these least commandments, and teaches men to do so? Least in the Kingdom of Heaven; that is, will be esteemed by Christ as the least or lowest in his glorious kingdom.—v. 19. 49. What is meant by the least commandment? A. Not that the breach of any of God's laws is trivial, but he alludes to those between which the Scribes and Pharisees made vain distinctions, and taught their followers to do the same; for what we may in our folly conceive to be a small offence, must be repented of, and be forsaken, if we hope for acceptance with God. A. 50. What shall that person be called who performs these moral duties, and teaches others to do the same? Great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 51. What is meant here by the Kingdom of Heaven? A. Christ's Church upon earth, and his kingdom of glory hereafter. 52. Whose righteousness must ours exceed, that we may be admitted hereafter to the Kingdom of Heaven? A. That of the Scribes and Pharisees.-v. 20. 53. In what did their righteousness consist? A. In keeping only the outward commandments of the ceremonial law, while they neglected the moral, and their hearts were full of wickedness and pride; whereas God demands the service and worship of the heart, as well as the outward forms of religion. 54. What punishment was denounced in old time against any person who killed another? A. He shall be in danger of the judgment. 55. What is meant by in old time? A. Formerly, long ago. 56. In what part of the Catechism is the law mentioned against murder? A. In the 6th Commandment. Exod. xx. 13. Gen. ix. 5, 6. 57. What is meant by being in danger of the judgment? A. That is, in danger of being brought to trial before a Court of the Jews, who had power to punish criminals by strangling or beheading. 58. Against whom does our Saviour denounce the judgment. A. Against him that is angry with his brother without a cause.-v. 22. 59. Against whom does he denounce the Council? A. Against him who shall say to his brother "Raca." 60. What is the meaning of the term vain, foolish man. "Raca?" A. A 61. Why does our Lord condemn this? A. Because the calling of ill names not only proves the existence of a rancorous spirit in the human heart, but always begets strife, which generally leads to more serious quarrels, perhaps even to murder. 62. What is the Council? A. A higher Court of the Jews, called the Sanhedrim, which had greater powers, and was capable of inflicting heavier punishments than the other, such as stoning and burning. 63. Whom does he threaten with Hell fire? A. Whosoever calls his brother a fool. 64. What is meant here by the term "Fool?" A. A wicked graceless fellow, a worthless wretch, an apostate from God. 65. What is meant here by "Hell-fire ?" A. It means being burned alive in the valley of Hinnom, a place of abomination and abhorrence to the Jews, inasmuch as it was formerly the scene of the most impious idolatry, and was now used by the Jews to testify their contempt of the place, as a receptacle for all the filth of the city. Lev. xx. 14. Isaiah xxx. 33. Jer. xix. 6, &c. 66. What is the meaning of all this? A. That as the three gradations of crimes mentioned, viz. 1st., being angry with our brother without a cause; 2dly., calling him Raca; 3dly, calling him a fool, are here described, though apparently trivial, as subjecting the offender to different degrees of severe punishment, thus we may learn that those offences, which many consider light and of no importance, will in the next life be punished in a manner equal to, and even exceeding that which they of old time denounced against murder. 67. Who is meant here by our brother? A. Any fellow-creature. 68. Why does our Lord dwell so much on the subject of murder? A. To check those false notions of the Scribes and Pharisees, who supposed unless the actual murder was committed, there was no offence against the law; but in what he says, he gives us to understand, that in order to remain perfectly innocent of this crime, we must also keep a constant guard, not only over our actions, but over even our words and thoughts. 69. Are we always in a state to bring our gifts to the altar? A. No, if we remember that our brother hath ought against us. 70. What is meant by bringing our gift to the altar? A. Our Saviour is speaking in conformity to the custom of the time when he was on earth. He alludes to the free-will offerings which the Jews were in the habit of making to God. It may now be extended to our not being welcome guests at the Supper of the Lord, or any other religious ordinance, if we continue at enmity with our neighbours. The best possible token we can give of our repentance, is by making restitution to the person we have offended without repentance our prayers will not be accepted; the prayers of the wicked are even an abomination unto God. 71. What does our Lord tell us to do in this case? A. To leave our gift before the altar, and to go our way: first to be reconciled to our brother, and then to come and offer our gift.- -v. 24. 72. What advice does our Saviour give us about agreeing with our adversary? A. He tells us to do so quickly, while we are in the way with him, lest at any time the adversary deliver us to the Judge, and the Judge deliver us to the officer, and we be cast in prison.- -V. 25. 73. What is meant by, while you are in the way with him? A. That is, while you are alive, and have it in your power. 74. What is an adversary? A. Any person we have a dispute with. 75. What is the meaning of the passage? A. It means, that it is better for us to make up our quarrels while we have it in our power, lest the sentence of the Judge, before whose tribunal we are brought, should fall heavy on us, and, when too late, we may have cause to repent that we had not done so. In like manner he tells us not to neglect being reconciled to our brother, lest death may overtake us, and then we shall be brought before the judgment-seat of God, and condemned for our disobedience, and obstinate unforgiving temper. 76. What does he mean by our not being allowed out of prison until we have paid the uttermost farthing? A. That, as the person who has been condemned and sentenced by an earthly Judge cannot come out of prison without paying the original debt, or undergoing all the punishment to which he has been condemned; so if we, by our neglect of God's commands, are cast into Hell, as we cannot ourselves pay the ransom of our sins; and as, while upon earth, we rejected the assistance of our blessed Redeemer, who would, if we had followed his advice, have delivered us; we must, as we have no satisfaction to make, remain there for ever, according to the sentence of our eternal Judge1.—v. 26. 77. How does he extend the law respecting Adultery? A. He says, that not only the actual perpetrator of the offence, but also he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart.v. 27. 78. If our right hand or our right eye offend us, what are we to do? A. We are to pluck them off, and cast them from us.-v. 29. 79. What is meant by this? A. That if we have any sin, or friend who would persuade or cause us to sin, which or whom to give up would occasion us as much pain as the loss of an eye or a hand, still we are not to hesitate to do so. 80. Why should we give them up? A. Because as it is more prudent to part even with a limb to save the rest of the body, so is it more prudent for us to give up our friends, or to part with our dearest sins, and suffer pain for a little while here, than that the soul should perish everlastingly. 81. What was the custom practised by the Jews when they put away their wives? A. They used to give them a writing of divorcement.-v. 31. 1 This may also allude to temporal punishments, such as diseases and misfortune inflicted upon Christians in this world, for so far forgetting their profession as, by some particular instances of disobedience, to offend, and bring down the just judgment of God, who, proportioning the punishment to the offence, may be said not to let them out of prison "till they have paid the uttermost farthing." See 1 Cor. xi. 30. 32. 82. What is meant by a writing of divorcement? A. A paper signed by the husband, which certified that the wife was set free by him, and at liberty to marry any other person. Deut. xxiv. 1. 83. What change does our Saviour make in the law respecting divorcements ? A. He says, Whoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery, in case of her marrying again.v. 32. 84. What commandment does he say that man breaks through, who marries a woman thus put away? A. He committeth adultery. 85. How does he commit adultery? A. Because he marries another man's wife, for she still continues in the sight of God to be the wife of the first man, who had no right to put her away. 86. Why did our Saviour make this change about divorcements? A. Because the Jews were in the habit of divorcing their wives for the most trifling reasons. Vide Matt. xix. 3. 87. What was the old law respecting oaths? A. Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but perform unto the Lord thine oath. Lev. xix. 12. Deut. xxiii. 21.—v. 33. 88. What is meant by forswearing themselves? A. Breaking their oaths. 89. What change did our Lord make in the old law? A. He says, Swear not at all. 90. Why did our Lord make any change respecting this custom of the Jews? A. Because they used to say that no oath was binding, except some particular ones, and that they were at liberty to break through all others, (Matt. xxiii. 16.) and our Lord wished to check this wicked custom of perjury. 91. Why not "by Heaven?" A. Because it is God's throne. v. 34. 92. Why not "by Earth?" A. Because it is his footstool.-v. 35. 93. Why not by Jerusalem? A. Because it is the city of the Great King, where the worship of God, that King of kings, is celebrated in his holy Temple. 94. Why not by our head? A. Because we are not able to turn one hair white or black.-v. 36. |