fire. 12 the council: but the former, and so proportionably in another world to whosoever shall say, a yet deeper degree of hell. But he that permits his Thou fool, shall be in danger of 13 hell passion to break out into virulent railing, shall be liable to that degree of punishment in another world, which is answerable to the burning in the valley of Hinnom, which was a punishment far greater than the other two, and so notes a very great degree of eternal torments. For in that place it was the custom to put 23 Therefore if thou their children into hollow brazen vessels over the fire, bring thy gift to the and therein to scald them to death, crying out lamentaltar, and there re-ably, very many together. memberest that thy against thee; brother hath ought. 23, 24. If therefore at any time thou art a bringing or hast brought to the priest thy offering for 24 Leave there thy atonement of sin, thy peace-offering to be received gift before the altar, by him, and offered for thee upon the altar, and, as and go thy way; thou art there ready to present thy offering to the first be 14[m] reconeiled to thy brother, priest, thou callest to mind that thou hast done any and then come and man any injury, do thou in that minute stop, and offer thy gift. leave thy offering unpresented to the priest, and be25 15 Agree with take thyself first to that person whom thou hast thus thine adversary quickly, whiles thou injured, use means to reconcile him, to make him art in the way with friends with thee, to obtain his pardon, to work thy him; lest at any time reconciliation with him, and then come and complete the adversary deliver thy intended atonement. lest he accuse and implead thee before the thee to the judge, "out of prison till thou hast made full satisfaction (such as the law prescribes) for that trespass done 26 Verily I say unto by thee, whereas by a seasonable timely compoundthee, Thou shalt by no means come out ing of it, it might have been done with some moderathence, till thou hast tion; and so may a timely reconciliation with thy neighpaid the uttermost bour, whom thou hast injured and made thy accuser farthing. 27 Ye have heard or adversary, avert that punishment of God, which from him as the Judge and Avenger of all wrongs, that it was said " by them of old time, must otherwise be expected. Thou shalt not com- That he that looks lustfully, that feeds his eye mit adultery: on any but his own wife, though he satisfy not his 28 But I say unto flesh; he that delights himself with beautiful faces, you, 'That [o] whosoever looketh on a gazes intemperately, &c. by that very lustful look, woman to lust after hath, for his part, made himself guilty of adultery on her hath committed her. adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye 29. And be thy eye (one instrument of ensnaring thee, as the hand is another, v. 30.) never so useful 1s offend thee, or advantageous to thee, thou hadst better have 13 liable unto the fire in the valley of Hinnom, evoxos eis tùv 14 reconcile thyself. 15 be at accord: see note [m], and note on 16 apparitor, serjeant. 17 to them, Toîs. 18 scandalize thee, cause thee to stumble, or insnare thee, σкavdaλíσei σe, see note on ch. xi. [c]. 12 sanhedrim, ovvedpíw. Mark xiv. [ƒ]. γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. 30 And if thy right pluck it out, and cast none than be ensnared by it. And so for all other it from thee: for it things, if that which is most precious to thee and is profitable for thee useful (as instrumental to the greatest uses and most that one of thy members should perish, grateful delights) be thereby a means of ensnaring and not that thy thee in any sin, or hindering thee in thy progress of whole body should a holy or chaste life, deny thyself the use of that, be cast into hell. which yields thee, together with that delight, that hand offend thee, damage also, and the damage far more considerable cut it off, and cast it than the delight; and adultery being forbidden, acfrom thee: for it is count it the most advantageous precept, this of not profitable for thee feeding or pleasing the eye, &c., which, when it is that one of thy members should perish, indulged to, makes it so hard, if not impossible to aband not that thy stain from the fouler grosser sin, at least in the heart, whole body should (the purity of which, and not only of the outward be cast into hell. members, is strictly required by Christ, v. 7.) For it 31 [p] It hath been is much better for thee to want those delights or adshall put away his vantages at this present, than that by the enjoying wife, let him give them thou shouldst plunge thyself body and soul her a writing of di- into everlasting perdition. said, Whosoever vorcement: 32 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. : 33 Again, ye have 30. See ver. 29. u he must, is bound to * is guilty of making 33. And as v. 21 and v. 27. (that of v. 31. being but heard that it hath appendant to that of adultery and brought in as in a been said 19 by them of old time, Thou parenthesis) I mentioned to you some of the comshalt not forswear mands of the decalogue, so now again another. thyself, but shalt throne: perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto 34. All voluntary swearing, though it be by a you, Swear not at creature, is wholly interdicted thee. And though in all; neither by hea- involuntary, those that are lawfully imposed by the ven; for it is God's magistrate, by way of adjuring or laying an oath 35 Nor by the upon thee, thou mayest and art obliged, in obedience earth; for it is his to authority, to swear by God himself, yet in any footstool: neither by other case thou art not to swear by any thing else, Jerusalem; for it is though it be inferior to God, because, being created the city of the great by God, it is he only that hath power over it, and 36 Neither shalt therefore it is not subjected to thy will, to abuse or thou swear by thy swear by it, as for example, King. head, because thou 37. But let no more be used in your discourse but canst not make one an affirmation, and, if need be, an asseveration; and hair white or black. 37 But let your so on the contrary, when you deny any thing, a negacommunication be, tive, and if the matter require, some other addition of Yea, yea; Nay, nay: greater weight to express the seriousness of your for whatsoever is speech, (but no kind of oath) to back or confirm it. more than these For whatsoever is used above these necessary expres "cometh of evil. sions and confirmations, (as any kind of oath used in discourse between men, be it by the heaven, the earth, &c.) proceeds from some evil principle, sometimes from your vainglorious humour, delighting in such big speaking, (founded in an opinion, that fearing to sin is a poor-spirited thing,) sometimes from want of reverence to the name of God, sometimes from the faithlessness of men, but most commonly from the devil, that evil one, who hath many snares to catch souls, and ensnare them in idolatry, or error, or unbelief, and the use of the forementioned forms of swearing may tend to this end undiscernibly; and besides, the not observing exact truth in all our conversation (which makes us not fit to be trusted without oaths), and the incredulity of men (that they will not believe without them), and so the pride and irreverence also, are all the works of the devil, in which respect (as also, because there is no part of our sensitive appetite to which oaths do properly afford any delight or pleasure) the oaths that come from any one of these may be said to be from him, especially all needless promissory oaths, to which Christ's speech especially belongs. 38 Ye have heard 38. It is appointed in the judicial law of the Jews, that it hath been that he that wronged or maimed another, shall himsaid, An eye for an self suffer that very evil which he hath done to that eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto whosoever shall smite other. that you oppose not violence to the injurious you, "That ye [4] re- man, but on the contrary, whosoever shall use thee sist not evil: but contumeliously, bear it patiently, (as to turn the thee on thy right cheek signifies proverbially, Lam. iii. 3,) yea, though cheek, turn to him the doing so seemeth to thee a likely means to bring the like upon thee another time. In matters of such a light nature, venture that rather than think of the other also. 40 And if any man Opposing violence unto it. will sue thee at the 40. And if by suit at law any one endeavour to law, and take away rob thee of thy meaner or inner garment, do thou 20 is from evil, or the evil one, èk Toû Tovnρoù èotí. πονηρῷ. 21 the injurious, or evil man, T 22 thy [r] coat, let him rather than oppose violence to his injustice, venture have thy cloke also. the losing of thy upper better garment also. shall 23 41 And whosoever 41. And whosoever shall make thee go and carry compel thee his burdens a little way, do thou again rather than to [s] go a mile, go permit thy passions to oppose violence to this injury or light invasion of thy liberty, venture to suffer as much more. with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee 'turn not thou away. z do not thou disdainfully or loathingly turn away. 43¶ Ye have heard 43. It is true indeed that the precept of Moses that it hath been concerning the kind dealing of the Jews with other said, Thou shalt love men, extended not universally to all, but peculiarly thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. to their countrymen, or fellow Jews (called, the sons of thy people): to others who were aliens and also enemies to them, they were not bound to be kind; but against some, viz. the seven nations, they were commanded to proceed hostilely. 44 But I say unto 44. Let your kindness be extended as the blessings you, Love your ene- of heaven, even to enemies and injurious provokers; mies, bless them that curse you, do in the same manner and measure as they do ill to good to them that you, do ye good to them, blessing, obliging, praying for hate you, and pray them, and making them no other returns for all their for them which de- virulencies, hatreds, and contumelious malicious bespitefully use you, haviour toward you. and persecute you; 45 That ye may be 45. That so by imitating God, you may approve the children of your yourselves to be like him, as children to a parent, it Father which is in being evident in him that he confines not his mercies heaven: for he mak- to friends and good men, but extends them to injuthe []evil and on the rious provokers and gross offenders as well as the good, and sendeth pious lovers of him. eth his sun to rise on rain on the just and 46. For if ye have ordinary charity to them which ⚫ on the unjust. have so to you, do you deserve or have reason to 46 For if ye love them which love you, expect any reward from God for so doing? Why, the what reward have worst sort of men in the world will do so. 24 ye? do not even the 47. And if ye abound in affection to Jews only, publicans the same? what do you more than all the most vulgar men of the 47 And if ye sa- heathen world think themselves obliged to? who lute your brethren only, 25 what do [u]ye kiss and embrace those that are nearest and dearest more than others? to them. licans so? do not even the pub- 48. Therefore of you Christians I require, that you exercise your charity, whether of the lowest or perfect, even as your 48 Be ye therefore highest sort, and extend it as far as the mercy of God Father which is in is extended, viz. to enemies as well as friends, Luke heaven is perfect. vi. 36. 22 shirt, let go even thy upper garment to him. 25 what extraordinary thing do you? 23 press. 24 embrace, àσráonode. that ye do not your alms before men, "to a to be beheld or looked on by them. If you do not be [b] seen of them: thus take heed, you will lose that reward which God otherwise ye have no reward of your Fa- in heaven hath laid up for the alms-giver. ther which is in hea alms, do not sound The praise of men is their reward, the only a trumpet before one which they are likely to have for this performthee, as the hypocrites do in the 'sy-ance, which is thus by them designed to their own nagogues and in the glory. From God they are sure to receive none, by streets, that they receiving this they acquit God of all farther paymay have glory of ment. men. Verily I say unto you, They doeth : 4 b cret himself shall watch over thyself as one that is very apt to have their reward. fall into this sin, to do works of mercy vainglori3 But when thou ously, and therefore do them as secretly as you can, doest alms, let not and let not thy dearest bosom-friend, which is to thy left hand know thee as thy left hand, know what thou doest in this what thy right hand kind, (unless so far as he shall be necessary to assist That thine alms thee in the doing of it, or as his knowing of it may may be in secret: some other way be ordinable to the glory of God, and thy Father without any reflection of any praise on thee from him which seeth in se- or other,) and God which beholds that which was reward thee openly. thus done by thee in secret, shall give thee that very 5 And when reward for thy secret piety, which the vainglorious thou prayest, thou person designs to himself, (but cannot so readily obshalt not be as the tain, as by this contrary way thou shalt,) make payhypocrites are: for ment to thee in the sight of men and angels. they love to pray [e] standing in the d like them, which pray with the same design [d] synagogues and that stage-players act on the stage, to gain applause in the corners of the by so doing. For all their joy in praying is to do it streets, that they in places of greatest resort, where they may be most Verily I say unto visible, as they that stand in the meeting of two you, They have their streets, choose that as the place of best advantage, to be seen by those which pass in either street. 6 But thou, when e retire from thy worldly company (as Jacob, into thy closet, and Gen. xxxii. 24, when he wrestled with the angel), when thou hast shut and with thy doors shut to thee, pray there to thy thy door, pray to heavenly Father, which is himself invisible, and seeth thy Father which is thee, how secret soever thou art, and consequently in secret; and thy that which is done by thee in secret, and he that is Father which seeth in secret shall re- thus the beholder of thy closet-devotions shall reward ward thee openly. thee before men and angels. may be seen of men. reward. thou prayest, enter 2 receive, or, 3 places of concourse. I assemblies, or, places of concourse, тaîs ovvaywyaîs: see note [d]. are paid, or, have received, àréxovơi: see note on Mark xiv. [d]. |