Notes on the Old and New Testaments

In the New Testament the word, in various forins, occurs eighty times; fifty-seven with reference to persons. Of these fifty-seven times, it is followed by "in" (tv) 18 times, as in water,?« the desert, i7i Jordan; 9 times by "into" (tij), as into the name, &c., into Christ; once it is followed by tirt (Actsii. 38.) and twice by "for" (urt?). 1 Cor. XV. 29.

The following remarks may be made in view of the investigation of the meaning of this word. 1st. That in baptism it IS possible, perhaps probable, that the notion of dipping would be the one that would occur to a Jew. 2d. It would Tiot occur to him that the word meant of necessity to dip entirely, or completely to immerse. 3d. The notion of washing would be the one which would most readily occur, as connected whh a religious rite. See the cases of Naanmn, and Mark vii. 4. (Greek.) 4th. It cannot be proved from an examination of the passages in the Old and New Testaments, that the idea of a complete immersion ever was connected with the word, or that it ever in any case occurred. If they went into the water, still it is not proved by that, that the only mode of baptism was by immersion, as it might have been by pouring, though they were in the water. 5th. It is not positively enjoined anywhere in the New Testament that the only mode oi baptism shall be by an entu-e subn^prsion of the body under water. Without

'ioh* of vipers, who hath warned you ' 8 Bring forth therefore fruits to ' llee from the wrath, to come ■?! meet for repentance: such a precept, it cannot be made obligatory on people of all ages, nations, and climes, even if it were probable that in the mild cUmate of Judea it was the us lal mode.

The river Jordan is the eastern boundary of Palestine or Judea. It rises in mount Lebanon, on the north of Palestine, and runs in a southerly direction, under ground, for thirteen miles, and then bursts forth with a great noise at Cesarea Philippi. It then unites with two small streams, and runs some miles farther, and empties into the lake i)/erom. From this small lake it flows 13 miles, and then falls into the lake Gennesarcth, otherwise called the sea of Tiberias, or the sea of Galilee. Through the middle of this lake, which is 15 miles long and from 6 to 9 broad, it flows undisturbed, and preserves a southerly direction for about 70 miles, and then falls into the Dead Sea.

The Jordan, at its entrance into the Dead Sea, is about ninety feet wide. It flows in many places whh great rapidity, and when swollen by rains pours like an impet\ious torrent. It formerly regularly overflowed its banks in time of harvest, that is, in March, in some places six hundred paces. Josh. iii. 15. 1 Chron. xii. 15. These banks are covered with small trees and shrubs, and afford a convenient dwelling for wild beasts. Allusion is often made to these thickets in the sacred scriptures. Jer..xli.x. 19; 1.44.

7. Pharisees and Saddticees. The Jews were divided into three great sects, the Pharisees; the Sadducees; and the Essenes. In addition to these, some smaller sects are mentioned in the New Testament, and by Josephus: the Herodians, probably pohtical friends of Herod; the Galileans, a branch of the Pharisees; and the Therapeuta?, a branch of the Essenes, but converts from the Greeks. The principal of these sects are supposed to have onginatcd about 150 years before Christ, as tiiey are mentioned by Josephus at about that time in his history. Of course nothing is said of them in the Old Testainer:, as that was finished

I. The Pharisees were the most numerous and wealthy sect of the Jews. They derived their name from the Hebrew word Pharash, which signifies to set apart, or to separate, because they separated themselves from the rest ot their countrymen, and professedly devoted themselves to peculiar strictness in religion. Their leading tenets were the following: — that the world was governed by fate, or by a fixed decree of God; that the souls of men were im mortal, and were either eternally happy or miserable beyond the grave; that the dead would be raised; that there were angels, good and bad; that God was under obligation to bestow peculiar favor on the Jews; and that they were justified by the merits of Abraham or by their own conformity to the law. They were proud, haughty, self-righteous, and held the common people in great disrespect. John vii. 49. They sought the offices of the state, and ai fected great dignity. They were os tentatious in their religious worshippraying in the corners of the streets, and seeking publicity in the bestowment of alms. They sought principally external cleanliness; and dealt much in ceremonial ablutions and washing.

Some of the laws of Moses they maintained very strictly. In addition to the written laws, they held to a multitude which they maintained had come down from Moses by tradition. These they felt themselves as much bound to observe as the written law. Under the influence of these laws, they washed themselves before meals whh great scrupulousness; they fasted twice a week — on Thursday, when they supposed Moses ascended mount Sinai. and on Monday, when he descended; they wore broad phylacteries, and en larged the fringe or borders of their garments; they loved the chief rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues. They were in general a corrupt, hypocritical, office-seeking, haughty class of men. There are, however, some honorable exception?

9 And th nk not to say within j yourselves, We have Abraham to

II. The Sadducees r'u supposed to nave taken their name from Sadok, who flourished about 260 years before the Christian era. He was a pupil of Antigonus Sochouus, president of the sanhedrim, or great council of the nation. He had taught the duty of serving God disinter estedlij, without the hope of reward, or the fear of punishment. Sadok, not properly understanding the doctrine of his master, drew the inierence that there was no future state of rewards or punishments; and on this belief he founded the sect. The other notions which they held, all to be traced to this leading doctrine, were: 1st. That there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit (?ilatt. xxii. 23. Acts xxiii. 8); and that the soul of man perishes with the body. 2d. They rejected the doctrine of fate. 3d. They rejected all traditions, and professed to receive only the books of the Old Testament.

They were far less numerous than the Pharisees, but their want of numbers was compensated, in some degree, by their wealth and standing in society. Though they did not generally seeA: office, yet several of them were advanced to the high-priesthood.

III. The Esse.nes, a third sect of the Jews, are not mentioned in the New Testament. Tlicy differed from both the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were Jewish monks or hermits, passing their time httle in society, but mostly in places of obscurity and retirement. It is not probable, therefore, that our Saviour often, if ever encountered them; and this, it is supposed, is the reason why they are not mentioned in the New Testament.

They were a contemplative sect, having little to do with the common business of life. The property which they possessed they held in common. They denied themselves generally of the usual comforts of lite, and were exceedingly strict in the observance of tie duties of religion. They were ge \erally more pure than the rest of the Jews, and appear to have been ai annmbitions, a modest, and retirir; xon.if people. The two sexes wer it in company, except on the Sabbath, when they partook of their coarse fare, bread and salt only, together. They practised dancing in their worship. Few ol them were married; they were opposed to oaths; and asserted that slavery was repugnant to nature. In regard to doc trine, they did not differ materially from the Pharisees, except that they objected to the sacrifices of slain animals, and of course did not visit the temple, and were not, therefore, likely to come into public contact with the Saviour. Thoy perpetuated their sect by proselytes, and by takmg orphan children to train up.

The other sects of the Jews were too insignificant to demand any particular notice here. It may be said of the Jews generally that they possessed little of the spirit of religion; that they had corrupted some of the most important doctrines of the Bible; and that they were an ignorant, proud, ambitious, and sensual people. There was great propriety, therefore, ui John's proclaiming the necessity of repentance.

Generation of vipers. Vipers are a species of serpents. They are from two to five feet in length, and about an inch thick, with a flat head. They are of an ash or yellowish color, speckled with long brown spots. There is no serpent that is more poisonous than their bite. The person bitten swells up almost immediately, and falls down dead. See Acts.xxviii. 6. — 'The word serpent, or viper, is used to denote both cunning and malignancy. In the phrase, be ye wise as serpents, it means be prudent, or wise, referring to the account in Genesis iii. 1 — 6. Among the Jews the serpent was regarded as the symbol of cunning, circumspection, and prudence. He was so regarded in the Egyptian hieroglyphics. In the phrase " generation of vipers," Matt. xii. 34 the viper is the symbol of wickedness, of envenomed malice — a symbol drawn from the venom of the serpent. It is not quite certain in which of these senses the phrase is used in this place; probably to denote their malignancy and wickedness. See Matt. xii. 34; xxiii 33. IT Wrath to come. John expresses his astonishment that sinners so hardened and so hypocritical as they were should have been induced to flee from our father: for I say unto yju, that 10 And now also the axe is laid God is able of these stones to raise unto the root of the trees: therefore np children unto Abraham. j every tree which bringeth not forth coming wrath. The wrath to come means the divine indignation, or the punishment that will come on the guilty. See 1 Thess. i. 10, 2; i. 8, 9.

8. Bring forth, therefore, fruit.i, &c. That is, the proper fruits of reformation, the proper evidence that you are sincere. Do not bring your cunning and dissimulation to this work; carry not your hypocrisy inte your professed repentance; but evince your sincerity by forsaking sins, and thus gii'j evidence that this crowding to Jordan is not some act of dissimulation. No discourse could have been more appropriate or more cutting, "if Fruits. Conduct. See Matt. vii. 16—19. IT 3Ieet for repentance. Fit for repentance; appropriate to it — the proper expression of repentance.

9. And think not to say, &c. They regarded it as sufficient righteousness that they were descended from so holy a man as Abraham. They deemed it as such an honor that it would go far to justify all his descendants. John viii. 33 — 37, 53. John assured them that tills was a matter of small consequence in the sight of God. Of the very stones of the Jordan he could raise up children to Abraham. The meaning seems to be this: God, from these stones, could more easily raise up those who should be worthy children of Abraham, or be like him, than simply, because you are descendants of Abraham, make you, who are proud and hypocritical, subjects of the Messiah's kingdom. Or, mere nativity, or the privileges of birth, avail nothing where there is not righteousness of hfe. Some have supposed, however, that bj' these stones he meant the Roman soldiers, or the heathen, who might also have attended on his ministry; and that God could of than raise r.p children to Abraham.

10. The axe is laid at the root of the tree. Laying the axe at the root of a tree is intended to denote that the tree is to be cut down. It was not merely to be trimmed, to be cut about the liinhs, out the very tree itself was to be struck. That is, a searching, trying kind of preaching has been c(jmmenced. A kingdom of justice is to be set up.

Principles and conduct are to be investigated. No art, no dissimulations, are to be successful. Men are to be tried by their Hves, not by birth, or profession. They who are not found to bear this test, are to be rejected. The very root shall feel the hlow, and the fruitless tree shall fall. This is a beautiful and very striking figure of speech, and a very direct threatening of future wrath. John regarded them as making a fair and promising profession, as trees do in hlossom. But he told them, also, that they should hess fruit as well as flowers. Their professions of repentance were not enough. They should show, by a holy hfe, that their profession was genuine.

11. Whose shoes I am, not worthy to hear. The word here translated shoes, has a signification different from what it has in our language. At first, in order to keep the feet from the shaip stones, or the burning sand, small pieces of wood were fastened to the soles of the feet, called sandals. Leather, or skina of beasts dressed, afterwards were used. The foot was not covered at all; but the sandal, or piece of leather, or wood, was bound by thongs.

The following cuts will give an idea of the early form of the shoe, or sandal, and of the thongs or latchets by which they were bound; and will serve to explain this and other passages of the New Testament, when reference is made to them. The first is taken from ancient Egyptian monuments.

We subjoin other forms of leathai sandals, and such as are still in common use in many countries of the east

good fruit, is" hewn down, and cast 1 cometh after Tne is mightier than I, into the fire. | whose shoes I am not worthy to

11 I indeed baptize you with bear: he shall baptize you' with

The wooden sandal is much worn in Arabia, Judea, and Egypt. It has a raised heel and toe, as represented in the following cuts; and, though often ftrpcnsive and neat, it was usually a cheap, coarse, and very clumsy article. The people put off these when they entered a house, and put them on when they left it. To loose and bind on sandals, on such occasions, was the business of the lowest servants; and their office was, to loose and carry about their masters' sandals. The expression here, then, was an expression of great humility; and John says that he was not worthy to be the servant of him who should come after him. ^ Shall baptize you. Shall send upon you the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is frequently repre- Bented as being poured out upon his people. Prov. i. 23; Isa. xliv. 3; Joel ii. 28, 29: Acts ii 17 18. The baptism of the Holy Ghost, and with fire: the Holy Spirit is the same, therefore as the sending of his influences to convert, purify, and guide the soul. ^ The Holy Ghost. The third person of the adorable Trinity, whose office it is to enlighten, renew, sanctify, and comfort the soul. He was promised by tlie Saviour to convince of sin. John.xvi. 8. To enlighten or teach the disciples. John xiv. 26; xvi. 13. To comfort them in the absence of the Saviour. John xiv. 18; xvi. 7. To change the heart. Titus iii. 5. To be baptized with the Holy Ghost means that the Messiah would send upon the world a far more powerful and mighty influence than had attended the preaching of John. Many more would be converted. A mighty change would take place. His minis try would not aftect the external life only, but the heart, the motives, the soul; and produce rapid and perinanent changes in the lives of men. See Acts ii. 17, 18. ^ With fire. This expression has been very variously understood. Some have supposed that he refers to the afflictions and persecutions with which men would be tried under the gospel; others, that the word fire means judgment or wrath. A part of his hearers he would baptize with the Holy Ghost, but the wicked with fire and vengeance. Fire is a symbol of vengeance. See Isa. v. 24, Ixi. 2, l.xvi. 24. If this be the meaning, as seems to be probable, then John says that the ministry of the Messiah would be far more powerful than his was. It would be more searching and trying; and they who were not fitted to abide the test, would be cast into eternal fire. Some have supposed, however, that by fire, here, he intends to denote that hia ministry would be refining, powerful, purifying, as fire is sometimes an emblem of purity. Mai. iii. 2. It is difficult to ascertain the precise meaning further than that his ministry would be very trying, purifying, searching. Multitudes would be converted; and those who were not true penite/its should not be able to abide the trial, and should be driven awav.

and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff" with unquenchable fire.

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan, unto John, to be baptized '' of him.

14 But John forbad him, saying, 1 have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me 1

unto him. Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God "^ descendinor like a

15 And Jesus answering, said dove, and lighting upon him:

made light, so that it might be easily i,arried about. The fan is a well-known agricultural instrument wliich was used by the Jews, as it is at the present day, to separate grain from the chaff. The usual custom was to throw the grain in the air by means of a large shovel, and suffer the wind to drive the chaff away, but it is probable that the fan was often employed. See my Note on Isa. XXX. 24. If His jloor. The threshing floor was an open space, or area, in the field, usually on an elevated part of the land. Gen. 1. 10. It had no covering or walls. It was a space of ground thirty or forty paces in diameter, and made smooth by rolling it, or treading it hard. A high place was selected for the purpose of keeping it dry, and for the convenience of wnnowing the grain by the wind. The grain was usually trodden out by oxen. Sometimes it was beaten with flails, as with us; and Bometimes with a sharp threshing instrument, made to roll over the grain, and to cut the straw at the same time. Isa. xli. 15. After being threshed it was winnowed. The grain was then separated froin the dirt and coarse chaff by a sieve, and then still further cleansed by a fan, an instrument to produce an artificial wind. This method is still practised in eastern nations. "IT Shall purge. Shall cleanse, or purify. Shall remove the chaff, &lc. IT The garner. The granary, or place to deposit the wheat. ^ TJnquenchahle fire. Fire that shall not be extinguished, that will utterly consume it. By the floor, here, is represented the Jewish people. By the wheat, the righteous, or the people of God. By the chaff, the wicked. They are often represented as being driven away like chaff before the wind. lob xxi. 18; Ps. i. 4; Isa. xvii. 13;

Hos. xiii. 13. They are also repiesented as chaft' which the fire conaumes Isa. V. 24. This image is often used te expressjudgments. Isa.xli. 15. "Thou shalt thresh the mountains anrl beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaft'." By the unquenchable fire is meant the eternal suffering of the wicked m hell. 2 Thess. i. 8, 9. Mark ix. 48. Matt. XXV. 41.

14. John forbad him. Refused him. T/ have need. It is more fit that J should be baptized with thy baptism, the Holy Ghost, than that thou shouldest be baptized in water by me. I am a sinner, and unworthy to administer tliis to the Messiah.

15. Thus it becometh us. It is fit and proper. And though you may feel yourself unworthy, yet it is proper it should be done. H All righteousness. There was no particular precept in the Old Testament requiring this, but he chose to give the sanction of his example to the baptism of John, as to a divine ordinance. The phrase."all righteousness," here, is the same as a righteous iiistitution or appointment. Jesus had no sin. But he was about to enter on his great work. It was proper that he should be set apart by his forerunner, and show his connexion with him, and give his approbation to what John had done. Also, he was baptized that occasion might be taken, at the commencement of his work, for God publicly to declare his approbation of him, and his solemn appointment to the office of the Messiah.

16. Out of the water. This shows that he had descended to the river. It fiterally means, ' he went up directly FROM the water.' The original does not imply that they had descended into the river. ^ The. heavens were opened

V,nto him. This was done while he was praying. Luke iii. 21. The sasred ordinance of baptism he attended with prayer. The ordinances of rehgion will be commonly ineffectual without prayer. If in those ordinances we look to God, we may expect he will bless us; the heavens will be opened; hght will shine upon our path; and we shall meet with the approbation of God. The expression, "the heavens were opened," is one that commonly denotes the appearance of the clouds when it lightens. The heavens appear to open, or give way. Something of this kind probably appeared to John at this time. The same appearance took place at Stephen's death. Acts vii. 56. The expression means, he was permitted to see far into the heavens beyond what the natural vision would allow. IT To him. Some have referred this to Jesus, others to John. It probably refers to Jolm. See John i. 33. It was a testimony given to John that this was the Messiah. IT He saw. John saw. H The fpirit of God. See v. 11. This was ihe third person of the Trinity, descending upon him in the form of a dove. Luke iii. 22. The dove, among the Jews, was the symbol of purity or harmlessness (Matt. x. 16), and of softness (Ps. Iv. 7). The form chosen iiere was doubtless an emblem of the innocence, meekness, and tenderness of the Saviour. The gift of the Holy Spirit, in this manner, was the public approbation of Jesus (John i. 33), and a sign of his being set apart to the office of the Messiah. We are not to suppose that there was any change wrought in the moral character of Jesus, but only that he was publicly set apart to his work, and solemnly approved by God in the office to which he was appointed.

17. A voice from heaven. A voice from God. Probably this was heard by all who were present. This voice, or sound, was repeated on the mount of transfiguration. Matt. xvii. 5. Luke ix. 35, 36. 2 Peter i. 17. It was also heard just before his death, and was tiien supposed by many to be thunder. John xii. 28 — 30. It was i public deed" Son, in whom I am well pleased.

claraton that Jesus was the Messiah. ^ BIy beloved Son. This is the title which God himself gave to Jesus. It denotes the nearness of his relation to God, and the love of God for him. Heb. i. 2. It implies that he was equal whh God. Heb. i. 5, 6, 7, 8. John x.

29, 30 — 33; xLx. 7. The term Son is expressive of love; of the nearness of his relation to God, and of his dignity and equaUty with God. IT Am well pleased. Am ever delighted. It implies that he was constantly or uniformly well pleased with him; and in this solemn and pubhc manner he expressed his approbation of him as the Redeemer of the world.

The baptism of Jestis has usually been considered a striking manifestation of the doctrine of the 1 rinity, or the doctrine that there are three persons in the divine nature. (1). There is the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, baptized in the Jordan, elsewhere declared to be equal with God. John x.

30. C2). The Holy Spirit descending in a bodily form upon the Saviour. The Holy Spirit is also equal with the Father, or is also God. Acts v. 3, 4. (3). The Father, addressing the Son and declaring that he was well please J with him. It is impossible to explai.i this transaction consistently in any ofhtr way than by supposing that there ara three equal persons in the divine natma or essence, and that each of these sustains important parts in the work of redeeming men.

In the preaching of John the Baptist we are presented with an example of a faithful minister of God. Neither the wealth, dignity, nor power of his auditors, deterred him from fearlessly declaring the truth respecting their cha racter. He called things by their right names. He did not apologise for their sin. He set it fairly before them, and denounced the appropriate curse. So sliould all ministers of the gospel. Rank, riches, and power, should have nothing to do in shaping and gauging their ministry. In respectful terms, but without shrinking, all the truths of the gospel must be spoken, or wo -will foU lov.' the ambassador of Chria

THEN was Jesus led up of" the Spirit into the wilderness, to Se* tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

In John we have also an example of humility. Blessed with great success; uttcnded by the great and noble, and wiih nothing but principle to keep him from turning it to his advantage; he still Ivcpt himself out of view, and pointad to a far greater personage at hand. So should every minister of Jesus, however successful, keep the Lamb of God in his eye, and be willing — nay, rejoice — to lay all his success and honors at his feet.

Every thing abovit the work of Jesus was wonderful. No person had before come into the world under such circumstances. God would not have attended the commencement of his Ufe with such wonderful events if it had not been of the greatest moment to our race, and if he had not possessed a dignity above all prophets, kings, and priests. He ivas the Redeemer of men, the mighty God, the Father of eternity, the Prince of peace (Isa. Lx. 8), and it was proper diat a voice from heaven should declare it, that the angels should attend him, and the Holy Spirit signahze his baptism by his personal presence. And it is proper that we, for whom he came, should give to him our undivided affections, our time, our influence, our hearts and our lives.

1, 2. The wilderness. See Note Matt. iii. 1. IT The Spirit. Luke says (ch. iv. 1) that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. It was by hi? influence, therefore, that Christ went into the desert. IT To be tempted. The word <o tempt, in the original, means to try, to endeavor, to attempt to do a thing; then, to try the nature of a thing, as metals by fire; then, to test moral qualifies by trying them, to see how they will endure; then, to endeavor to draw men away from virtue by suggesting motives to svil. This is the meaning here, and ^his is now the established meaning of <he word in the Enghsh language.

3 And when the tempter came

to him, he said. If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said. It is written, ' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that

IT The devil. This word origmally means an adversary, or an accuser; thence any one opposed; thence an enemy of any kind. It is given in the scriptures, by way of eminence, to the leader of evil angels — a being characterized as full of subtlety, envy, art, and hatred of mankind. He is known, also, by the name Satan, Job i. 6 — 12. Matt. xii. 26; Beehehub, Matt. xii. 24; The old Serpent, Rev. xii. 9; and the Prince of the power of the air, Eph. ii. 2. The name is sometimes given to men and women. Tim. iii. 3. Trucebreakers, slanderers — in the original, devils. 1 Tim. iii. 2. So must their wives be grave, not slanderers. In the original, devils.

2. Had fasted. Abstained from food. IT Forty days and nights. It has been questioned by some whether Christ abstained wholly from food, or only from bread and the food to which he was accustomed. Luke says (ch. iv. 2) that he ate nothing. This settles the question. Mark says (cli. i. 13) that angels came and ministered unto him. At first view this would seem to imply that he did eat during that time. But Mark does not mention the time when the angels performed the office of kindness, and we are at liberty to suppose that he meant to say that it was done at the close of the forty days; and the rather as Matthew, after giving an account ot the temptation, says the same thing (ch. iv. 2). There are other instances of persons fas'ing forty days, recorded in the scriptures. Thus Moses fasted forty days. Ex. xxxiv. 28. Elijah, also, fasted the same length of time. 1 Kings xix. 8. In these cases they were no doubt miraculously supported.

3. The tempter. The devil, or Satan. See ver. 1. ^ If thou be the Son of God. If thou art the Messiah — if God's own Son — then thou hast power to work a miracle, and here is a fit opportunity to try thy power, and show that thou a»'

proceedeth out of the mouth of 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the hcly city, » and set-

truly his Son. "S Command that these stones, &c. The stones that were lying around him in the wilderness. No temptation could have been more plausible, or more likely to succeed, than this. He had just been declared to be the Son of God (ch. iii. 17), and here was an opportunity to show that he was really so. The circumstances were Buch as to make it appear plausible and proper to work this miracle. ' Here you are,' was the language of Satan, ' hungry, cast out, alone, needy, poor, and yet the Son of God! If you have this power, how easy could you satisfy your wants! How foolish is it, then, for the Son of God, having all power, to be starving in this manner, when by a word he could show his power, and relieve his wants, and when in the thing itself there could be nothing wrong!'

4. But he ansicered and said, &c. In reply to this artful temptation, Christ answered by a quotation from the Old Testament. The place is found in Deut. viii. 3. In that place the discourse is respecting manna. Moses says that the Lord humbled the people, and fed them with manna, an unusual kind of food, that they might learn that man did not live by bread only, but that there were other things to support life, and that every thing which God had commanded was proper for this. The term " word," used in this place, means very often, in Hebrew, thirty, and clearly in this place has that meaning. Neither Moses nor our Saviour had any reference to spiritual food, or to the doctrines necessary to support the faith of believers; but they simply meant that God could support Ufe by other things than bread; that man was to live, not by that only, but by every other thing which proceeded out of his mouth; that is, which he chose to command men to eat. The substance of his answer, then, is: 'It is not so imperiously necessary that I should have bread, as to make a miracle proper to procure it. Life depends on the will of God. He can support it in other ways, as well as by bread. He has created other things to be eaten, and man may live by every thing that his Maker has commanded.' Andfrom this temptation we may learn, 1. ThaJ Satan often takes advantage of our circumstances and wants to tempt us. The poor, and hungry, and naked, hs often tempts to repine and complain, and to be dishonest in order to supply their necessities. 2. Satan's temptations are often the strongest immediately after we have been remarkably favored. Jesus had just been called the Son of God, and Satan took this opportunity to try him. He often attempts to fill us with pride and vain self-conceit, when we have been favored with any peace of mind, or any new view of God, and endeavors to urge us to do something which may bring us low, and lead us to sin. 3. His temptations are plausible. They often seem to be only urging us to do what is good and proper. They seem even to urge us to promote the glory of God, and to honor him. We are not to think, therefore, that because a thing may seem to be good in itself, that therefore it is to be done. Some of his most powerful temptations are when he seems to be urging us to do what shall be for the glory of God. 4. We are to meet the temptations of Satan, as the Saviour did, with the plain and positive declarations of scripture. We are to inquire whether the thing is commanded, and whether, therefore, it is right to do it, and not trust to our own feelings, or even our wishes, in the matter.

5. Taketh him up. This does not mean that he bore nim through the air, or that he compelled him to go against his will, or that he wrought a miracle, in any way, to place him there. There is no evidence that Satan had power to do any of these things; and the word translated taketh him up does not imply any such thing. It means to conduct one; to lead one; to attend or accompany one; or to induce one to go. It is used in the following places in the same sense. Numb, xxiii. 14: "And he (Balak) brought him (Balaam) into the field of Zopliim," &:.c. That is, he led him, or induced him to go there. Matt. xvii. 1: " And after sLx daysJesus taketh Peter, James," &c.; i. e. led, or conducted them — not by any means implying that he bore them bv

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written," He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee flPs.9].n,12.

force. Matt. xx. 17: " Jesus, going to Jenisfilem, took the twelve disciples apart," «St.c. See also Matt. xxvi. 37; xxvii. 27; Mark. v. 40. From these passages, and many more, it appears that all that is meant here is, that Satan conducted Jesus, or accompanied him; but not that this was done against the will of Jesus. IT The holy cittj. Jerusalem, called holy because the temple was there, and it was the place of religious solemnities. ^ Setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple. It is not perfectly certain to what part of the temple the sacred writer here refers. It has been supposed by some that he means the roof. But Josephus says that the roof was covered by spikes of gold, to prevent its being polluted by birds; and such a place would have been very inconvenient to stand upon. Others suppose that it was the top of the porch or entrance to the temple. But it is more than probable that the porch leading to the temple was not as high as the main building. It is more probable that he refers to a part of the sacred edifice sometimes called Solomon's porch. The temple was built on the top of mount Moriah. The temple itself, together with the courts and porches, occupied a large space of ground. See Note, Matt. xxi. 12. To secure a level spot sufficiently large, it was necessary to put up a high wall on the east. The temple was surrounded with porches or piazzas fifty-five feet broad, and seventy-five high. The porch on the south side was, however, sixty-seven feet broad, and one hundred and fifty high. From the top of this to the bottom of the valley below was more than seven hundred feet, and Josephus says that one could scarcely look down tviia"- out dizziness. The ■wori. pinnacle does not quite express the force of the orighial. It is a word given usually to hirds, and denotes wings, or any thing in the form of win^s, and w is given to

up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him. It is writ, ten again, Thou ' shalt not tempi the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain,

the roof of this porch because it resembled a bird dropping its wings. It was on this place, doubtless, that Christ was placed.

Satan proposed that he should cast himself down thence; and if he was the Son of God, he said it could do no harm. There was a promise that he should be protected. This promise was taken from Ps. xci. 11, 12.

To this passage of scripture Christ replied with another, which forbade the act. This is taken from Deut. vi. 16; " Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." That is, thou shalt not try him; or, thou shalt not, by throwing thyself into voluntary and uncommanded dangers, appeal to God for protection, or trifle with the promises made to those who are thrown into danger by his providence. It is true, indeed, that God aids those of his people who are placed by him in trial or danger; but it is not true that the promise was meant to extend to those who wantonly provoke him, and trifle with the promised help. Thus Satan, artfully using and perverting scripture, was met and re pelled by scripture rightly applied.

8. A71 exceeding high mountain. It is not known what mountain this was. It was probably some elevated o.are in the vicinity of Jerusalem, on the lop of which could be seen no small part of the land of Palestine. The Aot.e Mariti speaks of a mountain on which he was, which answers to the description here. " This part of the mountain," says he, "overlooks the mountains of Arabia, the country of Gilead, the country of the Amorites, the plains of Moab, the plains of Jericho, the river Jordan, and the whole extent of the Dead Sea." So Moses, before he died, went up into mount Nebo, and from it G od showed him ' ' all the land of Gilead unto Dan, and all Naphtl ali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the ut

Bnd sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is

most sea, and the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, and the city of palm trees, unto Zoar." Deut. xxxiv. 1 — 3. This shovi's that there were mountains from which no small part of the land of Canaan could be seen; and we must not suppose that there was any miracle when they were shown to the Saviour. IT All the kingdoms of the world. It is not probable that any thing more here is intended than the kingdoms of Palestine, or the land of Canaan, and those in the immediate vicinity. Judea was divided into three pails, and those parts were called kingdoms; and the sons of Herod, who presided over them, were called kings. The term world is often used in this limited scale to denote a part, or a large part of the world, particularly the land of Canaan. See Rom. iv. 13, where it means the land of Judah; also Luke ii. 1, and the Note on the place, "ii The glory of them. The riches, splendor, towns, cities, mountains, &c. of this beautiful land.

9. All these things, &c. All these kingdoms. All these dominions Satan claimed a right to bestow on whom he pleased, and with considerable justice. They were e.xcessively wicked; and with no small degree of plausibility, therefore, he asserted his claim to give them away. This temptation had much plausibility. Satan regarded Jesus as the king of the Jews. As the Messiah, he supposed he had come to take possession of all that country. He was floor, and unarmed, and wuhout folowers or armies. Satan proposed to put him in possession of it at once, without any difficulty, if he would acknowledge Mm as the proper lord and disposer of that country; if he would trust to him rather than to God. Ii Worship me. See Note on Matt. ii. 2. The word here seems to mean, to acknowledge Satan as having a right to give Iheae kingdoms to him; to acknow-

written, Thou • shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels * came and ministered unto him.

12 Now when Jesus had heard dDe.e.tS. lSa.7.3. 6 He.l.C,U.

ledge his dependence on him rather than God; that is, really to render religious homage. We may be surprised at his boldness. But he had been twice foiled. He supposed it was an object dear to the heart of the Messiah to obtain these kingdoms. He claimed a right over them; and he seemed not to be asking too much, if he gave them to Jesus, that Jesus should be willing to acknowledge the gift, and express gratitude for it. So plausible are Satan's temptations, even when they are blasphemous; and so artfully does he present his allurements to the mind.

10. Get thee hence. These temptations, and this one especially, our Saviour met with a decided rebuke. This was a bolder attack than any which had been oflered. Others had Ijeen but an address to his necessities, and an offer of the protection of God in great danger; in both rases plausible, and in neither a direct violation of the law of God. Here was a higher attempt, a more decided and deadly thrust at the piety of the Saviour. It was a proposition that the Son of God should worshi-^ the Devil, instead of honoring and adoring Him who made heaven and earth; that he should bow down before the Prince of wickedness and give him homage. If It is wrilteii. In Deut. vi. 13. Satan asked him to worship him. This was expressly forbidden. And Jesus therefore drove him from his presence.

11. The Devil leaveth him. The Devil left him for a time. Luke iv, 13. He intended to return again to the temptation, and if possible to seduce him yet from God. If Tlie angels came and ministered. See ch. i. 20. They came and supphed his wants, and comforted him. From the whole of this we may learn,

1. That no one is so holy as to be free from temptation; for the pure Son of God waB sorely tempted by the Devil that John was' cast into prison, he departed into Galilee:

13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, I or, delivered up.

2. That wRen God permits a temptation or trial to come upon us, he will, if we look to him, give us grace to resist and overcome it. 1 Cor. x. 13.

3. We see the art of the tempter. His temptations are adapted to times and circumstances. They are plausible. What could have been more plausible than his suggestions to Christ? They were applicable to his circumstances. They had the appearance of much piety. They were backed by passages of scripture— misapplied, but still most artfully presented. He never comes boldl)' and tempts men to sin, telling them that they are committing sin. JSuch a mode would defeat his design. It would put people on their guard. He commences, therefore, artfully, plau.sibly, and the real purpose does not appear till he has prepared the mind for it. This is the way with all temptation. No wicked man would at once tempt another to be profane, to be drunk, to be an infidel, or to commit adultery. The principles are first corrupted. The confidence is secured. The affections are won. And then the allurement is by little and httle presented, till the victim falls. How should every one be on his guard at the very first appearance of evil, at the first su;^gestion that may possibly lead to evil!

4. One of the best ways of meeting temptation is by applying scripture. So our Saviour did, and they will always best succeed who best wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph. vi. 17.

12. John V)as cast into prison. For an account of the imprisonment of John, see Matt. xiv. 1 — 13. ^ He departed into Galilee. See Mat. ii. 22. The reasons why Jesus went then into Galilee were, probably, not that he might avoid danger — for he went directly into the dominons of Herod, and Jesus had nothing in particular to fear from Herod, as he had given him no cause of offence — but, 1st. Because the attention of the people had been much excited by John's preaching, and it was more favorable for his own ministry. 2d. It seemed 5*

which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14 That it miaht be fulfilled

desirable to have some one to second John in the work of reformation. 3d. It was less dangerous for him to commence his labors there than near Jerusalem. Judea was under the dominion of the scribes, and Pharisees, and priests. They would naturally look with envy on any one who set up for a public teacher, and who should attract much attention there. It was important, therefore, that the work of Jesus should begin in Galilee, and become somewhat established and known before he went to Jerusalem.

13. Leaving Nazareth. Because his townsmen cast him out, and rejected him. See Luke iv. 14 — 30. IT Came and dwelt in Capernaum. This was a city on the north-west corner of the sea of Tiberias. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but is repeatedly in the gospels. Though it was once a city of renown, and the metropolis of all GaUlee, the site it occupied is now uncertain. When Mr. Fisk, an American missionary, travelled in Syria in 1823, he found twenty or thirty uninhabited Arab huts, occupying what are supposed to be the ruins of the once e.xalted city of Capernaum.

In this place, and its neighbourhood, Jesus spent no small part of the three years of his public ministry. It is hence called his own city. Matt. ix. 1. Here he healed the nobleman's son (John iv. 47); Peter's wife's mother (Matt. viii. 14); the centurion's servant (Matt. viii. 5 — 13); and the ruler's daughter (Matt. ix. 23 — 25). IT Upon the.teacoast. The sea of Tiberias. ^ In the borders of Zebulon and Nephthalim. These were two tribes of the children of Israel which were located in this part of the land of Canaan, and constituted in the time of Christ a part of Galilee. Compare Gen. xlLx. 13. Joshua xix. 10, 32. The word larders here means hmmdaries. Jesus came and dwelt in the houtidaries or regioiis of Zebulon and NaphthaU.

14—16. That it might he fulfilled, &.C. This place is recorded in Isa. ix. 1, 2. Matthew has given the sense, but which was spoKen by Esaias the prophet, " saying,

15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, hy the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:

16 The people which sat in darkness * saw great light: and to them

not the very words of the prophet. IT By the way of the sea. Which is near to the Sea, or in the vicinity of the sea. If Beyond Jordan. This does not mean to the east of Jordan, as the phrase sometimes denotes, but rather in the vicinity of the Jordan, or perhaps in the vicinity of the sources of the Jordan. See Deut. i. 1; iv. 49. IT Galilee of the Gentiles. Galilee was divided into upper and lower Galilee. Upper Galilee was called Galilee of the Gentiles, because it was occupied chiefly by Gentiles. It was in the neighborhood of Tyre, Sidon, &c. The word Gentiles mcludes in the scriptures all who are not Jews. It means the same as natio7is, or as we should say, the heathen nations.

16. The people which sat in darkness. This is an expression denoting great ignorance. As in darkness or night we can see nothing, and know not where to go, so those who are ignorant of God, and their duty, are said to be in darkness. The instruction which removes this ignorance is called lisrht. See John iii. 19. 1 Pet. ii. 9. 1 John i. 5; ii. 8. As ignorance is often connected with crime and vice, so darkness is sometimes used to denote sin. 1 Thess. V. 5. Eph. v. 11. Luke xxii. 53. IT The rep;ion and shadow of death. This is a forcible and beautiful image, designed al.so to denote ignorance and sin. It is often used in the Bible, and is very expressive. A shadow is caused by an object coming between us and the sun. So the Hebrews imaged death as standing between us and the sun, and casting a long, dark, and baleful shadow abroad on the face of the nations, denoting their great ignorance, ein, and wo. It denotes a dismal, gloomy, and dreadful shade, where aeath and sin reign, like the chills, damps, and horrors of the dwellingplace of the dead. See Job x. 21; xvi. 16; xxxiv. 22. P3. xxiii- 4. Jer. iL C.

which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren,

These expressions denote that the country of Galilee was peculiarly ignorant and blind. We know that the people were proverbially so. They were distinguished for a coarse, outlandish manner of speech (Mark xiv. 70); and are represented as having been distinguished by a general profligacy of morals and manners. It shows the great compassion of the Saviour, that he went to preach to such poor and despised sinners. Instead of seeking the rich and the learned, he chose to minister to the needy, the ignorant, and the contemned. His ofiice is to enlighten the ignorant; his delight to guide the wandering, and to raise up those that are in the shadow of death. In doin^ this, Jesus set an example for all his followers. It is their duty to seek out those who are sitting in the shadow of death, and to send the gospel to them. No small part of the world is still lying in wickedness, as wicked and wretched as was the land of Zabulon and Nephthali in the time of Jesus. The Lord Jesus is able to enlighten them also. And every Christian should conceive it a privilege, as well as a duty, to imitate his Saviour in this, and to be permitted to send to them the light of hfe. See Matt, xxviii. 19.

18. Sea of Galilee. This was also called the sea of Tiberias, and the lake of Gennesareth, and also the sea of Chinnereth. Num. xxxiv. 11. Deut. iii. 17. Josh. xii. 3. It is about fifteen miles in length, and from six to nine in width. There is no pari of Palestine, it is said, which can be compared in beauty with the environs of this lake. Many populous cities once stood on its shores, such as Tiberias, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Chorazin, Hippo, &c. The shores are described by Josephus as a perfect paradise, producing every luxury under heaven, at all seasons of

Sii-on » called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19 And he saith unto them. Follow me, and I will make you' fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left'' Uidr nets, and followed him.

21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren,'' James

the year. The river Jordan flows directly through the lake, it is said, without mingUng with its waters, so that the course of the Jordan can be distinctly seen. The waters of the lake are sweet and pleasant to the taste, and clear. The lake still abounds with fish, and gives employment, as it did in the time of our Saviour, to those who live on its shores. It is, however, stormy, owing probably to the high hills by which it is surrounded. IT Simon calle. Peter. The name Peter means a rock; and is the same as Cephas. See Note, Matt. xvi. 18; also John 1. 42. 1 Cor. XV. 5.

'). Fishers of men. Ministers or preachers of the gospel, whose business it shall be to win souls lo Christ.

20. Straightway. Immediately — as all should do when the Lord Jesus calls them. Tf Left their nets. Their nets were the means of their living, perhaps all their property. By leaving them immediately, and following him, they gave every evidence of sincerity. They showed, what we should, that they were walling to forsake all for the sake of Jesus, and to follow him wherever he should lead them. They went forth to persecution and death, for the sake of Jesus; but also to the honor of saving souls from death, and establishing a church that shall continue to the end of time. Little did they know what awaited them, when they left their unmended nets to rot on the beach, and followed the unknown and unhonored lesus of Nazareth. So we know not what awaits us, when we become his followers; but we should cheerfully go, svhen our Saviour calls, willing to com-;ni( all into his hands — come honor ir dishonor, sickness or health, riches sr poverty, life or death. Be i* ours tc the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their tather, mending their nets: and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching ' in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel.'

do our duty at once, and to commit the result to the great Redeemer who has called us. Compare Matt. vi. 33, viii. 21, 22; John xxi. 21, 22. If Follow him. This is an expression denoting that they became his disciples. 2 Kings, vi. 19.

22. Left their father. This showed how willing they were to follow Jesus. They left their father. They showed us what we ought to do. If necessary, we should leave father, and mother, and every friend. Luke xiv. 26. Ii they will go with us, and be Christians, it is well; if not, yet they should not hinder us. We should be the followers of Jesus. And, while in doing it, we should treat our friends tenderly and kindly, yet we ought at all hazards to obey God, and do our duty to him. We may add, that many, very many children, since Sabbath schools have commenced, have been the means of their parents' conversion. Many children have spoken to their parents, or read the Bible to them, or other books, and prayed for them, and God has blessed them and converted them. Every child in a Sunday school ought to be a Christian; and then should strive and pray that God would convert his parents, and make them Christians too.

We see here, too, what humble instruments God makes use of to convert men. He chose fishermen to convert the world. He chooses the foolish to confound the wise. And it shows that religion is true, and is the power of God, when he makes use of such instruments to change the hearts of men, and save their souls. See Notes on 1 Cor. i. 26—28.

23; All Galilee. See ch. ii_. 22. IT Synagogues. Places of worship, oi places where the people ossemhled to- of the kingdom, and healing all j unto him all sick people that were manner of sickness, and all man- taken with divers diseases and toiner of disease " among the peo- ' ments, and those which were posple. sessed with devils, and those which

24 And his fame went throuffh- were lunatic, and those that had the

gather to worship God. The origin of synagogues is involved in much obscurity. The sacrifices of the Jews were appointed to be held in one place, at Jerusalem. But there was nothing to forbid the other services of religion to be performed at any place. Accordingly the praises of God were sung in the schools of the prophets; and those who chose were assembled by the seers on the Sabbath, and the new-moons, for religious worship. 2 Kings iv. 23. 1 Sam. X. 5 — 11. The people would soon see the necessity of providing convenient places for their services, to shelter them fi-om storms and heat; and this was probably the origin of synagogues. At v hat time they were commenced is unknown. They are mentioned by Joseph.^ a considerable time before the coming of Christ; and in his time they were multipUed, not only in Judea, but wherever there were Jews. There were no less than 480 in Jerusalem alone, before it was taken by the Romans.

The synagogues were built in elevated places — in any place where ten men were found who were wilUng to associate for the purpose; and were the regular customary places of worship. In them the law, i. e. the Old Testament, divided into suitable portions, was read, prayers were offered, and the scriptures were expounded. The law was so divided, that the five books of Moses, and portions of the prophets, could be read through each year. The scriptures after being read were expounded. This was done, either by the officers of the synagogues, or by any person who might be invited to it by the officiating minister. Our Sariour and the apostles were in the habit of attending at those places constantly, and of speaking to the people. Luke iv. 15—22. Acts xiii. 14, 15.

The synagogues were built in imitation of the temple, with a centre building, supported by pillars, and a court palsy; and he healed them.

surrounding it. See Note Matt, xxi, 12. In the centre building, or chapel, was a place prepared for the reading of the law. The law was kept in a chest, or ark, near to the pulpit. The uppermost seats (Matt, xxiii. 6.) were those nearest to the pulpit. The people sat round, facing the pulpit. When the law was read, the officiating person rose; when it was expounded, he was seated. Our Saviour imitated their example, and was commonly seated in addressing the people. Matt. v. 1; xiii. 1. IT Teaching. Instructing the people, or explaining the gospel. ^ The gospel of the kingdom.. The good news respecting the kingdom which he was about to set up; or the good news respecting the coming of the Messiah and the nature of his kingdom. If Preaching. See ch. iii. 1. If All manner of sickness. All kinds of sickness.

24. And his fame xoent throughout all Syria. It is not easy to fix the exact bounds of Syria in the time of our Saviour. It was, perhaps, the general name for the country lying between the Euphrates on the east, and the Mediterranean on the west; and between mount Taurus on the north, and Arabia on the south. Through all this region his celebrity was spread by his power of working miracles; and, as might be expected, the sick from every quarter were brought to him, in the hope that he would give relief ^ Those possessed with devils. Much difficulty exists, and much has been written, respectinfir those in the New Testa ment said to be possessed with the devil. It has been maintained by many, that the sacred writers meant only by this expression to denote those who were melancholy or epileptic, or afflicted with some other grievous disease. This opinion has been supported by arguments too long to be repeated here. On the other hand, it has been sup posed that t"ie persons so described

25 And there followed him great

were under the influence of evil spirits, who had complete possession of the faculties, ani who produced many symptoms of disease not unlike melancholy, and madness, and epilepsy. That such was the fact, will appear from;he following considerations: 1st. That Christ and the apostles spoke to them, and of them as such; that the}' addressed them, and managed them, precisely as if they were so possessed, (caving their "hearers to infer beyond a doubi that such was tlieir real opinion. 2d. They spake, conversed, asked questions, gave answers, and expressed their knowledge of Christ, and their fear of liim-— things that certainly could not be said of diseases. Matt. viii. 23. Luke viii. 27. 3d. They are represented as going out of the persons possessed, and entering the bodies of others. Matt, viii. 32. 4th. Jesus spoke to them, and asked their name, and they answered him. He threatened them, commanded them to be silent, to depart, and not to return. Mark i. 25; v. 8; ix. 25. 5th. Those possessed are said to know Christ; to be acquainted with the Son of God. Luke iv. 34. Mark i. 24. This could not be said of diseases. Cth. The early fathers of the church interpreted these passages in the same way. They derived their opinions probably from the apostles themselves, and their opinions are a fair interpretation of the apostles' sentiments. 7th. If it may be denied that Christ believed in such possessions, it does not appear why any other clear sentiment of his may not in the same way be disputed. There is, perhaps, no subject on which he expressed himself more clearly, or acted more uniformly, or which he left more clearly impressed on the minds of his disciples.

Nor is there any absurdity in the opinion that those persons were really under the influence of devils. For: 1st. It is no more absurd to suppose that an angel, or many angels, should have fallen and become wicked, than!hat so many men should. 2d. It i.s no more absurd that Satan should have possession of the human I'aculties, or inflict diseases, than that vien should do it — a thing which is done every day.

multitudes • of people from Galilee,

What more frequent than for a wicked man to corrupt the morals of others, or by inducing them to become intemperate, to produce a state of body and mind quite as bad as to be possessed with the devil? 3d. We still see a multitude of cases that no man can prove 7iot to be produced by the presence of an evil spirit. Who would attempt to say that some evil being may not have much to do in the case of madmen? 4th. It afl'orded an opportunity for Christ to show his power over the enemies of himseU and of man. and thus to evince himself qualifled to meet every enemy of the race, and triumphantly to redeem his people. He came to destroy the power of Satan. Acts x.xvi. 18. Rom. xvi. 20, 21. Those that were lunatic. This name is given to the disease from the Latin name of the moon (Luna.) It has the same origin in Greek. It was given, because it was formerly imagined that it was af fected by the increase or the decrease of the moon. The name is still retained; although it is not certain that the moor has any effect on the disease. On thif point physicians are not determined, but no harm arises from the use of thf name. It is mentioned only in this place and in Matt. xvii. 15. It was probabl) the falling sickness, or the epilepsy, th< same as the disease mentioned Marli ix. 18 — 20. Luke Lx. 39 — 10. ^ Am those that had the palsy. Many infirmities were included under this genera, name oi palsy, in the New Testament 1st. The paralytic shock, affecting tli£ whole body. 2d. The hemiplegy, affecting only one side of the body; the most frequent form of the disease. 3d. The paraplegy, afiecting all the system below the neck. 4th. The catalepsy. This is caused by a contraction of the muscles in the whole or a part of the body, and is very dangerous. The effects are very violent and fatal. For instance, if, when a person is struck, he happens to have his hand extended, he is unable to draw it back; if not extended, he is unable to stretch it out. It appears dinunishcd in size, and dried up in appearance. Hence it was called the withered hand. Matt. xii. 10 — 13. 5ih. The cramp. Tins, in eastern and fro7n Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and fro)n beyond Jordan.

AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,"

3 Blessed are the poor* in spirit: • for their's is the kingdom of heaven

countries, is a fearful malady, and by no means unfrequent. It originates from chills in the night. The limbs, when seized with it, remain immovable, and the person afflicted with it resembles one undergoing a torture. This was probably the disease of the ser^'ant of the centurion. Matt. viii. 6. Luke vii. 2. Death follows from this disease in a few days. If And he healed them. This was done evidently by a miraculous power. A miracle is an effect produced by divine power above, or opposed to, what are regular effects of the laws of nature. It is not a violation of the laws of nature, but is a suspension of their usual operation, for some important purpose. For instance, the regular effect of death is that the body returns to corruption. This efl'ect is produced by the appointed laws of nalure; or, in other words. God usually produces this effect. When he suspends that regular effect, and gives life 10 a dead body for some important purpose, it is a miracle. Such an effect is clearly the result of divine power. No other being but God can do it. When, therefore, Christ and the apostles exerted this power, it was clear evidence that God approved of their doctrines; that he had commissioned them; and that they were authorized to declare his will. He would not give this attestation to a false doctrine. Most or all of these diseases were incurable. When Christ cured them by a word, it was the clearest of all proofs that he was sent from heaven. This is one of the strong arguments for Christianity.

25. From Decapolis. Decapolis was the name of a region of country in the bounds of the half tribe of Manasseh, mainly on the east of Jordan. It was so called because it included ten cities ■ — the meaning of the word Decapolis in Greek. Geographers generally agree that ScythopoUs was the chief of these cities, and was the only one of them west of the Jordan; that Hippo, (Hip- 008, > Gadara, Dion, (or Dios,; Pelea,

(or Pella,) Gerasa, (or Gergesa,) Phiiadelpliia and Raphana, (or Raphanse, were seven of the remaining nine, and the other two were either Kanatha and Capitolias, or Damascus and Otopos. These cities were inhabited chiefly by foreigners (Greeks) in the days of our Saviour, and not by Jews. Hence the keeping of swine by the Gergesenes, (Matt. viii. 30—33,) which was forbidden by the Jewish law.

1. Seeing the multitudes. The great numbers that came to attend on his ministry. The substance of this discourse is recorded in the sixth chapter of Luke. It is commonly called the sermon on the mount. It is not improbable that it was repeated, in substance, on different occasions, and to different people. At those times, parts of it might have been omitted, and Luke may have recorded it as it was pronounced on one of those occasions. See Notes Luke vi. 17 — 20. ^ Went up into a mountain. This mountain, or hill, was somewhere in the vicinity of Capernaum, but where precisely is not mentioned. He ascended the hill, doubtless, because it was more convenient to address the multitude from an eminence, than on the same level with them. A hill or mountain is siill shown a short distance to the north-west of the ancient site of Capernaum, which tradition reports to have been the place where this sermon was delivered, and which is called on the maps the Mount of Beatitudes. But there is no positive evidence that this is the place where this discourse was uttered. IT Ana when he was set. This was the com mon mode of teaching among the Jews. Luke iv. 20; v. 3. John viii. 2. Acts xiii. 14; xvi. 13. If His disciples came. The word di.':clplcs means learner.^. those who are taught. Here it is put for those who attended on the ministry of Jesus, and docs not imply that they were all Christians. See John vi. 66.

word blessed means happy, referring to '.hat which produces feUcity, from whatever quarter it may come, 'i Poor in spirit. Luke says simply, blessed are THE POOR. It has been disputed whether Christ meant the poor in reference to the things of this hfe, or the humble. The gospel is said to be preached to the poor. Luke iv. 18. Matt. xi. 5. It was predicted that the Messiah should preach to the poor. Isa. Lxi. L It is said that they have peculiar facilities for being saved. Matt. xix. 23. Luke xviii. 24. The state of such persons is therefore comparatively blessed, or happy. Riches produce care aixxiety, and dangers, and not the least is the danger of losing heaven by them. To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in liis hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him. It is opposed to pride, and vanity, and ambition. Such arc happy: 1st. Because there is more real enjoyment, in thinking of ourselves as we are, than in being hlled with pride and vanity. 2d. Because such Jesus chooses to bless, and on them he confers his favors here. 3d. Because theirs will be the kingdom of heaven hereafter. It is remarkable that Jesus began his ministry in this manner, so unhke all others. Other teachers had taught (hat happiness was to be found in honor, or riches, or splendor, or sensual pleasure. Jesus overlooked all those things, and fixed his eye on the poor, and the humble, and said that happiness was to be found in the lowly vale of poverty more than in the pomp and splendors of life. ^ Theirs is the kingdom of keaven ' That is, either they have peculiar facilities for entering the kingdom of heaven, and of becoming Christians here, or they shall enter heaven hereafter. Both these ideas are probably included. A state of poverty — a state vhere we are despised or unhonor-

5 Blessed are the meek: for they * shall inherit the earth.

ed by men — is a state where men are most ready to seek the comforts of religion here, or a home in the heavens hereafter. See Note, ch. ii. 2.

4. Blessed are they that mourn. This is capable of two meanings: either that those are blessed who are aftUcted with the loss of friends or possessions: or that they who mourn over sin are blessed. As Christ came to preach repentance, to induce men to mourn over their sins, and to forsake them, it is probable that he had the latter particularly in view. 2 Cor. vii. 10. At the same time, it is true that the gospel only can give true comfort to those m affliction. Isa. Lxi. 1 — 3. Luke iv. 18. Other sources of consolation do not reach the deep sorrows \)f the soul. They may blunt the sensibilities of the mind; they may produce a sullen ana reluctant submission to what we can not help; but they do not point to the true source of comfort. In the God of mercy only; in the Saviour; in the peace that flows from the hope of a better world, and there only, is there comfort. 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18; v. 1. Those that mourn thus shall be comforted So those that grieve over sin; that sorrow that they have comm.itted it, and are afflicted and wounded that they have ofleiided God, shall find comfort in the gospel. Through the merciful Saviour those sins may be forgiven. In him the weary and heavy-laden soul shall find peace ^Matt. xi. 28—30); and the presence of the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, shall sustain us here (John xiv. 26, 27), and in heaven all tears shall be wiped away^ Rev. xxi. 4.

5. The meek. Meekness is patience in the reception of injuries. It is neither meanness, nor a surrender of our rights, nor cowardice; but it is the opposite of sudden anger, of malice, of long-harbored vengeance. Christ in sisted on his right, when he said, " If I have done evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" John xviii. 23. Paul asserted his right, when he said, " They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? na^

6 Blessed are they which do! ousness: for hunger and thirst after righte- ed.

verily; but let them come themselves, and letch us out." Acts xvi. 37. And yet Christ was the very model of meekness. It was one of his characteristics, " I am meek." Matt. xi. 29. So of Paul. No man endured more, and more patiently than he. Yet they were not passionate. They bore it patiently. They did not harbor malice. They did not press their rights through thick and thin, and trample down the rights of others to secure their own.

Meekness is the reception of injuries with a belief that God will vindicate us. "Vengeance is his; he will repay." Rom. xii. 19. It little becomes us to take his place, and to do what he has a right to do, and what he has promised to do.

Meekness produces peace. It is proof of true greatness of soul. It comes from a heart too great to be moved by little Insults. It looks upon those who offer them with pity. He that is constantly ruffled, that suffers every little insult or injury to throw him off his guard, and to raise a storm of passion within, is at the mercy of every mortal that chooses to disturb him. He is like the troubled sea that cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. IT They shall inherit the earth. This might have been translated the land. It is probable that here is a reference to the manner in which the Jews commonly expressed themselves to denote any great blessing. It was promised to them that they should inherit the land of Canaan. For a long time the patriarchs looked forward to this. Gen. xv. 7, 8. Ex. xxxii. 13. They regarded it as a great blessing. It was so spoken of in the journey in the wilderness; and their hopes were crowned when they took possession of the promised land. Deut. i. 38; xvi. 20. In the time of our Saviour they were in the constant habit of using the Old Testament where this promise perpetually occurs, and they used it as a proverbial expression, to deriote any areat blessin/r, perhaps as the sum of all blessings. Ps. xxxvii. 20. Isa. Ix. 21. Cur Saviour used it in this sense; and meant to say, not that the meek should »WTi great praperty, or have many lands, but that they should possess peculiai blessings. The Jews also considered the land of Canaan as a type of heaven, and of the blessings under the Messiah. To inherit the land, became, therefore, an expresoion denoting those blessings. When our Savioiu- promises it here, he means that the meek shall be received into his kingdom, and partake of its blessings here, and of the glories of the heavenly Canaan hereafter. The value of meekness, even in regard to worldly property and success in hfe, is often ex hibited in the scriptures. Prov. xxii. 24, 25; XV. 1; xxv. 8, 15. It is also seen in common life that a meek, patient, mild man is the most prospered. An impatient and quarrelsome man raises up enemies; often loses property in lawsuits; spends his time in disputes and broils, rather than in sober, honest industry; and is harassed, vexed, and unsuccessful in all that he does. Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that is, and of that which is to come. 1 Tim. iv. 8; vi.

6. Blessed are they that hunger, &c. Hunger and thirst, here, are expressive of strong desire. Nothing would better express the strong desire which we ought to feel to obtain righteousness, than hunger and thirst. No wants are so keen, none so imperiously demand supply, as these. They occur daily; and when long continued, as in case of those shipwrecked, ari-i doomed to wander months or j'ears over burning sands, with scarcely any drink or food, nothing is more distressing. An ardent desire for any thing is often represented in the scriptures by hunger and thirst. Ps. xhi. 1, 2; Ixiii. 1, 2. A desire fothe blessings of pardon and peace; a deep sense of sin, and want, and wretchedness, is olso represented by thirsting. Isa. Iv. 1, 2. Those that are perishing for want of righteousness; that feel that they are lost sinners, and strongly desire '.o be holy, shall be filled. Never was there a desire to be holy, which God was not willing to gratify. And the gospel of Christ has made provision to satisfy all who truly desire to be holy. See Isa. Iv. and

7 Blessed are the merciful: for | 9 Blessed are the ' peacemakers: • they shall obtain mercy. for they shall be called the children

8 Blessed are the pure in ^ heart: j of God. for they shall see God.

7. Blessed are the merciful. That is, '.hose who are so affected by the sttfferings of others, as to be disposed to alleviate them. This is given as an evidence of piety, and it is said that they who show mercy to others, shall obtain it. The same sentiment is found in Matt. x. 42. Whosoever shall give a cup of cold water only unto one of these little ones, in the name of a disciple, shall not lose his reward. See also Matt. XXV. 34 — 40. It should be done to glorify God; that is, in obedience to his coinmandnients and with a desire that he should be honored; and feeling that we are benefiting one of his creatures. Then he will regard it as done to him, and will reward us. See the sentiment of this verse, that the merciful shall obtain mercy, more fully expressed in 2 Sain. xxii. 26, 27; and in Ps. xviii. 25, 26.

Nowhere do we imitate God more than in showing mercy. Iii nothing does God more delight than in the exercise of mercv. Ex. xxxiv. 6. Ezek. xxxiii. 11. iTim. ii. 4. 2 Pet. iii. 9. To us, guilty sinners; to us, wretched, dying, and exposed to eternal wo, he has shown his mercy by giving his Son to die for us; by expressing his willingness to pardon and save us; and by sending his Spirit to renew and sanctify the heart. Each day of our hfe, each hour, and each moment, we partake of his undeserved mercy. All the blessings we enjoy are proofs of his mercy, if loe, also, show mercy to the poor, the wretched, the guilty, it shows that we are lilie God. We have his spirit, nnd shall not lose our reward. And we have abundant opportunity to do it. Our world is full of guilt and wo, which we may help to relieve; and every day of our lives we have opportunity, by heiping the pool and wretched, and by forgiving those who injure us, to show that we are hke God. See Note on ch. v\. 14, 15.

That is, whose minds, motives, and principles are pure. Who seek not only to have the external aciio?is correct, but who desire to be holy in heart, and who are so. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looketb on the heart. If They shall see God. There is a sense in which all shall see God. Rev. i. 7. That is, they shall behold him as a Judge, not as a Friend. In this place, it is spoken of as a peculiar favor. So also in Rev..xxii. 4. And they shall see his face. To see the face of one, or to be in his presence, were, among the Jews, terms expressive of great favor. It was regarded as a high honor to be in the presence ol kings and princes, and to be permitted to see them. Prov. xxii. 29. He shall stand before kings, &lc. See als(j 2 Kings XXV. 19. " Those that stood in the king's presence;" in the Hebrew, those that saw the face of the king; that is, who were his favorites and friends. So here, to see God, means to be his friends and favorites, and to dwell with him in his kingdom.

9. Blessed are the peace-makers. Those who strive to prevent contention, and strife, and war. Who use their influence to reconcile opposing parties, and to prevent lawsuits, and hostilities, in families and neighbourhoods. Every man may do something of this; and no man is more Uke God, than he who does it. There ouglit not to be unlawful and officious interference in that which is none of our business; but without any danger of acquiring this character, every man has many opportunities of reconciling opposing parties. Friends, neighbors, men of influence, lawyers, physicians, may do much to promote peace- And it should be taken in hand in the beginning " The beginning of strife," says Solomon, " is like the letting out of water." " An ounce of prevention," says the EngUsh proverb, " is worth a pound oi cure." Long and most deadly quarrels might be prevented by a little kind interference in the beginning. ^ Child

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' " sake: For their's is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men

ren of God. See Matt. i. 1. Those who resemble God, or who manifest a spirit like his. He is the Author of peace (1 Cor..\iv. 33); and all those who endeavor to promote peace are lihe him, and are worthy to be called his children.

10. Persecuted. To persecute, means literally to pursue, follow after, as one does a flying enemy. Here it means to \'e.x, or oppress one, on account of his religion. They persecute others who injure their names, reputation, property, or endanger or take their life, on account of their religious opinions. ^ For righteousness^ sake. Because they are righteous, or are the friends of God. We are not to seek persecution. We are not to provoke it by strange sentiments or conduct, or by violating the laws qf civil society, or by modes of speech that are unnecessarily ofTeiisive to others. But if, in the honest cilhrt to be Christians, and to live the life of Christians, others persecute and revile us, we are to consider this as a blessing. It is an evidence that we are the children of God, and that he will defend us. All that live godly in Christ.Tesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim. iii. 12. If Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. They have evidence that they are Christians, and shall be brought to heaven.

11. Revile you. Reproach you; call you by evil and contemptuous names; ridicule you because you are Christians. Thus they said of Jesus, that he was a Samaritan and had a devil; that he was mad; and thus they reviled and mocked him on the cross. But being reviled, lie reviled not again (1 Pet. ii. 23.); and thus being reviled, we should bless (1 Cor. iv. 12.); and thus, though the contempt of the world is not in itself desirable, yet it is blessed to tread in the footsteps of Jesus, to imitate his example, and even to suffer for his sake. Phil. i. 29. ^ All manner of evil — falsely. An emphasis should be laid on the word falsely in this passage. It is not blessed to have evil spoken of us if we deserve it; but if we deserve it not, then we should not consider it a.s a calamity.

shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you ' falsely for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward * ii

We should take it patiently, and show how much the Christian, under the consciousness of innocence, can bear 1 Pet. iii. 13—18. "^ For my sake. Because you are attached to me; because you arc Christians. We are not to seek such things. We are not to do things to offend others; to treat them harshly or unkindly, and court revilings. We are not to say or do things, though they may be on the subject of religion, designed to disgust or offend. But if, in the faithful endeavor to be Christians, we are reviled, as our Master was, then we are to take it with patience, and to remember that thousands before us have been treated in like manner. When thus reviled, or persecuted, we are to be meek, patient, humble; not angry; not reviling again; but endeavoring to do good to our persecutors and slanderers. 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25. In this way many have been convinced of the powej and excellence of that religion which they were persecuting and revihng They have seen that nothing else but Christianity could impart such patience and meekness to the persecuted; and have, by this means, been constrained to submit themselves to the gospel of Jesus. Long since, it became a pro verb, " that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."

12. Eejoice, &L.C. The leward of such suffering is great. To those who suffe: most, God imparts the highest rewards. Hence the crown of martyrdom has been thought to be the brightest thai any of the redeemed shall wear; anc hence many of the early Christiane sought to become martyrs, and threv themselves in the way of their persecu tors, that they might be put to death. They literally rejoiced, and leaped fo' joy, at the prospect of death for the sake of Jesus. Though God does)ic>. require us to seek persecution, yet ah this shows that there is something in religion to sustain the soul, which the world does not possess. Nothing bir the consciousness of innocence, and iho presence of God, could have borne

heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt " of the earth:

but if the salt have lost his savour,

rfiem up in the midst of these trials; md the flame, therefore, kindled to consume the martyr, has also been a bright light, showing the truth and power of the gospel of Jesus. IT T/ie prophets, &LC. The holy men who i:ame to predict future events, and who were the reUgious teachers of the Jews. For an account of their persecutions. Bee the 11th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

13. Ye are the salt of the earth. Salt renders food pleasant and palatable, and preserves from putrefaction. So Christians, by their lives and instructions, are to keep the world from entire moral corruption. By bringing down, by their prayers, the blessing of God, and by their influence and example, they save the world from universal vice and crime. If Salt have lost its savotir. That is, if it has become insipid, tasteless, or have lost its preserving properties. The salt used in this country is a chemical compound— muriate of soda — and if the •allness were lost, or it were to lose its favour, there would be nothing remaining. It enters into the very nature of the substance. In eastern countries, however, the salt used was impure, mingled with vegetable and earthy substances; so that it might lose the whole of its saitness, and a considerable quantity of earthy matter remain. This was good for nothing e.xcept that it was used, as it is said, to place in paths, or walks, as we use gravel. This kind of salt is common still in that country. It is found in the earth in veins or layers, and when exposed to the sun and rain, loses its saitness entirely. Maundrell 3ays, 'I* I broke a piece of it, of which that part that was exposed to the rain, sun, and air, though it had the sparks and particles of salt, yet it had perfectly lost its savour. The inner part, which was connected to the rock, retained its savour, as I found by proof "

U. The light of the world. The light to be cast out, and to be troddet under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light ^ of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a can

of the world often denotes the sun. John xi. 9. The sun renders objects visible, shows their form, their nature, their beauties, and deformities. The term light is often applied to religious teachers. See Matt. iv. 16; Luke ii. 32; John i. 4, viii. 12; Isa. xlLs. 6. It is pre-eminently applied to Jesus in these places, because he is, in the moral world, what the sun is in the natural world. The apostles, and Christian ministers, and all Christians, are lights of the world, because they, by their instructions and examples, show what God requires, what is the condition of man, what is the way of duty, peace, and happiness — the way that leads to heaven. ^ A city that is set on a hill, &c. Many of the cities of Judea were placed on the summits or sides of mountains, and could be seen from afar. This was the case with Jerusalem; and it is said by Maundrell, that near the place where our Saviour is supposed to have delivered his sermon, there is still such a town, called Saphat, anciently Bethesda. This can be seen far and near. Perhaps Jesus pointed to such a city, and told his disciples that they were like it. They were seen from far. Their actions could not be hid. The eyes of the world were upon them. They must be seen; and as this was the case, they ought to be holy, harmless, and undefiled.

15. Neither do men light a candle, &,c. Jesus proceeded here to show them that the very reason why they were enlightened was, that others might also see the light, and be benefited by it. When men light a candle, they do not conceal the light, but place it where il may be of use. So it is with religion. It is given that we may benefit others It is not to be concealed, but sufiered to show itself and to shed light on r surrounding wicked world. If A hishel Greek, a measure containing nearly a peck. It denotes any thing, here, tha' might conceal the light.

die, and put it under ^ a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify" your Father which is in heaven.

1 The word, in the original, sigiiifieth a measure containing about a pint less than a peck. a 1 Pe.2.12.

16. Let your Ifghl so shine, iSoc. Let your holy life, your pure conversation, and your faithful instruction, be everywhere seen and known. Always, in all societies, in all business, at home and abroad, in prosperity and adversity, let it be seen that you are real Christians. ^ That they may see your ^ood works. This is not the motive to influence us, simply that we may he seen (comp. ch. vi. 1); but that our heavenly Father may be glorified. It is not right to do a thing merely to be seen by others, for this is pride and ostentation; but we are to do it, that, being seen, God may be honored. The Phanscss acted to be seen of men; true Christians act to glorify God, and care httle what men may tliink of them, except as by their conduct others may be brought to honor God. If Glorify your Father. Praise, or honor God, or be led to worship him. Seeing in your hves the excellency of rehgion, the power and purity of the gospel, they may be won to be Christians also, and give praise and glory to God for his mercy to a lost world.

We learn here, 1. That rehgion, if It e.xist, cannot be concealed. 2. That where it is not manifest in the life, it does not exist. 3. That professors of religion, who live hke other men, give evidence that they have never been renewed. 4. That to attempt to conceal or hide our Christian knowledge or experience is to betray our trust, and injure the cause of piety, and render our lives useless. And 5. That good actions will be seen, and will lead men to honor God. If we have no other way of doing good — if we are poor, and unlearned, and unknown — yet we may do good by our lives. No sincere and liunihh; Christian hves in vain. The feeblest hght at midnight is of use. • How far thislittle candle throws his beams!

17 Think not that I am come i> destroy * the law or the •= prophete: I am not come to destroy, but to " fulfil.

18 For verily \ say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle ' shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

17. Think not that I am come, &c. Our Saviour was just entering on his work. It was important for him to state what he came to do. By his setting up to be a teacher in opposition to the Scnbes and Pharisees, some might charge him with an intention to destroy their law, and abolish the customs of the nation. He therefore told them that he did not come for that end, but really to fulfil or accomphsh what was in the law and the prophets. TT To destroy. To abrogate; to deny their divine authority; to set men free from the obligation to obey them. IT The law. The five books of Moses, called the law. See Note on Luke xxiv. 44. "ii The prophets. The books which the prophets wrote. These two divisions here seem to comprehend the Old Testament, and Jesus says that he came not to do away or destroy the authority of the Old Testament. If But to fulfil. To complete the design; to fill up what was predicted; to accomn!;sn what was intended in them. The word fulfil, also, means sometimes to teach or inculcate. Col. i. 25. The law of Moses contained many sacrifices and rites which were designed to shadow forth the Messiah. Hob. ix. These were fulfilled when he came and oifered himself a sacrifice to God,

The prophets contained many predic tions respecting his coming and death. These were all to be fulfilled and fully accomplished by his hfe and his suffer ings.

18. Verily. Truly, certainly. A word of strong affirmati(m. Tf Till heaven and earih pass. This expression denotes that the law never should ht destroyed till it should be all fulfilled

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least command-

It is the same as saying, every thin^ else may change, the very earth and heaven may pass away, but the law of God shall not be destroyed till its whole design shall be accomplished. IT Owe iot. The word jot, or yod — ■• — is the name of the Hebrew letter /, the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. IT One tittle. The Hebrew letters were wntten with small points or apices as in the letter Sckin — 'J/ or Shi — Bf — which serve to distinguish one letter from another. To change a small point of one letter, therefore, might vary the meaning of a word, and destroy the sense. Hence the Jews were exceedingly cautious in writmg these letters, and considered the smallest change or omission a reason for destroying the whole manuscript w'hen they were transcribing the Old Testament. The expression, "one jot or tittle," became proverbial, and means that the smallest part of the law should not be destroyed.

The laws of the Jews are commonly divided into moral, ceremonial, and judicial. The moral laws are such as grow out of the nature of things, which cannot, therefore, be changed — such as the duty of loving God and his creatures. These cannot be abolished, as it can never be made right to hate God, or to hate our fellow men. Of this kind are the ten commandments; and these our Saviour has neither abolished nor superseded. The ceremonial laws are such as are appointed to meet certain states of society, or to regulate the religious rites and ceremonies of a people. These can be changed when circumstances are changed, and yet the moral law be untouched. A general may command his soldiers to appear sometimes in a red coat, and sometimes in blue, or in yellow. This would be a ceremonial law, and might be changed as he pleased. The duty of obeying him, and of being faithful to his country, could not be changed. This is a moral law. A parent might suffer his children to have fifty different dresses at different times, and love them equally in all. The dress is a mere matter oi ceremony, and may be changed. The child, in all these garments, is bound to love and obey his father. This is a

ments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kinrr-

moral law, and cannot be changed. So the laws of the Jews. Those to regulate mere matters of ceremony, and rites of worship, might be changed. Those requiring love and obedience to God, and love to men, could not be changed, and Christ did not attempt it. Matt. XLX. 19, xxii. 37 — 39; Luke X. 27; Rom. xiii. 9.

A third species of law was the judicial, or those regulating courts of justice, contained in the Old Testament These were of the nature of the ceremonial law, and might also be changed at pleasure. The judicial law regulated the courts of justice of the Jews. It was adapted to their own civil society. When the form of the Jewish pohty was changed, this was of course no longer binding. The ceremonial law was fulfilled by the coming of Christ: the shadow was lost in the substance, and ceased to be binding. The moral law was confirmed and unchanged.

19. Shall break. Shall violate, or disobey. "iT These least commandments. The Pharisees, it is probable, divided the precepts of the law into lesser and greater, teaching that they who violated the former were guilty of a trivial offence only. See Matt, xxiii. 23. Christ teaches that in his kingdom they who make this distinction, or who taught that any laws of God might be violated with impunity, should be called least; while they should be held in high regard who observed all the laws of God without distinction. If Shall be called least. That is, shall be least. See V. 9. The meaning of this passage seems to be this: in the kingdom of heaven, i. e. in the kingdom of the Messiah, or in the church which he is about to establish (See Note, Matt. iii. 2), he that breaks the least of these commandments shall be in no esteem, or shall not be regarded as a proper religious teacher. The Pharisees divided the law into greater and lesser precepts. They made no small part of it void by their traditions and divisions. Matt, xxiii. 23, xv. 3 — 6. Jestis says that in his kingdom all this vain division and tradition should cease. Such divisions and distinctions should be a small matter. He that attempted it should 1)0 the h.ast of all. Men

iom of heaven: but whosoever I and Pharisees, ye shall in no case shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great " in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed * the righteousness of the scribes a 1 Sa.2.30. b c.23.23-28. Ph.3.9.

would be engaged in yielding obedience to all the law of God, without any such vain distinctions. IT Shall he called great. He that teaches that all the law of God is binding, and that all of it should be obeyed, %Nithout at-* tempting to specify what is most important, shall be a teacher worthy of ■lis office, shall teach the truth, and shall be called great. We learn hence,

1. That all the law of God is binding on Christians. Comp. James ii. 10.

2. That all the commands of God should be preached, in their proper place, by Christian ministers. 3. That they who pretend that there are any laws of God so small that tliey need not obey ihem, are unworthy of his kingdom. And 4. That true piety has respect to all the commandments of God, and keeps them. Ps. cxLx. 6.

20. Your righteousness. Your holiness, your views of the nature of righteousness, and your conduct and lives. Unless you are more holy than they are, you cannot be saved, "if Shall exceed. Shall excel, or abound more. This righteousness was exteriial, and was not real holiness. The righteousness of true Christians is seated in the heart, and is therefore genuine. Jesus means, that unless they had more real holiness of character than the scribes, they could not be saved. If The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. See Notes on ch. iii. 7. Their righteousness consisted in outward observances of the ceremonial and traditional law. They offered sacrifices, fasted often, prayed much, were very punctilious about ablutions and tithes and the ceremonies of religion, but neglected justice, truth, purity, holiness of heart, md did not strive to be pure in their Tiotivcs before Gt)d. See Matt, xxiii. 13 — 33. The righteousness that Jesus required in his kingdom was purity, chastity, honesty, temperance, the fear of God, and the love of man. It is pure, eternal, reaching the motives, enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said ' by them of old time, ' Thou shajt not kill; and vi'hosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

and making the hfe holy. 11" The kingdom of heaven. See ch. iii. 2. Shall not be a fit subject of his kingdom here, or saved in the world to come.

21. Ye have heard. Or, this is the common interpretation among the Jews. Jesus proceeds here to comment on some prevaihng opinions among the Jews; to show that the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was defective; and that men needed a better righteousness, or they could not be saved. He shows what he meant by that better righteousness, by showing that the common opinions of the scribes were erroneous. 11 By them of old time. Tills might be translated, to the an cients, referring to Moses and the pro phets. But it is more probable that he here refers to the interpreters of the law and the prophets. Jesus did not set himself against the lav\' of Moses, but against the false and pernicious inter pretations of the law prevalent in his time. 1i Thou shah not hill. See Ex. XX. 13. This literally denotes taking the life of another, with malice, or with intention to murder him. The Jesvs understood it as meaning no more. The comment of our Saviour shows that it was spiritual, and was designed to extend to the thoughts and feelings, as well as the external act. If Shall be in danger of. Shall be held guilty, and be punished by. The law of Moses declared that the murderer should be put to death. Lev. xxiv. 21. Num..xxxv. 16. It did not say, however, by whom this should be done, and it weia left to the Jews to organize courts to have cognizance of such crimes. Deut xvi. 18. If The judgment. This was the tribunal that had cognizance of cases of murder, &c. It was a court that sat in each city or town, and con sisted commonly of seven members. It was the lowest court among the Jews, and from it an appeal might b« taken to the Sanhedrim.

22 But I saj unto you, That whosoever is angry with his bro-

23. But I say unto you. Jesus being God as well as man (John i. 1.), and, therefore, being the original giver of the law, had a right to expound it, or change it as he pleased. Comp. Jlatt. sii. 6. 8. He therefore spoke here and elsewhere as having authoriti/, and not as the snribcs. It may be added here, that no mere man ever spake as Jesus did, when e.xplaining or enforcing the law. He did it as having a right to do it; and he that has a right to ordain and change laws in the government of God must be himself divine. ^ Is ansry — without a cause. Anger, or that feeling which we have when we are injured, and which prompts us to defend ourselves w-hen in danger, is a natural feehng, given to us: 1st. Asa natural expression of our disapprobation of a course of evil conduct; and, 2d. That we may defend ourselves when suddenly attacked. When excited against sin, it is lawful. God is angry with the wicked. Jesus looked on the hypocritical Pharisees with anger. Mark iii. 5. So it is said, Be ye angry, and sin not. Eph. iv. 26. Tliis anger, or indignation against sin, is not what our Saviour speaks of here. That is anger without a cause; that is, unjustly, rashly, hastily, where no offence had been given or intended. In that case it is evil; and it is a violation of the sixth commandment, because he that hateth his brother is a murderer. 1 John iii. 15. He has a feeling which would lead him to commit murder, if it were fully acted out. IT His brother. By a brother here seems to be meant a neighbor, or perhaps any one with whom we may be associated. As all men are descended from one Father, and are all the creatures of the same God, scf they are all brethren; and so every man should be regarded and treated as a brother. Heb. xi. 16. IT Raca. This is a Syriac w-ord, expressive of great contempt. It comes from a verb signifying to be empty, vain; and hence, as a word of contempt, denotes senseless, stupid, shaUoic -brains. Jesus teaches here that to use such words is a violation of the sixth commandment. It is a violation of the tpirit of that commandment, and if in-