CH. 5. SECT. III. it away it is better for thee to lose one of thy members, than that thy whole body be cast into 30 hell. And if thy right hand insnare thee, cut it Deut. 24; 1. 31 ch. 19; 7. Lu. 16; 18. 1 Cor. 7; 10. Ex. 20; 7. Deut. 5; 11. Ex. 21; 24. off, and throw it away: it is better for thee to lose one of thy members, than that thy whole body be cast into hell. It hath been said, "Whosoever would dismiss “his wife, let him give her a writ of divorce." 32 But I say unto you, 'Whosoever shall dismiss his 'wife, except for whoredom, is the occasion of her 'becoming an adulteress; and whosoever marrieth 'her that is dismissed, committeth adultery.' 33 Again, ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, "Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but 34"shalt perform thy oaths to the Lord." But I say unto you, 'Swear not at all; neither by heaven, 'for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is 'his footstool; neither shalt thou swear by Jerusa36 lem, for it is the city of the great king; nor by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair 37' white or black.' But let your yes be yes, your no, no; for whatever exceedeth these, proceedeth from evil. 35 6 38 Ye have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye, 39" and tooth for tooth." But I say unto you, Resist not the injurious. But if any one strike thee 40 on the right cheek, turn to him also the left. Whoever will sue thee for thy coat, let him have thy 41 mantle likewise. And if a man constrain thee to Deut. 15; 7. 42 go one mile with him, go two. Give to him that 1 Cor. 6; 7. SECT. III. 43 asketh thee; and him that would borrow from thee, put not away. Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt Lev. 19; 18. "love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.' 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies; bless them Ro. 12; 20 who curse you; do good to them who hate you; and pray for them who arraign and prosecute you; 45 that ye may be children of your Father in heaven, who maketh his sun arise on bad and good, and 46 sendeth rain on just and unjust. For if ye love them only who love you, what reward can ye ex47 pect? Do not even the publicans so? And if ye show courtesy to your friends only, wherein do ye 48 excel? Do not even the pagans as much? Be ye Eph. 5; 1, therefore perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. VI. TAKE heed that ye perform not your religious duties before men, in order to be observed by them; otherwise ye will obtain no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 When, therefore, thou givest alms, do not proclaim it by sound of trumpet, as the hypocrites do, in the assemblies and in the streets; that they may be extolled by men. Verily, I say unto you they 3 have received their reward. But thou, when thou givest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy 4 right hand doth; that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father, to whom nothing is secret, will himself recompense thee. 5. And when thou prayest, be not like the hypo Ecclus.7; 14. Lu. 11; 2. CH. 6. SECT. III. crites, who affect to pray standing in the assemblies, and at the corners of the streets, that men may observe them. Verily I say unto you, they have 6 received their reward. But thou, when thou wouldst pray, retire to thy closet; and, having shut the door, pray to thy Father; and thy Father, to whom, though he is unseen himself, nothing is Eccles. 5; 2. 7 secret, will recompense thee. And in prayer, talk not at random, as the pagans, who think that us8 ing many words will procure them acceptance. Imitate them not, for your Father knoweth what 9 things ye want, before ye ask him. Thus, there10 fore, pray ye: Our Father, who art in heaven, 11thy name be hallowed; thy reign come; thy will 12 'be done upon the earth, as it is in heaven; give us to-day our daily bread; forgive us our debts 13 as we forgive our debtors; and abandon us not 'to temptation, but preserve us from evil. [For 'thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the 14 glory for ever. Amen.]' For, if ye forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will 15 also forgive you : but if ye forgive not others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Ecclus. 28; 1. ch. 18; 35. Mar. 11; 25. Ja. 2; 13. 16 Moreover, when ye fast, look not dismal, as the hypocrites, who disfigure their faces, that men may observe that they fast. Verily I say unto you, they 17 have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; that thy fasting may not appear to men, but to thy 18 Father; and thy Father, to whom, though he is SECT. III, 19 CH. 6. will recompense unseen himself, nothing is secret, will thee. AMASS not for yourselves treasure upon the Lu. 12; 33. earth, where moths or rust may consume it, or 1 Tim. 6; 20 thieves breaking in may steal it. But provide for 10, 19. yourselves treasure in heaven, where are neither moths nor rust to consume it, nor thieves to break 21 in and steal it. For where your treasure is, your Lu. 11; 34 22 heart will also be. The lamp of the body is the eye. If, therefore, thine eye be sound, thy whole 23 body will be enlightened: but if thine eye be distempered, thy whole body will be dark. And if even the light which is in thee be darkness; how great will the darkness be? 24 A man cannot serve two masters; for either he Lu. 16; 13. will hate one, and love the other; or at least will attend one, and neglect the other. Ye cannot serve Ps. 55; 22. 25 God and 12 Mammon. Therefore I charge you; Lu. 12; 22be not anxious about your life, what ye shall eat, 1 Pet. 5; 7, or what ye shall drink; nor about your body, what ye shall wear. Is not life a greater gift than food; 26 and the body than raiment? Observe the fowls of heaven. They neither sow nor reap. They have no storehouse: but your heavenly Father feedeth 27 them. Are not ye much more valuable than they? Besides; which of you can by his anxiety prolong his life one hour? And why are ye anxious about raiment? Mark the lilies of the field. How do they Ro. 2; 1. 14; 4. Mar. 4; 24. Lu. 6; 41. сн. 7. SECT. III. 29 grow? They toil not: they spin not. Yet I affirm that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not equal30 ly adorned with one of these. If then God so array the herbage which tò-day is in the field, and to-morrow will be cast into the oven; will he not 31 much more array you, O ye distrustful! Therefore say not anxiously, as the heathens do, What shall we eat; or what shall we drink; or wherewith shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Fa33 ther knoweth that ye need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness required by him; and all these things shall 34 be superadded to you. Be not then anxious about the morrow: the morrow will be anxious about itself. Sufficient for every day is its own trouble. Lu. 6.37 VII. JUDGE not, that ye be not judged; for as ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with the measure 3 wherewith ye give, ye shall receive. And why observest thou the mote in thy brother's eye, but 4 art insensible of the thorn in thine own eye? Or how darest thou say to thy brother, ‹ Let me take the mote out of thine eye;' thou who hast a thorn 5 in thine own? Hypocrite, first take the thorn out of thine own eye; then thou wilt see to take the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not things holy to dogs, and cast not your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot, or turn upon you and tear you. Ask, and ye shall obtain; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. |