any one, we must make it up. It is not possible for us always to see the person at that very time, but it is a good proof to ourselves that we have forgvien him, if we can heartily pray to God to bless him.

66

Verses 25, 26. Agree with thine adversary quickly, (said our Lord) whiles 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 shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."

Our Lord had just been teaching the people how great was the sin against God, of keeping anger and malice in the heart; and He now, in the words we have just read, advises them against all disputes at law, shewing them that the easiest way to get out of a law-suit, is to agree with the adversary,—or the man with whom we have the dispute, -before the matter comes before the judge, as one never can be sure how it will end; and at all events, one side must be in the wrong, and suffer for the wrong: but it is clear that the Lord Jesus meant much more than this. As we have, each one of us, broken God's law, we are all on our way to the judgment-seat; and we do not know whether the way,—which means our life-time,-may be long or short. If we are wise, we shall while we may, make friends with God, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who offers to pay our debts for us, to take away our sins; then God will no more be against us. But if we die before we have done this, then we must be cast into the prison of hell, and never again can we come out, for we never can do any thing to take away the sin, the debt, that is against us.

Prayer.

I bless thee, O my God, that I am still on the way, that there

is still time for pardon and peace. The blood of thy Son hath paid my debt of sin. Thou art no longer my adversary; no longer an angry judge. Thou art my merciful Father and friend. O grant that thy great kindness in forgiving me may fill my heart with such loving-kindness to all, that I may put from me all anger and malice, and that while I kneel before thee, I may freely forgive all who have offended me, for the sake of Jesus Christ, through whom I am forgiven. For his sake let the spirit of love so fill my heart, that I may never be angry above reason, that all my words and all my thoughts may be just and kind, so that my life may be continually growing more and more in love and holiness, according to the pattern of the life of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

XLII.

Our Lord went on to teach the people, that though man could only see and punish the evil deeds men did, God looked into the heart and counted as sin the evil wish.

In the commandments which were given in thunders and in lightnings, God had said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery;"* and when immediately afterwards He gave his laws to Moses, by which the people of Israel were to be ruled, He commanded, "the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall be surely put to death." + Marriage is holy in the sight of God, and whoever breaks the solemn vow that binds the husband to the wife, and the wife to her husband, God declares to be worthy of death. But many a sin is left undone, only because we have no power to do it, though the wish is in our hearts. And the Lord Jesus thus taught the people :—

Exod. xx. 14.

† Lev. xx. 10.

Verses 27, 28. "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Surely our prayers to God should be very earnest, that He would keep our hearts by his Holy Spirit, when we see that sinful thoughts and wishes, if we do not put them from us, are counted by him the same as sinful deeds.

And very glad may we be to part with anything that would lead us into sin, even if we love it as a right hand or a right eye; for what joy on earth is like the joys of heaven, or could in the least make up to us for losing them! Our Saviour said to the people :

29, 30. "If thy right eye offend thee, (or rather cause thee to offend *) 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. 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.”

It would be great pain to pluck out an eye, or to cut off a hand; but any pain is better than the pains of hell, and the Lord Jesus tells us in these verses, that it is better to suffer any thing here, no matter what, than to go on in sin, and then be sent into hell. So if there is a person or thing we love that is always tempting us to sin, let us part from that person or that thing, though the loss be like the loss of a right hand, or a right eye. We shall not miss it in heaven!

31, 32. "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away

* Cause thee to stumble.

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 fornication, causeth her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery."

That man should marry is the will of God; and marriage is a holy thing, and a type or picture of the union of Christ with his Church; which, as you have read before, is often called in the Bible," the Bride of Christ." And men should choose their wives, not for the sake of a pleasing face, though beauty is a gift of God, and has its worth; not for the sake of money, though a man should not marry unless there is the means of keeping his wife. Not for any worldly reason should a man choose his wife. Let him think that she is to be his companion on the way that leads to heaven or to hell, and that she will greatly help him on, whichever road he takes. And let him remember that death only can undo the bond which binds him to his wife; for Christ has solemnly said, that he may not divorce her or put her away for any cause but one. If she has broken her marriage-vow, and given herself to another man, then, and only then, may the marriage be undone; for she is an adulteress, and must be put away. The Jews had changed this law among themselves, and pretended that a man might put away his wife by simply giving her a written paper, which shewed that she was set free from her husband's rights over her, which they called a writing of divorcement; but Jesus here solemnly warns them of their sin in thus making the commandment of God of no effect.

And He went on to shew them how strict these commandments were. He said unto them :

33-37. " Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 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 by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black: But let your communication (that is, your words one to another) be, Yea, yea; nay, nay : for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.”

How true are these words! It is when passion, when sin is in our hearts, that our tongues give vent to what we feel, in wicked oaths. The Lord Jesus here forbids all swearing except with solemn purpose. The need even for solemn oaths in courts of justice, comes from the evil that is in us; for it is the want of truth in us that makes them necessary. And all swearing in our conversation, whether what men call swearing, or using such words as 'By heaven,' and the like, is plainly forbidden by the Lord Jesus. He tells us that our 'No' and 'Yes' are all we ought to give to one another; and we may be sure that if men will not believe our simple word, they will not believe us even if we swear to them. We are only bringing needless sin upon our souls, if we lightly use such words. How little people think of this when they use, not only such words as Christ here forbids, but even take the holy name of God himself as a way of giving vent to their anger! It is fearful to think of. Christ says, 66 swear not all;" but it seems from other parts of Scripture, that it is not the taking of an oath in the courts of justice, but in our common conversation, that our Lord forbids. When a man is called upon to swear to the truth of what he says in a court of justice, it is a solemn and religious act, and he must not refuse to take his oath when called upon to do so; but even this "cometh of evil," for it is because men are rash in their speech, and their words not to be trusted, that they are made to take an oath that they are speaking truth.

* Heb. vi. 16.