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lost sheep of the house of Israel, but to a lost WORLD. Nor can such exertions be unsuccessful. Where the pure truth of God is preached, many will be converted. Where that truth is preached, though with a mixture of error, some will be converted, for God will bless his own truth. But where nothing but false doctrine is preached, no soul is converted: for God will never sanction error, by a miracle of his mercy. Verse 25. Lord, help me.] Let me also share in the deliverance afforded to Israel.

Verse 26. The children's bread] The salvation provided for the Jews, who were termed the children of the kingdom. And cast it to the vaginis little dogs—to the curs; such the Gentiles were reputed by the Jewish people, and our Lord uses that form of speech which was common among his country

What terrible repulses! and yet she still perseveres! Verse 27. Truth, Lord] Nz zugii, Yes, Lord. This appears to the not so much an assent, as a bold reply to our Lord's reason for apparently rejecting her suit.

The little dogs share with the children, for they eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. I do not desire what is provided for these highly favoured children, only what they leave-a single exertion of thy Almighty Power in the healing of my afflicted daughter, is all that I wish for; and this the highly favoured Jews can well spare, without Jessening the provision made for themselves. Is not this the sense of this noble woman's reply?

Verse 28. 0 woman, great is thy faith] The hindrances thrown in this woman's way, only tended to encrease her faith. Her faith resembles a river, which becomes enlarged by the dikes opposed to it, till at last it sweeps them catirely away with it.

Her daughter was made whole] Persevering faith and prayer are next to omnipotent. No person can thus pray and believe, without receiving all his soul requires. This is one of the finest lessons in the book of God for a penitent, ør for a discouraged believer. Look to Jesus! As sure as God is in heaven, so surely will he hear and answer thee to the eternal salvation of thy soul! Be not discouraged at a

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little delay: when thou art properly prepared to receive the blessing, then thou shalt have it. Look up, thy salvation is at hand.--Jesus admires this faith, to the end that we may admire and imitate it, and may reap the same fruits and advantages from it.

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Verse 29. Went up into a mountain] To 395, THE mountain. "Meaning," says Mr. Wakefield, some particular mountain which he was accustomed to frequent; for whenever it is spoken of at a time when Jesus is in Galilee, it is always discriminated by the article. Compare chap. iv. 18. with chap. v. i. and chap. xiii. 54. with chap. xiv. 23. and xxviii. 16. I suppose it was mount Tabor."

Verse 30. Those that were-maimed] Kvλhovs. Wetstein has fully proved that those who had lost a hand, foot, &c. were termed by the Greeks. Kypke has shewn from Hippocrates, that the word was also used to signify those who had distorted or dislocated legs, knees, hands, &c. Mr. Wakefield is fully of opinion, that it means here those who had lost a limb, and brings an incontestable proof from Matth. xviii. 8. Mark ix. 43. “ If thy hand cause thee to offend, cut IT OFF; it is better for thee to enter into life (xvλλov) WITHOUT A LIMB, than having thy Two hands, to go away into hell." What an astonishing manifestation of omnific and creative energy must the re-production of a hand, foot, &c. be, at the word or touch of Jesus! As this was a mere act of creative power, like that of multiplying the bread; those who allow that the above is the meaning of the word, will hardly attempt to doubt the proper divinity of Christ. Creation in any sense of the word, i. e. causing something to exist that had no existence before, can belong only to God; because it is an effect of an unlimited power: to say that such power could be delegated to a person, is to say, that the person to whom it is delegated, becomes, for the time being, the omnipotent God; and that God, who has thus clothed a creature with his Omnipotence, ceases to be Omnipotent himself; for there cannot be two Omnipotents, nor can the Supreme Being delegate his Omnipotence to another, and have it at the same time. I confess, then, that this is to

Four thousand men fed with

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31 Insomuch that the multitude || loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, An. Olymp. wondered, when they saw the dumb and a few little fishes.

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to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see and they glorified the God of Israel.

32 ¶Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

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33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence

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he took the seven loaves and the gave thanks, and brake them, and disciples, and the disciples to the

37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

38 And they that did eat were four thousand

should we have so much bread in the wilder-men, beside women and children. ness, as to fill so great a multitude?

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39 And he sent away the multitude, and took 34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

a Mark 8. 1.— -b2 Kings 4. 43.

Ch. 14. 19.4 1 Sam. 9. 13. Luke 22. 19.- Le Mark 8. 10.

The an unanswerable argument for the Divinity of our blessed neighbourhood. Jesus went into the country, and proceeded Lord. Others may doubt; I can't help believing.

till he came to the chief town or village in that district. Whitby says, "Magdala was a city and territory beyond Jordan, on the banks of Gadara. It reached to the bridge above Jordan, which joined it to the other side of Galilee, and contained within its precincts Dalmanutha.” The MSS. and VV. read the name variously-Magada, Mugeda, Mag

Verse 31. The multitude wondered] And well they might, when they had such proofs of the miraculous power and love of God before their eyes.-Blessed be God! the same miracles are continued in their spiritual reference. All the disorders of the soul are still cured by the power of Jesus. Verse 32. I have compassion, &c.] See a similar transaction dala; and the Syriac has Magdu. In Mark, Dalmantha is explained, chap. xiv. 14-22.

Verse $3. Whence should we have so much bread in the wil derness, &c.] Human foresight, even in the followers of Christ, is very short. In a thousand instances, if we supply not its deficiency by faith, we shall be always embarrassed, and often miserable. This world is a desart, where nothing can be found to satisfy the soul of man, but the salvation which Christ has procured.

Verse 37. They did all eat, and were filled] Exograsensa they were satisfied. The husks of worldly pleasures may fill the man, but cannot satisfy the soul. A man may eat, and not be satisfied: it is the interest therefore of every follower of Christ to follow him till he be fed, and to feed on him till he be satisfied.

Verse 38. Four thousand] Let the poor learn from these miracles to trust in God for support. Whatever his ordinary Providence denies, his miraculous power will supply.

Verse 39. He sent away the multitude] But not before he had instructed their souls, and fed and healed their bodies. The coasts of Magdala.] In the parallel place, Mark viii. 10. this place is called Dalmanutha. Either Magdala was formed by a transposition of letters from Dulman, to which the Syriac termination atha had been added, or the one of these names refers to the country, and the other to a town in that

read by many MSS. Melagada, Madegada, Magada, Magidan, and Magedam. Magdala, variously pronounced, seems to have been the place or country; Dalmanutha, the chief town, or capital.

In this chapter a number of interesting and instructive particulars are contained.

1. We see the extreme superstition, envy, and incurable ill-nature of the Jews. While totally lost to a proper sense of the spirituality of God's law, they are ceremonious in the extreme. They will not eat without washing their hands, because this would be a transgression of one of the traditions of their elders; but they can harbour the worst tempers and passions, and thus break the law of God! The word of man weighs more with them than the testimony of Jehovah, and yet they pretend the highest respect for their God and sacred things, and will let their parents perish for lack of the necessaries of life, that they may have goods to vow to the service of the sanctuary! Pride and envy blind the hearts of men, and cause them often to act not only the most wicked, but the most ridiculous parts. He who takes the book of God for the rule of his faith and practice, can never go astray : but to the mazes and perplexities produced by the traditions of elders, human creeds and confessions of faith, there is no

The Pharisees and Sadducees

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These evils existed in the Christian as well as in the into a means of instruction.-The dulness of the disciples in Jewish Church; but the Reformation, thank God! has liber- the present case, has been the means of affording us the fullest ated us from this endless system of uncertainty and absurdity, instruction on a point of the utmost importance-the state of and the sun of righteousness shines now unclouded! The a sinful heart, and how the thoughts and passions conceived plantation, which God did not plant, in the course of his judg-in it, defile and pollute it; and how necessary it is to have the ments, he has now swept nearly away from the face of the fountain purified, that it may cease to send forth those streams earth. Babylon is fallen! of death.

2. We wonder at the dulness of the disciples, when we find that they did not fully understand our Lord's meaning, in the very obvious parable about the blind leading the blind. But should we not be equally struck with their prying, in- || quisitive temper? They did not understand, but they could not rest till they did. They knew that their Lord could say nothing that had not the most important meaning in it: this meaning in the preceding parable, they had not apprehended, and therefore they wish to have it further explained by himself. Do we imitate their docility and eagerness to comprehend the truth of God? Christ presses every occurrence

3. The case of the Canaanitish woman, is, in itself, a thousand sermons. Her faith-her prayers-her perseverance— her success—the honour she received from her Lord, &c. &c. How instructively, how powerfully do these speak and plead! What a profusion of light does this single case throw upon the manner in which Christ sometimes exercises the faith and patience of his followers! They that seek shall find, is the great lesson inculcated in this short history: God is ever the same. Reader, follow on after God-cry, pray, plead—all in Ilim is for thee!-Thou canst not perish, if thou continuest to believe and pray. The Lord will help THEE.

CHAPTER XVI.

The Pharisees insidiously require our Lord to give them a sign, 1. They are severely rebuked for their hypocrisy and wickedness, 2-5. The disciples are cautioned to beware of them and their destructive doctrine, 6—12. The different opinions formed by the people of Christ, 13, 14. Peter's confession, and our Lord's discourse on it, 15-20. He foretells his sufferings, and reproves Peter, 21-25. Teaches the necessity of self-denial, and shews the reasons on which it is founded, 24-26. Speaks of a future judgment, 27. And promises the speedy opening of the glory of his own kingdom upon earth, 28.

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HE Pharisees also with the Sad-sired him that he would shew them "a A. M. 4052. ducees came, and tempting, de- sign from heaven.

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a Ch. 12. 38. Mark 8. 11. Luke 11. 16. & 12. 54-56. 1 Cor. 1. 22.

b John 6. 30, ch. 12. 38. Jolin 4. 48.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVI.

Verse 1. The Pharisees also with the Sudducees] Though a short account of these has been already given in the note on ch. iii. 7. yet as one more detailed may be judged necessary, I think it proper to introduce it in this place.

The PHARISEES were the most considerable sect among the Jews, for they had not only the Scribes and all the learned men of the law of their party, but they also drew after them the bulk of the people. When this sect arose is uncertain. Josephus Antiq. B. V. ch. xiii. s. 9. speaks of them as existing about 144 years before the Christian æra. They had their appellation of Pharisees from w parash, to separate, and were probably in their rise, the most holy people among the Jews, having separated themselves from the national corrup

tion, with a design to restore and practise the pure worship of the Most High. That they were greatly degenerated in cur Lord's time, is sufficiently evident; but still we may learn from their external purity and exactness, that their principles in the beginning were holy. Our Lord testifies that they had cleansed the outside of the cup and platter, but within they were full of abomination. They still kept up the outward regulations of the institution, but they had utterly lost its spirit; and hypocrisy was the only substitute now in their power, for that spirit of piety, which I suppose, and not unreasonably, characterized the origin of this sect.

As to their religious opinions, they still continued to credit the Being of a God, they received the five books of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the hagiographa. The hagio

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grapha or holy writings, from ayos holy, and yea‡w I write, included the twelve following books,-Psalins, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. These, among the Jews, occupied a middle place between the Law and the Prophets, as divinely inspired. The Pharisees believed in a confused way, in the resurrection, though they received the Pythagorean doctrine of the metempsychosis or transmigration of souls. Those, however, who were notoriously wicked, they consigned on their death, immediately to hell, without the benefit of transmigration, or the hope of future redemption. They held also the predestinarian doctrine of necessity, and the government of the world by fate; and yet, inconsistently allowed some degree of liberty to the human will. See Prideaur.

The SADDUCEES had their origin and name from one Sadoc, a disciple of Antigonus of Socho, president of the Sanhedrin, and teacher of the law in one of the great divinity schools in Jerusalem, about 264 years before the incarnation.

This Antigonus having often in his lectures informed his scholars, that they should not serve God through expectation of a reward, but through love and filial reverence only; Sadoc inferred from this teaching, that there were neither rewards nor punishments after this life, and by consequence, that there was no resurrection of the dead, nor angel, nor spirit in the invisible world; and that man is to be rewarded or punished here, for the good or evil he does.

They received only the five books of Moses, and rejected all unwritten traditions. From every account we have of this sect, it plainly appears they were a kind of mongrel deists, and professed materialists. See Prideaux, and the authors he quotes, Connect. vol. iii. p. 95. and 471, &c. and see the note on ch. iii. 7.

In chap. xxii. 16. we shall meet with a third sect, called HERODIANS, of whom a few words may be spoken here. It is allowed on all hands, that these did not exist before the time of Herod the Great, who died only three years after the incarnation of our Lord. What the opinions of these were, is not agreed among the learned. Many of the primitive fathers believed that their distinguishing doctrine was, that they held Herod to be the Messiah; but it is not likely that such an opinion could prevail in our Saviour's time, thirty years after Herod's death, when not one characteristic of Messiahship had appeared in him during his life. Others suppose that they were Herod's courtiers, who flattered the passions of their master; and being endowed with a convenient conscience, changed with the times; but as Herod was now

b Luke 12. 56.

dead upwards of thirty years, such a sect could not exist in reference to him, and yet all allow that they derived their origin from Herod the Great.

Our Lord says, Mark viii. 3. that they had the leaven of Herod, i. e. a bad doctrine, which they received from him. What this was may be easily discovered: 1. Herod subjected himself and his people to the dominion of the Romans, in opposition to that law, Deut. xvii. 15. Thou shalt not set a || king over thee-which is not thy brother, i.e. one out of the twelve tribes. 2. He built temples, set up images, and joined in heathenish worship, though he professed the Jewish religion; and this was in opposition to all the law and the prophets. From this we may learn, that the IIerodians were such as, first, held it lawful to transfer the divine government to a heathen ruler; and, secondly, to conform occasionally to heathenish rites in their religious worship. In short, they appear to have been persons who trimmed between God and the world-who endeavoured to reconcile his service with that of inammon, and who were religious just as far as it tended to secure their secular interests. It is probable that this sect was at last so blended with, that it became lost in, the sect of the Sadducees; for the persons who are called Herodians, Mark viii. 15. are stiled Sadducees in ver. 6. of this chapter. See Prideaux, Con. vol. iii. p. 516, &c. and Josephus Antiq. B. xv. c. viii. s. i. and x. s. iii. But it is very likely that the Herodians, mentioned c. xxii. 10. were courtiers or servants of Herod king of Galilee. See the note there.

Shew them a sign] These sects, however opposed among themselves, most cordially unite in their opposition to Christ and his truth. That the kingdom of Satan may not fall, all his subjects must fight against the doctrine and maxims of the kingdom of Christ.

Tempting-him] Feigning a desire to have his doctrine fully proved to them, that they might credit it, and become his disciples; but having no other design than to betray and ruin him.

Verse 2. When it is evening] There are certain signs of fair and foul weather, which ye are in the constant habit of observing, and which do not fail.-The signs of the times-the doctrine which I preach, and the miracles which I work among you, are as sure signs that the day spring from on high has visited you for your Salvation; but if ye refuse to hear, and continue in darkness, the red and gloomy cloud of vindictive Justice shall pour out such a storm of wrath upon you, as shall sweep you from the face of the carth.

Verse 3. The sky is red and lowring.] The signs of fair and foul weather, were observed in a similar manner among

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particular creed has a greater influence on his tempers and conduct than most are aware of. Pride, hypocrisy, and worldly mindedness, which constituted the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, ruin the major part of the world.

Verse 7. They reasoned] For, as Lightfoot observes, the term laven was very rarely used among the Jews, to signify doctrine, and therefore the disciples did not immediately apprehend his meaning. In what a lamentable state of blindness is the human mind! Bodily wants are perceived with the utmost readiness, and a supply is songht with all speed. But the necessities of the soul are rarely discovered, though they are more pressing than those of the body, and the supply of them of infinitely more importance.

Verse 8. When Jesus perceived, he said] Avtoiç, unto them, is wanting in BDKLMS. and twenty others; one of the Syriac, the Armenian, Æthiopic, Vulgate, and most of the Itala; also in Origen, Theophylact, and Lucifer Calaritanus. Mill approves of the omission, and Griesbach has left it out of the text.

O ye of little faith] There are degrees in faith, as well as in the other graces of the spirit. Little faith may be the seed of great faith, and therefore is not to be despised. But many who should be strong in faith, have but a small measure of it, because they either give way to sin, or are not careful to improve what God has already given.

DRYDEN. Verse 4. Wicked and adulterous generation] The Jewish people are represented in the Sacred Writings, as married to the most High; but like a disloyal wife, forsaking their true husband, and uniting themselves to Satan and sin. Secketh after a sign, onpalov emičntu, seckoth sign upon sign, or, still another sign. Our blessed Lord had already wrought miracles sufficient to demonstrate both his divine mission, and his divinity; only one was farther necessary to take away the scandal of his cross and death, to fulfil the Scriptures, and to Verses 9 and 10. Do ye not yet understand—the five loaves establish the Christian religion; and that was, his resurrection--neither the seven.-See the notes on chap. xiv. 14, &c. from the dead, which he here states, was typified in the case of Jonah.

Verse 5. Come to the other side] Viz. the coast of Bethsaida, by which our Lord passed, going to Cæsarea, for he was now on his journey thither. See ver. 13. and Mark viii. 22, 27.

Verse 6. Beware of the leaven] What the leaven of Pharisees and Sadducees was, has been already explained, see ver. 1. Bad doctrines aet in the soul, as leaven does in meal; they assimilate the whole spirit to their own nature. A man's

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How astonishing is it that these men should have any fear of lacking bread, after having seen the two miracles which our blessed Lord alludes to above! Though men quickly perceive their bodily wants, and are querulous enough till they get them supplied, yet they as quickly forget the mercy which they had received, and thus God gets few returns of gratitude for his kindnesses. To make men, therefore, deeply sensible of his favours, he is induced to suffer them often to be in want, and then to supply them in such a way, as to

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