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MATTHEW.

CHAP. V.

fhall fay, Thou fool, fhall be in danger of hell-fire.

23 Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembereft that thy brother hath ought against thee;

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.

25 Agree with thine adverfary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; left at any time the adverfary deliver thee to the judg, and the judg deliver thee to the officer, and thou be caft into prifon.

26 Verily, I fay unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou haft paid the uttermoft farthing.

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

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ragiously vilify and defame his Neighbour, shall fuffer no less Torment than those who are burnt alive.

When you have brought your Victim to the Altar, and are at the point to of fer it up, if it comes into your mind that you are at variance with any one, leave your Victim at the Altar, and immediatly ufe your utmost Endeavours to be reconcil'd to him: when you have thus made your peace with Men, return, and perform your Sacrifice, and depend upon it, your Offering will be acceptable to God. If you are threatned with the Law for the recovery of a Debt, common Prudence will direct you to compound the matter as foon as may be, left your Creditor force the Rigour of the Law upon you, and fo the Judg pafs Sentence of Condemnation, and the Officer hurry you to prifon, from whence you will not be fet free, till you have paid the intire Sum. In like manner make your Peace with God by an early Reformation of Manners, left by an obftinate perfeverance in your Sins, you draw down God's Judgments upon you, and be irrecoverably loft.

You know that God in the Decalogue has prohibited Adultery, which Crime hath by him fince been made capital; but I declare further unto you, that the very

MATTHEW.

CHA P. V.

28 But I fay unto you, That whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caft it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perifh, and not that thy whole body fhould be caft into hell.

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

31 It hath been faid, Whofoever fhall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorement.

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Inclinations of the Mind are criminal, and that whoever looks on another Man's Wife with Eyes inflam'd with Luft, and wants only an opportunity to perpetrate the Fact, that man is already an Adulterer in his Mind, and accordingly fhall be punish'd by God, who knows the most hidden Secrets of the Heart, altho thefe vitious Appetites do not fall under the cognizance of a Court of Judicature.

But fome one perhaps will fay, that while he has his Senfe of Seeing about him, it is impoffible for him to behold a beautiful Woman without Pleasure and Defire. Such a one ought to take notice, that if the Eye were the neceffary cause of finning, it would be vaftly preferable to pluck it out, it being much more eligible to want the conveniency of one Member in this Life, than by the abuse of it to have the whole Body condemn'd to eternal Punishment after the Refurrection. So if the Right Hand neceffarily led us to the commiffion of any Sin, it ought for that: reafon to be cut off. Which plucking out of the Eye, and cutting off the Hand are not to be taken literally: The meaning of thefe Phrafes is, that the Occafions of finning are to be avoided, tho it be by the parting with fomething never fo plea fant and useful to us.

Mofes commanded your Ancestors, that if any had a mind to repudiate his. Wife, he should give her a Bill of Divorce, which might certify that the Woman was difmifs'd by her Husband, and was fuppos'd to leave her at liberty to marry

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MATTHEW.

CHAP. V.

32 But I fay unto you, that whofoever shall put away his wife, faving for the caufe of fornication, caufeth her to commit adulter and whofoever shall marry he that is divorced, committeth adultery.

33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been faid by them of old time, Thou shalt not forfwear thy felf, but fhalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths.

34 But I fay unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is Gods throne:

35 Nor by the earth, for it is his footftool: neither by Jerufalem, for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither fhalt thou fwear by thy head, becaufe

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whomfoever the pleas'd: But I tell you, whoever puts away his Wife for any other cause than that of Adultery, doth thereby lay an occafion of Sin in her way; and whoever marries her is no better than an Adulterer.

You have been told, that it was prohibited to your Ancestors to forfwear themselves after having been adjur'd by God, and that they were commanded to perform what they thus promis'd out of reverence to the Deity; but they were not forbid to fwear upon any occafion whatfoever, nor were there any Punishments affign'd to thofe who broke thofe Oaths in which the Deity is not immediately invok'd as Witness. But I abfolutely forbid the ufe of Oaths, which is fo common among you upon the flighteft occafions, not only thofe in which God is exprefly invok'd, but all forms of fwearing whatsoever; and I admonith you farther, that God is offended with Perjury of any fort, fince 'tis he you appeal to in all your Oaths, tho in fome more obfcurely than in others. Swear not therefore by Heaven, nor imagine you avoid Perjury when you falfify this Oath; for you fwear by Heaven as it is the Throne of God, and fo have refpect to him. Swear not by the Earth, nor ever falify fuch an Oath; for therefore you fwear by it, becaufe you look upon it as God's Footftool, and fo God is alfo contain'd in the Oath. Neither wear by Feruf dem, because at the mentioning of that Name you are put in mind that this City is as it were the Seat of the King of Kings, and that in fuch an Oath you make your appeal to him. Swear not by your Head;

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37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; nay, nay: for whatfoever is more than thefe, cometh of evil.

38 Ye have heard that it hath been faid, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 39 But I fay unto you, That ye refift not evil: but whofoever fhall fmite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other alfo.

40 And if any one will fue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

29 And to him that fmiteth thee on the one cheek, offer alfo the other:

and to him

that taketh away thy
cloke, forbid not to
take thy coat alfo.

for at that time you think of God, in whofe immediate Protection it is, you your felves not being able to make fo much' as one Hair white or black. Abftain from all forms of Swearing in ordinary Difcourfe, and never be guilty of the breach of any Oath. Let what you fay be believ'd, merely becaufe you affirm or deny, and always punctually perform your Promifes. All the feveral forms of fwearing take their rife from a wicked Custom of cheating, which you are to fhun, as all rafh unneceffary Swearing.

You know your Ancestors have been taught that it was allowed by the Law of Mofes, in cafe of Injury, to bring an Action against the Party, and thereby compel him to fubmit to a legal Penalty, or to make a Reparation of the Damage fuftain'd. But I exhort you rather to pafs by an Injury, if it be not inconfiftent with your own fafety, nor the Damage too heavy to be born. 'Tis true, that by thus tamely fubmitting to an Injury, we frequently give occafion to a new one, but ftill, 'tis better to run that risk, and to expofe our felves to a contumelious ufage, rather than commence a Suit upon a fudden and trivial occafion. Suppofe a man has trick'd you out of fome fmall part of your Estate, 'tis advisable to it down contented with the lofs of it, and fomething more, rather than to continue obnoxious to a wrangling Quarrel. If a man require fomething of you, tho

MARK.

LUKE.

C H A P. VI.

MATTHEW.

JOHN.

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CHAP. V.

41 And whofoever fhall compel thee to goa 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 faid, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy:

44 But I fay unto you, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you,

bless them that curfe you, and pray for them which defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you:

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it carry trouble along with it, perform even more than he expects of you, rather than have recourfe to a violent Oppofition. Grant every one's Requeft, provided they really ftand in need of it, and you can conveniently fpare it: If a poor man borrow a Sum of Money of you, deny him not, tho you may probably fuppose you shall lofe both Intereft and Principal, if fo be you thereby relieve his Neceflities, and it be not attended with too great an Inconvenience to your felves.

You know it was the Precept of Mofes to your Ancestors, that there should be a mutual intercourfe of Kind-dealing among thofe of the fame Family, and Partakers in the fame religious Duties; but that they fhould avoid all Familiarity and Friendship with other Nations, that they fhould never enter into a League and Covenant with thofe who had affail'd them with horrid Imprecations, and that they fhould wage perpetual War with fome of the idolatrous Nations. Learn now another Leffon of me, learn to love your Enemies, and to act as friendly with them as with those who are circumcis'd; to oppofe Bleffing to their Curfes, and Love and Beneficence to their Injuries and Hatred; and to requite thofe who perfecute you for the fake of your Religion with all outragious Malice, with your Prayers to God that he would restore them to a better Mind, and accumulate his Benefits upon them.

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