Which faith, Devr. S. 12. 10. 20, Thos ſhalt fear the Lord thy Goa, and ſweur by bis Name ? Doth he condemn Abraham, who tware his Servant by the Lord God of Heaven and Earth? Gen. 24. 3: Fth he deſtruy luch an v/efil mean for the end of Scrite ? Heb. 5. 15. None of all theſe : We muſt conſider that our Saviour 15 here oppoſing himfelt co the Corruprions of that Age broughrin by the Phariſees, who had taught People, thar /zyearing Was NO- thing, it chey did not foirſwear themſelves, Or At leaſt ſwearing by the Haven, by the Earth, by Jeruſalem, by their Head, Orin fuch like F1ms was no Sin, it they torbear the Name of God « Thar rey were only oblized ro ſivear by the Name cf God 10 Publick Courts ef 7uſtice, bur they were nor tied up to 1t at orher tIMmes. To cHetc and fack+like Corruptions our Saviour oppoſerh theteWords, £ {ry unto you, Swear not at all; not at all v9/untarily, but where ic is necefary tor the end of Strife ; not ar all in your Common Diſ- courſe, Fam. 5. 12. and fo it is expounded in the next Verſe : The Law doch not on!y forbid {ſe [wearing, but common and ord1- nary ſwearing, needlets pyearing, which ſpeaks a grear Want of Re- verence in the Hearr of rhe Name of God : And ler not your Teachers cheat you, in tellinz you, God, or the Name of God, 15 not concerned in your ſivearing by Heaven. Is not Heaven the Throne of G:d ? Or by Eaith, is not that the Forftoo! of God ? Or by Feri/ggerr, is nor that the City of God 2 Or by your Head, 1s {nor God rhar hath given you your Lite and bodily Members ? Is ic in your Power to make an Hair of your Head white or black ? S9 as the zrear thing here forbidden, is common and ordinary Swearins, where God callerh not us unto it, for the Derermina- tion of Sirife. Donor only think that falſe Swearing, bur be al- ſured, thar ordinu7y, common, needleſs Swearing is forbidden by God.
27 But let your communication be Yea,yea; Nay, 127: for whatſoever zs more than theſe, cometh of evil.
Sr, Fames ſairh much the ſame, Fam. 5. 12. Let your ordina- ry Diſcourſe in the World be mecr Affirmarions, or Denials of things in Terms, or Phraſes of the fame Import, with Tea aud Nay, tho' you do not always uſe thoſe Terms : Ler Firms of Swearing be preſerved for ſpecial times, when the Providence of Gad calls ro you tor riem to determine Strite, and make fome weighty Matters, which you afferr credible unto others, who will nct cake your bare &Afertions; have ſuch a Reverence for the Name of God, as not to uſe it for every trifle, and ler nor my Ordinance for the end of Strife be made of no uſe by your common ute of the Name of God; for in ordinary Diſcourſe, and common Talk, whatſoever is more than bare 2firmations and Denials, cometh cf an evil Hearr, or from the Devil, or trom the Corruption Of orher Men's Hearts, Some would make the Communication mentioned here, to be underſtood as if ir were Converſation ;, q. d. Let your ways of dealing with Men be plain withour Fraud and Guile; and fo think our Saviour here ſtrikes at the Root and Cauſe of fo much idle and vin Swearing, VIZ, the common Falſhood, Frauds and Colenages of Men in their Dealings: Bur ir ſeemerh hard ſo to interprer aGyG+ 1n this place ; our Saviour eſpecially being ſpeaking concerning Words and Forms of Speech.
- 28 Ye have heard that it hath been ſaid, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.
This was the Commandment of God ro the Magiftrate, in Caſe a Woman with Child were ſtruck, and any Miſchief came of it, Exod. 21. 24. and Lev. 24. 20. In Caſe of Damage done to a Neigh- bour,and in the Caſe of Fuiſe-wizneſs, Deur.10. 21. Burin the mean time God had faid to private Perſons, Lev.19.18. Thou ſhalt not avenge: And it is laid, Prove24. 29. Say not, Twill do to him, as he hath dime t2 me. The Pharijees had interpreted this Law of God, into a Liberty tor every private Perſon, who had been wronzed by another, to exaft a SaristaQton upon him, provided that he did not exceed this Proportion of taking an Eye for an Eye, and a Tooth for a T63:h,, Going no more Wrong to another, than that other had done to him,
29 But I ſay unto you, * That ye reſift not evil : but whoſoever ſhall ſmire thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other alſo.
4D And if any man ſue thee at the law, and take awav thy coar, let him have thy cloak allo.
41 And whoſoever {hall compel thee to go a mile go with him twain. |
The Apoſtle Pl giverh the beſt Expoſition upon this Text, R012. £2.17, 18, 19, 21. Recompence to no man Evil for Evil—If it be pajjtble, as much as in you lies, live Peaceably with all Men. Dear- ty beloved, avenge not your ſelves, but rather give place unto Wrath : Fr it #s written, Vengeance #s mine, Iwill repay, ſaith the Lord, v.21, B2 rt overcome with Evil, but overcome Evil with Good, The ge- neral Scope of our Saviour 15 that which they muſt obſerve who weuld underſtand the Senſe of theſe Words; they muſt nor think that che particular things mentioned, are their Dury ; but 1. That it 1s the Will of cheir Lord, thar they thould nor take any private Revenge, bur leave the avenging of their Injuries unto God, and tro the publick Magiſtrate, who 1s God's Vicegerent, before whom (norwithſtanding any thing here ſaid) they may teek a juft Satiſ- j-#i5m. 2, That in lighter Caſes, we ſhould rather remit the Wrong done to us for Peace-ſake, than ſtand upon a Rigor of Juſtice; racher overcome Evil with Good, than ſufter our telves ro be overcome by the Evil of others: Rather ſuffer a blow on the other Check, than with our own Hands revenge the blow
& MATTHEW,
Chay, lj