ness, and all manner of disease, among for so persecuted they the prophets the people. which were before you.

24 And his fame went throughout all 13 Ye are the salt of the earth; Syria; and they brought unto him all but if the salt have lost his savour, sick people that were taken with di- wherewith shall it be salted? It is vers diseases and torments, and those thenceforth good for nothing but to which were possessed with devils, and be cast out, and to be trodden under those which were lunatic, and those foot of men. that had the palsy; and he healed them.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 25 And there followed him great 15 Neither do men light a candle, multitudes of people from Galilee, and put it under a bushel, but on a and from Decap'olis," and from Jeru- candlestick; and it giveth light unto salem, and from Judea, and from be-all that are in the house.

yond Jordan.

CHAP. V.

3 Who are blessed. 13 The Apostles are the salt of the earth, and light of the world.

AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and, when he was set, his disciples1 came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit ;2 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.3 4 Blessed are they that mourn;4 for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek ;5 for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven;

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.6

18 For verily say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments,7 and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For 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.

21 ¶ Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and, whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.8

6 To destroy the law, &c. Our Lord came not to abolish the moral law, but to fulfil it; be a Saviour to all who believe in him and and thereby to glorify himself, that he might obey his precepts. He came to redeem man from sin, that is, to enable man to repent and live well; and thus to inherit eternal life: but he did not come to provide any means for our being happy in the world to come without living well in this world.

7 Commandments, the precepts of the moral law.

8 Judgment, &c. To understand verses 21 and 22, it may be observed, that the Jews had which consisted of 23 men; the sentence of two courts; one common, called the judgment, this court on malefactors was strangling or beheading; the other was called the council or sanhedrim. This was the supreme court of the Jews; it consisted of 72 judges, by whom the highest crimes were tried, which this court, and this alone, punished with stoning; this, in their opinion, was a more terrible death than the former. The phrase hell-fire, at the close of verse 22, is not here supposed to refer primarily to the future punishment of the wicked; but to a punishment by death

22 But I say unto you, That whoso- 31 It hath been said, Whosoever ever is angry with his brother without shall put away his wife, let him give a cause shall be in danger of the judg- her a writing of divorcement: ment; and whosoever shall say to his 32 But I say unto you, That whosobrother, Raca, shall be in danger of ever shall put away his wife, saving the council; but whosoever shall say, for the cause of fornication, causeth Thou fool,10 shall be in danger of hell- her to commit adultery; and whosofire. ever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.

23 Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest 33 Again, ye have heard that it that thy brother hath ought against hath been said by them of old time, thee,11 Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but 24 Leave there thy gift before the shalt perform unto the Lord thine altar, and go thy way; first be recon- oaths. ciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's

25 Agree with thine adversary quick-throne:

ly while thou art in the way with him; 35 Nor by the earth, for it is his lest at any time the adversary deliver footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it thee to the judge, and the judge deli- is the city of the great king. ver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee,12 pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into

- hell.

still more awful than the other two, i. e. being burnt alive in the valley of Hinnom. This valley of Hinnom, or Tophet, is where MoLoch, the principal idol of the Ammonites was placed, in whose cruel worship children were burnt in sacrifice. Josiah destroyed this inhuman worship, or as it is said, 2 Kings xxiii. 10, he defiled Tophet, &c.; this he did by making it a receptacle for the filth of the city; to consume which, fires were kept continually burning. Hence it is a fit emblem to represent that future punishment of the wicked, mentioned in Mark ix. 43, &c.

9 Raca. A silly, foolish fellow. 10 Fool. An impious, profane person. 11 Ought against thee, reason of complaint. 12 Offend thee, be the occasion of thy sinning. The word offend in this case means to cause to offend.

The general meaning of verses 29 and 30, is, that we ought immediately to abandon every thing, however dear it may be to us, which

entices us to sin.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head; because thou canst not make one hair white or black:

Yea, yea; Nay, nay;13 for whatso-
37 But let your communication be,
evil.14
ever is more than these, cometh of

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite the other also. thee on thy right cheek,15 turn to him

the law, and take away thy coat, let 40 And if any man will sue thee at him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 Give to him that asketh thee; and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy:

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you:

45 That ye may be the children of he maketh his sun to rise on the evil your Father which is in heaven; for and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love

13 Yea, yea; Nay, nay. Let your words express simply the truth, without deception, without profane oaths, and without idle forms of assertion.

14 Cometh of evil, from an evil, wicked disposition.

15 Shall smite thee, &c. rather bear injuries and wrongs patiently, than retaliate and repay them with revenge.

you, what reward have ye? do not even ye; Our Father which art in heaven; the publicans16 the same? Hallowed be thy name.

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be_ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Questions. Who are blessed?

What is meant by the poor in spirit?
Those who mourn?

The meek?

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven: 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 T For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 ¶ Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily say unto you, They have their reward.

TAKE heed that ye do not your alms1 before men, to be seen of them; 17 But thou, when thou fastest, otherwise ye have no reward of your anoint thine head, and wash thy face; Father which is in heaven. 18 That thou appear not unto men 2 Therefore, when thou doest thine to fast, but unto thy Father which is alms, do not sound a trumpet before in secret; and thy Father, which seeth thee, as the hypocrites do in the syna- in secret, shall reward thee openly. gogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.2

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth;

4 That thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly.

19 T Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor

steal.

5 And when thou prayest, thou 21 For where your treasure is, there shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for will your heart be also. they love to pray standing in the syna- 22 The light of the body is the gogues, and in the corners of the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, streets, that they may be seen of men. thy whole body shall be full of light. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, 24 ¶ No man can serve two masters. which seeth in secret, shall reward for either he will hate the one, and thee openly. love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.3

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shalt be heard for their much speaking.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall 8 Be not ye, therefore, like unto eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet them; for your Father knoweth what for your body, what ye shall put on. things ye have need of before ye ask Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ?

him.

9 After this manner, therefore pray

16 Publicans, Roman tax-gatherers, who were noted for their oppression and injustice. 1 Alms, your acts of charity.

2 Their reward; the applause of men, but the displeasure of God.

26 Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your hea

3 Mammon, earthly treasures.

4 Take no thought. The meaning of the original is-Be not anxious.

Are ye

venly Father feedeth them. not much better than they? 27 Which of you, by taking thought,5 can add one cubit unto his stature? 6 T Give not that which is holy unto 28 And why take ye thoughts for the dogs,2 neither cast ye your pearls raiment? Consider the lilies of the before swine, lest they trample them field, how they grow; they toil not, under their feet, and turn again and neither do they spin; rend you.

beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O'ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek ;) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take, therefore, no thoughts for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Questions. What instructions did our Lord give respecting praying!

Where should we lay up treasures!
What should we seek first?

2 Give not, &c. Perform not your pious and religious duties before profane persons, lest they deride you, and make sport of religion to its injury.

This verse is translated according to the Greek construction. The true meaning is better expressed thus: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, lest they turn and rend

6 Is the evil thereof, are its own cares and you; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, troubles.

lest they trample them under their feet.
3 Strait, close, narrow.

me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and kingdom of heaven; but he that do- touched him, saying, I will; be thou eth the will of my Father which is in clean. And immediately his leprosy heaven. was cleansed.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 T Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.

4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.1

5 T And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion,2 beseeching him,

lieth at home sick of the palsy, grie6 And saying, Lord, my servant vously tormented.,

7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

8 The centurion answered, and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, 9 For I am a man under authority, which built his house upon the sand: having soldiers under me; and I say 27 And the rain descended, and the to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to floods came, and the winds blew, and another, Come, and he cometh; and beat upon that house; and it fell; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth great was the fall of it. it.3

28 And it came to pass, when 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelJesus had ended these sayings, the led, and said to them that followed, people were astonished at his dcc- Verily I say unto you, I have not trine; found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Questions. What caution is given against judging our neighbour?

What encouragement is given that we may become virtuous and happy by employing such menns as are afforded us? See v. 8 and 11. What is the golden rule? v. 12.

11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven:

12 But the children of the kingdom1 shall be cast out into outer darkness; Who will be admitted into the kingdom of there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centu

heaven?

CHAP. VIII.

14 ¶ And when Jesus was come

2 Jesus cleanseth the leper, 5 healethrion, Go thy way; and as thou hast bethe centurion's servant, 14 Peter's lieved, so be it done unto thee. And mother-in-law, 16 and many other his servant was healed in the selfdiseased; 18 sheweth how he is to be same hour. followed; 23 stilleth the tempest on the sea; 28 driveth the devils out of the two men possessed, 31 and suffereth them to go into the swine. 15 And he touched her hand, and WHEN he came down from the the fever left her; and she arose and mountain, great multitudes followed ministered unto them.

him.

into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

1 For a testimony unto them, that the cure
2 Centurion, a Roman officer, who com- .

2 And, behold, there came a leper; is really performed. and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.manded a hundred men.

4 Not every one, &c. that calls himself a Christian shall be admitted to the joys of heaven; but he only, who yields a sincere and cheerful obedience the will of God.

5 Here kingdom of heaven signifies the enjoyment of God in another life.

6 Never knew you, never acknowledged and approved as mine such negligent and slothful

servants.

3 As the centurion had power to control those who were under him, so he doubted not that our Lord could control even the evil spirits which caused diseases.

had hitherto been the favoured people of God; 4 Children of the kingdom, the Jews, who jection of the Saviour, they themselves were but now for their obstinacy, unbelief, and reabout to be rejected.

5 Ministered, waited upon or served.