Anger at sin, we allow. In this sense we may be angry and yet we sin not. In this sense our Lord himself, is once recorded to have been angry. He looked round about upon them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. He was grieved at the sinners, and angry at the sin. And this is undoubtedly right before God.
9. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca: whosoever shall give way to anger, so as to utter any contemptuous word. It is observed bycommentators, that Raca is a Syriack word, which properly signifies, empty, vain, foolish: So that it is as inoffensive an expression as can well be used, toward one at whom we are displeased. And yet whosoever should use this, as our Lord assures us, shall be in danger of the council: Rather, shall be obnoxious thereto: he shall be liable to a severer sentence from the Judge of all the earth.
But whosoever shall say, Thou fool—Whosoever shall so give place to the devil, as to break out into reviling, into designedly reproachful and contumelious language, shall be obnoxious to hell-fire, shall in that instant be liable to the highest condemnation. It should be observed, That our Lord describes all these, as obnoxious to capital punishment. The first, to strangling, usually inflicted on those who were condemned in one of the inferior courts: the second to stoning, which was frequently inflicted on those who were condemned by the great council at Jerusalem; the third to burning alive, inflicted only on the highest offenders, in the valley of the sons of Hinnom. Γῆ Ἑννών· from which that word is evidently taken, which we translate hell.
10. And whereas men naturally imagine, that God will excuse their defect in some duties, for their exactness in others, our Lord next takes care to cut off that vain, though common imagination. He shews, That it is impossible for any sinner to commute with God: who will not acceptone duty for another, nor take a part of obedience for the whole. He warns us, That the performing our duty to God, will not excuse us from our duty to our neighbour: that works of piety, as they are called, will be so far from commending us to God, if we are wanting in charity, that on the contrary, that want of charity will make all those works an abomination to the Lord.
Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, on account of thy unkind behaviour toward him, of thy calling him, Raca, or Thou fool; think not that thy gift will atone for thy anger; or that it will find any acceptance with God, so long as thy conscience is defiled with the guilt of unrepented sin. Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, (at least, do all that in thee lies toward being reconciled) and then come and offer thy gift, ver. 23, 24.
11. And let there be no delay in what so nearly concerneth thy soul. Agree with thine adversary quickly—Now: upon the spot—while thou art in the way with him—If it be possible, before he go out of thy sight—Lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge—Lest he appeal to God, the judge of all, and the Judge deliver thee to the officer, to Satan, the executioner of the wrath of God, and thou be cast into prison, into hell, there to be reserved to thejudgment of the great day. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. But this it is impossible for thee ever to do; seeing thou hast nothing to pay. Therefore if thou art once in that prison, the smoke of thy torment must ascend up for ever and ever.
12. *Mean time the meek shall inherit the earth. Such is the foolishness of worldly wisdom! The wise of the world had warned them again and again, “That if they did not resent such treatment, if they would tamely suffer themselves to be thus abused, there would be no living for them upon earth; that they would never be able to procure the common necessaries of life, nor to keep even what they had; that they could expect no peace, no quiet possession, no enjoyment of any thing.” Most true—suppose there were no God in the world; or suppose he did not concern himself with the children of men. But when God ariseth to judgment, and to help all the meek upon earth: how doth he laugh all this Heathen wisdom to scorn, and turn the fierceness of man to his praise! He takes a peculiar care, to provide them with all things needful for life and godliness. He secures to them the provision he hath made, in spite of the force, fraud, or malice of men. And what he secures, he gives them richly to enjoy. It is sweet to them, be it little or much. As in patience they possess their souls, so they truly possesswhatever God hath given them. They are always content, always pleased with what they have. It pleases them, because it pleases God. So that while their heart, their desire, their joy is in heaven, they may truly be said to inherit the earth.
13. But there seems to be a yet farther meaning in these words, even that they shall have a more eminent part in the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, in that inheritance, a general description of which (and the particulars we shall know hereafter) St. John hath given in the 20th chapter of the Revelation. And I saw an angel come down from heaven—and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent—and bound him a thousand years—And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and of them which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again, until the thousand years were expired. This is the first resurrection: blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
II. 1. Our Lord has hitherto been more immediately employed, in removing the hindranceof true religion: such is pride, the first, grand hindrance of all religion, which is taken away by poverty of spirit; levity, and thoughtlessness, which prevent any religion from taking root in the soul, till they are removed by holy mourning: such are anger, impatience, discontent, which are all healed by Christian meekness. And when once these hindrances are removed, these evil diseases of the soul, which were continually raising false cravings therein, and filling it with sickly appetites, the native appetite of a heaven-born spirit returns; it hungers and thirsts after righteousness: and blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.
2. Righteousness (as was observed before) is the image of God, the mind which was in Christ Jesus. It is every holy and heavenly temper in one; springing from, as well as terminating in the love of God, as our Father and Redeemer, and the love of all men, for his sake.