The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 39

love lii111, Ainco iltis is tlio principle which alone will prevent us from doing l,irn any injury; and if it is right to love him, it is wrong not to love him. And thus it follows tho.t every commandment of God's law reveals to us all that in that sphere we are either commanded or forbidden to do. 1 But there is indeed no place for theological dieputiition on this question, though, to make it more clear, its connection with the general subject of law hns been noticed. For not only do our Lord and hie apostles ten.eh 9 tho.t love is the fulfilling of the law, o.nd the only true fulfilment-in other worJs, that. love and' righteousness or justice are in principle identical-but thi:i tcac-hing is tl111t of tho Old Testament itself. The words of Moses in the Torah, are expressly quoted both by Christ and by St. Jo.mes. 3 It was not, therefore, merely that the fuller light thrown upon the law by the gospel gave it this spiritual character; though no doubt Christ's own teaching, as in the Sermon on the :Mount, asserted and expounded this aspect of the law in opposition to the false glosses and unspiritual doctrines of Scribes and Pharisees ; but the character was inherent in the law from the first, and was that which made it a living power to man's con- science, "perfect, converting the soul," the source of all truth and all wisdom. 33.: It may be asked, however, why, if this be true of the law that every one of its commandments covers so wide a field of responsibility, in so many of them the offence only, and that in its extreme form, is prohibited, while we are left to infer from the prohibition all the positive duties; for example, from the command not to take God's name in vain, the duty of honouring him with our lips; from the prohibi- tion of murder, the duty of caring for our neighbour, and aiding him in sickness and suffering? The sufficient-answer to this is, that although the Divine law can only be fulfilled by love, yet it is nevertheless law, and must speak in the proper language of law, in order to fulfil its own stem and terrible functions. Its purpose is to detect, expose, and condemn all sin; and, therefore, those sins are expressly condemned the evil of which is most distinctly recognised by the conscience, in order that we may learn what is the true character of all sins of this class, even of omissions of the duty which we owe to God and our neighboar under this head. \Ve are reminded that if we do not honour God we do not love him, and if we do not love him it is because of the carnal mind which is enmity against God. On the other hand, we learn that "he that loveth not his brother abideth in death" as surely as he that hateth him ; and that "he that hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know" from the law" that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in hirn." 4 34. Another general remark as to the Divine law is important. It must be obser,ed that while love-to God first of all, and secondly to our neighbour as representing God to us-is the one principle from, which all the duties of man are derived, never- theless law is absolutely essential for man's direction in his earthly life, in order that this principle of spiritual life may not be the vague abstract sentiment of the myi,tic, _1 Calvin, 'Instit. Christinme Religionis,' lib. ii. c. viii. 9: Ita vidcrc est ut semper nobis finis prrecepti rcseret quidquid illic facere aut jubemur ant vot11mur. Calvin, in the passage which concludes with these words, expoumls with singular clearness the positive character of the Divine law. 2 Matt. xxii. 37-40; Mark xii. 29-34; Lukex. 25-2S; Rom. xiii. 8-10; James ii. 8. 3 Deut. vi. 5, and Levit. xix. 18. • 1 John iii. 14; 15. Cnlviu's exposition of this is chnracteristic, but very true. "Qui:1 pcceatorum fwditatem, nisi ubi palpabilis est, dilnere et si;ieeiosis pmitextibus induere scml'~r caro molitur, (ergo) quod ero.t in unoquoquo trausgressioms generc deterrimum et scelestissi- mum excmplnris loco proposuit, cujus ad at1<litum sensus quoque exhorresceret, quo majorem peccoti cnjusliliet detestationem nniruis uostris imprimeret. Hoe nobis iruponit srepius in mstimnnclis vitiis, quad si tectiora sunt, elevamus. Has prrestigias Dominus cliscutit qnum nos assnofacit universnm vitiorum multitudincm ltll hmc capita refcrre qn,e optime quautum ~it in uno quoqno gcucro abomiuationis rcp1~~se11taut." (' Institut.' 11. viii. 10.)  INTRODUCTION TO 71T'F. PRNTA'rlWCJH.