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The Gospel of Jesus Christ According to
St. Matthew Pasquier
Quesnel Translated
by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, D.D., Vicar of Islington and now Bishop of Chapter V. Sect. I. The Eight Beatitudes. 1. AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: Since all Christians are the disciples of
Christ, they have all a right to hear his word. To this end they must have a
disciple’s heart, humble, full of respect, teachable, swift to hear, eager to
learn, and faithful to obey. To go up with Christ, is to lift up one’s heart
from the earth, in order to hear the truths of heaven. To sit down, is to
hear them with calmness, peace, and repose of mind. To come unto this divine
Master, is to be united to him, and to hear him with faith, attention, and
love for his word. 2. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, How great is the mercy
of God toward man, in that wisdom herself is sent to instruct him, not
by angels nor by prophets, nor in dreams nor in figures, but with her own
mouth, and in her own words. When we open the New Testament, it is the mouth
of Christ which is opened for us. It is no other than to shut it from Christians,
either to wrest this holy book out of their hands, or to keep it closed up,
by taking from them the means of understanding it. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The first lesson of Christ is concerning
poverty and Christian humility. To be poor in possessing much,
is to be disengaged from wealth, to use it like a poor man, and to look upon
it as a burden or as a trust. Happy then those souls
who have embraced the state of poverty and humility of spirit, provided they
have the spirit of that state! The kingdom of heaven is
theirs, provided nothing of the kingdom of earth live and reign in
their heart. Covetousness is of so malignant a nature, that one may have the
poison of riches in the midst of poverty; grace is so powerful, that one may
have the blessing of poverty in the midst of riches. God by no means permits
himself to be outdone in generosity; he gives all for all, or rather, all for
nothing: heaven for earth, him self for us. In what does the kingdom of
heaven in this life consist, but in the riches of faith, the grace of God,
his truth, his Spirit, etc.? And to whom does he communicate them more
abundantly, but to those who are most disengaged for his sake from the good
things of the world? 4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. The second lesson of Christ teaches us,
that the afflictions which men suffer for the sake of God, and the tears of
repentance which they shed for their own sins, and for those of others, are
sources of true comfort. Every one flies from tears, and seeks after joy; and
yet true joy must necessarily be the fruit of tears. Self-love, pride, and
covetousness have their sorrow and their tears; but God wipes away only those
of humility, charity, poverty, and repentance. May the sweets of temporal
prosperity, of the favour of men, and of the diversions of the world, be
forever far removed from me, because they are inconsistent with thine, my God, and with the consolations of thy Spirit. 5. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. The third lesson of Christ is the meekness
of charity, in heart, in countenance, and in word. It is no small victory for
a man to subdue the severity of his temper. The meek ness which leads to
blessedness is not a meekness of constitution, of artifice, or of deceit; but
a meekness of grace, of charity, and of patience. It is disposed to suffer
itself to be spoiled of all in this world; but of what treasures, what in heritances, does it not put us into possession in the
land of the living? To possess the land of our heart in patience,
is the beginning of the perfect kingdom of charity and the fruit of Christian
meekness. Instruct us, Lord, in this virtue, thou who art the master and the
teacher of it! 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. The fourth lesson of Christ shows us, that
a zeal for righteousness and perfection, a hatred of
sin and of the unrighteousness of the age, and the desire of the sovereign
and eternal righteousness, ought to be the sole hunger and thirst of our
heart. The salutary hunger is after that alone which can nourish and satisfy
our soul according to God. The hunger after every thing else is either a
disease of the body, or a folly of the mind. May I hunger after nothing but
thee, my God, because thou alone canst feed me here on earth and satisfy me
in heaven! 7. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. The fifth lesson of Christ is compassion
on the miseries of others, which consists in aiding them with our substance,
our counsel, our cares, and our prayers, both for the body and the soul.
Mercy is not purchased but at the price of mercy itself; and this price is
even a gift of the mercy of God. We think ourselves disposed to show great
instances of mercy, when we perceive ourselves inclined to pardon great
injuries; when perhaps it is either because the opportunities for it are at a
distance, or because there may be honour in doing it, and danger in the
contrary. But as for those little instances of mercy which we have every day
many opportunities of showing, by reason of aversions, peevish, troublesome,
contradicting, and unequal humours, light offences, small differences, and
the like, with how much difficulty do we exercise them, if we do it at all! He who gratifies his resentment, when he thinks he can do
it without being damned, ought to fear that his compassion is only servile
and mercenary on the greater occasions. What mercy can those vindictive
persons hope for, who forgive nothing, and are always ready to imbrue their
hands in the blood of their brethren? 8. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. The sixth lesson of Christ is, that the purity of a heart, either preserved after baptism,
or repaired by repentance, consists in loving God alone. Filthy objects are
not the only things which defile the heart; whatever it loves contrary to the
command and will of God renders it impure. infinite
purity! what heart can ever be worthy to see thee,
unless thou purify it, by engaging it entirely to thyself! 9. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. The seventh lesson of Christ recommends to
us a zeal for peace. We ought to preserve it with God, our neighbour, and
ourselves, and to procure it wherever we can. Whose children then are those,
who sow or foment division in the church, or in families, if not of the
spirit of discord, which reigns only by hate and division? lovely
and desirable peace! of which God is the God and
Father, his Son the mediator and victim, the Holy Ghost the inspirer and
band, and the church the kingdom and family! When shall we possess thee? When
wilt thou be perfect? 10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Lastly, the eighth lesson of Christ is
concerning the happiness of suffering for righteousness sake; but few persons
comprehend this happiness, and fewer still desire to partake of it. To be
willing to suffer for righteousness from the hands of Christians,
is a grace more rare than to be persecuted for the faith by infidels. There
are more in proportion who give up their life for the sake of the latter,
than there are who, upon the account of the former,
sacrifice their ease, their interest, and their fortune. But what! cannot the kingdom of heaven make us sufficient amends for
what we suffer upon the account of righteousness, as well as upon the account
of faith? 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. Persecution for righteousness and truth
includes in it con tempt, mockery, injuries, and contradictions, suffered in
serving God, at the hands of the wicked and of worldly men. Whom shall we
believe? Either Jesus Christ, who places our present happiness in this; or
our own self-love, which fixes it in the esteem, the praises, the caresses,
and favours of the world? The cause of God and of Christ is the cause of
faith and the gospel, of truth and righteousness, of God’s glory and our
sanctification, of the church and her interests. 12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Is there any thing greater, than by means
of persecution to enter into fellowship with the prophets and apostles, even
in this life; and to expect God for our reward in the other? This is a
subject not only of joy, but of an excess of joy and of rapture. A joy not of
sense, but of faith and hope, which does not stifle the perception of pain,
but feeds upon it, and causes us to embrace it; which does not distract the
heart, but unites it to God. How precious and valuable is this communion, by
which we are admitted to a fellowship in sufferings, not only with the
prophets and apostles, but with Christ himself; and which is to us a pledge
of his love, and of his Spirit. Sect. II The Apostles The Salt And Light
Of The Earth. The Law Not Destroyed. Doing And Teaching. 13. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Bishops and priests ought to be, (1.)
Holy, that they may sanctify sinners, in taking away the rottenness and
corruption of sin by the salt of the word, of prayer, of repentance, of
sacraments, etc. Christians are likewise, in some sense, the “salt of the
earth;” when, being preserved from corruption themselves, they preserve
others from it; make them relish God and his gospel, and have the salt of
true wisdom, and the spirit of Jesus Christ. What then is a bishop with out
strength and virtue, a priest without piety and zeal, a Christian without
faith or charity, but even salt which has lost its savour, worthy to be
rejected of God, and despised of men? How great must be the miracle which can
restore to this salt its first strength and savour! 14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Bishops and priests ought to be, (2.)
Learned, to instruct. (3.) Open, and easy of access to all, in order to do
them ser vice. Of what advantage is it to a Christian to be light, in respect
of his faith and calling, if he be nothing but darkness as to his life and
actions? If an infidel, instead of seeing the light of the gospel and the
purity of faith shine in our conversation, discovers nothing there but the
darkness of sin, we certainly blind, instead of enlightening him. The Christian
life is something very high and sublime, to which we cannot arrive without
pains; while it withdraws us from the earth, and carries us nearer heaven, it
places us in view, and as a mark to the malice of carnal men. 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Bishops and priests ought to be, (4.) Of
good example, that they may edify others. What is this city and this house,
but the universal church, one, holy, immovable, raised above all human
things, contained in one only society, united by one sole communion, and
enlightened by one doctrine alone? Out of this house, there is nothing but
darkness. Out of this hill, there is no stability. Out of this city, there is
no salvation. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Bishops and priests ought to be, (5.)
Humble, that they may seek nothing but the glory of God. They are obliged to
five duties: First, To dispense light; Secondly, To join good works thereto;
Thirdly, To direct them all to God; Fourthly, To do it with a filial heart;
and that, Fifthly, lifted up to the things of heaven. How rare and
extraordinary a thing is it to discharge these duties! How difficult to shine
only for God, to work only for heaven! 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Bishops and priests ought to be, (6.)
Faithful, in doing that first themselves which they require of others, in
imitation of Jesus Christ. Yes, Lord, thou fulfillest
the law: in itself, adding what is wanting to perfect it, and supplying its
inability to satisfy God, and sanctify man; in thyself, submitting to its types
with an exact obedience, and verifying them by thy death upon the cross; in
thy members, giving them what it promised, and enabling them by thy grace and
love to fulfil what it commands. Fulfil it in me, Lord. 18. For verily I 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. There is nothing so little in the law, but
it has its truth and completion in Jesus Christ or in his church. The word of
God is immutable, because his power is infinite. His mercy will infallibly be
accomplished in the saints; his justice will be inflexibly executed upon
sinners. 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, 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. The only just and holy ambition is to
desire to be great in heaven; but the only means for a bishop or priest to be
so, is not only to do, but also to teach the gospel. Every part of the law
carries in it equally the authority and will of God; we oppose this, when we
violate that. There is nothing more little and contemptible in the sight of
God, than a pastor, who, by his principles, his discourse, and his life,
diverts those from the meditation and practice of the divine law, whom by all
these methods he ought to incite thereto. It is neither eminence of see, nor
abundance of wealth, nor magnificence of equipage, nor learning, nor authority,
nor the favour of princes, which makes a great prelate; but it is in doing
and teaching, that his true greatness does consist. Sect. III. Exceeding Righteousness.
Injurious Word. Reconciliation. 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. Let us often consider,
how great the perfection of the evangelical law is. It must be internal,
spiritual, and in the truth of God. Who can flatter himself with having come
near the exactness of these persons in avoiding open and visible sins, and in
fulfilling the external part of the law, with having come near the length of
their prayers and the austerity of their lives? And yet, in order to be
saved, one must surpass them in righteousness. That which God principally
requires is righteousness of heart, charity, humility, a sincere love of the
law, of justice, etc. Whoever has not these, may be the most holy person in
the world before men, and the most contemptible in the sight of God. 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: 22. But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother with out 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. Observe here the punishment, (1.) Of
murder; (2.) Of Anger; (3.) Of an angry word; (4.) Of an injurious word. Who
will not tremble at these words? who will not dread
the judgment of God, who condemns and punishes the external effects of anger,
in proportion to the hatred which a man carries in his heart? Murder is the
most punishable of all crimes, according to the written law, in respect both
of our neighbour and of civil society. But he who sees the heart, and who
judges it by the eternal law, punishes as much a word or a desire, if the
hatred from whence they proceed be complete and perfected. 23. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; Of how great importance is it for a man,
before the communion, to examine whether he has nothing in his heart which is
contrary to charity! A Christian has no enemies at all; he has only brethren,
looking upon all men as children of God and members of Christ, or, at least,
as capable of becoming such. If a brotherly heart was required even of a Jew,
in order to his offering a bullock or a lamb; what ought then to be the
charity of a Christian, who offers up (the representative sacrifice of) the
Son of God, and who is obliged to receive him into his heart? 24. Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. No sacrifice can be acceptable to God,
unless it be accompanied with that of a sincere charity. The gift and
offering which God prefers to all others, is for a man to take away, out of
his own and his brother’s heart, all seeds of hatred, by an
humble and necessary satisfaction, or by a charitable and voluntary
prevention. It is to fly in the face of the Son of God with respect to his
doctrine and command, to send to the communion, or to admit to the grace of
reconciliation, a sinner who will neither forgive nor make any satisfaction
for injuries. A religion, the very soul of which is charity, can not suffer
at the feet of its altars a heart which is revengeful, or which does not use
its utmost endeavour to revive charity in the heart of another. 25. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while 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. It is a real folly for a man not to be
reconciled while he has time. Unhappy he, who puts it off till death; still
more unhappy he, who lets slip this last and precious moment, the loss
whereof is irreparable. But how great is the madness, how desperate the rage
of the duellist, who goes in cold blood to deliver himself up to his judge,
to seek his executioner, and to cast himself into the eternal prison, by
being the occasion of his own death, either through the engagement of a false
honour, or out of a foolish vanity, or in following the torrent of a
diabolical custom, or even under the actual impulse of a mortal hatred, and
while his heart is entirely possessed and inflamed with the desire and with
the last effort of revenge! 26. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. How terrible is thy justice, my God, even
to the most righteous! What will become of him whom thou shalt
judge according to rigour? He who has not laboured
before his death to change justice into mercy by a sincere repentance, shall
never escape out of God’s hands. Sect. IV. Adultery In The Heart. The
Plucking Out An Eye. 27. If Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: It is the property of a Pharisee to
abstain only from the outward crime. Men are very often less inquisitive to know
how far the will of God extends, that they may please him in performing it,
than how far they may satisfy their lusts, without destroying themselves by
an open violation of the law. 28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Christian righteousness is the
righteousness of the heart. Concupiscence or charity renders the use of the
senses good or evil. If voluntary and deliberate looks or desires make
adulterers, how many persons are there, whose whole life is but one continual adultery, which they commit even at the
foot of the altar? Men would abhor to commit one external act before the eyes
of men, in a temple of stone, and yet they are not in the least afraid to
commit a great number of them, in the temple of their own heart, and in the
sight of God. 29. 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. Sometimes pride or fear keeps us from
giving the outward scandal, which causes the fall of our neighbour; but we do
not at all watch over our own heart, to avoid the inward scandal or offence which make us fall ourselves. Let us tear up our
evil desires and our corrupt will, and we shall then pluck out our eye, by
preventing the bad use which that causes us to make of this. One cannot pluck
out an eye without pain, nor without violence; much less an evil inclination,
which corrupts the heart. Nothing but thy grace, my God, can perform this
necessary and difficult operation. Would to God the sinner would often make
the comparison, which our blessed Saviour causes us here to make of the vain
and transitory pleasures of sin, with the inconceivable and eternal pains of
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. This is to shut the gate against the
enemy; namely, to shut our senses against dangerous objects, to avoid the
occasions of sin, and to deprive ourselves of all that is most dear to us, in
order to save our souls. Men often part with the members of the body, at the
discretion of a surgeon, that they may preserve the trunk and die a little
later; and yet they will not deprive themselves of a look, a touch, a small
plea sure, to save the soul, and secure themselves from dying eternally. It
is not enough to shut the eye, nor to stop the hand;
the one must be “plucked out,” and the other “cut off.” Neither is this yet
enough; we must “cast them both from us.” Not one moment’s truce with lust;
it must be rooted up and destroyed. But, alas! the
end of this work is not to be seen in this life. Sect. V. Marriage Indissoluble. Swearing. 31. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: God permitted this evil, to prevent a
greater, and to pre figure his repudiating the synagogue, which was his first
spouse. A Christian ought rather to beg of God the grace to bear patiently
and quietly the faults and imperfections of his wife, than to think of the
means of being parted from her. That which was allowed to the hardness of an
uncircumcised heart, ought not to serve as a rule to a heart into which
charity has been infused by the Holy Ghost. 32. 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. How inviolable ought to be the alliance of
man with his God by charity, since conjugal society is only an image and
figure of it; as it is likewise (an emblem) of the union of Christ with our
nature in the incarnation, and with his church. Marriage, which bears so
great a relation to this mystery, ought to resemble it likewise in its
indissolubility. A husband should be inseparably joined to his wife, as
Christ is to his church. 33. 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: They violate this commandment who dishonour God by blasphemies; impious jests; swearing
in light matters; frequent and customary oaths, especially on wicked
accounts; and frivolous, unprofitable, and irreligious vows. It is a very old
abuse, to weaken the law of God without scruple, to lighten the yoke of it
without authority, and to enlarge the way to heaven by arbitrary and
presumptuous explications. To believe that only the perjured person
dishonours God in relation to this precept, is to
understand very little the holiness of the divine name. 34. But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven;
for it is God’s throne: 35. Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:
neither by All swearing without necessity is
forbidden. Who is there, among the traders and people of the world, who obeys this law? He who swears of
his own accord, without discretion, with out judgment, and by custom, is in
continual danger of being perjured. When we make any promise contrary to the
command of God, taking as a pledge of our sincerity, either God, or something
belonging to him, we engage that which is not ours without the master’s consent.
To make any imprecation against ourselves, with relation to heaven, the
earth, or sacred things, of which God has given us the use, is to dispose of
ourselves, of the gifts of God, and of his creatures, without the leave, and
against the will, of the sovereign Master. God manifests his glory in heaven
as upon his throne; he imprints the footsteps of his divine perfections upon
every thing on earth as upon his footstool; and shows, that his holiness and
his grace reign in his temple, as in the place of his residence, and in his
palace. Let it be one of our most constant and ordinary cares, to seek and
honour God in all his works. 36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. How dares man
presume to dispose of his person, his time, and his goods, contrary to the
command and appointment of God, since he is not able so much as to change the
colour of one single hair? 37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Simplicity is most commonly to be found
with truth. Let us be sure not to use an oath for the sake of little temporal
interests: this is to abuse religion, and to make God subservient to mammon.
The abuse of an oath proceeds, either from the distrust of him who requires
it, or from the wicked ness of him of whom it is required, or from lightness,
or irreverence. Wisdom, probity, and religion would remedy all. Nothing is more
contrary to the Spirit of God, and to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, than to
render oaths common in the church; because it multiplies the occasions of
perjury, lays snares for the weak and ignorant, and sometimes makes the name
and truth of God subservient to the designs of the wicked. Sect. VI. Patience. 38. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: How many Christians are there worse than
Jews, who carry their revenge to the utmost extremity, and return even more
evil than they have received! There is a great deal of difference between
what the law appointed to the Jews for the public safety, and what charity
requires of us for our particular perfection; between the duty of a judge,
who ought to punish according to the law, and the tempter of a Christian, who
ought to pardon according to the gospel. 39. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Patience, and true Christian charity, incline a man to quit, to do, to give, and to suffer all
things. First, in his person, all sorts of affronts, at least in the
disposition of mind. We are allowed to demand justice; but never to avenge
ourselves, never to desire punishment for itself, but either for the public
good, or for the welfare of private persons. Christian patience and
evangelical prudence must concur to regulate the use of this counsel; for it
is not always expedient to do that pub licly, which
it is always necessary to be disposed to do at the bottom of the heart. We
ought to take care not to deprive ourselves of this blessing by too much
reasoning, or by the delusion of self-love. 40. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. Patience and Christian charity would have
us be in the same disposition in relation to our goods. It is a gain to lose
them, rather than the treasure of charity and peace. These words contain only
matter of advice; but the foundation of this advice, namely, the having a
mind averse to law, and the preferring peace and Christian concord to
temporal advantages this is a precept. We are great gainers when we lose only
our money, because we will not run the risk of losing our souls by losing
charity. 41. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Lastly, patience and Christian charity
would have us be disposed to suffer in our bodies all sorts of toils,
vexations, and torments, that we may be martyrs of charity and peace. Jesus
Christ went beyond this advice, when, without being in the least constrained
thereto, he suffered himself to be set on a pinnacle of the temple, and taken
up into the mountain by the devil, and to be led to the top of 42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. To give and to lend freely to all who are
in need is a general precept, from which we are not excused, but by our
inability to perform it. Men are more or less obliged to it, as they are more
or less able; as the want is more or less pressing; as they are more or less
burdened with poor; or by their office as pastors; or by the necessities of
their relations; or by the opportunities and demands of providence; or by the
duty of restitution and satisfaction. In this matter we must consult prudence
and more charity. He who makes use of the beggar’s hand
to ask our charity, is the same of whom we ourselves beg every day our bread;
and dare we refuse Him! Let us show, at least, mildness and compassion, when
we can do no more. To give and to lend are two duties of charity, which Christ
joins together, and which he sets upon an equal footing. The loan is
sometimes more beneficial than the absolute gift, because it flatters less
the vanity and natural generosity of him who lends; it spares more the shame
of him who is in real want, and gives less encouragement to the idleness of
him who may not be very honest. Sect. VII. The Love Of Enemies.
Perfection. 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; We must love our enemies in heart, in
word, and in deed; desiring their welfare, praying for them, speaking well of
them, and assisting them as occasion requires. The enemies
whom Christ here enjoins us to love, are either those who hate us, or those
whom we do not love. A man certainly bears a hostile mind, when he therein
cherishes aversion and hatred, either with or without cause. This one precept
alone is a sufficient proof of the holiness of the gospel, and of the truth
of the Christian religion. None but God could have imposed a yoke so contrary
to self-love; and nothing but the supreme and infinite charity could have
made men love and practise a law so insupportable to corrupt nature. In vain
do men flatter themselves with loving their enemies, if their works do not
give testimony thereof. 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. There is nothing greater than to imitate
God in doing good to our enemies. All the creatures
pronounce on the revengeful the sentence of their condemnation, wrote with
the rays of the sun, the drops of rain, and all the other natural good
things, the use whereof God gives even to his enemies. If God had not loved
us while we were his enemies, we could never have become his children; and we
shall cease to be so, if we cease to imitate him. 46. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? He who loves only his friends does nothing
for God’s sake. This is the virtue of a publican and a heathen, which will
have no other reward but theirs. God is the reward of that virtue only, of
which he himself is the principle and the end. He who loves for the sake of
pleasure or interest, rewards himself, and pays himself with his own hands. He who loves for the sake of God, loves his gifts in all
men. God has no enemy but sin; we ought to have no other. 47. And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others; do not even the publicans so? If not to salute be a heathenish indifference,
to hide hatred under civilities is a diabolical treachery. It is easy enough
to show a signal instance of generosity to a declared enemy to gain honour
before men. But to speak kindly, mildly, and cordially to one whose humour we
do not like, or from whom we have received some affront, how rare a thing is
this! how hard and grievous is it to nature! Thou
alone, divine Repairer of our corrupt nature! thou
alone canst render this pleasant and agreeable to it by thy grace. 48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. God is, in himself, the principal law, and
the chief pattern of the perfection of the man and of the Christian. God has
but too many bad imitators of his power, of the simplicity of his nature, of
his independency, and of his vengeance; but he has very few of his love, his
condescension, and his indulgence. He calls himself love, to teach us, that
in this consists the perfection to which he would have us aspire. God is more
easily to be imitated by his children, in the perfections whereby he appears
a Father, than in those whereby he appears a God: these for heaven; those for
the earth. |
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