And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the publicans so?
Ver. 47. What do ye more than others?] Singular things are expected and required of such as have received singular grace and mercy. As to be eminent in good works, to get above others, to have our feet where other men's heads are. a The way of the righteous is on high, saith Solomon: he goes a higher way to work than ordinary, and walks ακριβως, accurately, exactly; b he gets even to the very top of godliness, as the word importeth. He knows that more than the common stint is required of him, and that he must do that which the world will never do: as to be hot in religion, Revelation 3:16. The carnal gospeller saith, Religiosum oportet esse, non religantem, it is fit to be religious, but not so conscientious. So, to be zealous of good works, Titus 2:14, but with discretion, saith the worldling. The King of Navarre told Beza he would launch no further into the sea than he might be sure to return safe to the haven. c Though he showed some countenance to religion, yet he would be sure to save himself. So, to abound in God's work, to have a heart full of goodness, as those Romans, Romans 15:14; a life full of good works, as Tabitha, Acts 9:33. But this is to be wise overly much, saith the flesh, Ecclesiastes 7:16. Philosophandum, sed paucis. Philosophize but little. Cicero. What need this waste? said Judas. It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem to worship, said Jeroboam to the people, take a shorter cut rather to the golden calves. "They are idle, they are idle," said Pharaoh of God's busiest servants. So, God would have his to walk precisely, Ephesians 5:15. This the mad world mocks at. To pluck out their right eyes, this is a hard saying, saith the sensualist, Matthew 5:29. To offer violence to God's kingdom: "fair and softly goes far;" and it is good keeping on the warm side of the hedge, saith the politician. To keep God's command ment as the apple of thine eyes; but how few are there that will not break the hedge of any commandment, so they may shun a piece of foul way? Lastly, to love an enemy, do good to them that hate us, &c.; but this seems to be the most unreasonable and impossible. What? love those that hate and hurt them, that daily rage and rail at them, with such bitterness, as if they had been as far as hell for every word that tumbleth out of their mouths against them? &c. Love this man? Nay, then, love the devil himself. They will rather die a thousand deaths than endure such a one: if they could love him, yet they would not. They are prime Christians in these men's opinions that ascend to Saul's measure, "I will do thee no hurt, my son David." If they pass him by when he is in their power, as the priest and the Levite did the wounded man; if they fall not foul upon him with recriminations, and retaliate injuries, they have gone far and done fair: and such a measure of charity they hold little less than angelic, hardly here attainable. This is the voice and guise of flesh and blood. "The spirit that is in us lusteth to envy," and prompteth us to requite taunt with taunt, suit with suit, blow with blow, and holds them fools that do not. But this is the wisdom from beneath, and is earthly, sensual, devilish: James 3:15 , expounded whereas that "from above is first pure, and then peaceable," (well assured of pardon of sin and peace with God, and thence) gentle or equable to men (επιεικης), and easily persuaded, full of mercy (to an offending brother) and good fruits (friendly expressions), without wrangling or lawing (αδιακριτος), and without hypocrisy: such as can be heartily reconciled, and love again without dissimulation, "not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth," Rom 12:9; 1 John 3:18; not covering a potsherd with silver dross, a wicked heart with burning lips. Seven abominations are in such a heart, and his wickedness shall be shown before the whole congregation, as Absalom's usage of Amnon, Proverbs 14:20; Proverbs 19:7; Proverbs 26:23,26. A godly man carries neither cruel hatred, a desire to hurt whom he hates, as Esau, nor simple hatred, where there is no desire to hurt, but a disdain to help: he forgives not only, but forgets, as Joseph, Genesis 50:20. (For injuries remembered are hardly remitted.) And although he loves not his enemies' sins, yet he doth their persons: striving to seal up his love by all loving usage both in word and deed. And herein he doth more than others; that which is singular, and in the world's account, seraphical: that which (in truth) is extraordinary and above common possibility, it is a high point of Christian perfection: and let as many as are perfect be thus minded. Benaiah was honourable among thirty, but he attained not to the first three. A natural man may be renowned for his patience and beneficence; but the child of God must herein go before all the wicked men in the world, and strive to be conformed to the first three, the blessed Trinity.
a των καλων εργων προιστασθαι, Titus 3:14 .
b Ephesians 5:15, ακριβως το εις ακρον βαινειν. Gellius.
c Pelago se non ita commissuru esset, quin quando liberet, pedem referre posset.