Multitudes follow Christ, and he preaches to them. 93 defence and safety, and confide not in our own power and wisdom, SECT. but in thine! cxxxiv. Who could have imagined, that any heart could have been so John base as to have intended evil, or any hands so cruel, as to have X. 31. armed themselves with instruments of death, against such a person, while speaking such words as these? Yet behold, these Jews do it; and that even in so sacred a place, as the temple itself; as the genuine offspring of those, who slew the prophet and priest of the Lord, even at his altar. (Compare Mat. xxiii. 31, 35. and Luke xi. 48, 51.) but his wise and gentle reply disarmed them for a few 32 months; and the Divine care and power in an extraordinary manner provided for his escape, and once more rescued him from 39 their murderous hands. 40 Happy the inhabitants of the country about Jordan, to which he retired! especially happy, in that they knew the day of their visitation! The testimony of John the Baptist is now recollected 41, 42 to excellent purposes, though he himself was mouldering in his tomb: Nor is there any thing, which a faithful Minister will more earnestly desire, than that even while dead, he may yet speak, for the honour of Christ, and the salvation of souls. SECT. CXXXV. Christ declares against divorces, except in the case of adultery, and MAT. XIX. 1. AND it came to pass, MAT. XIX. 1. SECT. CXXXV. that when Jesus AND after the instructions that were given had finished these say- by our Lord to his disciples at Capernaum, ings, he [arose from (which were recorded above, from sect. xciii. thence, and] departed to xcvi.) it came to pass, that when Jesus had xix. 1. from Galilee, and came into finished these discourses, he arose from thence, a [and] departed from Galilee, where he had dwelt When Jesus had finished these discourses.] The passages which Matthew and Mark have mentioned, immediately before they introduce this story, are those discourses on humility and the forgiveness of injuries, which have been considered above, from sect. xcii. to xcvi. And I have sometimes been inclined to think, that this, and the next following sections, might have been introduced there, as previous to that feast of tabernacles, which we have so often mentioned. But most harmonizers without any scruple or apology place them here, beM ing determined, I suppose, by the close con- Mat. 9.1 CXXXV. Mat. The Pharisees tempt him with a question about divorce. [MARK X. 1.-] 2 And great multi SECT. repeated journeys. And after he had first been into the coasts of Juup at Jerusalem, (as was before related, John vii. dea, beyond Jordan. 10. Vol. VI. p. 511.) and several other things had XIX. 1. happened, which have already been considered in their proper place, he came at length (as was observed in the last section, John x. 40.) into the borders of Judea, beyond Jordan, where he spent some of the winter months, crossing the 2 river, as he saw occasion. And his arrival was no sooner known, but great multitudes followed tudes followed him, [and the people resort him from all the neighbouring parts; and par- unto him again; and ticularly the people, who had seen him formerly as he was wont, he at Bethabara resorted to him again; (as was taught them again,] said John x. 41.) and according to his usual there. [MARK X.—1.] custom, he readily embraced the opportunity of preaching to them, and taught them there again, as he had done elsewhere; and as they brought many sick persons to him, he healed them all there; which could not but increase the throng. 3 and he healed them 3 The Pharisees also And the Pharisees, who always had a watchful eye on his motions, and attended him with came unto him, tempting him, and [asked the most malignant designs, being now more him,] saying unto him, especially irritated by the fame of his late mi- Is it lawful for a man racles, which they had in vain endeavoured to to put away his wife for every cause?suppress, (see John vii. 32, 47. and ix. 16, 24.) [MARK X. 2.] came hither also to him, with the view of getting some advantage over him, by tempting him with what they thought a very artful and insnaring question: And that they might, if possible, entangle him in his talk, so as to find some reason to accuse him, or to discredit him at least among the people, they asked him, saying unto him, What thinkest thou, Master, Is it lawful for a man to dismiss his wife for every slight cause of dislike, which may be found in her or is adultery the only just reason for a divorce? b Beyond Jordan.] Mark has expressed this with some little variation, dia 8 to spar Ty To;dave, by the farther side of Jordan; or, as the learned Beza, and some other critics choose to render it, on the banks of Jordan; and this may seem to be more suitable to what is said of Christ's coming to the coast of Judea; which was bounded by Jordan, and had no coasts beyond it. Put it appears from John x. 40, that Bethabara, where John at first baptized, (John i. 28.) was the place to which our Lord removed, which was undoubtedly beyond Jordan, and over against Jericho. (Compare Josh. iii. 16. and Jud. vii. 24.) And this was so near to the coasts of Judea, that we might very well retain the usual version, and take the phrase as Matthew hath expressed it; especially as it is probable, that Jesus during his abode in these parts might often cross the river, and pass from Bethabara to Judea, which lay on the opposite side. c To dismiss his wife for every cause.] It is well known that there was a debate between the ancient rabbies, (perhaps as old as our Lord's time,) concerning the interpretation of the law relating to divorce, Deut. xxiv. 1. The school of Sammai maintained, that the words Divorces were permitted for the hardness of their hearts. 4 And he answered Have ye not read, that made them male and 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave [his] father and mo ther, and shall cleave his wife and they twain shall be one flesh. [MARK X. 7, 8.-] 95 And he said to them in reply, Have ye not SECT. and said unto them, read, (Gen. i. 27.) that God, the Almighty and exxxv. [God], he which made All-wise Creator, from the very beginning of Mat. then [from the begin- the creation, when he would not fail to consti- XIX. 4. ing of the creation] tute human nature in such a way as might be female? [MARK X.6.] most conducive to its happiness, in forming the first parents of mankind made them male and female, or one man and one woman? which would neither aliow of divorce or polygamy. And do you not remember, that when the 5 woman was at first brought to him, the man to said, as taught by an extraordinary revelation concerning the ends and obligations of marriage, which therefore may in effect be looked upon as a Divine testimony, "For this cause, or on account of his engaging in the married state, shall a man leave both his father and mother, when those dear relations of parental and filial tenderness shall take place, and shall closely adhere to his wife; and they two shall be joined in so intimate an union as to become one flesh?" (Gen. ii. 21.) So 6 that it of appears persons thus joined together, that they are no longer two, but one flesh, and together, let not man should accordingly regard each other as memput asunder. [MARK bers of one body. What God therefore has thus X.-8, 9.] 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What there fore God hath joined 7 They say unto closely yoked together let not man separate; but They say unto him, by way of objection against 7 him, Why did Moses this, Why then did Moses, under Divine direc then which we render some uncleanness, signified adultery; whereas the school of Hillel explained it of any matter of dislike. (See Seiden, Uror. Heb. lib. iii. cap. 22.) Perhaps a medium between both, would have been a juster interpretation than either; for it is certain, that the phrase may with peculiar propriety express any blemish or disorder, which a woman might unjustly and foolishly conceal before marriage, that was afterwards discovered. At leas', I think it plain from our Lord's answer, that the disciples of Sammai were mistaken; which farther appears from the provision the Mosaic law made for punishing adultery with death. The interpretation of Hillel generally prevailed; and the Pharisees concluding Christ would, as he had done before, declare against divorces for trivial causes (Mat. v. 31, 32, and Luke xvi. 15), tion might hope to expose him to popular re- d May in effect be looked upon as a Di.. e Un 96 Mat. They should not be used but in cases of adultery. ment, and to put her away SECT. tion and inspiration, command" a man whose, then command to give CXXXV. wife found no favour in his eyes, because he a writing of divorce. had discovered," as it is there expressed, "some XIX. 7. uncleanness in her," or (as it has been generally understood) some cause of distaste and aversion," to give her a bill of divorce, and so to dismiss her? (Deut. xxiv. 1.) Mark X. 3. Mat. 4. MARK X. 3. And unto them, What did And he replied, and said unto them, How is it that you take this matter; or what did you al- he answered and said ledge that Moses did command you? Is there any Moses command you? thing in his writings that recommends divorce. and separation upon light occasions? And upon this they said, If it may not be said. that Moses does command or recommend it in itself, it is most evident from the passage we have mentioned, that he has permitted a man, in some cases, to write a bill of divorce, and to give it into his wife's hand, and dismiss her; on which foundation thou well knowest how frequently divorces prevail among us, and how justifiable they are generally esteemed. 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write and to put her away. a bill of divorcement, MAT. XIX. 8. [And said unto them], cept, and] suffered you your And Jesus answered and said to them, You XIX. 8. state the matter now more justly than before; Jesus answered and for it amounts merely to a permission: but I Moses, because of the must observe to you, that it was on account of the hardness of your hearts, hardness of your hearts, and the perverseness of [wrote you this preyour tempers, that Moses wrote you this precept, to put away [and] gave you such a permission to put away wives: but from the your wives; knowing that otherwise you might beginning it was not So. [MARK X. 5.] have been tempted to use them intolerably ill : but, as I just now told you, it was not so from the beginning; and the account which that writer gives of the original constitution of things proves it to be an irregularity, how necessary soever he might find it, in some cases, to tolerate it, or rather, by making it irrevocable, to prevent men's doing it without deep consideration. Mark MARK X. 10. And And when the assembly was dismissed, and X. 10. Jesus was retired from the multitude, as they in the house his disciwere sitting together in the house where he lodg- of the same matter. ples asked him again ed, his disciples asked him again of the same matter, as not being able fully to understand it, or to reconcile it with the precept of Moses. 11 11 And he saith And he says to them, If you are willing to receive laws from me, you must submit to a greater unto them, [I say e On account of the hardness of your hearts.] How much this was the charac ter of the Jewish nation is too apparent. See Exod. xxxiii. 3; xxxiv. 9; Deut. ix. 6; xxxi. 27; Isa. xlviii. 4; Ezek. ii. 4; restraint unto Marriage is objected to, but all cannot live single. 97 unto you], Whoso- restraint than Moses laid on the Israelites; for SECT. ever shall put away I expressly tell you (as I formerly did, Mat. v. his wife, [except it be against her: CXXXV. for fornication], and 32, sect. xxxix. and Luke xvi. 18, sect. cxxiv.], Mat. [shall] marry another, Whosoever shall dismiss his wife, except [it be] XIX. 11. committeth adultery [and for whoredom, which is a fundamental breach whoso marrieth her of the main article of the marriage-covenant, by which is put away, which they are one flesh, and shall marry anodoth commit adulte- ther, commits adultery against her that was his ry.] [MAT. XIX. 9.] former wife, and who continues still to be so in the sight of God; and he that shall marry her who is so dismissed, without a sufficient cause, commits adultery. And, on the other hand, by 12 a parity of reason, if a woman, not injured in the important article just now mentioned, shall put away her husband, or extort from him a bill of divorces, and be married to another man, she commits adultery, and as she deserves to be abhorred by men, so must she expect to be punished by God, as guilty of that enormous and detestable crime, if she do not from her very heart repent of it. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be mar ried to another, she committeth adultery. MAT. XIX. 10. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man xix. 10. Then his disciples say unto him, If this be the Mat. case between a man and his wife, and the bond be so with his wife, it be thus indissoluble, surely it is not expedient to marry; since a man may by that means be caught in an inextricable snare, which may make him miserable all the rest of his life. is not good to marry. 11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, given. But he said to them, All men cannot receive this 11 of saying yours, that it is not expedient to marsave they to whom it is ry; but only they to whom it is given, as a peculiar gift, to conquer those inclinations towards that state which God, for wise reasons, has wrought into the common constitution of hu12 For there are man nature. For there are [some] eunuchs who 2 some were born so from their mother's womb, and whose natural Except it be for whoredom: yig.] Though fornication committed before marriage, and afterwards discovered, might be supposed to justify a divorce, adultery must much more evidently do it; and therefore it is plain the word must be taken in the extent which is here given it. (See note f on Mate v. 32. Vol. VI. p. 212.) But it is by a dangerous latitude of interpretation that Millon (Prose Works, page 105) would explain the word as signifying any thing which should be to the husband as grievous and intolerable as whoredom. The case of obstinate desertion, where the husband cannot by law recover his wife, which was the celebrated case of the pious Galeacius Caracciolus, and which we find to be supposed in Cor. vii. 15, is quite of a different nature; nor can a man under such a calamity be said to put avay g If a woman shall put away her hus- |