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_It is a Sin to Get Angry_.
"Ye have heard that it was said to 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 every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, "Worthless fellow," shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, "Thou fool," shall be in danger of the h.e.l.l of fire. If therefore thou art offering thy gift at 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. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the last farthing."
_It is a Sin to Swear_.
"Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, "Thou shalt not perjure thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths": but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of G.o.d; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your speech be, "Yea, yea; Nay, nay": and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one."
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_It is a Sin to Be Revengeful_.
"Ye have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth": but I say unto you, Resist not evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man would go to law with thee, 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 from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."
_It is a Sin to Think Evil of Others_.
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother"s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, "Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye"; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother"s eye."
_The Right Way is to Love Your Enemies_.
"Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy": but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. For if ye love them {111} that 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 Gentiles the same? Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
_The Right Way to Do Good Deeds_.
"Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
"When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee."
_The Right Way to Pray_.
"And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. And in praying use not vain repet.i.tions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard {112} for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye:"--
THE LORD"S PRAYER.
"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done In earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen."
"For if ye forgive men their trespa.s.ses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespa.s.ses, neither will your Father forgive your trespa.s.ses.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
JESUS PREACHING THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
[End ill.u.s.tration]
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THE GOLDEN RULE.
"All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, then so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets."
_The Right Way to Be Rich_.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also."
_Trust G.o.d, and He Will Take Care of You_.
"The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be right, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!
"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 G.o.d and Mammon.
"Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for {116} your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto his stature? And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
But if G.o.d doth so clothe the gra.s.s of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
"Be not therefore anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or, "What shall we drink?" or, "Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
_G.o.d Wants Deeds, Not Words_.
"Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many be they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and strait the way, that leadeth unto life, and few be they that find it.
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"For there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
"Not everyone that saith unto me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
"Many will say unto me in that day, "Lord, Lord, Did we not prophesy in thy name, And by thy name cast out demons, And by thy name do many mighty works?"
And then I will profess unto them, "I never knew you; Depart from me, ye that work iniquity."