PART III.-(C.) V. 21.–VI.

SECTION I.-RIGHTEOUSNESS DISCRIMINATED AS REGARDS

ABSTINENCE FROM WHAT IS FORBIDDEN.—(C.c.) v. 21–48.

1. In the preceding context, our Lord, as we have seen, sets forth the necessity of righteousness, and in doing so he repels the antinomian error, that he should destroy the law and strip it of its office and authority; in which case, of course, righteousness, that is, conformity to the law, would not be necessary, for it could not exist. But in the circumstances with which he had immediately to deal,-and the circumstances with which the advocates of righteousness have to deal in every age are substantially the same, it was not enough to defend the authority of the law, it was necessary also to vindicate its true import-the extent and spirituality of its requirements. This, accordingly, our Lord does in the passage now under consideration, and in the following chapter.

2. The "scribes and pharisees" contracted the law within the limits of the letter, and, in their interpretation of it, disregarded and contradicted the spirit of its requirements. Christ, therefore, declares that conformity to it, under the character which it assumed in their hands, is not the righteousness which must distinguish the subjects of his kingdom: "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." And he accordingly

proceeds to rescue it from that character and to unfold its true import.

3. That conduct, outwardly conformed to the law, may be truthful, and if not truthful it is utterly worthless,—it must spring from a corresponding state of heart. We are not to judge of the performances of a rational and moral agent as if he were a mere machine. A machine is capable only of accomplishing external results; and, if it accomplish well the appropriate results of this kind, it does all we expect from it, -it fulfils its office. But man is capable of forming purposes and entertaining desires; and it is only when he forms the purposes and entertains the desires proper in the circumstances, and embodies them in the proper outward activity, that he does what is to be expected from him, and fulfils his office. While, however, there is this difference, we proceed upon the same principle in judging of both classes of performances. We hold, for example, that the performances of a watch are not such as they ought to be, if only the minutehand moves, the hour-hand being stationary, for in that case they are the performances of only a part and not of the whole of it; and, on the same ground, we hold that the performances of man are not such as they ought to be, if they are mere outward acts, and do not spring from and express a right state of the heart, for in that case they are the performances of only a part of the inferior part-and not of the whole of his nature. Thus the conformity to the law which is required is the conformity to it of the entire man,-his conformity to it not only in that which is without the activity of the life, but also in that which is within-the dispositions, desires, and purposes.

4. In obeying the law we have to do with the Omniscient, who searches and knows the heart; and, accordingly, our obedience must be more than an outward and partial obedience; it must be a hearty obedience the service of our entire nature, not merely of the inferior part of it, which is

immediately exercised in outward acts, but also and primarily of the nobler part of it-of our souls. This is the only service that it would be worthy of the Omniscient to enjoin or to accept.

5. While true conformity to the law is thus coextensive with our nature, and comprehends, as the fundamental portion of it, an internal element, the "righteousness of the scribes and pharisees," the conformity to the law which they recognised and exemplified, was a mere external thing.

6. From the nature of the case, it is impossible that the law should specify in detail, and should describe minutely, the conduct proper to every occasion; and, although such particularity were practicable, it would greatly detract from the excellency of the law, for it would supersede the conscientious watchfulness and consideration in ascertaining our duty, which impart to human conduct much of its value, and are essential to the development of human character. The law thus consists necessarily, at least to a great extent, of somewhat general injunctions; and it was of this feature of its character that the scribes and pharisees took advantage, in reducing conformity to it to a mere external obedience.

7. Our attention is first directed to their application of this pernicious process in the case of prohibitions, in which the express terms specify only external acts. Our Lord illustrates and exposes their treatment of three precepts of this kind "Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not forswear thyself." Though, expressly, such prohibitions enjoin only abstinence from the outward acts. specified, yet, by implication, and taken according to their intention and spirit, they prohibit the state of the heart from which those acts emanate. As regards, for example, the first of the prohibitions which we have quoted from our passage, murder does not properly consist in the taking away of the life of a fellow-man, but in the taking away of it under the influence of a certain state of the heart. Accordingly, when murder

is prohibited-prohibited by the Omniscient-it is not the outward act only that is prohibited, but the offence in its whole extent every thing internal, as well as external, that is comprehended in it. The scribes and pharisees, however, restricted the prohibition to the outward act; it was thus restricted by their tradition; they taught that it was in this restricted sense that "it had been said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill." It was only the external act that they really regarded as involving criminality and exposing to punishment. In opposition to this limitation of the prohibition, by means of an unsympathising adherence to its letter, in contravention of its spirit, our Lord declares that contemptuous treatment of a brother, and even causeless anger, involve criminality and expose to punishment." But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire." The inward part of murder consists in being angry with our fellow-man, or moved by resentful feelings towards him, and in despising him, or holding him to be of no account. When we are thus affected towards him, or proceed thus towards him in our hearts, we violate the prohibition, "Thou shalt not kill;" and of course, therefore, we violate it also by any corresponding words or acts, as by saying to him, “" Raca,” "Thou fool."

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8. The terms in which our Lord indicates the condemnation and punishment attached to the offences which he specifies, were derived from distinctions which obtained among the Jews; and the meaning is, that these offences, even the least of them, exposed to the judicial visitations of the divine government; that they involved in the guilt of violating the prohibition under consideration, and should be visited with the punishment allotted to such violation. Hence, he who had offended in any of the ways indicated should not be accepted

in the worship or the religious services that he presented to God, until he first took proper steps to be reconciled to his brother; and, if he did not seek reconciliation with him, but bore to the last the character, and occupied the position, of an offender against him, he should not escape the righteous judgment of God." 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, whilst 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."-(Ver. 23-26.)

9. Their traditional gloss restricted in a similar manner the prohibition respecting adultery, which, according to their interpretation of it, did not extend to the corresponding lust, or to any outward manifestation of that lust, short of the offence named. Our Lord rescues it from this restriction.— "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." And, while they regarded as no offence any violation of the prohibition, except the violation expressly named, he represents even the least violation of it, in its extended and legitimate sense, as so great an offence, that rather than commit it, we should willingly subject ourselves to the most painful discipline and self-denial.—“ And if thy right eye offend thee, 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.” -(Ver. 29, 30.)