216 Reflections on our safety under the care of Christ. SECT. Our eternal life and happiness as inviolably secure. Safely indeed σχχχίν. may we trust it in his hands who could say, in so sublime and so glorious a sense, I and the Father are one. ver. 30 28,29 31 The enemies of our salvation must triumph then over omnipotence itself before they can wrest the sheep of Christ out of his hands; nor will his fidelity to God, or his love to them, suffer them to be seduced by fraud, any more than destroyed by violence. Blessed situation of thy little flock! O thou faithful, thou compassionate, thou Almighty Shepherd, gather thou our souls with theirs; and never suffer us to forget of how great importance it is that we still continue near thee, that we look up to thee for our defence and safety, and confide, not in our own power and wisdom, but in thine! Who could have imagined that any heart could have been so base as to have intended evil, or any hands so cruel as to have 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 32 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 months; and the Divine care and power in an 39 extraordinary manner provided for his escape, and once more rescued him from 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 41, 42 visitation! The testimony of John the Baptist is now recollected 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. OXXXV. SECT. CXXXV. Christ declares against divorces, except in the case of adultery, and adds some other particulars relating to the married state. Mat. XIX. 1-12. Mark X. 1-12. MAT. XIX. 1. MAT. XIX. 1. AND, after the instructions that were given AND it came to by our Lord to his disciples at Caper- pass, that when Mat. naum, (which were recorded above from sect. xix. 1 xciii. to cxvi.) it came to pass that when Jesus Jesus had finished Multitudes follow Christ, and he preaches to them. 217 Mat. these sayings, he had finished these discourses, he arose from szer. dan. 1-] things had happened, which have already been no sooner 2 2 And great mul- sion. titudes followed known, but great multitudes followed him from him, [and the peo- all the neighbouring parts; and, particularly, ple resort unto him again; and as he the people who had seen him formerly at Bethwas wont, he taught abara resorted to him again (as was said John them again], and he healed them there. X. 41); and, according to his usual custom, he readily embraced the opportunity of preaching [MARK X. 1.] 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 The Pharisees And the Pharisees, who always had a watch- 8 ful eye on his motions, and attended him with the most malignant designs, being now more especially irritated by the fame of his late miracles, which they had in vain endeavoured 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 forgiveness of injuries which have been considered above, from And I have somesect. xciii. to xcvi. times 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, being determined, I suppose, by the close connection between the passages that are here related, and those events that follow them, which happened but a very little while before Christ's death. It is of very little importance to us, whether these discourses were delivered now or a few months before. However, he might truly be said to arise from Galilee, and come into these parts, though he took a -considerable compass, and spent several weeks in the journey. Compare note b Beyond Jordan.] Mark has expressed this with some little variation, dia re œspav 8 lopsavs, 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. But 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 And this was so near against Jericho. (Compare Josh. iii. 16, and Jud. vii. 24.) 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: Mat. xix. 3 4 4 And he answer 218 The Pharisees tempt him with a question about divorce. SECT. to suppress (see John vii. 32, 47, and ix. 16,24), also came unto him, exxxv. came hither also to him, with the view of getting tempting him, and some advantage over him, by tempting him with [asked him], saying unto him, Is it lawwhat they thought a very artful and insnaring ful for a man to put question and, that they might, if possible, away his wife for eventangle him in his talk so as to find some rea- ery cause? [MARK X. 2.] son 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? And he said to them in reply, Have ye not read, (Gen. i. 27) that God, the almighty and ed and said unto allwise Creator, from the very beginning of the read, that [God], he creation, when he would not fail to constitute which made them, human nature in such a way as might be [from the beginning of the creation], most conducive to its happiness, in forming made them male and the first parents of mankind, made them male female? [MARK X. and female, or one man and one woman? 6.] which would neither allow of divorce or 5 polygamy. And do you not remember that when the woman was at first brought to him, the man 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,d "For this cause, or on account of his engaging them, Have ye not 5 And said, For 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. 18), might hope to expose him to popular resentment for retrenching a liberty which the law allowed: but our Lord feared not the consequence of doing it. ‹ 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 12 ny, which we render some uncleanness, signified adultery; whereas the school of d May in effect be looked upon as a DiHillel explained it of any matter of dislike. vine testimony.] I think the ingenious (See Selden. Uxor. Hebr. lib. iii. cap. 22.) author of Revelation examined with Candour Perhaps a me ium between both would solidly argues, from Adam's pronouncing have been a juster interpretation than concerning the obligation of a child's relaeither; for it is certain that the phrase may tion to his parents, which had never then with peculiar propriety express any blem- existed, that he spake these words in conish or disorder which a woman might un- sequence of some extraordinary Divine iljustly and foolishly conceal before marriage lumination; which justifies the turn given that was afterwards discovered. At least, in the paraphrase: nor could he without a I think it plain, from our Lord's answer, that revelation have known what had passed in the disciples of Sammai were mistaken; his sleep, or ever have conjectured the which farther appears from the provision original of woman to have been what he the Mosaic law made for punishing adultery so plainly refers to. See Revelat. exam. with death. The interpretation of Hillel with Candour, Vol. I. Diss. iii. p. 28–33. Divorces were permitted for the hardness of their hearts; and mother, and shall So 6 219 Mat. this cause shall a man in the married state, shall a man leave both his SECT. leave [his] father father and mother, when those dear relations CXXXV. cleave to his wife; of parental and filial tenderness shall take and they twain shall place, and shall closely adhere to his wife; and ix. é be one flesh. [MARK they two shall be joined in so intimate an union X 7,8-] as to become one flesh ?" (Gen. ii. 24.) 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, that it appears of persons thus joined together, but one flesh. What that they are no longer two, but one flesh, and therefore God hath should accordingly regard each other as memjoined together, let not man put asunder. bers of one body, What God therefore has thus [Mark X.—8, 9.] closely yoked together, let not man separate; but let the bond of marriage be esteemed as sacred, and incapable of being dissolved by any thing which does not make them cease to be one flesh, by making that of the one common to some third person. (See Whitby, in loc.) 7 They say unto They say unto him, by way of objection 7 him, Why did Moses against this, Why then did Moses under Divine then command to direction and inspiration, command “a man, give a writing of divorcement, and to whose wife found no favour in his eyes, beput her away? cause he had discovered," as it is there expressed," some uncleanness in her," or (as it has been generally understood) some cause of distate and aversion, "to give her a bill of divorce, and so to dismiss her ?" (Deut. xxiv. 1.) And he replied, and said unto them, How is Mark he answered and it that you take this matter; or what did you said unto them, allege that Moses did command you? Is there any thing in his writings that recommends divorce and separation upon light occasions? MARK X. 3. And What did Moses command you? 4 And they said, And upon this they said, If it may not be said Moses suffered to that Moses does command or recommend it in write a bill of di- itself, it is most evident from the passage we vorcement, and to have mentioned, that he has permitted a man, put her away. MAT. XIX. 8. in some cases, to write a bill of divorce, and to X. S And Jesus answered and said to them, You Mat. [And Jesus answer- state the matter now more justly than before: xix. 8 ed and said unto for it amounts merely to a permission: but I them], Moses, be cause of the hard- must observe to you, that it was on account of ness of your hearts, the hardness of your hearts, and the perverse[wrote you this pre- ness of your tempers, that Moses wrote you On account of the hardness of your hearts.] Jewish nation is too apparent. See Exod. How much this was the character of the xxxiii. 3; xxxiv. 9; Deut. ix. 6; xxxi. 220 Mat. xix. 8 But should not be used but in eases of adultery. SECT, this precept, [and] gave you such a permission cept, and] suffered XXXV. to put away your wives; knowing that other- you to put away your wives: but from the wise you might have been tempted to use them beginning it was not intolerably ill: but, as I just now told you, it so. [MARK X. 5.] 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 11 11 And he saith And when the assembly was dismissed, and MARK X. 10. 1. 10 Jesus was retired from the multitude, as they And in the house were sitting together in the house where he him again of the his disciples asked lodged, his disciples asked him again of the same same matter. matter, as not being able fully to understand it, or to reconcile it with the precept of Moses. And he says to them, If you are willing to receive laws from me, you must submit to a unto them, [I say unto you], Whosogreater restraint than Moses laid on the Israel- ever shall put away ites; for I expressly tell you, (as I formerly did, his wife, [except it Mat. v. 32, sect. xxxix. and Luke xvi. 18, sect. be for fornication], and [shall] marry cxxiv.) Whosoever shall dismiss his wife, ex- another, committeth cept [it be] for whoredom, which is a funda- adultery against herr mental breach of the main article of the mar- [and whoso marrieth riage covenant, by which they are one flesh, her which is put and shall marry another, commits adultery adultery.] [MAT. against her that was his former wife, and who XIX. 9.] 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. away, doth commit 12 And, on the other hand, by a parity of reason, 12 And if a woif a woman, not injured in the important man shall put away article just now mentioned, shall put away married to another, her husband, and be her husband, or extort from him a bill of divorce, and be married to another man, she 27; Isa. xlviii. 4; Ezek. ii. 4; and Acts vii. 51. Our Lord (as Grotius well observes) strongly intimates that a more tender disposition may justly be expected from his disciples. f Except it be for whoredom : 7 woguia.] 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 on Mat. v. 32, Vol. I. p. 222.) But it is by a dangerous latitude of interpretation that Milton (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 1 Cor. vii. 15, is quite of a different nature; nor can a man under such a calamity be said to put away his wife. Erasmus has a remarkable note on Mat. xix. 3, which shews he was not far from Milton's opinion. & If a woman shall put away her husband.] Though it is certain that the Jewish law |