v. Chapter Verse Jordan.' Having collected this multitude, he, from a mountain, taught them-humility, charity, brotherly love, and continence. Commands them not only to forgive their enemies, but to love them, pray for them: nay, offer themselves ready and fubmissive victims to their infolence, violence, and fraud. Hard lesson! and I believe human nature incapable of performing it. He himself, poffefsing supernatural power and perfection, might love his enemies; certain it is that he prayed for them: but it is as certain that he many times withdrew from their violence. After telling his audience, that when a man looked upon a woman with a lustful eye, he committed 29 adultery with her in his heart: he adds-' 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." The fame is said of the hand. Poor Origen, who turned most of the fcripture into allegory, unfortunately took this passage in its literal sense, and by amputation of a part, prevented his whole body from being caft into hell: at least for adultery. (In ch. xviii. v. 8, 9. Jesus again preaches this hard doctrine to his difciples.) Jesus purfuing these instructions to the multitude, fays'Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for the body what ye shall put on.' Adding, that their heavenly 25 6 ، heavenly Father, knowing that they had need of Chapter Verse those things, would provide them. In support of this theory, he adduces two practical or fimilar proofs Behold the fowls of the air: they vi. 'fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into 'barns: yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. 'Confider the lilies of the field, how they grow: 26 28 6 they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I fay unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.' Neither of these, in my opinion, hold as fimilies. Men cannot live as the fowls do, upon berries, worms, and flies, (for if man provided not, they would have nothing else); nor will cloathing grow upon them as it doth upon the lilies: both fimilies are defective. The other-' Which of you by 6 taking thought can add one cubit to his sta'ture,' is worse. The disciples indeed, who had all things in common, 'Mary Magdalene, Jo 6 anna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and 'Susannah, and many others which ministered unto him (or them) of their substance.' (Luke, ch. viii. v. 2, 3. might without inconvenience, for a time comply with these directions - Take therefore no thought for the morrow : for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself: fufficient unto the day is 'the evil thereof. But if, as a general rule, it had been followed by all, a very few years would have reduced all to a very uncomfortable state. He 27 34 Chapter Verfe 17 He tells them-'Think not that I am come to ' destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come ' to destroy, but to fulfil. 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. Whosoever thereforeshall break one 6 of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven:' (in another place it is taught, that he that did this should not get there at all.) 'But whosever should do and teach them, the ' same shall be called great in the kingdom of 'Heaven.' Notwithstanding this declaration, he 31, 33 immediately explodes their law of divorce, oaths, or vows, made to the Lord: vindictive retalia38 tion, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth: hatred for hatred, &c. If by the law he meant the ten commandments only, would it not have been candid to have told them so plainly? He next cautions them against making a parade with their alms-giving, or their prayers. Both should be done privately, and the latter as fol9 lows- Our Father which art in Heaven, halro' lowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy II 'will be done in earth as it is in Heaven, Give 6 ८ us this day our daily bread. (Luke says, Give us day by day our daily bread. And our commentators, who will have it that the proper ' tranflation of this passage is-Give us this day ، bread for to-morrow, do not confider that this would would be a breach of his former command. Chapter Verfe • Take no thought for to-morrow, what ye shall vi. eat, &c.) And forgive us our debts, as we for * give our debtors. (Luke says--And forgive us our fins: for we also forgive every one that is ' indebted to us. I hope Luke practised this: 'but being a physician, it is likely he received ' his fees in ready money, and in course had no 'debtors. The governors of the church, not 'being physicians, or collectors for the benefit ' of others; have wisely rejected both; substitu'ting-And forgive us our trespasses as we for'give them that trespass against us). And lead us 'not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. '(The phrase of lead us not into temptation, is, ' I think, highly exceptionable: that the Al' mighty will lead us into temptations, or trials 'that may be too powerful for us; is a supposi'tion repugnant to common sense, and totally'inconsistent with the idea we form, or ought to 'form, of his goodness and parental care. Support us in every temptation; would have properly preceded-and deliver us from evil.) For thine is 'the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ، ، ever. Amen.' This conclusion is generally allowed to be an interpolation. Luke has it not: the prayer is not mentioned by Mark or John; and Luke introduces it in a different way. He says, (ch. xi. v. 1, 2.) ' And it came to pass, that as he (Jesus) was praying in a certain 'place, 12 13 Chapter Verfe place, when he ceased, one of his disciples ' said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said ' unto them, When ye pray, fay-Our Father,' vii. I 12 &c. In this sermon from the mount, Jesus saysJudge not, that ye be not judged. For with 'what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged : ' and with what measure ye mete, it shall be ' measured to you again.' He advises them to discover and remove their own blemishes, before they reprove or reproach their neighbours. What 6 follows, I do not understand- Give not that ' which is holy unto the dogs: neither cast ye your pearl before swine, left they trample them • under their feet, and turn again and rent you.' To apply this literally, is to suppose the audience fools; add to this, the improbability of their being poffefsed of pearls. Take it allegorically, and it breathes not a spirit of charity or brotherly love. It is followed by a very different leffon- There'fore all things whatsoever ye would that men ' should do to you, do ye even so to them: for * this is the law and the prophets.' This most excellent precept; this most equitable maxim; ought to be written in letters of gold, upon every church, temple, altar, and place of worship throughout the world. A rule so plain cannot be mistaken by the ignorant: a rule so just, complete, and comprehenfive, must be admired by the |