Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

Woes of Sinners.

But, woe unto you mammonists, that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you luxurists, that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you pleasurists, that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when men shall flatter you! for so did their fathers [flatter] the false prophets.

True Glory of Christians.

Ye are the salt [or purification] of the earth: but if the salt shall lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world: a city that is set on a hill, which cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a measure, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light thus shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Christianity perfecting the Law.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets I am not come to destroy, but to perfect. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be perfected. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: and whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. But I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Duty of Fraternity and Brotherly Kindness.

Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother wrongfully shall

be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, or rascal, [wrongfully] shall be in danger of the council: but whoever shall say, Morah, or miscreant [wrongfully] shall be in danger of consuming fire. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come, and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou mayest by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Duty of Purity and Chastity.

Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whoever looketh on a woman with adulterous desire for her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart. And if thy right eye pervert thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish rather than that thy whole body should be cast into consuming fire. And if thy right hand pervert thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish rather than that thy whole body should be cast into consuming fire. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of whoredom, exposes her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is unlawfully divorced committeth adultery.

The solemn responsibility of Oaths.

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform thine oaths to the Lord: but I say unto you,

*

Misswear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool; neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, [because it is a work of God,] and thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your asseveration be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh from evil.

This passage relative to swearing and oaths has been much controverted by good and wise persons. I venture to adopt the rendering proposed-misswear not at all-for the following reasons. It appears that our Lord, in this divine sermon on the mount, never absolutely contradicts the laws of the Old Testament, which he cites, but only qualifies, extends, or diminishes their construction and application, so as to adapt them to the more perfect and universal system of the Gospel. Probably, therefore, he does not altogether forbid certain true and solemn oaths, that were permitted, if not enjoined, in the former dispensation, while he prohibits all false and profane swearing. In the next place, we hold it to be a sound rule of criticism that words which have many meanings and shades of signification are to be construed in relation to the context; for their actual sense is specially referable to the immediate argument in which they occur. If, therefore, the context relates to the specific topic of perjury, forswearing, and taking God's name in vain, we must suppose that the word in question, which we have rendered misswear, also alludes to this kind of swearing particularly, and not to swearing universally. Now the fact of the case appears to be this. The Jews of that period stated that it was not lawful to forswear those oaths or vows that were made in the name of Jehovah, or the Lord, but that they might lawfully forswear those oaths or vows that were made in the name of heaven, or the temple, &c. This false sophistry betrayed them into a great deal of mischievous forswearing, perjury, and prevarication. Our Lord, therefore, commanded them to avoid forswearing or misswearing altogether, under any name or under any circumstances. He indicates that all created things are so full of the omnipresence and agency of God, that no perjury can be coupled with them without profanation; for no man can take false or vain oaths with impunity, till he has discovered a spot where God is absent, and a creature self-created and self sustained. And as God is that being whose centre is everywhere, and whose circumference is nowhere, such a discovery is simply impossible. Respecting the Greek word omnuo or omnumi, which is represented by amun in the Syriac Testament, it may refer to swearing either in a good or evil

[ocr errors]

Retaliation guarded against abuses, and modified by concessions. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, That ye retaliate not wrong [for wrong]: but [rather than sense, and here, being directly associated with the other word forswearing, it is probably levelled against some corrupt forms of oaths. I believe, however, that in this place, these words refer to the Hebrew word am ain, for in Hebrew the particle am signifies yea or surely (Ps. cxxxix. 19) being connected with the common word amen, truth, and ain signifies nay or no. It therefore expresses a kind of misswearing, a yea-nay prevarication, to which our Lord subsequently alludes when he says, Let your asseveration be yea yea, nay nay. This is not the only case in which a Hebrew or Syriac word has been written in Greek letters according to the sound, though not according to the etymology or the sense. For instance, in this very sermon on the mount, the Hebrew word morah, which signifies a miscreant, or apostate, has been written in Greek letters in such a manner as to be mistaken for the Greek word moros, a fool. I am borne cut in this conviction that the text alludes to this kind of amainizing, or misswearing, by a passage in Grotius's Rights of Peace and War." His words are these:-"What is said in the precepts of Christ and St. James concerning our not swearing at all, does not belong to assertory oaths, whereof we have several examples in St. Paul." Grotius then describes the evils of the yea nay prevarication, and thus proceeds: "The Greek word nai, meaning yea, is expressed in Hebrew by amen. Thus all the promises of God in Christ are yea and amen (certain and true). Festus tells us that the Latin word naucum is derived from the Greek nai and ouchi, yes and no, and signifies a wavering man. Now if yea-nay signifies lightness and inconstancy, yea-yea and nay-nay signify steadfastness and consistency." But supposing the word omnuo to be simply Greek, answering to the Latin juro and the English swear, it may still be proved that these and several other words relating to oaths are to be taken in a good or a bad sense, according to the context and their relation to particular things. Thus swearing in English signifies either truly, falsely, piously, or profanely, according to circumstances. But I leave to my readers the same right of free opinion as I assume myself in controverted points. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Those who believe that the text forbids every kind of oath, are conscientiously bound to abstain from all oaths whatever; and in this respect the Friends, or Quakers, are admirable for their consistency, and deserve commendation for it, as well as for their peacefulness and philanthropy.

so] whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any one will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, [rather than retaliate wrongfully,] let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, [rather than retaliate wrongfully,] go with him twain. Give to him that should ask thee, and from him that should borrow of thee, turn not thou away and if one steals thy goods rob not his in return. And as ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them likewise.

Duty of Love universal.

Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shall love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. But I say unto you, who hear, Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you; bless them that curse you; and pray for them who despitefully use you: that ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good; and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust. For if ye love them only who love you, what reward have ye? for sinners also love those that love them: do not even the Publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Publicans so? And if ye do good to them only who do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind even unto the unthankful, and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is merciful, (and) perfect.

Duty of humility and unostentation.

Take heed that ye do not your almsgiving before men, to be seen by them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when thou

« AnteriorContinuar »