Chapter XLVIII (continued, part 19)
is not diminished, but rather aggravated, by the habit of confirming what we say by an oath, we thus run the rislt of having all reverence for God's holy name, and even for strict truth, destroyed in our hearts, and so "fall into condemnation." The practice of going bej^ond Yes and No in affirmations and denials—as if our word for it were not enough, and we expected others to question it springs from that vicious root of untruthfulness which is only aggravated by the very effort to clear ourselves of the suspicion of it. And just as swearing to the truth of what we say begets the disposition it is designed to remove, so the love and reign of truth in the breasts of Christ's disciples reveals itself so plainly even to those who themselves cannot be trusted, that their simple Yes and No come soon to be more relied on than the most solemn asseverations of others. Thus does the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, like a tree Cast into the bitter v/aters of human corruption, heal and sweeten them.
this that our Lord uttered what follows: 33. But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away Ills wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery i.e., drives her into it in case she marries again ; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced—for anything short of conjugal infidelity—commltteth adultery—for if the commandment is broken by the one party, it must be by the other also. But see on cli. 19. 4-9. Whether the innocent party, after a just divorce, may lawfully marry again, is not treated of here. The Church of Rome says. No; but the Greek and Protestant Churches allow it.
Same subject illu.itrated from the Third Commandment (v.
33-.'?7). 33. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time. Thou shalt not forswear thyself— These are not the precise words of Exodus 20. 7 ; but they express all that it was currently understood to condemn,
Same Subject—Retaliation {v. 38-12). We have here the converse of the preceding lessons. They were negntire:
t hese axe positive. 38. Ye have heard that It hath l>een snid (Exodus 21.23-25; Leviticus 21. 19,20; Deuteronomy
VIZ., false swearing (Leviticus 19. 12, &c.). This is plain from what follows. But 1 say unto you. Swear not at all—That this was meant to condemn swearing of every kind and on every occasion—as the Society of Friends and some other nltra-morallsts allege—Is not for a moment to be thought. For even Jehovah is said once and again to have sworn by Himself; and our Lord certainly answered upon oath to a question put to Him by the high priest; and the apostle several times, and in the most solemn language, takes God to witness that he spoke and wrote the truth ; and It Is Inconceivable that our Lord should here have quoted the precept about not forswear-
19. 21), An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth i. e., whatever penalty was regarded as a proper equivalent for
these. This law of retribution—designed to take vengeance out of the hands of private persons, and commit
It to the magistrate—was abused in the opposite way to
tlie commandments of the Decalogue. While they were reduced to the level of civil enactments, this judicial regulation was held to be a warrant for taking redresa Into their own hands, contrary to the injunctions of the Old Testament Itself (Proverbs 20.22; 2J. 29). 39. But 1 23
Chrises Sermon on the Mount. MATTHEW VI. Against Oslentalion in Riyhteousnc3t,
•ay unto yon, That ye resist not evil ; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also—Oar Lord's own meek, yet diguified bearing, wlieu smit ten rudely on the elieek (John 18. 22, 2S), and not liteially presenting the otlier, is the bestGomrnenton these words. It is tlie preparedness, atter one indignity, not to Invite but to submit meekly to another, williout retaliation, whicli tliis strong language is meant to convey. 40, And If any man will sue tliee at the law, and take away thy coat—the innergarment; in pledge lor a debt {Exodus
of it certainljIs that of One who spake as never man spake. 4G. For If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye 1 do not even the publicans the same ! —Tlie publicans, as collectors of taxes due lo tlie Koiiiar. government, were ever on this account obnoxious to me Jews, who sat uneasy under a foreign yoke, and disliked whatever brought tliis unpleasantly before them. But the extortion practised by this class made them hateful to the community, who in their current speech ranked them with "harlots." Nor does our Lord scruple to spea-k of tliem as others did, which we may be sure He never would
22. 2d, 27)—let him have thy cloak also—^the outer and more costly garment. This overcoat was not allowed to be retained over night as a pledge from the poor, because they used it for a bed-covering. 4:1. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain an allusion, probably, to the practice ol the Romans and some Eastern nations, who, wlien government despatches had to be forwarded, obliged the people not only lo fur-
if it had been calumnious. The meaning, then, is, 'In loving those who love you, there is no evidence of superior princij)le; the worst of men will do this : even a publican will go that length.' 47. And if ye salute your brethren only—of the .same nation and roligion with jourselves—what do ye more [than others] I—' what do ys uncommon' or ' extraordinary?' e., wherein do ye creel f do not even the publicans so J—The true reading liere appears to be, ' Do not even the heathens the same?' Cf.
nisli horses and carriages, but to give personal attendance, olteu at great inconvenience, wlieu required. But the tiling here demanded is a readiness to submit to unreasonable demands of whatever kind, ratlier than raise quarrels, with all tlie evils resulting fioni tliem. Wluit follows is a beautiful extension of tliis precept. 43. Give to hljin that asketh thee—The sense of unreasonable asking is liere implied (of. Luke 6. 30). and from him (hat would borrow of thee turn not thou away—Though t he word signifles classically 'to have money lent to one on security,' or ' witli interest,' yetas this was not the original Ben.se of the word, and as usury was forbidden among the Jews (Exodus 22. 25, &c.), it is doubtless simple borrowing whicli our Lord here means, as indeed the whole strain of the exljortation implies. Tills shows tliat such counsels as " Owe no man anything" (Romans 13. 8), are not to be taken absolutely ; else tlie Scripture commendations of the righteous for "lending" to his necessitous brotlier (Psalm 37.36; 112. 5; Luke 6. 37) would have no application. turi> not tJiou away—a graphic expression of nufeeling refusal to relieve a brotlier in extremity.
ell. IS. 17, where the excommunicated person is said to be "as an heathen man and a publican." 48. Be ye therefore—rather, ' Ye shall therefore be,' or 'Ye are therefore to be,' as My disciples and in My kingdom—perfect, or 'complete.' Manifestly, our Lord here speaks, not of degrees of excellence, but of the kind of excellence which was to distinguish His disciples and characterize His kingdom. When therefore He adds, even as your Father which is in heaven Is perfect, He refers to that fullorbed glorious completeness which is in the great Divine Model, "their Father whlcli is in heaven."
CHAPTER VI. Sermon ON THE Mount—conii/iued. Ver. 1-18. Furthkr Illustration of the Righteousness or the Kingdom —ITS Unostentatiousness. General Caution against Ostentation in Religious DtUies (v. 1). 1. Take heed that ye do not your alms—But tlie true reading seems clearly to be
Same Subject—Love to Enemies (v. -13-18). 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said—(Leviticus 19. 18.) Thou sltalt love thy neighbour—To tiiis the corrupt teachers added, and hate thine enemy—as if the one were a legitimate inference from the otlier, instead of being a detestable gloss, as Bengel indignantly calls it. Lightfoot quotes some of the cursed maxims inculcated by those Iraditionists regarding the proper treatment of all Gentiles. No wonder that tlie Romans charged the Jews with hatred of tlie human race. 44. But'l say unto you, iMve your enemies—The word here used denotes moral
' your righteousness.' The external authority for both readings is pretty nearly equal; but internal evidence is decidedly in favour of 'righteousness.' The subject of the second verse being 'almsgiving,' that word—so like the other in Gre'ek—might easily be substituted for it by the copyist: whereas the opposite would not be so lilcely. But it is still more in favour of "righteousness," that
if we so read the first verse, it then becomes a general heading for this whole section of the Discourse, inculcating unostentatiousness in al! deeds of righteousness Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting being, in that case, but selected examples of this rigliteousuess ; whereas. If we read, " Do not your a/m*," &c., this flrsl verse will have no reference but to tliat one point. By " righteousness," in this case, we are to understand that same righteousness of the kingdom of heaven, whose leading features—in opposition to traditional perversions of it—it is the great object of this Discourse to open up; that righteousness of which the Lord says, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (ch. 5. 20). To "(to" this righteousness, was an old and well-understood expression. Thus, " Blessed is he that doeth righteousness at all times" (Psalm lOG. 3). It refers to the actings of righteousness in tlie life—the outgoings of the gracious nature—of which our Lord afterwards said to Ills disci-
love, as distinguished from the other word, which expresses personal aliection. Usually, the former denotes 'complacency in the character' of the person loved; but here it denotes the benignant, compassionate outgoings of desire Ibr another's good, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, aikd pray for them which despltefully use you, and persecute you—The best commentary on these matchless counsels is the bright example of Him who gave them. (See 1 Peter 2.
21-21; and cf. Romans 12. 20, 21; 1 Corinthians 4. 12; 1 Peter
8.9.) But though such precepts were never before expressed—perhaps not even conceived—with such breadth,
precision, and sliarpness as here, our Lord is here only the Incomparable Interpreter of the law in force from the lieginnlng; and tills is the only satisfactory view of the en-
ples, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much
tire strain of this Discourse. 45. That ye may be tlie cliildren— ' that ye may besons'—of your Fatlier which
fruit; so shall ye be mj' discijiles" (John 15.8). before men, to be seeii of them—'with the view' or 'intention of being beheld of them.' See the same expression in cli.
is in lienven—The meaning is, 'that ye may show your-
selves to be such by rexembling Him' (cf. t'. 9and Kphe-
slans 5. 1). for he maketh his sun—'your Father's sun.' Well might Hengel exclaim, ' Magnificent appellation !' —to rlMC ou the evil and on the good, and sendet.h rain on the Just and on the unjust—rather (without the
5. 28. 'True, He had required them to let their light so shine before men that they might see their good works, and glorify their Fatlier which is in heaven (ch. 5. lli). But this is (luitc consistent with not making n display of our righteousness for self-glorilicatlon. In fad, tlie doing
' on evil and good, and on Just and unjust.' When we Hnd (Jod's own procedure held up for Imitation In the
artk le)
of the former necessarily liniilies our not doing the Hiitter. otherwise ye have no reward of your Father whirb
law, and much more In the prophets (Leviticus 19. 2; 20.
is in heaven—When all duty is done to God—as piimarl-
26; and cf. 1 Peter 1. 15, 16), we may see that the principle
ly enjoining and linally judging of it—He will take caro
of this surprising verse was nothing new: but the form
Cfirisi's Sermon on the Mount MATTHEW VI. The Lord's Prayer a ModeL
that it be duly recognized ; but when done purely for os-
knoweth what ye need before ye nsk it; tor it is not men, as such, that He is addressing in tliis Discourse, but His own disciples—the poor in spirit, the mourners, tlie meek, hungry and thirsty souls, the mercilul, the pure in lieart, the iieaccmakers, who allow themselves to liave all manner of evil said against them for the Son of man's sake in short, the new-born children of God, who, making their Father's interests their own, are here assured that their P'ather, in return, makes their interests His, and needs neither to be told nor to be reminded of tlieir wants. Yet He will have His children pray to Him, and links all His promised supplies to their petitions for tliern; thus encouraging us to draw near and keep near to Him, to talk and walk with him, to open our every case to Him, and assure ourselves that thus asking we shall receive—
ttntation, God cannot own it, nor is His judgment of it even thought of—God accepts only what is done to Him-
self So much for the general principle. Now follow three illustrations of it.
Alnysgiving (u. 2-4). a. Therefore, when thou doest thine alius, do not sound a trumpet before thee—The expression is to be taken figuratively for blazoning it. Hence our expression to 'trumpet.' as the hypocrites do—This word—of such frequent occurrence in Scripture, signifying primarily 'one who acts a part'—denotes one who either pretends to be what he is not (as here), or distembles what he really is (as in Luke 12. 1, 2). in the synagogues and In the streets—the places of religious and secular resort—tliat they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you—In such august expressions, it is the Lawgiver and Judge Himself that we hear speaking
tlius seeking we shall And-thus knocking it shall be opened to us. 9. After this manner—more simply 'Thus,' therefore pray ye—The "ye" is empliatic here, in contrast with the heathen prayers. That this match-
to us. They have their reward—All they wanted was human applause, and they have It—and with it, all they
will ever get. 3. But when thou doest alms, let not tliy
less prayer was given not only as a model, but as a fm-m, might be concluded from its very nature. Did it consist only of hints or directions for prayer, it could only be used as a directory; but seeing it is an actual prayer—designed, indeed, to show how much real prayer could be compressed into the fewest words, but still, as a prayer, only the more Incomparable for that—it is strange that there should be a doubt whether we ouglit to pray that very prayer. Surely the words with which it is introduced, in the second utterance and varied form of it which we have in Luke 11. 2, ought to set this at rest: " When ye pray, say, Our Father." Nevertheless, since the second form of it varies considerably from tlie first, and since no example of its actual use, or express quotation of its phraseology, occurs in the sequel of the New Testament, we are to guard against a superstitious use ot
left hand know what thy right hand doeth—
' So far from making a display of it, dwell not on it even in thine own thoughts, lest it minister to spiritual pride.' 4. That thine alms may he in secret, and thy Father
which seeth in secret [Himself] shall reward thee openly—The woid "Himself" appears to be an unauthorized addition to the text, which the sense no doubt suggested. See 1 Timothy 5.25; Romans 2.16; 1 Corinthians i. 5.
Prayer (v. 5, 6). 5. *Aiid when thou prayest, thou ghalt—or, according to the preferable reading, 'when ye pray ye sliair—not be as the hypocrites arc; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the comers of the streets (see on v. 2), that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have, &c. The standing posture in prayer was the ancient practice, alike in the Jewish and in the early Christian Church, as
it. How early this began to appear in the cluireli-services, and to what an extent it was afterwards carried, ia known to every one versed in Churcli history. Nur lias the spirit which bred this abuse quite departed froiii smne branches of the Protestant Church, thouglj the oppcwite and equally condemnable extreme is to be found in <ii iier branches of it.
is well known to the learned. But of course this conspicuous posture opened the way for the' ostentatious. 6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into tiny closet a 'place of retirement'—and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret ; and thy Fatlier whicli seeth in secret shall reward thee openly—Of course it is not the simple publicity of prayer which is here condemned. It may be offered in any circumstances, however open, If not prompted by the spirit of ostentation, but dictated by the great ends of prayer
Model Prayer («. 9-13). According to tlie Laiin f iii; >rs and the Lutheran Church, the petitions ol ilu* Loril's Prayer are seven In number; according to ihe Gri ek fathers, the Reformed Church and the Wesiiiii usiei divines, they are only six; the two last being i e:;;i i di-l— N\-e think, less correctly—as one. The first tliie )> iiii >ns have to do exclusively with God: "Thy nam. ia,Ilowed" — "Thy kingdom come" — "Thy wiii i.e ^ r.e.'- And they occur in a rfe^ceridtng scale—from Hini^ li .lnwn to the manifestation of Himself in His kiiifiil nn ; and ftom His kingdom to tlie entire subjection of ns sniij i ts, or the complete doing of His will. The rem;uiiiii,j I :>ur petitions have to do with ourselves : "Give us mir .!a ily bread" — "Forgive our debts" — "Lead us \\n\ into temptation"—"Deliver us from evil." But t. ese la iter petitions occur in an ascending scale—from lipiinlily wants of every day up to our final deliverance ii <mii all
Itself. It is the retiring character of true prayer which is here taught.
Supplementary Directioxis, and Model Prayer (v. 7-15). 7. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions—
' Babble
not' would be a better rendering, both for the form of the word—which in botli languages is intended to imitate the sound—and for tlie sense, which expresses not so much the repetition of the same words as a senseless multiplication of them; as appears from what follows, as the heathen do : for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking—This method of heathen devotion is still observed by Hindoo and Mohammedan devotees. With the Jews.says Lightfoot, it was a maxim, that 'Kvery one wlio multiplies prayer is heard.' In the Church of liome, not only is it carried to a shameless extent, but, as Tholuck justly observes, the very prayer which our Lord gave as an antidote to vain repetitions is the most abused to tliis superstitious end; tlie number of times it is repeated counting for so much more merit. Is not this just that cliaracteristic feature of heathen devotion which our Lord here condemns? But praying much, and using at times the same words, is not here condemned, and has the example of our Lord Himself in its favour,
evil.
//Miocaiion; Our Father which art in heaven. In the former clause we express His nearness to us; in the lat-
ter. His distance from us. (See Ecclesiastes 5.2; Isaiah
6i). 1.) Holy, loving familiarity suggests the oiii^; awful reverence the other. In calling Him "Father'' we express a relationship we have all known and felt surrounding us even from our infancy; but in calling llira our Blather " who art in heaven," we contrast Him with
tlie fathers we all have here below, and so raise our souls
to tliat " heaven" where He dwells, and that Majesty nd. Glory which are there as in their proper home, I'h^ se
e. Be not ye therefore like unto them i for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him—and so needs not to be in/ormed of our wants, any more than to be roused to attend to them by our incessant speaking. What a view of God is here given, in sharp contrast with the gods of tlie heathen
first words of the Lord's Prayer—this Invocation with which it opens—what a brightness and warmth does It throw over the whole prayer, and Into what a serent^ region does it Introduce the praying believer, the cliild of God, as he thus approaches him! It i-s true that the paternal relationship of God to His people is by no meant
But let it be carefully noted that It is not as the general
ttiitliei of numJcutfi that our Lord aays, " Ymt .Fss.J1>?c"
•tn-aiuie to the 0)d Testament. (See Deuteronomy oS, 6 25
ChiaVt Sermon on the Mount. MATTHEW VI. The Lord's Prayer.
Psalm 103. 13; Isaiah 63. 16; .Teremlah 3.4, 19; Malachi 1.
of to-morrow"—as if the sense thus slid into that of Luke, "Give us day by day" (as Bengel, Mkyer, Ac.)- it may be answered that the sense thus brought out is scarcely intelligible, if not something less; that Hie expre.ssion " bread of to-morrow" is not at all the same as bread "from day to day," and that, so understood, it would seem to contradict v. 31. The great majority of the best critics [taking the word to be compounded of ousia, 'substance,' or 'being'] understand by it the 'staff of life,' the bread of subsistence ;' and so the sense will be, 'Give us this day the bread which this day's necessities require.' In this case, the rendering of our authorized version (after the Vulgate, Luther and some of the best modern critics)—" our daily bread"—is, in sense, accurate enough. (See Proverbs 30. 8.) Among commentators, there was early shown an inclination to understand this as a prayer for the heavenly bread, or spiritual nourishment; and In this they have been followed by many superior expositors, even down to our own times. But as this is quite unnatural, so it deprives the Christian of one of the sweetest of his privileges — to cast his bodily wants in this short prayer, by one simple petition, upon his heavenly Father. No doubt the spiritual mind will, from "the meat that perisheth," naturally rise in thought to " that meat which endureth to everlasting life." But let it he enough that the petition about bodilj' wants irresistibly suggests a higher petition; and let us not rob ourselves out of a morbid spirituality—of our one petition in this prayer for that bodily provision which the immediate sequel of this Discourse shows that our heavenly Father has so much at heart. In limiting our petitions, however, to provision for the day, what a spirit of childlike dependence does the Lord both demand and beget
6; 2.10.) But tlifse are only glimpses—the " back parts" (Exodus 33. 2;^), if we may so say, in comparison with the "open f-Ace" of our Father revealed in Jesus. (See on
2 Corinthians 3. 18.) Nor is it too much to say, that the view which our Lord gives, throughout tliis His very first lengthened discourse, of "our Father in heaven," beggars
all that was ever taught, even in God's own Word, or conceived before bj' His saints, on this subject.
JFiry'. Pttition : Hallowed be—i. e., ' Be held in reverence' —regarded and treated as holy, thy name^God's name means 'Himself as revealed and manifested.' Everywhere in Sr lipture God defines and marks oflf the faith and love nnd reverence and obedience He will have from men by the disclosures which He makes to them of what He is; both to shut out false conceptions of Him, and to malte all their devotion take the shape and hue of His own teaching. Too much attention cannot be paid to
this.
Second Petition: 10. Tliy kingdom come— The kingdom of God is that moral and spiritual kingdom which the God of grace is setting up in this fallen world, whose subjects consist of as matiy as have been brought Into hearty subjection to His gracious sceptre, and of which His Son Jesns is the glorious Head. In the inward reality of it, this kingdom existed ever since there were men who "walked witli God" (Genesis 5. 24), and "waited for His salvation" (Genesis 49. 18); who were "continually with Him, holden by His right hand" (Psalm 73. 23), and who, even in the valley of the shadow of death, feared no evil when He was with them (Psalm 23. 4). Wlien Messiah Himself appeared, it was, as a visible kingdom, "at hand." 'His death laid the deep foundations of It^Hls ascension on high, "leading captivity captive and receiving gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them," and the Pentecostal effusion of tlic Spirit, by wliicli those gifts for men descended upon tlie reliellious, and the Lord God was beheld. In the persons of thousands upon thousands, " dwelling" among men—was a glorious "coming" of this kingdom. But It
Pifth Petition : 13. And forgive ns our debts—A vitally important view of sin, this-as an offence against God demanding reparation to His dishonoured claims upon our absolute subjection. As the debtor in the creditor's hand, so Is the sinner in the hands of God. This idea of sin had Indeed come up before in this Discourse—in the warning to agree with our adversary quickly, in case of sentence being passed upon us, adjudging us to payment of the last farthing, and to imprisonment till then (ch. 5. 25, 26). And it comes up once and again in our Lord's subsequent teaching—as in the parable of the Creditor and his two Debtors (Luke 7. 41, Ac), and in the parable of the Unmerciful debtor (ch. 18.23, Ac). But by embodying it in this brief model of acceptable prayer, and as the first of three petitions more or less bearing upon sin, our Lord teaches us, in the most emphatic manner conceivable, to regard this view of sin as the primary and tYindamental one. Answering to this is the " forgiveness" which It directs us to seek—not the removal from our own hearts of the stain of sin, nor yet the removal of our just dread of God's anger, or of unworthy suspicions of Hia love, which Is all that some tell us we have to care about—but the removal from God's own mind of His displeasure against us on account of sin, or, to retain the figure, the wiping or crossing out from His "book of remembrance" of all entries against us on this account, as we forgive our debtors—the same view of sin as before; only now transferred to the region of offences given and received between man and man. After what has been said on ch. 5. 7, It will not be thought that our Ix)rd here teaches that our exercise of forgiveness towards our offending fellow-men absolutely precedes and is the proper ground of God's forgiveness of us. His whole teaching, indeed—as of all Scripture—is the reverse of this. But as no one can reasonably imagine himself to be the object of Divine forgiveness who is doliViorately and habitually unforgiving towards his fellow-men, so It
Is still to come, and this petition, "Thy kingdom come," must not cease to ascend so long as one subject of It remains to be brought in. But does not this prayer stretch further forwanl-to " the glory to be revealed," or that stage of the kingdom called " the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and .Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1.11)? Not directly, perhaps, since the petition that follows this "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"—would tlien bring us back to this present state of imperfection.
Still, the mind refuses to be so bounded by stages and degrees, and in the act of praying " Thy kingdom come," it irresistibly slretohcs the wings of its faith, and longing, and joyous expectation out to the final and glorious consummation of the kingdom of God.
Third Petition.: Thy will be done In earth, as It Is tn hfeavtn—or, as the same words are rendered In Luke, ' as in heaven, so upon earth'—as cheer/idly, as constantly, as perfectly. But some will ask. Will this ever be? We answer. If the " new heavens and new earth" are to be just our present material system purified by fire and transfigured, of course it will. But we incline to think that the aspiration which we are taught in this beautiful petition (obreal lie forth lias no direct reference to any such organic fultilincnt, and is only the spontaneous and resistless longing of the renewed soul—put into word.s—to see the whole inhabited earth In entire conformity to the will of God. It asks not if ever it shall be—or if ever it can bo in order to pray this prayer. It must have its holy yearnings broatluMl forth, and this is Just the bold yet simple e.xpression of them. Nor Is the Old Testament without prayers which come very near to this (Psalm 7. 9; 67.; 72.
Is a beautiful provision to make our right to ask and expect dally forgiveness of our dally shortcomings and our final absolution and acquittal at the great day of admission Into the kingdom, dependent upon our consciousness of a forgiving disposition towards our feilows, and our preparedness to protest before the Searcher of hearts that we do actually l^orglve them (See Alark 11. 25, '^Ci.) God sees His own Image reflected in HU forgiving cliildreJi
19, &c.\ FourQi Petition: H. Give H8 this day onr dally bread —The compound word here rendered "dally" occurs nowhere else, either In classical or sacred Greek, and so must be Interpreted by the analogy of Its component parts. But on tnis critics are divided. To those who would understand it to mean, " Give us this day the bread
but to ask Qod for what we ourselves refuse to men, is to
C7trtst's Sermon on the Mount. MATTHEW VI Against Ostentation in Fajting
Insnlt Him. So much stress does our Lord put upon this, that Immediately after the close of this prayer. It Is the one point in it which He comes back upon (v. 14, 15), for the purpose of solemnly assuring us that the Divine procedure in this matter of forgiveness will be exactly what our own is.
from this, it is passed by In silence bj' the earliest Latii fathers; but even the Greek commentators, when expounding this prayer, pass by the doxologj-. On the other hand, it Is found in a majority of MS.S., though not the oldest; it is found in all the Syriac versions, even the Peshlto—dating probably as early as tlie second century— although this version wants the "Amen," whicli tlie doxology, if genuine, could hai-dly have wanted; it is found in the Sahidic or Thebaic version made for tl»e Christians of Upper Egypt, possibly as early as the Old Latin; and
Sixth relilion: 13. And leadusnot Into temptation—He who honestly seeks, and has the assurance of, forgiveness
for past sin, will strive to avoid committing it for the fu-
ture. But conscious that " wlien we would do good evil is present with us," we are taught to offer this sixth petition, which conies naturally close upon the preceding, and
it is found in perliaps most of the later versions. On a review of the evidence, the strong probability, we tliink, is that it was no part of the original text. 14. For If ye forgive men, &c. 15. But ifye forgive not, &.C.—See on
flows, indeed, instinctively from it in the hearts of all earnest Christians. There is some difficulty In the form
of the petition, as it is certain that God does bring His people—as He did Abraham, and Christ Himself—into circumstances both fitted and designed to try them, or
V. 12.
Fasting {v. 16-18). Having concluded His supplementary directions on the subject of Prayer with thi.s Divine Pattern, our Lord now returns to the subject of Unostentatiousness in our deeds of righteousness, in order to give one more illustration of it, in the matter of fasting. 16. Moreover, wlien ye fast—referring, probably, to private and voluntary fasting, which was to be regulated by each Individual for himself; though in spirit it would apply to any fast—be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces — lit., 'make unseen;' very well rendered "disfigure." They went about with a slovenly appearance, and ashes sprinkled on their head, that they may appear unto men to fast—It Wfts not the deed, but reputation for the deed which tliey sought
test the strength of their faith. Some meet this by regarding the petition as simply an humble expression of
self-distrust and instinctive shrinking from danger; but
this seems too weak. Others take it as a prayer against yielding to temptation, and so equivalent to a prayer for 'support and deliverance when we are tempted;' but this seems to go beyond the precise thing intended. We incline to take it as a prayer against being drawn or sucked,
(jf our own will. Into temptation, to which the word here
u.sed seems to lend some countenance—'Introduce us
not.' This view, while it does not put into our mouths a prayer against being tempted—which is more than the Divine procedure would seem to warrant—does not, on the other hand, change the sense of the petition Into one
and with this view those hypocrites multiplied their fasts. And are the exhausting fasts of the Church of Rome, and of Romanizing Protestants, free from this taint? Verily I say unto you. They have their reward. 17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face—as the Jews did, except when mourning (Daniel
for support under temptation, which the words will hardly bear ; but it gives us a subject for prayer. In regard
to temptation, most definite, and of all others most need-
ful. It was precisely this which Peter needed to ask, but did not ask, when—of his own accord, and In spite of difficulties—he pressed for entrance into the palace-hall of the high priest, and where, once sucked Into the scene and atmosphere of temptation, he fell so foully. And if
10. 3); so that the meaning Is, 'Appear as usual'—appear so as to attract no notice. 18. That tliou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father wiiiclt Is in secret: and thy Father, which geetli In secret, sitall reward tliee [openly]—The "openly" seems evidently a, later addition to the text of this verse from v. 4, 7, thougli of course the idea is implied.
80, does it not seem pretty clear that this was exactly what our Lord meant His disciples to pray against when He •aid in the garden— " Watch and pray, that ye enter not
19-34. Concluding Illustrations or the Righteousness OF THE Kingdom — Heavenly-mindedness and Filial Confidence. 19. I<ay not up for ourselves— or hoard not—treasures upon earth, where moth— a 'clothes-moth.' Eastern treasures, consisting partly in: costly dresses stored up (Job 27. IC), were liable to be consumed by moths (Job 13. 28; Isaiah 50. 9; 51. 8). In James
<)ito temptation?" (ch. 28. 41).
Seventh PetUion : Bnt deliver us from evil—We can see uogoo.l reason for regarding this as but the second half of the sixth petition. With far better ground might the second &nd third petitions be regarded as one. The "but" cotNnecting the two petitions is an Insufficient reason for ref{arding them as one, though enough to show that the one thought naturally follows close upon the other. As the expression " from evil" may be equally well rendered 'from the evil one,' a number of superior critics think the devil is intended, especially from its following close upon the subject of "temptation." But the comprehensive character of these brief petitions, and the place which this one occupies, as that on which all our desires die away, seems to us against .so contracted a view of it. Nor can
5. 2 there Is an evident reference to our Lord's words here, and rust—any 'eating into' or 'consuming;' here, probably, ' wear-and-tear.' doth corrupt—
' cause to disappear.' By this reference to moth and rust our Lord would teach, how perishable are such earthly treasures, and where tliieves break throiigh and steal—Treasures the.se, how. precarious! SJO. But lay up for yourselves trcasures iia^ heaven—The language in Luke (12. 33) is very bold-" Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bag.'j which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faiietli: not," &c. where neither moth nor rust dotli corrupt,, and where thieves do not break through. nor steal.. Treasures these, imperishable and unassailable .' (Cf. Colo*- sians 3. 2.) !J1. For where your treasure is—that which ye value most—there will your heart be al*o — ['Tli,y treasure—thy heart' Is probably the true reading liere:. 'your,' in Luke 12. 34, from which it seems, to have cona»« In here.] Obvious though this maxim be, by what niuli. tltudes who profess to bow to the teaching of Christ is it. practically disregarded! 'What a man loves, ' saysLUTHER, quoted by Tholuck, 'that is his God. For h« carries It In his heart, he goes about with It night and day, he sleeps and wakes with It; be it what it may wealth or pelf, pleasure or renown.' But.becau.so " laying up" Is not In Itself sinful, nay. In some cases trnjolned (2 Corinthians 12. 14), and honest Industry and sagacioud enterprise are usually rewarded with prosperity, many
tliere be a reasonable doubt that the apostle, in some of the last sentences which he penned before he was brought forth to suffer for his Lord, alludes to this very petition
1 lithe language ofcalm a.ssurance—"And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work (cf. the Greek of the two pa.ssages), and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom"
(2 Timothy 4. 18). This final petition, then, Is only rightly grasped when regarded as a prayer for deliverance from
all evil of whatever kind—not only from sin, but from all
its consequences—fully and finally. Fitly, then, are our prayers ended with this. For what can we desire which this does not cai-ry with it? For tliine ia tlie kingdom, and the powet, and the glory, for ever. Amen—If any reliance is to be placed on external evidence, this doxology, we think, can hardly be considered part of the original text. It jS wanting in all the most ancient MSS. ; it
Is wnnting In the Old Lalin version and In the Vulgate: the former mounting up toabout the middle of the second century, and the latter being a revision of It in the fourth century by Jkkome, a most reverential and conservative as well as able and Impartial critic. As might be expected
flatter themselves that all Is right between them and God, while their closest attention, an^riety, zeal, and time
Chrisfs Sermon on the Mount. MATTHEW VI. Against Care for Worldly ndng».
committing all In pr.iyer and supplicration with thanksgiving unto God, the apostle assures us that "the peao« of God, wliich passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4.6,7);
re exhausted upon these earthly pursuits. To put this nght, our Lord adds what foilow.s, iu which there is profound pr.aclical wisdom. 23. The Itglit — rather, 'The lamp'—of the body Ig the eye : If therefore thine eye be itlugle—'simple,' 'clear.' As applied to the outward eye,
i. e., shall guard both our feelings and our thoughts from undue agitation, and ki-ep them in a holy calm. But when we commit our whole temporal condition to the wit of our own minds, we get into that " unsettled'" sUita against which our Lord exhorts His disciples. Is not th<s
tliis means general soundness; particularly, not looliiug two ways. Here, as also in classical Greek, it is used figuratively to denote the simplicity of the mind's eye, singleness of purpose, looking right at its object, as opposed to having two ends in view. (See Proverbs 4. 2.5-27.) thy whole body shftU be full of light—
life more than inrat—or
' food'—and the body than raiment J—If God, then, give and keep up the greater—the
' illuminated.' As with the bodily vision, tbe man who looks with u good, sound eye, walks In light, seeing every object clear ; BO a simple and persistent purpose to serve and please God iu everything will make the whole character consistent and bright. 33. But If tliine eye be evil— ' distempered,' or, as we should say. If we have got a bad eye thy whole body shall be full of darkness—
life, the body—will He withhold the less, food to sustain
life and nurnent to clothe the body? 36. Behold the fowls of the air—iu v. '28, 'observe well,' and in Ijuke 12.
2-1, "consider"—so as to learn wisdom from them, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your heavenly Father feedeth tUem. Are ye not much better than they 1—nobler iu yourselves and dearer to God. The argument here is from the greater to tlie less; but how rich in detail! The brute creationvoid of reason—are incapable of sowing, reaping, and storing: yet your heavenly Father suffers them not helplessly to perish, but Sustains them without any of those processes. Will He see, then, His own children using all the means which reason dictates for procuring the things needful for the boily—looking up to Himself at every step—and yet leave them to starve? 37. Which of yon, by taking thought—(' anxious solicitude')—cam add one cubit unto his stature I—"Stature" can hardly be the thing intended here: first, because the subject
' darkened.' As a vitiated eye, or an eye that looks not stiaight and
full at its object, sees nothing as it is, so a mind and heart divided between heaven and earth is all dark. If tlierefore the light that Is in thee be darkness, how great
Is that darkness!—As the couscieuce is the regulative faculty, and a man's inward purpose, scope, aim in life, determines his character — if these be not simple and heavenward, but distorted and double, what must all the other faculties and principles of our nature be which take their direction and character from these, and what must the whole man and the whole life be but a mass of darkness •? In Luke (11. 36) the converse of this statement very strikingly expresses what pure, beautiful, broad perceptions tlie clarity of the inward eye imparts : "If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the briglit shining of a candle doth give thee light. ' But now for the application of this. 34. No man can serve—The word means to 'belong wholly and be entirely under command to' two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other—Even if the two masters be of one character and have but one object, the servant must take law from one or the other : though he may do what is agreeable to both, he cannot, in the nature of the thing, be servant to more than one. Much less if, as in the present case, their interests are quite different, and even conflicting. In this case, if our affections be in the service of the one—If we "love the one''—we must of necessity "hate the other;"
is the prolongation of life, by the supply of its necessaries of food and clothing: and next, because no one would dream of adding a cubit—or a foot and a half—to his stature, while in the corresponding passage in Luke (12.
25,26) the thing Intended is represented as "that thing which is least." But if we take the word in its primary sense of 'a;/e' (for 'stature' is but a secondary sense) the idea will be this, ' Which of yon, however anxiously yoo vex yourselves about it, can add so much as a step to the length of your life's journey ?' To compare the length of
life to measures of this nature is not foreign to the laii« gunge of Scripture (cf. Psalm 89.5; 2 Timothy -1.7, Jcc). understood, the meaning Is clear and the connection nat-
ural. In this the best critics now agree. 38. And why take ye thought for ralmeiitl Consider ('observe
well') the lilies of the field, how they grow s they toll not—as men, planting and preparing the flax, neither do they spin—as women. 39. And yet I say unto you, Tliat cveik Solomon In all his glory was not arrayed like one of these—What incomparable teaching !—best
if we determine resolutely to "hold to the one," we must at the same time disregard, and, if he insist on his claims upon us, even " despise the other." Ye cannot serve God and mammon — The word "mamon" — better written with one )/!—is a foreign one, whose precise derivation cannot certainly be determined, though the most probable one gives it the sense of ' what one trusts in.' Here, there can be no doubt it is used for riches, considered as an idol master, or god of the heart. The service of this god and the true God togither is here,withakind of indignant curtness, pronounced impossible. liutsince the teaching of the preceding verses might seem to endanger our falling short of what is reiiuisite for the present life, and so being left des-
left In its own transparent tilearness and rich simplicity, 30. Wherefore, If God so clothe the grass—the ' lierbage'—of the field, which to-day Is, and to-morrow Is cast Into the oven—wild flowers cut with the grass, withering l)y the heat, and used for fuel. (See James 1.
II.) sliall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith J-^The argument here is something fresh. 'Gorgeous as is the array of the flowers that deck the fields, surpassing all artificial human grandeur, it is for but a brief moment; you are ravished with it to-day, and tomorrow it is gone; your own hands have seized and cafll
titute, our Lord now comes to speak to that point. 35. Tliercfore I say unto you, Take no thought—
it into the oven: Shall, then, God's children, so dear to Him, and Instinct with a life that cannot die, be left naked? He does not say, Shall they not be more beauteously arrayed ? but.Shall He not much more clothe them? that being all He will have them regaid as secured to them (cf. Hebrews 13. 5). The expression, ' Llttle-faithotl
' Be not solicitous.' The English word "thought," when our version was made, expressed this idea of 'solicitude,' 'anxious concern'—as may be seen in any old English classic; and in the same sense it is used in 1 Samuel 9. 5, &c. But this sense of the word has now nearly gone out, and so the mere English reader is apt to be perplexed, nwught or forethought, for temporal things—in the sense of reflection, consideration—is required alike by Scripture and common sense. It Is that anxious solicitude, that carking care, which springs from unbelieving doubts and mlH;;! viiigs, which alone is here condemned. (See Philipplnns I. (>.) for your life, what ye shall cat, or what ye nhiill drink) nor yet for your body, what ye shall put ou—In Luke (12. 29) our Lord luids, ' neither be ye uneetllcd'—not "of doubtful mind," as in our version. .Whc^n "careful (or ' fulil oS oare') about nothing," but 2»
ones,' which our Lord applies once and again to His disciples (ch. 8. 26; It. 31 ; 16. 8), can hardly be regarded as rebuking any actual manifestations of unbelief at that early period, and before such an audience. It is His way of gently chiding the spirit of unbelief, so natural even to the best, who are surrounded by a world of sense, and of kindling a generous desire to shake it off. 31. Therefore take ito thought ('solicitude'), saying. What shall «ve eat! or. What shall we drink I or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed 1 33. (For after all these thing* do the Gentiles seek)—rather, 'pursue.' Kaowlug uotU-
Christ's Strmon on the Mount. MATTHEW VII. A Jteproof of Emh Judgment.
Censorious Judgment {v. 1-5). 1. Judge not, that ye be not judged—To "judge" here does not exactly mean to pronounce condemnatory judgment, nor does it refer to simple judging at all, whether favourable or the reverse. The context makes it clear that the thing here condemned
lag definitely beyond the present life to kindle their aspirations and engage tlieir supreme attention, the heathen naturally pursue present objects as their cliief, their only good. To what an elevation above these does Jesus here lift His disciples ! for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these thln^—How precious this word ! Food and raiment are pronounced needful to God's children; and He who could say, "Ko man knoweth tlie Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him" (ch. 11. 27), says with an authority which none but Himself could claim, "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Will not that suffice you, O ye needy ones of the household of faith ? 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of Go<l, and his rlgliteousness ; and all thesa things shall be added unto you—This is the great summing up. Strictly speaking, it has to do only with the subject of the present section—the right state of the heart with reference to heavenly and earthly things; but being couched in the form of a brief general directory, it is so comprehensive in its grasp as to embrace the whole sub-
Is that disposition to look unfavourably on the cliaracter and actions of others, which leads invariably to the pronouncing of rash, unjust, and unlovely judgments upon them. Nodoubtit is the judgments so pi-onounced vvliicli are here spoken of ; but what our Lord aims at is tlie spirit out of which they spring. Provided we escliew tills unlovely spirit, we are not only warranted to sit in judgment upon a brother's character and actions, but in the exercise of a necessary discrimination are often constrained to do so for our own guidance. It is the violation of the law of love involved in the exercise of a censorious disposition which alone is here condemned. And the argument against it—" that ye be not judged "—confirms tills : ' tliat your own character and actions be not pronounced upon with the like severity;' i.e., at the great day. 3. For with what Judgments ye Judge, ye sliall be Judged
and with what measure ye niete—whatever standard of judgment ye apply to others—it shall be measured to you again—This proverbial maxim is used by our Lord in other connections—as in Mark 4. 24, and with a slightly different application in Luke 6. 38—as a great principle in the Divine administration. Untender judgment of others will be judicially returned upon ourselves, in tlie day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. But, as in many other cases under the Divine administration, such harsh judgment gets self-punished even liere. For people shrink from contact with lliose who systematically deal out harsh judgment upon others—naturally concluding that they themselves may be the next victims—and feel impelled in self-defence, when exposed to
ject of this discourse. And, as if to make this the more evident, the two key-notes of this great sermon seem purposely struck in it—" the kingdom" and " the righteousness" of the kingdom—as the grand objects, in the supreme pursuit of which all things needful for the present life will be added to us. The precise sense of every word in this golden verse should be carefully weighed. " I'he kingdom of God" is the primary subject of tlie Sermon on the Mount—that kingdom which the God of heaven is erecting in this fallen world, within which are
all the spiritually recovered and inwardly subject portion of the family of Adam, under Messiah as its Divine Head and King. "The righteousness thereof" is the character of all such, so amply described and variously illustrated in the foregoing portions of this discourse. The "seeking" of these is the making them the object of supreme choice and pursuit; and the seeking of them
it, to roll back upon the assailant his own censures. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote — 'splinter,' here very well rendered "mote," denoting any smuU fault that is In thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eyel — denoting the much greater fault which we overlook in ourselves. 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out tlie mote out of thine eye ; and, behold, a beam is in tliiue own eyel 5. Thou hypocrite—'Hypocrite!'—lirst cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of tlky brother's eye—Our Lord uses a most hyperbolical, but not unfamiliar figure, to express the monstrous Inconsistency of this conduct. The "hypocrisy" which, not without indignation. He charges it with, consists in the pretence of a zealous and compassionate charity, whicii cannot possibly be real in one who suffers worse faults to lie uncorrected in himself. He only is fit to be a reprover of others who jealously and severely judges him-
"first" is the seeking of them before and above all else. The "all these things" which shall in that case be added
to us are just the " all these things" which the last words of the preceding verse assured us "our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of;" t. e., all we require for the present life. And when our Lord says they shall be "added," it is implied, as a matter of course, tliat the seekers of the kingdom and its righteousness shall have these as their proper and primary portion : the rest being their gracious reward for not seeking them. (See an illustration of the principle of this in 2 Chronicles 1. 11, 12.) What follows is but a reduction of this great general direction into a practical and ready form for daily use. 34. Take therefore no thought ('anxious care') for the morrow ! for tine morrow shall take thought for the things of Itself—(or, according to other authorities, 'for itself ')—sliall have Its own causes of anxiety. Sufficient unto the day Is the evil thereof—An admirable practical maxim, and better rendered in our version than in almost any other, not excepting the preceding English ones. Every day brings its own cares ; and to anticipate
self. Such persons will not only be slow to undertake the office of censor on their neighbours, but, when constrained in faithfulness to deal with them, will make
It evident that they do it with reluctance and not satisfaction, with moderation and not exaggeration, with love and not harshness.
is only to double them.
Prostitution of Holy Things {v. 6). The opposite extreme to that of censoriousness is here condemned—want of discrimination of character. G. Give not that which Is holy unto the dogs—savage or snarling haters of truth and rigliteousness. neither cast ye your pearls before swine—the impure or coarse, who are incapable of appreciating the priceless jewels of Christianity. In the East, dogs are wilder and more gregarious, and, feeding on carrion and garbage, are coarser and fiercer than the same animals in the West. Dogs and swine, besides being ceremonially unclean, were peculiarly repulsive to the Jews, and indeed to the ancients generally, lest they trample them under their feet—as swine do—and turn again and rend you—as dogs do. Religion is brought into contempt, and its professors insulted, when
CHAPTER VII. Sermon on the Mount—conciurferf.
Ver. 1-12. Miscellaneous Supplementary Counsels. That these verses are entirely supplementary is tlie simplest and most natural view of them. All attempts to make out any evident connection with the immediately preceding context are, in our Judgment, forced. But, though supplementary, these counsels are far from being of subordinate importance. On the contrary, they involve some of the most delicate and vital duties of the Christian life. In the vivid form in which they are here presented, perhaps they could not have been Introduced ^*-h the same effect nnder any of the foregoing heads;
It Is forced upon those who cannot value it and will not have it. But while the Indiscriminately zealous have need of this caution, let us be on our guard against MM
'btii they spring out of the same great principles, and are but other forms and manifestations of the same evangelical " righteousness
ChrUfs Sermon on the Mount. MATTHEW VII. Its Conclusiort and Effect
readily setting our neighbours down as dogs and swine, and excusing ourselves from endeavouring to do tliem good on this poor plea.
we consider it reasonable that they should do to us. that we are to do to them.
13-29. Conclusion and Effect of the Sermon on tub Mount. We have here the application of the whole preceding discourse. Conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount
Fi-ayer (v. 7-11). Enough, one might think, had been said on this subject in ch. 6. 5-15. But the difficulty of the foregoing duties seems to have recalled the subject, and this gives it quite a new turn. 'How shall we ever be able to carry out such precepts as these, of tender, holy, yet discriminating love?' might the humble disciple inquire. 'Goto God with it,' is our Lord's reply; but He expresses this with a fulness which leaves nothing to be desired, urging now not ouly confidence, but importunity in prayer. 7. Ask, and It shall be g;lveii yoti; geek, and ye shall And ; knock, and It shall be opened unto yon—Though there seems evidently a climax here, expressive of more and more importunity, yet each of these terms used presents what we desire of God in a difl'erent light. "We ask for what we wish ; we seek for what we miss; we knock for that from which we feel ourselves shut
{v. 13-27). "The righteousness of the kingdom," so amply described, both in principle and in detail, would be seen to Involve self-saci-ijiee at every step. Multitudes would never face this. But it must be faced, else the consequences will be fatal. This would divide all within the sound of these truths into two classes: the many, who will follow the path of ease and self-indulgence—end where it might; and the few, who, bent on eternal safety above everything else, take the way that leads to it—at whatever cost. This gives occasion to the two opening verses of this application. 13. Enter ye in at the strait gate—as If hardly wide enough to admit one at all. This expresses the difficulty of the first right step in religion, involving, as it does, a triumph over all our natural inclinations. Hence the still stronger expression in Luke
out. Answering to this tlireefold representation is the triple assurance of success to our believing efforts. 'But ah !' might some humble disciple say, 'I cannot persuade myself that I have any interest with God.' To meet this, our Lord repeats tlie triple assurance He had just given, but in such a form as to silence every such complaint.
(13. 2-1), "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." for wide is the gate—easily entered—and broad is tlie way—easily trodden—that leadeth to destrnction, and—thus lured many tltere be which go In tliereat : 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is tile way, wlilclt leadeth unto life—in other words, the whole course is as difficult as the first step ; and (so it comes to pass tlTat)-few there be that And It. The recommendation of the broad way
S. For every one that agketh recelveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ; and to him that kuocketh It shall be opened—Of course, it is presumed that he asks aright
i. e., in faith—and with an honest purpose to make use of what he receives. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering 'undecided whether to be altogether on the Lord's side). For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord " (James 1. 5-7). Hence, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts "(James 4.3). 9. Or what man Is there of yon, whom If hig son ask bread —
is the ease with which it is trodden and the abundance of company to be found in it. It is sailing with a fair wind and a favourable tide. The natural inclinations are not crossed, and fears of the issue, if not easily hushed, are in the long run effectually subdued. The one disadvantage of this course is Its end—it "leadeth to destruction." The great Teacher says it, and says it as "One having authority." To the supposed injustice or harshness of this He never once adverts. He leaves it to be inferred that such a course righteously, naturally, necessarily so ends. But whether men see this or no, here He lays down the law of the kingdom, and leaves it with us. As to the other way, the disadvantage of it Ilea in its narrowness and solicitude. Its very first step Involves a revolution in our whole purposes and plans for
' a loaf—will he give him a stone 1—round and smooth like such a loaf or cake as was much in use, but only to mock him. 10. Or If he ask a flsh, will he give him a serpent 1—like it, indeed, but only to sting him. 11. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him !—Bad as our fallen nature is, the father in us is not extinguished. What a heart, then, must the Father of all fathers have towards His pleading children! In the corresponding passage in Luke (see on H. 13), Instead of "good things," our Lord asks whether He will not much more give t?ie Holy Si)irit to them that ask Him. At this early stage of His ministry, and before such an audience, He seems to avoid such sharp doctrinal teaching as was more accordant with His plan at the riper stage indicated in Luke, and in addressing His own disciples exclusively.
life, and a surrender of all that is dear to natural inclination, while all that follows is but a repetition of the first great act of self-sacrifice. No wonder, then, that few find and few are found in it. But it has one advantage
it "leadeth unto life." Some critics take "the gate" here, not for the first, but the last step in religion ; since gates seldom open into roads, but roads usually terminate in a gate, leading straight to a mansion. But as this would make our Lord's words to have a very Inverted and unnatural form as they stand. It is better, with the majority of critics, to view them as we have done. But since such teaching would be as unpopular as the way itself, our Lord next forewarns His hearers that preachers of smooth things—the true heirs and representatives of the false prophets of old—would be rife enough In the new kingdom. 15. Beware—'But beware'—of false prophets —i. e., of teachers coming as authorized expounders of the mind of God and guides to heaven. (See Acts 20. 29, 30 ; 2 Peter 2. 1, 2.) which come to you In sheep's clotliing with a bland, gentle, plausible exterior; persuading you that the gate is not strait nor the way narrow, and that to teach so is illiberal and bigoted—precisely what the old prophets did (Ezekiel 13. I-IO, 22). but inwanlly they are ravening wolves—bent on devouring the flock for their own ends (2 Corinthians 11. 2, 3, 13-15). 10. Ye shall know them by their fruits—not their doctrines—as many of the elder interpreters and some later ones explain It— for that corresponds to the tree Itself; but the practical effect of their teaching, which Is the proper fruit of the tree. Do men gather grapes of thorns—any kind of prickly plant—or figs of tiilstlcsla threepronged variety. The general sense is obvious—Every tree bears its own fruit. 17. Kven so every good tree bringetli forth good fruit i but a corrupt tree bringetta forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth
Golden Rule (v. 12). I'J. Therefore—to say all in one word —all things wliatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so— t lie same thing and in the same way —to them : for tliis is tlie Law and the Prophets—'This
is the substance of all relative duty; nil Scripture In a nutshell.' Incomparable summary! How well called "the royal lawl" (James 2.8; cf. Romans 13.9.) It is true that similar maxims are found floating in the writings of the cultivated Greeks and Romans, and naturally enough in the Rabbinical writings. But so expressed as it is here—in immediate connection with, and as the sum of such duties as had been just enjoined, and such principles as had been before taught—it is to be found nowhere else. And the best commentary upon this fact is, that never till our Lord came down thus to teach did men ell'ectually and widely exemplify it in their practice. Tlie precise sense of the maxim is best referred to common sense. It is not, of course, what—In our wayward, capricious, grasping moods —we should wish that men would do to us, that we are to hold ourselves bound to do to them ; but only what—in the exercise of an Impartial Judgment, and putting ourselves in their place
ITie Oc^usion of the Sermon. MATTHEW VIII. The Stealing of a Leper.
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeMi them—see James 1. 22, which seems a plain allusion to these words
evil fralt, neltUer can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fi-ult—Obvious as is llie trutli here expressed in ditferent
also Luke 11.28; Romans 2.13; 1 John 3.7—1 will liken him unto a wise man—a shrewd, prudent, provident man—which built his house upon a rock—the rock of true discipleship, or genuine sulyection to Christ. 35. And the rain—from above—descended, and the floods from below—came, and the winds—sweeping across blew, and—thus Irom every direction—beat upon that house ; and it fell not ; for it was founded upon a rock —See 1 John 2. 17. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine—in the attitude of discipleship—and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand—denoting a loose foundation—that of an empty profession and mere external services. 27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon—or ' struck agai nst'—that house $ and it fell : and great was the fall of it—terrible the ruin! How lively must this imagery have been to an audience accustomed to the fierceness of an Eastern tempest, and the suddenness and completeness with which it sweeps everything unsteady before it
/onn.s—tliat the heart determines and is the only proper
interpreter of tlie actions of our life—no one who knows how the Church of Home makes a merit of actions, quite apart from the motives that prompt them, and how the same tendency manifests itself from time to time even among Protestant Christians, can think it too obvious to be insisted on by the teachers of Divine truth. Here follows a wholesome digression. 19. Every tree tliat
briiigetlt not forth good fruit Is Itewn down, and
CBLSt into the tire—See on <;h. 3. 10. aO. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall Icnow them—5. d., ' But the point I now press is not so much the end of such, as the means of detecting them; and this, as already said, is their fruits.' The hypocrisy of teachers now leads to a solemn warning against religious hypocrisy in general. 31. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord—the reduplication
of the title " Lord" denoting zeal in according it to Christ
(see Mark 1-1. 45). Yet our Lord claims and expects
this of all His disciples, as when He washed their feet
"Ye call me Masler and Lord: and ye say well; for so
Effect of the Sermon on the Mount (v. 28, 29). 38. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine—rather, ' His teaching,' for the reference is to the manner of it quite as much as the matter, orrather more so. 39. For he taught them as [one] having authority— The word "one," which our translators have here inserted, only weakens the statement, andnot as the scribes—The consciousness of Divine authority, as Lawgiver, Expounder and Judge, so beamed through His teaching, that the scribes' teaching could, not but appear drivelling in such a light.
I am" (John 13. 13). shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven — that will which it had been the great object of this discourse to set forth. Yet our Lord says warily, not 'the will of your Father,' but "of My Father;" thus claiming a relationship to His Father with which His disciples might not intermeddle, and which He never lets down. And he so speaks here to give author-
ity to His asseverations. But now He rises higher still not formally announcing Himself as the Judge, but intimating what men will say to Him, and He to them, tv?ien He sits as their final judge. 23. Many will gay to me in that day—What day 7 It is emphatically unnamed. But
CHAPTEE VIII.
it is the day to which He had just referred, when men
Ver. 1-4. HEA1.ING OF A Leper. (=Mark 1. 40-45; Luke
shall " enter" or not enter " into the kingdom of heaven."
(See a similar way of speaking of " that day" in 2 Timothy
5. 12-16.) The time of this miracle seems too definitely fixed here to admit of our placing it where it stands in Blark and Luke, in whose Gospels no such precise note of time is given. 1. [And] When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2. And, l>ehold, there came a leper—" a man full of leprosy," says Luke 5. 12. Much has been written on this