followed the usuo.l deduction from tho Law, all impurity, and by means or the statutes the position of l,wr8• (reversing that of for pnrification contained in the Law, there Deuterouomy) shows tho.t still greater is ou the ground or this new revelation the emphasis is placed on their " perfection " as Father in heaven, who stoops to his children something to be attained. Also, while in the in love, and so operates tho.t they must and po.rallel passage of Luke the stress is upon can be like him" (Weiss, 'Life,' ii. 156). the change that must to.ke place (-yfvetT8<) The simple and straightforward meaning of -unless, BB is possible, it has the simple the verse, however, is this- You shall take meaning • ohow yourselves" (cf. ver. 45, no lower standard iu love to enemies than note)-in Matthew the possibility or even God shows to those who ill treat him, and the certainty of attaining it is definitely you shall, in fact, attain to this standard. stated. You shall make this your aim, and Upon this (for the limitation of the meaning shall atto.in to it. Therefore. A deduction to one point makes no real difference) there from the principle laid down in vere. 44--47. a.rises the question which has been of so From the consideration of the example of much importance in all a.ges of the Chnrch- your Father, and of the insufficiency of What is the measure of attainment that is being like publicans and heathen. Perfect really possible for Christ's disciples upon (-r,>..<101). In the Gospels here and eh. x.i.x. earth? ought they not to expect to livo 21 only. The word denotes those who have perfect lives? But the text gives no atto.ined the full development of innate warrant for such an assertion. No doubt it powers, in contrast to those who are still says that attainment to maturity-to per- in the undeveloped state-adults in con- fection according to creaturely limits-is trast to children. Thus the thought here eventually possible. That is implied in is-Ye shall be satisfied with, and shall fretT8• (mde supra). But when this attain- attain to, no lower state than that of ment can be made is not stated. Many will, maturity. But what is it as to which they indeed, affirm that, e.s our Lord is giving shall be mature? Surely not the whole directions to his disciples concerning things Law as illustrated by all the examples since in this life, the attainment a.lso is affirmed ver. 21; for vers. 81, 32 are excluded by the to be possible in this life. But this by no comparison with God immediately follow- means follows. Obrist gives the command, ing. It must be the subject with which the and by the form of it implies that it shall sentence is closely connected, vers. 44--47 be carried out to the full But this is quite (cf. Meyer); love to others even though consistent with the conception of a. gradually they have done you wrong. In this respect, increasing development of love which, in fact viz. love to othera, you shall admit, so.ye our will attain maturity, a state in which God's Lord, no lower ideal than that of maturity, love has ever been; but not immediately and even such maturity as is found in him who not before the final completion of all Christ's sends sun and re.in on all alike. Some work in us. The words form, indeed, a pro- (Augustine, Trench) have seen in this a mise as well as a command, but the absence merely relative maturity, itself capable of of a statement of time forbids 1ll! to claim further development; but the subject rather the verse a.a a warrant for asserting tho.t the demands absolute o.nd fine.I maturity. This -r,>..u&.,.,,s referred to oan be atto.ined in this does not imply tho.t man will ever have such life. Trench (' Syn.,' § xxii.) explains the fuluess of love o.s the Father has, but that passage by saying that the acljecti ve is used he will fully and completely attain to that the first time in a relllti ve, and the second measure of love to which he as a created time in an absolute, sense. But this does being was intended to atto.in. It may, how- not seem e.s probo.ble ns the interpretation ever, be in o.ccordnnce with true exegesis given above, o.ccording to which the o.cljec- to see, with Weise, for such apparently is his tive is in both CBSes used o.baolutely. His meaning, also an indication of further teach- following words, lhowever, deserve careful ing - the nature of the revelation made attention. "The Ohristian sho.ll be• perfect,' known by Ohriat. For whereas "the funda- yet not in the sense in which some of the mental commandment" of the Old Testament, sects preach the doctrine of perfection, who, "Ye shall be holy; for I am holy" (Lev. xi. so soon a.a their words are looked into, ,u-e 44, 45), was the more nego.tive thought of found either to mean nothiug which they God's exo.Jte.tion above the impurity of could not have expressed by a word less created beings, our Lord now puts forth liable to misundor~to.nding; or to mean "the positive conception of the Divine per- something which no man in this life shall fectiou, whose nature is o.11-embrocing, self- atto.in, nud which he who a.Jlirms ho baa sacrificing love. • And in plaoe of the God, attaiuou is deceiving himself, or others, or for over sepo.rnted from his polluted pcoplo both." Even as your Father which is in by his holiness, to whom they cun only heaven is perfect; Re~ised V croion, "• y(}ur rendor themsolvcs worthy of approach heavenly 1"uthei' is perfect; ao tho rnanu- Uirough the most anxious a.bsfu>ence from soripts. 'l'he epithet, o oiipav,os, is wanting 170 'rHE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [011. v.1-48.
in Luke, but M0,tthew wishes to lay stress father. Observe ar,,in not "the Father" on their Father's ohe.raot.er and methods but" your Father; ' nerving them to fulfil being different from those of an earthly the summons to likeness to Wm (cf. ver. 16).