is confined to one great subject. That subject is Chris- tian love and charity. Charity, which is the grand diaracteristic of the Gospel,— charity, which is the .bond of perfectness, — charity, without which a man is no- thing in God's sight, — charity is here fully expounded and strongly enforced. Well would it have been for the Church of Christ, if its Master's precepts in this passage had been more carefully studied and more diligently observed I
In the first place our Lord explains the nature and extent of Christian charity. The disciples might ask. Whom are we to love? He bids them "love their enemies, do good to them that hate them, bless them that curse them, and pray for them that despitefully use ' them." Their love was to be fike His own towards sin- ners — ^unselfish, disinterested, and uninfluenced by any hope of return. — What was to be the manner of this love P the disciples might ask. It was to be self-sacrific- ing and self-denying. " Unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek ofier also the other." — "Him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also." They were to give up much, and endure much, for the sake of showing kindness and avoiding strife. They were to forego even their rights, and submit to wrong, rather than awaken angry passions and create quarrels. In this they were to be like their Master, long-suflfering, meek, and lowly of heart.
In the second place, our Lord lays down a golden prin- eipk for the settlement of doubtful cases. He knew well that there will always be occasions when the line of duty towards our neighbour is not clearly defined. He knew