PRINCETON, N. J. Part of the I ADDISOX ALEXWDER LIBRARY, which was presented b^ Messrs. R. L. and A. Stpast. ±1 -( ■-( J C^.f l2itc^i '^/^^^ Ul^O^C^U/^t^ L^f-rt.iC A / SJ^^ ^ THE FOUE GOSPELS, ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. EXPLANATORY NOTES A ^mS. LORri^ LYTTELTON. rmi LONDON : RIVINGTONS, WATERLOO PLACE. 1856, 4> f IT f LONDON : GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. John's square. PREFACE. I TEAE that the first thought of those who may see the title of this book will be, that I have attempted what has been abundantly done already ; and that it will be followed by a feeling of some displeasure at the addition of another super- fluous work, at best, to the large stock with which the world is encumbered. But I hope that further consideration may shew that there is no book which exactly attains the object I have had in view ; and that that object may be held to be one of some importance. These Notes are intended for reading to households, and for the use of the middle and lower classes. They are meant to be explanatory of difficulties : simply in the sense of pointing out, in full and popular language, the ordinary and received meaning of such words and passages as persons of those classes need to have explained. The principle on which to do this — what to set down and what to omit — has been founded on many years' experience in Sunday School teaching. What has appeared to be proper matter for question and answer, as regards explanation, in an intelligent upper class in a good Sunday School, I have thought suitable for exposition in tliese Notes. iv PEEFACE. r It is not tTiat the Sunday Scholars, or the ordinary readers of the classes referred to, are ignorant of much that is here written ; but that it may be of advantage to them in various ways to have it at hand, in plain and intelligible language. I have not aimed at direct practical teaching ; but such teaching is inevitably involved to some, though not to a very great extent, in any attempt at explanation. So limited, however, I trust that such a publication may not be thought unsuitable for a layman to venture upon. It may indeed be thought that the absence both of full practical application, and of much of the deeper, wider, more mysterious and more spiritual meanings of the sacred text, leaves, in many cases, but a cold, dry, inadequate residuum. I can only reply that that larger field is unexhausted and inexhaustible ; that it is for those to cultivate it whose profession and studies give them the proper authority to do so ; and that simple readers will be then best fitted to benefit b}'^ that more advanced teaching, when they have a clear hold of the primary sense of the records with which it deals. I have not gone beyond the Eour Gospels and the Acts, for various reasons. My original purpose was to contribute what might be serviceable at family prayers. On such occasions it is customary to select, for reading, some part of one of the Lessons of the Day; and as those Lessons always include a Chapter of the Gospels or the Acts, they seemed sufficient for 1 the object in view. I doubt indeed whether there is not much in the Epistles which is insusceptible of that Mnd of simple explanation which I have here attempted. This may also be the case with some parts of the Gospels ; but I think they are very few. I have seen it objected to similar Commentaries to this, that the references from one part to others are too numerous and in- convenient, I fear these Notes may be, more than others, liable PEEFACE. V to this observation. But it seems to me quite unavoidable, if the object iu view is to be attained : that of enabling the reader to read any Chapter vt'ith a full and detailed explanation. The Gospels in particular so abound with passages frequently repeated, sometimes with, sometimes without slight variations, and Scripture generally is so entirely to be illustrated from itself, that unless the notes were full of the most tedious repetitions, there seems no way of escaping the inconvenience in question, such as it is. One work I feel boimd to mention, the Commentary on the Gospels of the Bishop of Lichfield and Archdeacon Hale. Its general scope certainly seems nearly the same as that of these Notes ; and the Preface to it I might almost adopt as my own. But, without in any degree challenging a comparison on the score of merit, to which I could not for a moment pretend, I think (besides that I have included the Acts of the Apostles, which they have not done,) it will be found that these Notes are more verbal and minute than was consistent with the design of the eminent writers whom I have referred to. The statement, that there is no good English work precisely similar to this, has not been made without some enquiry. Nevertheless, I cannot but feel some apprehension that I may be mistaken. If so, may this go the way of all useless books. But if I am right — if I have at all succeeded in attaining the object at which I have aimed, and if that object is of any importance, — I may be allowed to hope that such benefits as the book may be fitted to confer, may be fairly diffused among those for whom it has been written. CONTENTS. The Gospkl according to St. Matthew The Gospel according to St. Mark . The Gospel according to St. Luke . The Gospel according to St. John . The Acts ok the Apostles page 1 134 180 282 376 The Notes simply containing a reference, as ' Matt. v. 3,' indicate that the passage referred to is identical, or very nearly so, with the one to which the note is appended. ' See note on,' &c. signifies that while the passages are not identical, the note on the one illustrates or explains the other in some degree. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. CHAPTER I. 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the sou of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac ; and Isaac begat Jacob ; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren ; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar ; and Phares begat Esrom ; and Esrom begat Aram ; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab ; and Aminadab begat Naasson ; and Naasson begat Salmon ; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Eachab ; and Booz begat Obed of Puth ; and Obed begat Jesse ; 6 And Jesse begat David the king ; and David the king begat Solomon of her that liad been the ivife of Urias ; 7 And Solomon begat Eo- boam ; and Eoboara begat Abia ; and Abia begat Asa ; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; Ch. 1. 1. ' The book of the generation of Jesus Christ,' means tlie book (namely, this Gospel) which gives an account of the manner in which Jesus Christ, ac- cording to the flesh or His human nature, was descended and born. He is the Son and Josaphat begat Joram ; and Joram begat Ozias ; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham ; and Joatham begat Achaz ; and Achaz begat Ezekias ; 10 And Ezekias begat Ma- nasses ; and Manasses begat Amon ; and Amon begat Josias ; 11 And Josias begat Jecho- nias and his brethren, about the time they vpere carried away to Babylon : 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Sa- lathiel ; and Salathiel begat Zoro- babel ; 13 An dZorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor ; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc ; and Sadoc begat Achim ; and Achim begat Eliud ; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan ; and Matthan begat Jacob ; of God from everlasting ; but when He took our nature upon Him, became man, to live and die fur us, He was born as is described in this book. ' The son,' that is, He was descended from David, and David from Abraham. B ST. MATTHEW, I. 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the busband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, vrbo is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations ; and from David un- til the carrying away into Baby- lon are fourteen generations ; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. 18 ^ jN'ow the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise : When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came to- gether, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her aw^y privily. 20 But while he thought on 17. The several 'generations' are marked by the several persons given in this list, in the direct descent from Abra- ham to our Lord. ' Tlie cari'ying away into Babylon,' that is, the time when the children of Israel ■were carried away captive to Babylon, as recorded in the Old Testament. 18. ' On this wise:' in this manner. 'Espoused:' engaged to be married, betrothed. 'Of the Holy Ghost:' by His blessed influence. 21. Here it is said that our Lord Jesus was so called because He should save His people from their sins. Tliis is from the meaning of the word ' Jesus' in the Hebrew language, which is Saviour. In the IBth verse it is also said that He Is called Christ. In the Greek language this is a word that means Anointed, and He is so called as being our Lord or these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto liim in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife : for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Grhost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS : for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the pro- phet, saying, 23 Beliold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being in- terpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife : King, and also Priest, because kings and priests, among the Jews, were anointed with oil when crowned or consecrated. Thus ' our Saviour and Lord ' are in English the very same words as Jesus Christ in the Greek and Hebrew. 22. ' The prophet,' namely, Isaiah (vii. 14). ' That it might be fulfilled.' It was done because it was so willed, in the everlasting counsel of God : but God having so purposed it, He further in- spired the prophet Isaiah to foi-etel it, and it was, therefore, in respect of that prophecy, certain to happen so as to fulfil it, as all the prophecies of Scripture either have been or will be accom- plished. 23. Emmanuel is a Hebrew word. 'God with us ;' that is, Christ who is so named, is God, God the Son, made also Man, so that He was ' with us,' ou earth. ST. MATTHEW, II. 3 25 Aud knew her not tiU she had brought forth her firstborn son : and he called his name JESUS. CHAPTER II. 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judcea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was trou- a man amonjr men ; as St. John says (i. 14), ' The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ;' where see the note. ' Intei'preted,' put into English. Ch. II. 1. Tliis Herod was a Jew, allowed by the Romans to reign over Judea, but under their control. These 'wise men from the east' were natives of some of the countries in Asia, eastward of Jtidaja ; and it is plain that both the revelation to them of the birth of Christ, of who He was, and that they were to worship Him, and the manner of it, by the leading of a particular star, which was shewn to them, and which stopped over the house whei'e He was, were miraculous. This is the event which is commemorated in the Church by the name of the Epiphany, which means the shewing or manifestation of Christ, namely, to the Gentiles : for the knowledge of the birth must have been spread among the eastern nations from whence they came, by these wise men. 2. Christ had been revealed to the wise men by the name of ' King of the Jews,' which was His name in the pro- phecies. Our Lord is a heavenly, or spiritual King over men's souls, as being our Lord and Master, whom we are to B bled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he de- manded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judsea : for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Gover- nor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had follow, and who came to establish a spiritual kingdom upon earth. The mistake of the Jews was that they sup- posed Christ was to be a great earthly king, who was to reign in splen- dour, and to give them again an inde- pendent kingdonijfree from the dominion of the Romans. ' His star,' as being the star which was ordained by God to lead them to the place where He was. 3. Herod and all (the people of) Jeru- salem were ' troubled,' or amazed, be- cause of the miracle that had brought the wise men ; and the king in particular, because he feared that the kingdom to which they referred meant the earthly kingdom over the Jews of which he, Herod, was possessed, and of which he thought Jesus was to deprive him, instead of His heavenly kingdom, as has just been explained. 4. The ' scribes ' wore those who had charge of the books of the law of jNIoses. ' Where Christ sliould be born:' where it was expected, according to the pro- phecies, that He would be born. 5. ' The prophet,' Micah (v. 2). 6. ' The princes,' here means the chief places. ' A Governor,' namely, our Lord. 2 4 ST. MATTIIEAV, II. privily called the wise men, en- quired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And lie sent them to Beth- lehem, and said, Gro and search diligently for the young child ; and when ye have found liijn, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed ; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 ^ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and wor- shipped him : and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts ; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 iVnd being warned of Grod in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed 8. ' The young child,' Jesus. It was a false pretence of Herod's that he wished to worship Christ, whereas he wished to destroy Him. He said it in order to induce the wise men to tell him truly where He was, which they would have done had not God ' warned them iu a dream,' not to do so (ver. 12). 11. ' Fi-ankincense and myrrh' are precious spices of the East. These gifts were offered to do honour to Him who received them, according to the manner of those nations. 15. ' That it might be fulfilled:' see note on i. 22. 'The prophet,' Hosea (xi. 1). These into their own country another way. 13 And when they were de- parted, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying. Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word ; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt : 15 And was there until the death of Herod : that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying. Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 ^ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he words were meant in the first instance of the cliildren of Israel, and their de- liverance out of Egypt ; but, as is often the case in the prophecies, they had a second and furtlier meaning, which is referi-ed to here, — that of our Lord being taken into Egypt and returning from thence. 16. ' Mocked of,' or by, ' the wise men:' that is, that his commands to them (vei'. 8) were disregarded by them. ' The time,' namely of the birth of Christ,wliich he had asked of the wisemen (ver. 7)- This slaughter of the children, among whom Herod thought the infant Saviour was sure to be, is that which is ST. MATTHEW, III. liad diligently enquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, IS In Kama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Eachel weep- ing for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 *i But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel : for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, commemorated by the Church "on the third day after Christmas Day, as the Day of the Innocents. 17. See Jer. xxxi. 15. ' Rama' sig- nifies Bethlehem ; and ' Rachel ' means the name of a Jewish mother. 22. Archelaus, son of Herod, was cruel as his father was. Judtea is properly the southern part of the Holy Laud ; and Galilee is to the north. 23. See what was said on ver. 15, about the twofold meaning of the prophecies in the Old Testament. The same ap]ilies to passages in the Old Testaiiient which are not what are commonly called pro- phecies, or the foretelling of future events, but things said of holy men of old, who were types, or likenesses, ac- cording to the counsel of God, of our Saviour, as are these words here, which were said of Samson, who was a type of Christ as a deliverer : Judges xiii. 5. In that passage ' a Nazarite ' does not mean, as Nazareue here, one belonging to the and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Juda?a in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither : not- withstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee : 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth : that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. CHAPTER III. 1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilder- ness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Eepent ye : for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was city of Nazareth, but one consecrated to God from his birth, and who, there- fore, according to the rule of the Jews, was not to be shorn. Ch. III. 1. John, who was sent by God as the forerunner of Christ, and to pre- pare the people, by his preaching, for His coming, w^as surnamed Baptist because i^ he was commissioned tobaptize our Lord. 2. The kingdom of heaven here, as in most places of the New Testament, signifies the spiritual kingdom of Christ (see note on ii. 2), or the establishment of the Gospel, and the Christian Church, upon earth, which was now ' at hand,' inasmuch as Christ was immediately about to begin His ministry and work upon earth. To be prepared to hear Him, the people were to ' repent,' and ^ leave off all such sins as they knew even by the light of nature to be sins. Their minds would thus be fitted to receive the new doctrines of the Gospel, 3. ' This is he,' namely, John the 3 6 ST. MATTHEW, III. spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4 Aud the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins ; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then went out to him Jeru- salem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Baptist. 'Esaias' is the Greek name for Isaiah : see Is. xl. 3. ' Make his paths straight,' that is, prepare the people for His coming, as just explained. It is a comparison taken from making a road. 4. The dress and the food of .John the Baptistare mentioned to shew that he led a severe and self-denying life. 5. ' Jei'usalem,' that is, the people of Jerusalem. 6. ' Of,' that is, by, him. 7. The Pharisees and Sadducees were sects, or parties, among the Jews. The former wei'e learned men, and careful in observing the outward rules of the Law of Moses ; but they wei'e proud, hypo- critical, and neglectful of the poor, wliom they ought to have taught. See Matt, xxiii. The Sadducees were opposed to the Pharisees. Their distinction was that they did not believe in the resui-rection from the dead, nor in the existence of angels and spirits. See Acts xxiii. 8. These persons, probably, came to be baptized by St. John ratlier from a sort of curiosity than any thing else, and were not in a right state of mind for it: where- fore he receives them with a rebuke. ' Vipers,' is a strong expression of reproach. In this and the two next vei'ses, he tells them that they were not to rely, as 7 ^ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto tliem, 0 generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance : 9 And think not to say within yourselves, "VVe have Abraham to our father : for I say unto you, that Grod is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abra- ham. 10 And now also the axe is they did, upon their being children of Abraham, that is, belonging to the Jewish nation, the chosen people of God. These persons, according to a common error of the Jews, thought that this, and their doing certain outward things, or being baptized by St. John, would be enough to save them from ' the wrath to come,'_naniely, the ])unishment which he announced to the people as being about to be inflicted on the wicked by the Lord in His wrath. St. John, knowing that they were not come from the right motive, asks who had warned thein, or what had disposed them, to come ? and tells them that God could at any time, as He had made Adam from the dust of the earth, raise up a people from the stones, whora He would regard with favour, and there- fore who would be as new ' children unto Abraham,' or as the Jews were; by which they were to understand that they were not for ever, and with- out any reference to their own conduct, to be God's people, but might be, as they were, cast oif by Him for their sins. And he warns them that their only course to avoid the 'wrath' of the Lord, was to ' bring forth fruits meet for repentance,' that is, to do such things as repentant sinners ought. ' Fruits;' see note on ver. 10. 10. In this verse men are likened to trees, and their works or behaviour to ST. MATTHEW, III. laid unto tlie root of the trees: tlierefore every tree which hriug- eth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance : but he that Cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear : he shall baptize the fruit of the trees. The ' axe being laid unto the root of the trees,' means that it was in readiness to be used in cutting down any tliat were to be cut down. It would be bad and barren trees, or such as had bad fruit, whieii would be thus cut down. It is thus a figure or comparison, by which is meant that at the time the Baptist was speak- ing, the coming of Ciirist was at liand, which was to be a trial of all to whom His Gospel was to be preached, whether or no they would receive it. For those who would not receive it (signified by those who ' bring not forth good fruit ') was the punishment of hell appointed, as ' fire ' consumes unserviceable trees. 11. To 'baptize unto repentance,' means to baptize, and, at the same time, call on the people to repent, so as to be prepared to listen to the new teach- ing of the Gospel, of which this bap- tism of John was to be the sign or pledge. ' He that cometh after me ' is Christ, of whom John was the fore- runner : and ' whose shoes I am not worthy to bear,' means ' for whom I am not worthy to do the least thing,' as being so much beneath Him. It is not meant by this verse that the baptism of water was not to be continued under the Gospel, as we see by many passages, where Clu'istian baptism is mentioned (Acts viii. 38; x. 47; xxii. IG, &c.). Upon the coming of Christ the grace of God's Holy Spirit was to be given to all believers iu the Gospel to enable them to live according to God's will ; and the proper channel by which that grace is conveyed is the Sacrament of Baptism. This passage appears to point out the B you with the Holy Ghost, and ivith fire : 12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chafi" with unquenchable fire. 13 ^ Then cometh Jesus from difference between this, the Christian baptism, and that of John the Baptist, by which that gracious gift was not con- veyed. To ' baptize with the Holy Ghost,' means to convey or impart the Holy Ghost. The words, 'with fire,' may refer to the ' fiery trial ' (1 Pet. iv. 12) of persecutions to whicli all the early Christians became liable, at and in consequence of the baptism which made them Christians, and which is thus said to baptize them with fire. These persecutions have ceased ; but it remains true that self-denial and thank- ful resignation under affliction, which may be compared to fire, are com- manded to all Christians. Tliis passage, however, may perhaps not refer immediately to Holy Baptism, but to the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples at the day of Pente- cost (Acts ii.) : which St. John would describe as ' baptizing with ' (or impart- ing) ' the Holy Ghost,' ' and with fire,' alluding to the ' cloven tongues like as of fire ' which ' sat upon each of them.' 12. Here mankind is likened to corn that is winnowed : he ' whose fan is in his hand,' is our blessed Lord: tlie 'floor' is the world, which is God's possession : the ' wheat ' means the good : the ' chaff ' the wicked : the 'garner' is heaven, and the 'unquench- able fire ' that of everlasting punish- ment. It is a figure, or kind of para- ble, to which the work of Christ, as the Judge of mankind, is likened. A ' fan ' is an instrument to winnow with, and the verse refers principally to the Day of Judgment, when the world, that is, they who have been in the world, will 4. 8 ST. MATTHEW, IV. Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, say- ing, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me ? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him. Suffer it to he so now : for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suf- fered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the be divided (' purged ') into the two classes of good and bad, as wheat is separated from chaff, and the good gathered into heaven, while the bad are cast into hell. But the verse may also be understood of what Christ was about tlien to do, while on earth. For at that time also the woi'ld was to be tried, as corn is, and the good, who would follow His teaching, separated from the bad who hardened themselves against it; and so they were to be pi-ejxired for their final doom at the last day. 14. 'I have need,' inasmuch as ordinai'ily he that had the higher commission from heaven, as our Lord was higher than John the Bap- tist, would be the one to baptize, and not to be baptized. By this verse John seems to have known in some mea- sure, or believed, who Jesus was ; but he does not appear (see John i. 33, and note) to have been fully enlightened concerning Him till he baptized Him. 15. By saying these words, and by submitting to the rite of baptism, Jesus teaches us the duty of observing the Christian ordinances. He, who could Himself have no need of the baptism of John, yet in doing so did a part of His 'fulfihnent of all righteousness,' that is, of His complete accomplish- ment of the work wliich He had un- dertaken ; of which one of the most important parts was the example which He set us to follow. He teaches us heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and light- ing upon him : 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, CHAPTEE IV. 1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted therefore to observe all such ordi- nances, and especially that of the great Sacrament of Baptism ; of which, in- deed, this act of our Lord is to be considered, if not the actual institution or appointment, at least the announce- ment or prefiguring. He shewed there- by that water was in Baptism to be 'sanctified to the mystical washing away of sin,' which is said in our Bap- tismal Service to have been done by God when our Lord was baptized, as we here read. 16, 17' 111 these verses we should observe how clearly manifested are the Three Persons of the blessed Godhead, whom we worship as the Holy Trinity. The ' voice from heaven ' is that of God the Father ; God the Son, the Son of man, is baptized ; and God the Holy Ghost descends as a dove (either in the outward form of a dove, or in manner like a dove, gentle and gradual ; in either case significant of the gentle influence of the Holy Spirit of God,) and hghts upon Him. Ch. IV. I. 'Of in both places of this verse means ' by.' The ' spirit ' is the Holy Spirit, who moved Him to go. 2. It was by a miracle, by a miracu- lous exertion of His divine power, that our Lord enabled Himself to abstain from food for so long a time, so that when afterwards * He hungred ' it was ST. MATTHEW, IV. forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said. If thou be the Son of Grod, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said. It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, that He allowed Himself to return to the ordinary state of the human nature which He had taken. 3. Satan (' the tempter ') made use of the state of hunger in which our Lord was to tempt Him by it, as that side on which His human nature would be weak, from the bodily desire for food. 4. ' It is written,' namely in Deut. viii. 3, where Moses is speaking to the Jews of the manna sent to them as food from heaven. The meaning is, partly, that not only is man fed by bread pro- duced in the usual way, but that some- times God will feed His people mira- culously, as the Jews were by the manna, and as Christ, who is in a far liigher sense the Holy One of God, was supported miraculously for forty days without food. But the more important meaning is, that the life, not of the body, but of the soul of man, is nou- rished and sustained by the word of God unto everlasting happiness; and that, in comparison with this, earthly food and the life of the body are as nothing. The soul being alive means its being in a healthy state, in a state of salvation. And thus our Lord means to say, that inasmuch as by becoming man He had humbled Himself to a condition in which He was entirely submitted to the will and command of the Father, and inasmuch as His duty at this moment was to be sub 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee : and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him. It is written again. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high moun- tain, and sheweth him all the B 5 ject to hunger till it should please His Father to remove it, it would have been wrong, contrary to the rule re- ferred to in the text which He quotes, that He should exert His dlcliie power to remove His hunger by His own will. It is to teach us, as no doubt one main object of the whole of this mysterious temptation was, the duty of entire sub- mission to God ; and that thereby, whatever may become of the body, the soul will by God's grace attain to eternal life. 5. ' The holy city,' Jerusalem. 6. 'It is written,' Ps. xci. 11, 12. This is said by the Spirit through David of the righteous generally, and may be understood in a special sense of our Lord, as spoken propheti- cally. 7. ' It is written,' Deut. vi. 16. Our Lord, as a man, (in which nature He is speaking,) could only have been saved from destruction, had He thrown Himself down from a great height, by a mira- cle ; and He means that it would be tera])ting God, that is, calling upon Him needlessly to exert His special power, to require such a miracle to be done. 8. This exhibition of ' all the king- doms of the world ' seems to have been a kind of miraculous vision, by which all, or at least a great number, of the kingdoms of the world were brought into view together. 10 ST. MATTHEW, lY. kingdoms of the '^^•orld, and the glory of them ; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down aud worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan : for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. 12 ^ Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Gali- lee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he 9. It here appears that power over all these kingdoms, which Satan shewed to our Lord, was given to him to dis- pose of. Of course the supreme power over all things is in God alone. But we may suppose that the particular power which Satan is in this verse described as having, mny have been given to him for the time, in order that he might complete his temptation of Christ, which it was in God's coun- sels that he should do, by the natural feelings of ambition and love of glory, as before he had made use of the bodily appetite of hunger. Besides which, we must remember that Satan is elsewhere called ' the prince of this world' (John xiv. 30); namely, because this world is, in its present condition, a fallen and corrupt thing, and evil is more powerful in it than gnod, and in this sense 'the world ' is often used in the New Testa- ment. And so especially all earthly power and greatness is evil and of the evil one, unless God's blessing is brought upon them by their being used accord- ing to His wiil, and for His glory and the good of mankind ; the same being also tx'ue of all outward things which are came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim : 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles ; IG The people which sat in darkness saw great light ; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17 ^ From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent : for the kingdom of hea- ven is at hand. evil, not in themselves and as God made them, but as man will use them (from his own sinfulness) except in so far as God's grace otherwise disposes him. 10. 'It is written,' Deut, vi, 13. 12. ' John,' the Baptist. 13. 'The sea,' or lake, of Tiberias or Galilee ; between the two tribes of Zabulon and Ne])hthali, in Galilee the northern ])art of the Holy Land. 15. Galilee seems calif d ' of the Gen- tiles,' because many of its inhabitants f) were not Jews, but %im:iritans and other ^ mixed people, who "Cawi* there after the ten tribes were carried into cap- tivity. IC. The ' light ' here meant is that of the coming of Christ and His Gospel, according to which we are to live. We should direct our souls according to this light, even as the light of the sun directs our bodies. ' Darkness ' means the natural state of men, of ignorance and misery, when without that light ; and it is called the darkness or ' shadow of death ' because the soul has no true life except when living in and according to this light. See note on John i. 4, 5. 17. See note ou iii. 2. ST. MATTHEW, V. 11 18 ^ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two bre- thren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea : for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left tlieir nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James tlie son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets ; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and fol- lowed him. 23 ^ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their syna- gogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 2Ji And his fame went through- out all Syria : and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy ; and he healed them. 25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and /"roHt Judaea, andyrom beyond Jordan. CHAPTER V. 1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain : and when he was set, liis disciples came unto him : 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit : 19. 'Fishers of men' means those (namely the apostles and preachers of the Gospel) who were to bring men into the Church of Christ, wherein they are likened to fishermen drawing fishes into a net. The Church is elsewhei'e compared to a net (see xiii. 47, and note). 23. 'The kingdom,' namely, of heaven. 24. See note on viii. IG. 25. ' Decapolis,' a district so called, containing ten cities, which is the mean- ing of the word in Greek. Ch, V. 3. There is no great difference between the terms 'meek,' (ver. 5) and ' poor in spirit.' They both mean 'humble,' 'lowly,' 'unresisting,' or the like ; as is elsewhere said ' of a meek and quiet spirit' (1 Pet. iii. 4). Of the latter it is said that ' theirs is the kingdom of B hea^ven :' that is, they have or will have everlasting life. Namely, if they have unto' the end the true Christian poorness of spirit or lowliness, arising from faith in Christ, from love of Him and follow- ing His example, such will be their re- ward. Of the meek it is said that they shall ' inherit ' (possess) ' the earth ;' not, of course, that the meek were always to have great earthly possessions ; but that they who have the ti-ue Christian meek- ness, shall have what is far the best earthly happiness, a calm and contented mind, which would be true even of heathens, and the ' peace of God which passeth all understanding ' (Phil. iv. 7), which can be said only of Chris- tians. We might also understand 'poor in spirit ' to mean those who from a reli- gious mind would in itself prefer poverty 12 ST. MATTHEW, V for theirs is the kingdom of hea- ven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek : for they shall inherit the earth. to riches ; poor in spirit, mind, or in- tention. See note on xix. 21. 4. In tliis and in all the many pas- sages of Scripture which speak of the blessedness of sorrow, it must not be understood that the mere fact of pain and grief brings with it a necessary blessing, or that sorrow is necessarily a mark of God's favour. Grief and pain are no doubt often sent as a punish- ment, and if repined at they have but a hardening effect upon the heart. And if sorrow alone were blessed, how could we be thankful for the countless plea- sures and comforts which tlie Almighty showers upon us ? It is only if riglitly used, and accepted gratefully as being in some slight degree like to the suffer- ings of Christ, that sorrow is blessed. Both pleasure and pain are blessed, if used as they ought to be, to make us better, and to bring us nearer to God. But still it can hai'dly be doubted by those who read the Bible, that, as the general rule, greater blessings, and greater benefit to our souls, are to be derived from sorrow than from joy ; inasmuch as we are so far more like unto Christ as He was on earth, and their pi'i)p.ei' effect ought to be to turn our thoughts more from this world to heaven. Sooner or later sorrow comes to all, though to few perhaps does it come in greater measure than happiness does. But if there were such a thing as a whole life without a single grief, it can hardly be thought that the man who should thus live could duly prepare him- self for heaven. We must carefully observe what has been said above, that no blessing either here or hereafter will attend upon sorrow, unless we learn from that sorrow to be more humble, more patient, more self-denying, more gentle to others, 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after right- eousness : for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy. more thoughtful of heaven. It is a dangerous mistake into which some,j particularly among the poor, seem to ' fall, that they will of course obtain lieaven after their death, as a recom- pense for their constant privations and toils here. It will indeed be so if they have so used these privations and toils as to fit themselves more and more for heaven ; otherwise it will not be so any more than the pleasures and com- forts of the rich will lead them to heaven, if they use them selfishly, instead ,joffor the glory of God, and the good of man- kind. 6. ' Hunger and thirst,' that is, have a strong desire for it. ' Filled,' namely, with righteousness, b}' the grace of God. 7. ' The merciful,' that is, towards their fellow-men. ' They shall obtain mercy,' namely, from God at the last day. The meaning of all these texts is, not that any one of these virtues or graces, to which the blessings are pro- mised, is alone what will bring the bless- ing down. We are bound to obey God in all things. But it means that there is a particular connexion between each grace here mentioned and the blessing which follows it ; so that not only no one who is unmerciful towards others can have any hope of having mercy of God at the last day, but his being mer- ciful does in a special manner tend to incline God to be merciful towards him; and so in the other verses. These verses also suppose that he who has one of these graces will also have the rest in some good measure; and so his soul will be such as God, for Christ's sake, will accept. As indeed it must be: for true Christian graces can only be when the heart is right, and when the heart is right it must needs produce, not one ST. MATTHEW, Y. 13 8 Blessed are tlie pure in heart . for they shall see God. 9 Blessed arc the peacemakers : for they shall be called the chil- dren 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. grace only, but in some measure all. (See notes on ver. 17 — 19.) 8. ' See God,' namely, in heaven. 9. ' Peacemakers,' who make peace between those who are at strife. ' The children of God,' that is, those who, in a special sense, are in His favour. 10. 'The kingdom of heaTeTr* "here means everlasting life. In this, and in the next verse, we must observe that the blessing is only promised when the ' persecution,' and ' reviling,' and ' evil-speaking' is ' false,' or undeserved, and 'for the sake' of Christ. Persecution in itself is evil ; and it is only when it is for the sake of Christ that it is a cause for rejoicing. See note on ver. 4. 13. The disciples are likened to salt in this way: that as it is salt alone which can make some kinds of food good to be eaten, so it is the Gospel alone, which those disciples were to preach, and the example of living accoi-ding to it which they were to set, which can puri.'y the people of 'the earth' from evil. Our Lord, therefore, teaches them here that they must carefully preserve their faith and purity, without which they would be as useless as salt would be without its savour or saltness. ' Wliere- Avith shall it be salted?' that is, 'how can the saltness of the salt, when once lost, be restored to it ?' 14 — 16. They are also likened to a 12 Eejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 13 i 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. strong light that shines far around, and to a city on a hill, because they were to bear so prominent and public a part in preaching the Gospel. And it is more especially those, who are phiced by God's providence in positions of great impor- tance and influence, who are here told to let the light of their good lives be seen by all around them. But the com- mand in v. 16, is always understood to be addressed to all men; and the general meaning of this, and of other like jias- sages (as 1 Cor. x. 32; 1 Pet. ii. 12, &c.) is, that it is the duty of all men to set a good example in their lives. There is no disagreement between these passages and those others (Matt. vi. 3, &:c.) in which we are tuld to do goud actions secretly. For, in the first place, it is easy to see that a general good example, of a regular, a pious, an active, a sober, an earnest, and a charitable life may be set, while a vast number of deeds of mercy to others and of self-denial to ourselves may be daily done, of which the world does not know. And, in the next place, those parts of the Gospel which speak of secret good deeds may be, in a very important sense, understood as so many parts of Scripture are to be of the $][)irit in u-liich the deeds ax-e done. In this sense it is true of all actions without exception, that we should do them, not unto men, nor with the desire of being seen and apjilauded by men, 14 ST. MATTHEW, V. 15 Neither do men light a can- dle, 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 though it may be I'ight, for the sake of example, that they should be so, but with the single desire of pleasing the Almighty; and not only without the desire of being seen by men, but with the wish not to be seen by them, except in so far as it may tend to the glory of God and the good of men. It is not wrong to be pleased with having a ' good report' (1 Tim. iii. 7) among men; but it is not to be our object, and we should wish to deny or mortify our natural desire of fame by withdi-awing particular good actions from observation. In ver. 15, a ' bushel' means a kind of vessel used to measure with, which might be put over a liglit so as to hide it. The meaning of the verse is, that as ^ndles are meant to be seen, so that meifmay guide themselves by their light, so one use of good actions is to be seen and followed by other men. In ver. IG, 'your light,' means the light of your good lives and actions. Those who see them ought for them to 'glorify ' God, as it is through His grace and power alone that they are done. 17, 18. Here it is to be noted that much of the ceremonies and particular observances, ordered in the Law of Moses (here called ' the Law and the Prophets,' which is a general descrip- tion of the Old Testament, of which the Law of Moses, and God's dealings under it, were the most important part), was to be done away with when the Christian religion was established (see note on Acts X. 11 — 16); but these were not the really important or essential parts of that law. All the rules given in the Old to destroy the law, or the pro- phets : 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 com- Testament for righteousness of life, apart from those particular ceremonial obser- vances, are still in force under the Gospel as being, in fact, part of the everlasting law of God ; and it is these which our Lord says He was to 'fulfil,'j or to enforce, and not to ' destroy.' ' One jot or one tittle,' means the least point, namely, of tliis moral part of the Law of Moses, which was to remain in force (not to ' pass from the law') 'till all be fulfilled,' that is,till the end of the world. There is a further important remark to be made. The Law of Closes con- tains chiefly instructions about men's outward actions, and speaks of rewards and punishments in connexion with those outward actions. The Gospel, as was prophesied even in the times of the Old Testament (as Jer. xxxi. 33), refers to the inward feelings of the heart (see note on next verse), from which, indeed, the actions will necessarily proceed, and which are the only ground upon which they can have any value. A man may have the outward actions, or the appear- ance of them, without the inward feel- ings ; but if he really has the inward feelings, he must have the outward actions in so far as he has the oppor- tunity of doing them ; for if he has not his feelings are unreal, and do not, in fact, exist. In this sense the Gospel is, as is here described, the ' fulfilling' of the Law of Moses, inasmuch as it sup- 2}lied what was wanting in that law, by shew'ing that outward obedience to all that it commanded was of no use, unless done from right feelings and motives. 19. In this verse we are reminded of ST. MATTHEW, V 15 inandments, 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 gi'eat in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That that saying; of St. James (ii. 10), 'Who- soever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.' Both passages refer to wilful 'breaking' of God's 'commandments,' to wilful sin, as is evident from our Lord saying not only that such a person breaks the commandment, but ' teaches men so,' which shews that it is done deli- berately. It is always considered that sins of infirmity, that is, such as a man falls into without ic'iUing to sin, from the weakness of human nature, if a man has only such and strives against them too, so as to resist them better and better as he grows older, are consistent with his being in a state of salvation ; but not so he that sins wilfully, even in small par- ticulars. For, with regard to wilful sin, we must consider that in the sight of God the great question about men is, not whether this or that commandment is observed, but whether the love of Him is the great, ruling principle in the heart. According to this is what has just been said, that the Gospel made the Law of Moses perfect, or 'fulfilled' it by requiring that obedience to par- ticular laws should be from right feel- ings, namely, from the love of God, which is the only right feeling or motive. He who has this true love, or in so far as he has it, cannot sin wilfully, even in the least of God's commandments; nor can he sin sins of infirmity without true and hearty repentance. In so far as he does otherwise, he has not this love ; for instead of loving Gnd with his whole heart, thei'e is something else in his heart, namely, that for the sake of which he breaks the commandment, which he loves better than God ; and he there- fore breaks not only the particular small commandment, but the great cora- except your righteousness shall exceed the rir/hteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the king- dom of heaven. 21 ^ Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou mandment of all, to love God with all the heart. Such a person, therefore, even if his outward sin relates only to ' one of these least commandments,' shall be ' the least in the kingdom of heaven:' that is, under the Gospel, in the Church of Christ, he shall be repro- bate and condemned. The 20th verse further explains the former ones. Our Lord does not mean ' Ye must do as the Pharisees, who keep the whole law ;' but ' Ye must keep the whole law, and therefore ye must exceed their righteousness :' for that the Pharisees (who were very learned and accurate about the Law of Moses, but much given to pride and self- righteousness) did not in truth keep the whole of the essential parts of the law, as above explained. He means that whereas they lived in all respects according to the outward rule of life given in the law, wliile their heax'ts were full of secret pride and wicked- ness, the righteousness of a Christiaa must be of a quite different and supe- rior kind. What that is has been pointed out as that which marks the difference between the Law and the Gospel ; and our Lord proceeds to set it forth in the remainder of this chap- ter, which is to shew us how not only the several actions commanded in the Law are to be done, but the feelings of the heart from which those actions spring, must be right and pure ; other- wise the actions are of no avail. 21. ' They of old time ' are the Jews under the Law of Moses. This saying referred to the sixth Commandment, which the Jews, as above stated, under- stood only as forbidding certain out- ward actions, whereas our Lord tells them that it ought to be understood 16 ST. MATTHEW, Y. 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 bro- ther without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment : and whosoever shall say to his bro- ther, Eaca, 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 re- as in its spirit equally forbidding all feelings of unreasonable anger, all ha- tred and all malice. 22. The word ' Raca ' is one of strong reproach in the Hebrew language. The expression ' Thou fool,' which in our language does not appear so strong as to deserve what is here said of it, means an expression among the Jews of the greatest possible abhorrence. The words ' folly ' and ' fools,' as may be seen often in the book of Proverbs (x. 18. 21, &.C.), mean in Scripture not only what we mean by them, but wickedness and impiety against God. The 'judgment' and the 'council' mean lesser and greater degrees of punishment upon earth ; the 'judg- ment ' meaning that of an inferior Court of Justice, and the ' council ' meaning the Siijn'eme Court. The verse generally means that sTT c.iuseless an- ger, and injurious feelings, and words against others are wrong, and there- lore exposes him who is guilty of them to punishment, while he who is guilty of them in a high degree, and who has lastinci feelings of hatred, (which is signi- fied by the words, ' Thou fool,') is in dan- ger of everlasting misery. 23, 24. The ' gilt ' means the offer- ing or sacrifice to God, such as they were in the habit of bringing and placing on the altar. Our Lord here teaches that it is especially wrong memberest 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 ofter 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 to have bad feelings against others when we are engaged iu religious ser- vices ; and that till we have got rid of them we are not fit to take part in such services ; according to which it is that we are warned not to come to the Holy Communion if we are not in charity with all men. ' ' Hath ought against thee ' means, is not friends with thee. 2o,~2Br^rhese verses describe a man going to law with his opjionent before an earthly judge (' in the way with him '). Our Lord does not mean that it is always wrong to do so, but it is a general counsel to us to be reconciled whenever it is possible. It also teaches us that those who go to law are veiy likely to be blinded by their feelings of pride and selfishness, and to be in the wrong, in which case our Lord holds iiut to them the fear of eartldy punish- ment, of being cast into prison, and, being kept thei-e till they have paid, as a warning to them to be reconciled in good time. Perhaps we may also take it in a general sense as a kind of parable addressed to the unforgiving, warning them that if they continue so they will be punished by God the heavenly ' Judge.' In this sense the 26th verse would mean everlasting punishment, as sinners in the world to come, under punishment, will never be able (even if ST. MATTHEW, V. 17 shalt by no means come out thence, till thou liast paid the uttermost farthing. 27 T[ Te 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 akeady 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. they had the will) to pay ' the uttermost fartliiiin;,' or any part, of the debt they owe to God's justice. In this meaning, we need not look for f an exact application of all the circum- ! stances of the parable, such as the [ officer, &c. ; according to the general i rule about parables, which is that they 1 are stories of earthly things with a spiri- tual meaning, but in which all the cir- cumstances need not have such a spiritual meaning, as they are some- ; times put in only to give the form of ; Buitableness and likelihood to the story \ its^K " ' — 27, 28. In these verses, as before, the lustful desire or intention is shewn to be forbidden by the Commandment, as well as the outward act. 29. The meaning of the word ' offend ' in this and the next verse, as often in the New Testament, is, 'lead into sin.' If there were no other way of avoiding a sin to which the use of any of our limbs tempts us except literally to cut it off or pluck it out, it would be our duty (and much bettei', as it is said ' it is j^rty^^rtWt',') to do so. But this can hardly ever be the case ; and we ,inay understand our Lord to speak in this 30 And if tliy 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. 31 It hath been said, Whoso- ever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce- ment: 32 But I say unto you. That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to com- mit adultery : and wdiosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 33 ^ Again, ye have heard that way, according to the strong figurative usage of tlie language of the Eastern people among whom He was, signifying "- j thereby that we ought to abstain from ■' using the members of our bodies which He mentions, in the wat/ which we find tempts us to sin. Thus if we are tempted to sin by the sight of any thing, we ought if possible never to allow our- selves to see it ; and in the same way of any use of our hands, feet in going any where, &c. 31. ' It hath been said,' namely, in the Law of Moses, which allowed of divorce without reasons being assigned. Our Lord tells the people that this was no longer to be allowed, and that divorce was to he restrained to one single reason ; according to the general rule of the Gospel as compared with the Law, that it was to set a higher and purer standard of conduct. 33 — 37. It is not understood that our Lord here forbids the use of oaths on solemn occasions, (see as one instance, the example of St. Paul, 2 Coi-. xi. 31,) as in Courts of Justice; but that all kinds of swearing are forbidden in our common conversation one with another. 18 ST. MATTHEW, V. it hath heen said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform uuto the Lord thine oaths : 34 But I say imto you, Swear not at all ; neither by heaven ; for it is Grod's throne : 35 Nor by the earth ; for it is his footstool : neither by Jeru- salem ; 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. Tea, yea ; Nay, nay : for whatsoever is more than these Cometh of evil. To ' forswear ' oneself, is to break an oath. ' Perform unto the Lord,' inasmuch as all oaths are made to God. The particular instances which our Lord gives are meant to shew that nliat- ever thing a man swears by (and the things mentioned are those which were in use among the Jews), it is wi'ong, inasmuch as all things whatever are God's creation, and should therefore be regarded with solemnity when men- tioned in connexion with His name as r^ in an oath ; shewing, as was said above, that an oath is for solemn occasions only, and not for common conversa- tion. ' Heaven ' and ' earth,' He says, are both under God's power; the one His throne where He dwells, the other His 'footstool,' that is, subject to Him. ' The Great King' is also God, whose holy city Jerusalem was. ' For thou canst not make one hair white or black ;' pointing out, that the head, like all other things, is not in our power, but in God's ; and so not to be lightly re- garded, and as if we could do as we would with it. 38, This saying is taken from the 38 ^ Te 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 Andifany man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have tJii/ 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. Law of Moses (Exod. xxi. 24, &c.). That law rightly provided that a man doing an injury should suffer as much as he inflicted ; as, if he wilfully caused the loss of another man's eye, he was to lose his own, &c. ; and this has been always requii'ed by the law in other times and countries, though generally in a different manner from what it was by the Jewish law, as by imprisonment, by a fine in money, &c. 39 — 42. These verses are not under- stood to mean that it is wrong to obtain redress at law for an injury done to us, nor that a man is bound to allow him- self to be attacked without self-defence; nor to let his property be taken from him, nor to give it to any one who may ask him. It is clear that society could not go on in this manner ; and in the sixth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, when going to law is spoken of, it is not condemned, though the disciples are advised to abstain from it if possible ; but they are told to have Christian judges, and not to go to law before unbelievers. But it is meant, partly, that what we ought all of us to endeavour to attain to, is the feeling that all that we have, our properties, ST. MATTHEW, V. 19 43 % Te have lieard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you. Love your enemies, bless thera that curse you, do good to them that cur comforts, even our bodies, are not to be loved or cared for in tliemselves, or for their own sakes, but as being given us by God, as it were in trust, to be used in doing His will. We ought to feel that we defend ourselves and pro- tect our properties, not for our own pleasure, but because it is right to do so, and because we believe that the existence and arrangements of society, as we see them, are ordained by God and according to His purpose. It is in- deed difficult to feel this fully, and it is probable that from human infirmity few persons, if any, do entirely attain unto it ; nor do we say that all are condemned who do not thus entirely attain. But we are bound to strive after it, and to endeavour to be ever more and more ready to give up all things if called on, for the sake of God and man. These verses, then, as some others in Scripture which speak of outward actions, are chiefly to be understood of the spirit axiA feeling, which we ought to have in our actions. We are to strive to feel, as far as we ourselves alone are concerned, ^'A^iareJ to give up all things, and to submit to all things, even as Christ did, and His Apostles, who were called to do so ; though from God's appointment of human society it is not right tliat we should actually do so. And this remark points to the further lesson to be derived from these verses. We have been speaking of the feelings with which we ought to look at the question of defending ourselves, and our properties, as regards the things them- selves that are mentioned. But these sayings also teach us an important lesson with regard to our feelings to- icards others. So on the 39th verse we observe that we ai'e not to resist hate you, and pray for them which despitefuUy use you, and perse- cute you ; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in hea- ven : for he maketh his sun to evil, or to punish others for doing us wrong, from any feeling of re- venge, or to satisfy ourselves, but only, as was said before, because it is (when it is so) a matter of duty to do it : inasmuch as it is accord- ing to God's law that wrong-doers should suffer. When it is not a matter of duty to resist, we should submit even as Christ did. So also as far as we ourselves, personally, and others per- sonally, are concerned, we should be willing to follow, literally, the commands of the 40th and two next verses, and to give up what is ours to them. We know that it is not right actually to do so, and that we must distinguish between different people, and not give or lend to all that ask of us ; for all are not worthy, and also, we are bound to use much of what we have in other ways. But still we should have the feeling, the feeling of readiness to give up all for the good of mankind, if called upon. The 41st verse may be understood more exactly than the others, as it relates to doing kind actions, which we should endeavour to do to a greater extent than is absolutely required or expected of us. In this manner the expressions in these verses may be explained. But in a general way, and without leaning upon the particular words, they teach us the duty of meekness, peaceable- ness, forgiveness, kindness, and libe- rality. 43 — 48. God did not command the Jews of old time to hate any man, even their enemies. God had cliosen the Jews as His people, with the purpose among others, that they should execute His vengeance upon the wicked nations near them. But they were to destroy 20 ST. MATTHEW, VI. 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 bre- thren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the publicans so ? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even i those nations because tliey were God's I enemies, not because they were their i own, and they had not His authority for saying, ' Tliou shalt love thy neigh- bour, and hate thine enemy,' whicli was a corrupt proverb that arose up among themselves. It had never, however, been so plainly commanded befwe, that we should love our enemies, as it is here by our Lord. And it is to be observed, as it was in the former verses, that this feeling of love towards our enemies is universally commanded ; it admits of no exception, and is to be literally observed. It does not mean that vve can feel personal liking or attachment towards them, nor does it mean that we can at all times do kind actions towards them. We may often be obliged to abstain from sucli actions ; to be severe towards others, and Avar is sometimes lawful. But whatever the outward actions may be, they should arise from no feeling but that of duty to God ; and in all circum- stances we should have the feeling of good icill and kindness for all men, we should pray for them, and be ready, if possible, to do them good : and this in the attempt to come nearer and nearer to the perfection of God (ver. 48), though we can never attain unto it. In ver. 45, ' to be the children ' of God, means, to be like Him, as children are like their parents. The blessings of God in His natural works are alike to all. as your Father which is in hea- ven is perfect. CHAPTEE VI. 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 trum- pet before thee, as the hypocrites 4fi. ' If ye love them,' that is, them only. ' What reward have ye V that is, what reward do ye deserve? what is] the difliculty, and therefore the credit,' of doing that ? 47. ' Salute,' that is, be kind to. 'Brethren,' friends. 'More than others,' that is, more than men naturally do : which can deserve no praise. ' Publicans,' see note on ix. 10. 48. Men cannot be 'perfect' on earth : but our Lord means that we should aim at being perfect, even like God, and not be content without ever more and more nearly approaching to it. '^ c t. « ^ I i 0" ^ Ch. VI. 1. See note on v. 14—16. The rule of secrecy in good works is always understood as specially applying to giving of alms. ' Otherwise,' that is, if such is your rule or motive, as before explained. 2. These ' hypocrites,' were the Pha- risees and other leaders among the people of the Jews, whom, as we know (see xxiii. 13, &c.), our Lord charged with being hypocrites, that is, putting on a false profession and appearance of goodness. They made public announce- ment and display of their alms, which is spoken of as ' sounding a trumpet.' ' They have their reward,' that is, by this hypocritical and proud conduct they do get the reward they wish, namely, the praise of men, which is attracted by the outward appearance, of which alone the multitude can ordinarily judge ; and ST. MATTHEW, VI. 21 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 tliine alms may be in secret : and thy Tather which seeth in secret himself shall re- ward thee openly. 5 ^ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypo- crites are : for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that tliey 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 ; they get no other reward, tliat is, no reward from God. 3. This is a proverbial way of ex- pressing great secrecy. 4. ' Openly,' namely, at the Day of Judgment,if our liveshave been through- out guided by the same spirit of humility and heavenly-niindedness. 5 — 8. It must be remembered that these verses are meant of the private prayers of single persons only. Public prayers of the assembled people, as in ciiurches, have always been practised by Christians, and are commanded and exemplified in Scripture (Acts iv. 31 ; Heb. X. 25, &c.). 8. ' Your Fatlierknoweth,' and there- fore it is need less to repeat the same words over and over again, as the heathen did. 9. ' Hallowed,' means made or kept holy, which God, or the name of God, is, when He is reverenced and obeyed amonK men. and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heatlien do : for they think that they shall be heard for their much speak- ing. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them : for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, be- fore 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. 10. ' Thy kingdom come,' may be un- derstood in several senses, even as we see that ' the Kingdom of Heaven,' or ' of God,' is used in various ways in the Gospel. It means the establishment of the Gospel, and the Church of Christ, among men ; and so we pray that this may more and more be done. It may mean also the inlii'ence of Christ as our King, in the heart of every one who uses the prayer ; and, thirdly, it means the last coming of Christ to victory and judgment, for which we are told to wish (2 Tim. iv.8 ; Rev. xxii. 20, &e.). 11. 'Bread' may be understood to mean all that is needful for the body. 12. This verse means the same as wliat we commonly use, though it is a little difiereut in expression. ' Our debts,' means our trespasses or sins, so called because we owe an account to God for them ; as ' our debtors,' means 22 ST. MATTHEW, TI. 13 And lead us not into temp- tation, but deliver us from evil : Tor thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Eather 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. those that trespass against us. It is one, though not the only, condition of our heing forgiven by God, that we should forgive otliers. 13. It is not God, but Satan, who leads men into temptation. When, therefore, we pray to God not to lead us into it, we mean by that that we ask for His grace, which alone can preserve us from yieklnuj to the temptation. We pray Him to keep us, or to lead us away, from the temptation. We do not in- deed mean, nor expect, that we should have 110 tem[itation. That is impossible; and if it were possible it would not be good fur us, inasmucli as to resist temp- tation is the only way to shew obedience to God. But we may rightlypray that the temptatiiins may be diminished or kept from us as much as possible, when we think of our own natural weakness, which we fear may fail under them ; though, on the other hand, when they do come, knowing that it is by God's permission that they come, and that His grace is stronger than our weakness, we should, as St. James says (i. 2), ' count it all joy.' It is the same as with pain and sorrow, which we may pi'ay to be spared, but yet be even thankful when they come. 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 Fa- ther, 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 nei- ther moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal : Further, when we pray against temp- tation, we mean that we pray that the temptation be not excessive, or more than we can bear, according to God's own promise through the Apostle (1 Cor. x. 13). 16 — 18. Fasting, or self-denial in respect of food, and on some occasions more than others, is also spoken of as a duty in ch. ix. 15 ; Acts xiii. 2 ; 1 Cor. vii. 5, &c. From the ])resent passage it would appear to be a duty to which the command of secrecy especially applies. 19, 20. It is not the actual possession of great worldly wealth that is here for- bidden, tho\igh it is dangerous (see note on xix. 21): but the 'laying it up,' that is, seeking for it, carefully and anxiously providing it, for its own sake, and for the sake merely of having and enjoying it for ourselves, without think- ing of using it in the only right way, namely, for the glory of God and the good of men (see note on v. 39 — 42). 'Treasures upon earth,' may be more generally understood, not to mean riches only, but any earthly objects. Our Lord tells us that no earthly things are to be our treasures ; that is, that though we may have them, and like and enjoy them, yet that we are not, ST. MATTHEW, YI. 23 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 dark- according to the common phrase (used also in Ps. Ixii. 10), ' to set our heart upon them.' Our real love and desire is to be for heavenly things, which is called ' laying up treasures in heaven.' Our Lord mentions here that one of them is perisiiable, the other eternal. This is not so much said as a motive, as our motive ought to be the love of God : but as an encouragement to us to do so. 21. This verse explains the word 'treasure,' as has just been said. If heavenly things are what we really wish for, it shews that the feelings of our heart are rightly directed. 22. 'Single' here means 'unmixed with evil,' 'pure,' 'sound,' or 'in a healthy state.' In this and the next verse the eye of the mind, called ' the light that is in thee,' that is to say, the inward light of conscience, whicli di- rects us how to act, is likened to the bodily eye : and it is said, that as, when the bodily eye is sound, the whole body is rightly enlightened, and on the con- trary, when the bodily eye is diseased, the whole body is left in darkness, so when the conscience within us is diseased, (meant by the ' light that is within ' us beiruj, or being turned to, ' darkness,') we shall no longer know how to live rightly. The conscience will become so diseased through a continuance in wilful sin. If a man wilfully persists in sinning, and doing despite to his con- science, it will at last become hardened, and will cease to lead liim to what is right, and warn him from what is wrong. 24. ' Mammon,' is a Hebrew word meaning riches, or the good things of ness. 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. this world ; and the love or the service of mammon is to love or to serve any thing which is transitory, any thing whieli will come to an end with this life, for its own sake, or when we have to choose between that and that which is eternal. It is not meant that the pursuit of earthly objects is always wrong, nor that the feeling of pleasure in them, or in Cdmmon comforts and enjoyments, is wrong ; but it is wrong if we in any case prefer them to, put them before, the commands of God, or disobey those commands in any way for the sake of worldly objects. That which is uppermost in our thoughts and hearts, that which we love liest, is that whicli we serve: and the way to know what that is, is to consider what it is that we follow when the will of God comes into conflict, or opposition, with what is pleasant to ourselves. If we prefer the will of God, then it is He whom we serve : and the more steadily we do so, the more consistently we serve Him ; but if we prefer what is pleasant to ourselves, then we do not serve God. A man may imagine he is serving God, when he does so in most cases, when it requires no particular effort to do it : but if when self-denial is needed, he prefer 'mammon,' that is, whatever is not painful to the natural man, then he is the servant, not of God, but of that, whatever it is, which he puts above and before His will. So in our pleasures, our comforts, our recreations, as in every thin* else, we must act not because what we do is agreeable, but because it is right: be- cause it is either commanded or allowed 24 ST. MATTHEW, YI. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no tbouglit for your life, •what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your bodj', what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than by God, foi' the liealth, for the good of our souls. If we do so, we are serving God and not servhig them, which would be serving mammon ; but if we seek for any thing in itself, and without refer- ence to God, we serve it and not God. This is the general rule by which we ouglit to frame our lives : and though it is not necessary or advisable to have to consider in every trifling action, why we do it or like it, or whether it be riglit or not, yet we must remember that for every such action, as for every such woi'd, we shall have to give account. Our habits are made by all these small words and actions ; and we should en- deavour to form habits of doing right, by whicli we may gradually do so more and more, with the less necessity of watching at the time over each single thought and deed. 25. Here again, and in the verses to the end of the chapter, it is not meant by our Lord that we are to neglect to provide, or to labour diligently in order to provide, what is necessary and proper for ourselves, and slill more for our families, according to the state of the society in which we live. Such an idea is shewn to be false both by the precept and example of the Apostles. St. Paul worked as a tent-maker (Acts xviii. 3); and we are told that ' if any provide not fur his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel ' (1 Tim. V. 8). But our Lord means what no doubt is difficult of attainment, but what we should ever strive after and not be content unless we constantly come nearer and nearer to it, that while doim] all this, we must not feel anxiotis about it (which is signified by 'take no thought'), as if any temporal matter meat, and the body than rai- ment ? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your heavenly Pather feedeth were of real and lasting concern to us. It is as in the verse just before, and as in the end of last chapter ; while there are many actions referring only to this world which are allowable and indeed right, the feelings and motives with which we do them must never belong only to this world. In all that we do we must remember that the end and object of our life is not earth, but hea- ven. Thus we are to labour for and to provide earthly things because it is our duty to do so ; but the only real ground of anxiety and care about ourselves is the state of our souls. The love indeed of life, and of the means of preserving life, is natural and not sinful ; but it is well to strive to diminish that love more and more, and to trust more entirely to God that He will do what is best for our bodies as well as our souls. ' Is not the life,' &c. at the end of the verse, mean that we should trust that God, who has given us living bodies, will also give us the lesser blessings of food and raiment. 26. It is to be observed that though the fowls do not sow nor reap, in order to live, yet they also have to do certain things, to exert themselves after the law of their nature, in order to provide what they want ; as men have to do accord- ing to their nature given them by the same God. Our Loi'd therefore does not mean that any one should be idle, under the pretence of trusting to Pro- vidence. But He means that we should do what is a])pointed us, even as the lower animals do what is appointed them, without doubt or murmuring ; and that as God blesses their exertions, we should trust that He will also bless ours, who are the ' better ' creatures of the world. ST. MATTHEW, A^I. 25 tliem. Are ye not much better than they ? 27 AVhich 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 27. ' Taking thought ' again means ' being anxious ;' and qui* Lord in this verse points out the uselessness of such anxiety about bodily things, as they de- pend not on our anxiety, but on the gift of God. ' Cubit,' about half the length of a man's arm. 28. Thei-e is a difference between the case of lilies, or any such inanimate things, and that of the birds ; for the latter, as was said, have some exertions to make, whereas inanimate things are not properly said to do any thing. But the argument is the same in effect in both instances. Lilies and the like, in being produced and growing, fulfil the law of God, who made them, and are thereby preserved in their proper state ; and our Lord tells us that we shall be even so blessed, and much more, in our condition, if we obey the law of God concerning us, which is to trust in Him whatever we do. 32. ' The Gentiles,' who knew no better, did 'seek,' that is, anxiously seek, relying on themselves, and not trusting in God, for earthly things. Our Lord tells His disciples not to do so, and that both because Christians know, which the heathen did not, the care which God has of them in every into the oven, sJiall Tie not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little fixith ? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying. What shall we eat ? or, What shall we drink ? or. Where- withal 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 king- dom of God, and his righteous- ness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow : for the morrow thing ; and because they know of an eternal life to come, which the heathen did not ; and that nothing is of any real consequence but what relates to that. ' Your heavenly Father knoweth,' and therefore ice need not be anxious, as relying upon Him. 33. The word ' first ' in this verse exjjlains what has been said before. We are told to seek heavenly things frst, that is, to make them our chief object, and indeed our only real object ; for we cannot have more than one object which is to be above all others, (see note on ver. 24 ;) and if we do that, our Lord says that God will bless our labours and all other means through which He will allow what we need on earth (' all these things ') to be * added,' or given besides, to us. God's ' righteousness' and His 'king- dom ' are put together, as what we are carefully to seek ; that is, through the ' righteousness which is by faith,' through such a life as God commands, we are to seek His kingdom, or heaven. 34. ' The morrow shall take thought for the things of itself ' is a figurative expression. It means that we are to trust that as we have been preserved by God's mercy up to this day, we are C 26 ST. MATTHEW, YII. shall take thought for the things of itself Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. CHAPTEE VII. 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. to trust that in the same way, by ' con- tinuance in well-doing,' and reliance upon God, we shall pass through the days that &ie to come. Ch. VII. 1,2, We are here forbidden to pass judgment on any one in an unjust, or careless, or a hasty manner; and we are told to I'ecollect, while judging of others, that in fact our judg- ment is nothing, but that both we and they of whom we speak ai'e to be judged by the Lord. If then we condemn any one unjustly, a like condemnation, but in our case a just one, will be passed on us by God. Also, if we judge of others according to strict justice, and shew no indulgence or mercy to them on account of the human infirmity wliich is ours as well as theirs, God will take no account of our in- firmity in judging of our actions, but will judge them according to His justice only ; and then who could stand before Him ? But these verses appear to mean more than this. It is very often a duty, a duty which we owe to society to pass a judgment on other men's actions ; but it is better never to do so except when it is a duty to do so, when we may be pi-eserving our- selves or others from evil thereby. And in every case, without exception, let us remember that we must only judge of the outward act. We know positively that certain things and ac- tions are wrong, and therefore that 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, be- hold, a beam is in thine own eye ? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own one who does them does what is wrong, but how far he is blameable in the sight of God we cannot tell. It depends on the state of his heart, and God alone seeth the heart. If we are called upon to speak of the state of the mind or heart of another, which is not often the case, let us always do so with a proper feeling and expression of doubt, as of what we can have no means of knowing with any certainty. To 'mete' means to measure, and here signifies to measure or deal out our judg- ment upon others. 3 — 5. In these verses it is sins which are likened to motes and to beams : small sins to motes or small objects, great sins to beams or large objects. We are to learn from them that when, as has been said, we are called by our duty to speak with blame of the sins of another, we must the more on that account strive to purify ourselves from sin, and most especially so when our brother's sin is a small one, and ours is a great one. And we must remem- ber that we can seldom have a right to say that the sin of another is not a small one. For, as has just been said, we can tell that such and such an action is a bad one ; but whether, when done by a particular person, that per- son has committed a greater or a lesser sin in the sight of God, depends on the state of his soul, on his opportunities of knowing better, and on many other things of which we cannot judge. But we always know our own great sins, the ST. MATTHEW, VII. 27 eye ; and then slialt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye, 6 % Give not that which is holy unto the clogs, neither cast ye your peai'ls 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 ' beams ' in our ' own eye,' and we must remember that no wilful sin is small or trifling. And with the wilful sin on the conscience, which all men have, they must in the first place, as has been said, avoid condemning others ; and in the next place, when duty calls upon them to do so, they must look to purifying themselves fi-oni sin. For our Lord here shews us that a sinful mind is no more fit or able to judge of the sins of others than a darkened eye (an ' eye ' vvith a large thing like a ' beam ' in it, which cannot ' see clearly,' ver. 5) is to see what is put before it. And the pretence to do so is hypocritical as well as unbecoming, for a man could not condemn sin in others from real hatred of sin without first endeavouring to cast out sin from himself. 6. This verse is addressed to those who have to teach others in religious matters. It is put in the form of a comparison, or a kind of parable. The ' dogs ' and the ' swine ' mean wicked people who despise religion, and the ' pearls ' mean the holy things that are taught. The meaning is, that people should be prepared beforehand, and brought to a serious state of mind, be- fore the whole of the great doctrines of religion is taught to them, for fear they should only make a bad use of them, by C findeth ; and to him that knock- eth 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 what- soever ye would that men should turning them to contempt, and treat the teachers with insult and abuse. 7 — 1). ' Ask,' namely, of God. ' Knock ' — i)rayer is likened to knock- ing at a door for admittance. See note on xxi. 22. 12. ' This is the law and the pro- phets :' that is, this is the sum and substance of all that is taught in the law of God in the Old Testament (see note on xxii. 40) : that is to say, as far as relates to our duty to other men. This, which is sometimes called the golden rule, must of course be under- stood to mean that we are to do to others, as we outjht to wish them, as a reasonable person would wish them, to act towards us. We might often wish, that is, it might often be pleasant to us, that others should act towards us in ways which it would not be right that they should : and in that case, of course, it would not be right that we should act in that way towards tliem. The rule of what is right in itself is above all others: but it is meant that we should do to them as we should reasonably wish them to do to us ; and also, that whenever there is a fair choice between two courses of action, either of which is allowable in itself, we should choose that one which, if it con- 2 28 ST. MATTHEW, VII. do to you, do ye even so to them : for this is the lawand 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 cerned ns, and others had the doing of it, we should wish thetn to choose. 13 — 14. 'Strait' means 'narrow.' Tliese verses teach us that the path of obedience to God is not easy, but difficult to man, because of the cor- ruption of his nature : as every one knows who looks into his own heart, and feels that he is naturally inclined to selfishness and evil, and to obey no law but that of his own pleasure. And it is said, that it is as much easier to give way to this evil inclination, than to resist it, as it is to walk in a broad and roomy way, rather than in a narrow one. But the difficult way in this world, that of obedience to God, leads to heaven, and the easy way, that of selfishness, to hell. And by God's grace we are enabled to avoid the one and follow the other : and moreover, the longer we go on in this good course, the easier it will become. But our Lord adds that there are few who do really walk in the path of obedience to God, and so as to arrive at salvation : as no one can fail to see from the state of mankind. 15. ' Prophets ' here means teachers as well as foretellers. Our Lord means that they would endeavour to appear like good teachers, and to make their doctrine seem right, so as to be re- ceived among the people, and so be able to corrupt tliem : as a wolf might be supposed to cover itself with the fleece 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. of a sheep, so as to enter among them unsuspected. 'Ravening' means greedy, destruc- tive. Our Lord says they shall be known by their fruits : that is, by their lives and actions, and not only by their words, they wei'e to be judged whether they were true teachers or not, as a tree is known, whether it is good or not, by its fruit, to which men's works are likened (see note on xxi. 10). If they were bad men, they might be sure that their doctrine was bad too. We must observe that our Lord says this of 7ietc teachers : of men who were to come and profess to be reformers, and to have some doctrine of their own to teach : of whom, at all times, it is a good rule to cone) ude, that they cannot de- serve to be attended to, unless their lives are good. But we must not understand it of those who may be commissioned and appointed teachers of a fixed doc- trine, which they did not devise, nor were the first to introduce, (as was the case with these ' false teachers,') but wliich they have received from proper authority : as clergy, for example. In their case the doctrine may be good, though the preacher may be not so : and in the case of such authorized teachers among the Jews, namely, the Scribes and Pharisees, our Lord in another place, instead of telling Hi.s ST. MATTHEW, VII. 29 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 vmto 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 won- derful works ? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you : depart from me, ye that work ini- quity. 24 % Therefore whosoever hear- eth these sayings of mine, and disciples to ' beware ' of their teacldng, tells them to observe it, at the same time that He warns them against their exam- ple: because in their case the doctrine was not theirs, but that of Moses, while their works were their own (xxiii. 2, 3, where see note). 19. In this verse our Lord alludes to the final destruction which should come upon false teachers, if uurepenting. 21. ' That saith unto me, Lord, Lord;' that is, that professes to acknowledge and to pray to Christ. 22. ' That day ' means the day of judgment. Our Lord teaches here that even if, as might be the case, men of worldly lives, without any living faith and religion in their own lives, should receive from God the power of working miracles, even as it was sometimes allowed to evil spirits (see note on xii. 27), it would be of no avail to them in tiie judgment, which will be according to the state of their hearts. 23. ' I never knew you,' that is, ye C 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 : were never my true disciples, never spiritually joined to, or alive in, Christ; as having been wilful ' workers of ini- quity,' who, whatever power of doing wonders they might have, could never attain unto heaven. 24 — 27. The 'house,' in these verses, may be taken to mean the spiritual state of a man ; which is right if what it stands on is the ' rock,' or firm founda- tion, of ' faith working by love,' as of a man who 'heareth' Christ's 'sayings and doeth them.' On the other hand, the ' sand,' or bad and unsafe foundation, means any other gi'ound of hope of eternal life, besides that kind of faith in the Atonement of Christ, which a man miglit have. The 'rain,' &c., mean any thing by which the real spiritual state of a man is put to the trial, how it is in the sight of God; and in particular the great trial of the Last Day, when those whose faith has been sucii as has been said will ' stand,' or be saved, the others will 'fair into perdition. 3 30 ST. MATTHEW, VIII. 29 For he tauglit them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. CHAPTER VIII. 1 When he was come down from the mountain, great mul- titudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth Ms hand, and touched him, saying, I will ; be thou clean. And im- mediately his leprosy was clean- sed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him. See thou tell no man ; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 5 1" And when Jesus was en- tered into Capernaum, there came 29. ' As one having authority,' that is, as one (such as in truth our Lord was) who had authority of His o?f » to teacii, and was teaching His own doctrine; whereas the Scribes, and other teachers of the Jews, inasmucli as what they taught was handed down to them from Moses, and moreover was much cor- rupted by the * traditions of men,' pro- bably very often taught it in a dry and lifeless manner, so as not to persuade men, and also often by rote, not well understanding it themselves. Ch. VIII. 2. 'Make me clean,' that is, heal me, of the foul disease called leprosy. 4. ' See thou tell no man : ' see note on ix. 30. ' Go thy way,' &c. This was according to the law of Moses. A healed leper had to go and be examined unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying. Lord, my ser- vant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said. Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 Eor I am a man under au- thority, having soldiers under me : and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth ; and to another. Come, and he cometh ; and to my servant. Do this, and he doetli it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed. Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. by the priest, who certified that he was really healed, and at the same time he offered a ' gift,' or thank-oftering for his recovery. The ' testinifmy ' here meant is not simply the proof of his being cleansed, which would be given by the examination of the priest, but the setting forth of the miracle wrought by our Lord in healing hini. 5. A ' centurion ' was an officer in command of soldiers in the Romaii army. 9. The centurion means that if his commands, those of a mere man, were obeyed when he simply spoke them, much more would those of our Lord, without His coming Himself to his house. 10. The centurion was not a Jew, but a Roman. The Jews, to whom Christ had preached, had shewn so little faith, that ST. MATTHEW, YIII. 31 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion. Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. 14 'H And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. He says, He had not found among them so much faith as this centurion shewed, when he professed behef that His mere word, without His actual presence, would be able to heal the sick. 1 1, 12. ' Many from the east and west,' that is, many Gentiles, many fi'om countries far away from the land of the Jews. Our Lord means that many Gentiles would be saved (which is sig- nified by ' sitting down in the kingdom of heaven,' that is, here, in heaven itself). For the Gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, and such of them as had faith like this centurion, would enter heaven with the saints of old, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ' The children of the kingdom' means the Jews, who were the ' children of,' or belonged to, the ' kingdom ' or Church of God upon eartb, such as it was before the establishment of the Christian Church. They, that is, the Jews as a body, who (though many individuals among them accepted the Gospel) rejected Christ, were to be cast into ' outer darkness,' 16 ^ "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils : and he cast out the spirits with Jiis word, and healed all that were sick : 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying. Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sick- nesses. 18 ^ Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart un- to the other side. 19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20 And Jesus saith unto him. The foxes have holes, and the that is, the darkness of hell, shut out from heaven. 13. See note on ix. 22. 16. ' Possessed with devils.' In those days evil spirits were allowed to take possession of the minds or souls of men, and produce in them what we should call madness, or the like. 17. The prophecy of Isaiah, that Christ was to ' bear,' or ' take' our infir- mities, sickness, or suflferings, of what- ever kind, upon Himself, refers chiefly to His taking upon Him the punishment, or suffering, on account of our sins, by His painful life and atoneuient on the Cross. But it has also, as here pointed out, a second sense, and simply means that He j-e/ierec^ men from their temporal evils and sufferings. 18. ' The other side,' namely, of the lake of Capernaum. 20. 'The Son of Man' is the name by which our Lord almost always called Himself. Being both Son of God and Son of man, that is, truly man born of a woman, He seems to have chosen 4 32 ST. MATTHEW, YIII. birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him. Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. 23 ^ And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, inso- much that the ship was covered with the waves : but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to rather to speak of Himself by the low- lier name, perhaps (as one reason at least) as an example of humility to US. ' Hath not where to lay his head,' that is. He had no fixed dwellins-place, nor any which was His own. Tliis was part of the voluntary humiliation and suffering of our Lord upon earth ; that He not only lowered Himself l>y taking our nature upon Him, but chose the life of one of the poorest of men, full of hardness and privation. And, as He often did on like occasions. He points this out to the scribe, who, probably without duly considering what He was undertaking, said he was ready to follow Him, in order that he might be aware that it was not a light and easy matter which he would engage in if he followed Christ, and so might avoid the tempta- tion to ' put his hand to the plough, and then turn back.' All those who would follow Christ must follow Him wholly and entii'ely. At no time can this be done without self-denial (see note on X. 38); and in the days of Christ and His Apostles it led to certain danger of life and persecution. And our Lord did not wish any to be His disciple him, and awoke him, saying. Lord, save us : we perish. 26 And he saith unto them. Why are ye fearful, 0 ye of little faith ? Then he arose, and re- buked the winds and the sea ; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying. What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him ! 28 ^ And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. who was not prepared for such a life, of which therefore He warns this scribe. See note ou Luke xiv. 28. 22. 'The dead' here means those whose souls were sunk in unbelief and sin, which in Scripture is often de- scribed as the soul being dead (Eph. ii. 1 ; Col. ii. 13, &c.). In ordin;iry cases it would of course have been the man's duty to bury his father ; but our Lord tells him tliat the duty of following Him, and preaching His Gospel, was at at that time to be at once preferred to all other duties. This was probably in order to set forth more strongly both the great truth that to obey and follow Christ whithersoever He goeth is above ail other things, and also that all the world that is separated from Him, as the family of this disciple were, are in an utterly dead and corrupt state. See also note on Luke ix. 62. 26. The disciples shewed their want of faith in being at all uneasy and ' fearful' of any danger while they were with Christ and under His protection. 28. ' The tombs,' among which their madness drove them to dwell, or they were driven thither by others, as being too dangerous to live among men. ST. MATTHEW, IX. 33 29 Anfl, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God ? art thou come hither to torment us before the time ? 30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32 And he said unto them. Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine : and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33 And they that kept them 29. The evil spirits, as was generally the case, could not help confessing aloud, and bearing witness that Christ was the Son of God. ' Before the time.' It may seem probable that while pos- sessing the souls of men, or otherwise upon earth, the devils in some myste- rious way suffered less of the torments to which they are condemned (see xii. 43). They therefore entreat that they may be allowed to remain, and tliat Christ would not exert His sovereign power by casting them out (' what have we to do with thee ?'). It also seems (see 2 Pet. ii. 4; Jude 6) that at the great Day of Judgment some consum- mation or aggravation of the punish- ment of the spirits of disoliedience will take place : of which they being aware, supplicate Him that they may be spared till then, and allowed to remain on earth. 32. It is supposed that the owners of these swine were Jews, to whom it was unlawful to have or to eat swine (Lev. xi. 7j, and that therefore our Lord, in permitting them to be made frantic and 0 fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus : and when they saw him, they besought Jiim that he would depart out of their coasts. CHAPTEE IX. 1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed : and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer ; thy sins be forgiven thee. destroyed by the devils possessing them, wrought a judgment or con- demnation of the owners for thus break- ing their law. 34. The ' city,' that is, the people of that city, were either unbelievers, or else Jews living in some corruption or sin, such as was that of the owners of the swine ; and instead of being led to repentance by the miracle which Jesus did, they were only alarmed lest some similar punishment should fall on them, knowing that they deserved it : where- fore they besought Him to leave them. Ch. IX. I. 'His own city,' Nazareth, where He was brought up. ^~-- 2. 'Their faith,' namely, that of the people who brought the sick man (which was a strong faith, inasmuch as it moved them to make the unusual P effort of removing the timbers of the • roof in order to bring the man to Jesus, as we see in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke), and of the sick man himself, as the miracle was wrought in reward of both, and the sick man's 3i ST. MATTHEW, IX. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within tliemselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts ? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee ; or to say, Arise, and walk ? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes sins could not have been forgiven unless he had had faith in Ciirist. 3. These scribes did not know, or would not confess, that Jesus was the Son of God ; and therefore, pretending that He was a mere man, they meant that for a mere man to foi-give sins was blasphemy, which it would have been, as God aliine can forgive sins. (Luke v. 21.) 5. Our Loi'd means that He would not have merely said ' Thy sins are forgiven thee,' which was easy, unless He had also the power to make it so. But, inasmuch as no proof could be given to the outward senses of men that the man's sins icere forgiven, as that is inward and invisible, He tells them that He would also speak another thing, the mere speaking of which was as easy as to speak the forgiveness, but which would at once be shewn to be false unless it was followed by an effect which they all could see, namely. He would tell the man to walk. So that though it was equally easy to say both these things, the commanding the man to walk by a visible miracle was the more trying thing to do, as it could be at once seen whether He had the power to do as He said or not. saw it, they marvelled, and glori- iied God, which had given such power unto men. 9 ^ And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom : and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. 10 ^ A-nd it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sin- ners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples. Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners ? 6. Our Lord means that the miraclef] ^ would shew that He was the Son of God, ) ' and therefore had ' power to forgive sins.' 8. ' Unto men,' inasmuch as the mul- titudes did not know fully who our Lord was, even tlie everlasting Son of God, One with the Father. Our Lord only revealed that great mystery to such as were fit for it (see note on xix. 17). 9. ' At the receipt of custom ' means ' collecting taxes.' This Matthew was the writer of the Gospel which we are reading; see x. 3. 10. 'Publicans' means tax-gathei'ers ; namely, those (generally Jews) who were set by the Romans, who had con- quered that people, to collect the taxes for them. We find them so often men- tioned together with ' sinners ' (by whom are meant more particularly heathens living among the Jews) because the Jews naturally hated them, being set by foreign conquerors among them to collect large and oppressive taxes; besides which, no doubt they often practised much extortion. But that they were often unjustly called great sinners may be seen from this instance ST. MATTHEW, IX. 35 12 But when Jesus lieard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice : for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 14 T[ Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why of St. Matthew, and also from that of Zaccheus. (Luke xix.) 12, 13. Sinners, as being diseased in soul, are here lilcened to the sick, and the righteous to tlmse who are ' whole,' or healthy. Our Lord was the Great Physician of souls, inasmuch as the object of the Gospel which He preached was to turn or heal men from sin, and lead them in the way of life. It could only be, therefore, to men as sinners that He came, and if there had been such a thing as men without sin, or ' wliole,' they would not have ' needed ' Him ; and, in so far as there were any who were really ' righteous,' of course in that respect Christ did not call them, as is said in ver. 13. But, inasmuch as all tliose whom He was now addressing (as well as all before or since) were sinners, we may rather un- derstand ' the righteous ' to mean those who thought themselves righteous, as the Pharisee in the ])arable (see Luke xviii. 11), and as these Pharisees here did, who, in calling other men sinners, shewed that they did not consider themselves such. To them. He says. He came not, for to repent and confess sin is the fii'st duty of the Gospel, and until they did that He had no message for them. The warning, ' Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice,' which is taken from the prophet Hosea (vi. G), is addressed par- ticularly to the Pharisees, in reference to their close attention to 'sacrifice,' C do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not ? 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride- chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them ? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. and outward observance of all sorts, while they neglected works and feelings of mercy and kindness(see ch. xxiii.&c). So here, their feelings towards the poor heathens and publicans were not those of pity and benevolence, which they should have been, but those of con- tempt and dislike. Of course our Lord does not mean that ' sacinfice ' was icronij, and that ' mercy' alone was right; but He means, in the first place, that sacrifice without mercy, the outward observance without feelings of love and kindness, is wrong and worthless ; and, in the second place, according to a form of expression common in those days, that ' mercy,' that is, charity and love towards men for the sake of God, is in itself a better and more acceptable thing to God than any outward ordinance. Both are to be had when possible (see xxiii. 23, and note); but if a choice must be made, mercy is to be preferred (see note on xii. 7)- 14. 'John 'the Baptist. 15. By the ' bridegroom,' our Lord means Himself. The sacred union of God with His Church is often likened in the Bible to the holy estate of mar- riage, which is thus yet more sanctified by being made a type or figure of so great a mystery. ' The children of the bi-idechamber,' or those who attended on the bridegroom, mean the followers and disciples of Christ. He means that the days when He was with them, were to them days of rejoicing, fur which fastiug, which is a token of sorrow, was 6 36 ST. MATTHEW, IX. 16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles : else the bottles break, and the wine run- neth out, and the bottles perish : but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. 18 •([ While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and wor- shipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus arose, and fol- lowed him, and so did his dis- ciples. 20 ^ And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came be- unfit,but that it would become proper for them in the time of sorrow and trial, when He was removed from them. 16, 17. 'New cloth,' does not mean finished new cloth, but unfinished or un- dressed cloth, rough from the hands of the weaver, and before it has passed through tlie hands of the fuller. This, from its roughness and stitt'ness, would damage and tear soft finished cloth if put on to it. The ' bottles ' which our Lord speaks of were not such as are now made, of glass ; but flasks made of goat or slieep- skins, which in those days were used to hold wine. When these were old and became stiff, new wine, whicii was apt to ferment, would strain and burst them. In these verses our Lord means, in further explanation of His disciples not fasting, that they being new converts and not yet fully prepared to receive the hind Jiim, and touched the hem of his garment : 21 For she said within herself. If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said. Daughter, be of good comfort ; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, 24 He said unto them. Give place : for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. 26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. whole of His Gospel, were not yet called upon to undergo severe discipline and self-denial. In fact the Apostles and disciples did not fully know and under- stand the whole Gospel till the coming of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pente- cost. 22. 'Thy faith hath made thee whole ;' that is, without faith the woman could not have been made whole. It was the necessary and sufficient qualifi- cation for her to receive the mercies of Christ, that she should have a true faith and trust in Him ; but it was His power that made her whole. 23. Among the Jews and other ancient nations, immediately after the death of asiy one, loud lamentations were made around the corpse by the relations, ac- companied by minstrelsy, that is, music of a melancholy kind. 24. 'Give place,' that is, make room. ST. MATTHEW, IX. 37 27 ^ And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercj on us. 28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him : and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this ? They said unto him, Tea, Lord. 29 Then touched he their eyes, saying. According to your faith be it unto you. 30 And their eyes were opened ; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. 31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. 32 ^ As they went out, behold, Of course the maid was dead, in the ordinary sense of the word. But our Lord calls it not death, but sleep, partly in order to prepare the people for the miracle which He was about to do, by signifying to them that it was not a state of destruction or annihilation, but one from which she could and was to be raised, though only by His power; partly perhaps also to lead them towards a knowledge of the greater and more general truth, that all death is but a sleep, as it is often called in Scripture, and that all the dead are to be raised again at the last day. 30. ' Straitly,' closely, earnestly. Our Lord often charged those for whom He ■worked miracles, not to make them known ; partly, as He tells us Himself, because His ' time was not yet come ' (John vii. 6); that is to say, the time appointed in the counsels of God for His being put to death. His enemies among the Jews were moved to slay Him by seeing and hearing of His miracles ; which therefore our Lord wished to keep concealed till that appointed time they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. 33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. 34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. 35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preach- ing the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 ^ But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. came, when, as we read afterwards. He did them more openly (Mark x. 52 ; John xi. &c.). Also we may be allowed to suppose that our Lord said this as a \ lesson to us to keep our good deeds \ secret as far as may be, and thus as an example in His own action of His own precept (see vi. 1, and note). And fur- ther, these many instances in which our Lord more or less withdrew Himself and His actions from the people, seem to have partly arisen from the same sort of reason which moved Him to speak to the people generally in parables (see note on xiii. 15). 34. ' Tlu'ough the prince of the devils,' that is, by his power, the power of Satan. See note on xii. 27- 35. ' Synagogues ' are Jewish places of worship. ' The kingdom,' namely, the kingdom of heaven (see note on iii. 2). 36. ' Fainted and were scattered abi'oad,' does not refer to the bodily state of the people, but to the weakness * and wandering of their minds and souls, through the want of a ' shepherd,' that 38 ST. MATTHEW, X. 37 Then saith he unto his dis- ciples, The harvest truly is plen- teous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. CHAPTEE X. 1 And when he had called unto Mm his twelve disciples, he gave them Tpower a^ai>isi unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all man- ner of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these ; The first, Si- mon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother ; is of a teacher to guide them aright. Teachers are often compared to shep- herds, and the people to Hocks, inasmuch as they have to feed or nourish their souls, even as shepherds have to pasture their sheep. 37, 38. This is another comparison or figure ; the ' harvest ' means the multitude of people, or their condition, and the opportunity of doing them a great good at that time ; as they were waiting to be recalled from sin and taught in the Gospel, :is the ripe corn waits to be reaped and gathered. The teachers are here likened to labourers or reapers. Ch. X. 1. ' Unclean,' see note on Mark i. 23. 2. ' Apostles ' means messengers : as being those who were chosen from among the disciples to go forth and preach, and found the Church. 3. Bartholomew is supposed to be the same as Natlianael (John i.). Thaddeus, otherwise called Judas, or Jude. 5, 6. See note on xv. 24. Our 3 Philip, and Bartholomew ; Thomas, and Matthew the pub- lican ; James the son of Alphseus, and Lebbajus, whose surname was Thaddasus ; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, say- ing, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not : 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out Loi'd Himself preached almost always to the Jews only, as they were still the chosen people of God, to whom He, the Messiah, was sent : and it was not till after His departure from the earth that His disciples were led by the Holy Spirit to preacii to the Gentiles. So here He tells them not to preach to the Gentiles, that is, to any nation that was not Jewish : and in particular not to the Samaritans. The Samaritans were a mixed race of heathens and Jews, arising from the mixture of the people who were sent by the kings of Assyria to occupy Samaria, that is, the northern part of the Holy Land, after the ten tribes had been carried away to captivity, with the remnant of the for- mer iuliabitants who happened to be left there. Our Lord especially notices them, because it would have more natu- rally fallen in the way of the Apostles to go into their cities, as they were close at hand to them. 7. See note on iii. 2. 'At hand,' here means, close among you. 8. ' Ye have received,' namely, the ST. MATTHEW, X. derils : freely ye have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses. 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves : for the workman is worthy of his meat. 11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it : but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not grace and power of God, to enable them to do good to others : which therefore they were to ' give,' or do, ' freely.' 9, 10. ' Scrip ' means a bag. Our Lord does not mean that they oucjht not, or were not, to have these necessary things : but that they were not to 'provide' them for themselves, as they would be found for them by others. It seems probable that the people among whom they were to go, were led by the Spirit of God to furnish the Apostles with these things : in order to teach us, that spiritual labourers, like others, ought to be maintained by those for whom they labour, according to the proverb which our Lord quotes, ' the workman is worthy of his meat.' So in all ages since the time of Christ, the clergy have been maintained at the charge of those whom they teach. 13. ' Your peace ' means the blessing which the Apostles were to give to the people whom they visited. If that people were not counted worthy of a blessing, it would 'return to' those who receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out ot" that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily T say unto you. It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 16 T[ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves : be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men : for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues ; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for gave it ; that is, it would have no effect on those to whom it was given. 14. To 'shake off the dust of ' their 'feet' was a figurative action, signifying strong condemnation of that city : meaning that they would have nothing to do with it. 15. 'It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha,' that is, those wicked cities would be reckoned less guilty than these : inasmuch as the latter had, in the preaching of the Apos- tles, greater opportunities of grace than the former. 16. * As sheep in the midst of wolves:' that is, exposed to fierce enemies, the Jews, who would perse- cute them. The serpent was reckoned a crafty or prudent animal. But it was also a poisonous and dangerous one : and our Lord means that they were to imitate the prudence of the serpent, without imitating any of its liarnifulness : (on the contrary, they were to be as 'harmless as doves,' which they might well be together with being prudent ;) just as in the parable of the unjust 40 ST. MATTHEW, X. my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall de- liver up the bi'other to death, and the father the child: and steward (see Luke xvi. 1 — 9, and notes). 18. These ' jrovernors and kings' were Jews or Gentiles : and both of those were to be convicted of sin by the ' testimony ' or witness of the Apostles when they preached the Gospel and suf- fered before them ' for the sake ' of Christ. 19, 20. 'It shall be given,' that is, inspired by the Holy Ghost. This was more especially true of the A])0stles and first disciples of Christ than it has been of Christians since : because the help of the Holy Spirit was given to them when they were brought before judgment-seats, in a special and miraculous manner, to teach them what to say, as we read in the Acts : so that in fact, as our Lord here says, it was not they, but the Spirit of God their Father who spake ; just as in writing the Gospels, they wrote not of their own mind, but of the mind of God. It would not be right for us, who cannot look for such miraculous aid, not to consider what to say on occasions of importance or of danger. But there is no text of Scripture, or word of Christ, though addressed to others and in different circumstances from ours, which does not in some measure apply to us also : and we may learn from this, as from the passage wliich is like to it, about ' taking no thought for the mor- the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake : but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into an- other : for verily I say unto you, Te shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. row,' (see vi. 25, and notes,) that all we do in preparation for worldly events, whether for speaking or acting, should be done, as far as human infirmity will allow, without anxious disquietude of mind, and in reliance on God that He will enable us to do right in it. 21. This verse refers to the divisions in families which were to arise when the Gospel was first preached : some receiving and others rejecting it. The Gospel was to be so hated by those who would not receive it, that the unbe- lieving members of a family would even give over those who believed to be put to death, as the early Christians were by the heathen who ruled over them. 22. 'Of,' or by, all men. This is said in a general sense, meaning that the unbelievers around them would hate them. ' For my name's sake,' as it was on account of their preaching and con- fessing Christ. 23. The coming of the Son of man means here, as it often does, the de- struction of the town of Jerusalem, which took place by the hand of the Romans about forty years after the death of Christ. It is so called as being a fearful manifestation of the power of Christ. Our Lord here says that that event would take place before the Gos])el should have been fully preached throughout Judrea, which He calls the Apostles ' going over the cities of Is- rael.' It might liave been so preached, ST. MATTHEW, X. 41 24 The disciple is not above J/is master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the dis- ciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household ? 26 Fear them not therefore : for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed ; and hid, that shall not be known. 27 What I tell you in dark- ness, that speak ye in light : and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house- tops. but it was so hindered by the perverse- ness of the persecuting Jews. Our Lord therefore here tells His Apostles to lose DO time in a city where they would not receive them, but to go to another : for that whatever they did, they would not have time fully to preach the Gospel to the Jews. 24. Our Lord means that they, the servants and disciplts, could not expect better treatment than He their Lord and Master received ; and that as He was to be I'eviled and persecuted, so must they be. 25. The Pharisees (ix. 34; xii. 24) accused Christ of doing miracles by the power of Beelzebub, or Satan, which. He saj's here, is the same as calling Him Beelzebub. ' The master of the house' means Christ the Lord, and ' they of his household ' the Apostles and disciples. 26. Our Lord tells the Apostles not to fear the slander and abuse which they would meet with ; for that in due time that which was 'covered' and ' hid,' namely, their innocence, and the truth which they proclaimed, would be 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul : but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and one of them shall not fall on the ground with- out your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny made known, if not in this world, cer- tainly at the Day of Judgment. 27. ' Upon the housetops' is a kind of proverb, meaning only very pub- licly. Christ told all these things pri- vately to the Apostles, and tells them not to fear to repeat them publicly. 28. ' Them,' that is, any men. ' Him,' namely, God. 29. ' Without your Father,' that is, except with the knowledge, and accord- ing to the will of God. 30. ' Numbered,' that is, accurately known to God. 3L ' Ye are of more value,' and there- fore are sure to be no less cared for by God. Our Lord in these verses encou- rages His Apostles to meet any dangers, as it was not the will of God that they should then perish ; and His words apply to men at all times, inasmuch as whenever they are appointed to die, God's providence is as much with them then as at other times, and it is best for them that it should be so, 32. 'Confess me,' that is, confess faith in Christ. ' Him will I confess,' 42 ST. MATTHE\Y, X. me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth : I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter that is, Christ will acknowledge hira as His own, and receive him into heaven. To ' deny,' in the next verse, is the opposite of this confession. 34 — 36. These verses again refer to the divisions iu families which would follow the preaching of the Gospel. It was not indeed the object or intention of our Lord's coming to send strife on the earth, nor was that what God would have. ' Peace on earth,' which our Lord here says He vvas not come to send, was the object or intention of His coming, as was spoken by tlie angels to the shepherds at the time of His birth (Luke ii. 14). But our Lord foreknew that that His gracious purpose would be in part defeated by the wickedness of men and their unwillingness to re- ceive His Gospel, so that some would receive it and some would not, thereby causing differences or' variance' among them. He therefore came in order to send peace, but in effect, partly, to send ' a sword,' that is, discord. 37. In these divisions among near relations, men had to choose between agreeing with, and living with, those whom they naturally most loved, and whom it was right they should most love next to God, and obeying God by receiving His Gospel. For the unbe- lieving would not allow believers to abide with them ; it was thei-efore the duty of Christians in those days to leave their homes and forget their kindred in order to live according to the Gospel. in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes sJiall he they of his own house- hold. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me : and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his In these days it is still a duty to every one not to associate with the wicked and unbelieving as companions. We ought, indeed, when such are among our kindred, to endeavour to convert and reclaim them. But should they become open and hardened unbe- lievers, as were those to whom Christ refers in the text, it would undoubtedly be our duty to ' come out and be sepa- rate' (2 Cor. vi. 17) from them; but now when all of us profess, at least out- wardly, to be believers, it can seldom be right to do this. We learn, how- ever, from the text the general truth, that the love of God is to be set above the love of all earthly relations and earthly things; and that when it is necessary to sacrifice any earthly affec- tion, or earthly thing whatever, for the sake of Christ, it must be done, if we would be counted His 'worthy' dis- ciple. 38. To ' take up the cross ' is a figura- tive expression, meaning, to submit to hardships and affiictions for the sake of Christ. It is impossible for any one to lead a truly Christian life without often doing or enduring what is contrai-y to the natural desires both of body and mind, inasmuch as they are corrupt and fallen from righteousness. The figure is taken from a condemned criminal bearing the painful burden of liis cross, as we see from the example of Christ was usual at the punislnnent of crucifixion (John xix. 17). But our Lord no doubt said it iu allusion to His ST. MATTHEW, XI. 43 cross, and followetli after me, is uot worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it : and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40 % He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that re- ceiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whosoever shall give own sufferings in particular ; so that to talve up the cross and follow Him means uot simply to suffer, but to endeavour to suffer, when called upon to do so, in imitation of Him, and in the same spirit in which He did. 39. In this verse the word 'life' is used in two senses, for the earthly life and the heavenly one. It means, ' He that in order to find,' or to save his earthly hfe, or to get any thing that is good for his earthly life, gives up any thing belonging to his heavenly life, that is to say, does any thing wrong, ■which tends to prevent his gaining that heavenly life, shall lose that heavenly life; but he that loseth his earthly life, or gives up any good thing belonging to it, for the sake of Christ, that is to say, because it is right and com- manded by Christ that he should do so, may hope to find or obtain the heavenly life after losing the earthly one. 40. Our Lord says that he that (in a right spirit) received or listened to the Apostles, was doing no less than if he received Christ Himself, inasmuch as He had commissioned them, even as to receive Christ was the same as to re- to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. CHAPTEE XI. 1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of com- manding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his dis- ciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou ceive God the Father ('him that sent me') whose will Christ came on earth to do. 41, 42. 'In the name of a prophet' means 'on account of his being a prophet,' which here means a teacher of religion. In like manner, ' in the name of a righteous man,' and ' in the name of a disciple,' means ' on account of their being disciples and righteous men.' We are to learn from this that it is our duty to shew qjccial respect and kindness to Christians, whether teachers or only as righteous men, as Christians, as bre- thren, and of 'the household of faith' (Gal. vi. 10) ; and that if we do so we may hope to share the same reward with them. 'Little ones' mean humble, child- like, learners of the Gospel ; lowly- minded Christians, who are the best objects of any kindness. Ch. XT. 2. This was John the Bap- tist, who had been put in prison by Herod. 3. ' He that should come,' means ' He who teas to come,' namely, the Messiah or the Christ, who was expected by the 44i ST. MATTHEW, XI. he that should come, or do we look for another ? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see : 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shaU not be ofiended in me. 7 ^ And as tliey departed, Jesus began to say unto the mul- titudes concerning John, "What Jews to appear about this time. See note on iii. 2. John the Baptist did not himself doubt that Jesus was the Messiah ; but he sent some of his disciples to enquire, in order to satisfy themselves or others, who may have doubted or been ignorant about it. 4, 5. Our Lord answers by shew- ing them the wonderful works which He did, which were what was prophesied of the Messiah (Is. xxxv. 5, &c.), and which could ouly be done by the power of God, thereby giving a proof that He was the Messiah, and tiiat He was what- soever He declared Himself to be, for otherwise He could not have had such a power. He also adds, as a proof that He was the Messiah, that ' the poor had the Gospel preached to them.' This was not a miracle, but it was a distin- guishing mark of the Gospel of Christ ; for both among the Jews and the ancient heathens, the poor were almost entirely neglected by the teachers and preachers of religion. 6. ' Being offended in Christ,' means disbelieving that He was the Messiah from a feeling of disgust and disappoint- ment at finding that He was of humble and lowly condition, instead of what the went ye out into the wilderness to see ? A reed shaken with the wind ? 8 But what went ye out for to see ? A man clothed in soft raiment ? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see ? A prophet ? yea, I say unto you, and more than a pro- phet. 10 Por this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Jews expected, as was said before namely, a great earthly king. Our Lord adds these words, as a warning both to those who came to enquire, and to those to whom they might impart what they heard, as this account of Him might be different from what they ex- pected. 7. ' The wilderness,' where John the Baptist preached. ' A reed shaken with the wind,' was what grew naturally in the wilderness. Our Lord means that surely tliey did not make such a journey into the desert only to see a trifling thing like that. 8. Our Lord adds this verse in order to shew, as He did before to the mes- sengers, that the Gospel requii-ed as preachers, men not of worldly wealth and luxury, but of severe and self- denying lives. 9. 10. John the Baptist was more than merely a ' prophet,' or one who only spoke beforehand of the coming of Christ, inasmuch as he was a ' mes- senger,' who came immediately before Him, and prepared the people for Him by his own acts, as baptizing them and calling them to repent. ' It is written,' Mai. iii. 1. ST. MATTHEW, XI. 45 11 Verily I say unto you Among them that are bom of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist : notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the king- dom of heaven suffereth vio- lence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, 11. 'The kingdom of heaven' here appears to mean the heavenly kingdom which our Lord estabhshed upon earth, that is to say, tlie Christian Church, or body of baptized Christians. Our Sa- viour does not mean tliat every such person was better than John the Baptist, but that every Christian, even tlie least, was in a higher, a more favoured con- dition than John, though he was equal to all these who had gone before him, as being honoured with the office of imme- diately preparing the way for Christ. The spiritual privileges or gifts which belong to the baptized Christian are far greater than are or were given to any other men, the gift, namely, of the Holy Spirit of God, who dwells within them, and enables them, if they grieve Him not, to live a holy and a godly life, and to attain to the highest blessings of eternity. 12. In this verse, ' violence,' and ' the violent,' seem to mean eagerness, and eager and impetuous persons, who 'took,' or entered into the kingdom ' by force,' that is, eagerly and impetuously. ' Suffereth violence,' means that it is entered, or embraced, in that manner. The meaning is, that, on the first preach- ing of the Gospel, from the time of John the Baptist till the time of Christ, when it was a new thing, those who received this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to bear, let him hear. 16 ^ But whereunto shall I liken this generation ? It is like unto children sitting in the mar- kets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced ; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 Por John came neither eat- ing nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. it did so with great readiness and eagerness. So when these words of Christ are given by St. Luke (xvi. 16), he puts it, ' every man presseth into it.' 13. This verse means that the pro- phecies, and the teaching, of the Old Testament (called ' the Prophets and the Law') ccintinued till John the Baptist came, and no longer, as it was then the times of the Gospel began. Our Lord says, 'For all the prophets,' &c., to explain why He had said in the previous verse, 'from the days of John the Baptist,' namely, as being the days when the Gospel Dispensation began. 14. ' Receive,' that is, understand it. John the Baptist was foretold under the name of Elias, or Elijah (Mai. iv. 5), to whom he was like in several respects, both in his outward appear- ance and dress, and in his spirit (see also note on John i. 21). 16 — 19. The general meaning of these verses is, that the Jews of our Lord's day were, like wayward children, a per- verse people, who would not receive the truth in whatever manner it was presented to them, whether by John the Baptist, who led one kind of life, or Christ, who lived a different one. 18. ' Neither eating nor drinking,' is a 46 ST. MATTHEW, XI. 19 The Son of man came eat- ing and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is jus- tified of her children, 20 ^ Then began he to up- braid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, be- cause they repented not : 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin ! woe unto thee, Bethsaida ! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. strong figurative way of saying that he ate and drank little, and very plainly ; that he lived a hard and self-denying life. ' He hath a devil,' oi', as we sliould say, he is mad. 19. Our Lord describes Himself as ' eating and drinking,' that is, living in society and Hke other men, instead of retiring from the world like John the Baptist. To live in retirement from the world, and refraining from the indul- gence of the natural appetites, may be the duty of some men, as it was that of John the Baptist, who was commanded to do so by the Holy Spirit, but the generality of men are called to live in society, and allowed the innocent enjoy- ments of life, and therefore, we may believe, our Lord, who came to be an example of life to mankind in general, lived, upon the whole, in that manner, and not otherwise, except occasionally. ' A friend of publicans and sinners :' see note on ix. 10. It is probable that such persons were given to excess in eating and drinking; and the Jews found fault with our Lord, as if He took part with them in the same, whereas, as we have seen, He associated with them in order to lead them to repent. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judg- ment, than for you. 23 And thou,Capernaum,which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell ; for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judg- ment, than for thee. 25 % At that time Jesus an- swered and said, I thank thee. ' Of her children,' means by her children. These words seem to mean that they who were really wise, who are called the ' children of wisdom,' would be able to feel and to shew (to 'justify,' or set forth according to truth) the wisdom and Tightness of the conduct both of our Lord and of the Baptist, each according to their different cir- cumstances, the one being called to live out of the world, and the other to live in it. 21,22. TjTe and Sidon were heathen towns on the sea-coast north of the Holy Land, which had never had the advantage of hearing the preaching of Christ and of seeing His miracles, as the Jewish towns of Chorazin and Beth- saida had. See note on x. 15. We see in the Acts of the Apostles that the Jews, from their pride and blindness, believing that they were God's people, and that there was nothing for them to learn, were much slower than the Gentiles to receive the Gospel. 23. ' Exalted to heaven,' that is, very proud. ' Brought down to hell,' at the Day of Judgment. 25. ' Babes ' in this verse does not mean infants in body, but those who were simple and teachable in mind, as ST. MATTHEW, XI. 47 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father : for so it seemed good in thy sight. 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father : and no children are, and whom God therefore chose to be the hearers of the Gospel, as our Lord Himself says about children, that they were to be our patterns in re- ceiving Him and His word (Luke xviii. 17). Our Lord does not mean that God had ' hidden these things ' (namely, the Gospel) from the ' wise and prudent ' (which means those possessed of human and worldly wisdom, knowledge, and prudence) because they were so, but because they were proud of being so, satisfied with being so, and would not x'eceive the Gospel unless they could undei'stand it and judge of it by that wisdom and prudence. Such wisdom and prudence are good things, as we learn from the Bible itself (as when God gave them to Solomon), though attended with certain temptations; and it is proper to seek for and to have them ; but when God speaks to us, as He did and does in the Gospel, we must submit our own wisdom and all the faculties of our mind, and receive with humility and faith, and with the teachableness of 'babes ' or young children, what is there delivered. Otherwise, as many of the mysteries of religion are beyond the understanding even of the wisest of men, when a man relies upon it, without the aid of the Holy Spirit, they will be ' hid from ' them ; that is, refusing to believe till they can fully understand them, they will reject them altogether, to their own certain condemnation. And as the Pharisees (who are here chiefly referred to) did so, while the simple-minded disciples received the Gospel, our Lord ' thanks ' God the Father for the proof which was so man knoweth the Son, but the Father ; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will re- veal him. 28 ^ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. given that the meek and humble were fit to receive it, while the proud were not. 27. See notes on xx. 23, and xxviii. 18. ' No man,' that is, no one, no being. ' He to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him,' inasmuch as it is only in Christ that God the Father has spoken to man ; who is therefore called the ' Word ' of God. See John i. 1, and note. 28—30. The 'labouring' and being ' heavy laden ' may refer both to the burden of afflictions, and to the much worse burden of sin upon the conscience. To all those who have those burdens, that is, to all mankind, as all have the first of them, and all ought to feel the burden of sin, as all have sinned, our Lord says here that their only relief and comfort will be in obedience to His law (which he calls ' taking his yoke,' and ' learning of him ') which they will find more and more ' easy ' and ' light,' the more they become accustomed to it. Nothing but obedience to God can give true ' rest to the souls ' of men. There is indeed difficulty, instead of ease, to all men in some measure, in attempt- ing to pay perfect obedience. This is partly from the weakness and in- firmity of human nature; but in hearing what our Lord here says we must remember that the grace of the Holy Spirit is given to Christians with the very object of enabling them to strengthen that weakness and overcome that infirmity ; and that difficulty which is felt in obeying God, in taking His easy yoke and light burden of which our Lord speaks, is not only from mere 48 ST. MATTHEW, XII. and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. CHAPTER XII. 1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn ; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. human weakness, but still more from the force of the evil habits which we allovv ourselves to form from our very infancy, in despite of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. In proportion as men shall have followed from their youth the leading of that Heavenly Guide, do they find it light and easy to do so, as even experience shews. And even they who follow other guides, namely, their own passions and evil desires, find that these put a much heavier and wearier burden upon them, even if they think of nothing but this life, than the law of God would do. This too is proved by experience ; the expe- rience of all wicked men, when they come to reflect upon their condition. They are weary of it and would leave it ; but they cannot. And the thought of the next life makes this slavery of sin, the desire without the power to leave it off, into which confirmed sinners fall, the heaviest burden which can be laid upon man. Ch. XII. 2. The Pharisees meant that as reaping was forbidden on the Sabbath-day, as being a work or labour, by the fourth Commandment, even plucking the ears of corn, and rubbing them in their hands (Luke vi. 1) was forbidden also. Our Lord shews them that works of necessity (ver. 4. 11) and also works of piety or kindness 2 But when the Pharisees saw if, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sab- bath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were wdth him ; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them (ver. 5. 12) are allowed to be done on the Sabbath-day. And if this was so even in the case of the Jewish Sab- bath, in which abstinence from labour, as the general rule, was very strictly commanded, it must be no less so on the Christian Sunday, or Lord's-day, provided we are careful that any work that we may do is really and truly a work either of necessity or of piety. So, here, if it had been wrong to do such a simple act as to pluck and rub the ears of corn, it would have been wrong to do any thing on any Sabbath-day to pre- pare food which, as being necessary, is not forbidden. 3, 4. See 1 Sam. xxi. 6'. The 'shew- bread' was the name given to the bread which was, at certain times, set apart for the use of the priests only, under the Jewish law (see Levit. xxiv. 5 — 9). As the general rule, therefore, no one not being a priest had any right to eat it ; but our Lord means that as that was not an everlasting commandment of God, as all the moral parts of the Law were, but only an outward ordinance or ceremony, it might be occasionally set aside if a great necessity occurred, such as in this case, in which we may sup- pose that David and they that were with him were in danger of perishing from hunger, or of serious illness if they had not eaten. The moral parts of the Law, relating to 'judgment, mercy, and ST. MATTHEW, XII. 49 which were with him, but only for the priests ? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless ? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meanetli, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not faith ' (xxiii. 23) were never to be set aside, in whatever circumstances (see V. 18, and note) ; but the particular ceremonies or ordinances might, both when they interfered with tlie mo- ral law (see note on ver. 7), so that both could not be observed, andj as our Lord shews here, under great necessity. 5. The meanini» is, that if it were wrong to do aity kind of work on the Sabbath, even tlie priests would ' pro- fane ' or break the Sabbath, by doing the work belonging to sacrifices on that day as well as on others. Our Lord mentions these two instances to shew the Uco kinds of allowable work, viz. as was said before, works of necessity, or charity, or piety. 6. ' One greater ' means our Lord Him- self. He means that if it was allowable for the priests, and for the service of ' the temple,' to break the strict letter of the law about the Sabbath, it was much more so for Him, who was 'greater ' than they, to do so, or determine whether it might be done. 7. See note on ix. IS. Here by * sa- crifice ' we may understand all outward observances : and, as in that other pas- sage, the meaning is not that such observances were not according to God's • will, but that ' mercy,' or love towards others, was superior to them ; and in cases where the^^ could not both be kept to, the outward ordinance must be have condemned the guilt- less. 8 Por the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their syna- gogue : 10 T[ And, behold, there was a man which had Ids hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days ? that they might accuse him. set aside, and the work of kindness per- formed. And the same rule applies, as was said before, to works of reason- able necessity, such as the preparation of food. It is the same with Christians as with the Jews who are here ad- dressed by our Lord. Tiie outward ordinances of the Christian Church are indeed superior to those of the Jews, as the grace of the Holy Spirit is specially conveyed through them ; but it has always been held lawful to omit even these, not indeed habi- tually, but on occasions, if good may be done by so omitting them, as in such a case as staying away from the service of the Church to attend the sick, if such attendance cannot other- wise be had. 8. Our Lord means that He, the Son / of man, being also Son of God, and God tlieSon,had supreme power over all smc^, "^ being His own, ordinances, as the strict observance of the Sabbath-day. This is as was explained, because it was one of the outward or ceremonial parts of the law of Moses. It would have been impossible for Christ Himself to have set aside any of the everlasting moral parts of that law, 'judgment, mercy, and faith.' 10. ' That they might accuse Him,' namely, they hoped that His answer would be such as they might be able to shew was contrary to the fourth Com- mandment. Our Lord shews that it 50 ST. MATTHEW, XII. 11 And lie said unto them, What man shall there be among you, tliat shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out ? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep ? Where- fore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth ; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 14 % Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. 15 Bat when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence : and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all ; was not so, according to what has been explained on the former vei'ses. 15, 16. See note on ix. SO. 17) 18. Is. xlii. 1. These words are spoken by God the Father, through the Prophet, and relate to Christ, who, as man, was the ' servant ' of the Father. ' Judgment,' means riglit- eousness, which was to be ' shewn,' or preached, under the Gospel, to the ' Gentiles.' 19. This verse signifies the retired and meek manner, without pride or display, in which Christ preached and did His miracles. 20. The ' bruised reed,' and the 'smoking flax,' are figures, or like- nesses, to which other things are meant to be compared. The ' bruised reed,' means a heart, weak indeed, and liable to sin, but feeling its weakness and sin, and ' bruised,' that is, sor- rowing for it. The gracious promise of 16 And charged them that they should not make him known : 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen ; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased : I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry ; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. 22 ^ Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devU, God is, that He will not ' break,' by ex- treme severity, such a heart, but will cherish and strengthen it. The ' smoking flax,' viz. flax which was burning, but in which the flame is gone out, and the only heat remaining is shewn by the smoke, means the slight remains of faith or sense of religion in a heart which was once filled with them, but in which they are nearly extinguished. Here it is promised that Christ will not ' quench,' that is, wholly give up such a heart to that hopeless state, but will still be willing to offer His grace to rekindle that extinct flame. The words,' till he send forth judgment unto victory ' (which are slightly altered, as is often the case, from the passage in the Old Testament), seem to mean, ' until He has caused the righteous- ness of the Gospel' (signified by 'judg- ment ') to prevail, or obtain ' victory,' over the whole earth. So that the ST. MATTHEW, XII. 51 blind, and dumb : and lie healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David ? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This felloiv doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand : description of the meek and quiet man- ner in which our Lord Himself preached and ministered, is to apply also to tiie spread of the Gospel through the world, through the ministry of His true fol- lowers. 24. ' By,' that is, by the power of Beelzebub, or Satan. The evil spirit seems sometimes to have had power to ■work some kinds of miracle, and the Pharisees accordingly pretended to sup- pose tliat the miracles of Christ were wrought by their aid (see note on ver. 27). 25. * House,' that is, family. 26. ' Satan east out Satan,' that is, cast out inferior evil spirits, who being his ministers, their being cast out is called Satan himself being so. ' He is divided against himself,' that is, his own power would be exerted against himself. 27. This verse refers to certain per- sons among the Jews who professed to be able to cast out devils ; and who, perhaps, were sometimes allowed by • God to do so, as He allowed the magicians of Egypt to work miracles (Exod. vii.). Our Lord shews the folly of supposing that Satan would cast D 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand ? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast tliem out ? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man ? and then he will spoil his house. out devils, as they were his servants and doing his work ; and says, that if that was the way in which devils were cast out, their own ' children,' that is, fellow- countrymen, who did or professed to do tlie same, were also acting by the power of Satan. Wherefore they, their own fel- low-countrymen, might be their 'judges,' that is, could be brought to prove the falsehood of what they charged against Christ. 28. ' The kingdom of God,' that is, the Gospel, of which such miracles were a proof. 29. Satan is here likened to a ' strong man,' and the ' house ' means the soul of the man possessed by one of the evil spirits under the command of Satan. To ' spoil the goods ' in that house, means to cast out the devil from that possessed soul, which while possessed might be said to belong to Satan ; and our Lord shews that it could not be Satan himself who would give up the possession of a soul occupied by his power, but that it must be a stronger than Satan, namely, Himself, who should have power first to ' bind,' or overcome him, and then to deliver the possessed soul from his influence. 2 52 ST. MATTHEW, XII. 30 He that is not with me is against me ; and he that gather- eth not with me scattereth abroad. 31 1" Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blas- phemy shall be forgiven unto 30. To 'gather' and to 'scatter' here alkide to a harvest ; and our Lord means that one who is not with Him is in truth against Him, and doing mis- chief, as one would be who was scatter- ing and wasting the corn instead of gathering it. In other places (Mark ix. 40 ; Luke ix. £0) our Lord says, ' He that is not against us is on our side.' In those other places it may appear that He was speaking rather of those who were but beginners in religion, those who had but just heard of His Gospel; and that He says indulgently of them, that if they began by listening to it, not disbe- lieving it, and, as it were, giving it a trial in their actions, they were not to be discouraged, but led on till they arrived at a full belief; and He seems graciously to say tliat such would be God's method of dealing with them. Whereas in this text He may be speak- ing of those who have fully received the Gospel, and are bound by all its duties, and admitted into all its privi- leges ; and of them we are to learn by these words that any thing like indif- ference, taking part neither for reli- gion nor against it, lukewarmness, is as bad in God's sight as acting openly against it. But it is also easy to understand both these texts as meaning in fact the same thing, at least for us who have been born and bred Christians, and are living entirely under the Gospel covenant. Because, as is often set forth in the Bible, the only obedience which God will acknowledge at our hands, is the entire and undivided obedience of the heart. No half-obedience, refi-aining from some sins and allowing others, men : but the blasphemy against the Ifoli/ Ghost shall not be for- given unto men. 82 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him : but who- soever speaketh against the Holy doing some duties and not others, will be received by the Lord ; and therefore unless we are (wholly) 'with' Christ, we must needs be (wholly) 'against' Him. Thei'e are only these two con- ditions possible for a Christian, to be 'with' Christ or 'against' Him; and therefore he that is not ' with,' can be nothing else but 'against' Him; and he that is not 'against,' can be nothing else than 'with' Him. Of course we are speaking of the u-ilful acts of a man, and we may apply here what was said on v. 19. 31, 32. Our Lord introduces this say- ing about the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost by the word ' Wherefore,' which appears to signify that the Pha- risees, of whose sin in imputing His miracles to Beelzebub He had just been speaking, had at least been very nearly committing that blasphemy (see Mark iii. 29, 30). This sin — the unpardonable sin, as it is sometimes called — the sin which God will not forgive, is elsewhere alluded to in the New Testament (Heb. vi. 4 — 6; X. 2G, 27 ; 1 John v. 16) ; but is never clearly described to us. It was not according to God's will that it should be so described ; and doubtless we are told what we read in these texts, and we are told no more, in order to keep us in a state of constant watchfulness over the condition of our souls, lest we should be led into that fearful sin. But persons have sometimes been thrown into a state of alarm, thinking that they may already have committed that sin for which there is no forgive- ness, and that therefore they cannot be saved. Now we may humbly trust that we cannot be mistaken in saying ST. MATTHEW, XII. 53 Ghost, it shall not be for- given him, neither in this that such alarm must of necessity be groundless. We are so clearly told in so many parts of Scrijiture that all sinners who truly repent of their sins will be forgiven, and that all who truly desire to turn to God will by grace be enabled to do so, that we may say with- out doubt that no person who feels alarm about himself, and a desire to repent, can be in a hopeless state (see xi. 28 ; John vi. 37 ; 1 John i. 7, &c.). Of course it remains for him to repent as he ought to do. Much real sorrow, and painful amendment of life, will be ne- cessary for him ; but he is certainly not beyond the hope of God's forgiveness. Now it would appear in the first place that the foi'giveness of God which is here spoken of, is chiefly that which will be given or withheld at the Day of Judgment; it is then that men will be finally judged. In this world forgive- ness is held out to all sinners who will rightly receive it ; and sincerity alone, a real desire to receive it rightly, will be blessed with the ability to do so. But we know that there are many who icill not receive it, who are hardened sin- ners, who never do repent, and who die in their sins. It is of them, we may believe, that these fearful passages speak. The simple meaning of these texts may appear to be, that the un- pardonable and unforgiven sin is ani/ wilful sin not timely repented of and forsaken. The offer of God to all sin- ners is forgiveness if they will repent and have faith in Christ, and amend- ment of life through the aid of the Holy Spirit. If they reject this offer, it is a rejection of the only means of salvation which God has made known to man, of the only means of spiritual grace, and is calletl ' blaspheming against,' or doing despite to, 'the Holy Ghost,' who is the giver of this gracious gift : and a man ■ being in that state, as long as he is so, can never be saved, his sin ' can never be forgiven,' for he himself refuses to embrace the only means of forgiveness world, neither in the ivorld to come. which God has made known to men. But if he do repent as he should, the curse will be removed. Nor does this view tend to make persons believe that they may go on sinning, because that they may repent when they please (see note on xx. 1 — Hi). For a man iiiay commit that unpardonable sin, and many in fact do so. A man may be- come entirely hardened and beyond repentance, and many ai-e so. We cannot indeed say that any particular person has done so, because we cannot see into his soul, or foresee future things ; we cannot say so of any par- ticular person either before or after his death ; we cannot tell what his state in God's sight really was or is. But that many do die in a state of hardened sin, and without due repentance, is clear from the Bible (ch. xxv. 4G ; Rev. xxii. 15, &c.), though we could not pro- nounce so from our own knowledge or judgment. It is they who at the Day of Judgment will be found to have thus blasphemed against the Holy Ghost ; and God, who sees and knows all things pre- sent and to come, sees and knows these perscms while still living ; and of them He says, as in these verses, that their sin will not be forgiven, either in this world or in that which is to come ; that is, generally, not at all ; not because the sin is too great for forgiveness, but because the sinner will not repent. And it is to keep us ever on our guard against falling into that state of hard- ened impenitence, that these passages of Scripture are vouchsafed. So when our Lord says that all man- ner of sin, and in particular speaking against Himself, will be forgiven unto men, it appears to mean in the first )ilace sins committed against Him while He was on earth, and by those who were ignorant who He was, and who were not yet enlightened by the Holy Spirit; whereas sin against the Holy Ghost is wilful sin against the light of the Spirit ; but it may also mean gene- 3 51 ST. MATTHEW, XII. 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good ; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt : for the tree is known by Ids fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things ? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bring- eth forth good things : and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 86 But I say unto you. That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou rally that any sin will be forgiven upon due repentance, but not otherwise. 33. This verse means ' the tree and its fruit must either both be good or both bad ;' the one cannot be good and the other bad. And our Lord means that men are the same : good-hearted men will do good works, and bad-hearted men will needs do bad works (as at iii. 10, and vii. 16, where see notes). 34. ' Vipers,' see note on iii. 7- 36. ' Idle,' thoughtless or trifling. 37. This verse refers to the Day of Judgment; and 'justified' means counted worthy, at that day, for the sake of Chi-ist, to be received into heaven. Our Lord of course does not mean that, provided a inan in this life says what is right, he will be so justified, without both his thoughts and his deeds being taken into account ; for we know that by thoughts and deeds, as well as words, will men be judged (Rom. ii. 6. 16, &c.). But He means, partly, in order to avoid the contrary error, that words, as well as thoughts and deeds, will be taken account of, so that we shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 38 T[ Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees an- swered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them. An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign ; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas : 40 Eor as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this gene- ration, and shall condemn it : must be as careful to avoid bad or careless speech, as evil thoughts and sin- ful actions ; and also, that it is the gene- ral case that a good man will use good and right words, and it probably never happens that a bad man, though he may often hide his thoughts, does con- stantly, or even generally, use good words ; so that, as St. James says (iii. 2), ' If any man offend not in word ' (that is, never does so) ' the same is a perfect man.' 39. See note on xvi. 4. 40. See Jonah i. 17. What thus hap- pened to Jonah was a type of the three days that were to pass between our Lord's burial and His resurrection. It was only a part of three days, that is, it was part of Friday on which He was buried, and part of the Sunday on which He rose again ; but that period is called three days and three nights, according to an usual way of expression among the Jews. 41. See Jonah iii. 5. 'A greater,' namely, Christ Himself, at whose pi-eaching the Jews of that ' generation ' ST. MATTHEW, XII. 55 because they repented at the preaching of Jonas ; and, behold, a greater tliau Jonas is here. 42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall con- demn it : for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh ought to have repented and did not ; wherefore they would be ' condemned ' on the day of judgment by the Nine- vites who did repent at the preaching of Jonah, who was but a prophet ; that is, their sin would be exposed by the con- trast of the conduct of the Ninevites. 42. ' The queen of the south ' means the queen of Sheba, which was a south- ern (and very remote, or ' uttermost ') country. See 1 Kings x. 1. 43 — 45. The evil or ' unclean ' spirits were to be driven out by the miracles of Christ and His Apostles from the Jewish people, that is, from as many as were possessed by them. Also, with regard to the whole people, the evil spirits of ignorance and superstition under which they were oppressed at the time of our Lord's coming, were to be e.xpelled by the teaching of the Gospel. Their minds were thus left free, or, as it is called under the figure of a house left unoccupied, ' empty, swept, and garnished,' so as to be cajjable of rightly receiving that blessed Gospel. But, inasmuch as they refused to re- ceive it, the power of Satan returned upon them 'sevenfold,' that is, very much woi-se than before, and the whole nation, except those of them who be- lieved, were given up to such confirmed . unbelief and wickedness, that their city was destroyed, and they were scattered over the face of the earth. Thus was the ' last state ' of the ' wicked genera- D through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from wlience I came out ; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there : and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so tion,' whom our Lord addressed, ' worse than the first.' ' Dry places,' deserts or wilder- nesses. In some manner which the mystery of the subject forbids our fully understanding, it seems to be shewn by other passages of Scripture, that the evil spirits found comparative ' rest ' or ease, by possessing the souls of men ; from which, therefore, they did not like to be cast out (ch. viii. 29, where see note ; Mark v. 7, &c.). We are to learn from these verses the same kind of lesson, more gene- rally, which our Lord meant in parti- cular for the Jews, namely, that unless our minds and souls are filled with a knowledge and love of religion, it is of no use merely to set thera free from igno- rance, or from any particular evil by which they before were possessed. The soul of a man cannot remain, as it is here described, 'empty and swept;' it must be filled with some feelings or other, and unless it is filled with the love of God, it must needs, from its natural tendency to evil, be filled with evil passions. And though the evil spirits of ignorance, or of superstition, or whatever the)' be, may be expelled, other evil spirits, which may be, as is here said, 'more wicked' than the former, such as pride, ungodliness, knowingly refusing to believe God's word, and the like, will take possession 4 56 ST. MATTHEW, XIII. shall it be also unto this wicked generation. 46 1 While he yet talked to the people, behold, Ms mother and his brethren stood without, desir- ing to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy bre- thren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother ? and who are my brethren ? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said. Behold my mother and my brethren ! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. CHAPTEE XIII. 1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat ; of the soul. And the ' state ' of that soul then must needs be ' worse than the first,' as it will have received those evils into itself after having had the opportunity given to it of following what is right, and is therefore more guilty in not doing so than it was before it had been enlightened. The ' unclean spirit,' therefoi'e, is Satan, who is driven out in one form, and returns in another, and a worse one. 46 — 50. Our Lord does not mean to lower in any way the duty of love towards relations, which is set forth to us by His own example (Luke ii. 51 ; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went fortli to sow ; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up : 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth : and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth : 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched ; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns ; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them : 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty- fold, some thirty fold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him. Why speakest thou unto them in parables ? John xix. 26, 27, &c.), and by many passages of Scripture (Exod. xx. 12; Ephes. 5. 25, &c.). But He graciously redeems among even His kindred all His -true followers (see Heb. ii. 11), and He also would remind us here of what He says elsewhere, that the love of God is above all earthly relations; and, if necessary, they must be sacri- ficed to it (see x. 37, and note). Ch. XIII. 3. A 'parable' means a tale or story, of earthly things, with a meaning or lesson to be drawn from it about heavenly things. See the ex- ST. MATTHEW, XIII. 57 1 1 He answered aud said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance : but whosoever planation of this first pai-able, about the sower, below, in ver. 18 — 23. 11. 'The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,' difficult or deep things about the Gospel. ' It is given unto you,' that is, God willed that the true disciples of Christ should understand those mysteries, but that none were to understand them except those who would become His disciples, and come to Him in a humble and teachable spirit to learn. All others are described in the end of this verse, as those 'to whom it was not given,' or allowed, to under- stand them. 12. This verse teaches us, that it is our duty to improve always, and to become better in our lives than we are. 'Whosoever h^th,' means, whosoever hath some (jood thing of his own, of his own ijettinij, that is, whosoever hath, not indeed by his own strength, but by God's help, gained or acquired more goodness than what he began with : and 'whosoever hath not' means, whosoever hath not so gained more than he had at first. This may be understood by comparing it with the parable of the talents (ch. xxv. 14 — 30), where the same words are used. The meaning in both places is, that by the grace of God, a certain capacity, ability, or power of pleasing Him, is given to every man. If he makes a right use of this, by the prayer of faith, and by con- stant endeavours to serve God more and more, he will find that grace of God, enabling him to lead a good life, increased to him more and more (John i. 16 ; James iv. 6, &c.). Such an one is here described as one that 'hath.' ' Wiioso- ever hath,' that is, whosoever hath, by hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables : because they seeing see not ; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, D 5 God's help, improved upon what has been given to him, 'to him shall be given, and heshall havemoreabundance.' But in the end of the verse ' even that (which) he hath ' appears not to mean, as it does in the beginning, that which he has gained above what was given to him : but to mean the latter, namely, that which was at first given him. The meaning is, ' whosoever hath not,' that is, in the case of whoever hath n(jt improved what was given him, even that which was given him shall be taken away. That is to say, he who does not strive to improve more and more, and to lead a better life from day to day, will lose even the knowledge and inclination even to do right with which he began, and will become ut- terly wicked. For we must always re- member that our souls cannot remain stationary, neither better nor worse. If we do not improve, if we do not become, the longer we live, more spiritual and heavenly-minded, we shall in fact be getting worse. Our Lord applies this saying to the case of the Jewish multitudes who came around Him. As they made no good use of the oppoi'tunity thus given them of improving themselves, as they did not follow it up by becoming His true dis- ciples, (which if they had done, they would have been as the man ' who hath,') but were content to remain as they were. He tells them that they would become worse and worse, and even would lose the slight knowledge, and desire to learn, which tliey had. 18, 14. Seelsa.vi.9, 10. The meaning is, that tliough the people saw the mira- cles of Christ, and heard His words, it 58 ST. MATTHEW, XIII. By liearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand ; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive : 15 Tor this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed ; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see : and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you. That many prophets and right- eous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 18 ^ Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and under- was the same as if they neither saw nor heard, as they learnt nothing from them. For, as we have seen, it was not meant that they should understand at once the parables ; as it is said yet more plainly in St. Mark, that the pa- rables were spoken in obscure language, 'that' the people, whom our Lord ad dressed, might not see, that is, under stand them : God not willing that they should do so till they came humbly to Christ to be taught. Our Lord meant by them to draw them on to come to Him and learn patiently from Him, which they, from their evil mind, did not. 15. 'Gross' means stupid, unable to receive the Gospel. ' Their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed/ that is, in the sense above given, that though they saw and heard, they did not understand so as to make a right use. Tlie meaning of this verse is, that the people had so unfitted them- selves, by wilful sin, for hearing the Gospel, that our Lord did not count the greater number of them worthy of having it plainly set before them for the salvation of their souls, and there- fore spake to them in parables. Such of them as were humble-minded and moved by the grace of God to desire to hear further, would follow after Christ, and ask to have the parables explained. But except to them our Lord did not vouchsafe to speak plainly, as He did not offer the whole mystery of His Gospel, save to those who were prepared to hear it aright. To have done otherwise would have been against His own precept which we read before, ' Give not that which is holy to the dogs:' (ch. vii. 6, where see note.) And we may add to what is there written, that to have revealed such deep things to the evil-disposed would have been worse for them, as they would have neglected them, which would be to them an additional sin. 'Lest at any time they should see,' &c., appears thus to mean, ' for they are not fit, or counted worthy, to be enabled to see with their eyes,' &c. : for it was the grace of God alone which could so enable them. 16. To see and hear means here, as before, to do so rightly, so as to understand. 17- Our Lord tells His disciples how much more favoured they were than the prophets under the old Dispensation of God in the Jewish times, who could only look forward to and wish that they might see, what the disciples actually saw, the coming of Christ, who, as the expected Messiah of the Jews, was partially revealed to them by the Spirit of prophecy. 19. ' The word of the kingdom,' that is, of the kingdom of heaven, the Gos- pel, which is likened to the seed, as the sower is to the preacher of the word : in the first instance Christ Him- ST. MATTHEW, XIII. 59 staudetli it not, then conieth the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it ; 21 Tet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while : for when tribulation or persecu- tion ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hear- eth the word ; and the care of this world, and the deceitful- ness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and under- standeth if; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 24 ^ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The self, next His Apostles and commis- sioned teachers, tlu-ough whom, in so far as they teacii rightly, He Himself speaks. ' The wicked one,' is Satan, compared to the fowls in the pai-able : who de- stroys all the good which the preaching of the truth might do to any one who heai's it, unless he turns it to riglit account. 21. ' He hath not root,' that is, he does not I'eceive the word deeply, and with real principle and resolution to hold by it against all temptations and difficulties : so that when they come, he cannot resist them, but is 'offended' (see note on v. 29). kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field : 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field ? from whence then hath it tares ? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The ser- vants said unto him. Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up ? 29 But he said. Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together un- til the harvest : and in the time of harvest I will say to the reap- ers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. ' Dureth ' is the same as endureth. 22. The 'cares' and 'riclies' of the world, by which the heai'er is 'de- ceived,' so that he yields to them, and ' the word ' of God is ' choked ' or hindered in his heart, are likened to the ' thorns ' of the parable. 23. The ' fruit ' is the good works which ought to follow upon receiving the word ; and which some produce more abundantly, and others less : as seeds do. ' Hundredfold,' that is, aa hundred times more than the seed. 24. ' The kingdom of heaven ' in all these parables means the Gospel, and 6 GO ST. MATTHEW, XIII. 31 ^ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds : but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 33 T[ Another parable spake he unto them ; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables ; and without a parable spake he not unto them : 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which what happens undei' it. See below, ver. 37 — 43, and notes. 31. In Eastern countries the mustard plant is not a small one, as among us, but grows to be a large tree. The Gospel is therefore likened to it, as having had small and humble begin- nings with Christ and His Apostles, and then spreading over all the world. 33. Here the ' meal ' means the world, which was to be filled with Christianity as flour is filled with the leaven, or yeast, which spreads through it. It is like it not merely in its being so filled compli'teli/, and so as to give it quite a new character, but as it is done qraditally. 35. See Ps. Ixxviii. 2. The prophet here is David, as many parts of the Psalms are prophecies as well as hymns. ' Things,' that is, the things of the have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. 36 Then Jesus sent the multi- tude away, and went into the house : and his disciples came unto him, saying. Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man ; 38 The field is the world ; the good seed are the children of the kingdom ; but the tares are the children of the wicked one ; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil ; the harvest is the end of the world ; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire ; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all Gospel, which were planned by God from ' the foundation of the world,' or from everlasting, but kept 'secret' from the knowledge of men till the days of Christ. 37,38. 'The children of the king- dom' (of heaven), means those in the 'field,' that is, the world, who rightly receive the Gospel. They are likened to seed sown by Christ the Son of man, as it is through His grace that they do so receive it. The ' children of the wicked one,' are evil-minded Christians or hearers of the word, who, though outward members of the Church of Christ, make no good use of being so, being perverted by Satan, and so likened to seed sown by him. 41. 'His kingdom,' the outward or visible Church of Christ. ' All things ST. MATTHEW, XIII. 61 things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire : there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Tlien shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 44 % Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field ; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all tliat he hath, and buyeth that field. tliat offend,' means rather all those who lead others into sin (see note on v. 29). 42. The ' furnace of fire,' is hell-tire. In the parable thus explained by our Lord, the words ' while men slept,' may allude to the secret and hidden manner in which Satan works and influences the minds of men to evil, and also to the care- lessness of men in admitting him. We are to observe, however, that it is not always intended that every small par- ticular in a parable must have a spiritual meaning, such being often put in only for the sake of the story. From ver. 28 — 30, we are to learn, as from the parable of the net (ver. 47), that in the Christian Church, the state of which is one oftrlal,ha.d and good will be ever mingled till the Last Day, when they will be finally separated, some unto happi- ness, and others unto misery; and that it is not allowed to us to make an outwardly visible communion with none but entirely righteous persons within it, as the ' ser- vants of the householder' wished to have a field with none but good corn in it. For we cannot be sure of discerning all good persons, as God alone can ; and in trying to cast out the wicked we might cast out some whom we mistook for such, and who were really good, as the mas- ter told his servants they might mistake wheat for tares (or, as it more properly 45 ^ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls : 4G Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. 47 ^ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gather- ed of every kind : 48 AVhich, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into ves- sels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of means, a sort of bad or inferior wheat) while still growing and before the time of ripening had arrived, wlien they would be distinguishable. It is indeed allowed to the Church to exercise discipline and cast out open sinners from her commu- nion ; but such discipline should always be with a view to lead them to repent, and should leave room for such repent- ance, whereas the ' rooting up ' of the parable, would mean casting out entirely, without a hope of return. The 'servants,' here may mean the rulers of the Church, to whom the warning not so to cast out sinners is addressed. The ' barn,' in ver. 30, is the same as garner in iii. 12, where see note. In ver. 43, ' the righteous' are they who are accepted at the Last Day. ' The king- dom of their Father,' that is, heaven. 44. ' Hideth,' that is, does not men- tion that he had found it. In this parable and the next, the lesser details are not of importance (see note on ver. 42); their general meaning is that the Gospel, and what is therein promised, are aloneof real value to man, and that all other things should, if necessary, be given up for the sake of them. 47. The 'kingdom of heaven' seems to mean here, not so exactly the Guspel as the Christian Church, the body or number of baptized Christians, among 62 ST. MATTHEW, XIV. the world : the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire : there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things '? They say unto him. Tea, Lord. 52 Then said he unto them. Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. 53 ^ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, inso- much that they were astonished, whom are bad as well as good. The general object of this pai'able is the same as in that of the tares ; but tliat one set forth chiefly that the good and bad are mingled in this life; this one, that they will be separated at the Last Day. 52. ' Scribe,' here means a teacher of the Gospel, one ' instructed unto,' or well able to set it forth. Our Lord says that the Gospel and its doctrines, such as He had just been setting forth in the parables of this chapter, consist partly of old things, that is doctrines and com- mandments which God had before made known in the Old Testament, and re- peated in the New : partly of new things, new revelations made in the New Testament. 54. ' His own country,' Nazareth, where He was brought up. 5fi. ' All these things,' all these powei'S of preaching and miracles. and said. Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works ? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son ? is not his mother called Mary ? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us ? Whence tlien hath this man all these things ? 57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. CHAPTEE XIV. 1 At that time Herod the te- trarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist ; he is 57. ' Offended,' here means nearly the same as in xi. (J (where see note), namely, that the people, knowing the lowly origin of our Lord, and having formerly been apparently on an equality with Him, felt angry and annoyed at seeing Him so much above themselves, and saying and doing such great things ; so that they were envious as well as surprised, and refused to believe in Him. 'A prophet is not without honour,'&c., is a sort of proverbial expression, and was said from the same reason which made the Nazarites offended in Christ; namely, that the countrymen of a pro- phet, who had been familiar with him, were more naturally jealous of his fame, and not inclined to admit that he could be greater than themselves. Ch. XIV. 1. ' Teti'arch,' means a kind of ruler or governor. ST. MATTHEW, XIV. G3 risen from the dead ; aud there- fore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 3 ^ Tor Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put liim in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. 4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Hero- dias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being before in- structed of her mother, said. Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. 9 And the king was sorry : nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the 3. ' His brother Philip's wife,' that is, widow. 4. ' To have her,' namely, to wife, which was contrary to the Law (see Lev. xviii. 1(5). 8. A ' charger,' means a plate or dish. 9. ' And thtm which sat with him at meat;' being ashamed to be perceived to break the oath which he had made, whicli he ought to have done, as it is damsel : aud she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13 ^ When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart : and when the people had heard thereof, they fol- lowed him on foot out of the cities. 14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 15 T[ And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multi- tude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18 He said, bring them hither to me. 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven,he blessed, and brake, not right to keep an oath wlien it is dis- covered to be a wicked one. 13. ' He departed,' supposing Herod might seek to slay Him also (see note on ix. 30). 19. ' Blessed,' that is, gave tlianks to God before distributing the food, as we do in saying grace, which ' blesses ' or sanctifies the meal. In this case our Lord probably also referred particularly 64 ST. MATTHEW, XIV. and gave the loaves to Ms disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20 And they did all eat, and were filled : and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. 22 T[ And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him. unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray : and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit ; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer ; it is I ; be not afraid. to the miraculous power which He was about to exert, and which He had from the Father, whom therefore He thanks or blesses (see note on xxviii. 18). 20. ' They were all filled,' tlie number of the loaves and fishes having been multiplied by our Lord, by a miracle, so as to be enough for them. 25. ' Watch,' division of the night. 29, 30. St. Peter was enabled to walk on the water by a miracle. But, as we see in other miracles which our Lord 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said. Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid ; and beginning to sink, he cried, say- ing. Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth Ids hand, and caught him, and said unto hira, 0 thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 34 ^ And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased ; 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his did (ix. 22, &c.), no one could benefit by them who had not faith. Peter there- fore at first had some faith, enough to enable him to walk on the sea by the miraculous aid of Christ ; but when the trial of his faith became stronger by the storm increasing, it failed, and he began to sink. 31. 'Doubt,' whether the aid of God would be continued to him throughout. 32. ' The wind ceased,' namely, at the command of Christ. ST. MATTHEAV, XV. 65 garment : and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. CHAPTER XV. 1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jeru- salem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples trans- gress the tradition of the elders ? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also trans- gress the commandment of God by your tradition ? 4 Por Grod commanded, saying. Honour thy father and mother : Ch. XV. 2. This rule, against eating with unwashed hands, that is, without certain formal and ceremonial washings, was not a part of the law of Moses, which only prescribed certain washings on ceremonial occasions, but, as it is here called, a mere ' tradition,' or cus- tom derived from the ' elders,' that is to say, learned teachers among the Jews. 3. ' Your tradition,' that is, another ti'adition of the same kind. 4. * God commanded,' see Exod. xx. 12 ; Deut. xxvii. IC. ' Let him die the death,' that is, be put to death. 5. What is here called a ' gift ' is called in St. Mark's Gospel (vii. 11) • • Ciii'ban,' which is a Hebrew word of the same meaning. It means a gift to God, or a thing conseci'ated or made holy to the service or to the house of God. It was of course allowable and right for a man to give up some of his property to the service of the temple, or, in any other manner, to the outward service of God ; but the fault which our Lord here reproves was that by which some of the Jews used to profess that so much of their property had been given up by a vow to God, that they were miable to give up any of it to a good and and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me ; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall he free. Thus have ye made the command- ment of God of none eftect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips ; but their heart is far from me. necessary purpose, such as in this in- stance the support of their parents. This probably would often be a mere pretence ; but even if it was not, our Lord teaches them that such a duty as that of supporting their parents in case of need was a higher one, one of greater obligation, than that of giving up their wealth to the service or the ornament of the temple ; and that the latter, if they had not enough for both, should give way to the former. This is according to what He says above, ' I will have mercy, and not sacrifice ' (see xii. 7, and note) ; and we are to learn from it the same sort of lesson as the Jews, namely, that though it is right to dedicate some of our means to such outward services as, for instance, the adorning of churches, and it is right to deny ourselves for such a purpose, yet there are duties which we owe to others, such as the one here mentioned of supporting our parents, which are of greater importance, and which require from us even the wealth which we had intended or set apart for the former purposes, in case both the objects cannot be attained. 6. ' Free,' that is, excused from doing so. ' Honour,' assist or support. 7. xxix. 13. 68 ST. MATTHEW, XV. 9 But in vain tliey do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10 ^ And he called the multi- tude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand : 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man ; but that which coraeth out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were oifended, after they heard this saying ? 13 But he answered and said. Every plant, which my heavenly 9. ' The commandments of men,' as it was only a 'ti'adition of the elders,' (ver. 2). 11. Our Lord, as we see from ver. 20, said this with reference to the tradi- tion among the Jews which had just been noticed, that it was wrong to eat with UHwashed hands. The Pharisees held that that was a sin, and that food thus eaten ('that which goeth into a man ') therefore ' defiled ' him, that is, he sinned by eating it. Our Lord tells them that under the Gospel covenant there would be no such distinction of things lawful and uuhiwful to be eaten as there was under the law of the Jews, who, for instance, were forbidden to eat the flesh of swine. The Gospel was to be preached to all nations ; the law was for one nation only, the Jews, who were therefore kept apart from other nations by many peculiar observances, by which Christians were not to be bound. Chris- tians, as we are told by St. Paul (Rom. xiv. 14; 1 Cor. x. 25, &c.), are allowed to eat any kind of meats ; there is no general restriction as to the quality of it, though at particular times, or for par- ticular reasons, i*estrictions as to food may be proper in the way of fasting. But we must observe that it is only meant that any kind of meat is allowed : Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jesus said. Are ye also yet without understanding ? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught ? 18 But those things which pro- of course a man is ' defiled ' by any ex- cess of food, greediness, &c. ■ That which cometh out of a man ' is explained in ver. 18, 19. 12. ' Offended,' that is, shocked, as if he had said something wrong in speak- ing against their traditions and cere- monies. 13. By a ' plant ' our Lord appears to mean a doctrine ; such as the Pharisees had been mentioning, that it w.as wrong to eat with unwashen hands. This, as being not from God, but only a tradition of men, our Lord calls a ' plant, which his heavenly Father had not planted.' It was therefore to be 'rooted up,' that is, the doctrine and all such must be abolished. 14. ' Blind ' means ignorant, not see- ing, as it were, with the eyes of the mind, such as both the Pharisees were and the people whom they misled by their traditions. The end would be ruin to both of them, likened by our Lord to the blind ' falling into the ditch.' 15. 'Parable' here means a saying which needed to be explained ; that, namely, in ver. 11. 18, 19. ' Those things which proceed out of the mouth ' are words, which are spoken of here as the signs of the ' thoughts ' which are in the heart, from ST. MATTHEW, XV 67 ceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart ; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart pro- ceed evil thoughts, murders, adul- teries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies : 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 21 *|[ Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came ovit of the same coasts, and cried unto him, say- ing, Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, thoio Son of David ; my daughter is grievously vexed -with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, which 'thoughts' proceed evil actions: such as are mentioned in ver. 19. 22. ' A woman of Canaan,' that is, not a Jewess ; from one of the Gentile na- tions. 23. ' Send her away,' that is, send her away satisfied, by doing what she asked. 24. See note on x. 5, G. The Jews are compared to ' lost sheep,' inasmuch as they were ' lost ' or wandering in ei'rors and sins. 26. It was in order to try or prove this woman's faith that our Lord at first refused to work the miracle for her ; and in this verse He adopts the re- proachful term which the Jews often .used about heathens and unbelievers, namely, ' dogs.' The ' children,' means the children, or the chosen people, of God, namely, the Jews (as in viii. 12); I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and wor- shipped him, saying. Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the chil- dren's bread, and to cast if to dogs. 27 And she said. Truth, Lord : yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith : be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. 29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee ; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those and to ' take their bread and cast it to dogs ' means, to do for unbelievers the same miracles which, as has been said, our Lord announced Himself as sent to do for the Jews only, as the pi'omised Messiah. 27. The woman shewed the strength of her faith, which our Lord meant to put to the trial, by persevering in her prayer after He had so often refused it (see the parable of the Unjust Judge, Luke xviii. 1 — 5); and here she shews her humility also, for she says that on her own behalf, or on that of other Gentiles like herself, she only presumes to ask for a tery few of Christ's gifts compared with what was vouchsafed to the Jews ; which she likens to the dogs eating crumbs which fell from the chil- dren's table. 29. ' The sea of Galilee ' is the same 68 ST. MATTHEW, XYI. tJiat tvere lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet ; and he healed them : 31 Insomuch that the multi- tude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, tlie lame to walk, and the blind to see : and they glorified the God of Israel. 32 ^ Then Jesus called his dis- ciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, be- cause tliey continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat : and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33 And his disciples say unto him. Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude ? 34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye ? And they said. Seven, and a few little fishes. 35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave which is elsewhere called the sea, or lake, of Geunesaret, or of Tiberias, or of Capernaum. 32—38. See xiv. 15— 21, and notes. 39. ' Magdala,' a Jewish district. Ch. XVI. 1. ' Pharisees and Sad- ducees' (see note on iii. 7). ' Tempting him,' that is, trying Him, to see what He would say or do, not with a good motive, in order to learn or be convinced, but hoping that He would in some manner lay Himself open to be accused. ' A sign from heaven,' that is, a miracle done by heavenly power. thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37 And they did all eat, and were filled : and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. 39 And he sent away the mul- titude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala. CHAPTER XVI. 1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting de- sired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said unto them. When it is evening, ye say. It ivill he fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning. It loill he foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. 0 ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky ; but can ye not discern the signs of the times ? 4 A wicked and adulterous 3. ' The signs of the times,' means all those circumstances about our Lord, about His birth, His teaching, and His doings, which were already known to those Pharisees, and by which they might have known that He was the Messiah, according to the prophecies which they had of Him, and which were to enable them to know Him when He came. ' Hypocrites,' that is, wilfully refusing to know and understand what they ought to have known. 4. Our Lord's miracles were mostly done, not in the sight of all the people, but of His disciples who followed Him. ST. MATTHEAY, XVI. 69 generation seeketh after a sign ; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the pro- phet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. 5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 ^ Then Jesus said unto them. Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying. It is because we have taken no bread. 8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, 0 ye of little faith, why reason ye among your- selves, because ye have brought no bread ? 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up ? This, we may suppose, was partly from the same kind of reason which moved Him to speak to the people generally in parables (see note on xiii. 15), namely, that what He did and said was accord- ing to what was good for those before whom it was done or spoken ; and it was only those who had faith, or a dis- position to believe in Him, who benefited by His miracles. Others, as we see in thecase of the Pharisees (see John xi.53), were only made worse, and the more set against Him, by His wondrous works. Some of our Lord's miracles, however, were done more in public, as we see (see xi. 21, &c.). He says here that there was one miracle which was to be made known to all the people, even the whole of that ' wicked and adulterous generation,' namely. His wonderful re- surrection from the dead, which He calls ' the sign of the j)rophet Jonas,' iuas- 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up ? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of tlie leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees ? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 13 ^ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying. Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ? 14 And they said. Some say that thou art John the Baptist : some, Elias ; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? much as it was to be on the third day after His death, as Jonah was delivered out of the whale's belly three days after he was swallowed up (Jonah i. 17)- See note on xii. 40. 6, 7- The disciples observed only the word ' leaven ' among those which Christ used, and understood it literally of yeast used in making bread. 9,10. ' Baskets' of fragments. If the disciples had remembered the miracle, they would not have cared whether there was bi'ead with them or not, as they would have kuown that He could supply it if it was needed. 12. 'Doctrine,' or teaching, is here again compared to leaven, as before we saw the Gospel or Christian religion likened to it (see xiii. 33, and note). 14. ' Some say that thou art John the Baptist,' that is, John risen again from the dead, as we saw that Herod 70 ST. MATTHEW, XVI. 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: forfleshaud blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. imagined (xiv. 2). "' Ellas :' the prophet Malachi had foretold (iv. 5) that ' Elijah the prophet ' would be sent ' before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Loi-d.' That ' day ' was rightly understood by the Jews to mean the day or time of the coming of the Mes- siah ; but it appeal's that they did not all understand that, under the name of Elias or Elijah, the prophet meant John the Baptist (see note on xi. 14), and therefore some supposed that our Lord was the person so foretold. ' One of the prophets,' namely, risen again. 17- ' Bar-jona,' means son of Jonah, who was St. Peter's father. Our Lox'd says that Peter could only know truly who He was by revelation from God, and not from 'flesh and blood,' that is, not from any man. 18. The meaning in Greek, of the word which we translate, ' Peter,' is ' a rock,' or ' stone,' and ' this rock,' appears therefore to mean St. Peter. Our Lord, in this verse, says of St. Peter what is elsewhere said of all the Apostles (Eph. ii. 20), upon whom the Church of Christ, likened to a house or building, is said to be built or founded ; that is, they were the persons whom Christ vouchsafed to make use of in its first establishment. What they did, spoke, and wrote, is the foundation of the Church to this day, which is thus said to be foundedupon them. In Scripture the gates of a city are often used for the city itself. So here, the 'gates of hell' mean hell itself, or the power of hell, that is, the power of evil and of destruction, which Satan endeavours to bring against the Church. We learn from this that the Church of Christ will never be destroyed. As 18 And I say also unto thee. That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of hea- ven: and whatsoever thou shalt long as the world lasts, the Catholic or Universal Church shall endure upon it ; and after the end of this world it shall endure for ever in heaven as the Church Triumphant, even as it now exists not only in this world, but in those ' spirits and souls of the righteous' which have finished their earthly course, and are now awaiting their entrance to the heavenly mansions, which will be opened to them at the Day of Judgment. St. Peter was,in somerespects, the chief of the Apostles, as having been the first called to the apostleship(Luke v. 10), the first to preach the Gospel to the Jews after the descent of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, and the first to preach it to the Gentiles, namely, to the Gentile Cornelius. Our Lord appears, therefore, to have counted him worthy on this and on another occasion (.John xxi. 15 — 17),ofbeingby Himself addressed in words, and entrusted with commissions, which were at other times given to all the Apostles. There was no real dif- ference or inequality among the Apostles, and the particular powers mentioned in ver. 19 are given by our Lord to all the Apostles without distinction, in xviii. 18, and John xx. 23. 19. The 'binding' and 'loosing' here spoken of, mean, as has just been said, the same as what our Lord speaks of in John xx. 23, ' Whose soever sins ye re- mit, they are remitted unto them ; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are re- tained. 'Whatsoever ye shall bind or loose' means ir/tosoever ye shall bind or loose. To be bound means to be still under the sentence of punishment for sin ; to be loosed is to be freed from or forgiven that sentence. The power ST. MATTHEW, XVI. 71 bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt of the ' keys' here spoken of is the s:iine thing. The 'kingdom of heaven' may here be understood to mean the state of salvation: tlie state, that is, in which if a man is while living on earth, he may humbly trust, by the mercy of God through Christ, that he is in the right way to attain forgiveness of his sins and everlasting life after death. Our Lord here gives to St. Peter, as in the other passages referred to He gives to all the Apostles, the power to admit men into this state, and to shut them out from it, as a 'key' lets men in and out of a building. So they who are shut out are also they who are * bound,' as is said by St. Matthew, and whose ' sins are retained,' as is said by St. John ; and contrariwise of those who are ad- mitted. We may infer from this, as we see from other places (Acts viii. 23, &c.), that the Apostles had the power given them by the Lord of discerning when a man was in a state of deadly sin, and when he was not ; when his sins were such that, while he remained in that state, they were not to be for- given by God, and when they were not such ; so that a sentence of condemna- tion or of forgiveness pronounced by them was the same as if spoken by God Himself. We do not understand that the same power has ever been possessed by any one in the Church of Christ since the time of the Apostles. But these same words, that is to say, those in St. John, are used by the Bishops of our Church in the services for the ordination or appointment of the Clergy. The Bishop says, in laying his hands on the head of him who by that act becomes a Priest of the Church, ' Receive thou the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins thou dost remit, they are remitted ; and whose soever sins thou dost retain, they are retained.' And the same is said by the Archbishop when, by the same act, im- position of hands, he consecrates a loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Bishop. And the power thus given is exercised by the Clergy, for instance, in the Absolution in tiie Morning and Evening Services, in which it is de- clared that God hath given power to His ministers to declare forgiveness to the penitent ; and again, in other words, in the Communion Service, and in the Office for the Visitation of the Sick. We may undei'stand it in this way. The visible Church of Christ is a body formed or established by certain out- ward appointed ordinances, dispensed by ordained ministers, through which, as the ordinary rule of God's dealings, His inward and spiritual grace is con- veyed. It is to those who are members of this body, who have become so by that which is the sacrament of admis- sion into it, namely, Holy Baptism, that tlie benefits and privileges of the Chris- tian coven.ant are promised. Among these privileges is the forgiveness of sins committed, which God's ministers, as is said in the prayer above quoted, are empowered to declare, in the name of God and for the sake of Chi-ist, to the people being penitent, that is, upon their true repentance and amendment of life. The authorities of the Church have the power of shutting out, by wliat is called excommunication, open and flagrant sinners from partaking of the services and sacraments of the Church. It is clear that such sinners as these cannot be said to be in a state of salvation, and forgiveness of sins can- not be pronounced to them. But they are to be readmitted upon repentance ; that is to say, when, as far as man can judge, they turn to that state in which they may with a trembling hope look for God's mercy, then God's ministers feel it lawful to announce it to them. This declaration on their part is one of the outward channels through which this forgiveness of sins is specially con- veyed. If indeed this announcement is unjustly refused to a true penitent, we 72 ST. MATTHEAV, XYI. 20 Then charged he his disci- ples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 21 % From that time forth be- gan Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be kiUed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying. Be it far from thee. Lord : this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said suppose not that it would alter his con- dition in the sight of God ; nor will it avail towards the remission of the sins of a man if he is not truly penitent. But if he is truly penitent, still if there are no cii'cunistances to hinder his re- ceiving absolution, whether pronounced by the minister in the midst of the con- gregation or to himself singly, his full forgiveness, in so far as he may venture to hope for such full forgiveness, will be better assured by his so receiving it than if he receive it not. If indeed circumstances hinder him from receiv- ing it, we express no doubt of the ac- ceptance with God of his sincere repent- ance without it ; nor do we in any way presume to limit the freedom of God's grace and mercy ; we only say that such appears to be the ordinai'y way in which God has declared that He will dispense forgiveness of sins. It is the same as in the case of any other out- ward ordinance. A man might omit being confirmed, and sincerely try to lead a holy and acceptable life witliout it ; and no one can venture to say that he could not do so. But nevertheless believing that Confirmation is a Divine ordinance committed to the Church, though not of such essential obligation as the two Sacraments, we thankfully use it as a further seal and assurance of our hopes. unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan : thou art an oflence unto me : for tliou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24 ^ Then said Jesus unto his disciples. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 Por whosoever will save his life shall lose it : and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 Por what is a man profited, We say, then, that the power given in these passages by our Saviour to His Apostles, was by them transmitted, or handed down, in the sense in which we have explained it, to be exercised, as it ever has been in the Church, by those who were appointed by and succeeded to the Apostles, namely, the Bishops, and by them to the Priests or clergy whom they appoint. 20. We may suppose that our Lord gave this command to His Apostles, for the same reason for which He often kept His miracles concealed (see note on ix. 30). 23. An ' offence ' here means a hin- drance or a stumbling-block ; and to ' savour ' means to care for. Our Lord addresses this severe rebuke to St. Pe- ter, likening him to Satan himself as an evil counsellor, because of St. Peter's attempt to keep or hinder Him from what He had declared to be the will of God concerning Him, namely, that He should be put to deatli. This was ' the things that be of God ;' ' those that be of men ' would be the natural desire to avoid suffering and death, by which our Lord as a man might be moved, and which Peter felt for Him. 24, 25. See note on x. 38, 39. 26. ' What shall a man give in ex- change for his soul ' may be more clearly uuderstood if expressed in this way, ST. IVIATTHEW, XVII. 73 if he sballgaintlaewhole world, and lose bis own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? 27 For tlie Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels ; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. CHAPTEE XVII. 1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them : and his face did shine as ' What shall a man Hot give in exchange for his soul ?' meaning that he should be ready to give up any thing, for that it is impossible to reckon any earthly or perishable thing, which a man may be called to 'give,' that is to say, to give up for the sake of the obedience of Christ, as of any value compared with the everlasting life or happiness of his soul, which he will obtain instead, or ' in exchange for,' what he thus gives up. 28. This verse seems not to refer to the same event as the one preceding, which speaks of the Day of Judgment, but to the destruction of Jerusalem (see note on x. 23). The two things, the final coming of Christ to judgment, and His coming in His kingdom, that is, shewing forth His power at the destruc- tion of Jerusalem, are sometimes spoken of in the Gospels so nearly together, that it is necessary to use some care in distin- guishing between what is meant of the one and what of the other; as here we are enabled to do by its being mentioned that some of those then living should the sun, and his raiment was white as the light, 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talk- ing with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here : if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias, 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them : and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my be- loved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched see the Son of man coming : which of course cannot mean His coming to judg- ment, to 'reward every man according to his works.' But as the destruction of Jerusalem was about forty years after this time, many then living would see it. Ch. XVII. 2. 'Transfigured,' that is, His figure or appearance was changed ; it became glorious, so as to give some idea of His heavenly glory to these three Apostles, who ai"e in some respects the chief of the Apos- tles, and on this as on some other occasions, were taken alone by our Lord to see the manifestation of His glory and power. 4. In St. Luke's accotmt (ch. ix. 33) we are told that St. Peter, when He said this, did not know what he was say- ing, being overcome and bewildered with the marvel of what he saw, and the trance into which he had been cast (see Luke ix. 32, and note). 5. 'A voice,' of God the Father, as at the Baptism of Christ (iii, 17), E 74 ST. MATTHEW, XYII. them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come ? 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you. That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples under- 9. See note on ix. 30. After our Lord was ' risen again,' and ascended into heaven, there was to be no longer any I'estriction, but His name and Gos- pel were to be proclaimed throughout all the world. 10. See note on xi. 14. The Apos- tles, still not undei'standing that the Elias foretold by Malachi meant John the Baptist, asked our Lord how it could be that Elijah was to come ' first,' that is, before Christ came, when they saw the spirit of Elijah, which was allowed to appear at the Transfiguration, shew- ing that he had not returned to earth. 11. Elias, (that is, here, John the Baji- tist,) our Lord says, icas to ' covie first,' and' restore all things,' that is, he was to be, as he was, the introducer or first announcer of the neioor 'restored ' state of things under the Gospel ; in which the powers of evil were to be subdued by the power of Christ, and the power of stood that bs spake unto them of John the Baptist. 14 T[ And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son : for he is a lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falletb into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy dis- ciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you ? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither tome. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him : and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out ? pleasing God, which had been lost to mankind by the fall of Adam, was to be ' restored ' to them by tlie Holy Spirit, in virtue of Christ's sacrifice. When our Lord says ' Elias shall first come,' He speaks as if in the language of prophecy, or as repeating what His disciples had said, so that the effect ia the same as if He had said, ' Elias icas to come first.' 12. ' Have done unto him whatsoever they listed,' refers to Herod's having put him to death. 15. This boy, here called a ' lunatick,' or mad, we see by the 18th verse, was possessed with a devil : the two things being apparently the same. See xi. 18, and note. 17. This verse is explained by the 20th. Our Lord means His disciples by the ' faithless and perverse genera- tion ;' whom He thus rebukes for their want of faith, inasmuch as if they had ST. MATTHEAY, XYII. 20 And Jesus said unto tliem, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, liemove hence to yonder place ; and it shall remove ; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 22 ^ And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men : 23 And tli.ey shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raisedagain. And they were exceeding sorry. had faith they would have been able to cast out the devil, as we read that at other times they did (Luke x. 17). 20. ' Faith as a grain of mustard seed,' means ' even a very little of true faith.' The removing of a mountain is spoken of as an instance of the kind of miracle which the Apostles and disci- ples would be enabled to do by tlie power of God ; for of course it would be through His power alone that ' nothing would be impossible to them,' which God might commission them to do. What would be required on their part would be faith, belief and trust in God that they would have that power ac- cording to His promise. The power of performing such mira- cles as these through faith was not genorally continued in the Church be- yond the Apostles and early followers of Christ ; wherefore this vez'se cannot be considered as addressed generally to all Christians, but only to those who were to possess that power. But this can only be said of the literal meaning of the passage, according to which the dis- ciples are told that they would be able to remove mountains, or do other mira- cles as wonderful. In a spii-itual sense the powers here promised to faith are £ 2 2-1 ^ And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute ? 25 He saith. Yes. And when he was come into the house, Je- sus prevented him, saying, AYhat thiukest thou, Simon ? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute ? of their own children, or of strangers ? 26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. 27 Notwithstanding, lest w^e should offend them, go thou to promised to all true believers ; that is to say, the promise is that they will be able to overcome the wickedness of the flesh and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, which to the natural man, unaided by divine grace, is as impossible as it is to remove mountains. 21. ' This kind,' namely, of devils, seems to mean some peculiarly malig- nant kind of evil spirit ; which, our Lord says, could only be cast out by such as were prepared by special prayer and fasting. 24. This 'tribute-money ' was the tax, or money paid for the service of the Temple. This explains our Lord's mean- ing in the following verses. He means that earthly kings preferred taking tri- bute from strangers or foreigners, when they could do so (as when they came into their dominions), to taking it from their own children or people, who were thus 'free' from the tax. In the same way, He Himself, being the Son of God, would be free from the payment of this particular tax, which was considered to be paid to God Himself, namely, as being for His service in the Temple. But He ordered Simon Peter to pay it, by means of the miraculous finding of a coin mentioned in the next verse, ' lest,' 76 ST. MATTHEW, XVIII. the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up ; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money : that take, and give unto them for me and thee. CHAPTEE XVIII. 1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ? as He says, ' we should offend them,' that is, lead them, whoever heard of it, into a wrong, false belief. Because those persons, especially the tax-ga- therers, not knowing who our Lord was, might suppose that His refusal to pay, had He refused, was fi'oui some wrong motive : and, as our Lord would here teach us, the general rule is that it is ri^ht to pay lawful tribute (Rom. xiii. 7)- The finding of the piece of money was miraculous, whether it was created for the purpose, or that our Lord knew by His supernatural power, that it would be so found, as such things often are dis- covered to have been swallowed by fishes. Ch. XVIIL L By 'the kingdom of heaven,' the disciples probably meant the great earthly kingdom which they, being still in ignorance like the other Jews, expected that Christ would set up : and their pride and ambition, from which they were not yet cleansed, led them to ask who should be the greatest in that kingdom, hoping that they them- selves might be so. 3, 4. ' Converted,' changed from their proud temper, the state of soul of the natural man, to the Christian temper of humility and simplicity of mind. Our Lord means to lead the disciples to perceive that the kingdom of heaven was not at all an earthly one, but hea- venly and spiritual. In this verse He 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said. Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the king- dom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one means heaven itself by ' the kingdom of heaven ;' into which those only who are like little children are to enter. But in ver. 4, He speaks of those who are greatest in the kingdom of heaven while still living upon earth. Here the kingdom of heaven seems to mean the kingdom which Christ establish- ed upon the earth, or the Christian Church : (according to the difference of meaning which the words ' kingdom of heaven' have in the Gospel.) Those who 'are as little children' are the ' greatest,' in the Church, and such only sliall enter into heaven. To be as a little child means, to be like one in lowliness, teachableness, and trust in God: and such are 'greatest,' or best, in the sight of God. That is, they are so, in so far as respects those great graces. It is not of course meant that humility alone is enough to make a man the greatest in the sight of God : but that as regards humility and pride (such as the Apostles had just shewn, and of which our Lord wished to cure them), the man who has the most purged himself from the latter, and become filled with the former, is so far the best pleasing to God. And it is commonly true with regard to humility, as it is in all other Christian graces, that a man will not really have one without having the others in good measure also. See note on v. 7- 5. ' One such little child ' seems to ST. MATTHEW, XYIII. 77 such little cliild In my name re- ceiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and tlutt he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 T[ Woe unto the world be- cause of offences ! for it must needs be that offences come ; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh ! 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee : it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlastins: fire. mean either such a child, or one Uke such a child. Rightly, to ' receive,' that is, to love and value, such persons, namely, inasmuch as they have, by the grace of Christ, some of His own spirit, is here promised the same kind of bless- ing as is promised to one who rightly receives Christ Himself or the Gospel, which He preached. See x. 40, and note. 6. ' Offend :' see note on v. 29. ' Little ones :' see note on x. 42. 7. 'Offences,' that is, the sin of those who ' offend,' as before explained. ' It must needs be,' it is unavoidable, on account of the sinfulness of man. 8. 9. See note on v. 29, 30. ' Life,' everlasting life in heaven. 10, IL Our Lord tells them that those ' little ones' or children, were not to be ' despised,' for that God cares for them and gives them guardian ' angels,' and that they are the objects of the love of the 'Son of man,' who came to 'save' them from the 'lost' state in which they are born; for, as our Catechism says, the children of men, who are born by nature 'in sin, and the children of wrathj' become childi-en of God in Holy 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee : it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones ; for I say iinto you. That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father whicli is in heaven. 11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12 How think ye ? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, Baptism : in which Baptism the benefit of the ' coming,' that is, of the life and death of Christ, for the sake of which the sins of mankind are forgiven, is ap- plied to those who rightly receive it. The ' angels behold the face ' of God, that iSjthey are in His presence and favour. 12, 13. This parable or comparison about the one sheep lost out of the hun- dred, is elsewhere (Luke xv. 4) used on the subject of the repentance of one who has actually sinned. Being here brought in, as our Lord says in ver. 14, to shew how our heavenly Father ' desireth not the death ' of one of those little ones of whom He was speaking, (tliat is. He would have them attain eternal life,) we maj' understand it more especially to mean the joy which God Himself gra- ciously vouchsafes to tell us that He feels at the salvation of even one and the least of the fallen i-ace of man, by the atonement of Christ. For infant chil- dren have not themselves ' gone astray ' by actual sin, but they belong to a sinful race, and have a sinful nature, requiring to be saved. We may understand, however, that 3 78 ST. MATTHEW, XYIII. verily I say unto you, lie rejoiceth more of that sheep, tlian of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. 15 ^ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone : if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. our Lord takes occasion, from the men- tion of sinfulness in general, to speak also of repentant sinners in these cases, as in the passage of St. Luke : of sinners sorrowing for sins which they have actually committed. He means Him- self, or His heavenly Father, by the man who had lost the stray slieep, by which is meant the sinner, who has wandered fi'om the ways of God to whom he rightfully belongs, as a sheep strays from the shepherd. It is here said that the joy which God Himself feels at the recovery of a sinner is greater than at the remaining number of those who went not astray : or, as it is in St. Luke, ' who need no repentance.' As was said before (see note on ix. 13), there are no persons who need no repent- ance at all, as all are sinners. But in this passage it seems that those are meant who have not ti-ansgressed thepar- ticular commandment which those sin- ners have broken, of whom the repent- ance is here spoken of, and who, there- fore, have not to repent in respect of that particular commandment. Now, we cannot suppose that God would rather that men transgressed and re- pented, than that they transgressed not at all. But the truth is that it is not really to be understood that God is at any time subject to greater or less joy, or to any other changeable affections ; it cannot be so, according to His perfect and unchangeable nature. And when 16 But if he will not hear tJiee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church : but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, AVhatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : He is so often spoken of in this and similar ways in Holy Seriptui-e, we understand it as said in condescension to human infirmity and weakness of comprehension, speaking of God after the manner of men. So in this place the best way may be to consider that as men naturally feel greater, more lively joy, at the moment of the recovery of a thing lost, than at the continued posses- sion of what they have not lost ; so God mercifully speaks of Himself in the same manner, to shew us His exceeding love towards men, and desire that they should leave sin and turn to Him. What we should dwell upon is this thought, of the great joy felt by God Himself at the return of the sinner to obedience. So the ' leaving the ninety and nine ' must be understood in the same way, as only strongly setting forth God's love for the penitent: not as if God's Spirit left the others. It is one of the sayings in the parable which must not be too closely pressed: see note on xiii. 41. We should also observe that the man in the parable is said to go and seek the lost sheep. This we may understand to signify the striving of the Holy Spirit of God in the heart and conscience of the sinner, to bring Him back to Himself. 15 — 17- ill these directions how to behave in case of our ' brother,' which means any one with whom we have to do (as our 'neigh1;our' is used elsewhere, Luke X. 30 — 37), trespassing against ST. MATTHEW, XVIII. 79 and whatsoever ye shall loose ou earth sliall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 21 ^ Then came Peter to him. us, we must remember what was said on V. 38, tliEit it is not right to take these or any other measures of redress against wrong on oar own account, to satisfy passionsof displeasure or revenge, but because it is right, as a duty to God and to society, that wrong-doers should be kept in check, and made to make amends for the wrong they have done. And we must also observe how important it is that we should be sure that the action in question is a real and serious ' trespass,' a thing wrong in itself, and not merely an action displeasing to ourselves. The 'witnesses' mentioned in ver. IG were to be employed in order to prove the wrong done, in case it should be ne- cessary to proceed further, to ' tell it to the Church,' as is said in the next verse. ' The Church ' here must mean the par- ticular Church, or portion of the Catholic or Universal Church, to which the persons mentioned belong. And to ' tell it unto the Church,' which was to be ' heard ' by the offender, must mean to tell it to the spiritual authorities of the Church, who should admonish him to make amends, and should exercise upon him, if he refused to hear such admonition, the power of excommunication (about which, and also ver. 18, which likewise refers to that power, see note on xvi. 19) ; for it is supposed that the offence is serious enough to deserve such discipline. The society of excommunicated per- sons ought to be avoided by others, as that of heathens and publicans was by the Jews (see note ou ix. 10). E and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I for- give him ? till seven times ? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee. Until seven times : but. Until seventy times seven. 23 ^ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto 19. See note on xxi. 22. Hei-e the blessing is promised, not only to prayer of any kind, but more especially to that of several together (' two,' or more), or what we call Common Prayer, as in Church ; where men are ' gathered to- gether in the name' of Christ, that is, to pray as His disciples. Christ as God is All-present, but here He promises to be present in a special manner in any assembly of His worshippers. 21. St. Peter asks for some explana- tion of our Lord's words about the trespasses of others against us, not un- derstanding that forgiveness was always to be given by Christians, but supposing it might only be commanded for a cer- tain time. 22. 'Seventy times seven' does not mean tliat particular number, but any number whatever. However often any one may sin against us, it is our duty to forgive him; to feel fori/ireuess towards him entirely, and to do nothing against him from revenge or private feeling, as before explained. The parable that fol- lows is to explain and enforce this duty. 23—34. The 'king' in this parable means God, and the ' servants' are men, considered as sinners against God and against each other. ' Take account,' that is, of money which he had entrusted to them. 24. The 'talent' here is the silver talent, which was a measure of value among the Greeks, equal to about 190?. of our money ; and the ' penny,' in ver. 28, was equal to about Tl'l. of oiu- 4 80 ST. MATTHEW, XIX. him, wlilcli owed him teu thou- sand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, say- ing, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that ser- vant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow- servants, which owed him an hundred pence : and he laid hands on him, and took lilin by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants money. But the particular sums do not signify, in the application of the parable : it is only to be observed that the one sum is immensely larger than the other, to shew us how infinitely greater our sins against God are than any offences of others against us can be. For the debts in the parable sig- nify offences or sins, which have to be atoned for, or satisfaction made for them, as debts are paid. 25. In the East the slaves (for such these servants are) were often sold. This servant had stolen and spent the money. 34. 'To the tormentors,' that is, to prison. In the application of the pa- I'able we must observe that it is impos- saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me : 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow- servant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormen- tors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. CHAPTEE XIX. 1 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galdee, and came into the coasts of Ju- dsea beyond Jordan ; 2 And great multitudes follow- ed him ; and he healed them there. 3 ^ The Pharisees also came sible that man can of himself ' pay all,' that is, make up for all, or the least part, of what he owes to God's justice on account of his sins. It is the Atone- ment of Christ which pays it. If there- fore a man, as is here meant, is to suffer punishment till he has paid all, or satisfied for all his sins, from what he can do himself, we learn from the passage that the punishment of hell-fire for the unforgiving and unmerciful will be endless. Ch. XIX. 3. 'Tempting him,' that is, they endeavoured to lead Him to say something for which they might accuse Him, as being contrary to the ST. MATTHEW, XIX. 81 unto bim, tempting him, and saying unto him. Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause ? 4 And he answered and said unto them. Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mo- ther, and shall cleave to his w'ife : and they twain shall be one flesh ? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What there- fore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him. Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away ? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives : but from the begin- ninff it was not so. Law. ' For every,' that is, for any ' cause.' The Law of Moses allowed them to divorce, or put away, their wives, for certain reasons, but not whenever they chose. 4, 5. See Gen. i. 2? ; ii. 24. 7- See Deut. xxiv. 1. This, as was said before, was the manner in which Moses was instructed to allow divorce amono; the Jews for a particular reason. 8. The meaning of this appears to be that, because of the evil and wicked dispositions of the Jews, who, if they had not been allowed the liberty of divorcing themselves from their wives, might probably have often made away with them by poison or in other ways, or have neglected or deserted them for others, God saw fit to allow Moses to give them leave to be divorced in the E 9 And I say unto you. Whoso- ever shall put away his wife, ex- cept it he for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery : and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 10 it His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with Ids wife, it is not good to marry. 11 But he said unto them. All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb : and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men : and there be eunuchs, which have made them- selves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 13 *\\ Then were there brought unto him little children, that he manner here stated. The moral state of the Jews in this and in some other respects was far from the perfection which is commanded to Christians ; the Dispensation of God under which they lived was imperfect, as being only meant to prepare them for the more perfect Dispensation of the Guspel. We therefore are, in this question of di- vorce, to follow the precept given by Christ in the 9th verse, instead of the law as given by Moses, of which that pre- cept was an alteration and improvement. ' From the beginning,' that is, at and from the time of the creation of the world till the time of Moses. For before his time there was no such liberty of divorce as was then given to the Jews ' because of the hardness of their hearts.' 13—15. See note on xviii. 3, 4. 5 82 ST. MATTHEW, XIX. should put Ms liauds ou them, and pray : and the disciples re- buked them. 14 But Jesus said, Suifer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me : for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence. 16 ^ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Grood Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life ? 17 And he said unto him,"Why callest thou me good ? there is none good but one, that is, God : 17. ' Life,' that is, life eternal. It seems clear that this young man did not know who our Lord, wiiom he was addressing, really was : that He was God, Gnd the Son, Very God of Very God. Our Lord was not wont to de- clare openly the highest of all the Christian mysteries. His own Godhead (not even to His own disciples, who do not appear to have certainly known it till after they wei-e enlightened by the Holy Spirit: see note on Mark ix. 32) ; in part, perhaps, if we may be allnwed reverently to suppose it, from the same reason which has been before explained (see note on ix. 30) why He kept His miracles secret ; because, namely, the generality of His hearers were not in a tit state to understand and to make a I'ight use of this great truth. Our Lord therefore gently rebukes the young man for giving him the title of ' good,' which properly belongs to none but God, who is alone the fountain or source of all good, without knowing or considering whether He was more than a mere human teacher ; and He may have meant, as the young man seems to have had some good dispositions (see Mark x. 21), to lead him on to enquire further who He was, when he might have attained to a full knowledge of Him as the Everlasting Son. but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saithunto him, "Which? Jesus said. Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and 18, 19. Our Lord only mentions the latter of the two tables or divisions of the Ten Commandments, that referring to our duty towards our neighbour or other men, as that would be enough to remind the young man of the Coumiand- ments generally. ' Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' ' have the same kind of love and good will to all men as to oneself,' is a sort of summary of that second table : see xxii. 39. 21. We do not understand fi'om this that it is the general duty of Christians to keep no worldly possessions, nor that riches are wrong, though, as we learn from the next verses and elsewhere (1 Cor. i. 26; 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10), riches are a dangerous trial, and, to those who use it rightly, poverty is a better and safer state than wealth. Such cannot be the meaning, as we see ivom other passages of the New Testament that the possession of worldly goods and riches is allowable, and particuhir commands are given to rich men (1 Tim. vi. 17, 18; 1 John iii, 17, &c.); and the best way, probably, for us to look at this question, is to consider that the arrange- ment of society into higher and lower ranks is the ordinance of God, and could not exist without the possession of riches by the foi'mer ; and that, therefore, it is not only allowable but rujht, and the ST. MATTHEW, XIX. 83 sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away duty of those who ai'e placed in those higher ranks, to keep their wealth, using it, of course, only as duty directs, in moderation, with self-denial, and, as stewards of it, for the glory of God and the real good of themselves and of others. In most things, at all events in things of imiiortanee, it is well for us to consider not what is allowable, but what is actually r'ujht and our duty to do ; and upon this principle it is that we should speak of the duty of keeping worldly possessions. And, of course, this applies not only to those who are conimnnly called rich, but to all ranks in proportion. It is not only allowable but right for all to possess, and to preser\'e what is necessary for their proper station in life ; and those who are in a lower rank may increase their substance so as to rise to a higher one, if they do so consistently with an honest, a charitable, and self-denying Jife, and an humble and unambitious spirit, not desiring to rise from motives of selfishness or pride, but receiving it as the blesshig of God upon their lawful exertions, and for the good of their families and their neighbours. But we do learu from this passage that it may- be sometimes right, and a man's duty, to part with his vv'orldly goods. It clearly was so in the case of this young man, to whom our Lord Himself gave the command. In St. Mark's Gospel, instead of the words, ' If thou wilt be perfect,' it is said 'one thing thoulackest;' and it certainly appears clear from these texts, that in the case of any to whom it is lawful and expedient to prefer poverty to riches, that state of voluntary and entire poverty, with constant religious service, is in itself a higher and holier state than that of wealth : and the ex- ample of our Lord, who was Himself poor, and whose pattern must be the sorrowlul : for he had great pos- sessions. 28 ^ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. highest and holiest of all, to those who can follow it, shews the same thing. And there are persons to whom this applies, and who, therefore, may and ought to prefer poverty, though it need not be attempted here to point out who they may be, nor perhaps is it possible to do so completely, as it may de- pend upon many particular circum- stances. ' Treasure in heaven,' the promise of eternal happiness. 23. We said before that it was clearly the duty of this young man to obey the command of Christ, and to sell all that he had, as it would be the undoubted duty of every one actually to (jive up all earthly things if God required it, and to be at all times ready to do so. In this sense we understand the connnaud to 'forsake all that' we have (Luke xiv. 33, &c.). It means, to be willing and ready to do so : to forsake them in heart, and not make them our real and chief object. But this young man was bid actually and literally' to give up what he had : and refusing to do so, of course he could not be in a state of salvation. However little it might have been his duty t(j become poor before receiving that Command, his refusing to do so upon re- ceiving it shewed that there was some- thing which he loved better than God, which he preferred to the obedience of God, as at least lie considered Christ to be a true teacher of God's word ; and that, as before explained (see note on v. 19), is enough to condemn a man, how- ever he may do his duty in other respects. Our Lord takes occasion from this refusal of the young man. to im- press upon His followers the difKculty which rich men must always have in living such a life as will lead them to heaven ; and on account of which, as was 6 84 ST. MATTHEW, XIX. 24 And again I say uuto you, It is easier for a camel to go througli the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying. Who then can be saved ? 26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible ; but with God all things are possible. 27 ^ Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have before said, the state of the poor, if they knew it, is in itself a better and a safer one than that of the rich. In St. Mark's Gospel (x. 24) our Lord ex])hiiiis His first saying,' How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven !' by adding, ' How hardly shall they that trifst in riches' so enter ! But the reason is the same for both, though the latter passage may shew us the more clearly of the two, that it is not the mere possession of wealth, but the wrong use of it, that is condemned. For those who are rich, besides the tempta- tion to use them without moderation, are sorely tempted to ' trust in' their riches,' to think of nothing else, and to care for nothing but their worldly wealth, comfort, ambition, and the like ; and it is this way of living which does not lead to heaven. ' Hardly,' means ' with dif- ficulty;' and our Lord, in ver. 26, explains this difficulty by saying that it is, in fact, an impossibility with man alone, and that nothing but the special grace of God, for which they should continually pray, can preserve the rich from the dangers of their state. 24. This expression is a strong pro- verbial one, such as was used in Eastern coimtries, meaning extreme difficulty, and indeed, as was explained, impossi- bility to human power alone. 28. 'In the regeneration,' or new world, appears here to mean ' at the forsaken all, and followed thee ; what shall we have therefore ? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Yerily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my Resurrection, or Day of Judgment;' on which day this promise to the Apostles will be fulfilled in some wonderful way which we cannot now fully understand. 29. ' Shall receive an hundredfold,' which is said of earthly good things in St. ]\Iark's Gospel, where it is differently explained (see note on Mark x. 28, 29), may here, perhaps, be better understood of the spiritual blessings of a good con- science, 'the peace of God which passeth all understanding,' together with the prospect of eternal life, which are en- joyed by those who give up earthly possessions or relations for the sake of Christ, and which are infinitely more valuable (which is meant by 'an hundred- fold') than what they give up in this world. Of course the ordinary duty is for a man to cherish his earthly relations, as it is, according to what was before said, his duty to use rightly his earthly posses- sions ; but it may sometimes happen, in various ways, that our duty to God may requii'e us to give up those relations for His sake. How that may happen can probablj' not be fully stated, as was said about giving up possessions; but we may see from this passage that such giving up, to those who are culled to it, should be accounted the highest blessedness, though it would be wrong except at such a clear call of duty. See note on xii. 40—50. ST. MATTHEW, XX. 85 name's sake, shall receive an hun- dredfold, and shall inherit ever- lasting life. 30 But many that are first shall be last ; and the last shall he first. CHAPTER XX. 1 EoE the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an house- holder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers in- to his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vine- yard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others stand- ing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them ; Go ye also into the vineyard, and what- 30. The object of this verse, which is often repeated by our Lord, is perhaps different in different places. Here it may probably be supposed tliat He meant it to prevent His Apostles from being too much elated and presump- tuous at what He had just told them of the high heavenly reward which they might look to. So far as they then stood, having given up so much for His sake, they might look for those rewards, and might be called ' the first ;' but, unless they watched and prayed against temptation, so as to ' follow ' Christ throughout, they might at a future time fall away, and thus become the ' last ;' and others who were the ' last,' infei'ior to the Apostles, might become ' first,' or before them. Ch. XX. 1 — 16. In this parable God is signified by the householder, and the labourers are men called to the knowledge and obedience of God, in various circumstances, as will be ex- plained. This calling is meant by the soever is right T will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle ? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them. Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call tlie labourers, and give them their hire, begin- ning from the last unto the first. 9 And when thev came that ' hiring ' in the parable. The ' vine- yard,' as in other parables, is the Church of God, whether Jewish or Christian. With regard to this parable we must remember (see note on xiii. 42) that in the parables of our Lord gene- rally we are not to expect to be able to apply every detail in the story to some- thing in that which it is meant to sig- nify in its spiritual use. In the one before us it is not necessary to find out whether all the circumstances, such as the precise hours mentioned, the labour- ers making agreement for a certain sum with their employers, the standing of some of them idle in the market-place waiting to be hired, mean any thing fully and exactly corresponding to them in the Church. Looking at the parable in the way which is most important to us, as referring to God's dealing with Chris- tians (though it applies also to His deal- ing with men in general), we may here understand ' the kingdom of heaven ' to mean what has been just said. His deal- 86 ST. MATTHEW, XX. loere liired about the eleveutli hour, they received every mau a penuy. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought hut one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of ing with Christians under the Gospel ; and tlie general intention of the parable is to point out to us how entirely free and undeserved by us are the promises of eternal blessedness in heaven which are held out to us by God through Christ ; how entirely beyond any pro- portion with any thing that we can do. This is shewn by the same sum (the penny; see note on xviii. 24) being given to all the labourers. The parable does not represent what would be Ukdi/ to happen in earthly affairs, as in such aft'airs labourers who worked for different times would have different payments; it is only what mhjht be done, and the payments are made to be equal for the spiritual meaning of the parable, namely, in order to shew that we cannot earn everlasting life (which is meant by the penny in the parable) by any thing that we can do. If we could so earn it, the labourers, meaning men, would have been spoken of as earning wages according to their w^ork, whereas the payments being equal shews that eternal life is thefree gift of God for the sake of Christ, nothing that we can do having any merit of its own. The labourers being called or hired to goandworkinthevineyard,means men hearing and obeying the call of God in them, and said, Eriend, I do thee no wrong : didst not thou agree with me for a penny ? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way : I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ? Is thine eye evil, because I am good ? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last : for many be called, but few chosen. 17 TT And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disci- ples apart in the way, and said unto them, their hearts and consciences, to serve Him in His Church, which they accord- ingly do for the rest of their lives. This, with regard to the Gospel, may mean two sorts of people, to both of which the parable applies ; either heathens who, liaving lived fir some time without ever hearing of Christ, have the Gospel preached to them and are converted ; or those who, having lived for some time in sin, and as only nominal Chris- tians, turn to God by an effectual re- pentance. To both these is held out the promise of eternal life, which is spoken of as one and the same gift, the penny. For, though there may be dif- ferent degrees of happiness in heaven, still as even the lowest measure of hea- venly bliss is immense and infinite, as measured by any thing that man can do, those degrees may properly all be spoken of as the same gift. The different hours in the parable mean the different times in different men's lives at which they hear and obey this call of God. Those who are called early in the morning, and work through the day, may mean those who are born Christians, and lead a Chris- tian life throughout ; those who are called at any of the later hours mean those who begin to live as Christians ST. MATTHEW, XX. 87 18 Behold, we go up to Jerusa- lem ; and the Son of man later in life. In one case (ver. 7) some of those who in the former part of their life did not serve God, give as an excuse that ' no man had hired tliem.' This can hardly ever be a suffi- cient excuse, (in the spiritual meaning of the parable, in which it would mean that no one had shewn them hoic to serve God,) to any one born and bred in a Christian land, in which there are opportunities for every one to know God's will and do it. But it applies to heathens who do not know the way of salvation through Christ till some one preaches it to them. At whatever time of life it be that men are in this manner brought to a true repentance, even if it be quite late, which is meant by the ' eleventh hour' of the day (of twelve hours), their repentance will be accepted. Of course no one can draw from this the least encouragement to delay of repentance, and wilful conti- nuance in sin. It is clear that all those who reach heaven may be called equally blessed : and we know that due and reed repentance after sin leads to heaven no less than uniform righteous- ness would do so, if any man had such righteo\isness. But the parable tells us nothing about how to repent, and what that effectual repentance is : it leaves that matter as it was. All that appeai-s is, that those who were called, obeyed fully and instantly. But besides that no sinner can tell whether he will ever have such an opportunity at all, whe- ther his 'place for repentance' may not be cut off the very next moment by the hand of death ; besides this, he cannot tell whether after long habits of sin he will be able effectually to repent and be converted. God's grace will indeed en- able him to do so if he heartily desire and pray for it : but this is the very question — how can he count on having this hearty desire at a future time ? This verj' desire, to be effectual, is the gift of the 'preventing grace' of God, without which he cannot have it : how shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, can he tell that he will be counted worthy to receive that grace ? In other words, no wilful sinner and putter-off of repentance can tell whether he may not continue in that state so long, that his heart will be hardened, and he will fall into a reprobate state, as that of a man who should have com- mitted the unpardonable sin (see note on xii. 31). The only safe course then is instant repentance and amendment of life. We may look upon the lesson to be derived from this parable in another point of view. The question before God, as has been explained, (see note on V. 19,) is not how many or what degree of good works a man may do, but what is the state of his heart ? If it depended necessarily on the number of the works, which ai'e signified by the labour of the labourers in the pai'able, the reward given would have been differ- ent, instead of being the same penny. A good heart indeed will produce good works, and they are required of us ac- cording to opportunity ; but the oppor- tunity may be wanting in various de- grees from various reasons. So those who, according to the pai-able as ex- plained, are called late in life, will not have done as many good works as others : yet their heart may be as right towards God as others, and that would be equally accepted. God alone can see this : and, as before said, it would be the height of presumption and folly to expect and hope to have such a heart after a course of sin : but it may be so, and in this view the parable may be looked upon as a merciful encourage- ment to true penitents. On the other hand, it is clear that the parable may be taken as a warning ayalnst presumption of another kind : against the notion that any icorh which we may do can give us any superiority over others. If it were otherwise, the labourers in the parable who had done the most work would have been repre- ST. MATTHEW, XX. and tliey shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify liim : and the third day he shall rise again. sented as receiving more wages than the others ; whereas they are all made equal. This view is pointed out by the way ill which our Lord introduces the parable : He says 'For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man,' &c. ; by which we perceive that He meant it as especially a lesson to His Apostles, to whom He had just promised great re- wards. He means that if they fell into presumption and pride upon hearing this, they would lose the rewards (see note on xix. 30). Such presumptuous persons are signified in the parable by those who ' murmured ' because they thought they had a right to higher pay than the others. For though it is not said in the story that they lost their rewai'd, the 16th verse seems to shew us that ill the spiritual sense of the parable it is meant that such persons will not be 'chosen' at all, though they had been 'called:' as, of course, it is impossible to suppose that proud and presumptuous persons can be accepted before God. It was said before (see note on xix. 30), that the words of this verse, ' the last shall be first, and the first last,' are variously used in different parts of the New Testament. Here, according to what has just been explained, they are suggested by the pa- rable, though they do not exactly apply to what is supposed to happen in the story, but only applies to its spiritual sense. Among the labourers, as to the reward of a penny, there were no 'first ' and 'last,' as they were all equal. But as to their calling to work, there were first and last, some being called earlier and others later. In the spiritual sense of the parable, these words apply in both respects, as also does the latter part of the verse, 'many be called, but 20 ^ Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, "What wilt thou ? She saith unto him, few chosen.' If those who have been earlier called to the service of God should grudge against those who are later called, and murmur against their being admitted to God's favour as well as themselves, they would be rejected while the others are ' chosen' or ac- cepted. Further, we may suppose that our Lord addressed this parable in a parti- cular sense to the Jews, and to wara them against the sin of presumption to which they were so given : namely, that they might understand that the Gentiles, to whom His Gospel was to be preached, though not by Himself, would be equally admitted to Christian privileges with them, if they became true believers, though their calling was later than that of the Jews was. The above are the meanings of the parable in which it is impoi'tant for us to understand it : but with reference to the story of the parable itself, it is clear that the labourers who were hired early in the day, had no right to com- plain if those who were hired later received the same wages. They had made their own agreement (ver. 2. 13, 14), and no payment made to others, from the liberality of the master (ver. 15), could make any diff'erence as to that. In ver. 11, 'goodman' means 'mas- ter.' In ver. 15, to have an ' evil eye ' is a sort of proverbial expression, meaning to be made envious and spiteful by something that one saw. 19. ' The Gentiles,' namely, Pontius Pilate and the Roman soldiers. 21. Salome, (Zebedee's wife,) proba- bly meant by ' Thy kingdom ' the king- dom of earthly glory which the Jews ST. MATTHEW, XX. 89 Grant that these mj two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22 But Jesus answered and said, Te know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with ? They say unto him, "We are able, 23 And he saith unto them. I Te shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with : but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall he given to tliem for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indigna- tion against the two brethren. 25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Te know that the expected our Lord to establish. Our Lord iu His answer to her, speaks of His kingdom hereafter in heaven, and those who will be admitted to it. 22, 23. ' Ye know not what ye ask ! ' that is, }e suppose that that kingdom will be an earthly one, whereas it will be a heavenly one : and ye know not that they who will attain to it will do so ' through much tribulation,' Tlie sufferings of Christ are here, as in some other places (Luke xii. 50 ; John xviii. 11), likened to a being bap- tized with a certain baptism (as it were, plunged into it), or di'inking of a certain cup : as sufferings are often in the Psalms, and elsewhere, likened to a cup, or the cup of God's wrath (Ps, Ixxv, 8. 10; Is. li. 17, &c,). The Apostles, namely, John and James, said they could do whatever tlieir Lord did. They probably said this without under- standing what His sufferings might be : but our Lord tells them that they (and this includes the other Apostles) would really have to undergo such sufferings, as it happened. All the Apostles were persecuted, and most of them put to death, for the sake of the Gospel. In the latter part of the 23rd verse, our Lord seems to mean that He could not give heavenly rewards without respect to, or separate from, the will of the Father, who would give them to , those for whom He had prepared them, to those who should have ' worked out their own salvation with fear and trembling,' (Phil, ii, 12,) by the help of God, and trusting in Jesus Chi'ist. It is, of course, impossible that Christ should so give them without respect to the will of the Father, for His will as God was one with that of God the Father, and His will as Man was per- fectly conformed to that of His Father. Moreover it may seem probable that our Lord here spoke, as He generally did while on earth, rather as man than as God (see notes on viii, 20; xix, 17), and in that sense as inferior to the Father, as we say in the Athanasian Creed, that He is ' inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood,' while He is ' equal to the Father as touching His Godhead,' According to this He would in this verse rather refer to His human will than His Divine will, and speak of that human will as subject to that of His Father, We must ever remember that Christ's Human Nature was com- plete, and the same as ours in all respects except sinfulness, and that therefore He had not only human feel- ings and infirmities, but a human will, 24. ' The ten,' the ten remaining Apostles besides James and John, who were angry with them for wishing to be honoured above them in Christ's king- dom, being, as James and John also were when they made the request, possessed by feelings of worldly ambition. 25 — 28, Our Lord goes on to teach the Apostles a lesson derived from what two of them had just asked, and espe- cially in order to correct the feelings of anger which the ten felt. He tells them 90 ST. MATTHEW, XXI. princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you : but whosoever ^vill be great among you, let him be your minister ; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your ser- vant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude follow- ed him. 30 ^ And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, 0 Lord, thou Son of David. 31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold that these feelings of jealousy and ambi- tion, which they had till they were enlightened by the Holy Spirit, was not to be their feeling under the Gospel ('among you,' among Christians, ver. 26). Kings and great men among the heathen or Gentiles, He says, thought themselves not bound to do any thing beyond the exercise of their office of ' exercising dominion and authority over ' them : they did that, and that only, not having learnt the Christian lesson of humility. But among Christians, persons high in station ■were on that very account to attend and to minister to the needs and comforts of those around them, and to do so them- selves personally, not only by seeing that others did so. It is not meant that rank and station w^ere to be given up as wrong, and exchanged for a lower con- dition (see note on xix. 21), but that their peace: but they cried the more, saying. Have mercy on us, O Lord, thoio Son of David. 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you ? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes : and immediately their eyes re- ceived sight, and they followed him. CHAPTEE XXI. 1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two dis- ciples, 2 Saying unto them, Gro into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her : loose them, and bring them unto me. those who are thus above others should be humble, and helpful ('minister') to others, and that only so could they fulfil the duty of their station, and be truly ' great ' and ' chief ' among them. So our Lord was chief of the Apostles, and set them the example(.Jolm xiii.l — 17)of ' ministering,' instead of being ' minis- tered unto.' We may also observe, as in the former chapter (xix. 21 , where see note), that if ever it should be the duty of great men literally to follow this direction and become poor and lowly, such would be their better and safer lot. ' A ransom,' that is, a means of saving: properly the price paid that a prisoner may be set free. ' Many,' that is, a great multitude of souls, namely, all men : for whom Christ died. So in Is. liii. 12, ' He bare the sin of many.' ST. MATTHEW, XXI. 91 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them ; and straight- way he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David : Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord ; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come in- Ch. XXI. 3. ' He will send them,' being moved by the Spirit to do so at once. 4. ' The prophet,' Zechariah (ix. 9). 5. ' Tlie daughter of Sion ' means simply Sion itself, or Jerusalem. It is a figure not unusual in the prophets, to liken people or cities to maidens in this manner (Is. xxii. 4, &c.). 8. ' Strawed,' laid. These garments and branches were laid down in order to do honour to Jesus, and give His entry the appearance of a triumph. 9. ' Hosanna ' is a Hebi'ew word, sig- nifying ' Save us, we beseech thee.' ' In the name of the Lord,' as being the Messiah or the Christ ; having the name of ' the Lord.' to Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Wlio is this ? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Na- zareth of Galilee. 12 T[ And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer ; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple ; and he healed them. 15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the chil- dren crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David ; they were sore dis- pleased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say ? And Jesus saith unto them, Tea; have ye ' In the highest,' in heaven. 12. ' Money-changers,' were people who carried on some kind of traffic in money in the Temple, which, in those days, was allowed to be pi'ofaned in this manner, as well as by the other trades being carried on within it which are here mentioned. 13. 'It is written,' Is. Ivi. 7. ' Thieves,' namely, dishonest traders, which it was very likely that those per- sons would be who allowed themselves to profane the temple. 15, 16. ' Hearest thou what these say ?* The scribes from envy pretended that our Lord ought to have put a stop to these expressions of the people. ' Have 92 ST. MATTHEW, XXI. never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ? 17 ^ And he left them, and went out of the city into Beth- any ; and he lodged there. 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city he hun- gered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward ye never read,' namely, in Ps. viii. 2, which was a prophecy fulfilled in these shouts of the childi'en around our Lord. ' Perfected praise,' that is, drawn forth pure or perfect praise. There is probably an allusion to the character of children, as that which is most ac- cording to the spirit of the Gospel (see note ou xviii. 3, 4), and from whom therefore praise is acceptable to God. 19. We may be sure that our Lord did not pronounce this curse on the barren fig tree, by which it was withered for ever, without meaning it as a lesson from which we are to learn some spi- ritual truth ; in the same way as the parables, which do indeed contain a simple and obvious sense according to the mere words of them, but from which we are always to gather some further truths appertaining to the Gos- pel. The lesson here is that unless men, as the fig tree, produce the fruits of faith, that is to say, good works, which are meant by the fruit of the tree, and not only an unprofitable appearance of goodness, which is meant by the leaves, they will perish everlastingly, which is meant by the withering of the fig tx'ee. 2L Here our Lord makes this further use of the miracle by which the fig tree was withered, that He teaches His fol- lowers from it, that great powers would for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying. How soon is the fig tree withered away ! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this lohicli is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain. Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea ; it shall be done. 22 And all thinsrs, whatso- be given to their faith (see note on xvii. 20). 22. ' Believing,' that is, having faith and trust in God that He will hear our prayer. When we are told that we shall receive whatever we pray for in faith, we of course must understand that it must be a thing which it is good and I'ight to pray for. We cannot say for certain that any thing except one is such as it is thus right to pray for ; for we do not know what earthly things are I'eally good for us, that is, for our souls, and what it would be profitable for our souls to lose. We mean that we do not know what earthly things it is right and wise for us positively to pray for; to pray that we may lieep, or may obtain them. We know indeed that whatever God hath appointed for us, in outward circumstances as well as in other respects, that is best for us, if we could but perceive, or rather if we would but believe it to be so, and would act and use it accordingly. But the question is with regard to the futui-e, whether we know that it is best for our souls that we should continue as we are in any respect, or whether any and what change might not in truth, as God seeth though we see not, be best for our everlasting benefit, which is our only real benefit ? And the answer is, that we do not know this on any single point. Our present state is the best ST. MATTHEW, XXI. 93 ever ye shall ask in prayer, be- lieving, ye shall receive. 23 If And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest for us now, but we cannot tell whether it, or quite a different one, will be best for us hereafter. We are to act indeed about our worldly circumstances accord- ing to the best judgment we can form ; but with regard to the subject and meaning of our prayers, we conclude, as we said before, that we have no means of knoiclng, with regard to any earthly thing, whether it is best for us to be with it or without it ; and therefore we must not suppose that this verse gives us any reason to expect, whatever faith we may have, that we shall always receive any such earthly thing that we may pray for. The one thing whicli we know is always good and needful for us, and which we are promised in this verse that we shall always receive in propor- tion to the reality of the faith with which we believe and trust in God, and with which we pray to Him for it, is the gi'ace or help of the Holy Ghost to enable us to lead a holy life to the glory of God ; such a life as will receive from God, for the sake of Christ, forgiveness of sin and the eternal happiness of heaven. But still it has always been under- stood, and is indeed plain from many other parts of Scripture (vi. 11, &c.), that not only is it right, but we are commanded, to pray for many other things besides grace to lead a good life. Indeed we may go further, and say that there is no one thing, however in- significant it may appear, which may not rightly be made the subject of prayer, sui)posing of course that it is innocent. Because though we do not know for certain what outward things thou these tilings ? and who gave thee this authority ? 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. are good for us, we may very fairly suppose, and it is highly probable, that many such things are good, and may and ought to be prayed for. Whatever is according to the course of nature and the ordinary appointments of God's Providence, such as our life being con- tinued to a good age (and any thing else which God Himself has declared to be generally a blessing, as He has length ofdays,Exod. xx. 12), whatever is neces- sary to the support and reasonable com- fort of that life, and whatever is accord- ing to the natural desires and affections which God hath implanted in us, such as peace, quietness, and the domestic pleasures of home, have ever been con- sidered as the lawful objects of prayer to God. And still more clearly is it allowable, and our duty, to pray for all such blessings upon others, and espe- cially those near to us. And it is right to consider such blessings to be con- ferred in answer to such prayers, ac- cording to Christ's promise in this passage. But we may infer from what has been said that it is well to pray for all such outward things with some such addition as ' If Thou seest fit,' ' If it should be Thy will,' for God's will, we know, must always be good. It is not necessary that we should always express such a reservation in our prayers ; but it is well to resolve inwardly that such shall ever be our intention in praying for any particular thing for ourselves or others. To pray that God's glory may be promoted, and our own salva- tion and that of others set forward, and that whatever comes to us we may so take it as God would have us do, re- quires no condition or reservation. 94 ST. MATTHEW, XXI. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it ? from heaven, or of men ? And they reasoned with them- selves, saying. If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, A¥hy did ye not then believe him ? 26 But if we shall say, Of men ; we fear the people ; for all hold John as a prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them. Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 ^ But what think ye ? A certain man had two sons ; and 25—27. The 'baptism of John' (the Baptist) being 'from heaven,' means his authority to baptize (and teach) being given him by God, as its being 'of men' means its being merely from the autho- rity of men. Our Lord's question to the Pharisees was thus nearly the same as that which they asked Him about Himself. They could not, that is, they would not, answer it, because their sin in having refused to believe John the Baptist had brought them into the difficulty that they could not say what they knew was the truth, namely, that he teas sent by God, without shewing their own sin in having so rejected him ; and if they were to try to excuse themselves by falsely pretending that he was not sent by God, they feared the wrath of the people, who had reverence for John the Baptist as a true prophet. And they could not presume to repeat to our Lord the question they had put to Him, while refusing to answer His question. In this manner our Lord, as He often did, avoided the danger which the Jews meant to draw Him into' by their question. They would have made it a matter of accusation against Him before the rulers of the country, that He assumed divine authority over the he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vine- yard. 29 He answered and said, I will not : but afterward he re- pented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he an- swered and said, I ffo, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father ? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Yerily I say unto you. That the publicans and the har- lots go into the kingdom of God before you. people, and would have charged Him with blasphemy. His 'time' for such danger was not yet ' come' (see note on ix. 30). At the same time our Lord's question does in fact imply an answer to the question put to Him ; because if the divine authority of John the Baptist were admitted, which it would be in a right answer to His question, the greater authority from Heaven of our Lord, whose messenger John was, would necessarily follow. 28 — 30. This parable of the two sons appears to have been addressed by our Lord in the first instance to the Chief Priests and Pharisees, whom He had just put to silence ; and i-efers to two sorts of persons among the Jews, themselves on the one hand, and such as 'publicans and harlots' on the other. These latter had begun by leading a sinful life (see note on ix. 10), but afterwai'ds, on the preaching of John the Baptist, or of Christ Himself, they 'repented.' These are meant by the son who said at first to his father, 'I will not,' but afterwards ' went.' The former professed to obey God, but did not in fact do so ; and these are meant by the other son. Our Lord means that the frst, the repenting son, ST. MATTHEW, XXI. 95 32 For John came imto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not : but the pub- licans and the harlots believed him : and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. 33 ^ Hear another parable : There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dig- ged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to hus- bandmen, and went into a far country. 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his ser- vants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took did the will of his father 7nore or better than the other, though of course it would have been better still to have throughout both professed and performed obedience. We may also understand from the parable with respect to men generally, that the repentant sinner is preferred in the sight of God before the hypocrite whose obedience is only in profession and appearance. 32. ' In tlie way,' thatis,in the 'prac- tice ' of righteousness. ' When ye had seen it,' that is, seen the example of tJie publicans and harlots, which might have led them also to believe. 33 — 41. In this parable the house- holder signifies God the Father. The husbandmen or cultivators and tenants of the vineyard, the Jews ; the vineyard, the Church of God upon earth ; the fruits of the vineyard, the righteousness and obedience to God's law which His people ought to produce ; the servants, the several prophets and holy men whom He sent to the Jews to teach and guide them in His way, and of whom we read his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned an- other. 36 Again, he sent other ser- vants more than the first : and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying. They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast Mm out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 AVhen the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen ? 41 They say unto him, He will in the Old Testament as so often ill- treated by the Jews ; the son signifies God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ ; the time of the coming of the Lord of the vineyard or the householder, the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jewish people (see note on x. 23): the other husbandmen to whomthevineyardwastobe let, the mem- bers of the Christian Church which was to succeed to the Jewish. In the 33rd verse the various useful things which the householder is said to have done to his vineyard, mean generally, that God provided for the Jews, when in the time of Moses He founded among them His Church, and gave them His law, what- ever was necessary for their well-being. It is not necessary to look in that verse or in the rest of the parable, for more particular resemblances to the things signified by it, further than has been pointed out : according to what has been said before about parables (see note on xiii. 42). There are, however, a few other likenesses which may be 96 ST. MATTHEAV, XXI. miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out Ids vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them. Did ye never read in the scriptures. The stone which the builders re- jected, the same is become the found, such as the resemblance of the ' hedging about ' of the vineyard to the separation which God ordained between the Israelites and the rest of the world ; the ' far couuti-y ' may mean heaven, where God, though All-present, more especially is said to dwell, and from whence He is said to ' come,' or to 'come down,' when He more especially visits the earth. The householder 'receiving the fruits' may be said because good works are, as it were, offered to God, aud are to His glory. The husbandmen seizing on the ' inheritance ' (which is the vineyard), may mean, that the Jews at the time of our Lord's coming re- jected Him, as wishing that the dispen- sation which God had instituted for them, and which, as the special Jewish Dispensation, was to be done away when Christ came, should remain for ever ; that the privileges which they had possessed, as God's favoured people, but which were to cease when all nations were called to the Christian covenant, should be perpetual. The parable then is this : God, having planted His Church among the Jewish people, and having sent to them pro- phets and other wise men to teach them in such ways and works as might glorify Him, whom they ill-used and killed, and having at last sent His only Son, our Lord, to shed among them the light of the Gospel, and to redeem them and all men from sin and from death, whom also they slew, was now about to destroy that wicked nation, and to found the universal Christian Church, wherein the fruits of holiness should be borne. head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes ? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on It is not a new vineyard that is planted, but the old one that is let out to new persons, from which we are to learu that the Christian Church is not a new Church, entirely different from the Jewish, but the continuation and fulfilment of it. In the 41st verse, the Pharisees, not perceiving the meaning of the pai'able, but taking only its plain aud literal sense, shew forth against themselves the justice of God by declaring what would be deserved by such persons as the parable mentions, who in fact were themselves and their country- men. 42. The Scripture here referred to, and which concerns the same rejection of Christ, which was the subject of the parable, is in Ps. cxvii. 22. The ' head of the corner ' means the chief or most impoi'tant stone of a building, aud here signifies our Lord, the build- ing meaning the Church of God, of which He is the Chief or Head. The ' builders ' are the Jews, who in earlier times were employed by God in esta- blishing His Church. This vei'se, then, is a prophecy of the glory of Christ, and the establishment of His kingdom, after His Resurrection and Ascension, who before had been ' rejected ' by the Jews. 43. A ' nation ' means Christian peo- ple generally, who are spoken of as a nation, though they are of many differ- ent earthly nations. 44. The ' stone ' meaning our Lord, those who ' fall on it ' seem to be those who, when He first appeared, disbe- ST. MATTHEW, XXII. 97 this stone shall be broken : but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when tlie chief priests and Pharisees had heard his para- bles, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. CHAPTEE XXII. 1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by para- bles, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is lieved Him : (were offended at Him, so that He was a ' stumblingblock and rock of offence ' to them, over which they fell ; see Rom. ix. 32, and 1 Cor. i. 23 ; and note on xi. 6,) wliich was to them a loss or injury, signified by their being ' broken ;' but who might after- wards repent and follow Him, so as to avoid the worse fate of those next spoken of, upon whom our Lord should 'fall' and 'grind them to powder,' which means, utterly destroy them. These are they who throughout would not repent and believe, and who there- fore bring on themselves the final con- demnation of Christ at the Day of Judg- ment. Ch. XXII. 2. In this parable again, as in others (xx. 1 — 16, &c.), our Lord refers in the first instance to the man- ner of God's dealings with the Jews and the Gentiles, while there is also a lesson for all mankind to be leax'nt from it. ' The kingdom of heaven ' means here, God's dealings with men under the Gospel. This is represented by the ' marriage ' or ' wedding,' which means a marriage-/easf. The covenant be- tween God and man, both in the like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding : and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying. Tell them which are bidden. Behold, I have pre- pared my dinner : my oxen and mi/ fatlings are killed, and all things are ready : come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of if, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchan- dise: case of the Jewish and the Christian Church, is often spoken of in the Bible under the figure of a marriage between Christ and the Church. (Jer. ii. 2; Eph. v. 25—32, &c.) The king is God the Father, and his son is God the Son, our Lord Chi-ist. 3. Looking at the parable in the first instance as meaning the offer of the Gospel to the Jews, the Jewish people are here meant by those who are ' bid- den to the wedding,' as it was to them in the first place that it was offered, as being God's chosen people. The ' ser- vants ' are the Apostles and first preach- ers of Christianity. ' They would not come ;' the Jews as a nation would not accept the offer of the Gospel, would not become Christians; though many individuals among them did. 4 — 6. The sendingforth other servants again signifies the repeated announce- ments of the Gospel by the followers of Christ to men. The people making light of it means the Jews rejecting the Gospel on account of their worldly objects, of whatever sort they might be, whether such as are mentioned in ver. 5, or any others. For it must have been on account of some worldly object that they rejected Christ, and in those days •98 ST. MATTHEW, XXII. 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated tliem spite- fully, and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth : and he sent forth his armies, and de- stroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants. The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the especially they were called upon to for- sake all such things and follow Him. The remnant ill-treating the servants (which is meant by ' entreating spitefully,' ver. 6), means the persecutions and martyr- dom which the Apostles and disciples met with. 7. This verse is to be understood of the destruction of Jerusalem (the 'city'), and of the Jewish people, which was inflicted by the Almighty some time after the death of Christ, as a punishment for their rejection of the Gospel. The instruments which God employed therein were the Ro- mans, who may be here signified by the term ' his armies ;' because, though they were unbelievers, and thinking not of God, but of their own will, they were used by Him to work out His pur- poses, as He is said to do with the un- godly (Ps. xvii. 13). 9, 10. The 'highways' mean the world in general ; and this invitation to as many as should be found means the calling of the Gentiles, that is, of all the world except the Jews, to become members of the Christian Church, which, as we read in the Acts, was done by the Apostles after the Jews had generally rejected the gracious offer of the Gospel. ' Bad and good ' were equally gathered, which indicates that the offer of salvation was, as it is still, made to all, even the greatest sin- high ways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the mar- riage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good : and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 T[ And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wed- ding garment : ners, on the condition of repentance and faith. Tims far the parable chiefly refers to God's dealings with the Jews and the Gentiles ; but it may also apply to all occasions of the Gospel being offered to men, or of men being called by God to serve Him more truly than they had previously done. On all such occasions many of those who were first called will refuse to hearken, some merely despis- ing the call and preferring worldly goods to it (ver. 5), others altogether hating it, and persecuting those who bring it before them. We must observe that none of the objects which these persons preferred were or are in themselves sinful. All might be enjoyed at a proper time without sin ; the sin was in preferring them to religion, and not giving them up when called upon by God (see note on xix. 21). The remainder of the story (ver. 11 — 14) refers to God's dealings with all those who are called into the Christian Church, and become mem- bers of it. The time of the king coming in to see the guests signifies the Day of Judgment; when those who have in their lifetime been members of the Church, and who are here called the guests, will appear before God. In wedding and other feasts given by great men formerly in the East, it seems pro- bable that a suitable dress (such as is ST. MATTHEW, XXII. 99 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment ? And he was speech- less. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast liim into outer darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen. 15 % Then went the Pha- risees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the He- hei'e described as a wedding garment) was given to each of the guests by the master of the feast, to be worn on that occasion. It was a mark of disrespect to appear without that dress, as the guest described in tliese verses did ; and on that account he is cast forth from the feast. In tlie application of the parable, this wedding garment means that Christian rigliteousness which all those will be required, at the great day, to have attained to dur- ing their earthly probation, who will be accepted and admitted into heaven. That Christian righteousness, the sign and fruit of a true faith and trust in Christ, is only to be had through the free, preventing grace and gift of God, and is therefore here likened to the gar- ment giten by the master of the feast. The grace of God, suflBcient to lead a good life, is offered to all who in Holy Baptism have been regenerated and made temples in which the Holy Spirit dwells ; it is their own fault if they reject it, and at the day of judgment therefore they will be ' speechless,' or without excuse, as the guest here is r rodians, saying. Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man : for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore. What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said. Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites ? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and super- scription ? described ; and will be cast out into the ' outer darkness ' of hell-fire. 14. ' Chosen,' that is, to receive eter- nal life, from the many to whom the Gospel is offered (see Matt. vii. 13, 14, and note). 15. ' Entangle,' that is, induce Him to say something upon which they might found an accusation against Him, or make Him seem to contradict Himself. 16. The 'Herodians' seem to have been a political party friendly to the government of the Jews by the Ro- mans, who had set king Herod over them. They begin in this verse by flat- tering our Lord as one who cared only for the truth, which was the fact, but which they did not themselves really believe. 17. The attempt here made by the Pharisees and Herodians to 'entangle' our Lord in His 'talk,' which He calls (ver. 18) 'tempting' Him, or trying to lead Him into danger, seems to have been in this manner : they sent to Him their own followers, who denied that Herod, being set over the people by the authority of the heathen Romans, ought 2 100 ST. MATTHEW, XXII. 21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's ; and unto God the things that are God's. 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. 23 ^ The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and ask- ed him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said. If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his bro- ther. 25 ISfow there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, de- to be obeyed by the Jews, as having only God for their king ; together with the Herodians, who, as we said, held that Herod was a lawful king over them : and they pretended to wish that our Lord would decide between them. In His answer they hoped that either He would say something contrary to the law and government which the Romans had es- tablished in the country, if He denied that tribute ought to be paid to them, and so incur danger at their hands ; or, on the other hand, that He might con- tradict what He had said before as to the kingdom which He came to establish in the world (x. 7> &c.), if He admitted that there was another kingdom, that of the Roman emperor, Caesar, to which tribute should be paid. They pretended (as our Lord shews by calling them ' hypocrites,' ver. 18) not to understand that His kingdom was to be a spiritual, and not a worldly kingdom. On both these points our Lord teaches the truth in His reply. He shews them that the civil dominion of the Romans over them was a rightful one, by the evidence (ver. ceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother : 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore in the resurrec- tion whose wife shall she be of the seven ? for they all had her. 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Te do err, not know- ing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resur- rection of the dead, have ye not 19 — 21) of the piece of money. The ' superscription ' is that which is written or engraved on a coin ; and it is held that a people are rightly subject to the king whose ' image ' is so marked on the coins of the country, which are paid in the tribute or taxes. He therefore tells them to obey that civil power : ' Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's,' that is, whatever is due to him as sove- reign over the country ; while at the same time that was not to interfere with His spiritual kingdom, as He adds, ' and unto God the things that are God's,' namely, obedience to His holy law as declared by Christ Himself. It was indeed part of that law that men should obey their earthly rulei-s (see Rom. xiii,). The kingdom of Christ is an inward and spiritual one, accoi'ding to which all the thoughts as well as actions of men are to be guided. 22. ' They marvelled ' at the wisdom of His answer. 24. See Deut. xxv. 5. 29. ' The Scriptures,' when they spoke of eternal life. ' The power of God,' in ST. MATTHEW, XXII. 101 read that whicli was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob ? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33 And when the multitude heard tliis, they were astonished at his doctrine. 31 ^ But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, loliicli teas a lawyer, asked Jiim a ques- tion, tempting him, and say- ing, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law ? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou what He will do for the blessed after this life in heaven. 32. Exod. iii. 6. 16. Our Lord ap- peal's to mean that God, when He called Himself by this name, meant that He was still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and not merely while they lived on earth ; so that they were still living after they had departed from this life. And as they were but men like other men, it shewed that the souls of all men were immortal like theirs ; which is the doctrine which the Sadducees denied. 40. ' The Law and the Prophets ' are often taken to mean, as they do here, the commandments of God as contained in the Old Testament ; as the Law means the historical part of the Old Testament, being~+lie-account of the Jews under the Law of Moses ; and the Prophets' books make up a great part of the rest, and more particularly as summed up in the Ten Commandments. The first four, or the first table, as it is sometimes called, of those Ten Commandments, are sum- med up by our Lord in the 37th verse ; r shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two command- ments hang all the law and the prophets. 41 T[ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ ? whose son is he ? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them. How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, and the remaining six in the 39th : the first being, as it is called in the Cate- chism, our duty to God, and the second our duty to our neighbour. And on these, Christ says, ' hang ' all the words of the Old Testament, that is, they are all con- tained therein : for in so far as any one truly loves God and his neighbour (that is, other men), so far he will rightly keep God's commandments ; as has been ex- plained before, that if the affections and feelings of the heart are right, if we really love God above all, and our neigh- bour as ourselves, our conduct also to- wards God and man will be right (see note on v. 19). 42 — 46. The Pharisees could not, or would not, answer this question of our Lord, because they did not know, as not having been worthy that it should be revealed to them — or if any of them did know, they did not choose to confess that He was God as well as man. David foreknew this by the spiri t of prophecy (' in spirit'), and therefore spoke of Christ as his Lord. But He is also called Son of 3 102 ST. MATTHEW, XXIII. 44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool ? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son ? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any onan from that day forth ask him any more questions. CHAPTER XXIIL 1 Then spake Jesus to the David, as having been born of the seed of David according to the flesh, when He took our nature upon Him. As God He is David's Lord, as man He is his son. 44. 'The Lord,' God the Father. This verse (Ps. ex. 1 ) refers to wliat we are told of Clirist, tliat He sittetli on the riglit liand of the Fatiier during the time between His ascension and His second coming, when He will appear again, and His enemies, sin and Satan, will be subdued before Him, which is expressed by their being His footstool. Ch. XXIIL 2. ' Sit in Moses' seat,' that is to say, are in the place of Moses in respect of tlie people, as being teachers of religion as Moses was, to whom they succeeded. Our Lord tells them that they were bound to obej' the instructions which those teachers gave them, as they were the authorized teachers set over them by God's Provi- dence ; and besides tliat much of what they taught was not their own, but what was written in the Law of Moses, which was God's word, our Lord means gene- rally, that though persons in authority may not be of good character, still, as the power which they have is given them by God to be exercised, they are to be obeyed in so far as they are acting in that authority, unless, indeed, they give any commands which in themselves are wicked. And this applies to us and to all men, as well as to the Jews. Autho- multitude, and to his disci- ples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat : 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do ; but do not ye after their works : for they say, and do not. 4 Eor they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders ; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. rized rulers and teachers are not only to be treated respectfully, but to be listened to and obeyed in what they command as such rulers and teachers, whatever their own chai-acter may be ; for it is not because they are good men, but because the authority they have is ordained by God, that they are to be obeyed as such, unless they teach or command what we know to be wicked. But our Lord goes on to say that the example of the Scribes and Pharisees was not to be followed, though their instruction was. ' They say,' that is, they tell the people the heavenly things contained in the Law of Moses ' but do not,' do not do the things which they taught. 4. 'To bind heavy burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders,' appears to mean, to require from them an exact observance of every part of the cere- monial law of Moses. This it was the duty of a Jew to do : but besides this it probably means that they required them to observe the traditions of men among the Jews, which were not from God, and which added to the burden (see note on Acts xv. 10). All these things were so severe that our Lord compares them to a heavy weight; and He says, the Pharisees themselves would not ' move ' these burdens ' with one of their fingers,' that is, they did not themselves keep that ceremonial law. ST. MATTHEW, XXIII. 103: 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad then* phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the mar- kets, and to be called of men, Babbi, Eabbi. 8 But be not ye called E-abbi : for one is your Master, even Christ ; and all ye are brethren. 5. See note on vi. 1, 2. 'Phylacteries' were small rolls of parchment or the like, upon which were written some words of the law, or short records of the ancient history of the Jews in entering Canaan, &c., and which the Jews were in the habit of placing on the ' bordei's of their garments,' or as an ornament on their foreheads, according to a literal interpretation of some passages in the books of Moses, such as Dent. vi. 8, &c. Perhaps these passages were not necessarily to be construed in that literal manner, but the custom was a harmless and even a pious one, and our Lord does not find fault with the Pha- risees for observing it, but because they made these borders, &c. unusually broad, from motives of pride and osten- tation. 8 — 10. ' Rabbi,' is the Hebrew word for master. Our Lord tells the people not to call any but God, master or father; that is to say, no man can be our master or father in the same manner or sense in which God is so. He is our Father and Master, not in a higher degree than, but quite in another manner from that in which our earthly fathers and masters are so, so that no comparison is pos- sible between them ; and in this sense it is that we are told to call no man master or father. This is one of the passages in Scripture which are not understood literally, as we know from r 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called mas- ters : for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your ser- vant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased ; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. many other texts that the greatest respect is enjoined to us towards our earthly fathers and masters, and those names are often used (Eph. vi. 2. 9, &c.). With regard, however, to the precept that no man should he called, or let himself be called, master (ver. 10), we may under- stand it in another sense, like to that which was set forth before, on the sub- ject of the possession of property (see note on v. 39—42). That some jjersons in this life should be set over others as raastei's, is an ordinance of God, as we see from the text just quoted. But those who are so placed are to remember that it is only because of that ordinance that they ought to be so ; that in the eye of God they are on a level with those beneath them in worldly station, and that they have no right, or claim, of their own, to superiority. 1 1. See note on xx. 25 — 28. 12. Those who 'exalt themselves' are all that are proud, in whatever rank. They who ai-e placed by the Pro- vidence of God in high station are exalt- ed by Him, but do not exalt themselves. Those who have been proud through their lives shall be abased, that is, brought low, when condemned, at the Day of Judgment : and those that in life have humbled themselves, that is, those who have been of an humble character in life shall be exalted, namely, to heaven, on that day : supposing, of 4 104 ST. MATTHEW, XXIII. 13 ^ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men : for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye de- vour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: there- fore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye com- pass sea and land to make one course, that in other respects they are such as God will accept. See note on xviii. 3, 4. 13. ' Hypocrites,' in having only an outward profession of righteousness. This verse refers to the following after Clirist, which is described as entering into the ' kingdom of heaven,' namely, the Christian Church, or the way of salvation ; which the Pharisees would not themselves do, and by their influ- ence over the people, whose teachers they were, they prevented those from entering who were about to do so. 14. Much praying is not here con- demned by our Lord in itself, as we know it is often encouraged and com- manded, when done rightly (] Thess. v. 17> &c.). It is the hypocritical pi'ayer which is made long only for the sake of appearance, and not felt in the heart, which is here meant. Such a prayer is an additional offence, and therefore brings down ' the greater damnation,' or condemnation. To 'devour widows' houses' means to rob or extort from them their property. 15. To ' compass,' or go round, ' sea and land' means, to go a long way, or to make great efforts. A 'proselyte' means one who is converted from one religion to another : and here means a Gentile who becomes a Jew. The Pharisees, proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say. Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing ; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor ! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing ; but from the pride they felt in making a number of merely outward converts, for the sake of the shew it made, did all they could for that object : but as they taught their converts only the false view of the Law of God which they had themselves, they only made them wicked (' children of hell ') like themselves, or worse. 16, 17- This, and most other sayings of the Pharisees spoken of in this chap- ter, were according to the human tradi- tions, or ' traditions of the elders' (ch. XV. 2, where see note), common among them, by which they had corrupted the Law of Moses. The one mentioned here was a foolish distinction, with re- gard to an oath and its force, between the Temple and the gold with which it was adorned. Our Lord points out that the gold could have no particular holi- ness till it was dedicated to the service of God, or sanctified, by being used in the Temple : even as the Temple had no holiness of its own, but received it from God who chose it to put His name there. As therefore the temple sanctified the gold, it was a more so- lemn oath to swear by the Temple than by the gold. 'He is a debtor' means ' he is bound (to do what he has sworn to do '). 18. 'Guilty' means 'bound:' as in ST. MATTHEW, XXIII. lo: whosoever swearetli by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind : for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift ? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and ver. 16. ' The gift : ' see note on V. 24. The gift or offering was no- thing except as connected witli the altar : whicli was therefore the more solemn thing to swear by. 20—22. ' Him that dwelleth therein,' namely, God, who does not indeed ' dwell ' in any earthly place, but who graciously manifested Himself to the Jews by His special presence in the Temple : even as now He is spiritu- ally present in a peculiar manner in churches. In these verses our Lord signifies that they could not in this manner make a difference between the particular things by which they took their oaths : because all oaths are in truth solemn declarations made before God, who in all of them is taken to witness. 23. 'Tithe' is the tenth part: which part, of all things, was paid to the Priests and Levites among the Jews, as a similar payment was continued among Christians, and is made among us to the clergy. Our Lord says, ' these,' that is, 'judgment' (meaning here justice), 'mercy, and faith,' 'ye ought to have done,' as being the ' weightier,' or the most important part of the command- ment : whereas the Pharisees thought , themselves safe if they attended only | Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cum- min, and have omitted the weigh- tier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith : these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. to those outward ceremonies. But He adds ' and not to leave the other un- done,' namely, the paying of tithe and all such lesser and outward points in the law, in order to shew that it was not wrong or unnecessary to do such things to the ut- most of what was due, even in regard to any small matters, such as the tithe of ' mint, anise, and cummin,' small herbs. But He also teaches that if ever it should be necessary, as it might sometimes be, to choose between giving up those great and weighty matters, and giving up a particular ordinance such as tithes (and we have such outward ordinances as well as the Jews), it would be right to give up the latter, as was before explained in the case of the Sabbath (see note on xii. 7)' But the oi'dinary rule is what our Saviour liere gives : to keep to both. 24. ' Blind guides,' that is, leading the people astray. This verse expresses a common kind of proverb, in which to 'strain at,' appears to mean to make a difficulty in swallowing. Our Lord says that they who make a scruple of leaving out the smallest observances of the law, while they did not mind breaking great commandments, were like pei-sons who should pretend to be unable to swallow a small thing like a gnat, but to be able. to 5 106 ST. MATTHEW, XXIII. 26 TJiou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that lohich is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in swallow a large one like a camel : which of course would be a false pre- tence. 25, 26. The 'cup and platter' (or dish) are used in a figure, or comparison, to signify the, man; and to ' make clean the outside of them, means to have only a care for an outward appearance or character before men, which is what our Lord accuses the Pharisees of. The cup or platter being ' full of ex- tortion and excess ' means genei'ally the soul being full of sin. Our Lord reminds them in ver. 26, that if a man takes care that his heart and mind (signified by ' that which is within the cup and plat- ter ') are pure and virtuous, his outward appearance will be so also ; and that otherwise the mere outward appearance is worthless (see note on v. 17, 18). 27- ' Whited sepulchres,' that is, gravestones, washed or painted white. 29—32. ' The righteous,' that is, holy men of old put to death by the Jews. In these verses our Lord means that the Pharisees, who acknowledged ( ' ye be witnesses unto yourselves,' ver. 31) that the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the pro- phets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the mea- sure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell ? 34 ^ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes : and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: they were descended from the Jews of old, who killed the prophets, were also like them in disposition ; and that it was only a false pretence when they appeared to s'lew them respect by adorning their tombs (' building,' or repairing their tombs, and 'garnishing' or beautifying them). Christ knew that it must be so, because He could see the hearts of all men ; and, moreover, the evil lives and actions of the Pharisees shewed it, inas- much if they had really reverenced the memory of those ancient saints, they would have tried to follow their ex- ample. By the 32nd verse our Lord means that they well might ' fill up the measure of their fathers :' that is, they were so like to the evil-minded among their forefathers, that they might well go on in the same kind of way as they did, even till the 'measure ' of their sin was full, and the wrath of God would no longer delay : and this the Jews did when they ' killed the Lord of glory.' 33. See note on iii. 7- 34. 'Scribes' usually are the Jewish ST. MATTHEW, XXIV. 107 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upou the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you. All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thoK, that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children to- gether, even as a hen gathereth teacliers, but here mean preachers of the Gospel. ' Ye shall kill,* that is, our Lord pro- phesies that they would do so,as they did. 35, 36. ' That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth ' means, that ye may be held answerable for all that blood, that is, all of it that was shed by their forefathers the ancient Jews : and in the same way ' all these things shall come upon this genei-ation,' means, ' this generation shall suffer for all those former sins :' as they did in the destruc- tion of their city and nation. This charging upon the Jews of that time the sin of their forefathers was partly according to the rule according to which the Almighty often acts, as is said in the Second Commandment, when He visits on the children the sins of the fathers ; but chiefly because the proper sin of that generation itself, in crucifying our Lord and persecuting His messengers, was such that it deserved as much pun- ishment as all the sins of their ancestors which are referred to. Zacharias, the son of Barachias, is pro- bably the same as the Zacharias men- tioned as slain by order of King Joash, in 2 Chron. xxiv. 21, in the ' court,' that is, the outer court of the temple ; her chickens under lier wings, and ye would not ! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Te shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say. Blessed is he that Cometh in the name of the Lord. CHAPTEE XXIV. 1 And Jesus went out, and de- parted from the temple : and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 'between the' building of the 'temple' itself, and the 'altar' in the Court of the Priests. In the Old Testament he is called son of Jehoiada, which may be another name for Barachias. 38. This means that their place or city was about to he desolated. 39. The time here foretold, when the Jews shall say, ' Blessed is he that Cometh in the name of the Lord,' seems to be the Last Day. ' Ye,' would thus mean not the Jews of the time of Christ, but the Jewish nation of the last days, whom our Lord might address as it were in His mind, as being still the same nation as those who were before Him, and who were their ancestors. The great body of the Jews at the end of the world, as we know from Scripture, will have been converted to Christianity ; and they therefore will be able, when Christ Cometh to judgment, to join in the cry, ' Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord,' that is, cometh as the Lord and King. Our Lord says that they should not see Him till then, that is, not as they had seen Him hitherto, as a teacher ; for the days of His public ministration, and with them their oppor- tunity of escaping from their approach- ing ruin, by receiving Him, were now ending. 6 108 ST. MATTHEW, XXIV. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things ? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 ^ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be ? and what shall he the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world ? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them. Take heed that no man deceive you. Ch. XXIV. 2. Our Lord refers to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, forty years after His death. 3. What our Lord had just told His disciples about the destruction of the Temple, and what He had tdld them before (as at xvi. 28 ; xxiii. 39) about His coming in some great and m^'ste- rious way, was not fully understood by them, as they were not yet enlightened by the Holy Spirit. By the question which they here put they seem to have had some idea that He might come at the end of the world, and that then (of course) the destruction of the temple would take place ; but not to have un- derstood that the fall of Jerusalem be- fore the Last Day was spoken of as His coming (see note on x. 23). 4. Our Lord in the rest of this chapter and in the next, answers the question which the disciples had put to Him. His answers refer to the two occasions, that of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the Last Day, which were the subject of His former sayings. But He describes them, as was often His manner on such awful subjects, in a mysterious way, and such as they would not be able to understand till they had received the Holy Ghost. There is the further difficulty in this 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars : see that ye be not troubled : for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against king- dom : and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you chapter, that our Lord's words some- times refer to the one of these events, sometimes to the other, and sometimes probably to both ; and it is necessary to be careful in distinguishing these several applications, as was observed on xvi. 28. The first i)art of this discourse is generally about the first period, that of the destruction of Jerusalem ; and the latter about the Day of Judgment, which is properly called Christ's Second Coming. 5. ' In my name,' pretending to be what I am. Many such persons as are here spoken of, who denied that Christ was the true Messiah, and themselves claimed that character, did appear be- tween the time of the death of Christ and the fall of Jerusalem; and 'many' were 'deceived' by them. 6 — 8. Many such events as are here foretold, ' wars' of ' nation against nation,' ' famines,' &c., did take place at the time of the fall of Jerusalem. ' The end' here seems to mean the end of the world ; and our Lord warns His disciples that that was not about to arrive when those fearful signs arose, which were to be but the ' bt'gimiing' (ver. 8) of all the 'sorrows' which at- tended the fall of the city, and also of all the troubles and persecutions which ST. MATTHEW, XXIV. 109 up to be afflicted, and shall kill you : and ye shall be hated of all nations for ray name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one an- other. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the vrorld for a witness unto all nations ; and then shall the end the early Christians suffered afterwards from the heathens (' all nations,' ver. 9). 10. ' Offended,' or, led into sin, here means, led into the sin of giving up their belief and profession of Chris- ti.anity, by the severity of the persecu- tion against them. And such persons would then join in the persecution against others, ' hating ' and * betray- ing' them. 12. ' The love,' namely, towards God, which in hearts not firmly set to be- lieve in Him, would be cooled by the example of so much iniquity around them. 13. ' The end,' that is, of his own time or life. ' Saved,' in heaven. 14. ' All the world' should be under- stood generally, if we suppose this verse to be still on the subject of the fall of Jerusalem ; that is to say, as did happen before that event, the Gospel was to be preached generally through the then known world. This may be one of the verses which v.-e spoke of above, as referring both to the approaching fall of the city and to 15 "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desola- tion, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him under- stand :) 16 Then let them which be in Judsea flee into the mountains : 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house : 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them tliat are with child, and to them that give suck in those days ! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day : the Last Day. Referring to the Last Day. we may understand it literally ; for we are often told in the Bible that the Gospel will be preached in all parts of the world before the end of it. 15. This verse, and those that follow, describe the Roman invasion and occu- pation of the city and temple (' the holy place'); 'the abomination of desolation' (Dan. ix. 27), means the Roman army. It is so called as being ' abominable' to the Jews, being composed of heathens and idolaters, and as it was to make their land 'a desolation.' 16. ' Into the mountains,' where they would be safer from the enemies. 17- In those countries the iiousetops are level, and often used as places to walk on. ' Not come down,' that is, not go into the house to take any thing ; but escape at once, by the outside of the house, or over the neighbouring roofs and walls. 19. ' Woe,' as they would find it more difficult to travel and escape. 20. ' The winter,' as a less favour- able time for a journey. ' On the sab- 110 ST. MATTHEW, XXIV. 21 Por til en sliall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there ; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders ; insomuch that, if it tvere possible, they shall deceive the very elect. bath day,' as by the law of Moses the Jews were not allowed to travel more than about a mile on the sabbath ; their flight therefore would be slower. 22. ' For the elect's sake,' that is, in order that such as wei-e chosen and counted worthy of God, might be spared from the general destruction. 23. See note on ver. 5. 24. See notes on vii. 22 ; xii. 27. ' They shall,' or would, ' deceive.' ' Elect,' Christians enlightened by the Spirit. 26, 27. ' He,' the Messiah. The 'coming of the Son of man' means Christ's coming to take vengeance on Jerusalem, which was to be sudden and conspicuous as lightning. (This also applies to the Day of Judgment.) Our Lord therefore tells them that they would surely know that coming, and not be mistaken in it, or have to go and seek for it in places like the ' desert,' or ' seci'et chambers.' 28. This means that the Romans will gather together to plunder Jerusalem just as 'eagles' gather round a carcase to prey upon it. There is perhaps also an allusion to the standards of the Ro- man armies, which were in the form of eagles. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you. Behold, he is in the desert ; go not forth : behold, he is in the secret chambers ; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning coraeth out of the east, and shineth even unto the west ; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the car- case is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29 % Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the 29. From this verse to the end of the chapter, the words of our Lord seem mainly to refer to the end of the world ; but there are some parts and expressions which must be taken of the destruction of Jerusalem, and also some which may be understood of both times. ' The tribulation of those days' means the fall of the city. In one way we may understand this verse literally, as referring to events that were to happen, and did happen, just after that fall. Several eclipses happened, as is here said, of the sun and moon, and other unusual appearances among the stars, which are described as ' the powers of heaven' (the heavenly bodies), being 'shaken' or disturbed, and the 'stars falling;' also earthquakes and storms (see Luke xxi. 25). Such appearances, however, may also be looked for at the end of the world, to which this verse may also be applied; though in that case ' immediately' is not to be literally understood. The end of the world is often spoken of in Scripture as follow- ing soon after the time of Christ (Rev. xxii. 20, &c.) ; and accordingly the early Christians constantly expected that it would come. But this way of ST. MATTHEW, XXIV. Ill sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken : 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather speaking may be understood in various ways besides the literal one, which of course cannot be the true one, as the fall of Jerusalem is long past, and the end of the world is not yet come. One way may be that we should endeavour to look on the time between Christ's coming and the end of the world, as we are told that God sees it, in whose eyes a thousand years are as one day ; and in His sight therefore the one event may be described as ' immediately ' following upon the other. Another way may be to consider, that, as we may learn from the Bible, there was to be no new Dispensation from God to man, no manifestation of Him at all like to the coming of Christ, between tiie time of His coming and the end of the world. The coming of Christ was the great and crowning act of God's dealings with man ; so that all the time that has passed, and will pass, since that coming, may be overlooked in com- parison with the great result of it that will be exhibited at the Day of Judg- ment. 30. The 'sign of the Son of man' means His visible appearance, whetlier at the Last Day literally, or in the great exhibition of his wrath in the destruction of the Jewish people. ' Mourn,' from fear, which is true of the world generally together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree ; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh : 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you. This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. at the Last Day, and of the Jews, (who may sometimes be spoken of as ' all the tribes of the earth,' as being distinguished from all others and peculiar,) at the invasion of the Romans. 31. This is easily understood of the Last Day. It might also be applied to the fall of Jerusalem, about which time many, from many parts of the world, (' from the four winds,' &c.) would be- come followers (' elect ') of Christ, at the call of His preachers, hkened to ' an/;els.' 33. ' It,' namely, the fall of the city, if we understand the verse as addressed to the very men to wliom our Lord was speaking. In a general way, we may understand it addressed to all men, in which case it is equally true of the end of the world, which may be foreseen to some extent by the observation of such signs as our Lord mentions here and elsewhere in the Gospel (see Luke xviii. 8, &c.). ' All these things,' such signs as He had stated. 34. This verse must refer only to the fall of Jerusalem, which was to be while many then living were still alive. ' All these things,' the ruin of the city toge- ther with the signs which He fore- told. 112 ST. MATTHEW, XXIY. 35 Heaven and earth sliall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 % But of that day and hour knoweth no }7ian, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that 'Noe entered into the ark. 35. 'Pass away,' without being ful- filled. 36. When our Lord says that the Fathei' only knew of ' that day and liour' (here probably meaning both the time of the siege of Jerusalem, and the end of the world), we understand Him as speaking in His human nature, as He says even more plainly in St. Mark (xiii. 32), that 'the Son' Himself did not know that hour. As God the Son He knows all things ; but as man He had lowered Himself and became ])artaker of our infirmities, among which is im- perfect knowledge (see note on xx. 23). 37. ' Noe ' is Greek for Noah. These verses mean that the coming of Christ is to be as sudden as the flood was. ' Knew not,' (ver. 39,) that is, expected nothing. Ver. 37 — 41, may apply to both the fall of Jerusalem and the Last Day, as both of them sudden visitations. The meaning of vei\ 40, 41, seems to be that it will in many instances happen, that persons of the same worldly occupations or conditions, as for instance, ' working in the ' same ' field,' or ' grinding in the ' same 'mill,' even vp to the moment of Christ'scoming, when they are described as so engaged, will liave difi'erent treat- ment at God's hand, according to their characters ; which is called some being 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field ; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall he grind- ing at the mill ; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 % "Watch therefore : for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the good man of the house had ' taken ' (perhaps into God's favour) and others 'left.' The elect of God would be preserved during the danger- ous time of the siege of Jerusalem, as well as at the Last Judgment. 42. The warnings contained in the verses between this and the end of the chapter appear to apply in one sense to the coming of the Day of Judgment, in another to the siege of Jerusalem, as both are sudden events, and preparation is spoken of as needful for each of them. But they are also true in a very im- portant sense, taking the coming of the Son of man (ver. 44) to mean, to every particular person to whom the warning is addressed, his own death : as if our Lord had said, ' Watch, be as the wise master of a house, or as a good servant, for ye know not at what hour ye shall die.'' Because it is clear that the hour of the death of every person is to him exactly the same thing as the Day of Judgment. Whatever may be the state of his soul between his death and that great day, his everlasting fate is decided when he dies. ' As the tree has fallen, so must it lie,' and nothing that will happen after his death will affect the sentence which will be pronounced upon him at the judgment, which will depend on his life on earth. 43, 44. The reasoning here is, that it ST. MATTHEW, XXI Y. 113 known in ■what watch the thief •would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season ? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That is just as necessary to watch, if watching and preparation are necessary, when we know for certain that an event tc'dl happen, though we do not know the exact time of its happening, as it is to watch and prepare when we do know that exact time. Our Lord means ' If a houseliolder knew that a thief was coming, and knew the time wlien he was coming, he would watch, and be prepared at that time : and ye also must be ready, but with this difference, that ye must be always prepared, for ye know that the Son of man is coming to judgment as surely as the house- holder might know of the thief, but ye cannot know the time as he might do. Therefore he would only have to watch at a certain time, ye must watch always.' We must therefore be ever prepared, by having our hearts and souls in a fit state to meet our Judge, 45 — 51. These verses may be looked upon as a sort of pai-able. The lord of the servants is our Saviour: the 'servants' are mankind, also called the ' house- hold :' the servant mentioned by him- self seems especially to signify a man chai'ged with some office of authority in the Church, with care of other men, which would be meant by his being ' ruler over ' some part of the ' house- he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming ; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken ; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. hold,' and having ' to give them meat in due season :' which means generally taking proper care of them. In the 47th verse, the reward which such a faithful servant of Christ will receive at the Last Day is likened to an earthly servant being set over his master's goods, as Joseph was (Gen. xxxix. 4), and as in the parable of the pounds the good servant is set over cities (Luke xix. 17). It is only a general likeness, and we need not search for an exact spiritual meaning in it (see note on xx. 1 — 16). This servant may also signify any Christian, as every man has some work, something to do for the good of some portion of our Lord's ' household,' namely, by doing his duty in his own state of life, which must be more or less beneficial to others. In ver. 48, the servant who thinks that his absent master is delaying his return, is likened to a man who hopes that he will not die for a long time (see noe on ver. 42), and that he therefore may live as he pleases in profligacy and cruelty, andoppressively towards others, as the servant is described in ver. 49, which mainly applies to persons in rank and authority. Ver. 50 and 51, signify the coming of our Lord to judgment, and the pun- 114 ST. MATTHEW, XXV. CHAPTER XXV. 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten vir- gins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bride- groom. ishment of the wicked, which is called being ' cut asunder,' or destroyed, and having a ' portion with the liypocrites,' that is, with them and sinners generally in everlasting misery. Ch. XXV. 1—12. ' The kingdom of heaven ' generally means the course of events that takes place, at one time or other, under the Gospel upon earth. In this parable it includes also events that will happen at the Day of Judgment, at the close of that Gospel Dispensation. The lesson to be learned from this pa- rable is, that we must be earnest to do our best continually, in our Christian course ; and especially it warns us of the danger of putting off repentance and amendment of life from day to day. The story is taken from the custom, which prevails now as it did in the time of our Lord, in Eastern countries, that at a marriage the bridegroom went to the house of the bride and brought her thence to his own house, with a procession of some of her friends and companions. These marriages always took place at about midnight. The bridegroom here means the Lord Christ ; and the bride means the Church of Christ, according to the figure or likeness so often used in the Bible (see note on xxii. 2). The time of the coming of the bridegroom to receive the bride is the Day of Judgment, which is often named as the time when the Church will be pi-esented to Christ as the bride is to the bridegroom (Eph. V. 27, &c.). The ten virgins mean in the parable the company of friends of the bride, who accompany her. In the application of the parable they mean, ac- cording to their division into two descrip- tions, certain kinds or classes of persons among those professing Christians who 2 And five of them were wise, and five ivere foolish. 3 They that loere foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them : 4 But the wise took oil will be judged at the Last Day. They are all professing Christians, inasmuch as they all profess to be prepared and waiting for the coming of Christ to judgment, as these virgins all professed to be ready for the coming of the bride- groom, by having the lamps which it was proper for them to have in a proces- sion by night. But five of these virgins, we are told, were really prepared, the others were not. These last are called 'foolish;' those who were really pre- pared are called ' wise.' What was miss- ing in those who were not pi'epared, was the oil necessary for their hunps, which the wise ones had. In the application then of the parable the two divisions of the virgins mean two different sorts of people : the one will be ])i*epared to stand before God at the Great D.iy, the other will not. The ' lamps ' may be taken to mean the state of the soul of these persons; the 'oil,' that which is necessary to make that state a right and acceptable one before God. Those who are thus prepared, who are likened to the wise virgins, may be described as the man was in the note on the parable of the Marriage Supper, who had ' that Christian righteousness which all those will be required at the Great Day to have attained to during their earthly proba- tion, who will be accepted and admitted into heaven ' (see note on xxii. 11 — 14). The 'oil' is that Christian righteousness. Those who are, or rather who have been on earth ' wise,' will be provided with this righteousness ; those who have been ' foolish ' will not. But it must be ob- served that it isnotmeant thatall persons whatever will come under one or other of the classes signified by the virgins. The openly wicked or unbelieving are not included, for they make no profession ST. MATTHEAY, XXV. 115 in their vessels with their lamps. 5 "While the bridegroom tar- ried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bride- groom Cometh ; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise. Give us of your oil ; for our lamps are gone out. of being prepared for the coming of Christ. All those who will be accepted at the judgment are meant by the ' wise;' but the ' foolish ' do not mean the openly wicked, but the careless and incon- sistent, who fall short of what is re- quired of them. 5. ' While the bridegroom tarried ' refers to the time which is now passing before the coming of Christ ; and that ' they all slumbered and slept ' seems to mean that sleep of death which will fall upon all, or nearly all, before that com- ing ; as in ver. 7, the arising of the virgins means the general resurrection of the dead. 6. * Midnight' (see above) means the time of the Last Judgment. The 'cry' made when the bridegroom was coming, may mean ' the voice of the archangel ' (1 The.ss. iv. IC) which will sound just before the coming of Christ to judgment ; and which will call on the spirits of all men to 'meet' Him. 7. The ' trimming the lamps ' means the enquiry into the state of the soul which every one will inevitably make, however careless he may have been of it during his life, when he is before the judgment seat of Christ. 8. As the foolish virgins tried to bor- row oil from the wise, so will many at the Day of Judgment endeavour, as we are all tempted while on earth to do, to rely in some manner on others, on some- thing which they may do, or have done 9 But the wise answered, say- ing. Not so ; lest there be not enough for us and you : but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage : and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. for them, instead of on their own state through faith. In the next verse (9) the saying of the wise virgins, that is, those who will be accepted at the Last Day, shews how vain a thought this is. No one can possibly attain unto more, unto a better or higher state of soul, than is needed for his own salvation. We are commanded a complete obedience in all things; we are all 'unprofitable ser- vants ' (Luke xvii. 10, where see note,) and ' the righteous scarcely ' or only just, ' will be saved ' (1 Pet. iv. 18). What- ever therefore they who will be accepted may have, which for the sake of the death of Christ will be well-pleasing unto God, will be ' not enough' for others as well as themselves. In this verse 'them that sell' the oil for the lamps may mean those, who like Apostles, prophets, and others, the ministers and stewards of the mysteries of God, assist in bringing the souls of men into a state of salvation. At the Day of Judgment indeed their work will be over ; but those who are meant by the wise virgins may be understood as willing to hope, even when there is no hope, that by some such means the love of God may be revived in the souls of their com- panions. 10. But this was in vain, being too late ; Christ comes to judgment, as it is here said the bridegroom came ; the 'marriage,' that is, the gathering into 116 ST. MATTHEW, XXV. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man Cometh. 14 T[ For the hingdom of hea- ven is as a man travelling: into a heaven of the saints in the Cliurcli Triumphant is finished; and the 'door' of heaven is ' shut.' 12. ' I Icnow you not,' that is, as mj true disciples. 13. See note on xxiv. 42. This verse points out to us the warning, which, as was said, the parable is meant to convey to us against putting off repentance. While we are putting off repentance and amendment, and a complete pre- paration of soul for Christ's coming, like the foolish virgins, death may come unexpectedly upon us, as did the day of the bridegroom, coming upon them ; and we shall find it impossible to prepare ourselves, as they did to prepare them- selves (see besides note on xx. I — 16). 14 — 30. This parable is to teach us the duty of making the most of all the opportunities and means of serving God which are given to us. The ' man tra- velling into a far country ' is our Lord ; and the ' servants ' mean, in the first instance, the Apostles, to whom the parable was addressed, but they also signify all men, as all have some means of serving and pleasing God. The ' talents ' (Jewish money : see note on xviii. 24), mean all things whatever which God gives us or puts in our power, whereby we are enabled to serve Him ; wliether bodily health or strength or long life, or cleverness or ability of mind or knowledge, or wealth or station, or whatever ouroutward circumstances may be, or spiritual gifts, such as great zeal or energy in religious matters, power of preaching to others, power of turning the mind to and clearly perceiving heavenly things, and so on. All these far country, loho called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one ; to every man ac- cording to his several ability ; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received are the gifts of God to us, as the talents in the parable are given by the master to the servants, and are to be used and improved by His help. The man, in the parable, goes into a far country. This means, our Lord's leaving the earth and returning to heaven ; and the coming of the man to reckoning after a long time (ver. 19), means the coming of Christ to judgment. 14. The man 'delivering his goods' to his servants, is rather according to the custom of Eastern countries than our own. In those countries the ser- vants, or rather slaves, were often artisans, or engaged in some small trade, in which their master furnished them with the materials (the ' goods') and received from them a part of the profits, which is the case supposed in the parable (ver. IG, 17). 15. These ' goods,' or ' talents,' as above explained, are given to different persons in different manners, ' to evei'y man according to his several ability : ' ability, that is, to make a right use of them. Men have different powers by nature; and God provides opportunities, and requires services, according to those powers. The man gives the talents and then takes his journey ; that is to say, our Lord returned into heaven, having founded his Church and prepared it for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who followed immediately, and who has ever since remained with its members and enabled them to serve God. 16. 17- Those who trade with the talents and double them in value, are ST. MATTHEW, XXV. 117 the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had re- ceived five talents came and brought other five talents, say- ing, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents : behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, those who make a right use of the gifts of God in this life. For all the gifts of God, as before described, are to be not only used rightly, but must be turned to better and better account by us daily ; without that improvement we do not, in fact, use them rightly (see noteon xiii.l2). 18. He that hides his lord's money, is the man who does nothing to improve the means for doing his duty wliich God has given him. Not the man who is quite wicked and sinful, for such an one would be described as throwing away his talent altogether ; but one who is content with merely avoiding gross sin, and is entirely inactive, not attempting duties from fear of temptation, which he has no faith that God will enable him to overcome (fearing, as it were, to lose his talent), not seeking to ' grow in grace ' (2 Pet. iii. 18), and to serve God more and more continually. And we must observe, that the servant who did nothing with wliat he had received, is the one who had received the least ; and as he is blamed for so doing, it is meant to shew us that however small, or Well done, thou good and faith- ful servant : thou hast been Mth- ful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things : en- ter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said. Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents : behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had re- ceived the one talent came and humble, or weak a man's means or faculties may be, he is as much expected to make a good use of them as one who has more, not yielding lo the temptation of thinking that it cannot signify what use is made of such small things, but remembering that God requires all men whomsoever to be faithful and to do their best. 20—23. The rewards to the faithful servants, described on their being made rulers over many things and entering into the joy of their Lord, mean, of course, the reward of eternal life in heaven. This is often described as some sort of rule or dominion (2 Tim. ii. 12), and the ' many things,' being set in con- trast with the ' few things,' remind us how entirely out of proportion with what we can do, is the reward which God will give His elect in heaven (see note on xx. 1 — 16). 24. To 'straw ' here, which we should call to ' strow,' or to ' strew,' ai)pears to mean the same as to ' sow ' the seed. The servant in this and the next verse, mis- takes the chai'acter of his master, or 118 ST. MATTHEW, XXV. said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gather- ing where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth : lo, there thou hast tJiat is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed : 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the ex- changers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. rather pretends to mistake it, in order to indulge his own idleness and cowardice. The master was not, in fact, a ' hard,' harsh, or unjust man, such .as would ex- pect to 'reap where he had not sown,' that is, require his servants to pi'oduce aprofit from their trading, of which he sliould take a part, witliuut having done any thing to enable them to do so; for it was he who had given them the ' talents,' or means to make profit, as before ex- plained. Nor was he a harsh man, who would not have been indulgent towards his servants in any fault, or failure in their trade. But the servant pretended to believe that he was such a man, and said that he was ' afraid ;' that is, afraid that if he undertook to trade with his talent he might lose it, and his master would require it ; and therefore he hid it. In the application of the parahle, this servant means the man who is slothful and timid, and also without faith and trust in God that He will give him grace sufficient to enable him to do what He would have him, and therefore excuses himself from attempting it. Such a man pretends that God is ' hard,' and would ' reap where he had not sown,' that is, require of us the fruit of good works without giving us the ability to produce them, whereas we know that if we pray and strive in faith, no part of our duty will be too hard for us (Phil. iv. 13, &c.). Such an one, therefore, will be indolent, and will only endeavour to avoid mani- fest sin, and will not undertake in any way to ' stir up the gift ' that is in him (2 Tim. i. 6), or to do more and more daily in God's service, having no trust in God that He will enable him to do so. This is * hiding the talent in the earth,' making it useless ; and the only dif- ference between the parable and its application is, that such a man will not, at the end of his life, be no worse than when he began it, as the man who re- turns the whole talent, neither more nor less, to his master. Because, as any one can tell from his own experience, if we do not improve we are surely becoming worse (see note on xiii. 12). 26, 27. The master does not, of course, mean to admit that his real character is such as the servant described it. He means to admit it only for the sake of argument, as if he had said, ' Even if my character had been such as thou hast said, so far from that being a reason for indolence, it was only a stronger reason why thou shouldest have endea- voured to turn the talent given thee to account ; for the harsher I might be, the more displeased I must be to see nothing done, no profit produced, by my money.' And he tells him that even if he was afraid to venture to trade with the talent, he might, with hardly any risk, have ' put it to the exchangers,' that is, in a 'bank' (Luke xix. 23), whence his lord would have had it back again ' with usury, that is, with in- crease or interest. This 27th verse need not have any exact spiritual application (see note on XX. 1 — 16); as God's grace is sufficient for all to work with (which is meant by the ' trading '), and no one can be blame- less for pi'etending not to know this, and refusing to work accordingly. We may ST. MATTHEW, XXY. 119 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance : but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofit- able servant into outer darkness : there shall be weeping and gnash- ing of teeth. 31 ^ "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory : perhaps, however, understand it in part of persons timid or weak in the consti- tution of their mind, who may not be equal to working independently or on their own powers, and may therefore be advised to attach themselves to and follow other persons as guides, who may here be represented under the figure of the ' exchangers.' It is further shewn that it is uni-ea- sonable to speak of the master, or to murmur against God (in the application of the parable) as ' reaping where he had not sown,' by the words ' mine own,' in ver. 27; pointing out that the whole power of producing the profit, or of doing the good works, is from the master, or from God. 28. Understanding the time of reckon- ing of the master with his servants to be, in the application of the parable, the Day of Judgment, we cannot apply this circumstanceof the one talent being taken from him who had it, and given to him who had ten talents ; because the talents mean what is given us during our trial or probation in this life, and there can be no such transfer as is here supposed at the Last Day. But it may mean that the wicked will, at that day, lose all the power or capacity for good that even 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations : and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth Ms sheep from the goats : 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world : 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I was they had, when they become like the devils ;andthat the righteous will receive a reward far above what they have done, as was before said. But perhaps this verse (as the next, on which see note on xiii. 12) may be better applied to this life. It may remind us that it is a law of God's rule, that ' grace well used attracts more grace;' that the more we strive to please God the more we shall be enabled to do so ; and, on the other hand, that the less we strive to do so, the more diffi- cult shall we find it, and the less able we shall be to do it (see note on xiii. 12), Thus the talents of the bad are taken from them, and talents are added to the good ; though it is needless to attempt to suppose an exact mean- ing in the transfer of that of the bad to the good in this view, any more than in that concerning the Day of Judg- ment. 30. ' Unprofitable,' who had not turn- ed the talent to account. 31. From this verse to the end our Lord speaks of His coming at the Last Day. 33. The 'sheep' are likened to those who are saved, the ' goats' to those who are cast into hell. 120 ST. MATTHEW, XXVI. a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visited me : I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink ? 38 When saw we thee a stran- ger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee ? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them. Verily I say unto you. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into ever- lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels : 42 Por I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink : 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, and ye clothed me not : sick, and in pri- son, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also an- 40. ' My brethren ' means mankind, whom Christ the King graciously vouch- safes to call His brethren, as having taken our nature upon Him : and to look on kindness or neglect shewn to them, even as done to Himself. swer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee ? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment : but the righteous into life eternal. CHAPTEE XXVI. 1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these say- ings, he said unto his dis- ciples, 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5 But they said. Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. 6 T[ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, Ch. XXVI. 2. See Exod. xii. 5. See St. Mark xii. 37, 'the com- mon people heard him gladly :' they were tlierefore afraid that the people might make an 'uproar,' and attempt to rescue Him, if He was taken on ST. MATTHEW, XXVI. 121 7 Tliere came uuto him a wo- man having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and pour- ed it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indiguation, saying, To what purpose is this waste ? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto tliem, Why trouble ye the woman ? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor al- ways with you ; but me ye have not always. 12 Por in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this Grospel shall be preached in the whole world, tliere shall also this, that this wo- man hath done, be told for a me- morial of her. 14 ^ Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said ^lnto them, What will ye give me, and I will deli- ver him unto you ? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. 17 ^ Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, AVhere wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover ? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto the ' feast-day,' when there were many of them assembled together. 7. 'Alabaster,' a smooth white mate- rial made of clay. Kings and Priests were anointed on their appointments, and this anointing of our Lord was therefore meant by this woman to do honour to Christ, and as an acknowledg- ment that He was the Lord. 11. 'Ye liave the poor always with you,' and tliei-efoi'e, as is added in St. Mark (xiv. 7), ' whensoever ye will ye may do them good :' ' but me ye have iiot always,' as He was about to be taken from them. It was therefore right in the woman not to lose the opportunity of doing Him honour, nor could any honour be too great or costly for Him. 12. In this verse our Lord again sig- nifies to His disciples that His death was at hand, as He does in ver. 2. In those countries it was the custom to anoint with oil the bodies of the dead before burial : our Lord therefore means that the anointing which He then re- ceived was so near to the time when He should be buried, that it might be looked upon as done for that occasion. We do not understand that the woman herself kneic that His burial was at hand, and acted accordingly : but rather that the Spirit of God moved her to do an act wliich was a good and pious one in itself, and which was also a kind of foreshadowing of His approaching death. 13. It is to be remarked that, accord- ing to our Lord's words here, this incident of the woman who anointed Him with precious ointment, is told, with some trifling differences, in all the four Gospels, which is not the case with many of the events of His life. 15. Judas could enable the chief priests to discover and take our Loi'd G 122 ST. MATTHEW, XXYI. liim, The Master saith, My time is at hand ; I will keep the pass- over at thy house with my dis- ciples. 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them ; and they made ready the passover. 20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21 And as they did eat, he said. Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23 And He answered and said. He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall hetray me. 21 The Son of man goeth as more easily than they otherwise could, as He knew the places whither He resorted. 18. ' My time,' to be put to death. 24. ' Written,' in the prophecies of the Old Testament. 25. The expression 'Thou hast said,' as elsewhere, ' Thou sayest it,' or, ' Thou sayest,' means 'yes,' or, 'thou sayest true.' 26 — 28. These verses contain the ac- count of the institution of the Holy Eucharist, or Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, which, as our Catechism says, are, after a spiritual manner, ' verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in tlie Lord's Supper.' The word ' testament ' here means 'covenant:' the 'new testa- ment' being the Christian covenant be- tween God and man, in which God hath promised ' remission,' that is, for- giveness, of sins, and eternal life, to those who on their part have repent- ance, and faith, and trust in Christ, are baptized into His Church, and believe it is written of him : but woe un- to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed ! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, which be- trayed him, answered and said. Master, is it I ? He said unto him. Thou hast said. 26 ^ And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, arid said, Take, eat ; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it ; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit and obey His Gospel. This promise being for the sake of the death of Christ, His Blood 'which is shed for many (see note on xx. 28) for the reinissi(m of sins,' is called the ' blood of the new testament.' Tlie book which we call the New Testament, is so called as being the record of the Christian covenant ; as the Old Testament is the record (if the Jewish covenant, in which God pro- mised earthly happiness in a ' good land ' to the Jews, if on their part they obeyed the Law as sjioken by Moses. 2!). The general meaning of these words seems to be, that our Lord's time on earth was finished, and He should not again be with them assembled toge- ther as they then were, till they should be gathered in with all other saints, to Heaven at the Last Day, and so 'be ever with the Lord' (I Thess. iv. 17). Our Lord therefore does not speak of wine, or drinking wine, in the literal sense : but ' drinking new wine ' means, ST. MATTHE\Y, XXVI. 123 of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. 30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 3 1 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night : for it is writ- ten, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into G-ali- lee. 33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him. Verily I say unto thee. That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Like- by a figure, the spiritual and heavenly intercourse with God which will be vouchsafed to 'the spirits of just men made perfect' (Heb. xii. 23) hei'eafter, and then for the first time, wherefore our Lord says 'new:' as in the Revela- tion (xxi. 2) the Church in Heaven is called the ' new Jerusalem.' 31. 'Offended' means 'led into sin,' namely, the sin of foi-saking Him (ver. 56), in consequence of not having faith enough to continue to trust in their Lord when they saw Him tiiken pri- soner, and brought before the judgment- seat : nearly in tlie same sense in which our Lord uses the word ' offended ' be- fore (xi. 6). ' It is written :' Zech. xiii. 7- The ' shepherd ' means Christ, and ' the Hock' His disciples. G wise also said all the dis- ciples. 36 ^ Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Geth- semane, and saith unto the dis- ciples. Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death : tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, 0 my Pather, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me : nevertheless not as I will, but as thou ivilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 34. ' Deny,' deny that thou knowest me. 39. It is hardly reverent to offer any explanation of words so awful as these, and uttered on such an occasion. But it may just be observed that whei'eas of course 'all things are possible unto God ' (Mark xiv. 3(J), the words ' if it be possible' must mean, if it be possible according to the great and wonderful counsels of God for the sal- vation of man. Our Loi'd ' knew all things' {.John xxi. 17), and well knew that He was to suffer death, and that ' for that cause he came ' into the world (John xii. 27). But this myste- rious prayer and agony in the garden were rather (if we may make a supposition on such a subject) of the human, than of the divine nature of our Lord : looking forward to the fearful o 124 ST. MATTHEW, XXVI. 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation : the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, 0 my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again : for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his dis- ciples, and saith unto them. Sleep on now, and take i/otir rest : be- hold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Eise, let us be going: be- hold, he is at hand that doth be- tray me. 47 1" And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude sufferings He was to undergo, and feel- ing the dreadful burden of the sins of mankind which He had taken upon Himself. See also note on xx. 23. 41. 'The spirit,' namely, of the Apos- tles, which our Lord says was willing to obey His words, and ' watch,' but their bi/dily weakness (of the flesh J made them sleep. 45. Our Lord appears to mean that as His last hour was come, it no longer signified whether they slept and took their rest or not, as they could no longer minister or be of service to Him. He does not mean to command them to sleep, or that they should sleep just at that time, as He immediately calls on them to rise and be going ; but He means that so far as could relate to His with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying. Whom- soever I shall kiss, that same is he : hold him fast. 49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master ; and kissed him. 50 And Jesus said unto him. Friend, wherefore art thou come ':" Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. 51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. 52. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place : for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I can- not now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels ? time on earth, their period of service was over. 52. ' For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.' This refers to taking up the sword unlawfully, and means the same as the curse pronounced upon murderers in Gen. ix. 6, " whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.' To take up earthly arms in self-defence, and lawful wars undertaken by proper authority for the defence and protection of the country, iiave never been understood to be for- bidden by these passages. We see that the wars of the Jews were commanded by God; and our Lord Himself appears elsewhere (Luke xxii. 36. 38) to mean, that there may be occasions when the use of the sword is right. That ST. MATTHEW, XXVI. 125 51 But liow then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be ? 55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as agaiust a thief with swords and staves for to take me ? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. 56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. 57 ^ And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace. saying, which is not recorded by St. Matthew, may have been that which moved this disciple (who was St. Peter : John xvili. 10) to strike the servant of the high priest. But he ought not to have done so witiiout tlie command of Christ, which, at such a time, could be the only lawful authority for it; and our Lord goes on to shew him that He could not have wished him to do so, as if He had willed to resist, He could have done so much more effectually by His own power viith the Father (ver. 53). 55. Our Lord reminds them that He had always been, as He then was, de- fenceless among them, and that they might have taken Him then or at any time, without His resisting, so that they needed not to have come ' as against a thief.' He also means that they could not formerly liave taken Him, as His time (to be offered up) was not yet come : as neither could they now have taken Him, with whatever force they ft and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness agaiust Jesus, to put him to death ; 60 But found none : yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said. This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing ? What is it which these witness against thee ? 63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell had come, had it not been the appointed time. 59. ' Sought false witness against him,' that is, evidence which would be, and which they knew must be, false, but which they would put forward as true; but ' they found none,' that is, none which would answer their purpose. 6L The accusation meant that the man who could say this was an impostor. Our Lord had in truth said this (John ii. 19), but He meant by the temple of God His own Body, which He was to suffer to be slain, and would tiien raise up on the third day. St. Paul says, that the bodies of all Christians are the temple of God, for he says it to the Corinthians generally (1 Cor. iii. 16, 17). But, of course, the Lord's Body was so ill a sense which belongs to none other, as He was the Son of God made flesh. 63. To ' adjure,' means, solemnly to call upon, by the name of God. Our Lord at first would not answer, as it 3 126 ST. MATTHEW, XXYI. us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said : nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coining in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy ; what further need have we of witnesses ? be- hold, now ye have heard his blas- phemy. 66 What think ye ? They an- swered and said. He is guilty of death. 67 Then did they spit in his face, and buifeted him ; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee ? 69 ^ Now Peter sat without in the palace : and a damsel came was of no avail ; but He does answer when so solemnly called upon, for fear of seeming disrespectful to the name of God. 64. ' Thciu hast said,' see note on ver. 25. 'Nevertheless,' whatever might be present appearances, or the thoughts of men. ' Hereafter,' at the Last Day. ' Power,' that is God, the All-powerful. 65. ' Blasphemy,' as having said what could have been said by no mere man, as the chief priest pretended tliat our Lord was. ' Rent his clothes,' a sign of horror or grief usual in those countries. 66. ' Guilty of death,' that is, guilty of wliat deserved death. 68. ' Pi'ophesy,' here, is not in the sense of foretelling future things, but means to declare what mere human powers could not ; as we learn from the unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73 And after a while came un- to him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them ; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. other Gospels that our Lord was blind- folded at the time (Mark xiv. 65 ; Luke xxii. 64). 73. ' Thy speech,' that is, Galilean accent and way of speaking. Most of the disciples and constant foUowei's of Christ were Galileans. ' Bewrayeth 'is the same as'betrayetb.' 75. Peter, who had been, as his charac- ter was, the most forward and presump- tuous in saying that he never would deny Christ (ver. 35), now does so by afalsehood more openly than anj', from weakness, and fear that he might be led to suffer- ing with Him ; and it is recorded as a warning against presumption. But his immediate and bitter repentance, and the life in God's service which he after- wards led, saved him, through God's mercies in Christ, from the condemua- ST. MATTHEW, XXVII. 127 CHAPTEE XXVII. 1 "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took coun- sel against Jesus to put him to death : 2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and de- livered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3 ^ Then Judas, which had be- trayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented him- self, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us ? see thou to tliat. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and de- parted, and went and hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. tion which our Lord elsewhere declares upon those who deny Him as Peter did : ' Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny befure my Father which is in heaven ' (x. 33). Ch. XXVII. 6 The chief priests con- sidered the money to be poUuted, inas- much as by the means of it our Lord had been given up to them, whom they meant to put to death. This is meant by the ' pi-ice of blood,' or of death. And on that account they thought it G 8 Wherefore that field was called. The field of blood, unto this day. 9 Then was fulfilled that whicb was spoken by Jeremy the pro- phet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value ; 10 And gave them for the pot- ter's field, as the Lord appointed me. 11 And Jesus stood before the governor : and the governor asked him, saying. Art thou the King of the Jews ? And Jesus said unto him. Thou sayest. 12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14 And he answered him to never a word ; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 15 Now at that feast the go- vernor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. unfit for religious uses, to which it would have been applied if put in the ' treasury ' of the temple, which is the one here signified. 9, 10. This prophecy does not appear in the book of Jeremiah, but in that iif Zechariah (xi. 12, 13). It is supposed that Jeremiah wrote that particular chapter, but that it happened to be placed among the pi-opheeies of Zechariah. 11. See notes on ii. 2, and on xxvi. 25. 12. See note on xxvi. 63. 15. The prisoner was released in 4 128 ST. MATTHEW, XXTII. 16 And they had theu a nota- ble prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you ? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ ? 18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 19 T[ When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying. Have thou nothing to do with that just man : for I have suffered many things this day in a dream be- cause of him. 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you ? They said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus order to please the people, in honour of the feast or holiday. 19. In those days more attention was paid to dreams than now, because, as we see from many instances in the Bible (Gen. XX. 3, &c.), God often revealed future things, and things beyond human knowledge, to men in dreams. ' Suf- fered,' the dream having been one of a painful or awful kind, warning her of the crime her husband would commit if he put Christ to death. 24. To wash the hands was an action signifying that one had nothing to do with, was not answerable for the con- sequences of, any thing ; as we often say in a proverb. Pilate, of course, could not get rid of his guilt in that manner, as it was in his power to prevent the death of the 'just person;' but he wished which is called Christ ? Tliey all say unto him. Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done ? But they cried out the more, say- ing, Let him be crucified. 24 ^ When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but tliat rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed Ms hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person : see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the peo- ple, and said. His blood he on us, and on our children. 26 T[ Then released he Barab- bas unto them : and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered liim to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the go- vernor took Jesus into the com- mon hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. to throw off as much of it as he could upon the Jews, who would the more easily understand the action of wasliing the hands, as it was commanded in the law of Moses in the case of a person accused of nmrder (Deut. xxi. 6, 7)' 25. This means, ' let the consequences of his death,' or the punis'nnent for it, ' fall upon us,' &c. (as in xxi!' 35). The Jews said this in carelessness nd con- tempt; but it really did happen to .' '^i. according to what their crime deserved, in the destruction of Jerusalem and their dispersion ever since throughout the world. 26. Among the Romans (whose officer Pilate was, set over the Jews), a man about to be put to death was always first scourged. 28, 29. These things were done in ST. MATTHEW, XXVII. 129 29 Tf Aud when tliey had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand : and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews ! 30 And they spit upon hira, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 Aud after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify 1dm. 32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name : him they compelled to bear his cross. 33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34 ^ They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall : and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35 And they crucified him, and mockery of the cliaracter of Christ as a kmg, to which were proper such things as a 'scarlet robe,' a 'crown' and a scep- tre. The crown was made of thorns, to be painful as well as a mockery; and the sceptre was imitated by the ' reed.' 32. The crciss was usually carried by the man about to be crucified, but it was too heavy for our Lnrd. 33. ' That is to say,' in Hebrew. It was called the place ot'askull,or the place of skulls, because it was customary to have executions performed there, and as the remains of those who were put to death were commonly not buried, their skulls would often be found there. 34. We see by another Gospel (John G parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fiiltilled which was spoken by the propliet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched him there ; 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OE THE JEWS. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39 1" And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that de- stroy est the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross, 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others ; himself xix. 28), that this drink was given to our Lord because He said ' I thirst.' This was said by Him in order to the fulfilment of i)rophecy, as was their giving Him vinegar (Ps. Ixix. 21), He only just tasted it, as it was loathsome to the taste, which was the reason of the people giving it to Him, who did it more in cruelty than to as- suage His thirst, 35. 'Parted,' divided. The 'prophet,' namely, David (Ps. xxii. 18). 37- This writing also was in mockery of His claim to be a king. 40. See note on xxvi. 61. 42. ' Saved others,' namely, by His miracles. This, though true, was pro- bably said by them in scorn and unbelief. 5 130 ST. MATTHEW, XXVII. he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God ; let him deliver him now, if he will have him : for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabach- thani ? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 43. Quoted, also in mockery, from Ps. xxii. 8. 44. In St, Luke's Gospel (xxiii. 39, where see note) we see that one of the thieves was penitent, jierliaps not at first, but after a while; and prayed to our Lord, and rebuked his companion. 45. The Jews began reckonhig their day from six in the morning. The sixth hour was, therefore, what we cull twelve o'clock, and the ninth was three in the afternoon. This darkness, as well as the wonderful events mentioned in ver. 51, 52, was a miraculous event, and meant to witness wlio Jesus was, as we see it was in great measure from those events that the centurion and othei's were led to confess Him (ver. 54). 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50 ^ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom ; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent ; 52 And the graves were open- ed ; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earth- quake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 55 And many women were there beholding afar ofi", which followed Jesus from Galilee, mi- nistering unto him : 46. ' That is to say,' in Hebrew. We may probably venture to say of these awful words, as we did of the words of iiur Lord in His agonj', that they were spoken in the extreme suft'eriiig of His human nature (see note on xxvi. 39). They are also in fulfihnent of prophecy (being quoted from Ps. xxii. 1). 47. They (probably Romans, not un- derstanding Hebrew) mistook Eli for Elias. 4(i. See note on ver. 34. 51 — 54. The ' veil of the temple ' was that which divided the Holy of Holies, the holiest part of the temple, where the ark was kept, and into which only the iiigh priest was allowed to enter, from the rest of the temple. It being rent in this ST. MATTHEW, XXVIII. 131 56 Araoug which was Maiy Magdalene, and Maiy tlie mother of James and Joses, and the mo- ther of Zebedee's children. 57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arima- thaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple : 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which lie had hewn out in the rock : and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepul- chre, and departed. 61 And there was Mary Mag- dalene, and the other Mary, sit- ting over against the sepulchre. 62 ^ Now the next day, that followed the day of the pre- paration, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore that the manner was a miraculous sign, that the Jewish law and covenant, of which that arrangement was a chief part, was at an end, the Christian covenant beginning at the deatli of Christ (see note on xxvi. 26 — 28). Concerning tlie other events here mentioned, see note on ver. 45. 57. Arimathsea was a Jewish city. 62. The ' preparation ' means the preparation for a festival: in this case the festival of the Sabbath. The day of G sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people. He is risen from the dead : so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Te have a watch : go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. CHAPTEE XXVIII. 1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake : for the angel of the Lord descended from hea- ven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow : 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the anffel answered and the preparation would, therefore, be the day before the Sabbath, or befure our Saturday, that is, Friday ; and the next day was the Sabbath, or Saturday. 64. ' The last error ' means the belief that Christ was risen, which the chief priests called an error ; and l)y ' the first error ' they meant the belief ia Christ of the people who followed Him, and who were His disciples while living. 6 132 ST. MATTHEW, XXVIII. said unto the women, Pear not ye : for I know that ye seek Jesns, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead ; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee ; there shall ye see him : lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy ; and did run to bring his disciples word. 9 % And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him, 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid : go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. 11 % Now when they were go- ing, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed Ch. XXVllI. 10. 'My brethren' here means His disciples, as being such especially. See note on xxv. 40. 12. They gave money as a bribe. 14. ' Secure you,' tliat is, persuade the goverimr not to inflict upon them the punishment deserved by soldiers who slept upw>v, maimed, halt, and blind,' being men- tioned, means genei'ally the same as in and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maim- ed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said. Lord, it is done as thou hast command- ed, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant. Go out into the high- ways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled, 24 For I say unto you. That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. 25 *|[ And there went great multitudes with him : and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mo- ther, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. St. Matthew, ' the bad as well as good.' 'My house may be filled' (ver. 23), means the filling up the numbers of the Church of Christ. ' Shall taste of my supper' (ver, 24), means ' shall have the blessings of the Gospel.' This is a warning to those who reject the Gospel, that they may have no second call, but may be en- tirely cast away. 26. Of course we do not understand the word 'hate' literally, as we are commanded in Scripture to lore, and to love all men, and of course our rela- tions in a special sense and degree. It is a strong word used by our Lord to signify 'nut to care for those relations, or any earthly things, when put in com- parison with the love of God.' It means the same as Matt. x. 37, wiiere see note. See also notes on Matt, vi. 24, 25, M 242 ST. LUKE, XV. 27 And whosoever dotli not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whe- ther he have sxifficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and con- sulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that Cometh against him with twenty thousand ? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an 27. See note ou Matt. x. 38. 28. In this verse, as also in the pa- rable of the Supper, just before, and in the 26tli, .31st, and 33rd vei-ses, our Lord, as we have before observed that He often did (see note on Matt. viii. 20), means to put clearly before those who seemed to wish to follow Him (of whom at this time there were ' great multitudes,' ver. 25), that they were not undertaking a slight thing, as the Christian life is one of conflict with temptation, and of self-denial. In the parable He shews them that no worldly pleasures (ver. 18 — 20) were to be pre- ferred before obedience to God ; in ver. 26 and 33 (see note on Matt. xix. 23), He tells them that they must be pre- pared to give up, and in comparison with God they must 'hate' 'all that they had ;' and hei-e, and in ver. 31, He tells them they must do, with regard to the heavenly undertaking of being ambassage, and desireth condi- tions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 ^ Salt is good : but if the salt have lost his savour, where- with shall it be seasoned ? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill ; hxit men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. CHAPTER XV. 1 TuEN drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying. This man re- ceiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 ^ And he spake this parable unto them, saying. Christians, as men do with regard to earthly undertakings, such as building and going to war; and consider se- riously what they would have to do, and what it would 'cost' them in self- denial, to be true Christians. These comparisons, of the builder of a tower, and the king going to war, are like parables ; and according to what was said about parables (see note on Matt. v. 25, 26), we need not seek for an exact spiritual meaning in all that they contain, as the numbers in ver. 31, the 'ambassage' (message) in ver. 32, the ' mocking' in ver. 29, 30, &c. 34, 35. Our Lord means the disci- ples by tlie comparison of the salt, as in Matt.v. 13; Mark ix. 50; where see notes. The ' dunghill,' for manure. Ch. XV. 1, 2. See notes on Matt. ix. 10—13. 3. The parables in the rest of this ST. LUKE, X^'. 243 4 "What inau of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it ? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, re- joicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together liis friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Eejoice with me ; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that like- wise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repent- ance. 8 ^ Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one chapter were spoken by our Lord on acciiunt of the Pharisees finding fault with his eating with sinners. He did so not only because, as He tells us. He was especially sent to call such to re- pentance (Matt. ix. 13), but because repentant sinners are the object. even (if especial joy before God Himself in heav^en ; mucli more then ought the Pharisees to have rejoiced rather than murmured, when they saw our Lord associating with sinners in order to lead them to repentance. 3—10. The first parable, that of the Lost Sheep, is moi"e shortly told in Matt, xviii. 12, 13, where see note. Here are added the words, ' in the wilderness,' where the ninety-nine sheep are left. The wilderness does not mean a desert place, but a large open pasture. In the second parable, the woman who has lost the piece of money, signi- fies again Christ, as the shepherd in the first ; the piece of money being the sinner who is recovered, or repents, and M piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it ? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth lier friends and lier neighbours together, saying, Ee- joice with me ; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. 11 T[ And he said, A certain man had two sons : 12 And the younger of them said to his father. Father, give me the portion of goods that fall- eth to me. And he divided unto them Ids living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all to- gether, and took his journey into the lighting the candle, &c., being as the search for the lost sheep. The 'joy' that is felt, as was said in the note on St. Matthew, is that which God Himself graciously tells us that He feels ' in heaven,' or ' in the presence of the angels of God.' According to this, the 'friends and neighbours' may per- haps mean the angels. The shepherd bearing the sheep on his shoulders, may signify the continued grace of God, which is given to every sinner after he has been converted, to enable him, if he will, to persevere in the amendment which he has begun. We may further learn from these parables the duty of rejoicing with those who do rejoice, which is elsewhere commanded (Rom. xii. 15); as it is brought before us in ver. G and 9, as done by the friends of the shepherd or of the woman. 11 — 32. This parable (concerning some of the lesser details of which, see note on Matt. v. 25, 2G), called the 2 24 i ST. LUKE, XY. a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land ; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country ; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat : and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to him- self, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, !Fa- parable of the Prodigal, or wasteful, Son, sets forth the dealings of God with repentant sinners. The ' certain man,' signifies God ; the younger of the two sous is the self-willed man, or open sinner. The ' portion of goods' which the father intends for his sons, (which is the same as the ' living,' ver. 12, that is, so much of his living as was meant for his sons,) means whatever earthly bless- ings and possessions God gives to a man. These are to be enjoyed and used by us as God would have us do, and according as He vouchsafes them to us. So in the parable it is meant that it would have been better for the younger son to have waited till his father thought fit of himself to give liim his portion. But he chose to take it, and goes away from his father's house, and from his control, and wastes it witli 'riotous living' in a far country. This signifies the sinner using all his gifts which he has of God, aicay from God as it were, that is, not according to God's will, and in the evil ways of ther, I have sinned against hea- ven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off", his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against hea- ven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on Ms feet : 23 And bring hither the fatted the world (see note on Matt. iv. 9, on the Scripture sense of ' the world') : the sinful world being signified by the ' far country.' We are to observe that the father does not refuse his son's request, but at once gives him his portion. So in the application of the parable : we are free, God leaves us free, to use His gifts either rightly, in His service, or self- ishly, in the evil world. ' When he had spent all,' signifies the condition of the sinner when he has come to an end, as all sinners must do, of all the pleasure and satisfaction which indulgence in sin can give. He then perceives that there is a ' mighty famine in that land ;' that is, that in the world, or in the 7ne)-e pursuits of the world as before ex|)lained, there is an absolute want of what alone can give peace and happiness to the soul : the ' peace of God ' in the conscience, 'wl'.ich passeth all imderstanding.' The siinier then, as the younger son in the parable, 'begins to be in want:' ST. LIJKE, XY. 245 calf, and kill it; aud let us eat, and be merry : 2^ For this my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field : and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants, aud asked what these things meant. 27 And he said unto him. Thy brother is come ; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, be- cause he hath received him safe and sound. 28 And he was angry, and begins to feel his need of that inward peace. But this is only a beginning : at first he tries to satisfy his soul by plunging more and more deeply into sini'ul pleasiu'es. This is meant in the parable by the prodigal 'joining himself to,' or entering into the service of, ' a citizen of that country,' by whom Satan is perhaps signified : the sinner be- coming entirely bound to the service of the evil one. The service required by the 'citizen ' of the prodigal, is to ' feed swine;' which to a Jew would be particularly odious (Lev. xi. 7)- This is to point out to us that the moi'e a man sins, the more horrible and luathsoine to himself will his sin become : the sin being meant by the service described in the parable. But till the sinner, by the grace of God, repents, till he 'comes to himself (ver. 17), he has no power to leave even the sin which he himself loathes. 'He would fain have filled' himself (ver. 16), that is, he wished, but could not : the ' husks ' could not satisfy his appetite, not being human food, ' No man gave unto him,' that is, no man M would not go in : therefore came his father out, and intreated liim. 29 And he answering said to Jiis father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither trans- gressed I at any time thy com- mandment : and yet thou never gavest me a kid, tliat I might make merry with my friends : 30 But as soon as this tliy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou liast killed for him the fatted calf 31 And he said unto him. Son, thou art ever w^ith me, and all that I have is thine. 32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad : for this thy brother was dead, and is gave him food that would satisfy him. This verse signifies to us, as was before noticed, that the sinner cannot be satis- fied in his soul with any indulgence ia worldly pleasures, which are not by their nature fit for it: they are the 'husks' of the parable. ' When he came to himself,' that is, to his right mind, and right view of his own condition : his better nature, or his own proper self, as St. Paul describes man to be — desiring to do what is right, which he knows by the light which God has given him, but which from his weakness and proneness to evil he is utterly unable to attain without God's help (Rom. vii.). So here, this help of God, this ' preventing grace,' briiiijs the sinner to this right view, and enables him to 'arise' (ver. 18), to rise from his sin and shake it oft' : which of himself he could not do. Ver. 18 — 20 mean the confession of entire unworthiness, and returning to God of the penitent sinner. In the pai'able, the son confesses that he has sinned not only against heaven, that is against God, but against his father. In 3 246 ST. LUKE, XVI. alive again ; found. and was lost, and is CHAPTEE XVI. 1 And he said also unto liis disciples, There was a certain the application of the parable these mean the same thing, as the father sig- nifies God. The father having compassion and running to meet his son ' when he was yet a great way off,' signifies the gra- cious lovingkindness of God towards the penitent, in receiving and clierish- ing him, and enabling him to improve his penitence, even in the first begin- nings of repentance, and when he is still very far from a really renewed state of heart. That lovingkindness makes the penitent (ver. 21) only the more ready to confess his sin and humble him- self. The special gifts (ver. 22, 23) which the father gives to his repenting son, mean the great spiritual blessings of God's love and mercy, far more than he bad dared to ask for, which the truly penitent sinner receives, for the sake of Christ, from the hand of God. ' Dead' (ver. 24), that is, as good as dead, from being so entirely lost. In the spiritual meaning of the parable, it signifies the lost state of the soul through sin, which is so often called a death. The ' elder son' cannot be understood as meaning one who truly, accord- ing to what he says of himself, has 'served' God and 'kept His command- ments.' It cannot mean such an one in the Christian sense ; for one of the chief of those commandments is to love one another, to rejoice with one an- other, and to have no feelings of envy and jealousy; and such was clearly not the feeling of this elder son towards his brother. But neither, on the other hand, can it mean one who is wholly bad, or in a state of condemnation be- fore God, as we see from the way in which the father treats him in the pa- rich man, which had a steward ; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee ? give an account of rable, which indicates the way in which God would deal with such a man. It rather means one who is something like the Pharisee in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (xviii. 11, where see note), who has not been au open sinner, and broken God's ' com- mandments,' but who has kept them in a cold and dry spirit, and so has been in a great degree wanting in the chiefest of all, love towards both God and man. Such persons as these, not being in a reprobate state, though imperfect, are still 'intreated' (ver. 28) by God to come in to the feast, which is the feast of God's love under the Gospel, so that they may come to a better mind. The father says (ver. 31), ' All that I have is thine,' as sharing all that he had with his son. In the spiritual ap- plication this means that God's gifts arc inexhaustible, and without measure; so that one receiving of them (as in ver. 22, 23) does in no way diminish what others have. We must observe in this parable what true repentance is, from that of the prodigal. It must be accompanied with a deep sorrow and suffering (ver. 14— IG), a change of mind (ver. 17), profound self-abasement and surrender to God's will, and a complete confession of sin (ver. 18, 19. 21). Ch. XVI. 1—9. The object of this parable is to set before us the example of a bad man, but one who was prudent in what he did with regard to his earthly well-doing ; and the lesson of the pa- rable is, that we should have the same sort and degree of prudence in order to gain heavenly ends, which he had in order to gain earthly ends. The steward had the management of the rich man's ' goods ;' and among ST. LUKE, XVI. 247 thy stewardship ; for thou may est be no louger steward. 3 Theu the steward said with- iu himself, "What sliall I do ? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship : I cannot dig ; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said other things he had to sell the produce of his estate, such as oil, wheat, &e., to different people, who are here called the lord's ' debtors,' as owing to him the money which was the price of what they had thus bought. The steward was 'accused' of having in some manner or other 'wasted' his master's ' goods,' and ciieated him, on which account he is dismissed. But he was first to wind up his account ('give an account of his 'stewardship'), for which purpose he has to collect the out- standing debts due to his master. 'They' (ver. 4) means the debtors, whose favour the steward meant to gain, and from whom he hoped to ob- tain a shelter in their houses after he was dismissed. The ' bill' (ver. 6, 7) was the bill, or note, on which the debtors wrote an aclinowledgment of how much wheat, oil, &.C., they had bought from the rich man. The 'hundred measures' would, according to our custcmis, thus ratlier mean the price of so many mea- sures ; but in those early days debts would often be paid, as we say, In kind. The steward alone knew how much these people owed to his lord : and therefore by giving them leave to alter their bill, in consequence of which they would pay much less than they really owed to him, he enabled them to de- M unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord ? 6 And he said. An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou ? And he said. An hundred mea- sures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended fraud his master, and thei'efore was himself guilty of fraud. ' The lord,' (ver. 8,) that is, the master of the 'unjust' (or dishonest) steward, found out tlie fraud which he had com- mitted : and ' commended,' or praised, him for it. This does not mean that even the master in the parable, much less our Lord, thought that the man had dune rightly in what he did : but that he praised or admired the prudence which he had shewn, (which is called ' doing wisely,') for the particular pur- pose which he had in view, namely, the obtaining a worldly livelihood. Pru- dence, foresight, and cleverness to choose good means to arrive at a given end, are in themselves good and useful qualities, and as such may be admired, while we look at them apart from the end at which they are aimed. If they are aimed at a good object, they are wholly good : if, as in this case, they are aimed at a bad object, they are still good in themselves, but spoiled by being so misused. Prudence, like any other power of the mind, is God's gift, and tiierefore must be good : but when misapplied, it is a good thing put to a bad use. So here it is said that the wicked steward was to be admired for having so much prudence : but he was to be blamed for the puriiose to which he applied that prudence. This is further shewn by the re- 4 248 ST. LUKE, XVI. the uujust steward, because he had done wisely : for the children of this world are in their genera- tion wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make mainder of this verse. For there ' the children of this world' mean bad peo- ))le, like the unjust steward. The ' world ' means the evil world, as before explained (see note on Matt. iv. 9): and the ' children ' of it, as is similarly said elsewhere (iMatt. xi. 19, &c.), means those who, like this steward, belong only to this world, care only about it and their comfort in it, and commit sin rather than give up that comfort. Our Lord says of them that they are ' wiser in their generation than the children of light :' that is to say, they are more prudent, use better means, are wiser, in their icay, and in order to get the earthly things which they care for, than good people ai-e in their way, and in order to get what they are in pursuit of. namely, heavenly re- wards. They are good people, since they are called 'children of light,' which, as before, means those who follow and seek for the light, that is, the light of the Gospel (see notes on John i. 4, 5. 7). But good people are imper- fectly good : and from the weakness and sinfulness of our nature, as is com- monly observed, worldly penple are ge- nerally much more alive, and active, and thoughtful, in their pursuit of wealth and other worldly objects, than those who profess to seek after heavenly things are in their jiursuits. Our Lord therefore teaches us (ver. 9), to imitate the jirudence of the bad steward : to have the quality of pru- dence as he had, but to make a dif- ferent use of it, and apply it to a good purpose as he had for a bad one. The thing which the steward had made use of to get what he wanted (a lodging and livelihood) was riches : not his own, but the property of the debtors, which he had power over by enabling them to to yourselves friends of the mam- mon of unrighteousness ; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in alter their bills as above explained. Riches are here called 'mammon,' (see note on Matt. vi. 24,) and 'the mammon of unrighteousness,' that is, the evil mammon. This seems to be because, as elsewhere ex|ilained (see note on Matt. iv. 9), riches and all earthly things are of themselves, if pursued and loved for their own sake, and unless sanctified by the grace of God, evil. ' Of the mammon,' means by, by the means of, the mammon : and the ex- pression, ' Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness' means ' So use your earthly means, in them- selves evil, as to turn them to good.' Tliat is, do such works with them, use them to such good and righteous pur- poses (chiefly meaning doing good to others), as may be well-pleasing to God through Christ, and such that after a life so spent you may be 'received into the everlasting habitations' of heaven : which are signified by the 'houses' in the parable. In this way the good works which we may have done, and the ' testimony of a good conscience' to them, and the persons to whom we may have done good, may be looked upon as our * friends,' at the Day of Judgment (see Matt. xxv. 21. 34—40, cSic). Not that any good works which we can do will deserve for us tlie rewards of hea- ven, which are given freely by God for the sake of Christ: but God requires of us faith in Christ, and we know that unless we have works we have not faith (James ii. 26). ' They may receive you,' therefore means, that it is with reference to such friends that ye shall be so received. ' When ye fail,' means, ' when ye die.' 10, 11. Our Loi'd continues to speak of the right use of riches, which ai'e ST. LUKE, XVI. 2i9 nnicli : aud he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches ? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own ? 13 *\\ No servant can serve two mastex's : for either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Te can- not serve God and mammon. 14 And the Pharisees also, here called ' that which is least ;' that is, things of vei-y small value as compared with heavenly blessings, which are called ' much.' Having just warned tliem (ver. 9) to make a right use of riches. He goes on, saying as it were, ' For he who is faithful in little, is faithful in much ;' that is, he who makes a right use of worldly things, is jit also to re- ceive the heavenly things, as he will be faithful in them, (they being sometimes described as things in which some work may have to be done : see note on xix. 17); but 'he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much ;' that is, he who does not make that right use of worldly things is not fit to receive the heavenly things. So in the next verse, which liieans, ' If ye have not rightly used worldly riches, how can ye hope to have the true riches of heaven ? ' 12. Here 'another man' does not mean literally another ?)wn, but another, namely, God. ' That which is another's,' means, as in the former verse, all earthly gifts ; it is meant that they ai'e not ours ; they all belong to God, and are given or lent to us on trust, and on trial. And ' that which is your own,' means the rewards of heaven. They also, no doubt, M who were covetous, heard all these things : and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Te are they which justify your- selves before men ; but God knoweth your hearts : for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets ivere until John : since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17 Aud it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, are of God, and from Him. But they are called ' our own,' because they will be given to those who receive them, to enjoy securely and for ever, and not in a state of probation. Compare also iMatt. xiii. 12, and note. ' Who will commit?' and ' Who shall give \ ' signifies that God will not so com- mit or give. 13. Matt. vi. 24. 14. 'Derided,' laughed at Him, for speaking against riches, of which they were ' covetous.' 15. 'Justify yourselves,' that is, en- deavour to appear just or good, before men, which was the character of the Pharisees (see Matt, xxiii. 5). ' That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God ;' that is, it often is so ; many things which are esteemed among men are neverthe- less evil. All things are so which, though good in themselves, are intended only to be 'esteemed among men:' done with that object. See note on Alatt. v. 14—16. 16. Matt. xi. 12, 13. 'Every man,' that is, every one who did embrace it, 17. Matt. V. 18. 18. 'Whosoever putteth away his 5 250 ST. LUKE, XVI. cotnmitteth adultery : and who- soever marrieth her that is put away from lier husband commit- teth adultery. 19 % There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in pur- ple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day : 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of soi'es. wife,' tliat is, as we are told in Matt. v. 32, ' saving for the cause of fornication,' or adultery. 19 — 31. This parable is a representa- tion of the different portions, after this life, of a selfish and worldly rich man, and of a good poor man. We need not suppose it to mean what actually hud happened : but like the other parables, it is a tale or story from which we are to learn spiritual truths. And especially with regard to what is described as taking place in the other world — the spirits of saints, as Abraham, convers- ing with those of the lost, as that of the rich man, their being visible to each other, their knowing what exists on earth, and their visiting the earth again,— it would not be safe to conclude from this parable that these things lite- rally are so. That we do not know : the parable may only represent it as being so for the spiritual object which it intends, and as being what would take place were such intercourse, &.c. pos- sible. The root or source of the sin of the rich man, which the parable is meant to rebuke, is unbelief: not looking to or caring for, or indeed believing in, the ne,\t world, but thinking only of this ; and hence it is, that the parable is spoken by our Lord just after He had been setting forth, in the beginning of this chapter, the infinite importance of the ne.xt world, and of using this world only with a view to it. The par- ticular way in which this unbelief of the rich man shewed itself, to which the 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried ; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and parable refers, was his not caring for the poor : so that the story contains a solemn lesson against the selfishness of wealth, and on the duty of doing good to the poor. We must observe that the rich man is not accused of any great sin ; all that we leai'n of him is, that he lived in great luxury, and neglected the poor around him. For this is enough to shew that he was such a man as must, unless he i'e]>ents before he dies (which this man did not), come to eternal destruction ; as it shews that his heart was wrong. Had his heart been right, he could not wholly have neglected that or any other duty of which he could not be ignorant (see notes on j\Iatt. v. 19). ' Sumptuously,' means, in a very ex- pensive manner. The beggar (ver. 22) had borne his poverty and suffering in the manner which leads to heaven ; according to what our Lord said, ' Blessed are they that mourn' (Matt. v. 4, where see note). After death it was not to heaven itself, or to hell, that the rich man and the poor were taken (ver. 22, 23): that would not be till the Day of Judgment ; but to the places of departed souls wait- ing for judgment, which in the case of the righteous is a place of happiness, in the case of the wicked a place of suffer- ing. ' Abraham's bosom,' namely, in that place of happiness ; as he, being one of the great saints of God, has an eminent place there. We are to remember that it was not ST. LUKE, XVI. 251 seeth Abraham afar off, aud Lazarus in his bosom. 24i And he cried and said, Father Abraliara, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in Avater, aud cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life- time receivedst thy good thiugs, and likewise Lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 2G And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed : so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that ■would come from thence. wrong for the rich man (ver. 25) to 'receive his good things':' his fault was that lie took them without restraint, witliout self-denial, was satisfied with them, and gave none of them to others : in short, fell into that danger which riches bring with them, as being in themselves evil (see notes on Matt. xix. 19. 21. 23). The iGth verse signifies that the state of the dead cannot be altered : accord- ing as their life on earth has been, so will be their state hereafter. ' Testify ' (ver. 28), that is, tell them, from his own knowledge and experience, of the future state which follows after death : so as to lead them to live that sort of life which would bring them to happiness and not to misery. For the five bretliren were living, as the rich man himself had done, the life of unbe- lief and selfislmess, which would lead them, as him, to the ' place of tor- ment.' ' Moses and the prophets ' means the books of the Law of Moses and the pro- phets : that is to say, the Old Testament, which was the whole Bible of the Jews. M 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, fatlier, that thou wouldest send him to my fa- ther's house : 28 Por I have five brethren ; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him. They have Moses and tlie pro- phets ; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham : but if one went unto them from the dead, they wiU repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. That book did not speak plainly to them of a future life ; but it pointed out to them clearly their duty, which was enough for them : ' let them hear them,' and lead the life which was there com- manded. The rich man thinks (ver. 30, 31) that tlie Bible was nut enough for them, but that to see one risen from the dead would make them repent, as being a still stronger proof of the wrath of God against sinners. But the reply of Abra- ham is to shew us that if the will of a man is corrupt and bent upon sin, as that of these five bi-ethren was, no de- gree of proof addressed to his under- standing v/ill make him better : it is his heart and his will which must be turned, as it can only be by the grace of God. And we have a remarkable proof of the truth of this 31st verse, by wliat hap- pened among the Jews at the time of Christ. The unbelieving Jews had the prophecies and the preaching of Christ to lead them to believe, and they did not; and then, when even He did raise the dead to life before them, and still more when He Himself rose from the 6 252 ST. LUKE, XVII. CHAPTEE XYII. 1 Then said be unto the disci- ples, It is impossible but that offences will come : but woe imto him, through whom they come ! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 ^ Take heed to yourselves : If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him ; and if he re- pent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6 And the Lord said. If ye dead, they continued to disbelieve : as it is here said that the five brethren of the rich man would do. The holy books were quite enough for tlieir under- standings; and no furtiier mere proofs of that kind would have any effect upon them. Ch. XVI r. 1, 2. Matt, xviii. 6, ^. 3. ' Rebuke,' in a gentle and reason- able way. See note on ]\Iatt. xviii. 15—17. 4. In Matt, xviii. 21, 22, (where see notes,) it is said that not only after seven, but after seventy times seven, we must f^r^^ive our brother. But it is there explained (see note) that these particular numbers are of no consequence, and that the meaning is that we must always be wiUing to for- give. 6. Matt. xvii. 20. 7 — 10. In these verses our Lord teaches us that it is as impossible for man to deserve any favour from God, as had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea ; and it should obey you. 7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cat- tle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat ? 8 And will not rather say unto him. Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken ; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink ? 9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him ? I trow not. 10 So likewise ye, when ye of his own right, as it is for a servant to deserve particular thanks from his master for merely doing his duty to him. The servant is bound to do cer- tain things for his master (ver. 7), and if he does any thing beyond that, he may be entitled to receive a special acknow- ledgment, such as is supposed in vei\ 7, by his sitting down to meat before his master: as he is then doing a kindness or favour, and not mei-ely doing his duty. But man's service to God has no bounds or limits of this kind : every single -thing we speak, or do, is to be done in God's service and to His glory (see note on Matt. vi. 24). Even then if a man were to do so completely, which no man does, he should consider that he has only done what as God's creature and servant he was bound to do, and is therefore entitled to no spe- cial favour at God's liands. The mer- cies therefore of God are given to us of His free grace alone : and the object of these verses is both to make us avoid ST. LUKE, XVII. 253 shall have clone all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants : we have done that which was our duty to do. 11 ^ And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw tliem, he said unto them, Gro shew your- selves unto the priests. And it pride on account of any services we may do, and to make us duly thankful for those mercies: for we do receive those gifts and mercies from God, both in this life and infinitely more in the next, out of all proportion to what we can do (see note on Matt. xx. I — 16). ' I trow not' (ver. 9), means, ' I think not.' * Unprofitable ' (ver. 10) does not mean bad, but, as above explained, one who has dcine nothing extra, nothing but what he was strictly bound to do. 12. The leper ' stood afar off,' be- cause such persons were not allowed to come near to others, on account of the infection (Lev. xiii. 4G). 14. See note on Matt. viii. 4. 'They were cleansed,' miraculously, by the will of Christ. Our Lord often wrought His miracles in this way, by His mere will, in the absence of the person healed, and without any visible means (ilatt. viii. 13, &c.). The lepers no doubt understood that the command of our Lord to them, that they should go to the priests, implied a 2)romise that they should be healed, though it did not take instant effect : came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glo- rified God, 16 And fell down on J/is face at his feet, giving him thanks : and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine ? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. 20 ^ And when he was de- because they had no right to appear before the priests till they were healed. And their going immediately, in reli- ance on this promise, was a mark of faith (see note on Matt. ix. 22). 16 — 18. It is probable that it was only the 'stranger,' the Samaritan, who returned to give thanks, and not the Jewish lepers, from the same i-eason which led our Lord to attribute the good action in the parable of the Good Samaritan to one of that nation and not to one of the Jews, as is there ex- jilainod (see note on x. 'dO — 35), namely, the pride, and hardness of heart, and unthankfulness, which follow upon pride, to which the Jews were tempted as knowing themselves to be the chosen people of God, and therefore disposed to take all His mercies as things of course. To this the Samaritan leper was not so tempted : and our Lord notices it here, as a warning to the Jews against those sins, as well as an encouragement to the Samaritan to con- tinue in a good course. 19. Matt. ix. 22. 20,21. The 'kingdom of God,' the Gospel. The Pharisees and the Jews 254 ST. LUKE, XVII. manded of tlie Pharisees, when the kingdom of Grod should come, lie answered them and said, The kingdom of God com- eth not with observation : 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here ! or, lo there ! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 22 And he said unto the disci- ples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. generally, as we liave seen (see note on Matt. ii. 2), expected that the Messiah, when He came, would establish a great earthly kingdom for the Jews, deliver- ing them from the power of the Ro- mans. The answer of our Lord, as some other sayings of His (John xviii. 30, &.C.), is meant to point to the real nature of that kingdom, which was a spii-itual or heavenly one in the hearts of men: 'within you.' This is the meaning of ' cometh not with observa- tion :' tiiat is, it is no necegsary part of the Gospel that it should be attended with any thing outward in the way of shew, or change in the affairs of king- doms and such earthly things. Great outward changes would indeed neces- sarily foUuw upon the spread of Chris- tianity ; but such changes are not parts of the religion of Christ itself. The religion was complete before the changes took place : as we see in the preaching both of our liord and His Apostles, who commanded Cliristians not to at- tempt any outward changes, but to con- form (unless any thing sinful were com- manded) to the laws under which they found themselves (Matt. xxii. 21, &c.), which were those of heathen rulers : though afterwards, the rulers being converted, they themselves made those changes. So also the Church, the spiritual kingdom, was not to be 'here' or 'there,' in any particular place; as it 23 And they shall say to you, See here ; or, see there : go not after them, nor follow the7}i. 24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other ^;or^ under heaven ; so shall also the Son of man be iu his day. 25 But first must he suifer many things, and be rejected of this generation. was to be spread throughout the world. 22. Our Lord here refers to the times of persecution which were to follow after His removal from the disciples. In those days, He says, they will regret the time when He was with them and protected them, and ' desire ' again ' to see one of His days,' but should nut do so. He means to prepare them for those days, and accustom them to think about them. It also seems that our Lord may have meant to warn them not only that the earthly presence of His first coming on earth was to be taken from them, but that His se- cond coming was not to take place during those early days of persecution, as we know was often expected by the early Christians (see note on Matt. xxiv. 20). 23, 24. Matt. xxiv. 23. 2C, 27. 25. We must remember, in the re- mainder of this chapter, that our Lord's second coming is sometimes spoken of to mean the destruction of Jerusalem, sometimes the Day of Judgment (see note on Matt. xxiv. 4). When, there- fore, our Lord here says that He must frst suffer many things, it shews that His 'day ' (ver. 24) now means the fall of Jerusalem : as the death of Christ (being the end of His ' suffering many tilings ') was to be shortly before that event. ST. LUKE, XVIII. 255 2G And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Sou of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroy- ed tliem all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded ; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed tliem all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away : and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Eemember Lot's wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and 26—29. See note on Matt. xxiv. 37. 30. ' Even thus,' or sudden and unex- pected. This verse may be understood both of the Day of Judgment and the fall of Jerusalem. 31. Matt. xxiv. 17, 18. 32. See Gen. xix. 26. Our Lord means that as Lot's wife ought to have fled for her life without turning back, so in that time of trial (referring here to the persecutions and troubles at the time of the taking of Jerusalem) they should escape without looking back or loitering. whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two onen in one bed ; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two loomen shall be grind- ing together ; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two onen shall be in the field ; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 37 And they answered and said unto him, "Where, Lord ? And he said unto them, Where- soever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. CHAPTEE XVIII. 1 And he spake a parable unto them to tins end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint ; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man : 3 And there was a widow in that city ; and she came unto him, saying. Avenge me of mine adversarv. 33. Matt. X. 39. This saying of Christ has a particular sense hei-e : as it is especially in times of trouble, like those immediately after His death, that men would be tempted to sacrifice their heavenly to their earthly life. 34-36. Matt. xxiv. 40, 41. 37. Matt. xxiv. 28. Ch. XVIIL 1. 'To this end,' that is, in order to teach this. ' Not to faint,' namely, in pi^ayer : not to be dispirited and give it up. 3. ' Avenge me of,' means, ' do me right or justice against.' 256 ST. LUKE, XVIII. 4 And lie would not for a while : but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man ; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge 4. It must be borne in mind that parables are nut histories of events that actually happened: so that we need not suppose that any man would delibe- rately prufess what this judge says. But innumerable people have acted, and do act on these grounds : they do not in truth fear God or regai'd man, though they may not acknowledge it to them- selves. 6 — 8. The reasoning of our Lord is this that if an unjust man, from a had motive (to escape annoyance only) did right to this widow, much more will the just God, who cannot act from bad mo- tives, deliver ('avenge') Christians from their enemies. These enemies, whom we must understand as referred to in the parable though not mentioned, and who answer to the ' adversary,' as the persons who pi'ay (' cry day and night') do to the widow, may be looked upon partly as outward enemies, or suffer- ings, partly as the spiritual enemy of the soul, that is, Satan. The delivei'- ance which God here promises is not quite the same in the two cases. We know that outward troubles will never be wholly removed from any of us, or from the Church generally. But still God delivers His 'elect' (His chosen people) from them. He does so partly by softening and diminishing what He does not wholly remove : partly by fre- quent judgments and punishments on persecutors and oppressors : partly by the inward peace of soul which He gives to the righteous in answer to their prayers. It also refers (as we see from his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them ? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth ? 9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were right- eous, and despised others : ver. 8, where the ' avenging ' seems con- nected with the second 'coming' of the ' Son of Man ') to the coming of Christ to judgment, when complete justice will be done upon the wicked and on evil spirits (see note on Matt. viii. 29) ; and the 'elect,' those who have abode in God's favour unto the last, will be finally accepted and rewarded. This is the deliverance promised from outward enemies. But in the case of Satan, the spiritual enemy, God pro- mises complete deliverance even in this life, to those who rightly use their pri- vileges and perform their duties as Christians, among which is constant jn-ayer (ver. 7)- The true Christian, we are told, does not sin (1 .John iii. 9, &c.). We do not indeed suppose thiit there ever has been such a man, or that there will be any who will fully arrive at such a state; but that is because no Christian makes the best of the powers and privileges granted to him. But here also the deliverance pro- mised may partly refer to the last day, when the elect will be altogether set free from the weaknesses and corruptions by which they were beset on earth, and Satan will have no power over them left. In both cases the condition which God here requires, is, that the elect, if they are such, shall ' cry day and night before Him,' that is, they are to pray con- stantly, and not to be discouraged if God ' bear long with them,' which means, delay in answering their prayers. The very object of the parable ('he would not for a while:' ver. 4), is to A ST. LUKE, XVIII. 257 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; tlie one a Phari- see, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, un- just, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in a week, I give tithes of all that I pos- sess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so shew that we are not to expect that our prayers shall be always answered imme- diately, nor suppose, if they do not appear to be granted, that therefore God will not grant them : God icUl grant the prayers of the righteous (when they ask for what is really good for them : see note on Matt. xxi. 22), ' speedily,' that is, as soon as is best for themselves, though He may ' bear long,' or delay. In many w:iys, such as trying our patience, our faith, and confirming us in the habit of prayer, it may be best for us that God should not at once grant what is prayed for. When we understand ver. 8 of the Day of Judgment, ' speedily ' may be taken as ' immediately,' in Matt. xxiv. 29, where see note. Our Lord speaks this parable witli reference to the troubles and persecu- tions of which He had been speaking ; whicli were to occur after His Ascension, at the siege of Jerusalem, and also before His second coming to judgment: to en- courage His followers to prayer, even in those ti-ying times. 'Nevertheless,' He a,dds, ' when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth % ' which means, that notwithstanding that en- couragement, those trials would be so severe, that the greater number would fall away, and ' faith ' would be but scantily ' found on the earth ' (see Matt. xxiv. 12, &c.). The putting it in the much as Ids eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, say- ing, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other : for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them : but when his disci- ples saw^ it, they rebuked them. form of a question, as Christ does, is the same as saying that He would not find faith abundant on the e;irth. 10. On the characters of the Pharisees and Publicans, see note on Matt. iii. 7 j ix. 10. 1 1. It does not appear that this Pha- risee untruly professed tiiat he was free from the great sins which he men- tions. He no doubt was so, and was of a like sort of character to those which we have seen before (see Matt. ix. 12, 13; xxiii. 23. 25, i:6, and notes), free from gross sin, and precise, as the Pharisees generally were, in out- ward observances (ver. 12); but de- ficient in some essential Christian grace — in this instance humility, and love or charitableness, which it is the great object of the jiarable to teach us. Instead of thinking of, and confessing his sins as he ought to have done, he is full of pride about himself ; and instead of feeling kindly and compassionate to- wards the poor Publican, who no doubt had been, or was, guilty of many sins, he feels nothing but contempt towards him. 13 The outward behaviour of the Publican was to mark humility. 'Afar oft',' namely, from the altar or holiest parts of the temple. 14 'Justified,' means, forgiven, count- ed righteous in the sight of God. No man being in himself wholly righteous, those are counted so who are accepted 258 ST. LUKE, XYIII. 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little cliil- dren to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you,"Who- soever shall not receive the king- dom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. 18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ? 19 And Jesus said uuto him, Why callest thou me good ? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20 Thou knowest the com- mandments, Do not commit a- dultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honour thy father and thy mo- ther. 21 And he said. All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him. Yet lackest thou one thing : sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful : for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, by God for Christ's sake. It is not said that the Publican (' this man ') was so forgiven ; but that he was so ^rather tlian the other,' that is, he was in a bet- ter way towards it, as having humiUty in his heart, whereas tlie other was full of pride. For the latter part of the vei'se, see How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26 And they that heard it said. Who then can be saved ? 27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. 28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you. There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. 31 ^ Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accom- plished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on : 33 And they shall scourge notes on xiv. 11, and Matt, xxiii. 12. Here of course it refers to what takes place in the sight of God. 16, 17. See notes on Matt, xviii. 3 — 5; Mark x. 15. 18— 30. Matt. xix. 16— 2D. 'Ruler,' man of i-ank. ' Inherit," obtain. 32. ' Gentiles,' see note on Matt. xx. 1 9. ST. LUKE, XIX. 259 him, and put liim to death : and the third day lie shall rise again. 34 And the}^ understood none of these things : and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. 35 T[ And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jeri- cho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging : 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went be- fore rebuked him, that he should hold his peace : but he cried so much the more. Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and com- manded him to be brought unto him : and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee ? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Eeceive thy sight : thy faith hath saved thee. 43 And immediately he re- ceived his sight, and followed him, glorifying God : and all the 34. Mark ix. 32. 42. See note on Matt. ix. 22. Ch. XIX. 2. 7, 8. See note on Matt. ix. 10. On that passage it was ob- served that it probably was often not people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God. CHAPTER XIX. 1 And Jesus entered and pass- ed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there ivas a man named Zacchteus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was ; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him : for he was to pass that tvai/. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchseus, make haste, and come down ; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8 And Zacchgeus stood, and said unto the Lord ; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor : and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. true that the publicans were, as the Jews considered them, and as the people say in this verse, wicked and extor- tionate persons ; and the instance of Zacchseus, as he describes himself in ver. 8, was brought to shew it. For 260 ST. LUKE, XIX. 9 And Jesus said uuto liim, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A cer- tain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten ser- vants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them. Occupy till I come. Zaccbseus seems to mean that such was his usual practice, as is said in that verse, which is the contrary to extortion or covetousness. 'False accusation' need not mean wilfully false. ' Accu- sation' means a charge which a pub- lican, or tax-collector, might make against a man for payments or fines ; and 'false' seems to mean erroneous, excessive. 9, 10. ' Unto him ' means, refei'ring to him, namely, Zacchteus, whose ' house' is meant. The words, ' forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraliam,' give a reason why our Lord honoured Zacchaeus by coming to his house (bringing 'salvation' to it); because it was to the Jews, children of Abraham, that Christ says here and elsewhere that He was specially sent. And it is they who are referred to also in the next verse: see note on Matt. XV. 24. 11 — 27. This parable of the Pounds is nearly the same as that of the Talents (Matt. XXV. 14 — 30, where see notes). 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will uot have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, "Well, thou good servant : because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, say- But there are some differences between them. The parable of the Talents was spoken only to the disciples, and referred to what they and all Christians were to do with the means of good which God gives. This parable of the Pounds, seems to have been spoken to the people generally ; and, besides the ob- ject just mentioned, our Lord meant in it to shew His hearers that they were mistaken in supposing that His king- dom (that is. His glorious or triumph- ant kingdom, to be revealed at the Day of Judgment, which is here meant) should ' inmiediately appear.' He said this ' because he was nigh to Jerusalem,' and therefore soon about to suffer ; whereas the people supposed that He would there make a triumphal entry, and take possession of a great eax'thly kingdom, according to the mistaken idea of the Jews (see note on Matt. ii. 2). Christ corrects this by shewing (ver. 12) that He was first to return to heaven, and uot finally establish or ST. LTJKE, XIX, 261 ing, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five ci- ties. 20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin : 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man : thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22 And lie saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge tliee, thoxi wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 "Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, take possession of His kingdom of glory till His ' return ' at the Day of Judg- ment. The 'nobleman' signifies Christ, and tlie ' far country,' heaven. Our Lord is often spoken of in tlie New Testament as ' receiving,' as the Son of man, His kingdom on eartli (as here in ver. 12), that is, His spiritual kingdom, the Church, from God the Father, upon His Ascension, or ' return,' to heaven, as what He had gained by His toil and His sacrifice on earth (see Eph. i. 20, &c.). The fulness of p(jwer was thus given Him over His people, or' citizens' (ver. 14), according to which, having been first a nobleman, He returns a King, and is able to give 'cities' (ver. 17. 19) to whom He would. These 'cities' mean the rewards of heaven (the 'many things' of the parable of the Talents, Matt. xxv. 21), which our Lord, as King and Judge, will give at the Day of Judgment. They may be called ' authority over cities,' as some that at my cominjj I mieht have required mine own with usury ? 2-1 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 2G For I say unto you. That unto every one which hath shall be given ; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. 28 1" And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascend- ing up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage kind of work may be therein. See note on xvi. 10. ' Occupy' (ver. 13) means 'make use of,' or ' trade with,' as in the parable of the Talents. The ' citizens' (ver. 14) mean the evil ones among mankind after Christ's Ascension, and chiefly the Jews, who 'hated' and rejected, first, Himself, and then His Apostles, and His doc- trine, and would not submit to His ' reign.' ' Sent a message.' Of course we cannot understand this literally in ap- plying the parable, as no message could be sent after our Lord, after He had left the earth, in the ordinary sense. It means all the oj)en acts of defiance towards Christ, and refusal to accept His doctrine, which unbelievers did after His Ascension. ' When he was returned,' in the ap- plication, signifies at the Last Day. ' Having received,' and for the ap- 262 ST. LUKE, XIX. and Eetbany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, lie sent two of bis disciples, 30 Saying, Gro ye into the vil- lage over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat : loose him, and bring Mm JiWier. 31 And if any man ask you. Why do ye loose him ? thus shall ye say unto him. Because the Lord hath need of him. 32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. 33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them. Why loose ye the colt? 34 And they said. The Lord hath need of him. 35 And they brought him to Jesus : and they cast their gar- ments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. pointed time governed, the 'kingdom,' the Church on earth. Ver. 25 is supposed to be spoken by the bystanders, who did not under- stand llie reason wliy, as is said in the next verse, ' unto every one that hath shall be given.' See note on Matt. xiii. 12. The destruction of the enemies spoken of in ver. 27, signifies the condemn- ation of the wicked at the Day of Judgment, ' before' Christ the Judge. 30. 'Colt,' namely, of an ass (Matt. xxi. 2). 31. 34, 35. See note on Matt. xxi. 3, 36. Matt. xxi. 8. 38. Matt. xxi. 9. 39. The Pharisees wished our Lord to ' rebuke,' or check, the praise which the disciples wei'e giving to Him, be- 36 And as they went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise Grod with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they bad seen ; 38 Saying, Blessed he the King that Cometh in the name of the Lord : peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. 41 ^ And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst cause,as we read in St. Matthew (xxi.l5,) they were 'sore displeased' at it. Our Lord tells them (ver. 40), that on so great an occasion, when He made for the only time an entry into Jerusalem, which from the mul- titude that attended it, was trium- phal, God would have wrought a miracle and made even the stones to cry out, if the people had been silent. 42. 'If thou,' or 'would that thou hadst known ! ' ' Thy day,' that is, thy season or opportunity, namely, when our Lord was among them, and they were called to hear His words and fol- low Him. ' The things which belong to thy peace,' mean tlie Gospel, wiiich, if the Jews had received it, would have given them the true and everlasting ST. LUKE, XX. 263 kno^vn, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things lohich helong unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy chil- dren within thee ; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another ; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 45 And he went into the tem- ple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought ; 46 Saying unto them, It is written. My house is the house of prayer : but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do : for all the peo- ple were very attentive to hear him. CHAPTER XX. I And it came to pass, that on peace. ' They are hid,' namely, by their own wilful blindness to them : and the opportunity for them to perceive them was passing away from before . them. 43. ' The days,' namely, at the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. 44. 'The time of thy visitation' means the same as ' thy day,' ver. 42. one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon Mm with the elders, 2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things ? or who is he that gave thee this authority ? 3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing ; and answer me : 4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men ? 5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, Erom heaven ; he will say, Why then believed ye him not ? 6 But and if we say. Of men ; all the people will stone us : for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. 7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence it loas. 8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what au- thority I do these things. 9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable ; A cer- tain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. 10 And at the season he sent ' Visitation,' namely, when Christ visited them. 45, 46. Matt. xxi. 12, 13. Ch. XX. 2—8. See note on Matt, xxi. 25. 9—18. Matt. xxi. 33—44. In St. Mattliew the hearers of our Lord are spoken of as not perceiving how the pa- 264 ST. LUKE, XX. a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard : but tlie husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. 11 And again lie sent another servant : and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. 12 And again lie sent a third : and they wounded him also, and cast him out. 13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do ? I will send my beloved son : it may be they will reverence him when they see him. 14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir : come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. 15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them ? 16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And ■when they heard it, they said, God forbid. rable applied to themselves, inasmuch as they declare what punishment ought to be inflicted on the husl)andnien, by whom they themselves were signified. Here (ver. 10) it would rather appear that those who said ' God forbid,' who may have been some only of the hearers, understood that Christ was speaking of them, and expressed a wish or prayer that the destruction which He pro- nounced might not fall upon them. Our Lord goes on (ver. 17) to shew thai they were really meant, and that it 17 And he beheld them, and said. What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is be- come the head of the corner ? 18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken ; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 19 ^ And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him ; and they feared the people : for they per- ceived that he had spoken this parable against them. 20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might de- liver him unto the power and authority of the governor. 21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou say- est and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly : 22 Is it lawful for its to give tribute unto Caesar, or no ? 23 But he perceived their was according to what they deserved, and to what had been prophesied. 20. The 'spies' were to 'feign' or pretend to be 'just' or good men, in order to lead our Lord the n:oi'e wil- lingly to si)eak openly with them: the chief priests not considering that He knew all their thoughts and could not be deceived. To ' take hold of His words,' means the same as ' entangle Him,' Matt. xxii. 15, where see note. 21—26. Matt. xxii. IC— 22. ST. LUKE, XX. 265 craftiness, and said unto them, "Why tempt ye me ? 21 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. 25 And he said unto them, Eender therefore unto Csesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's. 2G And they could not take hold of Iiis words before the peo- ple : and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace. 27 ^ Then came to lum cer- tain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection, and they asked him, 28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us. If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 29 'there were therefore seven brethren : and the first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. 31 And the third took her ; and in like manner the seven also : 27. See notes on Matt. iii. 7 ; xxii. 24. 35. ' Tliiit world,' the world to come, or Heaven. The ' resurrection from the dead,' here does not mean simply rising ag:iin, inasmuch as all shall rise, bad and gdod : it means rismg again to eternal happiness. 56. Speaking of men during this life, in tiie Bible all men in one sense are called God's children (Acts xvii. 29, &c.), and Christians are so in a special sense (1 John iii. ], &c.). But they are so on trial : and they who die in and they left no children, and died. 32 Last of all the woman died also. 33 Therefore in the resurrec- tion whose wife of them is she ? for seven had her to wife. 34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage : 35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage : 36 Xeither can they die any more : for they are equal unto the angels ; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. 37 jSTow that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living : for all live unto him. 39 ^ Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. a state of reprobation will, as, it were, have cast off their privilege antl condi- tion as sons of God, and at the" Day of Judgment will not be reckoned such. They only, as is here said, will be then God's children who shall be ' accounted worthy to obtain that world.' ' The resurrection ' means the same as in last verse : and the ' children ' of it means those to whom it will belong or be given. 37,38. Matt. xxii. 31, 32. 'All live unto him,' that is, all, whether they have K 266 ST. LUKE, XXI. 40 And after that they durst not ask him any question at all. 41 And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son ? 42 And David himself saith in the hook of Psalms, The Loed said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 43 Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 44 David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son ? 45 ^ Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, 46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts ; 47 AVhich devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers : the same shall re- ceive greater damnation. CHAPTER XXI. 1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. 2 Aud he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. 3 And he said, Of a truth I say finished their earthly life or not, are still ' living unto,' or in dependence on the power of, God, who made them im- mortal souls. 41—44. Matt. xxii. 42 — 45. See note on Mark xii. 35—37. 4G. ' In long robes,' that is, with ' enlarged borders,' Matt, xxiii. 5, where see note. imto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all : 4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offer- ings of God : but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. 5 ^ And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be ? and what sign will there he when these things shall come to pass ? 8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ ; and the time draweth near : go ye not there- fore after them. 9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified : for these things must first come to pass ; but the end is not by aud by. 10 Then said he unto them, Xation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom : 11 And great earthquakes shall 47. Matt, xxiii. 14. Ch. XXI. 1—4. Mark xii. 41—44. ' Penury,' poverty. 5—7. Matt. xxiv. 1—3. 8—36. See note on Matt. xxiv. 4. 8. JMatt. xxiv. 5. 'The time,' namely, of the second or final coming of Christ. 9—11. Matt. xxiv. 6,7. ST. LUKE, XXI. 267 be iu divers places, and famines, and pestilences ; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. 12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute yov,, delivering you up to the !:;ynagogues, and into pri- sons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. 13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer : 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your ad- versaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends ; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18 But there shall not an. hair of your head perish. 19 In your patience possess ye your souls. 12, 13. Mark xiii. 9. ' It shall turn to you for a testimony,' that is, what ye shall do will have the effect of being a testimony. 14—16. Matt. X. 19—21. 17. Matt. X. 22. 18. ' An hair shall not perish,' that is, not then. See note on Matt. x. 31. 19. This means ' keep your souls pa- tient.' 20. See note on Matt. xxiv. 15. 21. Matt. xxiv. 16. 22. ' Vengeance,' God's punishment of the Jews for their wickedness. ' Written,' by the prophets. N 20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that tlie desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judsea flee to the mountains ; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out ; and let not them that are iu the coun- tries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days ! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations : and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be ful- filled. 25 ^ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars ; and upon the earth dis- tress of nations, with perplexity ; the sea and the waves roaring ; 24. This verse foretels the fate of the Jewish nation, who were to be destroyed in war by the Romans and other ' Gen- tile' people, and their city Jerusalem ' trodden down,' or subdued, by them, 'until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled;' that is, till the fulfilment or conclusion of the times during which the Gentiles alone, having be- come Christians, shall be in God's favour, and the Jews, as a nation or body, shall be restored as His people : namely, near the end of the world. 25, 26. Matt. xxiv. 29. 2 268 ST. LUKE, XXI. 26 Men's hearts failing tliem for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things be- gin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads ; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29 And he spake to them a parable ; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees ; 30 "When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you. This generation shall not pass away, tiU all be fulfilled. 28. This verse may refer to the end of the world, when the saints shall be 'redeemed,' or saved, being gathered into heaven. In this verse it would be addressed, not to those who then heard our Lord, but to Christians of later ages, who were so often told to watch for the coming of Christ (Mark xiii. 37). It has accordingly always been held as pi'ophesied, that some such fearful signs as these will precede the end of the v^orld. Or it may refer to the fall of Jeru- salem, after which the Christians would be ' redeemed,' or delivered, from the persecution of the Jews. 31, 32. Matt. xxiv. 33, 34. 'The kingdom of God' here means the com- ing of Christ, in the sense in which it has been explained. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away, 3i % And take heed to your- selves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with sur- feiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 Por as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple ; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. 38 And all the people came eai'ly in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him. 34. The effect of the excessive use of all the wealth and good things of this life (called being 'overcharged with sur- feiting,' &c.) is to turn the heart from God ; and the use of them is excessive, unless it is such as was described in the note on Matt. xix. 21. And to men in that state the ' Day ' of the Lord coming to judgment would come unawares, that is, they would be unprepared for it. This verse is addressed to all Chris- tians, as the day of the coming of Christ may to each man practically be understood to mean the day of his death (see note on Matt. xxiv. 42). 35. 'As a snare,' sudden and unex- pected (Matt. xxiv. 42, &c.). 36. 'To escape all these things,' that is, to pass through all the things of which our Lord had been speaking, all ST. LUKE, XXII. 269 CHAPTER XXII. 1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him ; for they feared the people. 3 ^ Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. 4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might be- tray him unto them. 5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. 6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude. 7 ^ Then came the day of un- leavened bread, when the passover must be killed. 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. 9 And they said unto him. Where wilt thou that we pre- pare ? 10 And he said unto them. Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet the trials and persecutions which wei'e foretold for Christians, without harm to their sduIs ; without being led into sin by them : so as to be accepted or 'counted worthy' when 'standing be- fore' the Judgment- seat of the ' Son of man.' Ch. XXI 1. 1 . See note on Matt. xxvi. 2. 2. 'They feared' what the common 'people' might do: for, as we know, N you, bearing a pitcher of water ; follow him into the house where lie entereth in, 11 And ye shall say unto the goodraan of the house. The Mas- ter saith unto thee. Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples ? 12 And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished : there make ready. 13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them : and they made ready the passover, 14 Aud when the hour was come, he sat down, aud the twelve apostles with him. 15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer : 16 Eor I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said. Take this, and divide it among your- selves : 18 Eor I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. ' the common people heard him gladly' (Mark xii. 37 J. 4 — 6. See note on Matt. xxvi. 15. 7. See note on Mark xiv. 12. 10—13. See note on Mark xiv. 13. 11. 'Goodman,' see note on Matt. XX. 1 — 16. ' The Master,' meaning our Lord. 15. 'With desire I have desired,' means ' I have earnestly desired.' IG. 18. These verses mean the same, 3 270 ST. LUKE, XXII. 19 T[ And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you : this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likevrise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 21 ^ But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined : but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed ! 23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24 ^ And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 25 And he said unto them. The kings of the Gentiles exer- and refer to the unspeakable lieavenly intercourse of Christ and His saints in heaven. See note on Matt. xxvi. 29. Tiie ' eating thereof (ver. 16), namely, of the Passover, is not mentioned in the other Gospels. It seems to be a com- parison of the heavenly intercourse just spoken of, in an especial sense, to the feast of tlie Passover, being one of God's chief ordinances, and so beyond any mere earthly feast. ' It be fulfilled ' seems to mean in a general sense 'all things be fulfilled,' or come to an end ; referring to the final gathering in of the saints into heaven after the Day of .ludgment. 19, 20. Matt. xxvi. 20—28. 'This cup is tiie new testament in my blood ' means the same as ' this ' (cup) ' is my blood of the new testament ' in the other Gospels. else lordship over them ; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26 But ye shall not he so : but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger ; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. 27 Por whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth ? is not he that sitteth at meat ? but I am among you as he that serveth. 28 Te are they which have continued with me in my tempta- tions. 29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath ap- pointed unto me ; 30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 ^ And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath de- 22. ' Goeth ' to death, 'as it was de- termined,' in the counsels of God. 25—27. Matt. XX. 25—28. 'Are called benefactors,' that is, the only benefit or duty which kings thought themselves bound to render to their subjects was the exercise of authority. 29. See note on xii. 32. Here the ' kingdom ' may have a special reference to the mysterious authority promised to the Apostles (see next verse and note). Christ, by the everlasting ajipointment of God the Father, is the Head of this kingdom, in wliich the Apostles have authority given tliem. 30. ' Eat and drink at my table,' means the same as what is said in ver. 16 and 18, where see notes. For the end of the verse see note on Matt. xix. 28. 31. ' Hath desired,' or wished, to ST. LUKE, XXII. 271 sired to liave you, that be may sift you as \ylieat : 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not : and wheu thou art converted, strengtlien thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him. Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. 35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing ? And they said, No- thins. tempt or try 'you,' the Apostles: which is compared to the ' siftiug ' of wheat, by which the good part is sepa- rated from the bad. So temptation tries men, and it is seen whether tliey can stand it or not: the gond do so, and the bad fall away. Satan did thus tempt the Apostles, especially when our Lord was taken to judgment : Matt. xxvi. 5G. 32. ' That thy faith fail not,' as it is from want of faith that men yield to tem])tation. * When thou art converted,' to re- pentance, after his ' faith ' had 'failed' (see Matt. xxvi. 75, and note). But Peter and the other Apostles should not be understood as being fully con- verted till the descent upon them of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost : after which, Peter, as the one of the most energy of character, would be able above the rest to ' strengthen his bre- thren.' 35. See Matt. x. 9, 10, and note. 30 — 38. Our Lord here signifies that whereas, when formerly He sent them to preach and work miracles, the hearts of men were favourably disposed (no doubt often by God's special grace : see N 36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hatli a purse, let him take it, and likewise liis scrip : and he that hatli no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the trans- gressors ; for the things concern- ing me have an end. 38 And they said. Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. 39 1" And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives ; and his disci- ples also followed him. note on Matt. x. 9, 10) towards Him, so that they were maintained by others while unprovided themselves, and in His presence also they were safe against all enemies — now, after the time of His death, wliich was approaching, such un- usual and miraculous support against the ordinary events of life was no longer to be expected, and they must provide for themselves like other men. The ' sword ' was for lawful defence against persecution, which was to come upon them ; such defence being notforbidden to Christians (see note on Matt. v. 39 — 42). The disciples, as we see (ver. 49, 50), misunderstood our Lord to mean that they were to resist then, when the Jews came to take Him ; which He did not. He was speaking of the future times of persecution, after His Ascension, among the early Christians: but, as He did not see fit at this time to explain further to them, He only says to them when they tell Him that they ' had two swords,' that it was ' enough;' simply putting the matter by. ' Reckoned among the transgressors ' (Isa. liii. 12), namely, when He was put to death among such. 4 272 ST. LUKE, XXII. 40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into tempta- tion. 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me : nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly : and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his dis- ciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye ? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. 47 % And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and ' The tilings concerning me,' that is, the earthly things concerning Him ; His time on earth being near its close. 40. See note on ver. 31, and on Matt. vi. 13. 42. In St. Matthew it is said, ' if it be possible :' which is the same as here, * If thou be willing,' as it was explained to mean, ' If it be possible according to the everlasting counsels of God.' See Matt. xxvi. 39, and note. 45. ' For sorrow,' that is, from the stnpifying effects of it. 47. See Matt. xxvi. 47, 48. 49. 50. See note on ver. 36—38. drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 43 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss ? 49 When they which were about him saw what would fol- low, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword ? 50 ^ And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves ? 53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me : but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. 54 ^ Then took they him, and led Am, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 51. ' Suffer ye thus far ' is addressed to the disciples, and means, Suffer what these men at present ('thus far') do, without resistance, as was explained before on ver. 36 — 38. 53. Matt. xxvi. 55. ' Your hour,' that is, the time when for a season they were to be allowed to prevail against Christ. ' The power of darkness,' that is, the time for the power of darkness was to be shewn. ' Darkness' means evil, as elsewhere : see note on John i. 5. The death of our Lord is often spoken of in Scripture as the triumph, for a moment, of the ' power ' of evil against ST. LIJKE, XXIII. 273 55 And wbeu they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while an- other saw him, and said. Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently aflSrmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him : for he is a Gralilgean. GO And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while be yet spake, the cock crew. 61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, bow he had said unto him. Before the cock crow, thou sbalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. 63 ^ And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. 64 And when they bad blind- Him (Gen. iii. 15, &c.), as His Resur- rection is called His victory over it (C(.l. ii. 15, &c.). 59. Tliey knew he was a Galilsean ty liis speecli (see Matt, xxvi.73, and note). 62. See note on Matt. xxvi. 75. 64. Matt. xxvi. 68. 68. ' Ask you,' tiiat is, ask any ques- folded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee ? 65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. 66 ^ And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, 67 Art thou the Christ ? tell U3. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe : 68 And if I also ask yoit., ye will not answer me, nor let me go- 69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. 70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of Grod ? And he said unto them. Ye say that I am. 71 And they said, What need we any further witness ? for we ourselves have beard of his own mouth. CHAPTEE XXIII. 1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying. We found this fel- tion which might lead to their being convinced ; according to the way in which our Lord often reasoned (Matt, xxii. 20. &c.). Ch. XXIII. 2. ' Perverting,' leading astray, causing to do wrong. Part of the charge contained in this verse was 5 274 ST. LUKE, XXIIL low perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Csesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. 3 And Pilate asked him, say- ing, Art thou the King of the Jews ? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. 4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. 5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirretii up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. 6 When Pilate heard of Gali- lee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's juris- diction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusa- lem at that time. 8 ^ And when Herod saw Je- sus, he was exceeding glad : for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him ; and he hoped to have seen some mi- racle done by him. true, though not in the sense in which tlie Jews meant it; for our Lord had announced Himself as a king (see note on Matt. ii. 2). The Jews meant Pilate to understand, that our Lord had said He was an earthly king, whicli would have been setting Himself against Ctiesar, the Roman emperor, who at that time was ruler over the Jews. The other charge, that He had forbid- den to give tribute to CiBsar, was directly contrary to the truth, as Christ had com- manded to pay tribute (Matt. xxii. 21). 9 Then he questioned vsith him in many Avords ; but he answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nouglit, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 12 ^ A nd the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together : for before they were at enmity between themselves. 13 *|[ And Pdate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 Said unto them, Te have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people : and, behold, I, having examined liim before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him : 15 JN'o, nor yet Herod : for I sent you to him ; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 3. See note on Matt. xxvi. 25. 5. Jewry means the country of the Jews. 7. ' Jurisdiction ' means government, Herod was allowed by the Romans to retain the title of king, being in fact governor of the province of Galilee under them. 9. See note on Matt. xxvi. 63. 1 1. See notes on vii. 25, and ou Matt. xxvii. 28, 29. 12. ' Done unto him,' we should rather express, ' done by him.' ST. LUKE, XXIII. 97 r^ IG I will therefore chastise him, and release Jiim. 17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 18 And they cried out all at once, saying. Away with this man, and release unto us Barab- bas : 19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 21 But they cried, saying. Crucify him, crucify him. 22 And he said unto them the third time. Why, what evil hath he done ? I have found no cause of death in him : I will therefore chastise him, and let Jtiiii go. 23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder 16. 'Chastise,' namely, by scourging; see Matt, xxvii. 26, and note. 17- 'One,' one prisoner ; 'of necessity,' that is, by custom (see Matt, xxvii. 15, and note). 22. ' Cause of death in him,' cause why He should deserve to die. 23. ' Instant,' means urgent, or pressing. 26. Matt, xxvii. 32. 29. ' The days are coming,' namely, the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, some of the hoi-rors of which are foreshewn by our Lord in Matt. xxiv. Some, both of the women to K was cast into prison, whom they had desired ; but he delivered Jesus to their will. 26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the coun- try, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. 27 Tf And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said. Daughters of Jerusa- lem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your chil- dren. 29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say. Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains. Fall on us ; and to the hills. Cover us. 81 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry ? whom our Lord was now speaking, and their children, would be living at that time, as it was about 40 years after His death. See Matt. xxiv. 19, and note. 30. The people would wisli that it it were possible the mountains might fall on them, to protect them frcim the worse sufferings and death which the enemy would inflict on them. 31. This is a pi'overbial expression. Here a ' green tree ' means an innocent or good person, and ' a dry ' one the op- posite, a guilty or bad one. Our Lord means, therefore, that if He, who was G 276 ST. LUKE, XXIII. 32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33 Aud when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, aud the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other onthe left. 34 1 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them ; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35 And the people stood be- holding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying. He saved others ; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 Aud the soldiers also mocked liim, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 x\nd saying. If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. innocent, was thus dealt with by the Jews, they, being guilty, might expect woi'se, when their enemies prevailed over them. 32. ' Malefactors,' means criminals. They were thieves (Matt, xxvii. 38). 33. ' Calvary,' means the same as Golgotha, ' the place of a skull' (Matt, xxvii. 33). 34. Our Lord in these merciful words gave tlie greatest example of what He had Himself commanded, to pray for our enemies (Matt. v. 44); as it was after- wards exactly followed by the fii'st mar- tyr, St. Stephen (Acts vii. 60). It is certain, that some of the Jews who had a part in the awful crime of putting Christ to death, either knew, or ought to have known who He was, and there- fore what they were doing in slaying Him ; and for this crime, the punishment under which the Jews still lie was sent upon them. These words of our Lord need not be taken to mean all the 38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OE THE JEWS. 39 ^ And one of the male- factors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying. Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation ? 41 And we indeed justly ; for we receive the due reward of our deeds : but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 Aud he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee. To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. people ; but we see from them, and also from Acts iii. 17 ; 1 Cor. ii. 8, that some of them did not know or consider what they did. See note on Matt, xxvii. 35. 35. ' Derided,' mocked. See note on Matt, xxvii. 42. 36. See note on iNlatt. xxvii. 34. 38. Matt, xxvii. 37. 39—43. In St. Matthew and St. Mark's Gospels, it is said that the thieves reviled our Lord ; which is here said only of one of them. It may be that they both began so, but that one of them after- wards repented, mentioned by St. Luke only. The penitent thief first says to the other (ver. 40), that at such a fearful moment of ' condemnation,' that is, of suffering in consequence of being con- demned, fear of God should have kept him from railing as he did at a fellow- sufferer, which was wrong for any one to do, but doubly wrong in him. He ST. LrivE, XXIII. 277 44 And it Avas about the sixtli hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 46 % And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit : and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48 And all the people that came together to that sight, be- holding the things which were tlien (ver. 41) ackuowledges his own sin, for which he sajs he was 'justlj' punished ; and, histly (ver. 42), con- fesses Christ by cahing Him Lord, and prays for mercy and acceptance from Him when He should come ' into His kingdom ;' namely, at the Second Coming of our Lord (see note on xix. 11 — 27). This thief had no doubt lieard of the preaching of Clirist, in whicli He spake of that His Second Coming; and though he is not supposed to have been a be- liever before, he now pi-ofesses faith in what he had thus learnt. Our Lord accepts his repentance by the consoling words (ver. 43), ' This da;/ shalt thou be with me in Paradise.' Here we do not understand ' Paradise' to mean heaven ; for we know, as we say in the Creed, that on that day, after the death of Christ, His soul was in hell, which there means the place of rest of the ' spirits and souls of the righteous' departed from this life. Paradise, therefore, must here mean that place also. This instance of the penitent thief on the cross, is commonly held to shew done, smote their breasts, and returned. 49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, be- holding these things. 50 ^ And, behold, there ivas a man named Joseph, a counsellor ; and he ivas a good man, and a just: 51 (The same had not con- sented to the counsel and deed of them ;) he tvas of Arimathsea, a city of the Jews : who also him- self waited for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and that repentance even at the last mo- ment, or what is called a death-bed repentance, may be accepted by God. It cannot be questioned that true, sin- cere repentance of the heart (such as Christ's acceptance of it proves that of this malefactor to have been) will be accepted, then or at any other time ; for the question is in what state of the heart a man dies. But see note on Matt. XX. 1 — 16, where it is shewn that no one can reckon on being able to have the opportunity and jMwer for that true repentance on his death-bed, when- ever that may be, or at any future time ; So tiiat this instance gives no kind of en- couragement to putting off repentance. 44, 45. Matt, xxvii. 45. 51—54. 47- See note on Matt, xxvii. 45. 48. ' Smote their breasts,' as a mark of awe and amazement. 51. ' Waited,' or looked, for the esta- blishment of ' the kingdom of God,' or the Church of Christ upon earth, which was to be fully done after the Ascension of our Lord. Joseph probably did not fully know what that kingdom was to be : but he waited patiently for it, hav- 278 ST. LUKE, XXIV. "wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54 And that day was the pre- paration, and the sabbath drew on. 55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, fol- lowed after, and beheld the sepul- chre, and how his body was laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments ; and rested the sabbath day ac- cording to the commandment. CHAPTER XXIV. 1 Now upon the first dmj of the week, very early in the morn- ing, they came unto the sepul- chre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments : 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? ing no doubt heard of some of our Lord's words concerning it. 54. See note on Matt, xxvii. 62. 56. See note on Marie xvi. 1. Ch. XXIV. 4. The 'two men in shining- garments' were angels, whose appear- ance is related with slight differences in 6 He is not here, but is risen : remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And the}^ remembered his words, 9 And returned from the sepul- chre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other icomen that were with them, which told these thiugs unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they be- lieved them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre ; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. 13 1[ And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem ahotit threescore fur- longs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had hap- pened. 15 And it came to pass, that, the four Gospels (see Matt, xxviii. 2, 3; Mark xvi. 5 ; John xx. 12). 6. See Matt. xvi. 21, &e. 9. ' The eleven,' the eleven Apostles, Judas Iseariot no longer being reckoned among them. 1 0. ' James,' one of the two Apostles of that name. I ST. LUKE, XXIV. 279 while tliey communed togetlier and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad ? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him. Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days ? 19 And he said unto them, "What things ? And they said unto him. Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people : 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have re- deemed Israel : and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 16. ' Holden,' that is, miraculously prevented from knowing Him. 1!). These two disciples, who were probably not from among the Apostles, seem to have known Christ only as a great prophet, not as the Son of God. 21. ' Redeemed,' or saved, namely, from their earthly calamities and suf- ferings under the power of the Romans, which the Jews expected. See note on .Matt. ii. 2. 25. Our Lord calls these disciples, not only ' fools,' that is, wanting in un- derstanding, so as rightly to perceive that what He had sufiered was accoi-d- 22 Tea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre ; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepul- chre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25 Then he said unto them, 0 fools, and slow of heart to be- lieve all that the prophets have spoken : 26 Ought not Christ to have sufi'ered these things, and to en- ter into his glory ? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he ex- pounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went : and he made as though he would have gone further. ing to the prophecies, but ' slow of lieart to believe' those prophecies. Because it was in great measure want of love, of right fteVmij in their hearts, that had prevented the disciples from having a true belief in their Lord ; and He calls this want of love, ' slowness,' or dulness, deadness, ' of heart.' 26. ' Ought not Christ to have suf- fei'ed,' is uot expressed as we should put it. It n)eans, ' Was not Christ ap- pointed, and therefore sure, to suffer these things ?' ' And to enter,' namely, after suffering. 27. ' Moses,' that is, the books of 280 ST. LUKE, XXIV. 29 But they constrained hira, saying, Abide with us : for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were open- ed, and they knew him ; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to an- other, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures ? 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things wei^e done in the wav, and how Moses. ' All the Scriptures,' namely, of the Old Testament, in which are to be found prophecies about our Lord . 30, 31. ' Were opened,' that is, by Divine grace, enabling them to know who He was. The blessing and breaking of bread was the action which He had often done before His disciples during His life (Matt. xiv. 19, &c.), which made it suitable for this occasion. 34. We do not read anywhei'e the particulars of this appearance of our Lord to Simon Peter ; but it is referred to again in 1 Cor. xv. 5. 36. ' Stood,' that is, appeared sud- denly before them, not having entered the room in any ordinary manner. he was known of them in break- ing of bread. 36 ^ And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace he unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, "Why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believ- ed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them. Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honey- comb. During the interval between His Resur- rection and Ascension, our Lord seems generally to have appeared in this mys- terious way, whereas before His death He usually moved among men like a common man : His body being now risen, and in some measure glori- fied. 37. ' A spirit,' or what we should call a ghost. 40. ' His hands and his feet,' in par- ticular, as not only shewing that His was a real human body, though glo- rified, but that it was essentially the same body with which He had lived and died on the cross ; as there was in them the marks of the wounds of the Crucifixion. See John xx. 25. 27. ST. LUKE, XXIV. 281 43 x\nd he took it, and did eat before them. 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, con- cerning me. 45 Then opened he their un- derstanding, that they might un- derstand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, aud to rise from the dead the third day : 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 43. He ' did eat,' as an additional proof of the reality of His body. 44. ' These are the words,' that is, ' this is the fulfihiient of the words.' ' All things must be fulfilled,' concern- ing His death and resurrection. 47. See note on Matt. xxvi. 26 — 28. 49. 'The promise,' or the thing pro- mised. This, and ' power from on high,' or from heaven (from God the 'Father'), mean the same; namely, 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 ^ And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you : but tarry ye in tlie city of Jeru- salem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 50 % And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and retvirued to Jerusalem with great joy : 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. the gift of the Holy Ghost, conveying to them 'power' to do their work as Apostles. This gift was now again promised, as our Lord had promised it i)efore His death (John xvi. 1, &c.); and it was given to the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost, while ' tarrying at Jerusalem' (Acts ii.). ' I send,' I am about to send. ' En- dued with,' filled with. THE GOSPEL ACCORDINa TO ST. JOHN. CHAPTER I. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Grod, and the Word was Grod. 2 The same was in the begin- ning with God. 3 All things were made by Ch. I. 1. 'The Word' here signifies God the Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He may be named the ' Word,' or the Word of God, because it is in and through Christ that the Fa- ther has spoken to mankind, and made known His will and His promises. This verse clearly sets forth the great truth that Christ was not only ' with God ' (the Father) in heaven, but that He is God, very God of very God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, One God in Three Per- sons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost : who became man for our sakes. ' In the beginning,' here, and in the next verse, signifies ' before all things,' or, 'from everlasting.' 3. ' All things,' of creation. It is believed that not only, as was said, it is in Christ that God the Father spoke to men, on all occasions recorded whether in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, but that it was God the Son who wrought in the creation of the world, as told in the first chapter of Genesis: and that wherever God is spoken of as dealing with man, in any him ; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life ; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness ; and the darkness comprehended it not. way, immediately, it is God the Sun who is to be understood, through whom God the Father acts. 4. ' Life,' that is, true, spiritual, eternal life. Christ as God hath in Himself that life. And it was 'the light of men:' that is, Christ became man, and imparted to man of His own life, which thus became the fountain of ' light,' meaning heavenly light and sal- vation to the soul. For, as was said before, all God's gifts are given to men in and through Christ, and in virtue of His wonderful union to man whereby He took our nature upon Him and lived and died as man, and for man : and it is as joined to Him in a spiritual and inconceivable manner, He dwelling in us and we in Him, and so being partakers even of His very life and natui-e, that we alone receive that light (see 1 John v. II ; Gal. ii. 20 ; 2 Pet. i. 4, &c.). 5. ' Darkness' means the natural state of man's soul since the fall of his race in Adam, and unenlightened by the heavenly ' light' of God's Presence, before spoken of, which ' shineth ' in it, ST. JOHN, I. 283 G ^ There was a man sent from God, whose name ivas John. 7 The same came for a wit- ness, to bear witness of the Light, that all vien through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. and guides it to salvation : which is a state of ignorance and sin, often in Scripture compared to darkness (Isa. ix. 2, &c.). ' Tlie darkness comprehended it not :' that is, man's soul in that natural state of darkness which has been described, could not ' compreliend,' receive or un- derstand the heavenly light imparted by Christ. The soul in that state is not capable of good : and can only admit that light through the grace of God, offered to all, if they will rightly use it. 6. ' John,' namely, the Baptist, ' sent from,' or 'by, God.' 7. ' To bear witness of,' that is, to announce beforehand to men the Light, meaning Christ: and so to prepare them for Him, that ' through him,' through the message which John deli- vered, 'all men might' be led to 'be- lieve in ' Christ. 9. This verse repeats what was said in ver. 4, that 'every man' receives the illumination or enlightening which may lead him to eternal life, by being joined to Christ the true Light : see note on tliat verse. ' Every man's' soul being by nature dark (ver. 5), we be- lieve that all men have light from God sufficient to lead them to salvation, if rightly used : and that light is in and through Christ. The light given to Christians is given by a sjiecial pro- mise, and gift of the Holy Ghost. Of others we do not know so fully and ■ clearly: but we may believe, as has just been said, that all men do receive light from heaven, by wliich they have what- ever is good in them. 10. ' He was in the world,' namely, 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that Cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received after He had become man. * The world was made by Him :' see note on ver. 3. ' The world knew him not :' here ' the world ' is used in its particular Scrip- tural sense, (see note on Matt. iv. 9,) of the world as it is by nature, unsanc- tified by the gi'ace of God, tliat is, evil ; and particularly of men in their natural state of darkness or sin, as explained above on ver. 5. So that it means the same as there, ' the darkness compre- hended it not.' 11. 'His own,' that is, men (among whom Christ came, a man among men,) who are God's ' own,' belonging to Him, as His creatures. As was said (on ver. 9) the benefits of Christ's coming were and are offered to all, though the mea- sure thereof may be different : but some, as is here signified, receive Him, and others receive Him not. It is said here generally that 'His own received him not :' for He was ' despised and re- jected of men' (Isa. liii. 3), and re- ceived only by His elect followers. 12. 'Power,' as was said on ver. 9, is given to those who accept the freely offered grace of God, to make a right use of the light imparted to the souls of men by Christ. These are called 'as many as received Him,' as He is that light (ver. 9) : and they are said to become in this manner the 'sons of God.' All men are sometimes called in a more general sense God's children (Acts xvii. 29, &c.) : but in the more special sense, as here, it means those who are truly joined to God in Christ. He being the everlasting Son of God, they share in a m vsterious manner that Sonsliip (Rom. viii.'lG, 17, &c.). 284 ST. JOHN, I. him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them tliat beUeve on his name : 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as ' Believe on his name,' with a true faith in Him : ' faith which tcorketh,' or produces good works, ' by love,' as St. Paul calls it, (Gal, v. G,) or faith ' shewn by works,' as St. James calls it (James ii. 18). 13. St. John has spoken through these verses of the new life, imparted to the soul of men by Christ : of their being thus sons of God' (see ver. 4 and 12, and notes). The gift of life, and of becoming sons, is naturally com- pared to a birth : he therefore says that those who receive this new life are 'born;' and as it is a heavenly or spiritual life, he says they are born in a manner which man has nothing to do with: 'not of blood,' (not of a fleshly birth,) ' nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' 1 4. ' The Word was made flesh,' that is, God the Son became man. ' The only begotten,' that is, the only Son of God the Father : the only Son by His own proper nature, and from everlast- ing. When men are called Sons of God, it is in a different and far lower sense, as adopted by Him by His special and marvellous grace. ' We,' that is, those who were with Christ on earth. This verse shews that Christ is Very Man, as ver. 1 shews that He is Vei-y God. 15. 'Of whom I spake:' referring to words of John the Baptist not recorded in this Gospel: see Matt. iii. 11, &c. ' Cometh after me,' that is, cometh to preach, &c. after me: but He 'is pre- ferred before me,' that is, is greater of the only begotten of the Fa- ther,) full of grace and truth. 15 ^ John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before me : for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by than I, 'for He was before me,' namely, from everlasting in heaven. 16. 'His fulness,' that is, the full, perfect, eternal life which is in Christ, and of which, as imparted to us, (see ver. 4, and note,) ' we all ' receive, that is, such a measure as is need- ful for us : see note on vei". 9. ' Grace for grace,' that is, grace more and more abundantly : graces from God as it were repeated one after another. This and the two next verses are not the words of John the Baptist, but of the Evangelist. 17. This verse points to one great dis- tinction between the old covenant of God with the Jews, and His new cove- nant with mankind through Christ. The Jews under that old covenant re- ceived' the law,' namely, through Moses. They did indeed no doubt receive of God's spiritual ' grace ;' but, as has been said (note on ver. 9), we may believe that all men receive of it in their measure. In whatever measure the Jews did so, it was beside, over and above, their covenanted ])roniises from God. There was no ])romise to them of power, by the aid of the Holy Spirit giving to them a new strength, to over- come their evil nature, and fully to keep the law that was commanded them. In the Christian covenant ' grace and truth,' the help of God by the Indwelling Spirit who sanctifies the soul, and the power really to accept and follow the truth of God, is given ' by .Jesus Christ ' tlu'ough His coming into the world, and His sacrifice on the cross. ST. JOHN, I. 285 Moses, hut grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. IS No man hath seen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 19 ^ And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, AVho art thou ? 20 And he confessed, and de- nied not ; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, "What then ? Art thou Elias ? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet ? And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou ? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of 18 ' No man hath seen God,' that is, as He is in Himself, as the Eternal Spirit. As such it is impossible for the bodily eye to see Him, and He can only be looked on by the eye of the soul, the eye of faith (Heb. xi. 27). He was only seen and known as He was ' veiled in flesh,' when He became man (ver. 14), in Jesus Christ, who thus 'declared,' or made Him known. 21. John the Baptist was foretold under the name of Elijah the prophet : see note on Matt. xi. 14. But t!ie Jews not understanding; this, asked him here if he was actually the man Elijah re- turned on earth, supposing him to be meant by the jirophecy, and his answer signifies that he was not. * That ]>rophet.' It has been said (see note on Matt. xi. 3), that the .Jews had an expectation, which tliey themselves did not fully understand, of some great person coming about this time, when one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet ? 26 John answered them, say- ing, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not ; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 2S These things w^ere done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 ^ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and the Messiah came. 'That prophet' seems to signify the person so expected. 23. ]\Iatt. iii. 3. 25. The Jews- asked this because bap- tizing was, befoi-e the coming of Christ as well as since, the sign or announce- ment of a religion or dispensation of God : and as the only new dispensation then looked for must have been then, as the Jews rightly supposed, that of the ]\Iessiah, or the unknown prophet from God, had such an one been sent, they did not understand how any other per- son could baptize ; not Ivnowing the peculiar mission of John the Baptist, whereby he was sent to prepare for the ministry of Christ. 26,27. Matt. iii. 11. ' There stand- eth one among you,' our Lord being already on earth, and among the Jews, but not yet having begun to make Him- self known. 29. Our Saviour is foretold (Isa, liii. 286 ST. JOHN, I. saith, Beliold the Lamb of Grod, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me : for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not : but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descend- ing from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not : but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me. Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. 35 ^ Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disci- ples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God ! 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them. What seek ye ? They said unto him. Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou ? 39 He saith unto them. Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two which heard John speah, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being intei-preted, the Christ. 42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said. Thou art Simon the 7, &c.) and described (Rev. v. 6, Slc.) as a Lamb, or the Lamb of God. He is so because a lamb was the especial sacrifice commanded to the Jews, par- ticularly at the sacrifice of the Passover, which was a type of the crucifixion (Exod. ii. &c.); and it was thus the type of Christ, sacrificed when slain on the cross, whereby He ' taketh away the sins of the world,' that is, taketh away the guilt of them, making Atonement for them, and enableth us to receive the forgiveness of God, Himself having taken upon Him their punishment. 31. ' I knew Him not,' namely,at first, and till revealed to him : see ver. 33. ' That he should be made manifest to the Jews,' namely, announced to them, as John did to those whom he 'baptized with water.' 32. This refers to the baptism of our Lord : see Matt. iii. 16, 17, and notes. 33. ' He that sent me,' namely, God, who gave John the commission to bap- tize. He revealed Christ to him, as was said (see note on ver. 31, and on Matt, iii. 14). ' Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost :' see note on Matt. iii. 11. 39. ' For,' namely, on account of the lateness. See note on Matt, xxvii. 45. 41. See note on Matt. i. 21. 'Messias' is a Hebrew word ; as is ' Rabbi,' (ver. 38), and 'Cephas,' (ver. 42). 42. It appears by this verse that the name Peter was given to Simon by ST. JOHN, 11. 287 son of Jona : thou slialt be called Cephas, which is by interpreta- tion, A stone. 43 1[ The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him. Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Beth- saida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip' findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ? Philip saith unto him. Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael com- ing to him, and saith of him. Be- hold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile ! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me ? Je- sus answered and said unto him, Christ Himself. See note on Matt. xvi. 18. 45. Nathanael is supposed to be the same as he who is elsewhere called Bartholomew : Matt. x. 3, &c. ' The son of Joseph,' as He was commonly supposed to be. Philip, not having yet fully learned who Christ was, speaks according to that common notion. 4G. The common opinion among the Jews was, as Nathanael here indicates it, that the people of Galilee, where Nazar- eth was, were bad and contemptible. They thought so, no doubt, because they were chiefly Samaritans (see note on Luke ix. 53). 47. ' An Israelite indeed,' that is, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Eabbi, thou art the Son of God ; thou art the King of Israel. 50 Jesus answered and said unto him. Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou ? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. CHAPTER II. 1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee ; and the mother of Jesus was there : 2 And both' Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the mar- riage. 3 And when they wanted wine. such a man as a Jew ought to be, being one of the chosen people of God. 48, 49. Nathanael at once confesses Christ, whose words appear to mean that he saw Him in a miraculous way, when He was out of natural sight; which the Apostle at once believes, and is so led to confess. ' King of Israel ;' see note on Matt.ii.2. 50. 'Greater things:' greater miracles. 51. This may refer to the coming of the Son of man to Judgment : but also to the occasions in the life of our Lord on earth, in which angels appeared to do Him honour (Matt. iv. II, &c.). Ch. II. 3. The Virgin Mary probably 288 ST. JOHK II. the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Wo- man, what have I to do with thee ? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His motlier saith unto the servants, "Whatsoever he saith un- to you, do it. 6 And tliere were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith imto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And lie saith unto them. Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was : (but the servants which drew the water knew ;) the go- vernor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine ; and when men meant to suggest to Him that He should supply the want of water by a miracle, as He did. 4. Our Lord signifies by these words, that He Himself must judge when the proper season tor the miracle was ar- rived ;'miue hour' meaning that season. ' Woman,' was not understood as at all a disrespectful address ; but our Lord may have meant to convey a slight rebuke, in order to shew that it was not for any one whosoever to interfere with His ac- tions, now that His ministry was begun. 6 ' After the manner of,' that is for the purpose of ' the purification,' or have well drunk, then that which is worse : hut thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. 12 ^ After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mo- ther, and his brethren, aiid his disciples : and they continued there not many days. 13 ^ And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 1-1 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting : 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen ; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables ; 16 And said unto them that sold doves. Take these things hence ; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. 17 And his disciples remem- ceremonial washings ' of the Jews,' such as they were directed to use on various occasions by the law of Moses. ' Firkin,' a Syrian measure. 9. ' Made wine,' by a miracle, by the will of Christ. 10. ' When men have well druuk,' does not mean any improper excess, but that after men have drunk some wine they do not discern its peculiar qualities so exactly as at first. 14. Matt. xxi. 12. 17. ' Written,' in Ps. Ixix. 9. ' Eaten me up,' signifies that it was a great and burning zeal, compai'ed to fire, that eats ST. JOHN, III. 289 berecl that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 18 % Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things ? 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Tlien said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days ? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this imto them ; and they believed up and consumes wliat it seizes ; such as moved our Lord to cleanse the House of God as He did. 18. This appears to refer to what He had just done in driving forth the men from the Temple, which was an act of authority : so that it means ' what sign or proof shewest thou' (such as a mira- cle would be) ' that thou hast authority to do this ?' 19—21. See note on Matt. xxvi. 61. The Jews misunderstood this, as if meant of the Temple in the usual sense; that is, the temple which they then had, or the second Jewish temple, built by Zerubbabel and the Jews after their return from the Babylonish captivity, and which it took 46 years to build. 22. ' The scripture,' namely, the pro- phecies of the Resurrection in the Old Testament (Ps. xvi. 9, 10, &c.). The Apostles, when enlightened, ' believed ' and understood these. 24, 25. ' Did not commit himself to them,' that is, did not fully reveal Himself to them, speaking of the people the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. 23 ^ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast dai/, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 21i But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man : for he knew what was in man. CHAPTEE III. 1 Theee was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews : 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Eabbi, we know that thou art a teacher generally. To some, namely, the Apos- tles, He revealed Himself more fully ; but those He Himself chose, without ' needing that any one should testify of man,' that is, shew Him what sort c)f men they were. For He ' knew all men,' even to their inmost thoughts (' what was in man '). It has been before noticed (see note on Matt. xix. 17), how our Lord did not fully reveal Himself to those who were unfitted to receive Him. And even the Apostles did not entirely know the great truths about Him, till enlight- ened by the Holy S^nrit : see note on Mark ix. 32. Ch. III. 2. Nicodemus seems to have been partly persuaded, by the ' miracles' which our Lord had done, that He was the Messiah. At all events, he had been influenced enough to make him perceive, that in some manner Clu'ist had the power of ' God with Him,' and that He was a ' teacher come from God,' and therefore he wished to hear more 0 290 ST. JOHN, III. come from Grod : for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except Grod be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said un- to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old ? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born ? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be from Him. And so he ' came to Jesus.' But he was afraid to do it publicly by day, for some of the many reasons which caused that very few of the ' rulers of the Jews,' especially the proud Pharisees, became disciples of Christ ; disappointment at finding that He was not to be a great earthly king, unwillingness to give up their own notions, and dislike to the doctrines of humility and self-denial which He an- nounced. He was ashamed to confess Christ before men, when those among whom lie lived held aloof. This was the wrong though natural feeling of Nico- demus ; wherefore he came to Jesus secretly by night. 3. To be ' born again,' means to re- ceive the new life, given to the soul that is joined to Christ, as was ex- plained on i. 4. 13. ' He cannot see the kingdom of God,' he cannot go to heaven. 4. Nicodemus takes our Lord's words literally, as if He meant a second eartlily birth, which of course he can- not understand. 5. In this verse our Lord further ex- plains His words. To be ' born of the Spirit' means, as before, to receive the new life into the soul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, imparted to Christians for the sake of Christ. And our Lord adds, ' of water,' because, as born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom ofOod. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Te must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and was said (see note on Matt. iii. 11), water, that is. Holy Baptism, is the proper channel tluMugh which God con- veys that gift of the new life. 6. This verse is further to set forth the difference of the birth and the life of which Christ spoke, from the com- mon fleshly life and birth which Nico- demus understood Him to mean. ' That which is born of the flesh is flesh,' that is, the mere natural body is but flesh ; ' that which is born of the Spirit is spirit,' that is, the life of the soul is a spiritual life, imparted by the Holy Spirit, of whom it is said to be born (see note on i. 13). 8. Our Lord here signifies that we are not to expect to be able, and there- fore not to ' marvel ' if we .are not able, to see, to discern, and understand fully, with our natural senses and faculties, the Holy Spirit and His operation on the si'ul of man; any more than we can perceive and trace the source from which the wind is blown, and the coui'se which it follows in the air, because we cannot see the wind itself, but only per- ceive it partially, as by one sense, that of ' hearing.' So we cnn perceive in some measure the vork of the Holy Ghost in the soul by the outward fruits which it produces in a holy life, but j not more than this. We cannot tell in j what manner exactly the Holy Spirit | ST. JOHN, III. 291 said unto him, How can these things be ? 10 Jesus answered and said unto hiui, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things ? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee. We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly influences the soul in which it dwells, nor for certain who they are who are so influenced, nor its full effect. 10. ' A master,' or teaclier. ' Know- est not,' that is, art not able to I'eceive or understand them thoroughly. Our Lord had been announcing to him that the great ciiauge which His coming was to work in man, was the renewing of the heart by the Holy Spirit ; and He means that Nicodemus should have be6n in some measure prepared for such an announcement, by his know- ledge even of the Jewish law and pro- phets, who had alluded to it ; for in- stance, by such a passage as Ezek. xxxvi. 26. 11. 'We speak,' signifies 'I speak,' according to the usage of kings and persons in authority. ' That we do know and have seen,' that is, what our Lord knew from everlasting, with God the Father in heaven (see viii. 38), by His own all-knowing power as God. ' Ye,' addressed to those who reject the Gospel. 12. 'Earthly things' cannot be un- derstood to mean things beginning and ending on earth, or referring only to this World, whicli it often does ; but to the work of the Holy Spirit in the souls of men living on earth, and the new birth in Holy Baptism which is given on earth, of which our Lord had been telling Nicodemus. ' Heavenly things' means the still higher and entirely heavenly things, of which He had not told him, such as the nature of God Himself, His everlasting counsels in the atone- O things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things ? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 ^ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up : ment of Christ, heaven itself, &c. if Nicodemus had not been able to under- stand tiie former, still less would he the latter, which, as we know, none were yet able to understand aright, not even the Apostles, till enlightened by the Holy Spirit. See note on Mark ix. 32, 13. ' Hath ascended up to heaven,' appears to mean ' hath the full know- ledge of heavenly things,' of which our Lord had just been speaking. It could not be said that Christ had as yet ' ascended up ' to heaven. He had descended' from heaven to take on Him our flesh, and was to ascend thither again. But He had in Himself all knowledge of heavenly things; and He may have said this partly to declare this truth, and partly to lead men to come to Him for that communication of heavenly matters, which in some mea- sure He would make to them. The latter part of the verse is one of the passages wliich shew that Christ is truly both God and man, as it could not be true of Him if He was not so. He became the ' Son of man,' and ' came down' and dwelt on earth as man. But He was still God, God the Son, and as such was still necessarily, as from e vei-lasting, ' in the bosom of the Father ' (i. 18) in heaven. 14, 15. Our Lord here alludes to His Crucifixion (see Numb. xxi. 9). The ' serpent ' then ' lifted up ' was a type of Christ ' lifted up ' on the Cross. The mortal disease of the body, of wliich the Jews were thus cured, was a type of the deadly sickness of the soul of which 2 292 ST. JOHN, III. 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 ^ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- gotten Son, that whosoever be- lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world ; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 ^ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that it is healed through the sacrifice of Christ, without which it would ' perish ' everla,stiii£;ly ; and the looking of the Jews on the brazen serpent, which God ordained to be the means of their cure, was a type of the faith in Christ which is required of us that we may be justi- fied anil saved : ' that whosoever be- lieveth in liim should have eternal life.' ' Perish,' namely, everlastingly in hell. 16. 'Gave;' gave up to humiliation and deatji. 17. This refers to the first coming of Christ on tlie earth, when, as in some other places our Lord also signifies (viii. 15, iStc), His purpose was not to ' con- demn ' or ' judge ' the world, that is, mankind. That He will do upon the wicked at the Day of Judgment, at His second coming. His first coming, as is said in the latter part of this verse, was to offer Himself a sacrifice for sin, whereby the ' world might be saved.' This was His purpose ; the effect of His coming iras the "condemnation ' of some, namely, those who reject Him and His Gospel. On this difference between the purpose and the effect of our Lord's coming see notes on Matt. x. 34 ; Luke ix. 56. 18. 'Is condemned already.' The fnal and hopeless condemnation of every one will not be passed till the Day of Judgment, or, in effect, at his own believeth not is condemned al- ready, because he hath not be- lieved in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemna- tion, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For eveiy one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither Cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth death (see note on Matt. xxiv. 42). Till then there is always hope (see note on Matt. xii. 31, 32). Our Lord therefore means that an unbeliever, so far and so long as he is so, is in the same state of guilt and condemnation as he will be liereafter, though that state may be altered on his due repentance and amendment. 19. ' This is the condemnation,' that is, it is on this account. ' Light is come into the world,' see note on i. 4. ' Men,' tliat is, those men who would not receive the light offered to them. ' Darkness,' see note on i. 5. The reason for men's rejection of the Gospel is here given ; ' because their deeds were evil.' It is because men do not choose to give up their sin that they refuse to accept, or believe, the Gospel which commands them to do so. 20. The ' light ' here is still the light of the Gospel. The verse shews clearly tlie ground of the comparison of that light, the light in the soul, which shews us what deeds are good, and what are evil, to the common light of day which shews to us common objects. ' Re- proved,' that is, proved, made mani- fest. 21. ' He that doeth truth,' that is, he who is truly righteous in his acts. Such an one is one of those who do receive the Gospel ; and he 'eometh to the light,' that is, he is not afraid that ' his deeds ' ST. JOHX, III. 293 cometli to the liglit, that his deeds may be made manifest, that thej are wrought in God. 22 ^ After these things came Jesus and his disciples iuto the hmd of Judrea ; and there he tar- ried with them, and baptized. 23 "^ And John also was bap- tizing iu^'Enon near to Salini, be- cause there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison. 25 ^ Then there arose a ques- tion between so?«e of John's disci- ples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Eabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, should be ' made manifest ' according to that light of tlie Gospel, because they are ' wrought in God,' that is, done in the strength given by His grace, and according to His will. 22. ' Baptized,' that is, directed His disciples to baptize in His name (see iv. 2 ; also note on i. 25). 24 ' Not yet,' as he afterwards was by Herod (Matt. xiv. 3). 25. ' Purifying ' may refer to some question about the washings ordei-ed to the Jews (see note on ii. 6). Or it may mean some question about the purifying or cleansing effect of Baptism, that of John and tliat of Jesus (see note on Matt. iii. 11). 27. ' A man can receive nothing,' that is, no power, especially such a power as is here spoken of, that of bap- tizing (see note on i. 25), unless ' from heaven,' or unless God gives it him. St. John means his disciples to learn from this, as he sets forth more fully in the verses which follow, that as he had recetced from God the commission to baptize and to preach, so he was now also, in obedience to God, to cease exer to whom thou barest witness, be- hold, the same baptizcth, and all me7i come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Te yourselves bear me wit- ness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom : but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfil- led. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. cising that power, and to give place wholly to Christ, for whom his ministry had been the preparation only. The commission which he had from heaven was soon to cease, though it had not yet entirely ceased. 29. The 'bridegroom 'signifies Christ: the ' bride,' the Church, according to the mysterious figure often used in Scripture (see note on Jlatt. xxii. 2). The ' friend,' means John the Baptist, as the forerunner and introducer of Christ. Such a friend in a marriage might make some pi-eparation for it, as the Baptist had for the coming of our Lord. When such preparations are fin- ished, the 'friend' has nothing more to do but to 'stand' by and attend: and he 'rejoices' to see and 'hear' the bridegroom when he comes. So John means that his part was nearly done, and the joy that he had in doing it was 'fulfilled' then (wherefore he calls it 'this my joy'), when Christ had come Himself: though he himself, the Bap- tist, was henceforward to take the lower place, as he says in the next verse. o 3 294 ST. joim, IV 31 He that cometh from above is above all : he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth : he that cometh from heaveu is above all. 32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth ; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34< For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God : for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, 31. 'He that cometh from above,' or ' from ■ heaveu,' namely, Christ. ' He that is of the earth,' means in the first instance John the Baptist, and also any other man: as of all such it is true that of themselves, and except so far as in- spired by God, they can only know and 'speak,' of earthly and human things. St. John in particular, and many other men, have received the special gilt of speaking of greater than earthly things: but he says this in order to impress still further the truth to which he had re- ferred in ver. 27, that ho had no power except what was given him : whereas the Son of God had power in Him- self. 32. See note on ver. 11. 'No man receiveth,' that is, men generally did not receive. 33. ' Hath set to his seal,' means, hath professed in an open and solemn way his belief, ' that God is true :' a figure taken from the ordinary affairs of men, in which men seal a written declaration or engagement when it is solemnly confirmed and witnessed as true. John says that whosoever received the ' testimony,' the words of Christ, made thereby a solenni profession of liis belief in the truth of God : as Christ and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him. CHAPTEE IV. 1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself bap- tized not, but his disciples,) sijoke the words, and is Himself the Word, of the Father (i. 1). 34. ' He whom God hath sent,' that is, Christ. ' For God giveth not the Spii'it by measure unto him.' Christ as the Son of Man received the Holy Spirit from the Father (see note on v. 19) ; as was signified by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon Him at His Baptism (Matt, iii. 16). And the Spirit was then given Him, ' not by measure,' that is, not in any partial or imperfect degree, as to mankind, but fully. The futiuss of the Holy Spirit dwelt in Christ. 35. See note on Matt, xxviii. 18. 30'. ' He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:' that is, true faith in Christ is the way to ensure everlast- ing life. But it is not said 'mil have,' ! but '/(«?/(. everlasting life:' as elsewhere [ (xvii. 3) it is said ' This is life eternal, i that they might know Thee.' It is, as it j were, the earnest, or beginning, of ever- j lasting life to the soul : it is the life of Christ imparted to the soul, as was set forth (see note on i. 4) ; which life is puri- fied and perfected rather than changed after death, being begun here. ' Shall not see life,' that is, again, eternal life. Cn. IV. 1. See note on iii. 2?. 2. See note on iii. 22. ST. JOHX, lY. 295 3 He left Jucla?a, and departed agaiu into Galilee. 4 And he must needs go through Samaria, 5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus thei-efore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well : and it was about the sixth hour, 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water : Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman 3. Our Lord left Judoea, that the Pharisees might not take Him, His ' time not being yet come ' to be offered up (see note on Matt. ix. 30). The Pharisees would be moved to take Him fi'om 'envy' (Matt, xxvii. 18), when they heard that He was baptizing and making disciples. G. ' The sixth hour,' 12 o'clock (see note on Matt, xxvii. 45). 9. See notes on Luke ix, 52, 53. 10. Our Lord had asked the woman to give Him to drink in order to lead to the spiritual meaning of His words, which He gives in this verse. The 'living water' is that which Christ calls 'the gift of God ;' that is, that which God gives to men through Christ, and which therefore at this time was within the reach of the woman of Samaria. If she had 'known' it, or known what it was, and who Christ was, and had 'asked' it of Him in faith, 'he would have given it' her. This ' living water' signifies by a figure that which sustains of Samaria ? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans, 10 Jesus answered and said unto her. If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee. Give me to drink ; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep : from whence then hast thou that living water ? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle ? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again : 14 But whosoever drinketh of o 4 the renewed life, the life of God in the soul, given to Christians, in that they are joined to Christ (see notes on i, 4, 13), which is called 'living,' that is, ever springing up and flowing in the soul (ver. 14), in which the Holy Spirit dwelleth. The comparison of the grace of God, as sustaining the life of the soul, to food or drink, is frequent (Is, xii. 3; Iv. 1,2, &c.). 1 1, 12. The woman understood our Lord to mean water in the ordinary sense ; and supposed that He, when He sjioke of 'living water,' meant some water better than what their forefather Jacob had given them in that well : in which case she means that He would have shewn greater power than Jacob. In ver. 11 she means that h;iving no- thing to draw with, He could not even have water from that well. 14. 'Drinketh of the water that I shall give him,' that is, is filled with the new life of which He spake (ver, 10), That new life, and that 296 ST. JOHN, IV. tlie water that I sliall give him shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband : 18 For thou hast had five hus- alone, can fully satisfy the soul, and give it inward peace ; wherefore Clirist says, that tliat soul 'shall never thirst:' in a spiritual sense, name)}', shall want no- thing more than that heavenly peace, compared to a perpetual fountain or well (see note on ver. 10). 15. The woman still understands Him to mean water literally, though here she imagines it to be water of an extraordinary kind, of which the effect would be perpetual. 16 — 18. Our Lord snid these words to the woman both that she might per- ceive His miraculoiis powers, by His knowing (though a stranger to her, if He was considered merely a man) what her course of life ^vas : and so might be led on to enquire further the meaning of the words He had spoken, and be- come His disciple ; and also to reprove her for her vicious life. 19. ' A prophet,' here is used in the same way as ' prophecy' in Matt. xxvi. 68, where see note. 20. The woman wishes to argue with our Lord about one of the disputes be- tween the Jews and the Samaritans. ' In this mountain,' namely. Mount Geri- zim. The Samaritans believed that Abraham had built an altar there, and bands ; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband : in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain ; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, AVo- man, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Te worship ye know not what : we know what we wor- that it was allowable to them, while professing to observe the Jewish cus- toms, to worship God there at the great festivals, instead of going to Jerusalem on those occasions, as was commanded in the Law of Moses. This was one of the corruptions of the Samaritans, aris- ing from their being only a mixed race of Jews and Gentiles, who had thus lost the true knowledge of the Law. 21. Our Lord here signifies that when His Church was established, which was then near at hand (' the hour cometh'), the worship of God would no longer be confined either to Jerusalem or to any other place, but was to be offered up in all places throughout the world: so that 'neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,' does not mean that these places, or any others, were to be places in which God was not to be worshipped, but that He was not only, or especially, to be there worshipped. This is the difference be- tween the Jewish Church and the Chris- tian, which is therefore called Catholic, meaning universal, all over the world (see note on Matt, xxviii. 19). 22. The Samaritans, from their cor- ruptions as before explained, had not retained accui'ate knowledge of the true ST. JOHN, lY. 297 ship : for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the liour cometh, and now is, when the true worship- pers shall worship the Father iu spirit and in truth : for the Fa- ther seeketh such to worsliip him. 24 God is a Spirit : aud they that worship him must worship Mm in spirit aud in truth. God, whom yet they professed to wor- ship: which our Lord calls ' worsliippiiig they know not what.' ' We,' that is, tlie Jews, to whom our Lord belonged ac- cording to the flesh. They still could worship God rightly, and according to true understanding and knowledge (' we know what we worship'), inasmuch as they had His oracles or revelation in the Old Testament, which up to the time of our Lord's coming was His only revelation, and was still of coui'se true, though it needed to be perfected by the Gospel. ' Salvation is of the Jews :' as they were God's people, and the Mes- siah, through whom comes salvation to all, was to be born 'of them, being a Jew in the flesh. 23. ' The hour,' means as before the time of the establishment of Chris- tianity. This was not yet fully come, as the Christian Church was established by our Lord's Apostles after His ascen- sion, x-ather than by Himself : but it was so near at hand, that our Lord speaks of it as actually come ('and now is,' or 'yea now is'). Our Lord signifies that in that new Dispensation of the Gospel there would be a great differ- ence from the worship of God under the old law, which would then be no longer the 'true,' the fully true and appointed worship of God. The ' true worshippers ' were to have this distinc- tion, that they were to worship ' i?i spirit,' and then only could they worship 'in truth.' Because the Jewish Church and worship were in themselves outward ordinances, and conveyed no promise of invrard blessings, though of course ohe- O 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ : when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 27 % And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with tlie woman : yet no man said. What seekest thou? dience to them or to any command of God would be blessed : whereas the special gift of the Christian Church is the Indwelling of the Holy Ghost, iu the Church and the woi-ship of the Church as well as in its separate members. And so while the Law of Moses com- manded the obedience of certain out- ward acts, sacrifices. Sec, the only worship which fulfils the commands of the Gospel is that in which, besides the outward ordinances, there is the inward offering of the heart and soul, accordinnf to the grace conferred upon them. And the next verse (24) is to shew that this spiritual worship, the worship of the spirit and heart, is the only one which can be acceptable to God, as it is the only one which partakes of His cha- racter: He being Himself 'a Spirit,' even the Everlasting and Almighty Spirit. 25. The Samaritans, as well as the Jews, had an expectation of the coming of the Messiah, from having heard something, in the country where they lived, of the Jewish prophecies and tra- ditions. But, even more than the Jews, they had but a doubtful idea who or what He would be; though from this verse it seems they expected that He would give them heavenly knowledge ('he will tell us all things,' that is, all good and heavenly things). The woman, there- fore, rightly supposed that our Lord, when speaking of true spiritual wor- ship, spoke of the times of the Mes- siah. 27. ' Marvelled,' because she was a Samaritan. But they reverenced our 298 ST. JOHN, lY. or, "Why talkest tliou with her ? 28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did : is not this the Christ ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 31 ^ In the mean while his dis- ciples prayed him, saying. Master, •eat. 32 But he said uuto them, I have meat to eat that ye know BOt of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another. Hath any man brought him oiiglit to eat ? Lord too much to ask Him why He 'did so. 29. Tliis is a natural sort of exag- geration, such as persons will fall into when much surprised and impressed with any thing. Our Lord had not told tlie woman literally 'all things' she had ever done, but having told her (ver. 18) one main thing about herself 'wliich He could not know but in a miraculous manner, she is as nmch struck by that as if He had told her all things, and feels that He ktieic all things about her, and, if He would, could have told them to her. 32. This ' meat,' or food, means here and in ver. 34 the spiritual food of the soul. See note on Matt. iv. 4. 33. The disciples (being yet unen- lightened by the Holy Ghost) under- stood Him to mean common food. 35. ' White,' that is, ripe. This har- vest, which our Lord says was already ready, means the people in the land who were just about to hear, and (if they would) be converted to the Gospel; compared to the gathering of the har- vest, as in Matt. ix. 37, where see note. Our Lord puts it in a sort of parable or 34 Jesus saith unto them. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye. There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest ? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields ; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth re- ceiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal : that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true. One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour : figure, that though the natural harvest was still four months off, the spiritual harvest was near. 36. Our Lord here alludes to the work of preaching and gatliering con- verts into His kiugdom, which he was about to send His Apostles to do : 'he that reapeth,' signifying the Apostles, according to the figure in the pi'eceding ver.se, and the ' fruit ' the converts, so 'gathered unto life eternal.' If the ' i-eapers ' did their work faithfully they would receive their ' wages,' or reward, from the goodness of God : namely, the same ' life eternal ' (see Matt. XX. 1 — 16). ' He that soweth,' ap- pears to mean our Lord Himself, who first ' sowed,' or preached, the word of God, thereby preparing the people to be fully joined to His Church (' reaped' in), when it was regularly founded by His Ajjostles after His Ascension. Our Lord graciously ' rejoices' when believers are added to the Church. See Isa.liii. 11. 37, 38. These verses further set forth what was said before (veA\ 36). The p3ople, such of them as were well disposed, were pi'epared to receive the ST. JOHN, TV. 299 other men laboured, and ye are entered into their hxbours. 89 % And many of the Samari- tans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they be- sought him that he would tarry with them : and he abode there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his own word ; 42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying : for we have heard Jmn ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. 43 % Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. Gospel without difficulty, when preached by the Apostles ; prepared not so much by their labour, as that of other men,' which may mean Moses, the Propliets, John the Baptist, &c., all of whom had prepared the way for the Gospel. But it chiefly means, as was shewn in the former verses, the labour of our Lord Himself, included in the general words 'other men ' {' the travail of His soul, Isa. liii. 11) ; and the exertion of the blessed influence of His Spirit in turning men's hearts, as in ver. 37, ' one soweth ' must mean the same as 'he that soweth,' in ver. 36. But this desci'ip- tiou of the Apostles' preaching applies properly only to the earliest times, and indeed to the time when Christ Himself was on earth with them, and supporting them by His special aid, (' other men 45 Tlien when he was come into Galilee, the Galila^ans re- ceived liim, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast : for tliey also went unto the feast. 46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, wliere he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 AVhen he heard that Jesus was come out of Jud?ea into Ga- lilee, he went unto him, and be- sought him that he would come down, and heal his son : for he was at the point of death. 48 Then said Jesus unto him. Except ye see signs and. wonders, ye will not believe. 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that o 6 laboured,') while they were still weak, and not strengthened l)y the Holy Ghost; such preaching, for instance, as that of the seventy (Luke x. 17). Afterwai'ds their ' labour ' and trials began. 42. ' We know,' namely, from His own word and miracles. 44. See Matt. xiii. 57, and note. This is said here to signify that our Lord went to other parts of Galilee before He went to ' His own country,' Naza- reth, where He knew He would not be honoured. 45. 'The feast' of the Passover : see ii. 23. ' They also went,' that is, such of them as were obedient to the Law of Moses. 48 — 50. The miracles (' signs and won- ders') which our Lord did, were in- tended to be among the chief proofs of 300 ST. JOHN, V. Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told Mm, saying, Thy son liveth. 52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him. Thy son liveth : and himself believed, and his whole house. 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judwa into Galilee, CHAPTER V. 1 Aetee this there was a feast of the Jews ; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep marhet a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multi- tude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whoso- ever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him. Wilt thou be made whole ? 7 The impotent man answered him. Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool : but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. His being from Gocl, and so to turn the minds of the j>eople to Hsten to His te.icliing. Our Lord therefore does not mean generally that it was unreasonable in people to expect miracles from Him in proof of who He was : but He appears to mean partly that several of them cared for the miracles rather from curiosity, and that tlinr belief was not a true belief; and partly that they re- quired themselves to see the miracles, whereas they ought to have been ready to believe upon the authority of others, to whom the signs had been shewn. This is the case necessarily with all believers since the time of Christ, and with all, except the conijiai-atively few who wei"e with Him on earth; who must all believe, not on the evidence of their senses, but from faith in what has been recorded by others under the guidance of the Spirit. Our Lord also appears to have said what He did in ver. 48, partly to try the faith of this nobleman, whether it were of that imperfect kind which needed the evidence of sight to confirm it; and He accepts his repeating his request as a sufficient witness of the soundness of His faith (compare Matt. XV. 28 ; Luke xviii. 1 — 8), and grants his desire. Ch. V. 2. ' Porches' in the enclosure round the pool. 4. ' Was made whole,' by a miracle. ST. JOHN, Y. 301 10 ^ Tlie Jews therefore said unto liim that was cured, It is the sabbath day : it is not lawful for thee to carry tliy bed. 11 He answered them. He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. 12 Then asked they him. What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk ? 13 And he that was healed wist not who it was : for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in tliat place. 14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him. Behold, thou art made 10. See note on Matt. xii. 2. 11. This was a sufficient answer, even if it had been wrong in itself for him to carry his bed, as our Lord had power to dispense with the observance of such a hiw as that of the sabbath (see notes on Matt. xii. 6. 8). His command would, therefore, have justi- fied the man in doing as he did. 13. ' Jesus had conveyed himself away,' in order, perhaps, in some degree to conceal His miracle from those who were not fit to profit by it. See note on Matt. ix. 30. 14. See note on Luke xiii. 2. 5. Ac- cording to what was said in that note, w-e may observe on this verse, that the infirmity of this man who was healed, was perhaps sent to him (as suffering certainly is sometimes) from God, as a punishment for his sins. For so our Lord tells him, that if He sins again (alluding to his past sins) he will run the risk of being punished again, and tliat more severely : ' lest a worse thing come unto thee.' We must not, how- ever, speak too confidently of this, as it may be that this infirmity was not sent to the man on account of par- ticular sins, and as a direct punishment whole : sin .no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. 15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. IG And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. 17 ^ But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Then answered Jesus and for them ; but, according to what was said in the note on St. Luke, only as a mai-k and sign to Mm of the general sinfulness of man (in which, of course, his own was included), w^hich is, with- out any doubt, the source of all hu- man disease and suffering. For thus it would still be true that any suffering would be meant as a warning to a man, and so to this man, to avoid sin for the future, which, as was said, is the right way for all men to look \x\)o\\ such visitations. 17- ' Answered.' The Jews do not appear to have spoken ; but it means that our Lord spoke to them according to what He knew to be in their thoughts. Our Lord by this verse shewed, as the Jews rightly understood Him, that He was 'equal with God:' God the Son, one with God the Father. It signifies ' I woi'k etai as my Father worketh : equally with Him,' and the same works, as of course it must be (see ver. 1 9 and note). And it follows that He could work on the sabbath, because Lord of it, even as His Father was. 18. ' Making himself equal,' that is, by the way in which he spoke of Him- self and His Father. 19. Here our Lord further sets forth 302 ST. JOHN, V. said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do : for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth : and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them ; even so the Son quicken- eth whom he will. 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son : His being one with the Father, in will and in actions, as well as in nature and in substance, though distinct in person : so that it is vmjMfsible (' the Son can do nothing ') that the Father and the Son should act differently, or contrary the one to the other. But when our Lord says, ' Tlie Sou can of Himself do no- thing,' we must probably understand Him as speaking of Him^^elf not as He is from everlasting, God the Son, but as the Son of God made man, and accord- ing to the humiliation of that human na- ture: see notes on Matt.x.\.'23;xxviii. 18. 20. This is still said in the same sense. Christ as God knew all things: but as the Son of iMan, they were shewn to Him by the Father through the Holy Spirit given to Him. 'Greater works:' the yet greater miracles that were to follow: both in the common sense of miracles, such as the raising of Lazarus, &c., and the spiritual wonders of the Gospel in the conversion and salvation of sinners. 21. ' Quickeneth,' insiketh alive. 'The Son quickeneth,' may be understood as the last verse was, both to mean the raising of the dead by Christ, and also His raising those who were dead in sin, 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Fa- ther which hath sent him. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemna- tion ; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God : and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life by His grace, to the life of righteous- ness, according to the figure often used (Eph. ii. 1, &c.). 22. It has been said before (see note on i. 3) that we understand, wherever the immediate dealings of God with man are spoken of in Scripture, that it is God the Sou who so worketh or will work ; God the Father in Him. So here it is said of God's judgments : with, pro- bably, an especial reference to the Judgment of the Last Day, when, as we read, Christ will come to judge the world in His human form (Acts i.l l,&c.). 23. ' Honuureth not,' that is, cannot really honour ' the Father.' 24. See note on iii. 36. 'Death' and 'life,' namely, of the soul ; the state of nature, that is, sinful- ness, and the state of salvation (see i. 4. 13, and notes). 25. This verse may be undei'stood of the Day of Judgment, which is often spoken of in the New Testament as being verii nejxr (see note on Matt. xxiv. 29). ' The hour tioic is,' that is, is close at hand. The dead are described as being called to the resurrection by ' the voice of the Son of God ;' and they ' shall live,' that is, live again. ST. JOHN, Y. 303 iu liimself ; so liatli lie given to the Son to have life in him- self; 27 And hath given him au- thority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth ; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. But it may also be understood, as ver. 21, to mean the raising of the dead in sin unto spiritual life, by the power of the Gospel preached by the ' Son of God,' and His Apostles (what they preached being still considered as His ' voice"). 26. Here the eternal life, which is in God (see note on i. 4), is S|ioken of as given by the Father to the Son (see note on Matt, xxviii. 18). 27. See note on ver. 22. ' Because He is the Son of man.' We may in some dei;ree perceive that iu the mys- terious counsels of God, there is a parti- cular fitness in Christ as the Son of man, 'judging' those whom He graciously calls His 'brethren' (Heb. ii. 17, &c.) ; for having been ' in all points tempted like as we are, only without sin' (Heb. iv. 15), He will both most justly and most mercifully judge those of whose infirmi- ties He vouchsafed to partake. 28. ' Marvel not at this,' namely, this announcement of the Day of Judgment, which He then describes to them more clearly. 30. ' Of mine own self :' see note on ver. 19. ' As I hear,' namely, from the Father ; meaning that He received the gift of judging from Him (see note on Matt, xxviii. 18). 'My judgment is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father.' Christ had a human will as well as a Divine 30 I can of mine own self do nothing : as I hear, I judge : and my judgment is just ; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 T[ There is another that beareth witness of me ; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Te sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony will (see note on Matt. xx. 23). But the human will in Him was conformed, and bent itself exactly to the Divine will, which was the same as the will of the Father. He therefore says, that in His 'judgment,' as in all things, He ' sought ' not what His human will, if it could have acted apart from that will of God, might have led to, but that He followed the will of God, which cannot but be just.' 31. It is a common rule, that a man's own witness about himself, unless supported by others, when it can be, is not sufficient. Accordingly, our Lord, who was pleased that He and His Gospel should be judged of by the ordi- nary laws of the reason which God gives to men, says here, that He should not have required His woi*ds to be believed, unless they were in agreement with, and so confirmed by, what had been foretold of Him, and especially by John the Baptist, whom He is about to mention. This verse thus means, ' If / alone bear witness, it is not true,' or is not enough to shew that it is true. See also note on viii. 14. 32. ' Another,' John the Baptist. ' Beai-eth,' or did bear witness. 33. ' Ye sent,' namely, those Jews who went to the wilderness to hear John the Baptist (Matt. iii. 5), 34. Our Lord here means that He 304 ST. JOHN, V. from man : but tliese things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light : and ye were will- ing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36 ^ But I have greater wit- ness than that of John : for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne did not need /or Himself io receive tes- timony from any m;in (nor even from God the Fatlier : xi. 42) ; but the wit- ness of others to Him was inspired in order to lead men to believe in Him, and be ' saved.' He therefore reminds them of the witness of Jolm : ' These things I say, that ye might be saved.' 35. ' He,' John the Baptist, who is likened to a burning light, or an ex- ample, as the Apostles were enjoined to be (Matt. v. 14, where see note), and especially as he was a light to lead men to Christ. At first the Jews went out and ' re- joiced' in the ' light' of the ministry of John ; but only ' for a season,' till he began to reprove their faults. 3G ' The works : ' all the works of Christ, but especially the miracles, proved, even more than John the Bap- tist did, that He was sent from God, and therefore to be heard and believed by all men. 37. ' The Father hath borne witness of me,' refers chiefly to the baptism of our Lord (see Matt. iii. 16, 17, and note). The voice of the Father from heaven witnessed to Christ, also, on other occasions (Matt. xvii. 5; John xii. 29), but they were after this. In the latter part of the verse our Lord signifies, that it is only in Him witness of me. Te have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you : for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 ^ Search the scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have eternal life : and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye that the Father can be seen (see i. 18, and note, and xiv. 9, and note). And though His voice could be ' heard,' in some sense, by the people, yet we see that those who were such as our Lord was now addressing, that is, the uncon- verted multitude, could not understand it, or know what it was, which ' hearing' here means (see xii. 29, and Acts xxii. 9, compared with Acts ix. 7)- It could only be understood by God's special revelation. 38. ' Ye have not his word abiding in you,' that is, they did not rightly receive, take into their hearts and minds, the word of God which had been given to them, the Jews, in the Old Testament. For if they had, they would have ' be- lieved ' Christ, whom God had ' sent,' inasmuch as those Scriptures spoke of Him. 39. ' Ye think ' rightly 'that ye have,' revealed ' in them,' the way of ' eternal life,' and they would in them find that He was foretold, 'testified' of, as 'the way, the ti'uth, and the life ' (xiv. «)• 40. ' Life,' eternal hfe. 41. It is impossible that men should really give 'honour' to Christ, as He could not need it from them (see note on ver. 34). 42. It was the want of ' love,' of ST. JOHN, VI. 305 have not the love of God iu you. 43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not : if anotlier shall come iu his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that Cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father : there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me : for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his loving obedience to God, according to their knowledge, that prevented the people from hearing and believing Christ: as it is said, ' If any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God ' (vii. 17, where see note). Our Lord therefore means, that if they had had that love, they would have received Him. 43. ' In my Father's name,' that is, with authority from Him : see note on Matt, xxviii. 18. ' Him ye will receive :' that is, they were willing to listen to any mere human teacher, who came to them on his own authority only, ' in liis ()wu name :' as such a teacher was like themselves, and did not preach doctrines unpleasing to their pride and self-in- dulgence, as was the Gospel. 44. Here we may learn, as in other places (.James ii. 17, iic), that true faith is not, cannot be, unless accom- panied by a sincere attempt to obey. Such persons as our Lord here mentions are worldly persons, who seek and care only for honour from men (' one of another,') and cai'e not for the honour which God gives to those who are well- writings, how sliall ye believe my words ? CHAPTER VI. 1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is tlie sea of Tiberias. 2 And a gi'eat multitude fol- lowed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 ^ When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great com- pleasing to Him, These are, of course, evil men, without the spiritual mind : and Christ says of such, that Xhey can- not believe, or have true faith : their faith would be a mere pretence. 45—47. ' Do not think that I will ac- cuse you to the Father,' rather means, ' that I need accuse you,' as they were enough condemned by their own un- belief in Moses. They thought that it was enough for them to obey Moses, and so ' trusted ' in him. Our Lord signifies that this was not enough now that He was come to ^fulfil the law ' (see Matt, v. 17, and note), and that even if they looked at nothing beyond the law of Moses, they ought to have received and trusted in Him, as Moses had ' written of Him ' (Deut. xviii. 15, &c.). But those parts of the writings of Moses they did not choose to receive rightly. And not believing those writings (ver. 47) they could not believe the words of Christ, of whom Moses wrote. It was in truth the same faults, pride and self-will, that prevented them in both cases. They were enough to prevent their receiving any words however convincing ; as it is said that they were enough to prevent 306 ST. JOHN, YI. pany come unto liim, lie saith unto Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat ? 6 And this he said to prove him : for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes : but what are they among so many ? 10 And Jesus said. Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down ; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, G-ather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. men from believing, even when the greatest miracles were wrought (see Luke xvi. 31, and note). Ch. VI. 6. ' To prove him,' that is, to try whether the Apostle had faith enough to trust in our Lord that He could supply the want of bread as it might seem good to Him : which he ought to have shewn in his answer. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which re- mained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15 ^ When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. 16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. 18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship : and they were afraid. 7. Instead of doing so, Philip shews in his reply at least a doubt whether our Lord could supply the need : for he means that he does not see how bread enough could be found. ' Pennyworth : ' see note on Matt, xviji. 24. 11, 12. See notes on Matt. xiv. 19,20. 14. See note on i. 21. 15. ' To make Him a king,' that is, a great earthly king, which, as we know, ST. JOHN, VI. 307 20 But he saith unto them, It is I ; be not afraid. 21 Then they willingly received him into the ship : and immedi- ately the ship was at the land whither they went. 22 T[ The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there w^as none other boat there, save that one whereinto his dis- ciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disci- ples were gone away alone ; 23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks :) 24 When the people therefore the Jews thought the IMessiah would and ought to be : whereas our Lord came to estabhsh a spiritual kingdom. See note on Matt. ii. 2. Our Lord therefore took Himself from them, that their object might not be acct)mplished. 21. ' Immediately,' namely, by a miracle wrouglit by Christ. 22 — 24. The people seem to have perceived that as thei-e was only one boat, and yet Jesus, who had not gone in that boat, was not on the shore stiil. He probably had gone in some miracu- lous manner : and they concluded that He had followed His disciples, who,as they supposed, had gone over to Capernaum. 26. * Not because ye saw the miracles,' that is, not from having seen and rhjhtly considered the miracles, so as to be led to believe in Him; 'but because ye did eat,' that is, merely in order to be fed again, as tliey had been before. 27. ' Labour not for the meat which perisheth,' that is, much rather \a\io\iv for the other : see note on Matt. ix. 13. ' Labour ' also might be here understood saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Ca- pernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him. Rabbi, when camest thou hither ? 26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you. Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto ever- lasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you : for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, to labour with an over-anxiety, as if such meat was of real lasting importance : in which sense it would be exactly true that we are not at all to labour for the ' meat which pei'isheth.' See note on Matt. vi. 25. Our Lord pursues what He said in the previous verse, and endeavours to turn the people from this anxiety for their bodily needs to care for their souls. ' The meat which endureth unto everlasting life,' that is, the meat which will last them, support them, till they reach that everlasting life. This is the ' spiritual ' meat or food, which sustains the soul, or the grace of God : sometimes called water or drink. See notes on Matt. iv. 4 ; John iv, 10. ' Sealed,' that is, solemnly marked and confirmed as His Son, and therefore as the fountain of everlasting life ; as at His baptism : Matt. iii. Ifi, 17, &c. 28. ' Work the works of God ' means, work such works as God would have them to do, so as to be well-pleasing to Him, and obtain that everlasting life of 308 ST. JOHN, VL What shall we do, that we might work the works of God ? 29 Jesas answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe ou him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee ? what dost thou w^ork ? 31 Our fathers did eat manna which Christ had spoken to them in the verse preceding. Their question tluis means the same as aslving Christ how they were to obey Him, wlien He told them to ' labour lor the meat which en- dureth unto everlasting life.' 29. ' This is the work of God,' that is, this is what God would have you do : to believe on Christ ; belief meaning a true faith. 30. ' What sign,' or miracle ? as a proof that they ought to believe in Him. This was the object of the miracles, to lead the people to believe; but they ought to have considered that He had just wrought such a sign iu the miracle of the loaves. Perhaps the people who said this had not seen that sign ; or they may have required some more public and con- spicuous sign, such as the sending manna, to which they refer in the next verse. 31. They mean that such a miracle as sending manna iwuld convince them (which however it probably would not have done : see note on Luke xvi. 31). They also refer to this miracle of the manna, because they seem still to be thinking that our Lord meant food for the body, though tliey perceived that He did not mean common food, but food which would produce wonderful effects even unto eternal life. They mean therefore to ask whether He promised them such food as manna was, which, they profess, would lead them to believe (see Exod. xvi. 14, 15; Ps. Ixxviii. 24). in the desert ; as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, A^erily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven ; but my Fa- ther giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which Cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 32. ' That bread,' namely, the ' true bread,' spoken of just after. The manna which Moses c?i(i give, was not that bread, nor could Moses give it. 33. ' The bread of God,' or the ' bread of life ' (ver. 48), the spiritual or hea- venly food of man, is Christ Himself, who so, namely, by being give.H to our souls as food, 'giveth' spiritual 'life unto the world,' or to man. See notes ou ver. 27, and on i. 4. In this verse and the rest of the chapter, and elsewhere where Christ is spoken of as the bread and food of man, and we are told that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to attain to eternal life, we understand these ex- pressions to mean generally that the way to heaven is by union icith Christ. We must be 'joined to ' Christ (1 Cor. vi. 17), become 'members of Him (Eph. V. 30), and 'one in' Him (.John xvii. 21). We do become so by Bap- tism; but we do not continue to be living members of Him, to keep that living union with Him, except by the continual exercise of a true and living faith. The exercise of this faith by the enabling grace of God, is called ' eating Him ' (ver. 57), ' eating his flesh and drinking his blood ' (ver. 53), according to the comparison or flgure so often used in this Gospel (see ver. 27, and note, &c.). But there are many means by which this true faith is kept alive in us ; and the chief one, the one to which these expressions, iu a special and particular ST. JOHJS", YI. 309 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life : he that cometh to me shall never hun- ger ; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 3G But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me ; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's •way, refer, is the ' eating ' and ' drink- ing ' the holy elements of bread and wine, by the faithful, in the Commu- nion of the Lord's Supper. In that Sacrament, above all other means, God conveys to us that spiritual life by which we are joined to Christ; and in this bread and wine, as is elsewhere said (Matt. xxvi. 26—28, &c.), we do in a real, though a spiritual and mys- terious sense, eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ. 34. This is nearly the same as the answer of the woman of Samaria (iv. 15, where see note). 35. ' Cometh to me,' that is, truly, with a true faith : so that it signifies the same as ' believeth on me ' imme- diately after. ' Shall never hunger ' (see note on iv. 14). 37. ' All that the Father giveth me shall come to me :' that is, all men who duly use the preventing or enabling grace which God giveth them, enabling them to come to Christ by faith, and be His true members, and who do so come, are said to be 'given' to Him by God the will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothiug, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and be- lieveth on him, may have ever- lasting life : and I will raise him up at the last day. 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said. Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know ? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven ? 43 Jesus therefore answered Father, as it is only through the power given them by God that they are enabled to come. ' in no wise,' in no manner. Christ invites all to come to Him, and rejects or ' casts out ' none who rightly come (see Matt. xi. 28, &c.). 38. See note on v. 30. 39. 'Nothing' means 'no one:' the souls of men being spoken of as a thing, a gift ; and so ' raise it up ' means ' raise all those.' ' Of all,' that is, of all those whom God had 'given him ' (ver. 37, and note). He ' should lose ' none, for ' the Lord is not willing that any should perish' (2 Pet. iii. 9); and, as we say in our Collect, ' God tcould not the death of a sinner.' All who are called to believe in Christ have salva- tion offered to them : it is not the will of God that they should be lost, and if they are, it is their own fault. * Lose,' that is, by their not being saved in hea- ven. ' Raise it up,' namely, to everlast- ing happiness. 41, 42. The Jews 'murmured at him,' being displeased with what He said : both because they did not under- 310 ST. JOHK YI. and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him : and I wHl raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the pro- phets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man there- fore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46 jN^ot that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, T say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. stand what the living bread was, and because they did not know, or refused to believe, that He ' came down from heaven.' Both of these are great mys- teries, which no one could understand at first, and which they ought to have remained as His disciples in order to learn. They supposed that He was son of Joseph as well as of Mary, and that therefore He came on earth like others, and could not have come down from heaven. 44. Our Lord here signifies to them the reason why they could not under- stand and therefore 'come to' Him. No one can believe in Christ, or do any thing that is good, except by the grace of God ; which our Lord calls being 'drawn ' or moved by Him, as it was called in ver. 37, the Father ^giving'' such. The Jews being in a proud and hardened state of heart, would not seek for or rightly receive that grace : and our Lord warns them in this way in order to lead them to seek for it ; of which He also tells them the reward will be, being 'raised up' (see note on ver. 39). 45. ' It is written,' Isa. liv. 1.3. 'They all,' and ' every man,' that is, all who do come to Christ and become His fol- 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Tour fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which Cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever : and the bread that I wiU give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying. How can this man give us his flesh to eat ? lowers, do so because they are ' drawn,' or, as it is here called, ' taught ' by God. 46. Our Lord means, ' It is not that any man can receive this teaching of God the Father through direct inter- course with Him,' as by seeing Him. God the Father, as has been said, does not reveal Himself to man while upon earth directly, but through the Son and the Holy Ghost: (see i. 18, and note.) ' He which is of God,' that is, the Son of God, who alone hath seen the Father as He is. 47. See note on iii. 36. 48. See note on ver. 33. 49. 50. Our Lord signifies that while manna, the miraculous food for the body, did not keep those who ate it from the denth of the body. Himself, the Living Bread of the soul, would preserve it from the (everlasting) death of the soul. 51. See note on ver. 33. ' Give,' that is, offer up as a sacrifice on the cross. 52. The Jews understood our Lord's words in a literal and carnal sense; whereas, as was said, we eat His flesh and drink His blood, both generally by being joined to Him, and particularly ST. JOHN, VI. 311 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat in- deed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Fa- ther : so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 5S This is that bread which in the Holy Communion, in a spiritual and mysterious manner. 53. 'No life,' no eternal life, life of the soul: the soul is dead. Ye have not that beginning or ])rineiple of etei-nal life which is given in this world, and are not in the way of salvation (see note on ver. 33). 54. See notes on ver. 33. 39 ; iii. 36. 55. ' Indeed,' namely, as giving the only true and lastimi life, life eternal. 56. To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ means, as has been said, being joined to Christ. This being joined to Him, made one with Him, is expressed in the highest and most won- derful manner when we are told, as here, that God dwelleth in us, and we in Him. The Indwelling of God in us, and of us in Him, is variously revealed in the New Testament : sometimes of God Himself, even the Blessed Trinity; •Sometimes of the Son ; sometimes of the Father and the Son; most frequently of the Holy Ghost (] John iv. 15; John xvii. 23; 1 John ii. 24; 1 Cor. vi. 19, &c.). 57. 'I live by the Father,' that is, came down from heaven : not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead : he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Ca- pernaum. GO Many therefore of his dis- ciples, when they had heard this, said. This is an hard saying ; who can hear it ? (51 When Jesus knew in him- self that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them. Doth this ofiend you ? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before ? 63 It is the spirit that quick- eneth ; the flesh profiteth no- as man, Christ received that heavenly life from the Father (see note on v. 26j. ' He shall live by me,' that is, I will impart of my life to him (see note on i.4). 58. Our Lord refers to their own saying in ver. 31, where see note. 60. These disciples understood it as the common Jews did (see note on ver. 52). 61. 'Doth this offend you?' means ' are ye shocked and perplexed at this ? ' 62. The first thing that the disciples were ' offended ' at was our Lord's say- ing (ver. 33) that He 'came down from heaven.' He therefore tells them not to marvel at this, for that it should be confirmed to them by seeing Hira ascend up to heaven, even as He had come from thence, 63. This verse appears to refer to the other part of our Lord's discourse, which some of His followers had taken offence at; where He spoke of His being the bread of life, and that they must eat His flesh and cU'ink His blood. Our 312 ST. JOHN, VII. thing : the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 % From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, AVill ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are Lord signifies that, as has been said (note on ver. 52), the Jews were wrong in taking that saying in a litei'al and carnal sense. ' The flesh,' that is, a mere carnal notion on that mysterious sub- ject, 'profiteth nothing,' is unprofitable and false. We understand the words that He spake to them, as was said, as ' being spirit,' namely, in a heavenly and spiritual sense ; and, so understood, ' they are life,' or give us eternal life. 65. See ver. 44, and note. ' There- fore said I unto you ;' our Lord means that it was because His sayings were great and mysterious, and the things they signified far above man's own power to receive, that they needed God's help truly to believe them. 66. ' Many went back ' from being 'offended' (ver. 52. 60,61). 69. ' That Christ,' that is, the Christ who was foi'etold by the prophets. 70. ' Is a devil,' being so entirely possessed and changed by the devil. sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil ? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon : for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. CHAPTEE VII. 1 Aftee, these things Jesus walked in Galilee : for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' feast of ta- bernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him. Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. Chap. VIL L Our Lord might have avoided being taken and slain, before the time appointed in God's counsels, by a miracle, as He once did (see Luke iv. 30, and note) : or by preventing the people from doing it, as we read at ver. 30 ; Matt. xxvi. 55, where see notes. But the ordinary way of God is not to do miracles unless when the oc- casion requires it : so that our Lord merely did as men do, and avoided the danger. 2. For this feast, see Levit. xxiii. 34, &c. 3 — 5. 'His brethren,' who lived where He did, at Nazareth in Galilee. It ap- pears from ver. 5, that ' neither His brethren,' that is, not even His own brethren, believed on Him yet ; and therefore we cannot suppose that they really wished that He should be known and believed in by the woi'Id. They said this to Him in unbelief and mock- ery, not thinking that He could truly shew Himself and His miracles to the ST. JOHN, VII. 313 4 For tliere is no man that doetb any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did bis brethren believe in bim. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come : but your time is alway ready. 7 The world cannot hate you ; but me it bateth, because I tes- tify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 8 Go ye up unto this feast : I go not up yet unto this feast ; for my time is not yet full come. 9 When be had said tbese world. * Thy disciples,' namely, in Ju- daea and in the country generally. The first part of the 4th verse means, ' If any man wishes to be received openly by the world, he never does in secret the works which are to lead men thus to receive him ' (see the note on next verse). 6. Our Lord signifies the reason why He did not mean then, as His brethren supposed He must, to shew Himself and His works openly : ' His time,' for so doing, 'was not yet come.' As was ob- served on ii. 4, it was for Himself to know the times and seasons when He would manifest Himself : and when He did so. He knew that from the hatred of the Jews towards Him they would attempt to take Him (ver. 1). He therefore (see note on ver. 1.) did not mean to go up publicly to Jerusalem till near to the time when He should be offered up : and so now He meant to go ■up to the feast privately (ver. 10), not at first, when all the people were goinsr, but a little afterwards, when He would be less observed. ' Your time is alway ready :' that is, ye may go at any time : words unto tbem, he abode still in Galilee. 10 1" But when his bretbren were gone up, then went be also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought bim at the feast, and said, AVhere is be? 12 And there was mucb mur- muring among tbe people con- cerning him : for some said. He is a good man : others said, Nay; but be deceivetb tbe peo- ple. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. 14 ^ Now about the midst of as they would be in no danger, as He would. 7. This verse gvies the reason why our Lord would be taken (because hated) by the world, while His bi'ethren would not. ' The world ' means the evil world, in the Scripture sense (see note on Matt. iv. 9). The brethren of Christ must have been (see ver. 5), if not wholly bad men, careless persons who would not expose themselves to the hatred of men by rebuking their sins (' testifying that their works were evil'), as our Lord did, and was therefore hated by them. The world therefore ' could not,' naturally would not, 'hate' them. 10. See note on ver. 6. His time was properly come for going up secretly, (as explained,) but not for doing so publicly. 12. 'Murmuring,' doubt and disput- ing privately among the people. It is put in opposition to ' speaking openly ' in the next verse. 13. ' The Jews,' that is, the unbe- lieving Jews, chiefly their leaders, the chief Priests and Pharisees, whose an- ger the people were afraid of, if they spoke openly of their belief in Christ. 311 ST. JOHN, VII. the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned ? 16 Jesus answered them, and 15. It needs not to be said tliat Christ had in Himself 'all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. ii. 3). But He had them from His Divine Nature : as a man, having been brought up in poverty and an humble condition, He had ' never learned ' letters, meaning such learning as is usually acquired from books. 16. ' Is not mine :' see note on Matt. XX. 22, 23. According to what is there said, 'mine' m this verse, and 'of my- self in the next verse, must be under- stood to mean 'mine alone,' and 'of my- self alone,' separate from the Father, if such a tiling could be. 17. This verse applies particularly in the first instance to the Jews, and ' the doctrine ' is the new doctrine of the Gospel which Christ Iiad brought upon earth. He signifies, as in other places (v. 44, &c.), that the Gospel could not be rightly received, and understood, and acknowledged as being from or 'of God, except by those who were in a right state of mind. Those in a right state of mind were those who as far as they knew it ' did the will ' of God. The Jews hitherto had a certain law revealed to them fi-om God. The spirit of that law, (see note on ]\Iatt. v. 18,) and its moral pi'ecepts were to remain unaltered under the Gospel, and Christ often ui'ged it on the people. And He appears here to tell them that it was they, such of the Jews as honestly strove to obey and do the will of God as far as they knew it, who would be able rightly to judge of and receive the new doctrines which He taught. But this is only according to a gene- ral truth, which we are to learn from this verse. St. Paul says ' The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,' ' but he that is spiritual said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or xoliether I speak of myself. judgeth all things' (1 Cor. ii. 14, 15), which means nearly the same as this : for there the 'natural man' means man as he is by nature, that is, not inclined to ' do the will ' of God ; and the ' spi- ritual man ' the reverse, a man as he is acted on by the Spirit of God. St. Paul says that only the latter can judge of the things of the Spirit, or the doctrine (as here), being one of those things. The Gospel is to be received by us as 'little cliildren' (Mark x. 15): it is only such who can rightly receive it. Unless a man is of an humble, teach- able, and obedient spirit, ' doing the will of God ' as far as he knows it, (such as St. Paul calls ' spiritual,') he cannot even form an opinion rightly as to whe- ther the Gospel is from God or not. Because if the man is self-willed and proud, instead of submitting himself to God's will, this stands in the way of his judging fairly about the Gospel. The Gospel commands him to deny his own will ; not to follow it, but that of God. If then he is bent on following his own will and not that of God, he is prejudiced against admitting that the Gospel is from God, as he must then submit himself to it, and act against his natural inclinations : and being preju- diced, he cannot judge fairly. Thus, although the proof that the Gospel was from God, in the time of our Lord, from miracles and prophecies, was abundant, we see that many of them rejected it, not from fault of under- standing, but because their trill was not to believe (see note on Luke xvi. 31). For the will is stronger than the under- standing, and when the will is wrong it perverts the understanding, leads it astray, and makes it refuse to acknow- ledge the truth put before it. So it is now : the unhappy persons who refuse ST. JOHN, VII. 315 18 He that speaketli of him- self seeketh his own glory : but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law ? Why go ye about to kill me ? 20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil : who goeth about to kill thee ? 21 Jesus answered and said til believe in tiie Gospel profess tliat it is because their understandiiig is not satisfied. But the proof of the Gospel being from God is quite sufficient for the understanding: the fault in such persons (if they are of sound mind) is in their \c'dl, not ivishing to conform itself wholly to God. Those indeed who have been brought up in unbelief, or in misbelief about religion, have had the habits of their mind formed, and so are already prejudiced against the truth, not by their own fault : but with them too, as with all, the way to learn the truth is through a sincere, and humble, and constant obedience to the will of God, as far as it is known to them. 18. In the latter part of this verse *He' signifies Christ Himself. Our Lord means that if He icere speaking ' of Him- self,' (in the same sense as above : see note on ver. 16,) it would shew that He was selfish, as a man, and seeking or caring for His oirn glory (in the same sense): wherens He was in trutli doing all things for the glory of God the Father (who ' sent Him'), which was a pi'oof of His perfect righteousness. See note on Matt, xxviii. 18. 19. 'Did not Moses give you the law V ■ Our Lord means that the people ac- knowledged the authority of the law, calling Moses their lawgiver: and yet they did not keep it. They shewed that they did not, by their anger against P unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave uuto you circumcision ; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers ;) and ye on the sabbath day cir- cumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken ; are ye angry at me, be- cause I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? Him moving them to ' kill ' Him : inas- much as all that He said and did was in accordance with the Law and the Pro- phets. See V. 46. ' Go ye about :' see note on Acts XXV i. 21. 20. Our Lord foreknew that the peo- ple were about to kill Him, though they deny that they were then intending it. ' Thou hast a devil,' that is, thou art mad. The Jews considered that mad- ness was in consequence of being pos- sessed by a devil, as we see in the Gospels that it often was. 21. The ' one work' seems (see ver. 23) to mean the healing of the man at the pool of Eethesda (ch. v.). Pi-obably this was the only miracle which the people who were then listening to Christ had seen. To ' marvel,' hei'e seems to mean the same as being ' astonished ' in Mark vi. 2, which is immediately fol- lowed by the words, ' and they were of- fended,' and means the same as that. See note on Matt. xiii. 57. 22. 23. Our Lord goes on to shew to the Jews that it w;is right for Him to heal on the Sabbath, which was the thing at which they were offended. He reminds them that Moses had 'given,' or ordained for them, the rite of cir- cumcision, to be always observed on a given day, namely, the eighth day after the birth (Lev. xii. 3): and they held it right to obey that command always, 316 ST. joh:^, vit. 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill ? 26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ ? 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is : but when Christ even when that eighth day happened to be a Sabbath day, ' that the law should not be broken.' This shewed that even in their judgment it was lawful to do some things on the sabbath. And our Lord reasons with them that if it was right to i)refer such an observance of that of the eighth day for circumcision to the strict keeping of the law of the sab- bath, much more was it allowable to do such works of mercy as healing, on that day. See note on Matt. xii. 7- ' Moses therefore gave ' seems to mean what we should rather express ' Now, Moses gave.' ' Not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers,' means, ' not that it was actually given or or- dained by God through Moses, but of (that is, by) the fathers,' meaning, in fact, the Patriarch Abraham, to whom God first gave it (Gen. xvii. 10). Our Lord says this to shew that the rite was of still higjier dignity and antiquity than the Law of Closes: and that therefore it was still more right that it should be obeyed even on the sabbath. But then He further means them to perceive (ver. 23) that the Divine gift of heal- ing by miracles was even yet higher, and yet more to be preferred. The commandment to circumcise was repeated in the law of Moses, and so might in an ordinary way be said to have been (fiten there, as it was a so- lemn and complete publishing of God's will to the Jews. 24. It was 'judging according to the cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Te both know me, and ye know whence I am : and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. 29 But I know him : for I am from him, and he hath sent me. 30 Then they sought to take him : but no man laid hands on appearance' to condemn healing on the sabbath. It appeared against the law of the sabbath, but was not truly so. 26. ' They say nothing,' that is, they, the rulers, do not hinder Him: ' his hour not being yet come.' The latter words of the verse mean, ' Is that the reason why they do not hinder Him, because they have learned that He is Christ indeed ? ' 27. They say these words to excuse their own unbelief, meaning, ' Whether or no the rulers believe in Him, ue do not ; because we know whence He is.' This refers to a false tradition among some of the Jews, that the origin of the true Messiah, whence He came, as a man, would not be known when He appeared ; so that according to that, Christ could not be the true Messiah. 28> Our Lord says this in answer to what the Jews had said, and to shew that it was false. He signifies that it was true that they knew, as they said, His earthly origin ; but He means further that they knew, that is, they miglit and ought to have known, that He was also from God, and who He was, namely, the Messiah. This He sets forth further : * I am not come of myself,' meaning that He was from the F.ather, not come of His own authority: see note on v. 43. 'Whom ye know not:' for if they had known the Father, they would have known the Son. See note on i. 18. 30. God did not suffer them to lay ST. JOHN, VII. 317 liitn, because his hour was not yet come. 31 And mauy of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ Cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hatli done ? 32 ^ The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him ; and the Phari- sees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. 33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. 34 Te shall seek me, and shall hands on Him ; they could not do so till His time was come to be offered up. 31. The people mean that the sup- position that our Lord was not the Christ could not be true, as tlie Christ could not do more miracles than our Lord had done. They therefore profess belief in Him. 32. ' Murmured,' spoke secretly. 34. ' Ye shall not find me,' namely, after He had left the earth : see viii. 21. Those who, after Christ's Ascension, would in tain seek Him, were not those who should so seek Him from a realdesii'e to learn of Him. Had they been so, they might have learned from the Apostles whom He ordained to succeed Him ; and it is true of all men at all times, ' Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out' (vi. 37, where see note); whether they came to Chi'ist Himself when in the flesh, or afterwards to those whom He sent, or in prayer to Him, and through the means of grace, in which they do really ' find Him.' The ' seekers,' thei'efore, of whom we here read, must be understood to mean those who sought for Him only as He was in the flesh among them, from not find me : and where I am, thither ye cannot come. 35 Then said the Jews among themselves. Whither will he go, that we shall not find him ? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gen- tiles ? 36 What inanner of saying is this that he said, Te shall seek me, and shall not find me : and where I am, thither ye cannot come ? 37 In the last day, that great dai/ of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying. If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. curiosity or some other unprofitable motive, like those who desired to see a sign from no wortliy reason (see note on iv. 48). And our Lord means that those who would only wish to see Him for such reasons as these, or from any reasons except that of truly learning His will, should not find Him, nor should they be counted worthy to ' come where He was,' namely, heaven. ' Where I am,' might be said for ' where I then shall be.' But it might also be understood to mean that our Lord was even then, as at all times, in Heaven as the Son of God ; while ac- cording to the mystery of His Incar- nation He was on earth: see iii. 13, and note. See also note on xiii. 33. 35. The Jews did not miderstand Christ's words, and thought He meant what He would do in His lifetime. ' The dispersed,' that is, Jews who were scat- tered among the Gentiles. The people thought our Lord might mean to go among them, and teach them and the Gentiles among whom they li ved ; whither they could not follow Him. 37. See note on iv. 10. The last day of the Feast of Tabernacles was the chief one. 3 318 ST. JOHN, YII. 38 He that believetli on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive : for the Holy Ghost was not yet given ; be- cause that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 40 ^ Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Clirist come out of Galilee ? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the 38. 'He that believetli' is he that has the true faith in Christ, to which is given tlie grace of spiritual life, com- pared as before to ' living water.' The ' belly ' signifies the heart, as elsewhere in Scripture (Prov. xx. 27, &c.); and the end of the verse means the same as iv. 14, where see note. The heart is spoken of as filled with the renewed life, as with a river of water flowing from an everlasting fountain. ' The Scripture,' Isa. xii. 3, &c. 39. The new life given to Christians is conveyed by the Holy Spirit sent to dwell in us (see note on iv. 23). Our Lord's words ai'e therefore explained by St. John to refer to this gift of the Holy Ghost, without which they would not be fulfilled ; nor were they then imme- diately to be fulfilled, as the Holy Ghost was not to be imparted till after Christ was ' glorified,' that is, on the Day of Pentecost, which followed His glorifica- tion in His Resun'eetion and Asceu- si)•<;- sent to Him, and He is from everlasting to everlasting, without change or differ- ence, such as there is to created beings which grow and change, and whose ex- istence may come to an end, which it is impossible that the Eternal God should. It is exactly the same name as the name ' / am,' by which God revealed Himself to Moses in the former times (see Exod. iii. 14) : shewing thus also that it is the same God who spoke then, and now was revealed to the Jews in the flesh, which He had taken upon Him. 59, The Jews rightly understood our Lord's words as signifying His Divinity, and therefore attempted to stone Him, pretending to consider them blasphe- mous (see X. 3L 33). But our Lord withdrew Himself from them by a miracle, perhaps making Himself in- visible (see note on Luke iv. 30), as His time to be taken and crucified was not yet come (see note on ver. 20). himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. CHAPTER IX. 1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying. Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind ? 3 Jesus answered. Neither hath Ch. IX. 2. The disciples here ex- press the same opinion which was felt, though we are not told that it was so clearly expressed, by the persons who told our Lord of the Galikeans slaiii by Pilate (Luke xiii. 1, &c.) ; namely, that the sufferings of particular persons were always sent by God to them as a punishment for their sins. This is an error (see note on Luke xiii. 2 — 5): as our Lord here further shews in His answer. But the disciples seem to have fallen into two further eri'ors in this place ; first, by supposing that the man might have been horn blind, for his own sins, that is, sins which he uas to com- mit, so tiiat the punishment would come before the sin, which probably could not be; and again, by supposing that it might be for the sin of his parents. Now, we know by the second Commandment that children are sometimes punished for the sin of their parents: but it is generally, as we may suppose, through the bad example of those parents, and their ne- glect, acting on the character of the chil- dren, and not, as here, by some physical defect. Moreover, the disciples seem to have spoken of it as a common thing, or as it were a matter of course that children should so suffei', which we do not suppose. 3. Our Lord tells them, as in St. Luke, that this man's sufferings were not sent as a special chastisement for his own particular sins, or for those of bis 328 ST. JOHN, IX. this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of Grod should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day : the night cometh, when no man can w^ork. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he an- ointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And said unto him, Gro, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation. Sent.) He went bis way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. 8 *![ The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged ? 9 Some said. This is he : others said, He is like him : hut he said, I am he. parents. It was explained in the note on St. Lvike, that the sufferings of men are ordained for various wise purposes by the Almighty : here our Lord says that the especial purpose of this man's blindness was that ' the works of God should be made manifest in him,' that is, that the power of God should be shewn in the miracle which Christ was about to do. See xi. 4. 4. ' The works of him that sent me,' that is, the works which the Father liad appointed Him to do. ' The day,' here means the time during which He, the light of the world (see notes on i. 4, 5), was to be on earth, and the ' night,' the time when He was to be taken from them, and would no longer ' wox'k ' in His own person such mii"acles. But 10 Therefore said they unto him. How were thine eyes open- ed ? 11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Gro to the pool of Siloam, and wash : and I went and washed, and I received sight. _ . 12 Then said they unto him, \ Where is he? He said, I know ' not. 13 T[ They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, J and opened his eyes. \ 15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had re- ceived his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. 16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of our Lord puts it as a general saying, in which it is a warning to all men to work as their duty calls them to do, during their life (the 'day'), as no man can work after death, which time is called the ' night.' 5. See note on i. 4, 5. ' Therefore,' our Lord signifies, 'I must work to shew forth that light.' 6. Our Lord may have wrought the cure in this way, in order to shew us that outward means have, when properly used, the blessing of God upon them. Of course He could have done the miracle in any other way He would, or simply by willing it, without any out- ward action. 16. This man is not of God,' or from God, as Christ declared Himself to be. J ST. JOHN, IX. 329 God, because lie keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles ? And there was a division among them. 17 They say unto the blind man again. What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes ? He said, He is a prophet. 18 But the Jews did not be- lieve concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, say- ing, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind ? how then doth he now see ? 20 His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind : 21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not ; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not : This was accoi'diiig to the mistaken idea of the Pharisees, that it was ' not keep- ing ' the sabbath day to do any work, even of mercy or necessity, on that day. See note on Matt. xii. 2. The ' otliers ' were rightly impressed with the miracles wjiich Christ did, as shewing that He could not be a ' sinner;' for the power of God would not have been given to a sinner to enable him to do them. 17. ' He is a prophet ' (see note on iv. 19). That Christ was such a pro- phet was as much as the man could tell at that time, not having learnt more fully who He was. But this chapter shews him to have been a brave man, whom fear of the Jews did not restrain, as it did his more cowardly parents (see ver. 20 — 22), from openly declaring his he is of age ; ask him : he shall speak for himself. 22 These words spake his pa- rents, because they feared the Jews : for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did con- fess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore said his parents. He is of age ; ask him. 24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise : we know that this man is a sin- ner. 25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not : one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. 26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee ? how opened he thine eyes ? 27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear belief in our Lord, as far as he was en- lightened, so that, as we see afterwards (ver. 38), he became a follower of Him, when He called him, and no doubt learned from Him the full truth. 22 This verse shews that the parents did know by what means their son had been cured : so that they were guilty, as has been said, of cowardice and falsehood in denying that they knew, for fear of being punished undeservedly by men. 'Put out of the synagogue' means, excommunicated, that is, for- bidden to woi'ship with the people in the churches or synagogues, which was a heavy punishment. 24. ' The praise,' for his cure. They endeavour to tempt him to deny what he knew to be the truth. 330 ST. JOHN, IX. it again ? will ye also be his dis- ciples ? 28 Then tliev reviled him, and said. Thou art his disciple ; but we are Moses' disciples. 29 AVe know that God spake unto Moses : as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. 30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners : but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the woi'ld began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 28. The Pharisees pretend that being Moses' disciples they could not be Christ's also; whereas we know the truth Was that the writings of Moses, and the Old Testament generally, were to lead them to Clirist (see note on v. 45 — 47). 31 — 33. The man repeats, in meaning, what he had said before (ver. 17), namely, that Christ was a prophet ; for as was said, such a ' prophet' could not be a sinner, and so the man says here : for He says that Christ was righteous, (being a ' worsliipper of God, and doing His will,') and 'of God,' or from Him, and with His power, which was all He could then know. ' Nothing,' that is, no such thing, no luLracle. 34. ' Thou wast born in sins,' was said in abuse of him. 38. See note on ver. 17. 39. Our Lord said (viii. 15, where see note) that He 'judged no man;' that is, as explained before, that final sen- tence upon them was not to be passed 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 34 They answered and said unto him. Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us ? And they cast him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out ; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? \ 36 He answered and said, Who is he. Lord, that I might believe on him ? 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38 And he said. Lord, I be- lieve. And he worshipped him. 39 ^ And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this then. But when He says here 'for judgment I am come,' He means that the effect of His coming would be, that His hearers would be as it were 'judged,' that is, marked off, or divided into two classes, one of which would, as long as they remained so, be in a state of guilt, and the other not so. ' They which see not,' means the ignorant, according to the figure often used (see note on i. 5). They were the humble and teachable ones, who heard and fol- lowed Chi-ist, and thereby their blind- ness or ignorance was removed, and they ' saw.' ' They which see' at the end of the verse, is used in somewhat a different sense. It does not mean those who were spiritually enlightened, and could see heavenly things. It means nearly the same as the ' wise and pru- dent,' in Matt. xi. 25 (where see note); those who saw and understood u-orhlly things, and being proud of this, and thinking that it was enough, and that they needed not to be taught any more A ST. JOHN, X. 331 world, that tliey which see not might see ; and tliat they which see niiglit be made blind. 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him. Are we blind also ? 41 Jesus said unto them. If je were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say. We knowledge, were therefore ' blind ' to spiritual matters, as we see in St. Mattliew. ' Made blind,' here means rather left, by the judgment of God upon them for their pride, in that state of blindness ; they indeed became (or were made) so, to the new liglit of the Gospel when presented to them, when they refused to see it : being therefore counted un- worthy of God's enlightening grace, which alone could have removed that bhndness. 40. These Pharisees are angry at being supposed blind, rightly under- standing the Word to mean ignorance. 41. Our Lord means, 'If it were only that ye are blind (or ignorant) ye should have no sin,' as simple ignorance is no sin, and they would have been as those in ver. 39, who ' might' be led to ' see.' Their sin was, as before explained, their pride, and saying, ' We see,' that is, Considering they mere enlightened, which they were not. Thus their ' sin ' or ' guilt ' remained. Ch. X. 1. Our Lord in this chapter, as is often done elsewhere (1 Pet. ii. 25, &c.), compares His followers to sheep, and Himself to the Shepherd. As the shepherd takes care of the sheep, so does our Lord of His people, and the feeding by the shepherd is likened to our Lord's teaching (see note on vi. 27). The ' sheepfold ' is the ])lace which con- tains those His followers, the Christian Church. But iu the early part He uses a differ- see ; therefore your sin remain- eth. CHAPTER X. 1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climb- eth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by ent figure, and calls Himself the ' Door ' of the sheepfold (or ' of the sheep,' ver. 7. which means the same). Our Lord means this with reference to those who may wish to gain admission among Christians, in order to teach or preach to them. He says that all such must ' enter by him as the door,' that is, must be true believers in Him, must acknowledge Him as the Head of the sheepfold, or the Church, must truly teach His word, and must enter upon their office as teachers, according to the manner which He should command or allow. Otherwise (in any ' other way') they would enter unlawfully, and would only do mischief, as a ' thief and a robber' would in a sheepfold. The two figures, however, that of the 'door' and the 'shepherd,' seem in some of these verses somewhat mixed together, or to be both referred to (simi- larly to the double meaning of our Lord's second coming in part of Matt. xxiv. where see note on ver. 4). Thus in ver. 2 — 5, the ' shepherd ' must mean a good and true teacher and guide of the people, who has become so rightly, enter- ing by the ' door,' that is, Christ, as explained in the note on ver. 1. But at the same time, the expression in these verses (comparing them witli others in ver. 15, 16, &c.), are evidently most suitable to our Lord Himself, as the great pattern of all such teachers ; and so, though both in the 7th and 9th verses He speaks of Himself as the ' door,' in the 8th He plainly likens Himself to a she^jherd, as it is said in 332 ST. JOHN, X. the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth ; and the sheep hear his voice : and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him : for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him : for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them : but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. opposition to ' tliieves and robbers,' the false teachers, who entered un- lawfully. And it is easy to see how our Lord might mean Himself also as a true teacher, who had entered by the right way, or door, namely, according to the will of His Father. 3. The ' porter ' may mean some officer of the Churcli inferior to the chief teachers or rulers, who has to serve or minister to them, as in a sheep- fold a servant might who had care of the door. But as this is a kind of parable (ver. (J), it is not necessary to find an exact spiritual meaning for every detail given in it (see note on Matt. v. 25, 26). 4. ' Putteth forth,' leadeth forth to pasture. The shepherd doing this, and the other things mentioned in this and the last verse, raeiin the various kinds of guidance and instruction given by the true teacher to the people : and the sheep ' hearing,' ' following,' and ' knowing ' him, signify the obedience paid by His true followers. 5. ' A stranger ' means, as the ' thief and robber,' a false teacher, one who 7 Then said Jesus unto them again. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came be- fore me are thieves and robbers : but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they miffht have life, and that they might have it more abund- antly. Ins no business among the flock ; whom the true believers will not ' know,' nor j ' follow.' I 7. See note on ver. 1. i 8. 'All that ever came before me,' that is, any who so came, pretending to be of their own authority leaders and teachers of the people, or in the same way that Christ was. ' The sheep,' that is, the faithful among the people; or, that the people generally, or for a con- tinuance, did not hear theni. 9. Our Lord here describes Himself as the *door' for the entrance, not specially (as before) of teachers, but of men generally. He says that it is only those who 'enter in by' Him, that is, those who enter the Ciiurch as He has appointed, and therein abide in a living faith in Christ, who ' shall be saved;' that is, they are in the way of salvation, and will ai'rive at salvation, if they so continue. ' Shall go in and out, and find pasture,' simply means, shall be ' in peace and fi-eedom ' (see note on viii. 32), and have abundance of food for the soul, as the sheep find abundant pasture. 10. The first part of this verse is ST. JOHX, X. 333 11 I am the good shepherd : the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he tliat is au hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catch- eth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because said of false teachers, who can do nothing among tlie people but mischief (to their souls), compared to the stealing and killing of the thief. ' That they,' that is, the people, 'might have life,' that is, heavenly life (see note on i. 4). ' More abundantly,' mare and more abundantly. 11. Our Lord now plainly takes up the more usual comparison of Himself to a shepherd (see note on ver. 1). And He alludes, in the way of prophecy, to what He should do, ' in laying down his life,' or dying for man, as a good shep- herd would be ready to do for His flock. 12. The shepherd of the parable is supposed to be one to whom the flock belongs; as such an one would have the truest love for them : even as men belong wholly to Christ, the Great Shepherd, who has that true love for them. And this and the next verse appear to be spoken, not exactly against false teachers, as before, but against bad and careless ones. These are likened to hired shepherds, because such ones, as compared with those to whom the sheep belong, are more likely to be care- less, and not to have any real affection for the flock, so that they leave them when danger approaches: 'because he is an hireling,' and has no disinterested affection. It is speaking of hirelings, as their natural evil disposition would make them, and as they too often would be ; not that they would always do so. ' The wolf,' in the spiritual meaning he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father : and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold : them of the parable, signifies Satan, or the Tempter, who is the enemy of the souls of the people over whom the teacher rules, as the wolf is enemy to the bodies of the flock, and destroys their souls as the wolf ' scattereth the sheep.' Here the bad teacher is supposed to neglect to warn and defend his people against the approaches and temptations of Satan, as he ought to do, which is likened to the hireling ' leaving the sheep, and fleeing.' 14, 15. See note on ver. 4. 11. 16. It was said on ver. 1, that the ' fold ' means the place where God's people are. But up to the coming of Christ the knowledge of God was con- fined to the Jews. ' This fold ' there- fore here means, not the Christian Church, which is the sense in which we are no%c to speak of the fold of Christ : but that which was then God's Church and pe()])le, namely, the Jewish. But our Lord here foretels the calling of the Gentiles to become His followers, and sheep of His flock : for He means them, the Gentiles, by the ' other sheep icliich he had ' (that is, whom He loved, and who icere to be among His chosen people,) ' not of this,' the Jewish, 'fold.' ' I must bring,' that is, convert to be His believers. Our Lord did not Him- self preach to the Gentiles, but He 'brought' them to Himself by His Word, preached through the Apostles by His Spirit after Him. ' There shall be one fold,' when, all nations being equally called to become 334 ST. JOHN", X. also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice ; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketli it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I re- ceived of my Father. 19 ^ There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. 20 And many of them said. He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him ? 21 Others said, These are not Christians, there should be no more distinction between the people of God, as there was a distinction between Jew and Gentile : but they should all be ' one fold,' under ' one Shepherd,' Christ. 17. Ill this verse our Lord refers to what He had alluded to before (ver. 11. 15), His death. He signifies that one great cause of the inconceivable love of the Father for Him is His mar- vellous work of obedience to the Father and of love for men, in dying as a sacri- fice for them. ' That I might take it again :' this is said to signify that His work would be incomplete if He were simply to die, without rising again, as He did, it not being possible that He should be ' holden of death ' (Acts ii. 24, where see note). He therefore adds that He should 'take again' His life, when He finished the work of man's salvation by His resurrection. 18. Our Lord in this verse signifies that it was entirely of His own free will that He laid down His life for man, and also rose again : being also accord- ing to the commandment or will of the the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind ? 22 ^ And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not : the works that I do in my Fa- ther's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because Father, with which His own will was entirely one. See note on v. 30. 20. See note on vii. 20. 21. See note on ix. 16. ' A devil,' acting through a man. 22. The 'feast of the dedication' was one appointed by Judas Maccabeus, when he had driven the heathen in- vaders from Judrea, (as we may read in the apocryphal books of the Mac- cabees,) and had a solemn dedication of a new altar which he had erected to God in the Temple. 24, 25. Tliese were some of the evil and unbelieving Jews ; for otherwise they would not have ' doubted.' They doubted because they were disposed to it. For our Lord, as He says, had told them, and they refused to be- lieve. He had told them in words, and still more clearly by the ' works ' or miracles which He did ' in his Father's name,' or by His power, and which ' bore witness of him,' or shewed who He was. 26. Christ tells them that the reason why they ' doubted ' was, not that they had not had proof enough concerning I ST. JOHN, X. 335 ye arc not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me : 28 And I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave tliem me, is greater than all ; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them. Many good works have I shewed you Him, but because they ' were not of his sheep:' tliat is, they were not in a right state of mind, enabling tliem to be His followers. In other words they did not attempt to do the will of God : and it has been explained before that such could not rightly receive Clu'ist's doc- trine (see n(jte on vii. 17). 27. See note on ver. 4. 28. See note on v. 24. ' They shall never perish,' namely, those who hold fast their faith to the end. 29. See note on vi. 37. ' Pluck them out of ' God's ' hand,' in this and the preceding verse, means ' cause them to fall away from God.' 30. This is a clear declaration that Christ is God, God the Son, one with God the Father : for of no one but God could this be said. It was rightly so understood by the Jews, (as they said, ver. 33, 'thou makest thyself,' callest thy- self, ' God,') just as they rightly under- stood His words in viii. 58, to signify that He is God ; which they shewed by •receiving both expressions in the same way, by taking up stones to stone Him : pretending that they were indignant at what they called blasphemy, as they say in ver. 33. from my Father ; for which of those works do ye stone me ? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not ; but for blas- phemy ; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34 Jesus answered them. Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods ? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken ; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world. Thou blasphem- 34 — 36. It has been said before (note on Matt. xix. 17), that our Lord did not fully disclose who He was, or some other of the deeper and more myste- rious parts of His doctrine, except to the few who were fit rightly to receive and use them. Accordingly, here, when the Jews received His wonderful decla- ration (ver. 30), in an impious and hardened manner, shewing that they were unfit to make a good use of it, our Lord, instead of going on further to explain it, as He might have done had they received it aright, rather with- draws it from sight: speaks of Himself simply as the ' Son of God,' (in which title the great truth of His Deity is contained, but not explicitly stated,) and as come into the world ' sent from God,' and 'sanctified' by Him, that is, filled with lioliness by His S|)irit (see note on Matt, xxviii. 18). He then shews them that even according to what they them- selves believed and admitted, He might well call Himself the Son of God. In ver. 34, the ' law ' means, as it often does, the Old Testament generally : the words quoted being in fact in one of the Psalms (Ixxxii. 6), where David, ac- cording to a custom which the Jews 336 ST. JOHN, XL est ; because I said, I am the Son of God ? 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, though ye be- lieve not me, believe the works : that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39 Therefore they sought again to take him : but he escaped out of their hand, 40 And went away again be- yond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized ; and there he abode. 41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle : but all things that John spake of this man were true. sometimes had (ib. 1; Ps. cxxxviii. 1, &c.), calls great and powerful persons ' gods ;' that is, as it were, gods among men. The great persons referred to were especially judges, as we see in the previous verses of this Psalm (Ixxxii. 2 — 4) : 'to whom the word of God came,' namely, the commandment of God to ' deliver the outcast and poor.' And this passage of the Psalms was a true ' Scripture,' which could not be ' broken,' or cume false. Our Lord therefore tells them that according to what they themselves acknowledged, much more should they admit His title to be the Son of God. Thus, without denying the great mystery spoken of in ver. 30, he witlidraws it, as not 'casting pearls before swine (Matt. vii. 6, where see note). 37- ' The works of my Father,' that is, miracles and other works of mercy and love, done by the power of His Father given unto Him (see note on Matt, xxviii. 18), and which were among 42 And many believed on him there. CHAPTEE XI. 1 Now a certain onan was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was tliat Mary which anointed the Lord with oint- j ment, and wiped his feet with \ her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying. Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. , the chief proofs whereby the people were required to 'believe' Him. 38. ' Though ye believe not me,'' that is, merely by what He said, without considering the works which He did. ' Believe the works :' that is, ' believe me on account of the works,' as in the verse preceding. ' The Father is in me, and I in him,' means the same as ver. 30. 39. ' Escaped:' probably by a miracle. See note on viii. 59. 40. ' The place :' Bethabara (i. 28). Ch. XI. 1. * Mary and Martha :' see Luke X. 38 — 12. 2. See Matt. xxvi. 7, and note. 3. Our Lord had admitted Martha and Mary and Lazarus to His friend- ship (as we see in ver. 5): wherefore they describe Lazarus to Him as ' he whom thou lovest.' 4. ' Not unto death,' that is, not unto final death. Lazarus indeed died, but only for a time, and returned again to ST. JOHN, XL 337 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard there- fore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. 7 Then after that saith he to Ms disciples, Let us go into Ju- daea again. 8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee ; and goest thou thither again ? 9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day ? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. earth. ' For the glory of God :' that is, the special purpose, in the counsels of God, of the sickness of Lazarus, which our Lord here speaks of, was that the miracle which He was about to do, of raising him again, might be occasioned, and so Clirist should be ' glorified.' 6. ' He abode two days in the same place,' in order that the sickness should have time to run its course, and Lazarus should die. 9. See note on ix. 4. Our Lord here means the same, that He must work His works while he was on earth : and that as they were appoint- ed for Him to do, the Jews who wished to slay Him, would not be able to do so (see note on vii. 30). He says that as, ordinarily speaking, there are about twelve hours of tlie day during which the sun (' the light of this world ') shines, and men may ' walk,' and work by its light, so He was to work the work He had undertaken, during His ap- pointed time among men. 10. Our Lord in this verse rather 11 These things said he : and after that he saith unto them. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth ; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death : but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe ; ne- vertheless let us go unto him. 10 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fel- lowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. turns the subject, as it was observed He did before (see ix. 4, and note), for a practical purpose, into a warning to men ; and here the light and the dark- ness appear not to mean as before, life- time and death, but the light of tlie Gospel and the darkness of ignorance (see note on i. 4, 5). Our Lord warns His hearers to make use of that light and walk, that is, act in it and accord- ing to it ; for otherwise they would be living in the ' night' or darkness of igno- rance, and having no inward light, they would 'stumble,' or fall into error and sin. ]L See note on Matt. ix. 24. 15. Our Lord signifies that, had He been there. He should have healed him of his sickness before death ; whereas now He would, by a still greater mira- cle, namely, by raising him from death, still more confirm their faith, or make them ' believe ' in His power and in Him, wherefore He says He is glad ' for their sakes,' on their account. 16. The Apostle Thomas expected Q 338 ST. JOHN, XI. 17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18 Now Bethany was nigh nnto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was com- ing, went and met him : but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Je- sus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again that the Jews would kill oui' Lord, and is confident for himself and the rest that they would have courage to ' die with him;' though we see that when the time of trial really did come afterwards, he, with all the others, lost his resolu- tion, and ' forsook him and fled ' (Matt. xxvi. 56). 20. This difference of conduct in Martha and Mary, Martha being the more forward and active, is somewhat according to their characters, as we see them in Luke x. 38 — 42, where see note. 22. ' Even now,' that is, even though he is dead : supposing it possible, as it would seem, that Jesus would do as He did. 23 — 26. Our Lord, in thus speaking to Martha, probably meant to turn her mind to several things. In saying that her brother should rise, He announces to her the miracle that was approaching; but He also might refer to his resur- in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life : he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live : 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this ? 27 She saith unto him, Tea, Lord : I believe that thou art the Christ, the Sou of God, which should come into the world. 28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying. The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in rection at the last day. Martha mis- takes in supposing that He referred to this alone ; but from her words our Lord takes occasion to tell her of the great truths which He mentions in ver. 25. ' I am the resurrection and the life :' that is, through Christ alone, and what He has done for us, do men rise again to eternal life. So 'live,' at the end of the verse, means rise to everlasting life ; and in the next verse ' die ' means the death or everlasting torment of the soul in hell. We see also from ver. 40, that our Lord meant not only that such were the fruits of faith to the believer him- self, but that such a faith on the part of Martha and Mary would be required in order that their brother might be raised again ; as we often see in other mira- cles, that it was so done in answer to men's faith on behalf of otliers as well as themselves (see Matt. viii. 13, &c.). 27. ' Should come,' was to come. ST. JOHN, XL 339 that place -where Martha met him. 31 The Jews then which were with her in tlie house, and com- forted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying. She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesiis was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him. Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, "Where have ye laid him ? They said unto liim, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him ! 37 And some of them said. Could not this man, which open- ed the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died ? 38 Jesus therefore again groan- ing in himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 33—35. See note on Mark vii. 34. 41. It was explained before (note on Matt, xxviii. 18) that Christ while on earth always spoke of His power as de- rived from God the Father. So here He speaks of the Father as having ' heard ' Him, and given Him power to Q 39 Jesus said. Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stink- eth : for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God ? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hear- est me always : but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes : and his face was bound about with a napkin. Je- sus saith unto them. Loose him, and let him go. 45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. 46 But some of them went work the great miracle which He was about to do. 42. Our Lord means that there was no need, to Him, of this special mention that God the Father heard and was with Him on this occasion, as He knew that it ever was so ; but as it was so great and wonderful au occasion, He 340 ST. JOHN, XL their ways to the Pharisees, aud told them what things Jesus had done. 47 ^ Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a coun- cil, aud said. What do we ? for this man doeth many miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him : aud the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Te know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is ex- pedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. spake these words just before tlie mi- racle, to impress on the people who He was, even the Sou of God, whom the Father had 'sent.' 48. ' The Romans shall take away our place and nation,' or destroy us. This the}' said, eitlier believing or pretending to believe that Clirist was to establish an earthly kingdom against the Romans and Cajsar their emperor, as they did before Pontius Pilate, and at other times (see Matt. xxii. 17 ; Luke xxiii. 2, and notes), whereas we know it was not so,for that the kingdom of Christ was not earthly but spiritual (see note on Matt, ii. 2). They therefore say that if the people followed or believed in Hira, the Romans would be displeased with them for allowing a kingdom opposite to their own to be set up, and would come and destroy them. 49. The Jews who had just spoken ap- ])ear to have shewn a feeling that it might be useful for them to put Jesus to death, but at the same time to have had a scruple as to adnis'mij that an innocent man should be slain. Caiaphas, being probably a bolder and worse man than 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation ; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should ga- ther together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. 54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews ; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples, 55 ^ And the Jews' passover the rest, tells them that they are igno- rant and foolish in having such scruples, for that it was 'expedient,' or a good thing, for them that even an innocent man should ' die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not ;' that is, it was rather good for them that one of these things should happen than the other, if one of the two must needs be. So it would have been, /tarf It been necessary for them that Christ should die in order to prevent the de- struction of the people (but, as we know, such was not the case). He therefore means to be understood as advising that our Lord should be put to death. 51, 52. But in saying this, though he himself had only his own wicked meaning in view, he was unknowingly guided by the Holy Spirit (' not of himself,' that is, not from his own thoughts, but by inspiration of God) to speak words which have a prophetical sense, as well as that which he intended. It was as ' High Priest,' and thereiore bearing a holy office, though himself a bad man, that God saw fit to inspire Caiaphas in ST. JOHN, XII. 341 was nigh at hand : and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. 56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast ? 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him. CHAPTEE XII. 1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a sup- per ; and Martha served : but this manner. His words then signify that Christ ' should ' indeed ' die for the peo- ple,' but not in the way before stated : but as the atonement and sacrifice for the sins of the whole world ; not ' for that nation only,' the Jews, but for all mankind. And, as we know, the ordi- nary way in which men are placed in that state of salvation in which that great Atonement will avail them, is by becom- ing members of Clirist in His Body, the Christian Church ; which is meant here by the ' children of God,' that is, God's chosen people, who were ' scattered abroad,' that is, who were in all parts of the world, being ' gathered in one,' that is, being united in that one Body, the Church. 54. See note on iv. 3. 55. ' Purify themselves ' by certain ceremonies ordered by the Law of Moses, without which they were not counted Q Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very cost- ly, and anointed the feet of Je- sus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4 Then saith one of his dis- ciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor ? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor ; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone : against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8 Por the poor always ye have with you ; but me ye have not always. ' pure,' or in a fit state to celebrate the festival. Ch. XII. 3. ' Spikenard :' see note on Mark xiv. 3. .3 — 8. See notes on Matt. xxvi. I.W, 12. 4. ' Should betray,' was to betray. In the other Gospels this is said to be spoken by the disciples generally, or by some of them. Here we see that it was first said by Judas, as being the evil- minded one among them, and they pro- bably followed and agreed with him. 5. ' Pence,' see note on Matt, xviii. 24. 6. ' The bag,' or purse, in which our Lord and His disciples carried what money they wanted for their supply, Judas seems to have often stolen from it, having the charge of it. 7. ' Against the day,' as a preparation for the day. 342 ST. JOHN, XII. 9 MucTi people of tbe Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 ^ But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death ; 11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. 12 ^ On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Je- sus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanua: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, 15 Fear not, daughter of Sion : behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. 16 These things understood not his disciples at the first : but when Jesus was glorified, then 11. 'By reason of him,' that is, of his presence among them, as shewing forth the miracle that Jesus had wrought in raising him. ' Went away,' that is, left the party of the Pharisees. 13. ' Took,' namely, in order to ' straw them in the way.' See Matt. xxi. 8, 9, and notes. 14, 15. See notes on Matt. xxi. 3 — 5. 16. ' Understood not,' not being yet enlightened by the Holy Spirit: which they received after ' Jesus was glori- fied,' namely, after His Resurrection and Ascension (see notes on Mark ix. 32; John vii. 39). remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. 17 The people therefore that was with him when he called La- zarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare re- cord. 18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing ? behold, the world is gone after him. 20 "I" And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast : 21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, say- ing, Sir, we would see Jesus. 22 Philip cometh and teUeth Andrew : and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23 ^ And Jesus answered them, saying. The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 17- * Bare record,' or gave w^itness, of that miracle. 19. 'Prevail nothing,' that is, cannot at all succeed in attempting to prevent the belief in Christ from spreading. 20. ' Greeks,' see note on Mark vii. 26. These men may have been, though born Gentiles, converted Jews, or at least disposed to shew respect to the Jewish religion, as the centurion in St. Luke vii. 5, where see note. 21. ' Philip,' the Apostle. See i. 44. 23. ' The hour is come,' that is, is very near. ' Glorified,' namely, as before said, by His Resurrection and Ascension. ST. JOHN, XII. 313 21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a ecru of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone : but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it ; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me ; and where I am, there shall also my servant be : if any man serve me, him will my Pather honour. 27 Now is my soul troubled ; and what shall I say ? Father, save me from this hour : but for But these were not to be till after, and as it were in consequence of. His death, of which He goes on in the next verse to speak. 24. ' Abideth alone,' that is, without producing more corn. ' A corn ' means a seed. Our Lord says this to prepare His disciples for His death, comparing it to what passes in the gi'owth of coi*n. He says, that as the seed is put into the ground, so He must die and be buried in the grave : and as it is so, and in no other way, that the seed iiroduces the fruit of which it is the seed, so by His death alone was He to found His Church on earth, and gather it to life eternal. 25. Matt. X. 39. ' Hateth :' see note on Luke xiv. 26. In this place these words seem meant to encourage the Apostles to be as ready to give up their lives as our Lord was about to shew Himself to be in His Death, to wliich He had just referred. 26. ' Where I am,' or shall be, namely, iu heaven. . 27. ' This hour,' namely, that of His death. ' For this cause,' namely, in order to die for men. These words (especially ' Father, save me from this hour ') are similar to those of our Lord this cause came I unto this hour. 28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glo- rified it, and will glorify it again. 29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered : others said. An angel spake to him. 30 Jesus answered and said. This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 31 Now is the judgment of this world : now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up Q 4 in His Agony in the garden : see note on Matt. xxvi. 39. 28. ' Glorify thy name,' namely, by giving some token who He, the Son of the Father was : which the voice of God from lieaven did immediately after. ' I have glorified it,' appears to signify the many times in which the power and glory of God was shewn in Christ, by His miracles, &c. ' Will glorify it,' namely, by the wonderful events that remained to be done by our Lord. 29. It was not revealed to the people what the voice was, without which they could not understand it. 30. See xi. 15. 42, and notes. 31. 'This world' means the evil world, as before explained (see note on Matt. iv. 9); being tlierefore under the power of Satan, who is called here and elsewhere, the Prince or Ruler of this world (xiv. 30, &c.), un- derstanding the world in that sense. ' Cast out,' destroyed or overcome : namely, by the death and Resurrection of Christ ; see note on Luke x. 18. ' Judgment ' means cvndemhat'wn of the (evil) world, which accompanied, or was a part of, the victory of Christ over Satan. 32. ' Lifted up,' ou the Cross. ' Draw 344 ST. JOHN, XII. from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. 34 The people answered him, "We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever : and how sayest thou, The Sou of man must be lifted up ? who is this Son of man ? 35 Then Jesus said unto them, Tet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you : for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. all men unto me,' signifies, that the sal- vation which is by the death of Christ on the Cross is freely offered to 'all men ' tc whom it is preached. All are called or 'drawn ' to Christ, though some only obey the call (see Matt. xxii. 14, and note). And those also who may be saved among the heathen, who have never had the Gospel preached to them, will be saved through the merits of the Sacrifice of Christ. 34. 'The law,' the Old Testament. The passages which the people referred to are such as Isa. ix. 7, &c. These, as the Jews Were quite alive to the truth that a great Messiah or King was to come (only they misunderstood its mean- ing: see note on Matt. ii. 2), they rightly understood to refer to Christ ; but they su])posed that they meant that He was to ' abide for ever ' on earth as an earthly king. They therefore could not tell how He was to be ' lifted up,' under- standing by that His being removed. And as they did not know or con- fess His being born of a woman, they did not know ' who the Son of Man ' was. 35. The Jews no doubt asked the question not from an humble and sin- cere desire of leariimg the truth, but in 36 "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. 37 *\\ But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him : 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake. Lord, who hath believed our report ? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed ? 39 Therefore they could not be- lieve, because that Esaias said mockery and unbelief : so that our Lord, as in such cases was usual with Him (Matt. xxi. 24, &c.), does not give them a direct answer, but a solemn warning to profit by the short remaining time that He was to be with them. He means Himself by 'the light:' see note on i. 5. ' Walk while ye have the light :' see note on xi. 10. ' Lest darkness come : ' He warns them that when He was gone, those who had refused to hear Him would be in danger of being left by God in ' darkness ' or ignorance ; and so they would not be able to ' know whither they were going,' or the right way of life. 30. 'Light' means as before. 'Chil- dren of light :' see note on Luke xvi. 8. 'Did hide himself,' probably lest they should take Him : and see note on viii. 59. 38. These words of Isaiah (liii. 1), refer to the time of the preaching of the Gospel, called the 'report' or announce- ment of it. ' Our report ' as it was preached by our Lord and His Apostles : here it means the preaching of our Lord Himself in person. ' Who hath be- lieved?' meaning that few believed, or that the people generally did not. ' To ST. JOHN, XII. 345 40 He bath blinded tbeir eyes, and liardened their heart ; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. 42 ^ Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him ; but because of the Pha- risees they did not confess hwi, lest they should be put out of the synagogue : 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed ? ' that is to say (putting it as before in the form of a question), the 'arm ' or power of God as shewn in Christ, was sliewn or 'revealed ' to the greater number of those who saw it to no purpose, so that it might be spoken of as not revealed at all. ' That the saying might be fulfilled : ' see note on ftlatt. i. 22. So the next verse means that they could not believe, according to what Isaiah had said, and for the reason that he gave. 40. See note on Matt. xiii. 15. It is there said that the people had closed their eyes, whereas it is here said that God had blinded their eyes. But the meaning is the same. It means that the wilful sins of the people had been such, that God had at length withdrawn His grace, by which of course alone they could be enabled to ' see,' understand, and be converted and healed. Tliey were then in a reprobate state, in which (ver. 39) they could not believe (see note on V. 44). And this is the fearful pu- nishment which may be sent by God on those who persevere in sin (see notes on Matt. xii. 31, 32 ; xx. 1— Ifi): which is here described as ' blinding ' and 'hard- ening,' as in the Old Testament, God is 44 ^ Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in dark- ness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not : for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word Q 5 said to have 'hardened Pharaoh's heart ' (Exod. vii. 3, &c.). No doubt this pu- nishment may be i*emoved : but while it lasts the people ' cannot believe.' 41. See the chapter of Isaiah fi'om which this is taken (vi.), where it ap- pears that the words quoted in the 40th verse were inspired to him in a vision from God. He thei-efore 'saw the glory ' of God in that vision, and ' s])ake of Him,' namely, he foretold that when ' God manifest in the flesh,' or Christ, should be in the world, those words would be applied. 42. These rulers were afraid to con- fess lest the Pharisees should do as they had threatened, and cause them to be ' put out of the synagogue ' (see note on ix. 22). 44. ' Not on me,' that is, not on Chi-ist as if He could be separate from the Fa- ther. See note on v. 19. 45. This is because Christ is Very God, and therefore entirely one with the Father (see note on x. 30). Not that those who saw Christ saw God as He is from everlasting, but ' veiled in the flesh ' (see note on i. 18). 4G. See note on ver. 35. 47. See note on iii. 17- 48. ' The word shall judge him,' that 346 ST. JOHN, XIII. tliat I have spoken, tlie same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a command- ment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his com- mandment is life everlasting : whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. CHAPTEE XIII. 1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into is, when the time of judgment shall come at the Last Day, the unbeliever will be judged according to the word spoken by Christ, and rejected by him, and as it were 6y that word. 49, 50. See note on v. 19. ' His com- mandment is life,' that is, gives it, leads to it. Ch. XIII. 1. ' His own,' His own peo- ple. ' He loved them,' as He was about to shew by the action, setting forth love and kindness, which He was about to do. 3. See note on v. 19. 4, 5. This action of our Lord was done as signifying generally, by an instance, any deed of kindness and love to others : and besides impressing us with feelings of love and gratitude for the unspeakable condescension which moved Him, the Son of God, to do such the heart of Judas Iscariot, Si- mon's son, to betray him ; 3 Jesus knowing that the Fa- ther had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from Grod, and went to God ; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments ; and took a towel, and girded him- self. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter : and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said un- to him, "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou an act towards His creatures and dis- ciples, it is meant to teach us, by ex- ample, to be ever ready to do such works of kindness, of personal service and charity, humility and self-abasement for the good of others. See further the note on ver. 8. 6. Peter said this in amazement at the gracious act of the Lord. 7. ' Knowest not,' understandest not; as not being yet enlightened by the Holy Spirit. 'Thou slialt know here- after,' namely, after having received that Spirit ; as our Lord often spake on other occasions (xvi. 13,