The eye and the hand
And God admits no excuse for keeping anything which is an occasion of impurity. Therefore, if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is better for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:29. If people as dear to you as your right eye are an occasion of your offending God in this way, a means of stirring up unholy desire in your soul, do not delay. Separate from them by force. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:30. If anyone who seems as necessary to you as your right hand is an occasion of sin, of impure desire, even though it were never to go beyond the heart, never to break out in word or action, force yourself to an entire and final parting. Cut them off at a stroke. Give them up to God. Any loss, whether of pleasure, or property, or friends, is better than the loss of your soul.
1771 text
4. And God admits no excuse for retaining any thing, which is an occasion of impurity. Therefore 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, ver. 29. If persons as dear to thee as thy right eye, be an occasion of thy thus offending God, a means of exciting unholy desire in thy soul; delay not; forcibly separate from them. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it 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, ver. 30. If any who seem as necessary to thee as thy right hand, be an occasion of sin, of impure desire; even though it were never to go beyond the heart, never to break out in word or action: constrain thyself to an entire and final parting: cut them off at a stroke; give them up to God. Any loss, whether of pleasure or substance or friends, is preferable to the loss of thy soul.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 23 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 5:8-12.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.