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These words are a direct prohibition of revenging injuries and recompensing evil for evil, and give us a rule of duty in ease of wrong done to us.

I. WAS REVENGE ALLOWED TO THE JEWS? In Leviticus 19:18 it is said, "Thou shalt not avenge or bear any grudge against the children of thy people." This has been taken to imply that a Jew might kill a stranger, and consequently take any inferior degree of revenge on him. But compare the injunctions respecting the treatment of the stranger in Exodus 22 and 23; Leviticus 19:9, 10; Deuteronomy 10:1, etc. As to the retaliation granted (Exodus 21:24), this allowance was not made to the party injured, so that he might satisfy and distribute justice to himself; but to the judge, so that he might allot compensation for the wrong done.

II. ENFORCE THE GREAT DUTY OF FORGIVENESS.

1. From the reasonableness of this duty in itself. Reasonable men must allow its force and truth. By corrupt and undisciplined natures only is revenge counted as a mark of a noble and brave spirit. But it is a sign of superiority of mind to forgive the trespass. We ought to make our forgiveness as useful to the trespasser as possibly we can. Prudence should arrest the forwardness of charity in granting pardons.

2. The great weight our Saviour lays upon our forgiving others, in order to our title to our own forgiveness. There is no proportion in number betwixt our offences against God and those of the most offensive of our brethren against us.

3. We have great reason to forgive them, because of the good use and advantage we may make of our enemies. Charity is the greatest manager in the world.

III. MISTAKES WHICH MISLEAD MEN IN THEIR JUDGMENTS CONCERNING THEIR OWN FORGIVENESS.

1. The mistake of those who think they have paid a fair obedience to the law of charity, when they strike the offender only with the impartial hand of that of the law.

2. The mistake of those who think they may consign the trespasser to the judgment of God.

3. The mistake of judging the truth of our forgiveness on a principle of sloth. Some men are too ready to move themselves to resentment.

4. The mistake of thinking we have forgiven, when the fact is that the impressions have only worn off our minds. This is forgetting, not forgiving, since forgiveness is properly our own work, and not one of time.

(George Wallis, D.D.)

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KJV: Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

WEB: Don't be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don't deceive with your lips.