The drunkard, for instance, entices his friend to wallow in the mire of drunkenness, till shameful spewing be upon his glory, (Habbak. ii. 15, 16, 2 Pet. ii. 22.) And the misguided zeal of the Scribes and Pharisees of old, compassed sea and land to make one proselyte, and then, to render him two-fold more the child of hell than themselves, Matt. xxiii. 15. Such spirit of proselytism is not yet extinct.

Proper self-love, however, is an useful standard in general, and was re-enacted by OUR LORD; "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye unto them. For this is [the substance of] the LAW and the PROPHETS," Matt. vii. 12. And we may add, of the LAW of NATURE also, in the Heathen world, derived from primitive Revelation to Noah and his family, Gen. ix. 5. Ὁ συ μισεις, έτερῳ μη ποιησης. "What thou hatest thyself, do not to another," was thence recommended by Cleobulus, one of the seven sages of Greece.

To remedy this precarious and uncertain standard of self-love, and the ideal standard of the obedience of angelic spirits, which does not fall within human observation, our blessed Lord condescended to furnish an imitable pattern of obedience to the will of God, in all its branches, by taking our nature upon him *, to furnish a real and a perfect standard of the most consummate piety toward GOD, and love toward man, in his own brightest example. "Learn of ME, for I am meek and lowly of heart," Matt. xi. 29. Infinitely meeker and lowlier than Moses, who, though the meekest of men, yet spake unadvisedly with his lips; (see Vol. II. pp. 164, 198.) And accordingly, his new Commandment was, "Love each other, as I have loved you;" and He made their observance of this commandment, the characteristic of his religion: "Hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love among each other," John xiii. 34, 35.

This commandment, though not absolutely new in its precept, was 1. new in its extent and degree; 2. in its standard or model; 3. in its motives, and 4. in its sanction.

The pure and spiritual devotion of CHRIST, and his obedience in the flesh, is finely foretold, Psalm xl. 6-8, as interpreted Heb. x. 5-9. "When (CHRIST) cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not, but a [human] body hast Thou prepared for me. Burnt offerings and sin offerings, thou desiredst not. Then said I, Lo I come [into the world,] (in the volume of the [Sacred] Book, it is written of me,) to do thy will, O MY GOD, I wished it; yea, thy law is within my heart!"

1. By a considerable enlargement of the Mosaical law, Christians are required to love each other, not as "neighbours" only, but as "brethren," a nearer and tenderer connexion, Heb. ii. 11, 1 Pet. iii. 8, meaning by the word "brethren," not merely fellow Christians, but strangers, aliens, and the whole human race, by the most enlarged philanthropy, as explained in the parable of the humane Samaritan, (see Vol. II. p. 234. Vol. III. p. 150.) The degree of Christian love, or charity, is also prescribed by OUR LORD, and taught by his example. "Ye have heard that it was said [in the LAW,] Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy; But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you, Matt. v. 43, 44, Luke vi. 27, 28. And He thus illustrates its propriety,

For if ye love them [only] that love you, what merit have ye? do not even the publicans the same? [whom ye despise as sinners and heathens, Matt. xi. 19, xviii. 17.] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than they?] do not even the publicans so? Matt. v. 46, 47.

He elsewhere also describes its extent; " Greater love hath no one than this, that one (riç) lay down his life for his friends," John xv. 13.

2. And how strictly did He practise his own precepts? "CHRIST suffered for us, leaving behind a pattern to us, that we should tread in his steps, who did no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not in turn, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed [himself] to Him that judgeth justly," 1 Pet. ii. 21, 22; "He laid down his life for the sheep," John x. 15; and " died for us when we were yet sinners," Rom. v. 8, and "poured out his soul to death on the cross," Isai. liii. 12, breathing out a prayer and an apology for his murderers; " FATHER, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" Luke xxiii. 34.

3. The noble motives thereto, are the imitation of GOD and CHRIST, as far as the frailty and infirmity of our nature will permit us (Phil. iii. 12,) to copy these all perfect standards of

This latter clause is no where found in the law, and is contrary to its spirit, Deut. xxxiii. 7. See Vol. II. p. 234. It was a gloss of the Scribes, founded, perhaps, on the prescribed extermination of the devoted nations, Deut. xxxiii. 7; to which David seems to allude, Psalm cxxxix. 21, 22.

"Be

love and mercy, towards not only the good and the just, but even towards the wicked, the unjust, and the unthankful, in “ their creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life.” ye therefore perfect, even as your HEAVENLY FATHER is perfect," Matt. v. 45-48: "Be ye therefore merciful, even as your FATHER is merciful," Luke vi. 35, 36. And the inference is, "If God so loved us, we ought also to love each other," 1 John iv. 11. "Walk in love, as CHRIST also loved us, and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to GOD for a fragrant savour," Ephes. v. 2; and "we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren," 1 John iii. 16.

4. The higher sanctions of reward are, to be called "children of GOD," "brethren" and "friends" of CHRIST, and “joint heirs" with CHRIST, or inheritors of the kingdom of heaven: and the more awful sanctions of punishment, to be called "children of the devil," "enemies of GOD and CHRIST," and to be doomed to everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, with the Devil and his angels in hell. Both infinitely more awakening and alarming, than the temporal sanctions of the Mosaical law, Matt. v. 45, Luke xx. 36, Gal. iii. 26, Rom. viii. 17, Tit. iii. 7, 1 John iii. 10. Compare Exod. xx. 5, 6—12, Levit. xxvi. 3—46, Deut. xxviii. 1—68.

Christian love, or charity, therefore, as inculcated in OUR LORD's new commandment, and improved and enlarged thereby, may now be defined more fully *, "That Divine virtue, by which we love GOD and CHRIST above all things, because they first loved us; and our brethren as ourselves, for the love of God, and for the sake of CHRIST."

II. Having now considered the exordium and general petitions of the Lord's Prayer, and shewn that they contain, enlarge, and spiritualize the ten Commandments; before we proceed to the ensuing special petitions, we shall endeavour to shew that the Sermon on the Mount was designed for a critical commentary and improvement of the Decalogue.

Following, therefore, our LORD's order, we shall begin with the moral duties of the second table, which were all included in the general petition, Thy will be done; and which, therefore, the summary proceeds to specify and explain, upon the principles of the GoSPEL.

See the definition of Mosaical love, or benevolence, Vol. II. p. 237.

The sixth commandment," delivered oracularly to the anci ents," (EppεOn Tois apxauous,) prohibited the actual commission of murder *, Exod. xx. 13, Deut. v. 17; and under the penalty of death, Exod. xxi. 12, Deut. xix. 11-13, but as re-enacted by CHRIST to his disciples, (εyw de λɛyw vμv,) it is extended to prohibit every incitement or provocation thereto.

1. Causeless anger, breaking out into

2. Contemptuous expressions, Raca," Rascal," &c.

3. Slanderous epithets, Fool, i. e. " Atheist," or "Apostate," under the penalties of divine judgment for the first, a higher, corresponding to the Sanhedrim, for the second, and hell fire for the last.

To this commandment, so enlarged and fortified, several collateral duties are attached by OUR LORD.

1. Reconciliation to an offended Brother. This is required as absolutely necessary to make our devotions and voluntary sacrifices acceptable unto God.

"If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath any [complaint] against thee, leave there thy gift, [to ensure thy return,] before the altar, [not upon the altar, for it would pollute the altar,] and withdraw; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift," Matt. v.

21-24.

2. Speedy compromise with a plaintiff in a law suit, whilst on the way with him to the courts of justice; in order to prevent rigorous costs and damages †, ver. 25, 26.

There seems here to be some allowance for " anger with cause," or well founded. And OUR LORD himself has given countenance thereto, by his conduct. For he was sometimes angry and indignant, in the course of his ministry, at the perverseness and malignity of the chief priests, Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Herod, and the Herodians, whom He did not scruple to rebuke and censure with all authority, as “fools and blind," "hypocrites," ""whited sepulchres," "a generation of vipers," " children of the devil,” as well as "that fox," Herod. We, however, sinful and short-sighted mortals, should be exceedingly cautious how we plead the prescription of his example. He was THE SEARCHER OF HEARTS, and “knew what was in man ;” but if we, “be angry," we cannot be sure that we "sin not," through ignorance, passion, or prejudice. Our wiser and safer course, therefore, is to follow that Apostle's precept, who furnished some instances of his own frailty, in his violent contention with Barnabas, Acts xv. 39; and his abusive language to the high priest, Acts xxiii. 3.-" Let all anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you," Ephes. iv. 31; and for the reason he assigns elsewhere, "Vengeance, is MY prerogative, I will repay, saith THE LORD," Rom. xii. 19. The archangel Michael durst not rail against the Devil, but only said, THE LORD rebuke thee! Jude 9.

This also was recommended in the laws of the twelve tables at Rome. In via, rem

3. A repeal of the law of retaliation, "an eye for an eye," &c. ver. 38, which was tolerated, though not encouraged by Moses, Exod. xxi. 24, &c. Levit. xix. 18. In its stead, CHRIST recommended the following prudential maxims.

1. Patience under insults. "Resist not the wicked man, but whosoever shall smite thee on the left cheek, turn to him the right also," rather than hastily or angrily resent it, ver. 39. That it was not designed for a law, appears from our Lord's remonstrating himself against this insult, John xviii. 23. It was proverbial for patient endurance of insult, Lam. iii. 30.

2. Patience under small injuries. " If a man be litigious, and take away thy vest, let him have thy mantle also," rather than go to law with him, ver. 40.

3. Patience under personal grievances, "When pressed into the public service, by any public officer, to go with him one mile, voluntarily go with him twain, rather than resist the ruling powers to your further detriment," ver. 41.

4. Compassion to the distressed. "Give to him that asketh thee [alms;] and from him that would borrow from thee, turn not thou away," ver. 42.

66

For

This precept requires limitations, according to the ability of the giver, and the comparative merits of the petitioners. the idle or vicious are not entitled to relief, Acts xi. 29, 2 Cor. viii. 13, Luke xv. 16, 2 Thess. iii. 10. But never turn away thy face from any poor man, carelessly, or scornfully, and then the face of the LORD shall not be turned away from thee," Tobit iv. 11, Luke xvi. 19-25.

Thus, even those precepts reckoned paradoxical, and impracticable, by gainsayers, when fairly interpreted, not according to the letter, but the spirit, as explained by our Lord's conduct, and by parallel passages, exhibit useful lessons of prudence and discretion.

The seventh commandment prohibited the actual crime of adultery, and under the penalty of stoning to death, Exod. xx. 14, Levit. xx. 10, Deut. xxii. 22, John viii. 5.

But OUR LORD combines it with the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife," and extends the guilt to "the lust of the eye," in looking lewdly upon a mar

sti pacent, orato. "On the way, pray that they may compromise the matter." Blackstone's Com. III. B. III. c. 20.