42 And fhall caft them into the furnace of fire; there 43 fhall be the wailing and the gnashing of teeth. Then 44 45 fhall the righteous fhine forth as the fun in the kingdom of their father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hid in a field, which a man having found hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and felleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant 46 feeking goodly pearls: Who having found one pearl of great value, went and fold all that he had, and bought it. 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net caft into 48 the fea, and gathering fishes of every kind: Which when it was full they drew to the fhore, and fitting down, gathered the good into veffels, but caft the bad away. 49 So fhall it be at the end of the world. The angels fhall come forth and fever the wicked from among the 50 just; And fhall caft them into the furnace of fire; there fhall be the wailing and the gnafhing of teeth. 51 Jefus faith to them, Have ye understood all these 52 things? They fay to him, Yea, Lord. Then faith he to them, Therefore every scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like an houfholder who bringeth out of his treasure things new and old. hindered the good feed which Christ had fown from taking root os bearing fruit. The Greek word is, All fcandals. V. 44. The three following parables are propofed not to the multitude, but peculiarly to the apofties: the two former of them relate to thofe who receive the gofpel; the third, both to those who receive and thofe who preach it. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hid in a field-The kingdom of God within us, is a treafure indeed, but a treasure hid from the world, and from the most wife and prudent in it. He that finds this treasure (perhaps when he looked not for it) hides it deep in his heart, and gives up all other happiness. V. 45. The kingdom of heaven-That is, one who earneftly feeks for it: in the 47th verfe it means, the gofpel preached, which is like a net gathering of every kind: juft fo the gospel wherever it is preached, gathers at first both good and bad, who are for a feafon full of approbation and warm with good defires. But chriftian discipline, and strong, close exhortation, begin that feparation in this world, which shall be ac complished by the angels of God, in the world to come. V. 5. Every fcribe inftructed unto the kingdom of heaven-That is, every duly-prepared preacher of the gofpel, has a treasure of divine knowledge, out of which he is able to bring forth all forts of inftruc tions 53 And when Jefus had finifhed these parables, he de54 parted thence: * And coming into his own country, he taught them in their fynagogue, fo that they were aftonished and faid, Whence hath HE this wildom 55 and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's fon ? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren, James and Jofes and Simon and Jude? 56 And his fifters, are they not all with us? Whence 57 then hath HE all these things? + And they were offended at him. But Jefus faid to them, A prophet is not without honour, fave in his own country, and 58 in his own houfe. And he wrought not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. XIV. At that time Herod the Tetrarch heard the 2 fame of Jefus, And faid to his fervants, This is John the Baptist: he is rifen from the dead, and therefore 3 thefe mighty powers exert themselves in him. || For Herod having apprehended John, had bound and put him in prison, for Herodias's fake, his brother Philip's tions. The word treasure fignifies any collection of things whatsoever and the places where fuch collections are kept. V. 53. He departed thence-He croffed the lake from Carpernaum: And came once more into his own conntry-Nazareth: but with no better fuccefs than he had had there before. V. 54. Whence hath HE-Many texts are not understood, for want of knowing the proper emphasis: and others are utterly misunderstood, by placing the emphasis wrong. To prevent this in fome measure, the emphatical words are here printed in capital letters. V. 55 The Carpenter's fon-The greek word means, `one that works either in wood, iron or ftone. His brethren-Or kinsmen. They were the fous of Mary, fifter to the virgin, and wife of Cleophas or Alpheus. James-Stiled by St. Paul alfo, the Lord's brother. Gal. i. 19. Simon -Surnamed the Canaanite. V. 57. They were offended at him-They looked on him as a mean, ignoble man, not worthy to be regarded. V. 58. He wrought not many mighty works, because of their unbelief -And the reafon why many mighty works are not wrought now, is not, that the faith is every where planted; but, that unbelief every where prevails. V. 1. At that time-When our Lord had spent about a year in his public ministry. Tetrarch-King of a fourth part of his father's domi nions. V. 2. He is rifen from the dead-Herod was a fadducee: and the sadducees denied the refurrection of the dead. But fadduccism staggers, when confcience awakes. V. 3 His brother Philip's wife-Who was ftill alive. V. 4. It + John iv. 44. Luke ix. 7. 34. Luke ix. 10. Jahn vi, 1, 4 wife. For John had said to him, It is not lawful for 5 thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they account6 ed him a prophet. But when Herod's birth-day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and 7 pleafed Herod. Whereupon he promifed with an 8 oath, to give her whatever the fhould afk. And the being before inftructed by her mother, faid, Give me 9 here John the baptift's head in a charger. And the king was forry; yet for the oath's fake, and them who fat with him at table, he commanded it to be given her. 10 And he fent and beheaded John in the prifon. And 11 his head was brought in a charger, and given to the 12 damfel, and fhe carried it to her mother. And his dif ciples came and took up the body, and buried it, and 13 went and told Jefus. And Jefus hearing it, withdrew thence by fhip into a defart place apart : but when the people heard thereof, they followed him by land out of the cities. 14 And coming forth he faw a great multitude, and was moved with tender compaffion for them, and healed V. 4. It is not lawful for thee to have her-It was not lawful indeed for either of them to have her. For her father Ariftobulus was their own brother. John's words were rough like his raiment. He would not break the force of truth, by using soft words even to a king. V. 5. He would have put him to death-In his fit of paffion: but he was then restrained by fear of the multitude; and afterwards, by the reverence he bore him." V. 6. The daughter of Herodius-Afterwards infamous for a life fuitable to this beginning. V. 8. Being before inftructed by her mother-Both as to the matter and manner of her petition: She faid, Give me here-Fearing if he had time to confider, he would not do it: John the Baptift's head in a charger— A large difh or bowl. V. 9. And the king was forry-Knowing that John was a good man : Yet for the oath's fake-So he murdered an innocent man from mere tenderness of confcience! V. 10. And he fent and beheaded John in the prison, and his head was given to the damfel-How myfterious is the providence, which left the life of fo holv a man in fuch infamous hands! Which permitted it to be facrificed to the malice of an abandoned harlot, the petulancy of a vain girl, and the rafhnefs of a foolish, perhaps drunken prince, who made aprophet's head the reward of a dance! But we are fure the Almighty will repay his fervants in another world, for whatever they fuffer in this. V. 13. Jefus withdrew into a defart place-1. To avoid Herod; 2. Becaufe of the multitude preffing upon him; (Mark vi. 32,) and 3. To Mark vi. 35. Luke ix. 12. John vi. 5. ↑ talk 15 their fick. * And in the evening his difciples came to him, faying, This is a defart place, and the time is now paft fend the multitude away, that going into the 16 villages, they may buy themselves victuals. But Jefus faid to them, They need not go; give ye them to eat. 17 They say to him, We have here but five loaves and 18 two fishes. He faid, Bring them hither to me. And 19 he commanded the multitude to fit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the fifhes, looking up to heaven, he bleffed and brake, and gave the loaves to his 20 disciples, and the difciples to the multitude. And they all ate and were fatisfied: and they took up of the frag21 ments that remained twelve bafkets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women 22 and children. * And he constrained his disciples, to go ftraightway into the veffel, and go before him to the 23 other fide, 'till he fent the multitude away. And hav ing fent the multitude away, he went up into a moun24 tain apart to pray. And in the evening he was there alone but the veffel was now in the midst of the sea, 25 toffed by the waves; for the wind was contrary. In the fourth watch of the night he went to them, walk26 ing on the fea. And the difciples feeing him walking on the fea, were affrighted, faying, It is an apparition; 27 and they cried out for fear. But Jefus immediately fpake to them, faying, Take courage: it is I: be not 28 afraid. And Peter anfwering, faid, Lord, if it be thou, 29 bid me come to thee on the waters. And he faid, Come. And Peter going down from the vessel, walked 30 on the waters, to go to Jefus. But feeing the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to fink, he talk with his difciples, newly returned from their progress; (Luke ix. 10) apart-From all but his difciples. V. 15. The time is now paft-The ufual meal-time. V. 22. He conftrained his difciples-Who were unwilling to leave him. V. 24. In the evening-Learned men fay the Jews reckoned two evenings the first beginning at three in the afternoon, the second, at fun-fet. If fo, the latter is meant here. V. 25. The fourth watch-The Jews (as well as the Romans) ufually divided the night into four watches, of three hours each. The firít watch began at fix, the fecond at nine, the third at twelve, the fourth at three in the morning. If it be thou-'Tis the fame as fince it is thou. The partical if frequently bears this meaning, both in ours and in all languages. So it means John xiii. 14. and 17. St. Peter was in no doubt, or he would not have quitted the fhip. V. 30. He was afraid-Though he had been used to the sea, and was afkilful fwimmer. But fo it frequently is. When grace begins to act, the natural courage and ftrength are withdrawn, * Mark vi, 45. John vi. 15. V. 33. Thon 31 cried, Lord, fave me. And immediately Jefus reaching forth his hand, caught him, and faith to him, O thou 32 of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the vessel, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the veffel, came and worshipped him, 33 faying, Of a truth thou art the son of God. 34 And having croffed over, they came into the land of 35 Gennefaret. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they fent out into all that country round about, and brought to him all that were difeafed'; 36 And befought him, that they might touch but the hem of his garment and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. XV. * Then came to Jefus fcribes and pharifees who were 2 at Jerufalem, faying, Why do thy difciples tranfgrefs the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their 3 hands when they eat bread. But he answering faid, Why do ye alfo tranfgrefs the commandment of God 4 through your tradition? For God faid, + Honour thy father and mother: and he that revileth father or mo5 ther, let him die the death. But ye fay, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, by what6 foever thou mighteft have been profited by me: He fhall in no wife honour his father or his mother. Thus have ye made void the command of God through your 7 tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Ifaiah prophesy of 8 you, faying, This people draweth nigh to me with V. 33 Thou art the fon of God-They mean, The Meffiah. V. 2. The elders-The chief doctors or teachers among the Jews. V. 3. They wash not their hands when they eat bread-- Food in general is termed bread in Hebrew: fo that to eat bread is the fame as to make a meal. V. 4. Honour thy father and mother-Which implies all fuch relief as they ftand in need of. V. 5. It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest have been profited by meThat is, I have given, or at least, purpole to give to the treasury of the temple, what you might otherwife have had from me. V. 7. Well did Ifaiah prophesy of you, faying―That is, the defcription which Ifaiah gave of your fathers, is exactly applicable to you. The words therefore which were a defcription of them, are a prophecy with regard to you V. 8. Their heart is far from me-And without this, all outward wor ship is mere mockery of God. Mark vi. 54. + Mark vii, 1. V. 9. Teaching * Ifaiah *Exod. xx. 12. xxi. 17. xxix, 13. |