by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt 34 perform unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is 35 God's throne; Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; neither by Jerufalem, for it is the city of the 36 great King: Neither shalt thou swear by thy head; because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay (s): for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.

(p) If it cause thee to offend, or be an hindrance to thee in thy duty.

(g) By the right hand and right eye, are here meant men's favourite vices, which having been long indulged, become, as it were, part of their very frame; but as every wife man will confent to fuffer the most painful operation, or even to lose a limb, if necessary, to save his life; so every good Chriftian will fubdue his lufts and paffions, and part with whatever is dearest to him, rather than forfeit his hope of everlasting happiness in the life to come.

(r) See Mark x. 11.

(s) Your common conversation and discourse must be fincere and fimple, without oaths of any kind; for oaths are only to be ufed when they are required by lawful authority. Sce Chap. xxvi. 63.

38 Ye have heard that it hath been faid, An eye for 39 an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, (t) that ye refift not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will fue thee at the law, and take 41 away thy coat, let him have thy cloke alfo. And

whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with 42 him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away (u). 43 Ye have heard that it hath been faid, Thou

shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy (w): 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use 45 you, and perfecute you: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on the good, and fendeth 46 rain on the juft and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not 47 even the publicans (x) the same? And if ye falute

your brethren only, what do you more than others? 48 do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect (y), even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

(t) That ye render not evil for evil.

(u) The foregoing precepts are not meant to be confined to these particular instances, or to be understood in a literal, but in a general and moral, sense; as designed to guard against paffion and resentment under any provocation, and to promote a meek and humble temper on all occafions in our whole behaviour.

(w) No where in Scripture were the Jews permitted, much less commanded, to hate their enemies; that was the perverse interpretation, or licence, of the old Jewish Rabbies only,

(x) Publicans were officers who collected the public taxes for the Roman emperors, and were hated by the Jews on that account.

(y) Remember that it is your highest perfection and glory to resemble your heavenly Father, as much as you possibly can, in acts of goodness and mercy.

CHAP. CHAP. VI.

!

I TAKE heed that ye do not your alms before men, (a) to be feen of them: otherwise ye have no re2 ward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms do not found a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. 3 Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward (6). But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know 4 what thy right hand doeth (t): That thine alms may be in fecret: and thy Father which feeth in fecret (d), himself shall reward thee openly.

5

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I fay unto 6 you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayeft, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret, 7 shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray,

(a) Take heed of hypocrify and vanity in performing any religious duty; for the very best actions cannot be pleasing to God, motives of them be corrupt and unworthy.

(6) They may perhaps obtain their wish; but they will have no other reward.

(c) This is a proverbial expression, importing the greatest caution and fecrecy. The application of it in this place is, to check the principle, as well as the fufpicion, of vain-glory, or a defire of the praise of men. Alms may indeed sometimes require to be public; but the heart must likewise in that cafe be free from oflentation and vanity.

(d) Thy Father, though he cannot be seen by any mortal eye, Teeth and obferveth all things, and will reward the fincerity and goodness of thy heart, if not in this world, yct certainly in the most public and glorious manner in the world to come.

ufe

use nos vain repetitions (e), as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their 8 much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye 9 have need of, before ye ask him. After this man

ner therefore pray ye (f): OUR FATHER which art 10 in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom 11 come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 12 Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive 13 us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead

us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the 14 glory, for ever. Amen. For, if ye forgive men their trefpafles, your heavenly Father will also forgive 15 you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16

Moreover, when ye faft, be not as the hypocrites, of a fad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to faft. Verily, I 17 say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, (c) It is not by the number of our prayers, but the devotion of our hearts, that we can recommend ourselves to God.

(f) O GRACIOUS FATHER, who dwellest in the light which no man can approach unto, and yet condescendest to hearken to the prayers of all the children of men.

Let the adorable perfections of thy nature be every where devoutly reverenced and glorified. Let thy kingdom of truth and righteousness prevail to the full establishment of the gospel of Chrift.

Let thy holy will be obeyed with fincerity and conftancy by men on earth, as it is by the bleffed angels in heaven.

Give us, we beseech thee, day by day those things that are needful for our daily fupport, in that state of life to which it hath pleased thee to call us.

And of thy mercy forgive us our manifold tranfgreffions and of. fences, in like manner as we are ready from our hearts to forgive every one who hath offended us.

Suffer us not to be overcome by temptations: But deliver us from the power of Satan, and the deceitfulness and corruption of fin.

For thy kingdom ruleth over all things, visible and invisible. Thou art the fovereign disposer of all events. And to thee alone are due all glory, worship, and praise, throughout all ages for ever.