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do and teach them, the fame fhall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20. For I fay unto you, That ex1 exceed the righteousness cept your righteousness shall of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhall in no cafe enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21. Ye have heard that it was faid by them [or, to them] of old time, Thou fhalt, not m kill and whofoever fhall kill, fhall be in danger of the judgment. 22. But I fay unto you, That whofoever is n angry with his brother without a caufe, fhall be in danger of the judgment: and whofoever fhall fay to his brother, (4) Racha, fhalt be in danger of the council: but whofoever fhall fay, Thou fool, fhall be in danger of hell-fire. 23. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the P altar, and there remembreft that thy brother hath ought against thee

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Exod. 20. 13. Thou fhalt not kill. Repeated Deut. 5. 17. nt hateth and ye er hath him.

Joh. 3. 15. Whofoever his brother is a murderer: know, that no murdereternal life abiding in

1 Mat. 23. 27, 28. Wo unto you fcribes and pharifees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited Sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are with- 5 in full of dead mens bones, and of all uncleannefs. Even fo ye alfo outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of bypocrifie and Iniquity. Rom.9.31. If-10know, O vain man, that Faith rael which followed after the law of without works is dead? righteousness, hath not attained to the 4.. Offer the law of righteoufnefs.. Rom. 10.3. gift that Mofes commanded. They being ignorant of God's righ- Mat. 23. 19. Ye fools and blind, teoufnefs, and going about to efta-15for whether is greater, the Gift, blith their own righteoufnefs, have or the Altar which fanctifieth the not fubmitted themfelves to the Gift.

righteoufnefs of God.

Jam. 2. 20. But wilt thou

P. Mat. 8.

the moral Law, he fhall be deemed unworthy of being a Member of my Kingdom, and have no Place in it, but be excluded from it.

(4) Or, curfed Wretch. It is a Term of Reproach, and fignifies a vain, empty, defpicable, or witless Perfon. Some think that the words in the foregoing Part of the Verfe, without caufe, are to be understood here, because our Lord himself calls the Scribes and Pharifees Fools, Blind, whited Sepulchres, Serpents, Generation of Vipers, &c. But it may be justly doubted, whether we may imitate our Lord in fuch Inftances, becaufe he came with an extraordinary Commiffion from God, and knew to whom fuch Terms could be tru ly applied. Such reproachful words therefore should be but feldom, if they may at all be ufed by us,

14. Leave there thy gift before the Altar, and go thy Way, firft be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. C 25. Agree with thine Adverfary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him: left at any time the Adverfary deliver thee to the Judge, and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer, and thou be caft into Prifon. 26. Verily I fay unto thee, thou fhalt by no means come out thence, till thou haft paid the uttermoft farthing. 27. Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit e Adultery. 28. But I fay unto you, That whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her,

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1† See Job 42.8. -Go to my Servant Job, and offer up for your felves a burnt-offering

of

b

Mat. 18. 19.

with all Men.

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Luk. 12. 58. When thou goeft with thine Adverfary to the Magiftrate, as thou art in the way,

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with her. Lev. 20. 10.- He that committeth adultery with his neighbours wife, the Adulterer and the -If two of Adulterefs fhall furely be put to you shall agree on earth as death Deut. 22. 22. If a man be touching any thing they fhall found lying with a woman marriask, it shall be done for them ed to an husband, then they shall my Father which is in Hea- both of them die. Prov. 6. 32. ven. Tim. 2. 8. I will that Whofo committeth adultery with a men pray every where, lifting 1oWomam, lacketh understanding: up holy hands without wrath and he that doth it, deftroyeth his doubting. Pet. 3. 7. That own Soul Mal. 3. 5.-I will be your Prayers be not hindred. a fwift Witness against the Adul Rom. 12. 18. If it be poffible, as terers.-- Mar. 7. 21. From within, much as lieth in you, live peaceably 15out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications. Joh. 8. 4, 5. Mafter, this Woman was taken in Adultery in the very act. Now Mofes comgive diligence that thou mayft be20manded us that fuch should be stoned: delivered from him. but what fayft thou? See Pfal. 32. 6. For this shall 4. Marriage is honourable in all, every one that is godly, pray unto and the bed undefiled: but whorethee, in a time when thou mayst be mongers and adulterers God will found, &c. Prov. 25. 8 Go not25judge. Adultery is joined with oforth hastily to frive, left thou ther enormous Crimes which fhut know not what to do in the end the guilty out of the kingdom of thereof, when thy neighbour hath heaven. See on 1 Car. 6. 9. put thee to fhame. + Ifa. 55. 6. f † Job. 31. 1. I made a Seek ye the Lord while he may be3ovenant with mine eyes; why then found, call upon him while he is fhould I think upon a maid. Prov. 6.25 Luft not after her beauty **Exod. 20. 14. Thou shalt in thine heart; neither let her not commit Adultery. Repeated. take thee with her eyelids. 2 Pet. Deut. 5. 18. Lev. 18. 20. Thou 2 14. Having eyes full of Adplhalt not lie carnally with thy35tery. neighbours Wife to defile thy felf

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hath committed adultery with her already in his heart 29. And (5) if thy right eye offend thee, [or, caufe thee to offend] pluck it out, and caft it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members fhould perish, and not that thy whole body fhould be caft into hell. 30. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and caft it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members fhould perifh, and not that thy whole body fhould be caft into hell. It hath been faid, Whofoever shall i put away his Wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. But I fay unto you, That whofoever fhall *

31.

32.

put away his

that by any means when I have preached to others, I my felf fhould be a caft-away. † Col. 3. 5. More tific therefore your Members which 5 are upon the earth; fornication, uncleannefs, &c.

i *Deut. 24. 1. When a Man hath taken a Wife and married her,

Mat. 18. 9. If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caft it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eve, rather than having two eyes to be caft into Hell-Fire. * Mar. 9. 47. If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with oneroand it come to pafs that the find eye, than having two eyes to be no favour in his eyes, because he caft into Hell Fire. Pfal. 119 37. hath found fome Uncleanness in her: Turn away mine eyes from behold. then let him write her a Bill of diing vanity.vorcement, and give it in her hand, + Mat. 19. 12. There are15and fend her away. See Mat. 19. fome Eunuchs, which were fo born 3, &c. The Pharifees alfo came from their Mothers Womb; and unto him, tempting him, and faythere are fome Eunuchs, which were ing unto him, Is it lawful for a made Eunuchs of Men: and there Man to put away his Wife for every be Eunuchs, which have made them caufe, &c. † Mar. 10. 2, &c. The felves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of20Pharifees came to him, and asked Heavens fake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. † Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Mat. 19. 9. Our Lord afFlesh, ye fhall die: but if ye firms the fame thing: Alfo* Luk. through the Spirit do mortifie the 15. 18. only this Claufe [faving deeds of the body, ye fhell live. t25 for the Caufe of Fornication] is not 1 Cor. 9. 27 I keep under my body, added. Mal. 2. 14, 15. and bring it into fubjection: left

him, Is it lawful for a Man to put away his Wife? tempting him, &c.

The Lord

(5) We are not to understand thefe, Precepts of our Lord, as if it were our duty in any Cafe to pull out our Eyes, or cut off our Hands; but the Meaning is, that though any finful Luft fhould be as dear to us as is a right Eye, or a right Hand, we must notwithstanding refolve to part with it, rather than by our indulging it, plunge both Body and Soul into Hell. Sin is in Scripture compared to a natural Body; as therefore the natural Bedy has many Members, fo the Body of Sin has many. Mem þers too.

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his wife, faving for the caufe of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whofoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery. 33. Again ye have heard that it hath been faid by them of old time, Thou shalt m not forfwear thy felf, but fhalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths. 34. But I fay unto you, Swear not at all; neither by Heaven, for it is Gods throne. 35. Nor by the Earth, for it is his footftool: neither by Jerufalem, for it is the City of the great King. 35. Neither fhalt thou swear by thy head, becaufe thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whattoever is more than thefe, cometh of evil. 38. Ye have heard that it hath been faid, Anf eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

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39. But thou prophane the Name of thy God: I am the Lord.

Lord hath been witnefs between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou haft dealt trea- nt Deut. 23. 23. That [Vow] cherously yet is the thy compani- which is gone out of thy lips thou on and the wife of thy covenant. 5 fhalt keep and perform. And did not he make one? yet Mat. 23. 16. recited unhad he the refidue of the Spirit: der ver. 33. in the following Verand wherefore one? that he might fes is condemned Swearing by the feek a godly Seed: therefore take Altar or any created things. †Jam. heed to your Spirit, and let none 5. 12. But above all things, my deal treacherously against the wife1oBrethren, fwear not, neither by Heaof his youth. Mar. 10. 11. Who- ven, neither by the Earth, neither foever fhall put away his wife, and by any other oath. marry another, committeth adultery against her. I Cor. 7. 10, II. 23. 22. Unto the married I command, yet 15 not I, but the Lord, Let not the fituation, the joy of the whole wife depart from her husband: But earth is mount Zion, on the fides

P† Ifa. 66. 1. See on Mat.

at Pf. 48. 2. Beautiful for

and if the depart, let her remain of the North, the City of the great

unmarried, or be reconciled to King.
her husband: and let not the hus-20
band put away his wife.

Col. 4. 6. Let your Spee:b be always with Grace, feafoned with f Mat. 23. 16. Wo unto you, falt, that ye may know how ye ye blind guides, which fay, Who- ought to answer every Man. *Jam. foever fhall fwear by the Temple, it 5. 12. Let your yea be yea, and is nothing: but whofoever fhall2, your nay, nay; left ye fall into Swear by the Gold of the Temple, condemnation. he is a debter.

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Exod. 20. 7. The 3d Commandment. Deut. 5. 11. the fame. *Levit. 19. 12. Ye fhall not fwear by my name falfly, neither halt

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* Excd. 11. 24. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. *Lev. 24. 20. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a ble

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St. MATTHEW V 39. But I fay unto you, That yes refift (6) not evil but whofoever fhallimite thee on thy right cheek, turn

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mifh in a Man, fo fhall it be done to him again. Deut. 19. 21. Thine eye' fhall not pity, but life fhall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

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your felves, but rather give place unto wrath for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, faith the Lord. I Cor. 6.7. There 5 is utterly a Fault among you, becaufe ye go to Law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather fuffer your felves to be tTheff. 5. 15.

+ Prov. 24. 29. Say not I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the Man according to his work. Lev. 19.10defrauded? 18. Thou shalt not avenge, nor See that none render evil for ebear any grudge against the chil- vil unto any Man: but ever foldren of thy People. Prov. 20. low that which is good, both a22. Say not thou, I will recom- mong your felves and to all Men. pence evil: but wait on the Lord, 1 Pet. 2. 23. Who when he was and he fhall fave thee. Ecclefi-15reviled, reviled not again; when afticus 28. 1,c. He that revengeth he fuffered, he threatened not; fhall find vengeance of the Lord, but committed himself to him and he will furely keep his Sins that judgeth righteously. † 1 Pet. in remembranee, &c. *Luk. 6. 29. 3. 9. Not rendring evil for evil, or Unto him that finiteth thee on2orail ng for railing: but contrathe one Cheek, offer alfo the o- riwife Bleffing; knowing that ye ther: and him that taketh away are thereunto called, that ye thy cloke, forbid not to take fhould inherit a Bleffing. thy coat alfo. * Rom. 12. 17, 19. u Lam. 3. 30. He giveth Recompence to no Man evil for e-25his Check to him that Smiteth him, Dearly beloved, avenge not he is filled full with reproach.

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(6) This Verfe and the following are not to be understood according to the frict Letter, but as fpoken proverbially. For we are not required here to turn the other Cheek to the Smiter, nor to give up our Poffeffions to every unrighteous and illegal invader; nor are we forbidden to make ufe of the Law in our own Defence, when we are called before Magiftrates; for this our Lord did in the Cafe of him that fmote him in the Prefence of the HighPrieft, Joh. 18. 22, 23. And St. Paul pleads his Privilege of being a Roman to fave himself from Scourging, Ats 22. 5. Nor are forbidden in all Cafes to bring others before Judges and Magiftrates in order to do our felves right. For St. Paul's Behaviour towards thofe Magiftrates who had beaten him and Silas uncondemned, being Romans, A&t. 16. 37, &c. feems to imply that he intended fo to do, had not the Magiftrates by their compliance with the Terms propofed by him prevented it.

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But we are here forbidden to go to Law for fmall and inconfiderable Loffes and Injuries. We are forbid private Revenge, and even pullick Appeals to Courts of Judicature, only to gratifie a malicious Temper of Mind; alfo feeking fuch reparation for Injuries as will make us no amends, which he would do who fhould require Eye

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