altar, and then remembered his brother had aught against him, should he offer the gift? A. He should not. Q. What should he do? A. First go and be reconciled to his brotherthen offer the gift. Q. What does Jesus say in regard to such reconciliation? A. "Agree with thine adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him.” Q. What did he represent would be the consequence of delay? A. A legal arrest, condemnation and imprison ment. LESSON XII. MATTHEW....CHAPTER V: 29–42. Q. What did Jesus say about the right eye? A. "If it offend-pluck it out." Q. What reason does he assign for this advice? A. "It is better that one member should perish, than that the whole body should be cast into hell." Q. Does he make the same remarks in regard to the right hand? A. He does. Q. Is the language literal, or figurative? Q. What is meant by right eye and right hand? A. Besetting, or lustful desires. Q. What is signified by to pluck out, and cut off, and cast away? A. To suppress the exercise of lawless desiresself denial. Q. What is meant by hell? A. The sad consequences of sin, to be experienced at the destruction of Jerusalem. Matt. 23: 33.* Q. What had been said by the Jews concerning swearing? A. "Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths." Q. What did Jesus say on the subject? Q. Why did Jesus say men cught not to swear by heaven? A. "Because it is God's throne." Q. Why did he say they should not swear by the earth? A. "Because it is God's footstool." * Hell, here, is Gehenna, in Greek.-Literally it signifies the valley of Hinnom; symbolically the destruction of the Jews. See Jeremiah, 19. Q. Why did he forbid their swearing by Jerusalem? A. "Because it was the city of the great King." Q. Why did he forbid their swearing by their own heads? A. "Because they could not make one hair white or black." Q. What command did Jesus give on the subject of communications? A. "Let them be yea, yea-nay, nay." Q. Why does he object to other sanctions? A. "Whatever is more than these, cometh of evil." Q. What had been before said concerning retaliation? A. "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." Q. Where is it recorded? A. In Exodus, 21: 24. Q. What precept did Christ give concerning injuries? A. "To resist not evil." Q. What would he have people do ? A. Exercise forbearance. Q. How did he explain it? A. "When one cheek is smitten-turn the other also." Q. What did Jesus say concerning borrowing and lending? A. "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away," LESSON XIII. MATTHEW...CHAPTER V: 43-48. Q. What had been heard said about the treatment of neighbors and enemies? A. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy." Q. What rule did Jesus give in regard to the treatment of enemies? A. To love them, bless them, do them good, and pray for them. Luke, 6: 27. Q. What reason does he give for such injunctions? A. "That they might be children of their Father in heaven." Q. What is here meant by being his children? A. To be like him in character. Q. How had their Father in heaven manifested such a character? A. "In causing the sun to rise on the evil, and in sending rain on the unjust," Q. What did Jesus say about requiting love? A. "If ye love them who love you, what reward have ye? Do not the publicans the same?" Q. What does he say about saluting brethren? A. "If ye salute them only, what do ye more than others? Do not the publicans so? Q. Who were the Publicans? A. Tax-collectors. Q. With whom were they classed? Q. Were they looked upon with contempt by the Scribes and Pharisees? A. They were. Luke, 15: 2. Q. Is that the probable reason why our Saviour refers to their conduct to give force to his precept? A. It is. Q. What did Jesus say in regard to a standard of perfection? A. "Be ye as perfect as your Father in heaven." Q. What kind of perfection is referred to? A. The perfection of exercising impartial good ness. |