V crs. 33-37.-The tnu fulfilling of fh La.w: Ohrist'a fourlA il11LStration. The consideratio11. of this passage asks careful and fair understanding of the correct exposi- tion of it (for which eee also Exposition foregoing). Ver. 37 of itself, when strictly rendered, and the word "communication" replaced by "speech," or even "converaa- tion," is sufficient to show that our Lord's pronouncements here do not refer either to l!Olemn judicial occasiona, or to those supremely solemn instances in which God is represented as "swearing by himself," or he himself is testified to or his first apostles, as using that sanction of asse'l"eration called the oath. lu like manner, due weight must be faithfully given to the four examples of the verbal swearing manifestly in vogue, and requiring particular denunciation. Whatever was the most unfavourable side of the oath, they ha.d thi8. .And they had the least of what was legitimate. They covered equivocation, promoted familiarity with what under any circwnstances should be rescITed for solemn occasion, and nourished the deeper distrust between man and man. Excepting, therefore, from condemnation what we have every reason to believe that Christ did not mean to include in condemnation, we have his most express discourage- ment of all frequent, ordinary, idle use of forms of swearing-nay, of aU use of swear- ing, except such as sr-eciaUy safeguarded, is therein, and, other things being equal, t4> be regarded as authorized. We have the opportunity of a divinely suggested glimpse into the moral ethics of Christianity, and are invited to note of all swearing, that while it proceeds on the very showing, when between men, that it adds inducement to the faithful performance of the promise, and confidence to the calm tr1111t of the person to whom the promise is made, in these «ry things it carries the reminder of ita own dis- credit. And the way is paved for Christ's more excellent version. Notice- I. SIIIPLE ASSEVEllATION OB DENIAL THE BULB OF CHBISTIAN LANGUAGE. JL SIMPLE .ASSEVERATION 0B DENIAL TB.B BEST B0NOUB TO THE CHARACTER OF TBll LIP TBAT 6PEA.K.B. Ill SIIIPLE ASSKVEBATI0N 0B DENIAL TUE BEIT CREDIT TO '11111 TBUSTTOLNESS 01' THE PERSON WB0 HEARS. l\T. WHAT IS ll'.OBE Tllilll SIMPLE ABBEVEBATION OB DENIAL HEANB "Evn." IN THII 01-""B PABTT, 0B I.N THE OTBEB1 OB Ili' DOTH. IT POOCEEDB 011 TBE VEllY BU&PICIOll O'I' EVIL PBESE.NT.-D.
Vera. 38-42.-77.e Cl,riatian type of fulfillingoftMLu,u,: (Jhria(,fifthmuatra.tion. The precept or permission of the Law here instanced was not a precept or permission of revenge, but of equal justice. It was intended to operate, not to the encouragement, but to the discouragement, of revenge; and rather simply as the equitable admeasurer of just punishment and restraint of the more natural instinct of revenge. Christ, huwevu, thus early forewarns his disciples of what bis eye saw so clearly, bis know- ledge knew so well, that in this vicarious scene aud state not so much even as even• hauded justice was to be had, and that it was so dangerous to the seeker himself to seek it, that he had better, with a voluntary genuineness and a genuine voluotariness, sacri- fice it. Christ teaches, therefore, here- I. TB.AT THE BIGHEB IIOBAL PEBCEFI'ION OP THE TU[E AND OJ' BIS J>ISOIPLl!l BH017LD BE PBEPABED TO JIECoGNIZE THE FACT TD.AT TH.Iii OONDITlOllB 01' TBIB WORLD AB■ 1'0T THO~E OF :EXACT AND :EVEN JUSTICE. ll. 'fHAT 'l'HE Dl6ASTBOUB JNNEB CONBEQUENCEB OF PUTTING OJIE'B BELi' INTO PEB• IIONAL ANTAOOl!TIBll ll'I'l'H .Al':0TBEB ABE BU0H AS TO COVNSEL TBB BIGB DUTJC 01' POII.EG0lSG EVEN TllE DEIIANJ> FOB l!VCH JUST1CE 1 AND OJ' JIOT BEBISTIB0 THE BVllo PEll.60li'. ou. v. 1-48.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. llATI'IIEW. 2~
JIJ. THAT COBBEBPONDIJIG BEN"EFICEliT OONBEQUDCEB, nm>TIIJG A WAY TO WORK IN 'JTilERS Al!ID IN THE WOBLD, SHALL COUJISEL THE BAME COURSE. JV. THAT THE CBRISTUN BESPOllBE TO J'OBCE I8 A WILLING BUBBENDEB OJI' TBB PBESENT HOUR'S rosTI0E, AND PBEBENT BOUB's APPARENT BELJ'-1.RTEBEST, V. THAT THE CBOWll' AND PEBJ'E<7l'J01'1 OJ' THE CHBI8TIAN DISPOBITION IS TO MEET 11 IN THE WAY" THE APPEAL OJ' TH08l!l WHO WOULD ABK, Al!ID GIVB TO TBEH j OJ' THOSE
WHO WOULD BOBROW, AND LEND TO TJIEH. THOUGH ALL APPBEHE118I0N OJ' FORCE BB BEHOVED FAB AWAY, THE 0BBI8TIAB HEABT WILL NOT BEBOUJID TO THE DEB.AND OIi' ITS BIGHTS, BUT WILL l'EEL 00HPA8810!1', &HOW COHPA88ION, AliD GIVE.-B.
Vers. 43-48.-The perfect fulfilling of Law: Chrillt', aizth i1liutratwn. This last illustration makes two advances upon even those foregoing. From the negative course, of not resisting evil, Christ proceeds to teach the high and moral principle of doing good for evil, positively and practically. Further, this i\lwtration moves in that highest sphere where law merges in love. It finds its material in 1hat law of love which com- prehends the perfect fulfilling of law. The words of Cbrysostom are well worth record- ing: "Note through what steps we have now a,cended hither, and how Christ has set us here on the very pinnacle of virtue. The first step is, not to begin to do wrong to any; the second, that in avenging a wrong done to us we be content with retaliating equal; the third, to return nothing of what we have suffered; the fourth, to offer one's self to the endurance of evil ; the fifth, to be ready to suffer even more evil than the oppressor desires to inflict; the sixth, not to hate him of whom we suffer such things; the seventh, to love him; the eighth, to do him good; the ninth, to pray for him. And because the command is great, the reward proposed is also great, namely, to be made like unto God." Consider in what is no,v enjoined by Christ. L THE PRINCIPJ,E IN ITSELF. 1. How frankly it addresses itself to the facts of human life 1 2. How undisguisedly it acknowledges the damage of human nature I 3. How irresistibly it persuades of the not irredeemably lost original 1 It is as thoagh tidings of it, and a reviving message from it, not seen for so loag a time. II. T~ TYPE DISCARDED. The dead level of most ordinary human practice is all that can be said of it. III. THE TYPE ADOPTED. It is the highest conceivable, and at the same time not discouraging in its tendency on that account, but most suggestive of gracious comfori for ue, and of earnest effort on our part. It makes 118 children of "our Father who is ill heavea.''- It looks like his perfectneBB, e.nd leads onward and upward ever toward it.-B.