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17. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

In my own person; to show you how the law is fulfilled; and then to put you in the way of doing it; thus establishing it, and securing obedience to the whole and every part of it.

18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Surely he means by himself, and in his own person: for who else ever fulfilled every tittle of the law? Nevertheless, the sacredness and everlasting, indispensable obligation of it, is here asserted in the strongest terms; and if this is not the mark at which we are aiming, we cannot be his disciples, nor have any benefit of his fulfilling the law for us.

19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

Christ does not here authorize us to suppose any of the commandments to be little. But the meaning is, anything contained under or included in them, though seemingly small to us, as anger, scornful speaking, and reviling, is the sin of murder. "He shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:" that is, as little in it as he accounts of them; that is, nothing. Such shall be excluded. Observe the danger of vacating God's commands in any respect, in any one instance.

19. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The most perfect teaching without doing, will signify nothing to our own reward, whatever effect it may have upon others. In reality, all teaching without doing, is not only very imperfect, but for the most part defeats itself, and is a fatal injury to the truth.

20. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

We must be admonished by what they taught, for we may be sure they did not practise better.

SECTION VIII.

Chap. v. ver. 21—26.

WHAT IT IS TO KILL.

21. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.

Rather, it was said to them, in the law, "Thou shalt not kill." Some men are sure they never did, and that God can have nothing to lay to their charge in this respect. Let us ask ourselves,¿do we understand the command as Christ intends we should? Not only as forbidding murder, but commanding love, and that freedom from hatred and malice which would keep us at the greatest distance from it. Let us be upon our guard; for Christ is at hand with his light; and if he finds this sin in our hearts, we must not think to clear ourselves from it; we have nothing to do but to think of our danger.

22. But I say unto you,

With divine authority and infallible certainty. Now, therefore, as we love our souls, let us hear and understand, that we may take a right measure of our duty, and thereby of ourselves. There is great force in that little word I, to a true disciple.

22. That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment:

That is, (if the words, without a cause, are to be retained,) except the case require some severity of behaviour, or expression; but still with real kindness, in pity to him, for reasons respecting his good, and so that the anger may be against the fault, and not the man. Observe the word brother. So God teaches us to call every one. Think with what tenderness and love we ought, and, perhaps, would behave to him, if he was really such.

22. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council:

Raca, a term of reproach and contempt, well understood by Christ's hearers.

22. But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

With still greater bitterness and malevolence, thou greatest of all fools, the scripture fool, thou vile, wicked fellow. But does not Christ himself call the Scribes and Pharisees fools? Yes; but, with divine compassion, to rouse them to a consideration of their state. The sin is in the anger, the scorn, the pride of heart, in one sinner toward another.

The expressions, "Shall be in danger of the judgment, -of the council,—of hell fire,” may allude to the three different kinds of judicature, or punishment among the Jews. But whether or not, the meaning is plain. Every one of these, though not every one equally, proceeds from an evil root of hatred, is a breach of that charity we owe to one another, and will bring us under condemnation.

And now, who will plead to the sixth commandment, not guilty? Let us take notice again, if we would not be deceived, that it is in the inward root, the thought of the heart, that is our own bane, and makes us guilty before God. He does not need to hear us speak to know what

we are.

23. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Whether he knows it or not, God knows it for him.

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.

Nothing will be accepted from thee in this disposition.

25. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

"Agree with thine adversary," thy brother; and God, on his behalf. "Quickly:" the loss of an hour may be the loss of thy soul.

26. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

If we could pay the first, we might have some hope of paying the last. He, who only could, paid all for us.

SECTION IX.

Chap. v. verse 27-37.

AGAINST ADULTERY.

27. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

It is hard to know when we come within the verge of this prohibition; and, therefore, let us keep a strict watch in the case, and be safe by inward purity. "Hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Let us

observe, again and again, at what Christ is aiming, where God looks for sin, and how we must understand the law in other instances, according to the rule here put into our hands, in order to judge of our state and condition.

29. 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.

"Pluck it out," that is, effectually; for doing it actually might still leave the adultery in the heart. Let us stand fast in the belief of that which Christ says will be for our profit either self-denial, according to Christ, or the far greater sufferings of hell.

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.

Rather than anything, though ever so dear and profitable, should hinder thee in thy Christian progress, or prove a means of ensnaring thy soul and body, absolutely and totally forego it.

31. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement :

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.

The Jews needed this precept; divorces would not have been so common among them, if they had understood the seventh commandment as the law of inward purity. Let all enter into the spirit of it, and consider what mutual indulgence, tenderness, and forbearance, are required between husbands and wives.

33. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old

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