Notes on the Old and New Testaments

32. They bring. That is, his friends brought, or the people brought. ^ One that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech. Not entirely dumb, but who spoke indistinctly or with difficulty. His deafness might not have been of long standing; and liis speech, therefore, not entirely ruined. ^ To put his hand upon him. That is, to cure him. Blessings were commonly imparted by laying on the hands.

33. Aiid he look him aside from the multitude. Why this was done we have no means of information. It might have been to conceal from the multitude every thing respecting the Konner of cure, in order that none might attempt to cure in a similar way. ^ And he put his fuigers into his ears, &c. Why this was done it has been found exceedingly difficult to explain. Our Lord had power at once to open ais ears and loose his tongue, but for

35 And '' looking u-p to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

35 And ^ straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so mich the more a great deal they published

37 And were beyond measure astonished, » saying. He hath done all things well: he maketh * both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

some cause he chose to accompany it with a sign. It was intended, proba bly, simply as a sign that the power of healing came from Jesus; to satisfy the man by the touch that he had this power, and that it could come from no other quarter. Our Saviour often used signs in this way to denote lais power to heal. See Mark viii. 23; John ix. G.

34. Looked up to heaven. To lift up the eyes to heaven is an act imploring aid from God, and denotes an attitude of prayer. Ps. cxxi. 1, 2. Mark vi. 41. John xi. 41. ^ He sighed. Pitying the sufferings of the man who stood before him. IT Ephphalha. This word is Suriac, the language which our Lord used in addressing the man, and means, " be opened."

33. The string of his tongue was loosed. The difficulty in his speaking was removed.

3G. Tell no man. Do not noise it abroad. He was not ambitious of being known; and he knew that if much was said of liis cures, it would excite the jealousy of the Pharisees, and endanger his life.

37. Beyond measure. Exceedingly; very much. In the Greek, " Very abundantly." T He hath doie all thingswell. All things in a rema- kable manner; or he has perfectly effected the cure of the deaf and the dumi).

IN* those days, the multitude bein.iT very, great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,

2 I have compassion * on the it.ultitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:

3 And if 1 send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from afar.

4 And his disciples answered him. From ' whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in ihe wilderness?

5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye 1 And they said. Seven.

6 And he commanded the people io sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

7 And they had a few small fishes: and he "^ blessed, and com-

1. hi those days. While in the wilderness, where ne had cured the deaf and dumb man. II Havins: notliing to eat. Having come unprovided, or having consumed what they had brought.

9, Four thousand. Four thousand me?i, besides women and children. See Matt. XV. 38.

10. Datmanutha. In Matt. xv. 39, it is said that he came into the coasts of Magdala. See Note on the place.

12. Sighed deeply in his spirit. His soul, his heart was deeply affected at tijijir wickedness and hypocrisy. The

8 So they did eat, and • were fill ed: and / they took up of tho broken meat that was left, seven baskets.

9 And they that had eaten wera about four thousand; and he sent them away.

10 And * straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.

11 And '' the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

13 And he left them, and, entering into the ship again, departed to the other side.

14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.

15 And he charged them, saying.

word spirit, here, means human soul. He drew groans deeply from his breast. If No sign be given. That is, no such sign as they asked, to wit, a sign from lieaven. He said a sign should be given, the same as was furnished by Jonas. Matt. xvi. 4. But this was not what they asked, nor would it be given, he' cause they asked it.

15. Beivare of tlie leaven of the Pharisees. See Matt. xvi. 6. li^ Of Herod. Of the Herodians — of Hcrocf and his followers. Matthew, instead of " Herod," has " the Sadducees." It is not improbable that he cautioned them against them all. The Pharisees sought his life, and were exceedingly corrupt in their doctrine and practice; tne Sadducees 'denied some of the essential doctrines of religion; and the Herodians, it is supposed, naaintaincd the opin ion that it was lawful for the Jews to

Take heed, beware " of the leaven * of the Pharisees, and of the leaven Df Herod.

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

17 And when Jesus knew if, he eaith unto them. Why reason yc, because ye have no bread 1 perceive

ye not yet, neither understand ] have ye your '' heart yet hardened 1

IS Having ' eyes, see ye not] and having ears, hear ye noti and do ye not/ remember ]

19 When I brake the five ^ loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye apl They say unto him, Twelve.

acknowledge a foreign prince, and join Equally with the Pharisees and Sadducees in opposing the claims of Jesus. Matthew has recorded his caution to tvoid the Pharisees and Sadducees, and Mark has added, what Matthew had omitted, the caution likewise to beware of the Herodians. Thus the evangelists speak the same thinar.

22. ToBethsaida. See Note on Matt, xi. 21. I1 Besoutrht him to touch him. That is, to heal him; for they believed that his touch vvould restore his sight.

■23. Led him out of the town. Why "his was done the sacred writers have not told us. It might have been to ivoid the collecting of a multitude, and thus to have escaped the designs of the Pharisees, who were attempting to take his life, and chiefly on a charge of sedition, and of exciting the people. On this account Jesus chose to perform the miracle alone; thus shou-ing, that while he did good he desired to do it in Juch a way as to avoid the appearance of evil, and to prevent, at the same.ime, ostentation, and the malice of his enemies. IT Spit on his eyes. Why.his was done is not known. It was evidently not intended to perform the lure by any natural effect of the spittle. t was to the man a sign, an evidence, hat It was the power of Jesus. The vee were probably closed. They were

20 And when the seven * among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said. Seven.

21 And he said unto them. How is it that ye do not understand?

22 And he cometh to Bethsaida and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch

23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town: and when he had spit ■' on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught.

25 After that, he put his hand?

perhaps " gummed," orunited together by a secretion that had become hard. To apply spittle to them — to wet them — 'Would be a sign, a natural expression of removing the obstruction and open ing them. The power was not in the spittle, but it attended the application of it. 'USawaughl. Saw any thing.

24. I see men, as trees, waUdng. I see men walking, but see them so indistinctly, that but for their motion I could not distinguish them from trees.

1 cannot distinctly see their shapes and features. Probably our Lord did not at once restore him fully to sight, that he might strengthen his faith. Seeing that Jesus had partialUj restored hmi, it was evidence that he could wholly, and it led him to exercise faith anew in him, and to feel more strikingly his dependence on him.

25. Every man clearly. Could see their form and features. His sight was completely restored. Though our Lord did net, by this, probably, intend to teach any lesson in regard to the way in which the mind of a sinner is enlightened, yet it affords a striking illustra tion of it. Sinners are by nature bhnd

2 Cor. iv. 4. 1 John ii. 11. John ix 39. The effect of religion, or of the in fluence of the Holy Spirit, is to open the eyes, to show the smner his condition and his danger, and to lead him fo

again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and S1W " every man clearly.

26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

27 And * Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked

is disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am "?

28 And they answered, John ' he Baptist: but some say Elias;

29 And he saith unto them. But whom say ye that I am 1 And Peter answereth and saith unto him. Thou ^ art the Christ.

30 And he charged them that they should tell no man.

31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things; and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests and scribes, and be killed; and after three days rise again.

leoli on him whom he has pierced. Yet at first he sees mdistinctly. He does not soon learn to distinguish objects. When converted he is in a new world. Light is shed on every object, and he fsees the scriptures, the Saviour, and the works of creation, the sun, and stars, and hills, and vales, in a new light. He sees the beauty of the plan of salvation, and wonders that he has not seen it before. Yet he sees at first mdistinctly. It is only by repeated applications to the Source of light that he sees all things clearly. At first religion may appear full of mysteries. Doctrines and facts appear on every hand that he cannot fully comprehend. His mind is still perplexed, and he may doubt whether he has ever seen au^ht, or has been ever renewed. Yet let him not despair. Light, in due time, will be shed on these obscure and mysterious truths. Faithful and repeated ap- Dlication to the Father of lights in Waycr, and in searching the scriptures,

32 And he spake that sayingopenly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

33 But when he had turned about, and looked on his disciples, he rebuked * Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, ^ Satan; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

34 And when he had called the people unto him, with hiS disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoevei * will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For * whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul 1

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul 1

38 Whosoever * therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my

and in the ordinances of religion, will dissipate all these doubts, and he will see all things clearly, and the universe will appear to be filled with one broad flood of light.

26. The town. The town of Bethsaida. ^ Nor tell it, &c. Lest it excite the jealousy of the Pharisees, and produce commotion and danger.

32. He spake that saying openly. With boldness or confidence, or without parables or figures; so that there could be no possibility of misunder standing him.

38. Ashamed of me. Ashamed tc own attachment to me on account of my lowly appearance, and my poverty, contempt and sufTerings. ^ And of m^ words. My doctrines, my instructions ^ This adulterous and si'tjul genera tio7i. This age given to wickedness, particularly to adultery. If In theglor^ of his Father. In the day of jud!;ment

words, in tliis adulterous and sinful generation, ot" him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he Cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.

AND he said unto.them, Verily " I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not ' taste of death, till they have seen the liingdom of God come with power.

2 And *= after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white "^ as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white

4 And there appeared unto them Elias, with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.

5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us vo be here: ' and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6 For he wist not-^ what to say; for they were sore afraid.

See Notes on Matt. xxvi. 64. The meaning of this verse i.s, whosoever shall refuse, through pride or wickedness, to acknowledge and serve Christ here, shall be excluded from his kingdom hereafter. He was lowly, meek, and despised. Yet there was an inimitable beauty in his character even then. But ho will come again in awful grandeur; — not as the babe of Bethlehem; not as the man of Nazareth; but as the Son of God, in majesty and glory. They that would not acknowledge him here must be rejected by him there; they that would not serve him always, will never enjoy him; they that would cast him out and despise him, must be cast out hy him, and consigned to eternal, hope-.ess sorrows.

7 And there was a cloud tha overshadowed them: and a voict came out of the cloud, saying, This ^ is my beloved Son; hear * him.

8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them tliat they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. '

11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias ' must first come "?

12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written * of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be ' set at nought.

13 But I say unto you, That "■• Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

1. Verily I say, &c. See Notes on Matt. xvi. 28. This verse properly belongs to the preceding chapter, and the preceding discourse.

3. ITo fuller. Rather, no scourer The oflice of the person here mentioned was to scour or whiten cloth; not to full it. or to render it thicker.

6. Ht wist not. He knew not. He was dr'sL'-ous of saying something, and te knew not what would be proper.

14 — 29. See this passage explained m the Notes on Matt. xvii. 14—21.

14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about then., and the scribes questioning with them.

15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed; and running to kim, saluted him.

16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye ' with them 1

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb ° spirit:

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth ^ him; and he foameth, * and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples, that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith,

14. Questioning with them. Debating with the disciples, and attempting to confound them. This he saw as he came down from the mount. In his absence they had taken occasion to attempt to perplex and confound his followers.

15. Were greatly amazed. Were astonished, and surprised, at his sudden appearance among them. IT Saluted him. Received him with the customary marks of affection and respect. It is probable that this was not by m\y formal manner of salutation, but by the riish of the multitude, and by hailing him as the Messiah.

16. What question ye 1 What is the subject of your inquiry or debate with the disciples?

18. And wheresoever. In whatever nlace, at home or abroad, alone or in public. IT He teareth him. He rends, distracts, or throws him into convulsions. IT He foamcth. At the mouth, like a mad animal. Among us, these would all be considered as marks of violent derangement or madness. ^And pinHh away. Becomes thin, haggard, and emaciated. This was the effect of

O faithless ' generation! how long shall I be with you 1 how long shall I suffer you] Bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him untc him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit, tare him; ar.d he fell on the ground, and wallowed foam

21 And he asked his father. How long is it ago since this came unto him ] And he said. Of a child: '

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, te destroy him: but if thou canst de any thing, have compassion on us and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him. If" thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

22. If thou canst do a7ii/ thing. I have brought him to the disciples, and they could not help him. If thou canst do any thing, have compassion, &c.

23. If thou canst believe. This was an answer to the request; and there was a reference in the answer to the doubt in the man's mind about the power of Jesus, /can help him. If THOU ca?ist believe, it shall be done. Jesus here demanded faith or confidence in his power of heahng. So he demands faith of every sinner that comes to him; and none that come without confidence in him can obtain the blessing. "(^ All things are possible to him that believeth. All things can be effected or accompUshed — to wit, by God — in favour of him that believes: and if thou canst believe, this will be done. God will do nothing in our favour without faith. It is right that we should have confidence in him; and if we have confidence, it is easy for him to help us, and he willingly does it. In our weakness, then, we should go to God our Saviour; and though we have no strength, yet he can aid us, and he will make all things easy for us.

the child cried out, and said with tears, " Lord, I believe; help * thou mine unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him. Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee. Come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent' him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said. He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the "^ hand, and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately. Why could not we cast him out?,

29 And he said unto them. This kind can come forth by nothing but by * prayer and fasting./

30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them. The Son of man is delivered into the hands of

implied rebuke in the Saviour's language. And feeling grieved that he should be thought to be destitute of faith; and feehng deeply for the welfare of his afllicted son; he wept. Nothing can be more touching or natural than this. An anxious father distressed at the condition of his son; having applied to the disciples in vain, now coming to the Saviour, and not having full confidence that he had the proper qualification to be aided, he wept. Any man would have wept in his condition, nor would the Saviour turn the weeping suppliant away. ^ / believe. I have faith. I do put confidence in thee; though I know that my faith is not as Btrong as it should be. If Lord. This woid, here, signifies merely master, or «ir, ao it docs often in the New Testa- •nent. We have no evidence that he men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask *

33 And * he came to Capernaum: and being in the house, he asked them. What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way"?

34 But they held their peace for by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto then), If ' any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And he took a child, and se' him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto theixi,

37 Whosoever-' shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

38 And John answered him, say ing, Master, we saw * one casting

had any knowledge of the divine nature of our Saviour; and he applied the word, probably, as he would have done to any other teacher or worker of nura cles. 11 Help tfum my unbelief. Sup ply thou the defects of my faith. Give mc strength and grace to put entire confidence in thee. Every one whci comes to the Saviour for help has need of oflTering this prayer. In our unbelief and our doubts we need his aid; nc>i can we ever put sufficient reliance on him without his gracious help.

31. /s delivered. Is given to men to make an atonement bv his sufferings and death, and will in due time be taken and killed.

38 We saw one, &c. There is n«

Jilt devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, aecause he fblloweth not us.

39 But Jesus said. Forbid him not: for there " is no rnan which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

40 For * he that is not against as, is on our part.

41 For ' whosoever shall give jou a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not.ose his reward.

42 And whosoever shall offend ■* 3ne of these little ones that believe

.mprobability in supposing that this might have been one of the disciples of John, or one of the seventy whom Jesus had sent out, and who, though he did not personally attend on Jesus, yet nad the power of working miracles. There is no evidence that he was merely an exoicist, or that he used tlie name of Jesus merely as a pretence.

39. Forbid him not. Do not prevent his doing good. If he can work a miracle in my name, it is sufficient proof of attachment to me, and he should not be prevented. IT Can lightly speak evil of me. The word here rendered lighfhj, means quickly, or immediately. Tlie meaning of the passage is, that he to whom God gave the power of working a miracle, hy that gave evidence that he could not soon be found among tlie eneniiss of Jesus. He ought not, therefore, to be prevented from doing it. 'flicre is no reason to think, here, that John had any improper designs in op- Dosing the man. He thought that it was evidence that ho could not be right, because he did not join them and follow the Saviour. Our Lord I bought differently. He opposed no me who gave evidence thnt he loved lull. Wherever he might be, or whativcr his worK, yet, if he did it in the lame of Jesus, and with the niipiob.i ii)n of God, it was evidence sufiicienf hat he was right. — Christians shonlil ejoice in good done by their brethren •lany denomination. There are men calling ihemselves Christians who seem in me, it is better for him that & millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea

43 And ' if thy hand offend ' thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than, having two hands, to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched;

44 ¥/here f their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if thy foot offend ° thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than, having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched;

to look with doubt and suspicion on all that is done by those who do not walk with them. They undervalue their labours, attempt to lessen the evidences of their success, and to diminish their influence. True likeness to the Saviour would lead us to rejoice in all the good accomplished, by whomsoever it may be done; and to rejoice that tjie kingdom of Christ is advanced, whether by a Presbyterian, an Episcopalian, a Baptist, or a Methodist. Com pare Phil. i. 18.

41. Whosoever.ihall give you a cup, &(:■. How easy it is to be a Christian! What is easier than to give a cup of cold water to a thirsty disciple of Jesus! But it must be in his name — that is, be cause he is a Christian, and therefore from love to the Saviour. This is very different from giving it from a mere motive of common kindness. If done from love to Christ, it tuill be reward ed; and hence we learn that the humblest acts of Christians, the lowest service that is rendered, will be gi-aciously noticed by Jesus and rewarded. None are so humble in his kingdom as not to be able to do good; and none so poor that, in nis circumstances, may not show attachment to him. Their feeblest service will be accepted; and acts of love, that may be forgotten by man, will be remembered by him, and re warded in heaven.

46 Where their worm dieth not, Mid tl»e fire is not quenched.

47 And if thine eye ' offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to snter into the Ivingdom of God with

clearly taken from Isa. Ixvi. 24. In describing the great prosperity of the kingdom ot the Messiah, Isaiah says that the people of God shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of men who have transgressed against God. Their enemies shall be overcome. They shall be slain. The people of God shall triumph. The figure is taken from heaps of the dead slain in battle; and the prophet says that the number shall be so great that their worm — the worm feeding on the dead — shall not die, shall live long — as long as there are carcasses to be devoured; and that the fire which was used to burn the bodies of the dead shall continue long to burn, and shall not be extinguished till they are consumed. The figure, therefore, denotes great misery, and certain and terrible destruction. In these verses it is applied to the state beyond the grave, and IS intended to denote that the destruction of the wicked will be awful, widespread, and eternal. It is not to be supposed that there will be any real worm in hell — perhaps no material fire. Nor can it be told what was particularly intended by the undying worm. There is no authority for applying it, as is often done, to remorse of conscience, any more than to any other of the pains and reflections of hell. It is a mere image of loathsome, dreadful, and elernnl sufferings. In what that sufliering will consist, it is probably beyond the power of any living mortal to imagine. The word "their," in the phrase "their worm," is used merely to keep up the image or figure. Dead bodies, putrefying in that valley, would be overrun with worms, while the^re was not confined to them, but spread to other objects, kindled by combustibles through ill the valley. It is not meant, therefore, that every particular sufferer has a peculiar worm, or has particular sins that cause remorse of conscience. That is a truth; but it does not appear that it IS intended to be taught here.

49. Every one shall he salted with fire. *ertiaps no passage in the New Testa-?3

one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell-fire;

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire " is not quenched.

49 For every one shall be salted

ment has given more perplexity to com mentators than tiiis; and it may be im possible now to fix its precise meaning. The common meaning affixed to it has been, that as salt preserves from putrefaction, so fire, applied to the wicked in hell, shall have the property of preserving them in existence, or they shall he preserved amidst the sprinkhng of fire, to be continually in their sunerings, a sacrifice to the justice of God. But this meaning is not quite satisfactory. Another opinion has been, that as salt ia sprinkled on the victim preparatory to its being devoted to God (see Lev. ii. 13), so should the apostles, by trials, calamities, &c., represented here by fire, be prepared as a sacrifice and offering to God. Probably the passage has not reference at all to future punishment; and the difficulty of interpreting it has arisen from supposing it connected with the 4Sth verse, or given as a reason for what is said in that verse, rather than considering it as designed to illustrate the general design of trie passage. The main scope of the passage was not to discourse of future punishment. That is brought in incidentally. The chief object of the passage was, 1st. To teach them that other men, not with them, mitjht be true Christians. Vs. 38, 39. 2cl. That they should be disposed to look favorably upon the slightest evidence that they might he. Ver. 4i. 3d. That they ought to avoid giving o^ence to such feeble and obscure Christians. Ver. 42. 4th. That every thing calculated to give offence, or to dishonor religion, should be removed. Ver. 43. And 5th. That every thing which would endanger their salvation should be sacrificed; that they should deny themselves and practise all self, denials, in order to obtain eternal life. In this way they would be preserved to eternal hfc. The word "fire," here, therefore, denotes self-denials, sacrifices, trials, in keeping ourselves from the gratification of the flesn. As if he had said: ' Look at the sacrifice on tho altar. It is an offeruig to God, about to with fire, and every sacrifice " shall 06 salted with salt.

50 Salt is good: but if the salt *■ have lost his saltness, wherewith wiil ye season it? Have' salt in yourselves, and have '' j)eace one with another.

AND ' he arose from thence, and comelh into the coasts of Judei"., by the farther side of Jordan: and ttie people resort unto hinri asjain; and, as he was wont, he taught them again,

2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him. Is it lawful for a niian to put away his wife 1 tempting him.

3 And he answered and said unto them. What did Moses command yon ■?

4 And they said, Moses ■'^ suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

be presented to him. It is sprinkled with salt, emblematic o/ purity, of preservation, and of fitting it, therefore, for a sacrifice. So you are devoted to God. You are sacrifices, victims, offerings, to him in his service. To make you acceptable oflTerings, every thing must be done to preserve you from sin, to purify you, and to make you fit offerings. Self-denials, subduing the lusts, enduring trials, removing oflences, are the proper preservatives in the service of God. Doing this, you will be acceptable offerings, and be saved; without this, you will be unfit for his eternal service, and will be lost.'

50. Lost its saltness, &c. See Note, Matt. V. 13. 1i Have salt in yourselves. Have the preserving, purifying principle always; the principles of denying yourselves, of suppressing pride, ambition, contention, &c., and thus you will be an acceptable offering to God. '^' Have peace. Avoid contention and quaiTelinig, struggling for places, honors, and.^fllce, and seek each other's welfare, and religion will he honored and preserved iu the world.

unto them, For the hardness of youi heart he wrote you this precept:

(i But from the beginning of the creation God made * them male and female.

7 For * this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

8 And they twain shall he cae flesh: so then they are no mora twain, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

11 And he saith unto them, ' Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery,

12. And if a woman shall put away her husband. It would seem, liom this, that a woman, among the Jews, had the power of separating herself Irom her husband; yet this right is not given her by the law of Moses. There is not, however, any positive evidence that females often claimed or exercised this right. Cases had occurred, indeed, in which it had been done. The wife of Herod had rejected her former husband, and married Herod. And though instances of this kind might have been attempted to be defended by the example of Pagans, yet our Saviour was desirous of showing them that it did not free them from the charge of adultery. The apostles were going forth to teach Pagan nations, and it was proper for Christ to teach them how to act in such cases, and to show them that they were cases of real aduhery.

children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, he was " much displeased, and said unto them. Suffer the litti.e children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such * is the kingdom of God.

should lay his hands on fhem, and pray for them, and bless tliem. Compare Matthew xi.x. 13. It was common to lay the hands on the head of a person for whom a blessing was asked. See the case of Jacob, Gen. xiviii. 14.

14. Saw it. Saw the coiiuuct of his disciples. ^ Was muck displeased. Because, first, it was a pleasure to him to receive and bless little children; and, secondly, they were doing what they were not commanded to do — interfering in a case where it was evidently improper.

1.5. IVhosoever shall not receive. "Whosoever shall not manifest the spirit of a little child. IT The kin'^dom of God. The gospel. The new dispensation by the Messiah, or the reisn of God through a Mediator. See Notes, Matt. iii. 2. ^ As a little child. With the temper and spirit of a child, teachable, mild, humble, and free from prejudice and obstinacy. If Shall not enter therein. Shall not be a Christian; shall not be a real metnber of the family of Christ on earth, though he may be a professor; and shall never enter heaven.

16. Took them up in his arms. These were small children. IT Blessed than. Prayed for them, sought a blessing on them, or gave them the assurance of his favor as the Messiah.

How happy would it be if all parents thus felt it to be their privilege to present their children to Christ! The question with a parent should be, not whether he ouffht to present them by prayer, but whether he may do it. And 80, too, the question respecting infant baptism is not so much whether a parent OUGHT to devote his children to God in this ordinance, as whether he MAY do it. It is an inestimable privilege to d- It; not a matter of mere Btern and iron-handed duty; und a

15 Ver.ly I say unto yDU, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall no« enter therein.

IG And he took them up in Iiia arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

17 And ' when he was gone forth into tli8 way, there came one run-

parent with right feelings will' come to God with his children in every way, and seek his blessing on them in the beginning of their journey of life. Our children are given to us but for a liille time. They are in a world of danger, sin and wo. They are exposed to temptation on every hand. It God be not their friend, they have no friend that can aid them in the day of adversity, or keep them from the snares of the destroyer. If He is their friend, they have nothing to fear. The proper expression, then, of parental feeling, is to come and offer them early to God. A parent should ask only the privilege of doing it. He should seek God's favor as the best inheritance of his children; and if a parent may devote his offspring to God — if he 7nay daily seek his blessing on them by prayer — it is all that he should ask. With proper feelings, he will rush to the throne of grace, and daily seek the protection anu guidance of God for his children amidst the temptations and snares of an ungodly world, and implore Him to be their guide when the parent shall be laid in the silent grave.

So, children who have been devoted to God; who have been the daily ob jecisof afather's prayers and a mother's tears; who have been again and again presented to Jesus in infancy and childhood; are under the most sacred obligations to live to God. They should never forget that a parent sought the favor of God as the chief blessing; and having been offered to Je.^us by prayei and baptism in their first days on earth, they should make it their great aim fc be prepared to meet him when he shall come in the clouds of heaven.

ning', and kneeled to him, and asked hiin, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none aood but one, ° that is God.

19 Thou knowest the * commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill. Do i\)t steal. Do not bear false witness. Defraud not. Honour thy father and mother.

20 And he answered and said unto him. Master, all ' these have I observed from my youth.

21 Then Jesus beholding him, loved Kim, and said unto him. One * thing thou lackest: go thy way, Bell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have

where he had been teaching. T Into the way. Into the road or path on his '«urney. If Running. Thua showing the intensity with which he desired to know the way of life. Zeal to know the way to be saved is proper, nor is it possible to be too intense if well directed. Nothing else is so important, and nothing demands, therefore, so much effort and haste.

19. Defraud not. Do not take away your neighbor's property by fraud or dishonesty. To cheat or defraud supposes a covetous desire of a neighbor's pr iperty, and is usually attended with zlsehood or false witness against a leighbor in obtaining it. It is thus a violation of the ninth and tenth commandments; md our Saviour very properly, therrfore, condensed the two, and expressed their substance in this — not to defraud. It is, besides, expressly forbidden in Lev. xi.\. 13; " Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor."

21. Jesus — loved him. What occurred afterwards showed that the young man did not love the Saviour or was not a true disciple. So that this expression denotes, simply, natural affection, or means that Jesus was pleased with his Bin ableness, his morality, and his ex- ^rrtal regard for the law oi God. At *to same time, this was entirely con-

treasure * in heaven: and come, take up the cross and follow me.

22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved; for he had great possessions,

23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, Hov7 hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

24 And the disciples were astor ished at his words. But Jesus ari swereth again, and saith unto them. Children, how hard is it for ther» that trust -fin riches to enter i/^, the kingdom of God!

25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

sistent with deep sorrow that he would not give his heart to God, and with deep abhorrence of such a love of the world as to blind the mind to the beauty of true religion, and to lead to the rejection of the Messiah, and the destruction of the soul. ^ One thiiig thou lackest. When the young man came to Jesus, he asked him, " What lack I yet?" Matt. xL\. 20. This question Mark has omitted, but he has retained the answer. The answer means, there is one thing yet wanting. Though all that you liave said should be true, yet to make the system complete, or to show that you really are disposed to keep the commands of God, go and sell your property. See whether you love God more than you do your wealth. By doing that, you will show that your love of God is supreme; that your obedience is not merely exter7ial and formal, but sincere and real; the thing, now Zac/ting, will be made up.

24. Children. An expression of affec tion, perhaps also implying a reproof that their slowness of understanding was like children. When they should have seen at once the truth of what he said, they were slow to learn it. It became necessary, therefore, to repeat what he had said. ^ Ho^ hard. With how- much difficulty.

26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved 1

27 And Jesus looUing upon them, saith, with men it is impossible, but not with God: for " with God all things are possible.

28 Then Peter began to say unto nim, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

29 And Jesus answered and said. Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

30 But he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

26. Out of measure. Very much, or exceedingly. The Greek means no more than this.

30. A hundred fold. A hundred times as much. ^ In this time. In this lite. In the ti/ne that he forsakes all. ^ Houses, Sec. This cannot be taken hterally, as promising a hundred times as many mothers, sisters, &c. It means, evidently, that the loss shall be a hundred times compensated or made up; or that, in the possession of religion, we have a hundred times the value of all that we forsake. This consists in the pardon of sin, in the favor of God, in peace of conscience, in support in trials and in death, and in raising up friends in the place of those who arc left — spiritual brethren, and sisters, and mothers, &c. And this corresponds to the experience of all who ever became Christians. At the same time it is true that godliness is profitable /or aZZ Ihinps, having the promise of the life that is, IS well as of that which is to come. The favor of God is the security for avery blessing. Obedience to his law secures industry, temperance, chastity, economy, prudence, health, and the confidence of the world — all indispensable to success in life, and all connected, 33*

31 But * many that are first, shall be last; and the last, first.

32 And • they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,

33 Saying, Behold we ^ go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles;

34 And ' they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him; and the third day he shall rise asfain.

commonly, with success. Though the wicked sometimes prosper, yet the surest way of prosperity is to fear God and keep his commandments. Thus will all needed blessings descend on us here, and eternal blessings hereafter. ^ With persecutions. Persecutions, or the con tempt of the world, and bodily suffer ings on account of their religion, they must meet. Jesus did not conceal this. But he consoled them. He assured them that amidst these, or perhaps ir should be rendered ''after'' these, they should find friends and comfort^ It j well to bear trial if God be our I asuu. With the promises of the Bible in out hand, we may hail persecutions, axd thank God that, amidst so many sorrows, he has furnished such superabundant consolations.

32. Jesxis went before him. In the manner of an intrepid, fearless leader and guide, exposing himself to danger and death lather than his followers. IT And they were amazed, &c. They were afraid that evil would befall him in the city; that the scribes and Phansees, who had so oi'ten sought to lull him, would then do it. Their fear and amazement were increased when he

35 And James and John, the sons of Zcbedee, come unto him,sayinor, Master, we would that thou should- RSt do fur us whatsoever we shall desire.

36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you 1

37 They said unto him. Grant anto us that we may sit, one on thy light hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye * know not what ye ask. Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of] and be baptized with the baptism '' that I am baptized with 1

39 And they say unto him. We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye ' shall indeed drink of the cup '' that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withvil, shall ye be baptized:

40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand, is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.'

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye ^ know that they which are ' accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.

43 But so shall it not be among vou • but ^ whosoever will be great

44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefesl, shall be servant of all.

45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but * to minister, and to • give his life a ransom for many.

46 And ■' they came to Jericho, and as he went out of Jericho, with his disciples, and a great number of peojde, blind Bartimeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the highway side, begging.

47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more * a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy ' on me.

49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. Anc? they called the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise he "* calleth thee.

50 And he, casting " away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

unto him. What wilt thou that I should do unto thee] The blind man said unto him. Lord, that I might receive my sight.

52 And Jesus said unto him. Go thy way: thy " faith hath " made thee whole. And immediately he

fold them what would befall him there. They were amazed that, when he knew so well wiiat would happen, he should itill persevere in going up to the city.

36. And James and John — came 7into him. Tiiey did this through the instrumentality of their mother. They did not coinc in person, but they got their tnuther to make the request for them. Compare Matthew.

46 — 52. See this passage explained in Notes on Matt. xx. 29—34.

46. Blind Bartimeus. Matthew sayi3 there were two. Mark mentions but one, though he does not deny that there was another. He mentions this man because he was well known — Bartimeus, THE blhid man.

50. Cast inn auintj his sarment. That is, his outer varment; the one that v/as thrown loosely over him. See Matt v.

received his sight, and followed.Tesus in the wnv.

A ND " when, they came nigh to

6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

7 And they brought the colt tc

Jerusalem, unto Bethphage, j Jesus, and cast their garments on nnd Bethany, at the Mount of him; and ' he sat upon him.

Olives, he sendcth forth two of his disciples,

2 And saith unto them. Go your way into the village over against you; and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat: loose him, and bring him.

3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this] say ye that the Lord hath need ^ of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without, in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

3 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye loosinor the colt?

40. He threw it off. full of joy at the prospect of being healed, and that he might run without impediment to Jesus. This may be used to illustrate — though it had no such original reference — the manner in which a sinner should come to Jesus. He should throw away the garments of his own righteousness — he should rise speedily — should run '>vithjoy — should have full faith in the power of Jesus, and cast himself entirely upon his mercy.

4. Two vmys met. Cross roads. A public place, probably near the centre if the village.

.5. What do ye, loosim^lhecolt? Or, why do ye do this? What authority "lave you for doing it?

■11. Inio the lemjde. Not into.'le cdi- Sce properly called the temple, but into

8 And many spread their garments in the way; and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna, Blessed "^ i.s- he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

10 Blessed be the kingdom ' of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest./

11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and* when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

12 And ^ on the morrow, when

the courts which surrounded the princi pal edifice. Our Saviour, not being of the tribe of Levi, was not permitted to enter into the holy or most holy place. And when, therefore, it is said that he went into the temple, it is always to be understood of the courts surrounding the temple. See Matt. xxi. 12. H And when he had looked round nhout upon all. Having seen or exatiiiiied every thing. He saw the abominations and a-buses which he afterwards corrected. It may be wondered a! that he did not at once correct thein, insiead of wat-:ing to another day. But it may be observed that God is slow to anger, that he does not at once smite the guilty, but svaits patiently "lefore he rebukes and chas tises. II The even-tide. The evening, the time after three o'clock. P. M. It i^ very probable that this was before sun set. The religious services of the tem pie closed wirhout the offfring ol the evening sacrilice. at thrt-e o'clock, P. M., and Jesus probably soon left the city.

they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13 And seeing a fig-tree afar off, fiaving leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it he found nothing "but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

unto it. No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15 And * they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, ' and the seats of them that sold doves;

16 And would not suffer that any man should carry a7iy vessel through the temple.

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not v. lilten, "^ My house shall be called ' o^ "11 nations the house of prayer 1 but ye have made it a den ' of thieves.

18 And the scribes and chief

16. Any vessel. Any vessel used in cooking, or connected with the sale of their articles of merchandise.

18. All the people were astonished. He became popular among them. The Pharisees saw that their authority was lessened or destroyed. They were therefore envious of him, and sought his life. IT His doctrine. His teaching. He taught v.ith power and authority so great that the multitudes were awed, aad were constrained to obey.

21. Thou cur sedst. To curse means Ic devote to destruction. This is its meaning here. It does not, in this place, imply blame, but simply that it should be destroyed.

priests heard it, and sought how they might destioy him; for they feared him, because all the people was astonished ^ at his doctrine.

19 And Vv'hen even was come, he vv-ent out of the city.

20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots.

21 And Peter, calling to remembrance, saith unto him. Master, behold, the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away!

22 And Jesus, answering, saith unto them, ' Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever ^ shall say unto this mountain. Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What '' things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25 And when ye stand praying,

mean, have strong faith, or have confidence in God; a strong belief that he is able to accomplish things that appear most difficult with infinite ease, as the fig-tree was made to wither away by a word.

25. And when ye stand praying. When ye pray. It seems that the posture in prayer was sometimes standing and sometimes kneeling. God looks upon the heart rather than upon our position in worship; and if the heart be right, any posture may be proper. It cannot be doubted however, that in private, in the family, and wherever it can be conveniently done, the kneeling posture is more proper, as expressing more humility and reverence, and more in accordance with scripture examples. Compare Ps. xcv. C; 2 Chron. vi. 13; Dan. vi. 10; Luke xxii. 41; Acts vii. GO, ix. 40. Yet a subject liie thin mav

forgive, " if ye have aught against any; that jour Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasfes.

26 But * if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and ' as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

23 And say unto him, By <* what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things ]

29 \nd Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one ' question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? Answer me.

31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying. If we shall say. From heaven; he will say. Why then did ye not believe him "?

32 But if we shall say, Of men, they feared the people; for 'all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We ■'^ cannot tell. And Jesus answering, saith unto them. Neither do I ^ tell you by what authority I do these things.

AND he began to speak unto them by parables. A * certain man planted a vineyard, and set an he regarded as of too much consequence, and we should be careful that anxiety about a mere form should not exclude anxiety about a far more important matter, the state of the soul. T Forgive, &c. See Note on Matt. vi. 12, 15.

hedge about it, and digged a place fur the wine-fat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the ' fruit of the vineyard.

3 And they caught kim, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones,-' and wounded htm in the head, and sent Am away shamefully handled.

5 And again he sent another, and him they killed: and * many others, beating some, and killing seme.

6 Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he *" sent him also last unto them, saying. They will reverence my son.

7 But those husbandmen said among themselves. This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.

8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out " of the vine yard.

9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do"? He will come and " destroy the husbandmen, and will P give the vineyard unto others.

10 And have ye not read this scripture? The ' stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

11 This was the Lord's doing, and if is marvellous in our eyes.

12 And ' they sought to lay ho\d

on him, but fean^d the people; for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

13 And » they sent unto him certain of the Pharisees, and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man; for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, or not]

15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them. Why tempt ye me? Bring me a * penny that I may see it.

16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription 1 And they said unto him, Cesar's.

17 And Jesus, answering, said unto them. Render to Cesar * the things that are Cesar's, and to God '^ the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

18 Then ^ come unto him the Sadducpes, which say ' there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

19 Master, Moses wrote ^ unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no

children, that his brother « should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

20 Now there were seven breth ren: and the first took a wife, and dyi-ng left no seed.

21 And the second took her, and died; neither left he any seed; and the third likewise.

22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.

23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them 1 for the seven had her to wife.

24 And Jesus answering, said unto tJiem, Do ye not therefore err because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God 1

25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry noi are given in marriage; but '' are as the angels which are in heaven.

26 And as touching the dead, that they rise; have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, • I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye J therefore do greatly err.

28 And * one of the scribes came, and having heard them rea-

IS — 27. See this passage fully explained in Matt. xxii. 23—33.

25. Are as the angels. That is, as he angels in respect to connexions and relations. What that may be we know not, but this passage teaches that the peculiar relation of marriage will not exist. It does not affirm, hov/ever, that there will be no recollection of former marriages, or no recognition of each Sther as having existed in this tender relation.

26. How in the bush. At the burning bush. See Exodu? iii. 6. In that part of the hooT: of Exodus which contains the account of the burning bush. When there were no chapters and verses, it was the easiest way of quoting a book of the Old Testament bt^ the subject, and in this way it was oiten done by the Jews.

28. Perceiving that he answered them well. That is, with wisdom, and wiUi a proper understanding of the law. In this case the opinion of the Saviour corresponded with that of the Pharisees; and this question seems to have been

Boning tojrpther, and perceivins^ that he hd'J aiiswerec] I'neni well, asked him, Which is the fiist commandment of all 1

2'J And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, " Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shall love the Lord thy (iod with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like, namely, this, Thou* shah love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none Mher commandment greater than these.

32 Andthefcribe said unto him. Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for i!,ere is one God; and ' •here is none other but lie:

33 And to love him with all the

one of the very few candid inquiries made of him by the Jews, for the purpose of obtaining information. Jesus answered it in like spirit of kindness, and commended the conduct of the man.

29. Hear, 0 Israel.' This was said to call the attention of the Jews to the great importance of the truth about to he proclaimed. See Dent. vi. 4, 5. f T/ie Lord, our God, &c. Literally, " Jehovah, our God, is one Jehovah." The other nations worshipped many gods, but the G >d of the Sews was one, and one only. Jehovah was undivided; and this great truth it was the design of the separation of the Jewish people from other nations to keep in mind This was the peculiar truth which was communicated to the Jews, and this they were required to keep and remember for ever.

'.10. And Ihoit, shall love, &c. If Jehovah was the oT]ly God, then they ought not to lovo any other being supremely. Then they might not bow down before anv id^il. They were req'lirtd to love God abo\e all other beaigs or things, and with all the fa<;ul- »>»'« of theii minds.

heart, and with all the ur''eT«tand in^, and with all the so,,, anrl vith all the strentjth, and to love hii neighbour as himself, is mere than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.

31 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him. Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him ' any question,

35 And f Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David 1

3t] For David himself said by * the Holy Ghost, The * Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on_my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he

32, 33, 34. This answer of the scribe is not found iri Matti,''w. H /s tnore than all. Is o. more importance and value. 1i Discr'-etly. Wisely, accord ing to truth. ^ A'o' far from the king dom of God. Thou who dost prefer the internal to the external worship of God — who hast so just a view of the requirements of the law — canst easily be come a follower of me, and art almost fit to be numbered among my disciples. This shows that a proper understanding of the Old Testament, of its laws and requirements, would prepare the mind for Christianity, and fit a man at once to embrace it when presented. One system is grafted on the other, agreeablv to Gal. iii. 24. ^ No man — durst ask him any question. That is, no one of the scribes, the Pharisees, or the Sadducees, durs. nsk him a question for the purpose of templing him, or entangling him. He had completely silenced them. It does not appear, however, but that his disriples dared to ask him questions for the purpose ot informatio.i.

37. Hie commtm people heard him then his son? And the common peoji.e heard liim gladly.

38 And he said unto them" in his doctrine, Beware * of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, end love salutations in the marketplaces,

39 And "^ the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts;

40" Which devour widows' ^ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall, receive greater damnation.

eladhj. The success of our Saviour in his preaching was chiefly among the common or the poorer class of people. The rich and the mighty were too proud to listen to his instructions. So it is still. The chief success of the gospel is there, and there it pours down its chief blessings. This is not the fault of the gospel. It Vvould bless the rich and the mighty as well as the poor, if they came with like humble hearts. God knows no distinctions of men in conferring his favors; and wherever there is a poor, contrite, and humble spirit — be it clothed in rags or in purple— be it on a throne or a dunghill — there he confers the blessings of salvation.

38, hi his doctrine. In his teaching, for so it should be rendered. IT Beware of the scribes. Be on your guard. Be cautious about hearing them or following them, "i! Scribes. The learned men of tiie Jewish nation. IT Which love to go VI long clothing. In long flowing robes, as significant of their consequence, leisure, and learning. IT Salutations, &c. See Matt, xxiii. 6, 7.

40. IVliich devour widows^ houses. Which devour the families of widows, or the means of sny^porting their families. This they did under pretence of counselling them in the knowledge of tue law, and in the management of their estates. They took advantage of their ignorance and unprotected state, and either extorted large sums for their counsel, or perverted the property to ■.heir own use. No wonder that our

41 And ' Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money ' into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two '" mites, which make a farthing.

43 And he called unto kirn hia disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that -^ this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury:

Saviour denounced them! If there is any sin of pectihar enormity, it is thus taking advantage of the circumstances of the poor, the needy, and the helpless, and wronging them out of the pittance on which they depend to support their families. And as God is the friend of the widow and the fatherless, it may be expected that such will be visited with heavy condemnation. H For a pretence. For show, or pretending great devotion.

41. Sat over against. Opposite to, in full sight of it The treasury. This was in the court of the women. See Matt. xxi. 12. In that court there were fixed a number of places or coffers, made with a large open mouth, in the shape of a trumpet, for the purpose of receiving the offerings of the people; and the money thus contributed was devoted to the service of the temple — to incense, sacrifices, &.c.

43. Tv.'o miles. The word translated mite denotes a small coin made of brass, the smallest in use among the Jews. The precise value cannot now be easily estimated. It was much less thaft any coin we have, as ihe farthing was less than an English farthing. It was in value about three m.ills and a half, or one third of a cent.

43. This poor widow hath cast more ill, &c. That is, niore in proportion to her means, and therefore more that was acceptable to God. He does not mean that this was more in value than all which the others had put in, but it showed more love to the sacred causCj more self-denial, and of cowrse more

44 For all t/iei/ diJ cast in of their abundance; " but she of her want did cast in all that she had, »ven * all her livincr.

AND ' as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples zaith unto him, Master, see what aiantier of stones am what build-.ligs are here F

2 And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Seest thou these fjreat buildings I ** there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the Mount if Olives, over against the temple.

sincerity in what she did. This is the rule by which God will reward us. Compare 2 Cor. viii. 12.

44. Of their abundance. Of their superfluous store. They have given what they did not need. They could afford it as well as not; and in doing it 'hey have shown no self-denial. If She, of her want. Of her poverty. '^ All her living. All that she had to live on. She trusted in God to supply her wants, and devoted her httle property entirely to him.

From this passage we may learn: 1st. That God is pleased with offerings made to him and his cause. 2d. That it is our duty to devote our property to God. We received it from him; and we shall not employ it in a proper manner unless we feel that we are stewards, and ask of him what we shall do with it. Jesus approved the conduct of all who had given money to the treasury..3d. That the highest evidence of love to the cause of religion is not the amount given, but the amount compared with our means. 4th. That it mn;/ 6e proper to give all our propertv to God, and to Icpend on his Provide ace for the supply of our wants. 5th. That God does not despise the humblest offering, if made in sincerity. He loves a cheerful giver. 6th. That there are none who may not in this way show their love to the cause of reUgion. There are few, very few scholars in all our sabbath schools, who

Peter and James and John and Andrew asked hiin privately,

4 Tell us, when shall these things be ■? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled'?

5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say. Take • heed lest any man deceive you:

G For many shall come ^ in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ^ ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not 6e yet.

S For nation shall rise against may not give as much to the cause of religion as this poor widow; and Jesus would be as ready to approve their offerings as he was hers, and the time to begin to be benevolent and to do good is in early hfe, in childhood. 7th. That it is every man's duty to make enquiry, not how much he gives, but how much compared with what he has; how much self-denial he practises, and what is the motive with which it is done. 8th. We may remark that few practise self-denial for the purposes of charity. Most give of their abundance — that is, what they can spare without feeling it — and many feel that this is the same as throwing it away. Among all the thousands who give to these objects, how few deny themselves of one comfort, even the least, that they may advance the king dom of Christ!

The principal things in this chapter are filly explained in the x.xivth chapter of Matthew.

1. What manner of stones. The stones here referred to were those used in the building of the temple, anci the walls on the sides of Mount Moriah on which the temple stood. The temple was constructed of white marble, and the blocks were of a prodigious size. Josephus says that these stones were some of them fifty feet lon^, twenty four broad, and si.xteen in thickness.

3. Cn the mount of Oliver, over against nation, and kinjrdom against kingdom; and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall bj famines and troubles: these art the beginnings of sorrows.

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they ° shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten; and ye shall be Drought before rulers and kitigs for Kiy sake, for a testimony against

10 And * the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver yon up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is

' The word in the original importeth tha pains of a woman in travail. a Matt. 10.17, &c. Re.2.10. 6Matt.28.19. Re.14.6.

not ye that speak, but 'the Holy Ghost.

12 Now the brother '' shall be tray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13 And ye shall be hated ' of all men for my name's sake: but he/ that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of * by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand.) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains:

'.he temple. The mount of Olives was directly east of Jerusalem, and from it there was a fine view of the temple.

9. Take heed to yourselves. Be cautious that no man deceive you; or, take care of your lives, not to run into unnecessary danger. "T To cotincils. The liigher ecclesiastical courts of the Jews, including the Sanhedrim, or great council of the nalion. ^ Rulers and kings. Referring to Roman officers. U For a test imomi against them. Rather to bear tcs>iniony to them; or to be witnesses before them of the truth. This was /or the sake of Jesus, or because they were attached to him; and God would overrule it so that at the same time they should bear witness to the rulers of the truth, as was the case with Peter and John, Acts iv.; wiih Stephen, Acts vi. vii.; and with Paul, Acts xxiii. xxiv. 24. 25.

11. Neither do ye premeditate. Do rot think beforehand, ox prepare an answer. You know not what the accusations will be; and God will furnish you with a reply that shall be adapted to the occasion. Ti Not ye iliat sprak, but the Holy Ghost. This is a full pro- Jnise that they should be inspired, and •consequently their defences recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, are the words of the Holy Ghost. There could be no more e.'cplicit promise that they should be imder an infallible guidance; and we are not left to doubt that they were taught of God. At the same time this was a most desirable and gracious aid. They were illiterate, unknown, without power. They were unfit of themselvea to make the important statements of religion which were requisite. But God gave them power, and they spake with a wisdom, fearlessness, pungency, and ability, which no other men have ever manifested — full proof that these illiterate fishermen were under the influence of the Holy Ghost.

13. Thebrother shall betray, SoC. The brother shall give up in a treacherous manner his brother to be put to death on account of his attachment to Jesus. Through fear, in the hope of reward and the haired of the gospel, he will overcome all the natural ties of brotherhood, and give up his own kindred to be burnt or crucified. Perhaps nothing could more clearly show the dreadful evil of those times, as vvell as the natural opposition of the heart to the religion of Christ.

16 And let him that is in tlie field not turn back again for to take up his ofarnncnt.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the wintiir.

19 For" in those days shall be aflliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation whicli God created, unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened thc^o dffys, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, * here is Christ; or, Lo, he is there; believe him not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

23 But ' take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

21 But in those days, after that

32. Neither the Soit.. This te.xt has iilways presented serious difhcultic.'!. It has been asked, if Jesus had a divine nature, how could he say he kr-cvv not the day and hour of a future event? In reply, it has been said that the passage was wanting, according to Ambrose, in some Greek manuscripts. But it is now roinid in all, and there can be little doubt:hai the passage is genuine. Others have said that the verb rendered " knowelh," means sometimes to make known, or to reveal, and iliat the passage means, " thu day and hour none makes known, neiiiier the Angels, nor tlie Son, but the Father." It is true, the word has sometimes that meaning, as in 1 Cor. ii. 2; but then it is natural to ask wh';re has the Father made it known? In what place did he reveal it? After all.

25 And * the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are i.' heaven shall be siiaken.

26 And f then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.

27 And then shall he send hia angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven.

28 Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

31 Heaven and earth shall pasa away: but ^ my words shall not pass away.

32 But of that day and (ha/ hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

the passage has no more difficulty than that in Luke ii. 52, where it is said that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature. He had a human nature. He grew aa a man in knowledge. As a luun. his knowledge must be finite, for t'ae faculties of the human soul are not infinite. As a man. he often spoke, reasoned, inquired, felt, feared, read, learned, ate. drank, and walked. Wiiy are not all these, which imply that he was a man; that, as a man, he was not infinitewhy are not these as difficult as the want of knowledge respecting the particular time of a future event, especially when that time luust be made known by (Jod, and when he chose that the man, Christ Jesus, should grow and think, and speak as a man? 34. Who left his house. The worg

33 Take " ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the lime if.

34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter lo watch.

35 Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the master of the house Cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning;

36 Lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. *

house often means family. Our Saviour here represents himself as going away, leaving his household the Church, assigning to the apostles, and all his servants their duty, and leaving it uncertain when he would return. As his return was a matterof vast consequence, and as the affairs of his kingdom were intrusted to them, just as the affairs of a house are to servants, when the master is absent: so it was of vast importance that they should be faithful at their post, defend the house from danger, and be ready for his return. If The porter. The door-keeper. To the janitor or door-keeper was intrusted, particularly, the faithful care of the house, whose duty it was to attend faithfully on those who came, and those who left the house.

35. Watch ye. Be diligent, faithful, and waiting for the return of your Lord who will come at an unexpected hour. IT Master of the house. Denoting here ihe Lord Jesus. ^ At even, (•r at midnight, or, &c. This refers to the four divisions into which the Jews divided the night.

36. Find you sleeping. Inattentive to your post, neglecting your duty, and unprepared for iiis coming.

37. All, Watch. This command was proper, not only for those who were e.xpecting the calamities that were soon to come upon the Jews, but for all wlio are soon to die, and to go to the judgment. We know not the thne of our death. We know not how soon wo

AFTER two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft and put him to death.

2 But they said. Not on the feast- Jay, lest there be an uproar of the people.

3 And '' being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster-box of ointment

shall be called to the judgment. The Son of man may come at any moment, and we should, therefore, be ready, if we are his friends, if we have been re newed and pardoned, if we have repented of our sins, and have beheved on him, and are leading a holy hfe — we are ready. If not, we are unprepared, and soon, probably while we are not ex pecting it, the cold hand of death will be laid on us, and we shall be hurried to the place where is weeping, and waiUng, and gnashing of teeth. O how important it is to be ready, and to escape the awful sufferings of an eteknai hell!

I. And of unleavened bread. So called because that at that feast no other bread was used but that which had been made without leaven or yeast. ^1 By craft. By subtilly (Matt.); that is, by some secret plan that would secure possession of him without exciting the opposition of the people.

3. Ointment. This word does not convey quite the proper meaning. This was a perfume: it was used only to give a pleasant odor, and was liquid. 1i Of spihejiard. The nard from which this perfume was made, is a plant of the East Indies, with a small slender stalk, and a heavy, thick root. The best perfume is obtained from the root, though the stalk and fruit are UEcd for of' spikenard, very precious; and slie brake the box, and poured it on his head.

4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said. Why was this waste of the ointment made 1

5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred ^ pence, 3nd have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

6 And Jesus said, Let her alone* why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on me.

7 For " ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this

that purpose. ^ And she brake the box. This may mean no more than that she broke the seal of the box, so that it could be poured out. Boxes of perfumes are often sealed, or made fast with wax, to prevent the perfume from escaping. It was not likely that she would break the box itself when it was unnecessary; and when the unguent, being liquid, would have lieen wasted, when it was very precious. Nor from a broken box or phial, could she easily have poured it on his head.

8. She hath done what she could She has showed the highest attachn^ent in her power; and it was, as it is now, a sufficient argument against there being »ny real waste, that it was done for the honor of Christ.

12. TTiei/ killed the pas.<iover. The paschal lamb, which was slain in keeping the passover. If Go and prepare. Go and prepare a lamb, have it roasted, and properly prepared with the usual 34*

also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

10 And * Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betra}^ ' him unto them.

11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him '' money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

12 And the first day of ' unleavened bread, when they ^ killed the passover, his disciples said unto him. Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayst eat the passover ■?

13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ^ ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.

14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the good man of the house, The Master ^ saith. Where is the guest-chamber, where I shall

things to eat with it. IT The city. The city of Jerusalem. They were now in Bethany, about two miles from the city. IT A ma?i bearl^s a pitcher of water. This could have ^cen known only by the infinite knowledge of Christ. Such a thing could not have been conjectured, nor was there any concert between him and the man, that at that time he should be in a particular place to meet them, for the disciples themselves proposed the inquiry. If Jesus knew a circumstance like that, then he, in the same way, must have known ali things. Then he sees all the actions of man; hears every word, and marks every thought. Then the righteous are under his care, and the wicked, much as they may wish to be unseen, cannot escape the notice of his eye.

14. The good man of the house. This signifies simply the master of the house. The original word expresses noihing respecting his character, whether it was good or bad. If The gue.st-chnmber. A chamber for guests or riend9-;—ati unoccupied room.

15 And lie will shew you a large ■ipper room furnished and prepared: diore make ready for us.

16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the cily, and found * as he had said unto them: and they jnade ready the passover.

17 And in the evening he cometh jvith the twelve.

18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said. Verily 1 say unto you. One of you which eateth ' with me shall hetray me.

19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one. Is nil and another said, Is it II

20 And he answered and said unto them, It is ont> of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.

•21 The Son of man indeed goelh, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good '' were it for that man if he had never^been born.

22 And ' as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake u, and gave to them, and said. Take, • eat; this is m" body.

23 And he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

24 And he said unto them, This F is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the

15. A lar^e upper room. The word nsed here denotes the upper room devoted to purposes of praver, repose, and often of eaiins- ^ce. Note. Matt. ix. 1 — S. ^' Furmxhed and prepared. Literally spread and rradi/. Spread with a '"ar])ot, or with couches, such as were B8cd in bating. See Not e, Matt, xxiii. 6.

vine, until that day that I drink it ''new in the kingdom of God.

26 And when they had sung an ' hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.

27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, ' I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

28 But-* after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.

29 But * Peter said unto him. Although all shall be offended, ytt will not I.

30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee. That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shall deny me thrice.

81 But he spake the more vehemently. If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

32 And ' they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and he saith to his disciples. Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

34 And saith unto them, My" soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed " that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

36. Abln. This word denotes /a^A«7. It is a Syriac word, and is used by our all tliingjs are possible unto thee; lake away this cup from me: nevertheless " not what I will, but what thou wilt.

37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleepinjr, and saitli unto Peter, Simon, steepest thou? couldst not thou watch one hour?

38 Watch ye, and pray, lest ye enter into temptation: The '' spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.

40 And when he returned, he found them asleep ajjain, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enouirh, the ' hour is come: behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

43 And '^ immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude ' with swords and staves, from

Saviour as a word denoting filial affection and tenderness. See Rom. viii. 15.

40. Neither toist theij, &c. Neither linevo they. They were so conscious of the impropriety of sleeping at that time, that they could not find any answer to give to the inquiry why they had done it.

41. Il is enough. There has been much difficulty m dctermuiiug the meaning of this phrase. Campbell traurlaies it, "all is over," i. e., the time when you could have been of service to me is gone by. They might nave aided him by watching for him when they were sleeping; but now the time was past, and he was already, as it were, in the hands of his enemies. It is not iin;.>ro!;ahle, however, that after his agjny some time elapsed before Judas came. He had required them to watch, i. c, to keep awake during that the chief priests f and the scribes and the elders.

44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying. Whomsoever I shall kiss, ^ that same is he: take him, and lead him away safely.

45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, * master; and kissed

46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

unto them. Are ye coiTie out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?

49 I was daily with you in the temple, teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures ' must be fulfilled.

50 And ■' they all forsook him and fied.

51 And there followed him a cer tain young man, having a linen

season of agony. After that, they might have been suffered to sleep, while Jesus watched alone. As he saw Judas approach, he probably roused them, saying, It is sufficient — as much repose has been taken as is allowable— the enemy is near, and the Son of man is about to b« betrayed.

51. A certain young man. Who this was, we have no means of determining. That he was not one of the Apostles la clear. It is probable that he wasof ono of the neighboring villages or houses, and was roused from sleep by the noiso made by the rabble, and came to see what was doing; nor is it known why this circumstance is recorded by Mark, It is omitted by all the other Evange-

cloth cast about his naked body, and the young men laid hold on him:

52 And he left » the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

53 And * they led Jesus away to the hi^h priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and ihe elders and the scribes.

54 And Peter followed him afar oT, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.

56 For ' many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,

58 We heard him say, I will '' destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

59 But neither so did their witness agree together.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing ] What is it which these witness against thee ] •

61 But /he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high

lists. It may have been recorded to show that the conspirators had instructions to take the apostles, as well as Jesus; and supposing him to be one of.hem, they laid hold of him to take hnn before the high priest. If A linim cloth vast ahout his naked body. He was roused from sleep, and probably threw around him what was most convenient. They slept in hnen bedclothes commonly, and he seized a part of the priest asked him, and said nnt« him. Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

62 And Jesus said, I am • and * ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

63 Then the high priest rent * his clothes, and saith. What need we any further witnesses'!

64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye 1 And they all condemned him to he guilty of death.

65 And some began to spit ' on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him. Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of theii hands.

66 And J as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest.

67 And when she saw Petei warming himself, she looked upon him, and said. And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.

68 But he denied, * saying, 1 know not, neither understand 1 what thou sayest. And he wen* out into the porch; and the cock crew.

69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by. This is one of them.

70 And he denied it again. Ann a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art oru.

clothes, and hastily threw it round him. IT The young men. The Roman sol diers. They were called young men because they were made up chiefly of youth originally. This was a Jewish mode of speaking. See Gen. xiv. 24. 3 Sam. ii. 14. Tsa xiii. 18. '^ Laid hold on him. Supposing him to Oe one of the apostles.

of them; for thou art a Galilean, " and thy speech aj^reeth thereto.

71 But ho began to curse and to swear, a<tying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

72 And the second time tiie cock crew. And Peter called to mind Ihe word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice tliou shall deny me thrice. And when ' he thousiht thereon, he wept. ''

AND straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation ' with the eiders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried hij7i away, and delivered hiin to Pilate.

2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews ] And he, answering, said unto him. Thou sayest it.

3 And the chief pritsts accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.

4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing 1 behold how many things they witness against thee.

5 But "* Jesus yet answerod nothing; so that Pilate marvelltd.

G Now ' at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound -with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.

8 And the multitude, crying aloud,

See ll\''. principal events in tills chapter explained in Matt. x.\vii.

IG. Called Pretorium. The hall of the prcEtor, or Roman governor, whenh(! fat to fidminister justice. ir IFAo/i band. See Note on Matt, xxvii. 27

began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.

9 But Pilate answered them, saying. Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews'?

10 (For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy J)

11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release s Barabbas unto them.

12 And Pilate answered, and said •again unto them. What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King * of the Jews'?

13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.

14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil ' hath he done ' And they cried out the more exceedingly. Crucify him.

15 And so Pilate, willing to content tiie people, released Barabbas unto tiiem, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

16 And •* the soldiers led him away into the hall called Pretorium; and they call together the whole band.

17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head;

18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

I'J And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit * upon him, and, bowing their knees, worshipped hina.

let. See Note on Matt, xxvii. 3*S. ir AboiM liis head. In the form of a garland, or diadem. The whole head was not covered, but it was placed in a circle round ihe temples.

]^t. IVorsliipped liim. Mocked him with the appeara7ice of homage. Ths v.'ord worsfiip here denotes only the rn him, am] put his own clothes on hiin. and led him out to crucify him.

21 And ihcy compel one Simon a Cyreiiian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his 3ros3.

22 And " they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted. The place of a scull.

spcct and honor done to princes and kings. It does not refer to any reliirious homage. They regarded him as foolishly and madly claiming to be a kintr — not as claiming to be divine.

23. ^Vine mingled, &c. Matthew says vinegar. It was probably nine soured, so that it might be called either. This was the common drink of the Roman soldiers. If Myrrh. See Notes on Matt, x.xvii. 34.

25. And il was the third hour, &c. In John.\i.x. 14., if is said " and it w^as the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour," &c. Much difficulty has been felt in reconciling these passages; and infidels have usually adduced them to prove that the Evangelists have contradicted themselves. — In re'^inciling them the following remarks niHy perhaps make the matter clear. (1.) The Jews divided both the night and the day into four equal parts of three hours each. See Note, Matt. xiv. 25. The first division of the day commenced at SIX o'clock in the morning, and ended at nine; the second commenced at nine and ended at twelve, &c. 7'he third hour mentioned by Mark would therefore correspond with our nine o'clock; the sixth hour mentioned by John, would correspond with our twelve, or noon. (2.) Mark professes to give the time accurately; John does noi. He says "it was about the sixth hour," without affirming that this was exactly the time. (3.) A mistake in numbers is easily made; and if it should be admitted that such an error had crept into the text here, it would be nothing more than has occurred in many ancient writings. It has been proved moreover, that it was common not to write the words indicating numbers at length, but lo use letters. The Greeks designated ounibeis by the letters of the alphabet;

23 And they gave him to drinK wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

24 And when they had crucified him, they * parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what everj man should take.

25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

and this mode of computation is found in ancient manuscripts. For example, the Cambridge 1\IS. of the New Testament has in this very place in Mark not the word third written at length, but the letter y Gamma, the usual notation for third. Now it is well knowii that it would be easy to mistake this for the mark denoting six, j. All error of this kind in an early MS. might be extensively prcpagated, and might have led to the present reading of the text. Such an error is actually known to exist in the " Chronicon" of Paschal, where Otho is said to have reigned $ six months; whereas it is knowm that he reigned but three, and in this place therefore the y, three, was misiaker. for s, six. (4.) There is some external authority for reading "third" in John xix. 14. The Cambridge MS. has thi.s reading. Nonnus, who lived in tho fifth century, says that this was the true reading. i^Wetstein.) Peter of Alexandria, in a fragment concerning the Passover, as quoted by Usher, says, " It was the preparation of the Passover, and about the third hour, as," he adds, " the most accurate copies of the Bible have it; and this vi-as the handwriting of the Evangelist (John) which is kept, by the grace of God, in his most holy chm-ch at Ephesus." {Mill.) It is to be admitted, however, that no great reliance is to be placed on this account. That a mistake might have occurred in the early MSS. is not improbable. No man can prove that il did not so occur, and as long as this cannot be proved, the passages should not be adduced as conclusive proof of contradiction.

After all, perhaps the whole difficulty may be removed by the following statements. (1.) Calvary was without th« walls of Jerusalem. It was a coiP«ider-

26 And the superscription of his Bccusaiioii was written over, THE KlNCi OF THE JEWS.

•27 And with hiiu they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

thle distance from the place where Je- 9115 was tried a"rid condemned. Some ■i:ne — more or less — would be occupied in g'ling tht^re, and in the preparatory measures for crucifying him. (2.) It is not necessary to understand Mark as saying that it was precisely nine o'clock, according to our e.Kjjression. VVitii the Jews, it was six. until seven; ii was the third hour until the fourth commenced; it was the ninth until it was the tenth. They included in the tfiird hour the whole time from the third to the fourth. The same mode they adopted in regard to their days. See Note, Matt..\ii. 40. (3.) It is not unduly pressing the matter to suppose that Mark spoke of the time when the process lor crucifi.xion commenced; i. e., when he was condemned; when they entered upon it; when they made the preparation. Between that, and the time when he was taken out of Jerusalem to mount Calvary, and when he was actually nailed to the tree, there 13 no improbability in supposing that there might have been an interval of more than an hour. Indeed, the presumption is that considerably more time than that would elapse. (4.) John does not profess, as has been remarked, to be strictly accurate. He says '" it was about the si.xth hour," &c. (5.) Now supijose that John meanWo indicate the time when he was actually suspended on the cross; that he spoke of the crucifixion denoting the act of suspension, as it struck him, and there is no difficulty. Any other two men — any witnesses might give just such an account now. One man would speak ot the time when the process for an execution commenced, anotherperhapsof the very act of the execution, aud would both speak of it in general terms and say that a man was executed at such a time. And the circumstantial variation would prove tliat there was no collusion — no agreerrent to jwpose on a court — that ihey were honest witnesses. That is anved hero. (G.) Tliat this is the true