or

offence. On the contrary, Christ determines that they all, in fact, implied an appeal to God, inasmuch as he could not be separated from the work of his hands. For since they swore by one or other of the objects here mentioned, as imprecating upon themselves misfortune punishment from it if they swore deceitfully, every appeal to a creature as an avenger of falsehood, independent of God, whose power alone gives energy to the creatures to bless or to hurt, was a manifest folly. "Swear not at all," therefore, is the precept: neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: (Isaiah lxvi. 1 :) neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King, who has his temple there: neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black; the health or sickness of the human frame being constantly in the hands of God. Thus he teaches, that to swear by any of the creatures is, in fact, to swear by God who made and preserves them; and that the violation of such oaths was as truly an act of perjury as when the name of God was directly appealed to. It is a beautiful observation of Law, in reference to this passage: "How sacred the whole frame of the world is, how all things are to be considered as God's, and referred to him, is fully taught by our Lord in the case of oaths. Here you see all things in the whole order of nature, from the highest heaven to the smallest hair, are always to be considered, not separately as they are in themselves, but as in some relation to God." It is in this way that our Lord makes the Mosaic precept to bear upon

the practice of the Jews; but as the frequent use of all oaths, even when rightly conceived to be binding, and freed from the loose casuisty of the Jews, tended to lower their sanctity on the one hand, and to diminish confidence between man and man in the affirmations or denials which ordinary life calls for, our Lord prohibits all these voluntary oaths on common occasions; and thus at once enhances the sanctity of judicial adjurations, and raises an honourable confidence in the common communications of men with each other, which the frequency of these appeals to God or to his creatures had served to diminish. It was a strong and admirable manner of impressing his followers with a constant regard to truth in speech; and therefore he adds, But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay,nay ; that is, strictly and accurately true both in affirming and denying; the words being repeated to give the precept more strength, according to the manner of the Hebrew; or as the ellipsis to be understood is supplied by St. James, in quoting these words of our Lord, "Let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay;" that is, Let your yea be yea, and not nay; and your nay be nay, and not yea: intend what you say, and act accordingly.

For whatsoever is more than these cometh

of evil.—EK TOV Tоvпgov, of the evil one. (See chap. xiii. 19.) That is, this custom of trifling with oaths, and truth, and inventing subtle distinctions to palliate it, is of the devil, the father of lies;-a sentence which also refers the vicious casuistry of the papal church, in the matter of oaths, to its true origin.

38

eye,

t

Verse 38. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, &c.-As this was one of the judicial laws of the nation, and we have no instance in which our Lord interfered with merely civil matters which implied no moral turpitude, and know that on one or two occasions he expressly declined to interfere, it is not probable that he here repeals this part of the Jewish law, Deut. xix. 21, Exod. xxi. 24, Lev. xxiv. 19. We may, therefore, conclude, that, under the shelter of this public law, the disposition to appeal to the magistrate in trifling cases, and also the private retaliation of injuries, had been both practised and justified by the Jews; and thus a litigious and revengeful temper was encouraged, a character which, indeed, they appear always to have borne. What, then, does our Lord teach his disciples? But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil. Αντισηναι here signifies, to retaliate; for av, in composition, imports, vicem referre, to repay, or oppose the injury by the same means; and is here used in the same sense as avтañodidovaι in Rom. xii. 17, 66 Recompense to no man evil for evil." The pacific disposition here enjoined forbids us to be eager to resort to legal process on comparatively trifling occasions, which are exemplified by being smitten on the cheek,-which was an act of contumely among the Jews rather than intended to inflict corporal injury,-or being sued at law unjustly for a coat, or being compelled to go a mile. These are all proverbial expressions, to denote the smaller class of injuries. And the precept, also, forbids all private retaliation of any kind, especially of those injuries which Christians were to sustain for their religion, not only from public functionaries, but from their neighbours and other individuals. It is a principle, too, which may be applied to the smaller circumstances of life, in which neglects, as well as injuries, might place us under a temptation to return 'evil for evil;" a

66

thought which ought never to be allowed a place in the breast of a disciple of the meek and patient Saviour.

A question here, however, will arise, whether our Lord forbids us to resort to the protection of the laws of our country on any occasion, even should the consequence be the infliction of a severe penalty upon the offender. To this it may be answered, that as the instances of injustice given by him which we are forbidden to retaliate by even an appeal to law are such as can do but little injury, the impunity of greater cases, such as would affect the interests of society as well as our own, is not included in the prohibition. Besides, it is a principle laid down in our religion, that magistracy is of God; and that the magistrate “bears not the sword in vain." Still, however, every Christian is, by implication, even in these graver cases, guarded against too eager a disposition to commence legal processes; and ought to be clear in his own mind that he is free from the spirit of revenge, and is acting with a serious regard to the duty he owes to himself and to the public.

On the above verses a few remarks explanatory of the phrases and terms may be added.

The law of restitution, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," was not peculiar to the Jews; it obtained among many ancient nations. It was so rigidly enforced at Athens, that if a man put out the eye of a man who had but one eye, the offender was condemned to lose both eyes, as the only exact equivalent. To turn the other cheek to be smitten, is not to be understood literally. Neither did our Lord nor St. Paul act thus when so assaulted. The expression is proverbial for a patient and unrevenging temper. The coat, xwv, was the tunic, or under garment; the cloke, uariov, was the upper garment, or mantle; a piece of cloth nearly square, and wrapped round the

him twain.

To

body, or tied over the shoulders. compel thee to go a mile, is also a proverbial expression. The verb ayyagevew (from hangar, a dagger, which the couriers wore as a mark of authority) is a Persian word, used to denote the impressing of men by state authority, to carry burdens or messages from stage to stage. This was imposed upon the Jews whilst under the Persians; and both the Roman governors and the tetrarchs compelled them to similar services, or to furnish horses to their public messengers and posts, and to accompany them. The word came, therefore, to express any oppression or compulsory treatment attempted by any one. The word 18 often occurs in the Jewish writings, and is explained by them, the taking of any thing for the service of the king.

Verse 42. Give to him that asketh, &c. -These precepts are added to show that the religion of Christ requires positive as well as negative virtues. It is not enough to be peaceable and forgiving, we must be generous and beneficent. The giving and lending here enjoined are not, how ever, to be performed without regard to prudence as to our own means, and regard to the character of others. But the circumstances of any case which may come before us are to be considered under the influence of a free and bounteous disposition. The man who never gives or lends to alleviate the wants or difficulties of others, is not a Christian: this is

a plain inference from the precept, whatever other comment may be dictated by selfishness.

Verse 43. Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.-The first part of this precept is written in the law; the latter part is no where written, but might probably be inferred, from the command to extirpate the Canaanites, and to hold no communion with several of the neighbouring hostile and idolatrous nations. The original necessity of keeping the Jews distinct from foreigners, that they might be uncontaminated with their idolatry, and the circumstance of their being made the special instruments of inflicting God's severe judgments upon nations which had "filled up the measure of their iniquity," gave, in the best times, something of an exclusive character to that people. Yet their benevolence was not to be confined to those of their own country merely; nor was the precept, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour" so understood. There were 66 strangers" dwelling among the Israelites, whom the law of Moses commanded them to love and protect; and though the more modern Jews contended that by such

X

2

x Luke vi. 27.

distresses, without respect to country or religion. As the Jewish teachers had, however, limited the meaning of the law of love as to neighbours, and so far extended the original malediction against the seven nations of Canaan, and the Moabites, Midianites, and Amalekites, as to regard all other idolatrous nations as under the same or a similar exclusion from their kindness, and so justified that hatred of them which they often so contemptuously and haughtily manifested; our Lord tacitly intimates, that the original command to hate certain hostile and idolatrous people had been fully accomplished in the punishments anciently inflicted upon them, and was no longer in force; and now expressly declares that, at least under his dispensation, LOVE was to be UNIVERSAL, and all hatreds to be for ever extinguished. Still further, as that exclusive temper of the Jews, which had so long overstepped its legitimate boundary as to heathen nations, did, in that degenerate age when religion was no longer placed in the heart but in outward forms, so frequently break forth into malignity and hatred against those of their own nation who had offended them, so that they were often disposed to treat them as "heathen men and public ans;" he meets this case also in the words before us. What, then, are these divine precepts of the religion of our Saviour? What sense has he given to the ancient law, as taken up into his dispensation, on these points? 1. He repealed for ever the maledictions of a former age against all that might remain of the devoted nations and many remnants of these peo

z Luke vi. 32. ple, as of the Canaanites, Moabites, and others, were still in existence. In that respect "there was to be no more curse," not even on the descendants of Canaan ; and his followers were not, like the ancient Jews, to be the instruments of vengeance, but of peace and salvation, to every heathen nation throughout the world. 2. He has fixed the meaning of the precept, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour," so as to embrace all men in all the relations in which they may stand to us, however hostile and injurious, that there might be ONE LAW OF LOVE for all nations, and for every individual. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them," &c. "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven;" imitators of him, and influenced by his infinite charity, even to the unworthy and unthankful: "for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust :" one of the noblest duties, enforced by the noblest and most moving of all considerations. "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord;" he only can righteously exercise it whose perfection is absolute. This belongs not to erring and passionate mortals; none of them must dare to imitate his thunder; but all are to imitate his forgiving and bounteous mercy.

Verse 44.-Bless them that curse you.— To bless here signifies to speak kindly to them, without returning their revilings; and well of them, as far as we can see any thing commendable in them, notwithstanding their faults.

Verse 46. What reward have ye ?—To

every thing by which we please God, Christ promises a reward, which disobedience forfeits. Yet it is a reward of grace, not merit. On this subject the remarks of Augustine on Psalm xxxii. are happy: "Let us preserve the most faithful of debtors, because we retain the most merciful promiser; yet we lend nothing to him which can make him our debtor, because we receive everything from him; for it is of him, in him, and through him. What, then! do we give him nothing, and yet make him our debtor? How is this? Because he is our promiser. We do not say, Lord, restore what thou hast received, but, Render what thou hast promised."

The publicans.-These were the collectors and farmers of the taxes, imposed by the Romans from the time of Pompey; and on this account, their very existence being the visible proof of national subjection to a foreign power, as well as from their frequent extortions, they were objects of great aversion among the Jews, and were therefore ranked in the common language with notorious "sinners." Those actually resident in Judea were Jews; and some, as Matthew and Zaccheus, were men of character. All, however, shared more or less in the common odium. They have their name, τελώναι, from τέλος, tribute. The taxes of a province were usually farmed by Roman knights; under them were the receivers, called, "chiefs of the publicans ;" and those of the lowest degree were the collectors, who paid in the taxes to the receivers, who transmitted them to the farmers general.

Verse 47. And if ye salute your brethren only. The Jews refused the customary salutations prescribed by the courtesy of the age to Gentiles and Samaritans. On the contrary, we are taught that the benevolence of Christians is to be not only that of the heart, but is to show itself in

a careful observance of all the forms of external civility and courtesy.

Verse 48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, &c.-The verb is in the future, but used Hebraicè for the imperative. For "perfect," St. Luke uses " merciful;" the meaning being the same. It is the divine perfection of love which we are to imitate, in its PRINCIPLE and in its ACTS. "God," says Augustine," is perfect in mercy, both in pardoning and in conferring benefits; so be you perfect, both in forgiving wrongs, and in conferring your favours and benefits upon such as need them." The particle, wσtep, even as, does not here signify equality but resemblance; an entire conformity to the full extent of our mental and moral capacity. Philo finely observes, "The best wish we can frame, and the very perfection of felicity, is a resemblance to God."

On the expression, "and sendeth rain on the just and unjust," we may observe, that, judging from their later writers, it appears to have been a common observation among the Jews, though they probably borrowed it from the New Testament. They observed the FACT; but the grand MORAL which our Lord raises upon it escaped their notice, and was far from their practice. "Greater," says one of them, "is the day of rain, than the day of the resurrection of the dead; for the resurrection of the dead is for the just," (and only for the just, according to the notions of some of the Rabbins,) "but rain is both for the just and the wicked." R. Jose bar Jacob went to visit R. Joden, of Magdala. Whilst he was there, rain descended, and he heard his voice saying, "Thousands of thousands, and millions of millions are bound to praise thy name, O our King, for every drop thou causest to descend upon us, because thou renderest good to the wicked."