language of Christ's character; for thus thou speakest correctly, according to the eternal Grammar; ay, even eloquently, according to the eternal Rhetoric. Heaven grant that when you and I shall stand in the judgment-hall of a Greater than Pilate, some friend of the Judge shall say to each of us: "Thou, too, art a Galilean; for thy Matt. xxvi. 78. speech bewrayeth thee." Almighty and everlasting God, who art always Collect. more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen. CHRIST'S DOCTRINE OF PERFECTION. MATTHEW v. 38-48. COMPARE LUKE vi. 27-36. Put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. COLOSSIANS iii. 14. VIII. CHRIST'S DOCTRINE OF PERFECTION. Christ's Doc trine of Forgiveness. WE have seen how the Mountain Teacher interprets the third, sixth, and seventh commandments, or the laws against perjury, murder, and unchastity. The scribes and Pharisees expounded these commandments letter-wise, declaring that the guilt of profanity, murder, and adultery lies in the outward words and acts. They were righteous, in that they obeyed the letter of the three commandments. But the Mountain Teacher declares that, unless the righteousness of His disci- Matt. v 20. ples exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, they can in no wise enter into His kingdom of heaven. And now He proceeds to apply the same truth to the Mosaic law of retaliation: "Ye have heard that it was said, 'An eye for Matt. v. 38 48. 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 would sue thee at law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also; and whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two; give to him that asketh thee, and |