| That {fa Man dath bur in his Heart nouriſh Wrath [1ſt another, withour a j45 Cauſe, and lets it grow alice, and Thoughts, and Deſires of private Revenge, tho'
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—_— iy wo pit : But if Men ſuffer cheir Paſſions to break on: inco Reviling Terms and Language, ſuch as Raca, (fignitying ui Peri) of Hom Fool, ({peaking this from Anger or Malice) a 0% nar only liable to the Eternal Vengeance of God, com- riey are the Fife of Gehenna, bur ought ro be ſubjefted to the Nnſhmen ot ne Civil Haziftrate. Every Gov CO «in; by £ir2 Law of God, in order to the Preveytion oft Quar- "is or Blood-thed, (which often tollowerh Revilings each of 0- er) clived £0 punith ſuch Ottenccs, as being the Beginnings w ” War fer, Provnc.rtions 00 it, and Indications of Murderous Hearts ;, K-:rts full of rhat, which in che Eye of God 15 Iurdey,
2» Therefore if thou bring thy Gift to the Altar, and there remembreſt that thy Brother hath ought a- &1121r thee : | ” 3+ Leave there thy Gift before the Altar, and go 1 way: firſt be reconciled to thy Brother,. and then come and ofrer thy Gitt.
The Ze;vs were to offer Gifts and Sri jfices, Heb. 5. 1» Their wore their Free-Will Offerings, they were the m: it frequent amonglit rhe Jews, as may appear from 1.eviticus, and har the Prieſts prefled with the greareſt Tmportunity, as may ap- pear from 347. 7. Ie Therefore our Saviour inſtancerh 1n cheſe, racher chan in ocher Parts of cheir Worlhip: Bring unto God he beſt and moſt acceptable Sacrifnces (in your or the Teacher's Judsment) that you can, it there be found Malice or raſh Anger *1 your Hearts, God will not accept them. Theretore, how near ſoever you be come to a Religious Attion, it you there re- member, thar your Brother hath a juſt reaſon to be offended with vou, for any 21 :!ice or raſh Anger ſhewed or expreſicd by you; d9 not think this wilt diſcharge you of your Obligation ro pay your Homaze to God, but furbear awhile, leave your Gift before jb» Altar, and do whar in you lies to be reconciled to your Ero- ter, to have a placable Spirir to him, ro purge your Heart of 1-114 and Melice, and any Defire of Revenge, and then come and offer your Gifts; pay that Homage which you owe, and 1t ras in your Heart to pay to God, Ir is a Text uſually applied with reference to Commun» with God inthe Lord's Supper, but cqunlly Extenſive £2 4ny other part of Worſhip, hearing the Word, F.v, 1.21, and Prazcr, 1 Tim. 2,8. God accepteth no Service, 0 Homage from an implacable, malicious Hearr.
2; Agree with thine Adverſary quickly, whileſt thou artin the way with him)leſt at any rime the Ad- rerfary deliver thee * to the Judge. and the Judgede- liver thee to the Officer, and thou be caſt into Priſon, | 26 Verily 1 fy unto thee, Thou thalt by no means { come out thence, until rhou haſt paid the uttermoſt | {1rthing. Foraſmuch as the Overt-A&s, and Expreſſions of unjuſt Wrath E and Malice, are Iniquities, puniſhable by che Judge, ler irbe the E Care of chote thac will be my Diſciples, if by their Paſſions they E he provoked any, and made him their Adverſary, quickly to E are with them ; for you knoly che ordinary Courte of enraged - Aivcrſarics amongſt Men, 1s to bring their Attions, and to bring ” Men hefore the Civil Judge; and when the Judge upon enquiry ” h:h found chem Guilty, he uſfech to deliver them tothe Goaler :0 be carried co Priſon, until chey have tully paid rheir Fines for ſuch Oilences : And foraſmuch, as not only che Overt-AQs, bur the Pa' 75ns, which cauſe fuch As, are culpable before God, and mak Meu obnoxious to his Righteous Judgment, and God by then 15 mage an Adverfary to the Soul, as having violated his ercar C- 1 inand : Thou ſhalt do na Murther ; Let all my Daſciples, who !1avc been, or may be overcaken with ſuch Faults, by Repen- tance and Faith in me, make their Peace wich God-in this Life, left dying in Impenitency, they be pur under the Eternal] Diſplea- {ure and Wrath of God, from whence they ſhall never be deli- vered, chap. 5, 15. & 18. 35s
27 Ye have heard, that it was ſaid by them of old time, * Thou ſhalt nor commit Adultery.
28 Bur | ſy unto you,- That whoſoever looketh 199n 4 woman to luſt after her, hath committed A- E, dultery with her already in his Heart.
— The Scope of our S2viour in thete Verſes, is the very ſame as mn Gt Verles immediarely preceding, viz. to Corrett the Jejune Interpretation which the Phariſees had pur upon che Divine Law
214 09 New thar he, inſtead of coming to deſtroy rhe Law, came 0 36/fl 3
Lit Ol 2tions
+ +»
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—_—_ which difturh Humane Society, and break Civil Or- I; |} ]
| "FC "ll a 4 is 4 7 Sl victs Of the Fews, | Tru ſhalt not commit Adultery, | Exod. 20, 14.
912.15, and caſts his Eyes upon a Woman, in order to fuch 76012, 1510 the Sight ot God an Adulterer, Hence we read of
. pes ful 7 Adultery; to avoid which, 7ob made a Covenant with : WW ++ / 31.1. and would not, v. 7. uffer his Heart to walk - jp [1s Exes'7 We muſt fo inrerprer the Commandments of y rc to exrend them only to forbid or command thoſe : + 0.10 are Piuinly mentioned in them, bur the inward Plea- |
: Fw y . Y Vis *
St MATTHEW
ſing of our Hearts with ſuch things as are forbidden, the Defires ot our Hearts after them, or whatſoever is a probable Means to Ive us that ſinful Pleature of our Thoughts, or furcher inflame luch unlawtul Defires in our Souls,
29 * And if thy righr eye|| offend thee, pluck it
that one of thy members ihould periſh, and not thy whole body ſhould be caſt into Hell. 20 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, 9%
-
and caſt z7 from thee : for it is profitable tor thee that one of thy members {hould periſh, aud not thar thy whole body ſhould be caſt into Hell.