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النشر الإلكتروني

CHAPTER IV.

MORALITY OF THE GOSPEL:

OR

OUR SAVIOR'S CONSTRUCTION

OF THE MORAL LAW.

§ 1. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

I. Perpetual obligation of the Moral
Law.

do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 14. And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me, every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man hath ears to hear let him hear. And when he was entered inMAT. 5: 17. Think not that I am to the house from the people, his come to destroy the law or the proph- disciples asked him concerning the ets: I am not come to destroy, but parable. And he saith unto them, to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Are ye so without understanding Till heaven and earth pass, one jot also? Do ye not perceive, that or one tittle shall in no wise pass whatsoever thing from without enfrom the law, till all be fulfilled. tereth into the man, it cannot defile Whosoever, therefore, shall break him: because it entereth not into one of these least commandments, his heart, but into the belly, and and shall teach men so, he shall be goeth out into the draught, purging called the least in the kingdom of all meats? And he said, That which heaven: but whosoever shall do and cometh out of the man, that defileth teach them, the same shall be called the man. For from within, out great in the kingdom of Heaven. of the heart of men, proceed evil For I say unto you, That except thoughts, adulteries, murders, thefts, your righteousness shall exceed the covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasrighteousness of the scribes and Phar-civiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, isees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

LUKE 16: 16. The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

II. Extent of Moral Obligation.

MAT. 7: 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

LUKE 6: 31. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

10: 29. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering, said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him; and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pourMARK 7: 7. Howbeit, in vain doing in oil and wine, and set him on they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye

22: 37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow, when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him: and whatsoever

thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, he that show

gotten that he was purged from his old sins.

ed mercy on him. Then said Jesus § 2. EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST AND unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

T ROM. 7: 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

GAL. 5: 14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

1 TIM. 1: 8. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for man-slayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.

JAMES 2: 10. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

2 PETER 1: 5. And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off; and hath for

SECOND COMMANDMENTS.

MAT. 22: 87.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

MARK 12: 29. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.

MAT. 4: 10. It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

6: 24. No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.

JOHN 14: 15. If ye love me, keep my commandments.

15: 10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.

14: 23. If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.

1 JOHN 5: 3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

ROM. 1: 20. They are without excuse ; because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations. 23. And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, &c.

2 COR. 6: 16. What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? 1 JOHN 5: 21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

§ 3. OF PROFANENESS.

MAT. 5: 33. 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 foot-stool: 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 be yea, yea; nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

23: 16. Woe unto you, ye blind

guides; which say, Whosoever

shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Ye fools and blind! For whether is greater the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind! For whether is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso, therefore, shall swear by the altar sweareth by it, and by all things thereon; and whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

JAMES 5: 12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath. But let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

HEB. 6: 13. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself. —16. For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife; wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

(This is all the authority for judicial oaths.)

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the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Luke 6: 1-5.)

3: 1. And he entered again into the synagogue: and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbathday; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? but they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. (Luke 6: 6.)

LUKE 13: 10. And he was teaching in one of their synagogues on the sabbath.-15. The Lord answered him (the ruler of the synagogue,) and said, Thou hypocrite! Doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, whom Satan hath bound, lo these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed.

JOHN 5: 10. The Jews, therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath-day; it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed and walk.-16. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to kill him... but Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and Í work.

9: 14. It was the sabbath-day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

ACTS 13: 14. (Paul) went into the synagogue upon the sabbath-day and [preached.]42. The Gentiles besought that these words might be preached unto them the next sabbath. - 44. And the next sabbathday came almost the whole city together, to hear the word of God.

16 13. And on the sabbath, we went out of the city by a riverside, where prayer was wont to be made, and we sat down and spake unto the women that resorted thither.

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18: 4. And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath (for a year and six months, v. 11.) and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

17: 2. Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbathdays reasoned with them out of the scriptures.

LUKE 4: 16. Jesus, as his custom was, went into the synagogues on the sabbath-day.-31. He came down to Capernaum and taught them on the sabbath-days.

23: 56. They returned and prepared spices, and ointments, and rested the sabbath-day according to the commandment.

First Day of the Week.

came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.

1 COR. 16: 2. On the first day of the week let every one lay by him as God hath prospered him.

REV. 1: 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day.

COL. 2: 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk ye in him.-9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.—14. Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances. 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath-days.

MARK 2: 28. The Son of man is § 5. OF THE PARENTAL RELATION. Lord also of the sabbath.

GEN. 2: 3. God Blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it God rested from all his works.

ISA. 65: 17. For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered nor come to mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. HEB. 3: 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory, than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house is worthy of more honor than the house.

MARK 16: 2. Very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre, at the rising of the sun.... ... Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified; he is risen; he is not here. — 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene.

JOHN 20: 19. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. - 26. And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said unto them, Peace be unto you.

ACTS 20: 7. Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples

and

MARK 7:10. Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; whoso curseth father or mother let him die the death. But ye say, if a man shall say to his father or his mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he shall be free; and ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his mother, making the word of God of none effect, through your tradition.

10: 19. Honor thy father and thy mother.

EPH. 6: 1. Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

COL. 3: 20. Children obey your parents in all things; for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

1 TIM. 5: 4. Let them learn to show piety at home, and to requite their parents.

Duty of Parents.

EPH. 6: 4. And ye, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

1 TIM. 5: 8. If a man provide not for his own, specially for those of his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

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MAT. 5: 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. 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. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught 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.-9. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mer

cy.

6: 15. For if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him: O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

T 26: 51. And behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place for all they, that take the sword, shall perish with the sword.

5: 38: Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 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. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.-43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy 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; 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. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the

18:21. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-publicans so? Be ye therefore servant fell down at his feet, and perfect, even as your Father which besought him, saying, Have patience is in heaven is perfect with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow

LUKE 3: 14. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to

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