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. (x) Luke xii. 58. 26 Verily, I say unto thee, thou shalt in no wise come out thence, till thou hast paid the last farthing.

27¶Ye have heard that it was said (y) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (y) Exod. xx. 14. 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 (z) But if thy right eye cause thee to offend, 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. (z) Ch. xviii. 8.

Mark ix. 43.

30 And if thy right hand cause thee to offend, cut it off and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should per

the last farthing-That is, for ever, since

thou canst never do this.

27 Thou shalt not commit adultery-And this, and the sixth commandment, the Scribes and Pharisees interpreted barely of the outward act.

28 [Hath committed adultery with her in his heart--The heart's desires in many cases denote the good or evil of an act. If a man cannot do the good which is in his heart, and really is prevented, God takes the will for the deed. If he earnestly purposes evil, but cannot, because God and man deny time, place, and opportunity, the will also is taken for the deed.]

29, 30 If any person, pursuit, or thing, be as dear as a right eye, or as useful as a right hand, cause thee thus to offend, though but in heart.

Perhaps here may be an instance of a kind of transposition, which is frequently found in the sacred writings; so that the 29th verse may refer to ver. 27, 28; and the 30th to ver 21, 22. As if he had said, part with any thing, however dear to you, if you cannot avoid sin while you keep it. For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. The word member figuratively means sensual and sinful affections. Hence the

32 But I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, save for the cause of whoredom, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is put away, committeth adultery.

33 Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old, (b) Thou shalt not foreswear thyself, but shalt perform thine oaths unto the Lord. (b) Ex. xx. 7.

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God's throne; nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:

35 Neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head; for thou canst not make one hair white or black.

Apostle says, "Mortify your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection," &c. Col. iii. 5. Read the passage thus,

For it is better that thy corrupt affec tions, darling sins, or the sins which thou sincerely lovest, and which prompt the eye and the hand to sin, should be entirely abandoned, rather than they should consign thy whole body and soul to hell. The body is merely the instrument of sin, as prompted by a depraved soul; but it is a willing instrument, and both will be punished.]

31 Let him give her a writing of divorce Which the Scribes and Pharisees allowed men to do on any trifling occasion.

32 Causeth her to commit adulteryIf she marry again. Those who violate conjugal fidelity will not afterwards be very scrupulous either in a single or a married state; and a man would be acting against his own interests to marry a woman of such loose habits.

33 Our Lord here refers to the promise made to the pure in heart, of seeing God in all things, and points out a false doctrine of the Scribes, which arose from their thus not seeing God.

What he forbids is, the swearing at all, 1. By any creature; 2. in our ordinary con

37 But let your conversation be yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these, is of the evil one.

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, (c) an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. (c) Deut. xix. 21.

39 But I say unto you, that ye resist not the evil man; but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek,

turn to him the other also:

40 And if a man will sue thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy

cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go with him one mile, go with him twain.

versation; both of which the Scribes and Pharisees taught to be perfectly innocent. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head-For God commands thee not to do it; it can answer no good purpose. For thou canst not make one hair white or Black-Whereby it appears, that this also is not thine but God's.

[A good man will avoid taking an oath if possible. An oath will not bind a dishonest and lying man; for to gain their ends, some will swear anything. Some are deceitful, and when they take an oath kiss their thumb instead. Some persons constantly perjure themselves; and they should never be trusted; they are unfit for commercial life, to say the least.

37 Let your conversation be yea, yea; and nay, nay-That is, in your common discourse, barely affirm or deny.

38 Ye have heard-Our Lord proceeds to enforce such meekness and love on those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, as were utterly unknown to the Scribes and Pharisees. It hath been said -In the law, as a direction to judges, in cases of violent and barbarous assaults. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth -And this hath been interpreted as encouraging bitter and rigorous revenge.

39 But I say unto you that you resist not the evil man thus-The Greek word translated resist, signifies, standing in battle array, striving for victory. If a man smite thee on the right cheek, return not evil for evil; yea, turn to him the other, rather than revenge thyself. [It is better to submit a little than proceed in self-defence to a great and lasting quarrel, in which life might be endangered. As if Christ had said, "Press not your

case to a civil tribunal; for the judges generally are corrupt, and you can obtain little justice there. Kindness is cheaper than retaliation; it is more dignifying; it is Godlike.]

40, 41 Where the damage is not great, choose rather to suffer it, though possibly it may on that account be repeated, than to demand an eye for an eye-to enter into a rigorous prosecution of the offender. [The Romans inflicted many hardships upon the Jews. In verse 41, the case of those who were compelled by authority to convey the baggage of travellers or government employes, is pointed at. Even if the case was oppressive, and the persons were legally exempt, compliance would be better than resistance under such a government. The obvious inference is this; -Suffer injury for the sake of peace, when no duty requires the contrary, rather than oppose force to force, and commit your concerns to the Divine keeping.] That the words are not literally to be understood, appears from the behaviour of our Lord himself. John xviii. 22, 23.

42 Thus much for your conduct towards the violent. As for those who use milder methods, Give to him that asketh theeGive and lend to any so far (but no farther; for God never contradicts himself) as is consistent with thy engagements to thy creditors, thy family, and the household of faith.

43 Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy-God spoke the former part; the Scribes added the latter.

44 Bless them that curse you-Speak all the good you can to and of them that speak all evil to and of you. Repay love in thought, word, and deed, to those who

hate you, and show it both in word and deed.

45 That ye may be the children-That is, that ye may continue and appear such before men and angels. For he maketh his sun to rise-He gives his enemies such blessings as they will receive at his hands. Spiritual blessings they will not receive. If God had not loved us while we were his enemies, we could never have become his children. God has no enemy which he hates but sin; we should be like him.

46 The publicans were officers of the revenue, farmers or receivers of the public money; men employed by the Romans to gather the taxes and customs, which they exacted of the nations they had conquered. They became odious for their extortion and oppression, and were reckoned by the Jews as the scum of the earth.

47 And if ye salute your friends onlyOur Lord probably glances at those prejudices which different sects had against each other, and he denounces a narrow spirit. O that this had been more attended to among the unhappy divisions and subdivisions by which the church has been degraded! And O that we might advance so far as cordially to embrace our brethren in Christ, of whatever party

or denomination they are.

48 Therefore ye shall be perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is perfect-So the original implies, referring to all that holiness, which our Lord in the beginning of the chapter recommends as happiness, and in the close of it as perfection. [Ye shall be perfect as your Father in heaven. God is love, and you shall be like him, in proportion as you manifest his Spirit. Be therefore humble, kind, loving, and forgiving, and never be revengeful.]

be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 Therefore when thou doest alms do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth ;

4 That thy alms may be in secret ; and thy Father who seeth in secret will reward thee openly.

CHAP. VI. v. 1. In this chapter our Lord describes that purity of intention without which none of our outward actions are holy. This chapter contains four parts: 1. The right intention and manner in giving alms. Ver. 1-4. 2. The right intention, manner, form, and pre-requisites of prayer. Ver. 5-15. 3. The right intention and manner of fasting. Ver. 16 -18. 4. The necessity of a pure intention in all things, unmixed either with the desire of riches, or worldly care, and fear of want. Ver. 12-34.

This first verse is a caution against vain glory in any of our good works: all these are summed up in the comprehensive word righteousness. This general caution our Lord applies in the sequel to the three principal branches of it, relating to our neighbour, ver. 2-4.: to God, ver. 5, 6.: and to ourselves, ver. 16-18.

To be seen-Merely being seen while we are doing any of these things, is a circumstance purely indifferent. But doing them with this view, to be seen and admired, this is what our Lord condemns.

Scribes and Pharisees blew a trumpet 2. As the hypocrites do-Many of the under a pretence of calling the poor together.

Sometimes they gave alms, though very little, and they wished the world to know how very charitable such pious souls were. They have their reward -All they will have; for they shall have none from God.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may appear unto men: verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and, having shut thy door, pray to thy Father, who is in secret, and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee.

5 The Synagogues-See Note on ch. iv. 23.

6 Enter into thy closet-That is, do it with as much secrecy as thou canst. Let it be a consecrated spot to thee and thy God-where thy joy shall be full, and from which thou shalt return with showers of blessings.

Use not vain repetitions-To repeat any words without meaning in them, is a vain repetition. Therefore we should be careful in our prayers to mean what we say; and to say only what we mean from the bottom of our hearts. The vain and heathenish repetitions which we are here warned against, are most dangerous, and yet very common; which is a principal cause why so many who still profess reacion are a disgrace unto it. All the words in the world are not equal to one holy desire. And the very best prayers are but vain repetitions, if they are not the language of the heart. [The Jewish rabbins who had lost the spirit of true devotion, taught that every one that multiples prayers shall be heard-the prayer which is long shall not return empty; 1 Kings xviii. 26; Acts xix. 34. The Mahometans rapidly utter some sentences 33 times, and some 99 times, yea, even a 1000 times. A missionary in India says that be has known some of the Brahmins to etter the name of God millions of times without stopping for days and nights, until they had become deranged. Are not the Roman Catholics guilty of the same?] 8 Your Father knoweth what things ye hate need of.-We do not pray to inform God of our wants. Omniscient as he is, he cannot be informed of any thing which he knew not before: and he is always willing to relieve them. The chief thing wanting is, a fit disposition on our part to reive his grace and blessing. The great oice of prayer is, to produce such a disposiLon in us; to exercise our dependance on

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the Heathens; for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not therefore like them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 (g) Thus therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name. (g) Luke xi 2

10 Thy kingdom come: thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

God; to increase our desire of the things we ask for; to make us so sensible of our wants, that we may never cease wrestling till we obtain the blessing.

9 Thus therefore pray ye.-He who best knew what we ought to pray for, and how to pray; what matter of desire, what manner of address would most please himself, has here dictated to us a perfect and universal form of prayer, comprehending all our real wants and desires; a complete directory of all our devotions.

This prayer consists of three parts, the preface, the petitions, and the conclusion. The preface, Our Father, who art in heaven, lays a general foundation for prayer, comprising what we must first know of God, before we can pray in confidence of being heard. It also points out to us that faith, humility, love of God and man, with which we are to approach God in prayer.

I. Our Father-Who art good and gracious to all, our Creator, our Preserver; the Father of our Lord, and of us in him, thy children by adoption and grace; not my Father only, who now cry unto thee, but the Father of the universe, of angels and men. Who art in heaven-Beholding all things both in heaven and earth, knowing every creature, and all their works, and every possible event from everlasting to everlasting. The Almighty Lord and Ruler of all, superintending and disposing of all things. In heaven-Eminently there, but not there alone, seeing thou fillest heaven and earth.

II. 1. Hallowed be thy name-Mayest thou, O Father, be truly known by all intelligent beings, and with affections suitable to that knowledge: mayest thou be duly honoured, loved, feared, by all in heaven and in earth, by all angels and all

11 Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

12 And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

14(h) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you. (h) Mark xi. 25.

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 Moreover, when ye fast, be not

up all the kingdoms of the earth: may all mankind, receiving thee, O Christ, for their king, truly believing in thy name, be filled with righteousness, and peace, and joy; with holiness and happiness, till they are removed into thy kingdom of glory, to reign with thee for ever.

3 Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven -May the inhabitants of the earth do thy will as willingly, and constantly, as the holy angels; without any interruption of their willing service! Do thou, O Spirit of grace, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make them perfect in every good work to do thy will, and work in them all that is well-pleasing in thy sight.

4. Give us, O Father, (for we claim nothing of right but only of thy free mercy) this day (for we take no thought for the morrow) our daily bread-All things needful for our souls and bodies: not only the meat that perisheth, but thy grace, the food enduring to eternal life.

5 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors-Give us, O Lord, redemption in thy blood, even the forgiveness of sin; as thou enablest us freely and fully to forgive every man, so do thou forgive all our trespasses.

6 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil-Whenever we are tempted, O thou that helpest our infirmi ties, suffer us not to enter into temptation. To be overcome or suffer loss thereby; but make a way for us to escape, so that we may be conquerors, through thy love over sin, and the consequences of it.

The principal desire of a christian being the glory of God (ver. 9, 10), and all he wants for himself or his brethren being the daily bread of soul and body, pardon

as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast: verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee.

19 Lay (i) not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: (i) Luke xii. 33.

of sin, and deliverance from the power of it, and of Satan, (ver. 11, 12, 13.); there is nothing else a Christian can wish for: therefore this prayer comprehends all desires. Eternal life is the certain consequence, or rather completion of holiness.

III. For thine is the kingdom-The sovereign right of all things that are or ever were created. The power-The executive power, whereby thou governest all things in thine everlasting kingdom. And the glory-The praise due from every creature, for thy power, and all thy wondrous works, and the mightiness of thy kingdom, which endureth through all ages, even for ever and ever-It is observable, that though the doxology and the petitions of this prayer are three-fold, and are directed to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, distinctly; yet the whole is fully applicable to every person, in the ever-blessed Trinity.

16 When ye fast-Our Lord does not enjoin either fasting, alms-deeds, or prayer; all these being duties which were before fully established in the church of God. Disfigure-By the dust and ashes which they put upon their heads, as was usual at the times of solemn humiliation.

17 Anoint thy head-So the Jews frequently did. Dress thyself as usual.

19 Lay not up for yourselves-Our Lord warns us of another snare, the love of money, as inconsistent with purity of intention as the love of praise. Where rust and moth cousume-Where all things are perishable and transient. He designed also to guard us against making any thing on earth our treasure. For a thing becomes our treasure, when we set our affections upon it. [Wealthy people in the East accumulated magnificent and costly