many broad, and wrapped around the body, and thrown off when labor was performed. This was the garment which is said to have been without seam woven throughout. John xix. 23. If, said Christ, an adversary wished to ob tain, at law, one of these garments, rather than contend with him, let him have the other also. A reference to various articles of apparel occurs frequently in the New Testament, and it is desirable to have a correct view of the ancient mode of dress, in order to a correct understanding of the Bible. The Asiatic modes of dress are nearly the same from age to age, and hence it is not difficult to illustrate the passages where such a reference occurs. The ordinary dress consisted of the inner garment, the outer garment, the girdle, and the sandals. In regard to the sandals, See Note on ch. iii. 11. The following cuts will give a sufficiently accurate representation of the more simple and usual modes in which the garments were worn. The following cuts will also show the usual form and use of the girdle. In the girdle was the place of the purse (Matt. x. 9), and to it the sword and dirk were commonly attached. Compare 2 Sam. xx. 8. In modern times, the pistols are also fastened to the gir dle. It is the common place for the handkerchief, smoking materials, inkhorn, and in general the implements of one's profession. The girdle served to confine the loose flowing robe, or outer garment, to the body. It held the garment when it was tucked up, as it 42 Give to him that thee, and from him that asketh | borrow of thee turn not thou would away. a De.15.7,11. was usually in walking, or in labor. and watchfulness; and to loose the loins, Thence to gird up the loins became a denoted the giving way to repose and significant figurative expression, denot-indolence. 2 Kings iv. 29. Job xxxviii ng readiness for service, activity, labor, i 3. Isa. v. 27. Luke xii. 35. John xxi. 7 Whosoever shall compel thee to go a | with other objects of justice and charity. mile. The word translated shall compel, It is seldom, perhaps never, good to is of Persian origin. Post-offices were give to a man that is able to work. 2 then unknown. In order that the royal Thes. iii. 10. To give to such is to en commands might be delivered with courage laziness, and to support the safety and despatch in different parts of idle at the expense of the industrious. the empire, Cyrus stationed horsemen If such a man is indeed hungry, feed at proper intervals on all the great pub- him; if he wants any thing farther, lic highways. One of those delivered give him employment. If a widow, the message to another, and intelligence an orphan, a man of misfortune, or a was thus rapidly and safely communi- man infirm, lame, or sick, is at your cated. These heralds were permitted to door, never send them away empty. compel any person, or to press any horse, See Heb. xiii. 2. Matt. xxv. 35-45. boat, ship, or other vehicle that they So of a poor and needy friend that might need, for the quick transmission wishes to borrow. We are not to turn of the king's commandments. It was away, or deny him. This deserves, to this custom that our Saviour refers. however, some limitation. It must be Rather, says he, than resist a public done in consistency with other duties. authority, requiring your attendance and To lend to every worthless man, would aid for a certain distance, go peaceably be to throw away our property, encoutwice the distance. ¶ A mile. Arage laziness and crime, and ruin our Roman mile was a thousand paces. Twain. Two. 42. Give to him that asketh thee. This is the general rule. It is better to give sometimes to an undeserving person, than to turn away one really necessitous. It is good to be in the habit of giving. At the same time, the rule must be interpreted so as to be consistent with our duty to our families (1 Tim. v. 8), and families. It should be done consistently, and of this every man is to be the judge. Perhaps our Saviour meant to teach that where there was a deserving friend or brother in want, we should lend to him, without usury, and without standing much about the security. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. The command to love our neighbor was a law of God. Lev. xix. 18. That we must, therefore, hate our enemy, was an inference drawn from it, by the Jews. They supposed that if we loved the one, we must, of course, hate the other. They were total strangers to that great, peculiar law of religion which requires us to love both. A neighbor is literally one that lives near to us; then, one that is near to us by acts of kindness and friendship. This is its meaning here. See also Luke x. 36. 44. Love your enemies. There are two kinds of love, involving the same general feeling, or springing from the same fountain of good-will to all mankind, but differing still so far as to admit of separation in idea. The one is that feeling by which we approve of the conduct of another, commonly called the love of complacency; the other, by which we wish well to the person of another, though we cannot approve his conduct. This is the love of benevolence; and this love we are to bear towards our enemies. It is impossible to love the conduct of a man that curses and reviles us, and injures our person or property, or that violates all the laws of God; but though we may hate his conduct, and feel deeply that we are affected by it, yet we may still wish well to the person; we may pity his madness and folly; we may speak kindly of him, and to him; we may not return evil for evil; we may aid him in the time of trial; and seek to do him good here, and to promote his eternal welfare herealter. Rom. xii. 17-20. This seems to be what is meant by loving our enemics; and this is a peculiar law of Christianity, and the highest possible test of piety, and probably the most difficult of all duties to be performed. Bless them that curse you. The word bless here means to speak well of or to. 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which 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. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye Job 25.3. Not to curse again, or to slander, but to speak of those things which we can commend in an enemy; or if there is nothing that we can commend, to say nothing about him. The word bless, spoken of God, means to regard with favor, or to confer benefits, as when God is said to bless his people. When we speak of our blessing God, it means to praise him, or give thanks to him. When we speak of blessing men, it unites the two meanings, and signifies to confer favor, to thank, or to speak well of. Despitefully use you. The word thus translated, means, first, to injure by prosecution in law; then, wantonly and unjustly to accuse, and to injure in any way. This seems to be its meaning here. Persecute. See ch. v. 10. 45. Thut ye may be the children of your Father. In Greek, the sons of your Father. The word son has a variety of significations. See Note on Matt. i. 1. Christians were called the sons or children of God in several of these senses: as his offspring; as adopted; as his disciples; as imitators of him. In this passage, the word is used because, in doing good to enemies, they resemble God. He makes his sun to rise on the evil and good, and sends rain, without distinction, on the just and unjust. So his people should show that they imitate or resemble him, or possess his spirit, by doing good in a similar way. 46. What reward have ye. The word reward seems to be used in the sense of deserving of praise, or reward. If you only love those that love you, you are selfish, you are not disinterested; it is not genuine love for the character, but love for the benefit; and you deserve no commendation. The very publicans would do the same. publicans. The publicans were tax The gatherers. Judea was a province of the Roman empire. The Jews bore this foreign yoke with great impatience, and paid their taxes with great reluctance. It happened, therefore, that those who were appointed to collect taxes were objects of great detestation. They were beside, men who would be supposed to execute their office at all hazards; men who were willing to engage in an odious and hated employment; men often of abandoned characters, oppressive in their exactions, and dissolute in their lives. By the Jews they were associated in character with thieves, and adulterers, and those who were profane, and dissolute. Christ says that even these wretched men would love their benefactors. 47. And if ye salute your brethren, &c. The word salute here means to show the customary tokens of civility, or to treat with the common marks of friendship. See Note, Luke x. 4. He says that the worst men, the very publicans, would do this. Christians should do more; they should show that they had a different spirit; they should treat their enemies as well as wicked men did their friends. This should be done: 1st. Because it is right; it is the only really amiable spirit; and, 2d. We should show that religion is not selfish, and is superior to all other principles of action. place, but uniformly. He was consist. ent everywhere. This is the meaning in Matthew. Be not religious merely in loving your friends and neighbors, but let your piety be shown in loving your enemies; be perfect; imitate God; let the piety be complete, and proportionate, and regular. This every Christian may be; this every Christian must be. REMARKS ON CHAPTER V. 1st. The gospel pronounces blessings on things far different from what the world has thought to be a source o' happiness. Men suppose that happiness is to be found in mirth, in wealth, in honor, in esteem, in freedom from persecution. Christ says that it is to be sought in the reverse. Often men are most happy in poverty, in sickness, in persecution, when supported by the presence and promises of a merciful God. And if God appoints our station there, we should submit to it, and learn therewith to be content. 2d. We may see the evil of anger. It is a species of murder. If secretly cherished, or exhibited by contempt and injury, it must bring down the displeasure of God. It is a source of misery. True enjoyment is found in meekness, peace, calmness, and benevolence. In such a firmness, and stea. diness, and dependence on God, as to keep the soul unruffled in the midst of provocation, is happiness. Such was Christ. 48. Be ye therefore perfect. He concludes this part of the discourse by commanding his disciples to be perfect. This word commonly means finished, 3d. We see the evil of indelicacy of complete, pure, holy. Originally it is feeling and sentiment, and the extreme applied to a piece of mechanism, as a strictness and severity of the law remachine that is complete in its parts. specting the intercourse of the sexes Applied to men, it refers to complete- (v. 28). And yet what law is more freness of parts, or perfection, where no quently violated? By obscene anecpart is defective or wanting. Thus, dotes and tales; by songs and jibes; Job (i. 1.) is said to be perfect; that is, by double meanings and innuendoes; not holy as God, or sinless-for fault is by looks and gestures; by conversaafterwards found with him (Job ix. 20; tion, and obscene books and pictures, xlii. 6); but his piety was proportionate this law of our Saviour is perpetually -had a completeness of parts-was violated. If there is any one sentiment consistent and regular. He exhibited of most value for the comfort, the chahis religion as a prince, a father, an in-racter, the virtuous sociability, of the dividual, a benefactor of the poor. He young-one that will shed the greatest was not merely a pious man in one charm over society, and make it the even as your Father which is in | of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. heaven is perfect. T CHAPTER VI. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trum or, with. 3 or, cause a trumpet to be sounded. that can do this need not doubt that he is a Christian. He has caught the very spirit of the Saviour, and he must inherit eternal life. CHAPTER VI. 1. Alms. Liberality to the poor and needy. Any thing given to them to supply their wants. Our Saviour, here, does not positively command his disciples to aid the poor, but supposes that they would do it of course, and gives them direction how to do it. It is the nature of religion to help those who are really poor and needy; and a real Christian does not wait to be commanded to do it, but only asks the opportunity. See Gal. ii. 10; James i. 27; Luke xix. 8. ¶ Before men, &c. Our Lord does not forbid us to give alms before men always, but only forbids our doing it to be seen of them, for the purposes of ostentation, and to seek their praise. To a person who is dis most pure-it is that which inculcates perfect delicacy and purity in the intercourse of the sexes. Virtue of any Kind never blooms when this is not cherished. Modesty and purity once gone, every flower that would diffuse ts fragrance over life, withers and dies with it. There is no one sin that so withers and blights every virtus; none that so enfeebles and prostrates every ennobling feeling of the soul, as to indulge in a life of impurity. How should purity dwell in the heart; breathe from the lips; kindle in the eye; live in the imagination; and dwell in the intercourse of all the young! An eternal, avenging God is near to every wanton thought; marks every eye that kindles with impure desire; rolls the thunder of justice over every polluted soul; and is preparing wo for every violator of the laws of purity and chastity. Prov. vii. 22, 23; v. 5: ii. 18. 4th. Revenge is equally forbidden.posed to do good from a right motive, Persecution, slander, wilful prosecu- it matters little whether it be in public tion, anger, personal abuse, duelling, or in private. The only thing that rensuicide, murder, are all violations of the ders it even desirable that our good law of God, and all must call down his deeds should be seen is, that God may vengeance. be glorified. See ch. v. 16. T Other5th. We are bound to love our ene-wise. If your only motive for doing it mies. This is a law of Christianity, original and peculiar. No system but this has required it, and no act of Christian piety is more difficult. None shows more the power of the grace of God; none is more ornamental to the character; none more like God; and none furnishes better evidence of piety. He that can meet a man kindly who is seeking his hurt; who can speak well of one that is perpetually slandering and cursing him; that can pray for a man that abuses, injures, and wounds him; and that can seek heaven for him that wishes his damnation; is in the way to life. This is religion, beautiful as its native skies; pure like its Source; kind like its Author; fresh like the dews of the morning; clear and diffusive like the beams of the rising sun; and holy like the feelings and words that come From the bosom of the Son of God. He is to be seen of men, God will not reward you. Take heed not to do it to be seen, otherwise God will not reward you. 2. Do not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do. The word hypocrite is taken from stage-players, who act the part of others, or speak not their own sentiments, but the sentiments of others. It means here, and in the New Testament generally, those who dissemble or hide their real sentiments, and assume or express other feelings than their own-those who, for purposes of ostentation, or gain, or applause, put on the appearance of religion. It is proba ble that such persons, when they were about to bestow alms, caused a trumpet to be sounded, professedly to call the poor together to receive it, but really to call the people to attend to it; or perlaps it may mean that they should not |