1. He appears surprised that so much piety should be found vide for one day's sustenance, and could have no more, till by with so much poverty, in this poor widow. 2. He shews that works of charity, &c. should be estimated, not by their appearance, but by the spirit which produces them. 3. He shews by this that all men are properly in a state of equality; for though there is, and ought to be a difference in outward things, yet God looks upon the heart, and the poorest person has it in his power to make his mite as acceptable to the Lord, by simplicity of intention, and purity of affection, as the millions given by the affluent. It is just in God to rate the value of an action by the spirit in which it is done. 4. He shews that men should judge impartially in cases of this kind, and not permit themselves to be carried away to decide, for a person by the largeness of the gift on the one hand, or against him by the smallness of the bounty on the her labour she had acquired it. What trust must there be in the Divine Providence to perform such an act as this? Two important lessons may be learnt from her conduct. 1. A lesson of humiliation to the rich, who, b reason of covetousness on the one hand, and luxury on the other, give but little to GoD and the poor. 2. A lesson of reproof to the poor, who, through distrust of God's providence, give nothing at all. Our possessions can only be sanctified by giving a portion to God. There will be infallibly a blessing in the remainder, when a part has been given to God and the poor. If the rich and the poor reflect seriously on this, the one will learn pity, the other liberality, and both be blessed in their deed. He must be a, poor man indeed, who cannot find one poorer than himself. CHAPTER XIII. Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, 1, 2. His disciples enquire when this shall be, and what previous sign there shall be of this calamity, 3, 4, which questions he answers very solemnly and minutely, 5–27; illustrates the whole by a parable, 28, 29; asserts the absolute certainty of the events, 30, 31; shews that the precise time cannot be known by man, 32, and inculcates the necessity of watchfulness and prayer, 33-37. A. M. 4033. A. D. 29. An. Olymp. CCII. 1. a A. D. 29. An. Olymp. CCII. 1. ND as he went out of the tem- || left one stone upon another, that shall A. M.4035. ple, one of his disciples saith not be thrown down. unto him, Master, see what manner Aple, of stones and what buildings are here! 2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, a Matt. 24. 1. Luke 21. 5. Luke 19. 44. NOTES ON CHAP. XIII. Verse 1. See what manner of stones] Josephus says, ANT. B. xv. chap. xi. "That these stones were white and strong, FIFTY feet long, TWENTY-FOUR broad, and SIXTEEN in thickness." If this account can be relied on, well might the disciples be struck with wonder at such a superb edifice, and Signs preceding the destruction ST. MARK. of the temple, and of Jerusalem. A. M. 4033. a 4 Tell us, when shall these things || speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, A.M. 408, An. Olymp. be? and what shall be the sign when" but the Holy Ghost. A.D. 29. An. Olymp. CCII. 1. CCII. 1. all these things shall be fulfilled? 5 And Jesus answering them began to say, b Take heed lest any man deceive you : 12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I shall cause them to be put to death. am Christ; and shall deceive many. 7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. d e C 9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that k 13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but 'he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. n 14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains : 16 And let him that is in the field not turn your flight be not in the 19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. h Acts 2. 4. & 4. 8, 31.-i Mic. 7. 6. Matt. 10. 21, & 24. 10. Luke 21. 16. * Matt. 24. 9. Luke 21. 17.- Dan. 12. 12. Matt. 10. 22. & 24. 13. Rev. 2. 10. Matt. 24. 15.- Dan. 9. 27.9 Luke 21. 21. Luke 21. 23. & 23. 29.— Dan. 9. 26. & 12. 1. Joel 2. 2. Matt. 24. 21. formed by such immense stones! The principal contents of this chapter are largely explained in the notes on Matt. xxiv. and to these the Reader is requested to refer. Rulers] Or governors. The Roman deputies, such as Pontius Pilate, &c. Kings] The Tetrarchs of Judea and Galilee who bore this Verse 6. Saying, I am] The Christ, is added by eight MSS. name. See chap. vi. 27. Coptic, Armenian, Saxon, and four of the Itala. Verse 10. And the gospel must first be published among all Verse 8. The beginnings] For agxa, many MSS. and Ver- nations.] Many of the Evangelistaria omit this verse. Its proper sions have agx", the beginning, singular, Verse 9. Councils] Evvideia, Sanhedrins. The grand Sanhedrin consisted of seventy-two elders; six chosen out of each tribe; this was the national council of state; and the small Sanhedrins, which were composed of twenty-three councellors. Synagogues] Courts of justice for villages, &c. consisting of three magistrates, chosen out of the principal directors of the synagogue in that place. place seems to be after verse the thirteenth. Verse 11. Neither-premeditate] This is wanting in BDL. five others, Coptic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, Itala. Griesbach leaves it doubtful. On this verse see Matt. x. 19. Verse 14. Let him that readeth understand] What he readeth, is added by D. and three of the Itala, perhaps needlessly. Verse 15. House-top] See on Matt. xxiv. 17. Verse 20. Had shortened those days] Because of his chosen, added by D. Armenian, and five of the Itala. See Matt. xxiv. 22. 20 And except that the Lord had An. Olymp. shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. 24 ¶ But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light; 25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. | 27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall * Matt. 24. 23. Luke 17. 23. & 21. 8.b 2 Pet. 3. 17.- Dan. 7. 10. Zeph. 1. 15. Matt. 24. 29, &c. Luke 21. 25.- Dan. 7. 13, 14. Matt. 16. 27. & 24. 30. ch. 14. 62. Acts 1. 11. 1Thess. 4. 16. 2Thess. 1.7, 10. Verse 30. This generation] Hyeva aurn, this very race of men. It is certain that this word has two meanings in the scriptures; that given in the text, and that above. Generation signifies a period of a certain number of years, sometimes more, sometimes less. In Deut. i. 35. and ii. 14. Moses uses the word to point out a term of thirty-eight years, which was precisely the number in the present case; for Jerusalem was destroyed about thirty-eight years after our Lord delivered this prediction. But as there are other events in this chapter which certainly look beyond the destruction of Jerusalem, and which were to take place before the Jews should cease to be a distinct people, I should therefore prefer the translation given above. See on Matt. xxiv. 34. Verse 32. Neither the Son] This clause is not found either in Matthew or Luke, and Ambrose says it was wanting in some Greek copies in his time. To me it is utterly unaccountable, how Jesus who knew so correctly all the particulars which he here lays down, and which were to a jot and tittle verified by the event-how he who knew that not one stone should be left on another, should be ignorant of the day and hour when this should be done, though Daniel, chap. ix. 24, &c. could fix the very year, not less than five hundred years before it happened-how he in whom the fulness of the god5 of those times. A. D. 29. gather together his elect from the four A.M. 4033. winds, from the uttermost part of earth An. Olymp. to the uttermost part of heaven. CCII. 1. 28 Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near : 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. 30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but 'my words shall not pass away. 32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. head dwelt bodily, and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, should not know this small matter, I cannot compre|| hend, but on this ground, that the Deity which dwelt in the Man Christ Jesus, might, at one time, communicate less of the knowledge of futurity to him, than at another. However, I strongly suspect that the clause was not originally in this gospel. Its not being found in the parallel places in the other Evangelists, is, in my opinion, a strong presumption against it. But Mr. M'Knight and others, solve this difficulty in the following manner. They suppose the verb ode to have the force of the Hebrew conjugation Hiphel, in which, verbs are taken in a caustive, declarative, or permissive sense and that it means here make known, or promulge, as it is to be understood in 1 Cor. ii. 2. This intimates that this secret was not to be made known, either by men or angels, no, not even by the Son of man himself, but it should be made known by the Father only, in the execution of the purposes of his justice. I am afraid this only cuts the knot, but does not untie it.. Verse 34. Left his house] Orav, family. Our blessed Lord and Master, when he ascended to heaven, commanded his servants to be faithful and watchful. This fidelity to which he exhorts his servants consists in doing every thing well which is to be done in the heart or in the family, according The chief priests and scribes A. D. 29. An Olymp. CCII. 1. d A. M. 4053. and commanded the porter to watch. || 36 Lest coming suddenly, he find you 37 And what I unto all, Watch. say unto you I say b A.M. 4053. A. D. 29. An. Olymp. CCIL. 1. to the full extent of the duty. The watchfulness consists in suffering no stranger nor enemy to enter in by the senses which are the gates of the soul; in permitting nothing which belongs to the master to go out without his consent; and in carefully observing all commerce and correspondence which the heart may have abroad in the world, to the prejudice of the master's service. See Quesnel. Our Lord shews us in this parable, 1. That himself, ascended to heaven, is the man gone from home. 2. That believers collectively are his family. 3. That his servants are those who are employed in the work of faith and labour of love. 4. That the porter represents the ministers of his gospel, who should continually watch for the safety and welfare of the whole flock. 5. That every one has his own work,--that which belongs to himself and to none other; and for the ac Verse 35. Watch ye therefore] The more the master is expected, the more diligent ought the servants to be in work-complishment of which, he receives sufficient strength from ing, watching, and keeping themselves in readiness. Can one who has received the sentence of his death and has no right to live a moment, need any admonition to prepare to die? does not a prisoner who expects his deliverance hold himself in continual readiness to leave his dungeon? Verse 36. He find you sleeping] A porter, asleep, exposes the house to be robbed, and well deserves punishment. No wonder that the man is constantly suffering loss, who is frequently off his guard. his Lord. 6. That these servants and porters shall give an account to their Lord, how they have exercised themselves in their respective departments. 7. And that as the master of the family will certainly come to require this account at a time when men are not aware, therefore they should be always watchful and faithful. And 8. That this is a duty incumbent on every soul of man, What I say unto you I say unto ALL, WATCH! If after all these warnings, the followers of God be found careless, their misery and condemnation must be great. CHAPTER XIV. The Jews conspire against Christ, 1, 2. He is anointed in the house of Simon the leper, 3-9. Judas Iscariot sells him to the chief priests for thirty pieces of money, 10, 11. He orders his disciples to prepare the pass-over, 12-16. Predicts his approaching death, 17-21. Institutes the holy Eucharist, 22-26. Foretells the unfaithfulness of his disciples in general, 27, 28, and Peter's denial, 29-31. His agony in the garden, 32-36. The disciples overcome by sleep, 37-42. Judas comes with a mob from the chief priests, and betrays him with a kiss; they seize him, 43—49. The disciples flee, 50. A young man following and about to be apprehended, makes his escape, 51, 52. Jesus is brought before the chief priests, and Peter follows at a distance, 53, 54. He is examined, insulted and abused, and condemned on false evidence, 55-65. Peter thrice denies him, reflects on his wickedness, and repents of his sin. A. M. 4033. A. D. 29. An. Olymp. A a FTER two days was the feast || 2 But they said, Not on the feast of the passover, and of unlea-day, lest there be an uproar of the CCII. 1. vened bread and the chief priests people. and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. a Matt. 26. 2. Luke 22. 1. John 11. 55. & 13. 1. NOTES ON CHAP. XIV. Verse 1. Unleavened bread] After they began to eat unleavened bread: see on Matt. xxvi. 2. The precious ointment. A.M. 4033. ССП. 1. a A. D. 29. An. Olymp. a woman having an alabaster box of gospel shall be preached throughout A. M. 4093. An. Olymp. ointment, of spikenard, very pre- 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good; but me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this Or, pure nard, or, liquid nard.--See Matt. 18. 28.Deut. 15. 11. others, that it signifies a small vessel without a handle, from a negative, and xaßn a handle; and others imagine, that it merely signifies a perfume or essence-bottle. There are several species of the soft calcareous stone called alabaster, which are enumerated and described in different chemical works. Spikenard] Or nard. An Indian plant whose root is very small and slender. It puts forth a long and small stalk, and has several ears or spikes even with the ground, which has given it the name of spikenard: the taste is bitter, acrid, and aromatie, and the smell agreeable. CALMET. d CCHI. 1. 10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve; went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. с 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. 12 ¶ And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the pass-over, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the pass-over? 13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. Matt. 26. 14. Luke 22. 3, 4.—Mått. 26. 17. Luke 22. 7.-fOr, sacrificed." 3. That it would not be easy effectually to separate the oil from the broken pieces. And 4. That it was a custom in the eastern countries, to seal the bottles with war that held the perfumes; so that to come at their contents no more was necessary than to break the seal, which this woman appears to have done; and when the seal was thus broken, she had no more to do, than to pour out the liquid ointment, which she could not have done had she broken the bottle. The bottles which contain the be or attyr of roses, which come from the East, are sealed in this manner. See a number of proofs relative to this point in HARMER'S Observations, vol. iv. 469. Verse 5. It might have been sold] To μvgov this ointment, is گل Gothic, all the Itala except one. Griesbach has received it into the text. The sum mentioned here would amount to nearly 101. sterling. Very precious] Or rather, unadulterated: this I think is the proper meaning of πιστικης. Theophylact gives this interpretation of the passage: "unadulterated nard, and pre-added by ABCDKL. thirty-five others, Ethiopic, Armenian, pared with fidelity." Some think that is a contraction of the Latin spicate, and that it signifies the spicated nard, or what we commonly call the spikenard. But Dr. Lightfoot gives a different interpretation. In he supposes to come from the Syriac spno pistike, which signifies the acorn: he would therefore have it to signify an aromatic confection of nard, maste, or myrobalane. See his Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations; and see Scheuchzer's Physica Sacra. She brake the box] Rather, she broke the seal This is the best translation I can give of the place; and I give it for these reasons: 1. That it is not likely that a box exceedingly precious in itself, should be broken to get out its contents. 2. That the broken pieces would be very inconvenient if not injurious to the head of our Lord, and to the hands of the woman. Verse 8. To anoint my body to the burying.] Es TOY EXTAQIaspor, against, or in reference to its embalmment, thus pointing out my death and the embalmment of my body; for the bodies of persons of distinction were wrapped up in aromatics to preserve them from putrefaction. See on Matt. xxvi. 12. Verse 9. For a memorial of her.] See on Matt. xxvi. 13. Verse 11. They were glad] The joy that arises from the opportunity of murdering an innocent person, must be completely infernal. Verse 13. Bearing a pitcher of water] How correct is the foreknowledge of Jesus Christ! even the minutest circumstances are comprehended by it! An honest employment, how |