The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 610

':

XXIX. Love

in the

Old Covenant. " A new commandment I give unto yoii, that ye love one another."—;/oA« xiii. 34.

In connection with the Holy Spirit's work of shedding abroad God in our hearts, the question arises: What is the

the love of

meaning

How

of Christ's word,

He

can

"

A new commandment I give unto you " ?

designate this natural injunction,

"

To

love one an-

new commandment? This offers no difficulty to those who entertain the erroneous view that during His ministry on earth Christ established anew and other," a

higher religion, to supersede the antiquated religion of Israel. They assert that the ancient religious ideas of the Jews were crude, defective,

Among

and

primitive, even far

Israel themselves

it

was an eye

below pagan morality.

for an eye, a tooth for a

For their enemies they nursed vindictive hatred. They sang imprecatory psalms. And to crown all, they indulged the bloodthirsty desire of dashing the enemy's innocent babes against tooth.

the stones. Among this rude and barbarous people Jesus arose to proclaim a higher and nobler religion. He said " Ye have heard :

it

was said

of old time,

'

An

eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

!

I say Resist him not that is evil. Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt hate thine enemy but I say unto you Love your enemies. And whatever shortsighted Moses may have

but

*

*

:

'

'

'

;

'

'

taught ancient

Israel,

I,

Jesus, give

you a new commandment, that

ye love one another." In this sense the

words

"

new commandjnent" o^er no

difficulty.

" Neti),"

representing the Christian religion, is opposed to the " old," which stands for the Mosaic law. But however plausible, this representation

is

thoroughly false and contradicted

by obvious

facts.

In Matt.

V.

17-20, Christ introduces the subject

by showing that

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