YE

MATT. v. 27-37.

E have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

OUR Lord, like a wise physician, goes at once to the bottom of the evil; He extirpates the first germ and root of the disease, and leaves not a single fibre of it remaining to shoot up again in the heart. His expressions here are highly figurative and alarming, but not more than the

us.

occasion demanded. Every one must understand that the eye to be plucked out is the eye of concupiscence; that the hand to be cut off is the hand of violence and vengeance; that is, these passions are to be checked and subdued, let the conflict cost what it may. Let us then ever remember to watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation; to watch and pray against whatever sin doth most easily beset And let it incline us to intercede for others also, even for these most flagrant offenders, in the charitable hope that it will please God, not only to strengthen such as do stand, and to comfort and help the weak-hearted, but to raise up also them that fall, and finally to beat down Satan under their feet. And now observe further how Christ fulfils the law, that is, fully interprets its meaning in every important particular, and amongst others that of swearing oaths.

Let always your yea be yea, and your

nay, nay. Let your words and your deeds agree together. Truth and fidelity are the great bases on which all society is founded, and without which there could be no peace, no security, no right or property in the world. Let us then not only never take God's name in vain, but promote also in all we say, that practice of universal truth, which would make it plainly practicable to swear not at all.

YE

MATT. v. 38-48.

E have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him

that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 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 you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

AMONG the ancient heathens, private revenge was indulged without scruple and without mercy. It was to check this furious ungovernable passion, so universally prevalent, that our Saviour delivers the precepts which are here given common sense requires, that we should consider the particular instances of behaviour here specified, as proverbial and figurative expressions, intended to convey a general precept, and to describe that peculiar temper and disposition which the Gospel requires; that patience, gentleness, mildness, moderation, and forbearance under injuries and affronts, which is best calculated to preserve the peace of our own minds, as well as that of the world at large; which tends to soften resentment and turn away wrath, and without which, on one side or the other, provocations must be endless and enmities eternal. By the command 'to love our enemies,' we are required to have always a favourable disposition of mind towards them, which will incline us to be just and charitable in our dealings with them; to abstain from all revenge, to exert a ready forgiveness, to pray for them, and to do

them good offices when it lies in our power. It is the extent principally of the Divine mercy and compassion discernible in His works, which our Lord here presses. Your Father, He says, is bountiful to the evil as well as the good: go ye therefore and do likewise, learn from hence to love your enemies as well as your friends, to do good to those who hate you, as well as to those who love you, for He here recommends not only the temper of mercy which is natural to the Deity, but also that extensive exercise of it, that perfection of goodness, which shone forth in all His works.

TAKE

MATT. vi. 1-8.

AKE heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly. 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 say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, 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 shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they

shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.

IN these passages we have strong and repeated cautions to avoid all show and ostentation in the performance of our religious duties, such as giving alms, praying, and fasting. Here is a marked disapprobation of everything that looks like parade, vainglory, insincerity, or hypocrisy in the discharge of our Christian duties. We see in the clearest light the spirit and temper of the Christian religion, which is modest, silent, retired, quiet, unobtrusive, shunning the observation and the applause of men, and looking only to the approbation of Him who sees every thought of our hearts, and every secret motive of our actions. It was customary for the Jews to pray standing; yet, on their more solemn days of fasting, they were wont to kneel, and even prostrate themselves before the Lord; but we may be sure that if we have only a continual sense of His presence, and of His knowledge of our most secret purposes, this will best secure in us the acceptable performance, not of alms only and prayer, but of every duty man has to perform, or God requires at his hands. Let us then consider in everything we do, What will He think of it? what will He think of us? Let us esteem Him to be that one chief Friend whose praise we most covet, and whose censure we most fear. And let us look ever with hope to that reward of His, which through Christ, and through His merits, may in the end be ours. May God give us grace to see Him in all things, even Him who in all things seeth us. May He make us to look mainly in all our doings to His will, even as He doth, in all His dealings with us, look only to our good.