Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount
A Godly and Learned Exposition upon Christ's Sermon in the
Mount
by William Perkins
Matthew 5
5:1
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was
set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught
them, saying,
3
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for
they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of
God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against
you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great
is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which
were before you.
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but
to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot
be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel,
but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the
house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or
one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and
shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of
heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called
great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your
righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter
into the kingdom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a
cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to
his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever
shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest
that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift
before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with
him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the
judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26
Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till
thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a
woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his
heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should
perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if
thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it
is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not
that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give
her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever
shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth
her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery.
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time,
Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine
oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for
it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:
neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither
shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair
white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is
more than these cometh of evil.
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth
for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy
coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee
to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and
from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour,
and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the
children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to
rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on
the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?
do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren
only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be
ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 6
6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:
otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound 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 their
reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right
hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which
seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou
hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for
they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not
ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye
have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 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.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto
men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That
thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in
secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 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 that darkness!
24 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 God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye
shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall
put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap,
nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye
not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I
say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass 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?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall
we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these
things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you.
34
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof.
Matthew 7
7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye
judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again.
3
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but
considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou
say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and,
behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out
the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast
out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
6
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn
again and rend you.
7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give
him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,
how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to
them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the
prophets.
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles? 17 Even so
every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth
forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither
can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore
by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one 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.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in
thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I
will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them
not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon
the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of
it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people
were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having
authority, and not as the scribes.