2 Corinthians, Chapter 8, verses 1-9
1 He stirreth them up to a liberal contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem, by the example of the Macedonians, 7 by commendation of their former forwardness, 9 by the example of ChristMatthew, Chapter 5, verses 43-48
38 exhorteth to suffer wrong, 44 to love even our enemies, and to labour after perfectness5
5:43 Thou shalt love thy neighbour; And hate thy enemy - God spoke the former part; the scribes added the latter. Lev 19:18.
5:44 Bless them that curse you - Speak all the good you can to and of them, who speak all evil to and of you. Repay love in thought, word, and deed, to those who hate you, and show it both in word and deed. Luk 6:27, Luk 6:35.
5:45 That ye may be the children - That is, that ye may continue and appear such before men and angels. For he maketh his sun to rise - He gives them such blessings as they will receive at his hands. Spiritual blessings they will not receive.
5:46 The publicans - were officers of the revenue, farmers, or receivers of the public money: men employed by the Romans to gather the taxes and customs, which they exacted of the nations they had conquered. These were generally odious for their extortion and oppression, and were reckoned by the Jews as the very scum of the earth.
5:47 And if ye salute your friends only - Our Lord probably glances at those prejudices, which different sects had against each other, and intimates, that he would not have his followers imbibe that narrow spirit. Would to God this had been more attended to among the unhappy divisions and subdivisions, into which his Church has been crumbled! And that we might at least advance so far, as cordially to embrace our brethren in Christ, of whatever party or denomination they are!
5:48 Therefore ye shall be perfect; as your Father who is in heaven is perfect - So the original runs, referring to all that holiness which is described in the foregoing verses, which our Lord in the beginning of the chapter recommends as happiness, and in the close of it as perfection. And how wise and gracious is this, to sum up, and, as it were,seal all his commandments with a promise! Even the proper promise of the Gospel! That he will put those laws in our minds, and write them in our hearts! He well knew how ready our unbelief would be to cry out, this is impossible! And therefore stakes upon it all the power, truth, and faithfulness of him to whom all things are possible.
Psalms, Psalm 146
1 The Psalmist voweth perpetual praises to God, 3 He exhorteth not to trust in man, 5 God, for his power, justice, mercy, and kingdom, is only worthy to be trusted146 The psalmist praises God, and exhorts all to trust in him alone, Psa 146:1-5. Because of his power, faithfulness and everlasting kingdom, Psa 146:6-10.
146:4 That day - As soon as ever he is dead. Thoughts - All his designs and endeavours either for himself or for others.
146:6 For ever - Both because he liveth for ever to fulfil his promises, and because he is eternally faithful.
8
8:1 We declare to you the grace of God - Which evidently appeared by this happy effect.
8:2 In a great trial of affliction - Being continually persecuted, harassed, and plundered.
8:4 Praying us with much entreaty - Probably St. Paul had lovingly admonished them not to do beyond their power.
8:5 And not as we hoped - That is, beyond all we could hope.They gave themselves to us, by the will of God - In obedience to his will, to be wholly directed by us.
8:6 As he had begun - When he was with you before.
8:9 For ye know - And this knowledge is the true source of love. The grace - The most sincere, most free, and most abundant love. He became poor - In becoming man, in all his life; in his death. Rich - In the favour and image of God.