2. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

The spirit of the people here was such, that our Lord was grieved for the hardness of their hearts. They watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. Now had there been an honest doubt on the minds of these persons, he would have resolved it. And they might reasonably have entertained this scruple, remembering the record of former times. "While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, "the man who "had despised the word of the Lord, and broken his commandment," having been "found gathering sticks on the sabbath day," was put to death. "All the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died." There might justly have been a question concerning the observance of the sabbath, while this example remained upon their history. And the Son of man, who had declared himself "Lord of the sabbath," was competent to answer such an inquiry.

But these were not were not their thoughts. They watched him, that they might find an accusation against him. Therefore, he teaches them the use of the sabbath by example.

3. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

4. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? bat they held their peace.

See Numb. xv. 31-36.

5. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

This was a spiritual illustration of the truth, that "the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." Otherwise he must have borne the extremity of hunger, rather than "pluck the ears of corn:" he must have lingered under the misfortune of "a withered hand," instead of receiving a cure. But such was not the intent of the sabbath. It "was made for man:" for his bodily comfort, and spiritual health. Therefore, his bodily comfort is to be considered, as well as his spiritual advantage. It is lawful so to attend to the one as not to injure the other.

A practical question might occur with us, to which the example given in this passage would apply. A pious man might doubt, how far it were right to employ a part of the sabbath in works of mercy or usefulness, which would interfere with private devotion. In teaching for example. The spirit of our Lord's words might satisfy him. He points out the sufferer; and says, Stand forth. And then asks, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?

Now the majority of our people, if they are not instructed on the sabbath days, will not be at all instructed. It must be with them as with the Jews, of whom the prophet complains, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Those, therefore, who deny themselves the rest of the sabbath, that they may employ a part of it upon

the instruction of the young or the ignorant, are following the example of their Saviour. They are saving life. And this is an act of "mercy" which God prefers to "sacrifice."

The hearts of the Pharisees were too much hardened by prejudice and bigotry to understand this.

6. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7. But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea,

8. And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from be yond Jordan, and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.

9. And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

10. For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

11. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

12. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

We saw before, (ch. i. 23) how "the unclean spirit cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? I know thee who thou art, the holy One of God." And afterwards (v. 34) we are told that "he suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him." They acknowledged his sovereignty, and were obedient to his power. And one reason why he charged them that they should not make him known appears to have been his desire to avoid the

tumult which would have arisen, if any should attempt to "take him by force, and make him a king." "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying, Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: He shall not strive nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets."3

13. And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto Matt. x. him whom he would: and they came unto him.

2-4.

Luke vi.

14. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, 12—16. and that he might send them forth to preach,

15. And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

16. And Simon he surnamed Peter;

17. And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

18. And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphæus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

19. And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

It was a needful part of the great design on which our Lord came, that he should ordain a certain number who might be with him, and whom he might send forth to preach. He was, himself, to prove his divine power, to correct prevailing errors, to "bring life and immortality to light;" and when

2 See John vi. 15.

* See Matt. xii. 17, &c. where the prophecy is introduced to explain the fact of his "charging them that they should not make him known."

all this was fulfilled, to effect the work of redemption, and make propitiation for sin. And then the gospel was to be proclaimed to all nations, "beginning at Jerusalem." Such was the design; and the instruments must be prepared who should put this in execution; by short experiments, while he remained on earth, and afterwards by devoting themselves to the apostleship. For this purpose he or dained twelve, who heard the attestation of his divinity; who "beheld his glory ;" and who related to others that "which they had heard, which they had seen with their eyes, which they had looked upon, and their hands had handled, of the word of life."

These twelve, here, are called. Their commission was given afterwards. He called whom he would so that they had not chosen him, but he had chosen them. He chose, we may be sure, those who were fittest for his purpose; not selecting the men of education or the men of influence, because their own insufficiency was to be supplied by the Holy Spirit, and because it was designed to show that the agency which established the gospel was the agency of God and not of man.

The authority with which he endued them, to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils, was an emblem of the service in which ministers of the gospel were hereafter to be employed; whose office it is to heal the diseases of the soul, and to reclaim men "from the power of Satan unto God." And happy is it, when these remember the greatness of : their dignity, the importance of their trust; when

1 Pet. i. 17. 1 John i. 1-3.

!