z De.16.16.17. grades of condemnation among the Jews were here used by our Lord, to show divers grades of offences under the sixth commandment, which the Pharisees did not at all allow. In the eye of God's broad and searching law, these forms of evil passions, though they issued not in actual murder, should be held equal to those crimes which they condemned by "the judgment, "the council," and the "fire of Hinnom." And harboured or concealed anger, contemptuous and abusive language, and bitter reviling and imprecations, should be adjudged to condign punishment in the world to come, such as these earthly verdicts could only in a manner represent. If we have anything against our neighbour, the Scripture directs us what to do. We are to go and tell him, and seek reconciliation (ch. 18. 15-17). 23, 24. DUTY TO GOD.-Our Lord would teach, that the sixth command is obeyed only by maintaining kindness and good understandings with our neighbour. The Pharisees thought that if sacrifices were offered, and external rites observed, they did well. But here is a first duty to God. As to 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. outward worship, we should not put it first, as though it were enough and every thing. We should make it our very first business to promote conciliation and love. If we have even gone so far as to begin our religious worship, and there remember that another has ground of complaint against us, we are to go about the settlement of this first of all, for the worship will be rejected of God if we have not followed peace with all men. "Put on (love) charity, which is the bond of perfectness.' - If thou bring thy gift to the altar. This was the prominent act of external worship, among the Jews. The altar was the place where they presented their offerings, and whatever they brought was called A GIFT. The representation here given of the altar is from Kitto. For another form, see under Matthew 23. 18, taken from the same work.-¶ Be reconciled. Be agreed. OBSERVE, The offender is enjoined to be reconciled. So sinners are urged to be reconciled to God. The meaning here is, to seek reconcilement and agreement-to make acknowledgment of the wrong, and apply for favour. "Seek peace and pursue it." Philo says, that when 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee a to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. a Pr.25.8. Lu.12.58.59. a man injured his brother, and, repenting of his fault, voluntarily acknowledged it, he was first to make restitution, and then to come into the temple, presenting his sacrifice and asking pardon. Thus we are here taught that no worship of God is acceptable, while we neglect our duties to one another, and live in discord with our fellow-men. 25. THE PART OF PRUDENCE.-This verse exhorts to a speedy settlement of difficulties, and inculcates a placable spirit and a promptness to make amends. Long and grievous strifes at law come often from men's being too tenacious of their own rights, and too regardless of others'; being obstinate and unyielding in settlement. ¶ Adversary-accuser or creditor. ¶ In the way—that is, on the road to the court or judge. By the Roman law, the aggrieved could compel the other party to go with him before the Prætor-but they might agree by the way to settle, which was often done. Do not be slow to do justice, for_the| matter will grow more serious. “How great a matter a little fire kindleth." "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water" (Prov. 17. 14). That personal difficulties grow serious by delaying the settlement, is here set forth by taking a case of debt, where, if the claim is not attended to, the creditor or adversary may deliver the debtor to the judge, and the judge to the officer or sheriff, and the sheriff to the prison-and so from step to step it reaches extremes. No | | | purgatory is taught here, for this relates wholly to dealings with fellow.. men. Children are to understand, that they often sin by not making up at once, when there is any wrong done. If any one has wronged them. they are quickly to forgive, and if they have done any thing wrong to others, they are quickly to own it, and ask pardon, and promise to do so no more. Augustine interprets this of the Law, as the adversary, with a spiritual application which it may include. 26. Not come out thence. This shows the serious consequence of letting difficulties grow by delaying to settle them. Our Lord speaks of various strifes that arise among men, and uses these phrases of court to illustrate the subject. How much better, even as the part of prudence, to agree with the creditor, or attend to any claim upon us, than have things come to such an issue. How wise, also, to be reconciled to God, before it is too late. See ch. 18. 34; 25. 46. 27-30. The seventh commandment (Exodus 20. 14), our Lord expounds on the same great principles. He judgeth not according to the outward appearance, but looketh on the heart. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye are here condemned as a violation of the commandment. only the act of adultery, but the unchaste desire (or the adulterous eye, 2 Pet. 2. 14). Even the looking, that is to indulge these impure thoughts and passions, is a breaking of the Not for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.c 30 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. c Ro.8.13. 1Cor.9.27. command. That looking with a lust- ous as the loss of God's favour-that ful eye was the crime of David, which | therefore we must not yield our memled on to adultery, and that, to mur-bers as instruments of unrighteousder. 2 Sam. 11. Psalm 51. -TThy ness unto sin, nor by any means let right eye. The most important organ sin reign in our mortal body, that we of sense. See Zach. 11. 17.——¶ Oƒ- should obey it in the lusts thereof. fend. The Greek word is scandalizo. | Rom. 6. 12, 13.——¶ It is profitable— The Cranmer translation, 1539, has it it will be to your advantage to give hynder." The Geneva, 1557, has it up this source or means of sinful cause thee to offend." This is the gratification, whatever it be, rather true sense. Some would argue that than be cast, with all the unmortified they could not avoid this entering of passions of the flesh, into hell. sin at the eyes. But better part with 31, 32. Moses had said it (Deut. your very right eye than sin. There- 24. 1). And this had been sò confore strive most earnestly to crucify | strued by the Jewish teachers, as to the flesh (Gal. 5. 24), and mortify the admit of separation between husband members (Col. 3. 5), and "abstain and wife on the slightest grounds, if from fleshly lusts which war against only a bill of divorce was given. the soul" (1 Pet. 2. 11).- -T Pluck it || How this evil prevailed in the time out. This indicates the strongest op- of Malachi, see Mal. 2. 14-16. They position. Not surely to mutilate our were "suffered " by the judicial stabodies, but to deny ourselves severely, tute, or magistrate's rule, to put away lest we go into temptation; and to put the wife on account of ceremonial away all occasions of sin-to crucify uncleanness. This, because of their not only the flesh, but the affections social condition and hardness of heart, and lusts, striving by all means to lay was tolerated then. was tolerated then. But the permisaside the sins which most easily beset sion (says Scott) was construed into us, and sacrifice the dearest things a command, and sadly abused. What that prove occasions to sin. Submit had been allowed as a civil matter to denials, and use even violent means under Moses, to avoid a greater evil, that would be like putting out the eye had been pronounced by them every itself, rather than yield. "The meta-way right, and thus the original instiphor" (says Flavel) "is from chyrurgeons, whose manner it is, when the whole is in danger by any part, to cut it off, lest all perish.' 30. The same sentiment is here repeated. It teaches that we had better lose our limbs than sin with them, and that no loss or damage is so griev-| tution of marriage had been degraded and disesteemed. Yet, as the legal writing of divorcement was required by Moses, and a wife could not he put away without the formality and delay of this, it was a lower witness to the sanctity of marriage; so that Christ and Moses legislate in the same direction. words, and works." Instances are given to this effect in the verses fol But Christ here laid down the rule, 33. Forswear thyself-swear falsely -perjure thyself. See Levit. 19. 12. Deut. 23. 23. They interpreted the law as applicable to false swearing only where the proper name of Jehovah was used. If this were omitted in the oath, they counted the perjury a sinall offence. So they distinguished oaths into weightier and lighter, making an exact scale of their obligation on the conscience. And they deemed the perjury, or false swearing, the only profanity. An oath is a solemn affirination, in which God is called to witness to the truth of what is said, and to visit with His vengeance if the oath be false. ¶ Perform unto the Lord. Sacredly to stand by and fulfil what is engaged in the oath. Our Lord would teach that light swearing, as well as false swearing, vas forbidden-that taking His name in vain (Exodus 20. 7), applies to all irreverent oaths, even where His proper name is not introduced. For His Lame is that whereby He maketh Himself known, and includes His "titles, attributes, ordinances, He 34. Swear-take oath—not at all. This is not to forbid all oaths, but of such kind as are named. They used various forms of swearing by solemn objects, as by the temple, by heaven, by the head, by Jerusalem; and they made the most capricious distinctions in these oaths-as that it was right to swear by the temple, but not by the gold of it—and by the altar, but not by the gift upon it. (See ch. 23. 16-23.) Our Lord would teach that this was indirectly swearing by God-for the Heaven was His throne, and the earth was His footstool. does not here forbid judicial oaths, but mainly these conversational oaths which he instances, and others only as verging toward such. He teaches that an oath, if it be any thing but a wanton mockery and profanity, is in substance a solemn appeal to God. And hence, though a man may swear lightly by some inferior object, or though the law under which he swears may not require him to believe in God, and eternity, and a judgment, yet an oath is an oath, however it be called, and those who make light of it do profane God's name. Besides, in swearing by an inferior object, we ascribe to it the prerogative of God. "He that sweareth in the earth, shall swear by the God of truth" (Isa. 65. 16). 35. Jerusalem. This city had its sanctity from being the seat of His majesty and the place of His holy temple. God is the great King and Governor of the nations. Psalms 47.7; 48. 2; 95. 3. Job 13. 9.- TBy thi head-or by thy life. "As I live," may I die if it be not true." We 36 Neither shalt thou swear | been said, An i eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black: 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.i 39 But I say unto you k that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will suc 38 Ye have heard that it hath thee at the law, and take away one. The oath of itself, is a recognition of man's untruthfulness. 38. An eye for an eye. God had enjoined this (Deut. 19. 21. Levit. 24. 20. Exod. 21. 24) as a rule for magistrates to punish personal injuries by inflicting the like, and not more or less at their pleasure. But this rule was seized upon by individuals to gratify private revenge, and to do to others as others did to them. This lex talionis, or law of retaliation, was mostly in private hands, according to their customs, and was a source of great mischief. 1. As to person 39. Resist not evil, or al indignity. the evil-doer who affronts you. This is against rendering evil j Ex.21.24. K Pr.20.22; 24.29. Ro.12.17-19. l Is.50.6. for evil to any man, and even more against taking a stand of hostile opposition to match another's misconduct. As in the former passages, the doctrine laid down is not absolute, but qualified by what immediately follows. To practice non-resistance in all cases, is often to encourage the wicked. -T Smite thee. Greekrapisei-rap or slap thee. This was regarded as a special affront. 2 Cor. 11. 20. The phrase is used here proverbially. We are to present a front of greatest patience and forbearance. Instead of smiting back, as is common among men, it had better he borne meekly. "This one staff of Moses shivers the ten thousand spears of Pharaoh." A personal indignity had rather be suffered than to pay back in the same coin. This does not refer to self-defence for protection of life and family. Our Lord's example is to the point, "Who when he was reviled, reviled not again." 1 Pet. 2. 23. Micah 5. 1. See Rom. 12. 17-19. 2. As to injury 40. Sue thee at the law. of estate. The principle is here applied to property. Where an ill-designing and malicious man takes every opportunity to wrong by lawsuits, and gets an advantage so far as to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also, rather than contend. These were the two chief garments in use at that time. The coat was the under, and the cloak the upper or over, a sort of wrapper, and loose. See Cuts 1-3. It was ofter used by the poor at night for a covering. Hence the law of Moses pro|vided that in case it was given as a |