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part from your right, in smaller matters, than contend at law with such a violent man.'

41.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain, or "two."

This sort of compulsion was used by the officers of the public magistrates, especially by such as were couriers, who, for expedition, seized and made use of the horses, carriages and sometimes the persons of those whom they met, as they had occasion. The meaning

'therefore is that it is better to do twice as much as is demanded from us, although unjustly, than to seek revenge for ourselves with our own hands, or in a court of justice; or, in any other way, to transgress the laws of benevolence.

42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away.

Christ now proceeds to a new rule of duty, which relates to our conduct towards those who are in want: these are of two kinds; those who are destitute of all things, and from whom we can expect no return, and those who are afflicted with some temporary calamity, and who only want to borrow money for their assistance: from neither of these would Christ have us withhold relief; but in giving it we must be directed by regard to their wants and our own ability.

43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.

These words are no where to be found in the Old Testament: it has therefore been supposed that this is a rule laid down not by the Jewish law but by the Jewish doctors, and it seems to confirm this supposition that the words, by them of old time, are not add

ed as in the former instances, where the law of Moses is evidently quoted: yet, on the other hand, it is not probable that our Lord, after referring in the preceding instances to what had been said to those of old time, that is, to the Israelites when the law was first delivered, should here, without any notice, introduce the rules of the Jewish doctors, or of private persons. It seems therefore not an improbable conjecture of Bishop Pearce, that, since in Lev. xix. 17, 18. we have these words, "thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart,---thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," Matthew wrote originally "thou shalt love thy neighbour, and not hate thine enemy," but that the particle not was by some means dropped in succeeding manuscripts. If this conjecture is well founded, our Saviour's alteration of the law, from not hating to loving an enemy is considerable. The aversion which the Jews entertained for all those who were not of the same nation or religion with themselves, is well known, and was their common reproach among the civilized gentiles: but although they pretended to justify this by some passages in their law, their interpretations were unfair and ill-founded.

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 you and persecute you, or, "revile you.

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Christ here requires his disciples to bear good-will even towards their enemies, and to requite abusive language and unjust usage, by blessings and prayers and kind offices. Yet this rule does not seem to prohibit us from speaking with severity and indignation of the actions of wicked men, whether they injure ourselves or our fellow-creatures. In such language does our Saviour himself speak against the Scribes and Pharisees, when they wilfully misrepresented his words and his miracles, and in the same language do Paul

and the other apostles speak of those who opposed

them.

45. That ye may be the children, i. e. the imitators, 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.

46. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye, i. e. from God? (for it is often rewarded by men.) Do not even the publicans the same?

The publicans were the collectors, and perhaps some of them, the farmers of the public revenue, which the Roman emperors exacted from the Jewish nation. These publicans were Jews; at least some of them were so; for Matthew was one of them, and so probably was Zaccheus: but because the Jewish nation in general looked upon the exaction of these customs and taxes as an oppression, they had a very bad opinion of these publicans as instrumental in that oppression, and, perhaps, as adding to it by their behaviour. As the office was so odious, it is probable that few persons, except gentiles or men of bad character, would undertake it: these men, bad as they were, were ready to perform kind offices for their friends.

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47. And if your brethren, or, as many manuscripts have it, your friends," only, what do ye more than others? or rather, "what good will this do you?" do not even the publicans, or, "tax-gatherers," so?

To salute includes every external expression of friendship, and wishing well to others as well as embracing them. Hence it is that Paul uses it in his epistles. The Jews were ready to offer their good wishes to their Jewish brethren, and to embrace them; but they thought gentiles unworthy of that honour; Jesus Christ, however, requires us to extend our charity to all men.

48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Exercise your charity in a perfect manner, as God does, without distinction of friends or enemies. To be perfect in the same degree as God is, is not the thing here intended.

REFLECTIONS.

1. Christ has given us some excellent maxims, with respect to bearing and forgiving injuries, which we should do well to attend to. We are required to give up our own rights in less matters, and to bear injuries patiently, rather than, by withstanding the unjust and insisting upon our full rights, produce quarrels and contentions, which will occasion much greater mischief in the world than the evil that we suffer. Public justice is nothing more indeed than that degree of evil which the public good requires; but we ought not to have recourse to this upon light occasions, and never to gratify revenge, however great the injury which we receive may be. Nothing will justify us in seeking this redress but a desire to recover our lost rights, or to prevent a greater evil to ourselves or society.

But different from these precepts of Christ is the practice of many of those who call themselves his disciples; who, when they receive the smallest injury, burn with implacable resentment against the person by whom it is offered; always retain it in their memories; and watch for every opportunity to retaliate. If they dare not punish the offender with their own hands, which they would willingly do, they fly to the laws of their country, the full rigour of which they are determined to make him feel: or if the offence is of such a nature that these will give them no redress, they must satiate their revenge by endeavouring to take away the life of the offender.

Instead of pursuing these unchristian methods, let every one who receives injuries, whether of a greater or a smaller degree, try himself by the rules which Christ has laid down for our conduct. If he can meet the person who has injured him without emotions of anger or hatred, and even with good-will; if he be ready to perform for him every kind office in his power; then does he possess the temper which the gospel of Christ requires: but if the presence of his enemy kindles resentment in his breast; if he would rejoice to return the injury which he has received himself, or to sce it repaid by others; then he is not a disciple of Christ, or is one of the lowest order; he is but a child in religion and a babe in Christ. Instead of seeking to punish his enemy, let him endeavour to subdue his own evil spirit.

2. How happy would be the condition of this world, if these laws of Christ were generally observed! Universal good-will and harmony would prevail among men; no disputes or differences would arise, or, if they did happen, would be settled without further mischief; earth would thus become a paradise, and we should have nothing to guard against but those evils which are brought upon us by the hand of Providence, which are light, compared with those which we bring upon each other.

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