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in heaven; for so they persecuted the prophets before you.

13. Ye are the salt of the earth, (by your gospel doctrine, and example) but if the salt hath lost its saltness, how shall it be restored, it is no more good for any thing but to be cast out and trampled on.

14. Ye are the light of the world, (by your doctrine and example, whereby you become conspicuous, as) a city placed on a hill cannot be hidden.

15. No man lights a candle to put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; whereby it gives light to all in the house.

16. So let the light of your good works shine before men, that they may see them, and glorify your Father in heaven.

17. Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18. For I tell you certainly, Till heaven and earth pass away, the least letter or stroke shall by no means pass away from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19. Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commands, and teach men so, shall be of least account in the church militant below, and shall not enter the church triumphant above: but whoever shall teach and do them, shall be great in the kingdom of grace here, and of glory hereafter.

20. For I tell you, Except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21. Ye have heard that this command was given to the people of old, Thou shalt not kill; and whoever kills is in danger of condemnation: 22. But I tell you, That whoever is angry with another without a cause, is in danger of condemnation; and whoever says to his brother, without a cause, Empty, worthless wretch, is in danger of a dreadful

doom; but whoever says without a cause, Thou fool, (or graceless wicked wretch) is in danger of hell fire.

23. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24. Leave thy gift before the altar, go, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come to offer thy gift, (go to no religious exercise, till thou repair any injuries thou hast done, it doubles thy guilt, Psal. Ixvi. 18.) 25. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him; lest being injured, he deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26. Verily I tell thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the last farthing, (which thou shalt never be able to do, and therefore canst never come out, thy spiritual state is such with regard to God and Christ, and the saints, and Satan and thy sins, and the prison of hell where thou must remain for ever, as thou canst never pay what thou owest, Matth. xxv. 46.)

27. ¶ Ye have heard it was commanded of old, Thou shalt not commit whoredom: 28. But I tell you, That whoever looks on a woman to lust after her, hath committed whoredom with her already in his heart.

29. But if thy right eye would cause thee to offend, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to let one of thy members perish, than thy whole body be cast into hell. 30. And if thy right hand would cause thee to offend, cut it off, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to let one of thy members perish, than thy whole body be cast into hell, (tho' thy darling lusts and desires should be dear to thee as a right eye or a right hand, yet all that one hath will he part with for his life. Matth. xvi. 26.)

31. It hath been said, Whoever will put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32. But I tell you, Whoever puts away his wife, but for adultery, causeth her to commit adultery; and whoever marries the divorced, commits adultery.

33. Ye have also heard it was commanded of old, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but perform to the Lord thine oaths: 34. But I say to you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne: 35. Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King, (Psal. xivii. 7.); 36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37. But let your' word be, Yes, yes; No, no: for whatever is more than these is from evil.

38. ¶ Ye have heard it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; 39. But I say to you, Return not evil for (every) evil; bear small injuries; be ready rather to receive a second, than revenge the first; take no private revenge; but forgive to the penitent, and let justice punish injuries, (John xviii. 23.)

40, 41. When injured by a law-suit, or compulsion, rather return good for evils than resent them all. 42. Give to him that asks of thee, (in his need); and turn not away from him that would borrow of thee, (in his need.)

43. Ye have heard it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy: 44. But I say to you, Love your enemies, so as to bless them who curse you, and do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who abuse and persecute you, (Luke xxiii. 34.) 45. That ye may be the children of your Father in heaven: For he makes his sun's light to spring up on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the righteous, and on the unjust. 46. For if ye love them only who love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans so?

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47. And if you salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the Gentiles

so?

48. Be ye therefore perfect, (in love, which is the fulfilling of the law) as followers of your heavenly Father's example,

CHAP. VI.♣

CHRIST CONTINUES HIS SERMON.

BEWARE of giving your alms to be seen by men, else you have no reward of your Father in heaven. 2. Therefore when thou givest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do at the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily, I tell you, They have no reward. 3. But when thou givest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; 4. That thine alms may be in secret; so shall thy Father who seeth in secret, reward thee openly.

5. And when thou prayest, be not like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets to be seen of men. Verily I tell you, They have no reward.

6. But when thou art to pray, enter into thy closet; and shutting thy door, pray to thy Father being in secret; so shall thy Father who seeth in secret, reward thee openly.

7. But in praying, speak not impertinently, like the heathen, who think they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8. Therefore, Be not ye like them; for your Father knoweth what things ye need before ye ask him.

9. In this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. 10. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven. 11. Give us this day our necessary food; 12. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us:

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And bring us not to trial, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (So let it be.)

14. Now if ye forgive men their trespasses (when they repent), your heavenly Father will forgive you (when ye repent). 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16. And when ye fast, have not like the hypocrites, a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily, I tell you they have no reward.

17. But when thou fastest anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18. That thou mayest not appear to men to fast, but to thy Father who seeth in secret, so shall he reward thee openly.

19. Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and thieves break thro' and steal: 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, nor thieves break thro' and steal; 21. For where your treasure is, there will be also.

your heart

22. As the eye is the light of the body, and if it be sound, there is a fulness of light; so if the conscience be sound, the life shines with virtue; 23. But if thine eye be not sound, thy whole body shall be in darkness: if, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24. ¶ No man can serve two masters (equally), for he will love the one more than the other, and (when they are separated) he will hold by the one, and forsake the other. Ye cannot serve God and riches.

25. Therefore I say to you, Be not over anxious for your life, what ye shall eat or drink; nor yet for your body what ye shall wear. Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothing? 26. Behold the fowls of the air; for they neither so nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father

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