in a brother’s heart, we must anticipate him in trying to soothe it, and must prefer reconciliation to sacrifice.
Now He pushes the obligation yet further, so as to entirely eradicate the very spirit of revenge.
'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ [1] This is what the old law allowed, and there appeared to be a kind of justice in it; but Jesus Christ will not allow the Christian to carry out such justice for himself, or even to seek it for his own satisfaction. If public justice puts down crimes of violence, the Christian does nothing to hinder it, and he respects public decrees; but, on his own account, if somebody strikes him on one cheek he will rather offer him the other than revenge himself; [2] and if a man takes his coat he will give him his cloak also, sooner than go to law for a slight thing, or give way to a carping or resentful spirit. He will rather, of his own accord, go two other miles with those who shall have forced him to go one than seek to do justice to himself, or dream of taking vengeance for any violence that may have been offered to him. Peace of heart is dearer to him than the possession of whatsoever things may have been unjustly snatched away; and as to failing in charity for
