,transcriber's ,note3 ,inconsistencies in hyphenation1 and apparent punctuation and spelling errors1 have been corrected4 ,repetitions of of and the have been removed4 ,an advertisement for the ,expositor's ,bible series has been moved to the end of the text4 ,inconsistencies in spelling have been corrected by the following changes3 chapters #c and #d1 ,judea to ,juda2 chapters #e and #i1 intrusted to entrusted2 chapter #aj1 baptized to baptised2 chapter #ba1 ,cesarea to ,csarea4 ,bold text has been rendered in ordinary font1 and small capitals in ordinary capitals4 ,italics are indicated by underscores4 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 ,,edited ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,w4 ,,robertson ,,nicoll1 ,m4,a41 ,,ll4,d41 ,editor of ,the ,expositor4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,st4 ,,matthew4 ,,by ,,john ,,monro ,,gibson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,london4 ,,toronto3 ,,willard ,,tract ,,depository ,,and ,,bible ,,dep,t1 ,,corner ,,of ,,yonge ,,and ,,temperance ,,streets4 #ahij4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,st4 ,,matthew4 ,,by ,,john ,,monro ,,gibson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,london1 ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,ages ,,before ,,moses1 ,,the ,,mosaic ,,era1 ,,etc4 ,,toronto3 ,,willard ,,tract ,,depository ,,and ,,bible ,,dep,t1 ,,corner ,,of ,,yonge ,,and ,,temperance ,,streets4 #ahij4 ,,contents4 ,,chap4 ,,page ,i4 ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,the ,,christ #a ,,matt4 ,i4 ,,ii4 ,,his ,,reception #ac ,,matt4 ,,ii4 ,,iii4 ,,his ,,herald #bd ,,matt4 ,,iii4 #a-ab4 ,,iv4 ,,his ,,baptism #ca ,,matt4 ,,iii4 #ac-ag4 ,v4 ,,his ,,temptation #ci ,,matt4 ,,iv4 #a-aa4 ,,vi4 ,,beginning ,,of ,,his ,,galilean ,,ministry #dh ,,matt4 ,,iv4 #ab-be4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom #eg 7,sermon on the ,mount47 ,,matt4 ,v41 ,,vi41 ,,vii4 ,i4 ,the ,nature and ,constitution of the ,kingdom #eh #a4 ,in ,itself 7,the ,beatitudes7 #eh #b4 ,in ,relation to the ,world #fb ,,ii4 ,the ,law of the ,kingdom #fi #a4 ,general ,principles #fi #b4 ,illustrations from the ,moral ,law #gc #c4 ,illustrations from ,religious ,duty #gi #d4 ,duty in ,relation to the ,world and the ,things of it #he 7#a7 ,as regards the ,good ,things of the ,world #hf 7#b7 ,as regards the ,evil in the ,world #ia ,,iii4 ,invitation to enter the ,kingdom #ie ,,viii4 ,,the ,,signs ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom #aje ,,matt4 ,,viii4-,,ix4 #ce4 ,the ,leper #ajg ,the ,centurion's ,servant #aji ,the ,fever ,patient #aaa ,the ,impulsive ,scribe #aac ,the ,hesitating ,disciple #aad ,the ,storm ,stilled #aae ,demons ,cast ,out #aag ,sins ,forgiven #aah ,death ,vanquished #abb ,lost ,faculties ,restored #abh ,,ix4 ,,the ,,king',s ,,ambassadors #acb ,,matt4 ,,ix4 #cf-,x4 #db4 ,i4 ,the ,mission #acb ,,ii4 ,the ,commission #acg ,x4 ,,the ,,shadow ,,of ,,the ,,cross #adb ,,matt4 ,,xi41 ,,xii4 ,i4 ,discouragements #adb #a4 ,john in doubt #adc #b4 ,the ,unreasonableness of the ,people #adh #c4 ,the ,unbelief of the ,cities #adi ,,ii4 ,the ,contradiction of ,sinners #aef ,,xi4 ,,the ,,parables ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom #agc ,,matt4 ,,xiii4 ,i4 ,the ,principle of ,parabolic ,instruction #age ,,ii4 ,the ,group of ,seven #aha ,,xii4 ,,the ,,crisis ,,in ,,galilee #ahf ,,matt4 ,,xiv4-,,xvi4 #ab4 ,i4 ,the ,banquet of ,herod and the ,feast of ,christ #ahg ,,ii4 ,calm on the ,mountain and ,trouble on the ,sea #aid ,,iii4 ,israel after the ,flesh1 and ,israel after the ,spirit #bjb ,,iv4 ,the ,culmination of the ,crisis #bac ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,new ,,departure #bai 7,founding of the ,church47 ,,matt4 ,,xvi4 #ac-,,xvii4 #ba4 ,i4 ,the ,christ #bba ,,ii4 ,the ,cross #bbg ,,iii4 ,the ,glory #bcc ,,iv4 ,the ,descent #bdb ,,xiv4 ,,last ,,words ,,at ,,capernaum #bej ,,matt4 ,,xvii4 #bb-,,xviii4 #ce4 ,the ,temple ,tribute #bej ,the ,little ,ones #beb ,trespasses #beh ,,xv4 ,,last ,,days ,,in ,,per,a #bfg ,,matt4 ,,xix4 #a-,,xx4 #af4 ,marriage and ,divorce #bfh ,the ,children #bgj ,the ,rich ,young ,man #bgc ,danger of ,riches #bgf ,rewards #bgi ,,xvi4 ,,to ,,jerusalem #bhf ,,matt4 ,,xx4 #ag-,,xxi4 #ag4 ,i4 ,the ,going ,up #bhf ,,ii4 ,the ,royal ,entry #bie ,,xvii4 ,,conflict ,,in ,,the ,,temple #cje ,,matt4 ,,xxi4 #ah-,,xxiii4 ,i4 ,the ,challenge #cjg ,the ,two ,sons #caj ,the ,husbandmen #caa ,the ,marriage ,feast #cae ,,ii4 ,the ,ordeal of ,questions #cbb ,,iii4 ,the ,house left ,desolate #cbi ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,prophecy ,,on ,,the ,,mount #cci ,,matt4 ,,xxiv41 ,,xxv4 ,i4 ,the ,coming of the ,son of ,man #cdj ,,ii4 ,parables and ,pictures of ,judgment #cdi #a4 ,the ,servant set over the ,household #cdi #b and #c4 ,the ,virgins2 ,the ,talents #ceb #d4 ,the ,final ,separation #cff ,,xix4 ,,the ,,great ,,atonement ,,day #cgf ,,matt4 ,,xxvi4-,,xxvii4 #ef4 ,i4 ,the ,evening #chf ,,ii4 ,the ,night #cif ,,iii4 ,the ,morning #dab ,,iv4 ,from the ,third to the ,ninth ,hour #dbj ,,xx4 ,,the ,,third ,,day #dbi ,,matt4 ,,xxvii4 #eg-,,xxviii4 #ae4 ,the ,evening of the ,first ,day #dcj ,the ,second ,day #dcb ,the ,morning of the ,third ,day #dcc ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,for ,,all ,,the ,,nations ,,through ,,all ,,the ,,days #dci ,,matt4 ,,xxviii4 #af-bj4 ,i4 ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,the ,,christ4 ,,matt4 i4 ,the ,new ,testament opens appropriately with the four ,gospels2 for1 though in their present form they are all later in date than some of the ,epistles1 their substance was the basis of all apostolic preaching and writing4 ,as the ,pentateuch to the ,old ,testament1 so is the fourfold ,evangel to the ,new4 ,that there should be a manifold presentation of the great facts which lie at the foundation of our faith and hope1 was both to be expected and desired4 ,the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 as proclaimed by the first preachers of it1 while in substance always the same1 would be varied in form1 and in number and variety of details1 according to the individuality of the speaker1 the kind of audience before him1 and the special object he might have in view at the time4 ,before any form of presentation had been crystallized1 there would therefore be an indefinite number of ,gospels1 each according to the individual preacher of ,christ and ,him crucified4 ,it is1 therefore1 a marvellous proof of the guidance and control of the ,divine ,spirit that out of these numerous oral ,gospels there should emerge four1 each perfect in itself1 and together affording1 as with the all-round completeness of sculpture1 a life-like representation of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is manifestly of great advantage to have these several portraits of our ,lord1 permitting us to see ,him from different points of view1 and with varying arrangements of light and shade2 all the more that1 while three of them set forth in abundant variety of detail that which is more external1--the face1 the features1 the form1 all the expression of that wondrous ,life1--the fourth1 appropriately called on this account the ,gospel of the heart of ,jesus1 unveils more especially the hidden riches of ,his inner ,life4 ,but1 besides this1 a manifold ,gospel was needed1 in order to meet the wants of man in the many-sidedness of his development4 ,as the heavenly city lieth four square1 with gates on the east1 and the west1 and the north1 and the south1 to admit strangers coming from all points of the compass2 so must there be in the presentation of the ,gospel an open door for all mankind4 ,how this great purpose is attained by the fourfold ,gospel with which the ,new ,testament opens can be readily shewn2 and even a brief statement of it may serve a useful purpose as introductory to our study of that which is known as the ,first ,gospel4 ,the inscription over the cross was in three languages3 ,hebrew1 ,latin1 and ,greek4 ,these languages represented the three great civilizations which were the final outcome of ancient history--the ,jewish1 the ,roman1 the ,greek4 ,these three were not like so many nations selected at random1 but stood for three leading types of humanity4 ,the ,jew was the man of the past4 ,he could claim ,moses and the prophets2 he had ,abraham for his father2 his records went back to the ,genesis of all things4 ,he represented ancient prerogative and privilege1 the conservatism of the ,east4 ,the ,roman was the man of the present4 ,he was master of the world4 ,he represented power1 prowess1 and victory2 and while serving himself heir to the culture which came from the shores of the ,egean ,sea1 he had combined with it the rude strength and restless activity of the barbarian and ,scythian of the ,north4 ,the ,greek was the man of the future4 ,he had lost his political empire1 but still retained an empire in the world of thought4 ,he represented humanity1 and the ideal1 and all the promise which was afterwards to be realized in the culture of the nations of the ,west4 ,the ,jew was the man of tradition1 the ,roman the man of energy1 the ,greek the man of thought4 ,turning now to the ,gospels1 we find the wants of each of these three types provided for in a wondrous way4 ,st4 ,matthew addresses himself especially to the ,jew with his ,gospel of fulfilment1 ,st4 ,mark to the ,roman with his brief and terse narrative of a three years' campaign1 ,st4 ,luke to the ,greek with that all-pervading spirit of humanity and catholicity which is so characteristic of his ,evangel2 while for those who have been gathered from among the ,jews and ,romans and ,greeks--a people who are now no longer ,jews or ,greeks1 but are all one in ,christ ,jesus1 prepared to receive and appreciate the deeper things of ,christ--there is a fourth ,gospel1 issued at a later date1 with characteristics specially adapted to them3 the mature work of the then venerable ,john1 the apostle of the ,christian4 ,it is manifest that for every reason the ,gospel of ,st4 ,matthew should occupy the foremost place4 ,to the ,jew first is the natural order1 whether we consider the claims of the fathers1 or the necessity of making it clear that the new covenant was closely linked to the old4 ,salvation is of the ,jews2 the ,christ of ,god1 though the ,saviour of the world1 had been in a very special sense the ,hope of ,israel1 and therefore it is appropriate that ,he should be represented first from the standpoint of that nation4 ,we have1 accordingly1 in this ,gospel1 a faithful setting forth of ,christ as ,he presented ,himself to the mind and heart of a devout ,jew1 an ,israelite indeed1 in whom was no guile1 rejoicing to find in ,him ,one who fulfilled ancient prophecy and promise1 realized the true ideal of the kingdom of ,god1 and substantiated ,his claim to be ,himself the divine ,saviour-,king for whom the nation and the world had waited long4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the opening words of this ,gospel suggest that we are at the ,genesis of the ,new ,testament1 the genesis not of the heavens and the earth1 but of ,him who was to make for us new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 ,the ,old ,testament opens with the thought1 ,behold ,i make all things2 the ,new ,testament with that which amounts to the promise1 ,behold ,i make all things new4 ,it begins with the advent of the ,second ,man1 the ,lord from ,heaven4 ,that ,he was indeed a ,second ,man1 and not merely one of the many that have sprung from the first man1 will presently appear2 but first it must be made clear that ,he is man indeed1 bone of our bone1 flesh of our flesh2 and therefore the inspired historian begins with ,his historic genealogy4 ,true to his object1 however1 he does not trace back our ,lord's descent1 as does ,st4 ,luke1 to the first man1 but contents himself with that which is especially interesting to the ,jew1 setting ,him forth as the son of ,david1 the son of ,abraham4 ,there is another difference between the genealogies1 of a more serious kind1 which has been the occasion of much difficulty2 but which also seems to find readiest explanation in the different object each ,evangelist had in view4 ,st4 ,luke1 writing for the ,gentile1 is careful to give the natural descent1 while ,st4 ,matthew1 writing for the ,jew1 sets forth that line of descent--diverging from the other after the time of ,david--which made it clear to the ,jew that ,he was the rightful heir to the kingdom4 ,the object of the one is to set ,him forth as the ,son of ,man2 of the other to proclaim ,him ,king of ,israel4 ,st4 ,matthew gives the genealogy in three great epochs or stages1 which1 veiled in the ,authorized ,version by the verse division1 are clearly exhibited to the eye in the paragraphs of the ,revised ,version1 and which are summed up and made emphatic at the close of the genealogical tree 7ver4 #ag74 ,the first is from ,abraham to ,david2 the second from ,david to the captivity in ,babylon2 the third from the captivity to ,christ4 ,if we glance at these1 we shall find that they represent three great stages in the development of the ,old ,testament promises which find their fulfilment in the ,messiah4 ,to ,abraham and to his seed were the promises made4 ,as given to ,abraham himself1 the promise ran thus3 ,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,as made to ,david1 it indicated that the blessing to the nations should come through a king of his line4 ,these were the two great promises to ,israel4 ,there were many others2 but these stand out from the rest as constituting the mission and the hope of ,israel4 ,now1 after long waiting1 both are to be fulfilled in ,christ4 ,he is the chosen ,seed in ,whom all nations shall be blessed4 ,he is the ,son of ,david1 who is to sit upon ,his throne for ever1 and reign1 not over ,israel alone1 but over men1 as ,prince of ,peace and ,king of ,glory4 ,but what has the captivity in ,babylon to do with it8 ,very much2 as a little reflection will show4 ,the captivity in ,babylon1 as is well known1 was followed by two great results3 7#a7 it cured the people of idolatry for ever1 so that1 while politically the kingdom had passed away1 in reality1 and according to the spirit1 it was then for the first time constituted as a kingdom of ,god4 ,till then1 though politically separate from the ,gentile nations1 spiritually ,israel had become as one of them2 for what else than a heathen nation was the northern kingdom in the days of ,ahab or the southern kingdom in the time of ,ahaz8 ,but after the captivity1 though as a nation shattered into fragments1 spiritually ,israel became and continued to be one4 7#b7 ,the other great result of the captivity was the ,dispersion4 ,only a small remnant of the people came back to ,palestine4 ,ten of the tribes passed out of sight1 and but a fraction of the other two returned4 ,the rest remained in ,babylon1 or were scattered abroad among the nations of the earth4 ,thus the ,jews in their dispersion formed1 as it were1 a ,church throughout the ancient world1--their eyes ever turned in love and longing to the ,temple at ,jerusalem1 while their homes and their business were among the ,gentiles--in the world1 but not of it2 the prototype of the future ,church of ,christ1 and the soil out of which it should afterwards spring4 ,thus out of the captivity in ,babylon sprang1 first1 the spiritual as distinguished from the political kingdom1 and1 next1 the world-wide as distinguished from the merely national ,church4 ,clearly then the ,babylonish captivity was not only a most important historical event1 but also a stage in the grand preparation for the ,advent of the ,messiah4 ,the original promise made to ,abraham1 that in his seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed1 was shown in the time of ,david to be a promise which should find its fulfilment in the coming of a king2 and as the king after ,god's heart was foreshadowed in ,david1 so the kingdom after the ,divine purpose was foreshadowed in the condition of the people of ,god after the captivity in ,babylon1 purified from idolatry1 scattered abroad among the nations1 with their innumerable synagogues 7prototypes of our churches7 and their peculiarities of faith and life and worship4 ,abraham was called out of ,babylon to be a witness for ,god and the coming ,christ2 and1 after the long training of centuries1 his descendants were taken back to ,babylon1 to scatter from that world-centre the seed of the coming kingdom of ,god4 ,thus it comes to pass that in ,christ and ,his kingdom we see the culmination of that wonderful history which has for its great stages of progress ,abraham1 ,david1#a the ,captivity1 ,christ4 99 99 99 99 99 ,so much for the earthly origin of the ,man ,christ ,jesus2 but ,his heavenly descent must also be told2 and with what exquisite simplicity and delicacy is this done4 ,there is no attempt to make the words correspond with the greatness of the facts4 ,as simple and transparent as clear glass1 they allow the facts to speak for themselves4 ,so it is all the way through this ,evangel4 ,what a contrast here to the spurious ,gospels afterwards produced1 when men had nothing to tell1 and so must put in their own poor fictions1 piously intending sometimes to add lustre to the too simple story of the ,infancy1 but only with the effect of degrading it in the eyes of all men of taste and judgment4 ,but here there is no need of fiction1 no need even of rhetoric or sentiment4 ,the fact itself is so great1 that the more simply it is told the better4 ,the ,holy ,one of ,israel came into the world with no tinsel of earthly pomp2 and in strict harmony with ,his mode of entrance1 the story of ,his birth is told with like simplicity4 ,the ,sun of ,righteousness rises like the natural sun1 in silence2 and in this ,gospel1 as in all the others1 passes on to its setting through the heaven of the ,evangelist's thought1 which stands1 like that other heaven1 majestic in its own simplicity4 ,the story of the ,incarnation is often represented as incredible2 but if those who so regard it would only reflect on that doctrine of heredity which the science of recent years has brought into such prominence1 if they would only consider what is involved in the obvious truth that1 that which is born of the flesh is flesh1 they would see that it was not only natural but necessary that the birth of ,jesus ,christ should be on this wise4 ,inasmuch as the first man is of the earth1 earthy1 the ,second ,man must be of heaven1 or ,he will be no ,second ,man at all2 ,he will be sinful and earthy like all the others4 ,but all that is needful is met in the manner so chastely and beautifully set forth by our ,evangelist1 in words which1 angelic in their tone and like the blue of heaven in their purity1 so well become the angel of the ,lord4 ,some wonder that nothing is said here of ,nazareth and what took place there1 and of the journey to ,bethlehem2 and there are those who are fain even to find some inconsistency with the third ,gospel in this omission1 as if there were any need to wonder at omissions in a story which tells of the first year on one page and the thirtieth on the next6 ,these ,gospels are not biographies4 ,they are memorials1 put together for a special purpose1 to set forth this ,jesus as the ,son of ,god and ,saviour of the world4 ,and the special object1 as we have seen1 of ,st4 ,matthew is to set ,him forth as the ,messiah of ,israel4 ,in accordance with this object we have ,his birth told in such a way as to bring into prominence those facts only in which the ,evangelist specially recognised a fulfilment of ,old ,testament prophecy4 ,here again the names give us the main thoughts4 ,just as ,abraham1 ,david1 ,babylon1 suggest the main object of the genealogy1 so the names ,emmanuel1 ,jesus1 suggest the main object of the record of ,his birth4 ,all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet4 ,the first name mentioned is ,jesus4 ,to understand it as ,st4 ,matthew did1 we must bear in mind that it is the old historic name ,joshua1 and that the first thought of the ,hebrew mind would be1 ,here is ,one who shall fulfil all that was typified in the life and work of the two ,old ,testament heroes who bore that name1 so full of hopeful significance4#b ,the first ,joshua was ,israel's captain on the occasion of their first settlement in the land of promise after the bondage in ,egypt2 the second ,joshua was ,israel's high priest at their second settlement in the land after the bondage in ,babylon4 ,both were thus associated with great deliverances2 but neither the one nor the other had given the rest of full salvation to the people of ,god 7see ,heb4 iv4 #h72 what they had done had only been to procure for them political freedom and a land they could call their own1--a picture in the earthly sphere of what the ,coming ,one was to accomplish in the spiritual sphere4 ,the salvation from ,egypt and from ,babylon were both but types of the great salvation from sin which was to come through the ,christ of ,god4 ,these or such as these must have been the thoughts in the mind of ,joseph when he heard the angel's words3 ,thou shalt call ,his name ,joshua2 for it is ,he that shall save ,his people from their sins4 ,joseph1 though a poor carpenter of ,nazareth1 was a true son of ,david1 one of those who waited for the salvation of ,israel1 who had welcomed the truth set forth by ,daniel1 that the coming kingdom was to be a kingdom of the saints of the ,most ,high1--not of political adventurers1 as was the idea of the corrupt ,judaism of the time2 so he was prepared to welcome the truth that the coming ,saviour was ,one who should deliver1 not from the rule of ,rome1 but from the guilt and power and death of ,sin4 ,as the name ,joshua1 or ,jesus1 came from the earliest times of ,israel's national history1 the name ,emmanuel came from its latest1 even out of the dark days of ,king ,ahaz1 when the hope of the people was directed to the birth of a ,child who should bear this name4 ,some have thought it enough to show that there was a fulfilment of this hope in the time of ,ahaz1 to make it evident that ,st4 ,matthew was mistaken in finding its fulfilment in ,christ2 but this idea1 like so many others of the same kind1 is founded on ignorance of the relation of the ,old ,testament history to the ,new ,testament times4 ,we have seen that though ,joshua of the early times and his successor of the same name did each a work of his own1 yet both of them were in relation to the future but prototypes of the ,great ,joshua who was to come4 ,in the same way exactly1 if there was1 as we believe1 a deliverance in the time of ,ahaz1 to which the prophet primarily referred1 it was1 as in so many other cases1 but a picture of the greater one in which the gracious purpose of ,god1 manifested in all these partial deliverances1 was to be fulfilled1 i4e41 filled to the full4 ,the idea in the name ,emmanuel was not a new one even in the time of ,king ,ahaz4 ,i will be with you2 ,certainly ,i will be with you2 ,fear not1 for ,i am with you1--such words of gracious promise had been echoed and re-echoed all down the course of the history of the people of ,god1 before they were enshrined in the name prophetically used by ,isaiah in the days of ,king ,ahaz2 and they were finally embodied1 incarnated1 in the ,child born at ,bethlehem in the fulness of the time1 to ,whom especially belongs that name of highest hope1 ,emmanuel1 ,god with us4 ,if1 now1 we look at these two names1 we shall see that they not only point to a fulfilment1 in the largest sense1 of ,old ,testament prophecy1 but to the fulfilment of that which we all need most--the satisfaction of our deepest wants and longings4 ,god is light2 sin is darkness4 ,with ,god is the fountain of life2 sin when it is finished bringeth forth death4 ,here shines the star of hope2 there lies the abyss of despair4 ,now1 without ,christ we are tied to sin1 separated from ,god4 ,sin is near2 ,god is far4 ,that is our curse4 ,therefore what we need is ,god brought near and sin taken away--the very blessings guaranteed in these two precious names of our ,lord4 ,as ,emmanuel1 ,he brings ,god near to us1 near in ,his own incarnate person1 near in ,his loving life1 near in ,his perfect sympathy1 near in ,his perpetual presence according to the promise1 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,as ,jesus1 ,he saves us from our sins4 ,how he does it is set forth in the sequel of the ,gospel1 culminating in the sacrifice of the cross1 to finish the transgression1 and to make an end of sins1 and to make reconciliation for iniquity1 and to bring in everlasting righteousness4 ,for ,he has not only to bring ,god down to us1 but also to lift us up to ,god2 and while the incarnation effects the one1 the atonement1 followed by the work of the ,holy ,spirit1 is necessary to secure the other4 ,he touches man1 the creature1 at his cradle2 ,he reaches down to man1 the sinner1 at ,his cross--the end of ,his descent to us1 the beginning of our ascent with ,him to ,god4 ,there we meet ,him2 and saved from sin1 we know ,him as our ,jesus2 and reconciled to ,god1 we have ,him with us as ,emmanuel1 ,god with us1 always with us1 with us throughout all life's changes1 with us in death's agony1 with us in the life to come1 to guide us into all its wisdom and honour and riches and glory and blessing4 #a ,to some minds it may present itself as a difficulty that the great name of ,moses should not find a place in the series2 was not he as much of an epoch-maker as ,david8 ,the answer is that1 from the point of view of prophecy and promise1 he was not4 ,this1 which lies implicitly in ,st4 ,matthew's summary1 is set forth explicitly by ,st4 ,paul in his epistle to the ,galatians1 where he shows that the ,law1 as a stage in the dealings of ,god with the nation1 did not belong to the main course of development1 but came in as an episode1 was added because of transgressions 7,gal4 iii4 #af-ai74 #b ,the ,hebrew name ,joshua1 of which ,jesus is simply the ,greek transliteration1 combines the two words ,jehovah and ,salvation 7cf4 ,num4 xiii4 #af74 ,,ii4 ,,his ,,reception4 ,,matt4 ii4 ,this one chapter contains all that ,st4 ,matthew records of the ,infancy4 ,st4 ,mark and ,st4 ,john tell us nothing1 and ,st4 ,luke very little4 ,this singular reticence has often been remarked upon1 and it certainly is most noteworthy1 and a manifest sign of genuineness and truthfulness3 a token that what these men wrote was in the deepest sense not their own4 ,for if they had been left to themselves in the performance of the task assigned them1 they could not have restrained themselves as they have done4 ,the ,jews of the time attached the greatest importance to child-life1 as is evident from the single fact that they had no less than eight different words to mark the successive stages of development from the new-born babe up to the young man2 and to omit all reference to these stages1 except the slight notice of the ,infancy in this chapter1 was certainly not according to ,matthew the ,jew1--not what would have been expected of him had he been left to himself4 ,it can only be explained by the fact that he spoke or was silent according as he was moved or restrained by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,this view is strikingly confirmed by comparison with the spurious ,gospels afterwards published1 by men who thought they could improve on the original records with their childish stories as to what the boy ,jesus said and did4 ,these awkward fictions reflect the spirit of the age2 the simple records of the four ,evangelists mirror for us the ,spirit of ,truth4 ,to the vulgar mind1 they may seem bare and defective1 but all men of culture and mature judgment recognise in their simplicity and naturalness a note of manifest superiority4 ,much space might be occupied in setting forth the advantages of this reticence1 but a single illustration may suggest the main thought4 ,recall for a moment the well-known picture entitled1 ,the ,shadow of the ,cross1 designed and executed by a master1 one who might surely be considered qualified to illustrate in detail the life at ,nazareth4 ,we have nothing to say as to the merit of the picture as a work of art2 let those specially qualified to judge speak of this2 but is it not generally felt that the realism of the carpenter's shop is most painful8 ,the eye is instinctively averted from the too obtrusive details2 while the mind gladly returns from the startling vividness of the picture to the vague impressions made on us by the mere hints in the sacred ,scriptures4 ,was it not well that our blessed ,saviour should grow in retirement and seclusion2 and if so1 why should that seclusion be invaded8 ,if ,his family life was withdrawn from the eyes of the men of that time1 there remains the same reason why it should be withdrawn from the eyes of the men of all time2 and the more we think of it1 the more we realize that it is better in every way that the veil should have been dropped just where it has been1 and that all should remain just as it was1 when with unconscious skill the sacred artists finished their perfect sketches of the child ,jesus4 ,perhaps1 however1 the question may be asked3 ,if ,st4 ,matthew would tell us so little1 why say anything at all8 ,what was his object in relating just what he has set down in this chapter8 ,we believe it must have been to show how ,christ was received4 ,it seems1 in fact1 to correspond to that single sentence in the fourth ,gospel1 ,he came unto ,his own1 and ,his own received ,him not2 only ,st4 ,matthew gives us a wider and brighter view2 he shows us not only how ,jerusalem rejected ,him1 but how the ,east welcomed ,him and ,egypt sheltered ,him4 ,throughout the entire ,old ,testament our attention is called1 not merely to ,jerusalem1 which occupied the centre of the ancient world1 but to the kingdoms round about1 especially to the great empires of the ,east and ,south--the empire of the ,east represented in succession by ,ancient ,chaldea1 ,assyria1 ,babylonia1 ,media1 and ,persia2 and that of the ,south--the mighty monarchy of ,egypt1 which under its thirty dynasties held on its steady course alongside these4 ,how natural1 then1 for the ,evangelist whose special mission it was to connect the old with the new1 to take the opportunity of showing that1 while ,his own ,jerusalem rejected her ,messiah1 her old rivals of the ,east and of the ,south gave ,him a welcome4 ,in the first chapter the ,child ,jesus was set forth as the ,heir of the promise made to ,abraham and his seed1 and the fulfilment of the prophecy given to the chosen people2 now ,he is further set forth as the ,one who satisfies the longings of those whom they had been taught to regard as their natural enemies1 but who now must be looked upon as fellow-heirs with them of ,god's heritage1 and partakers of ,his promise in ,christ by the ,gospel4 ,it will be seen1 then1 how the second chapter was needed to complete the first1 and how the two together give us just such a view of the ,advent as was most needed by the ,jews of the period1 while it is most instructive and suggestive to men of all countries and of all time4 ,as1 then1 the last paragraph began with1 ,now the birth of ,jesus ,christ was on this wise1 we may regard this as beginning with1 ,now the reception of ,jesus ,christ was on this wise4 ,according to the plan of these expositions1 we must disregard details1 and many interesting questions1 for the consideration of which it is surely enough to refer to the many well-known and widely-read books on the ,life of ,christ2 and confine ourselves to those general thoughts and suggestions which seem best fitted to bring out the spirit of the passage as a whole4 ,let us1 then1 look first at the manner of ,his reception by ,jerusalem1 the city which as ,son of ,david ,he could claim as peculiarly ,his own4 ,it was the very centre of the circle of ,old ,testament illumination4 ,it had all possible advantages1 over every other place in the world1 for knowing when and how the ,christ should come4 ,yet1 when ,he did come1 the people of ,jerusalem knew nothing about it1 but had their first intimation of the fact from strangers who had come from the far ,east to seek ,him4 ,and not only did they know nothing about it till they were told1 but1 when told1 they were troubled 7ver4 #c74 ,indifference where we should have expected eagerness1 trouble where we should have looked for joy4 ,we have only to examine the contemporary accounts of the state of society in ,jerusalem to understand it thoroughly1 and to see how exceedingly natural it was4 ,those unacquainted with these records can have no idea of the gaiety and frivolity of the ,jewish capital at the time4 ,every one1 of course1 knows something of the style and magnificence in which ,herod the ,great lived2 but one is not apt to suppose that luxurious living was the rule among the people of the town4 ,yet so it seems to have been4 ,dr4 ,edersheim1 who has made a special study of this subject1 and who quotes his authorities for each separate statement1 thus describes#c the state of things3 ,these ,jerusalemites--townspeople as they called themselves--were so polished1 so witty1 so pleasant4444 ,and how much there was to be seen and heard in those luxuriously furnished houses1 and at these sumptuous entertainments6 ,in the women's apartments friends from the country would see every novelty in dress1 adornments1 and jewellery1 and have the benefit of examining themselves in looking-glasses4444 ,and then the lady-visitors might get anything in ,jerusalem1 from a false tooth to an ,arabian veil1 a ,persian shawl1 or an ,indian dress6 ,then1 after furnishing what he calls too painful evidence of the luxuriousness at ,jerusalem at that time1 and of the moral corruption to which it led1 he concludes by giving an account of what one of the sacred books of the time describes as the dignity of the ,jerusalemites1 mentioning particulars like these3 the wealth which they lavished on their marriages2 the ceremony which insisted on repeated invitations to the guests to a banquet1 and that men inferior should not be bidden to it2 the dress in which they appeared2 the manner in which the dishes were served1 the wine in white crystal vases2 the punishment of the cook who failed in his duty1 and so on4 ,if things of that kind represented the dignity of the people of ,jerusalem1 we need not ask why they were troubled when they heard that to them had been born in ,bethlehem a ,saviour who was ,christ the ,lord4 ,a ,saviour who would save them from their sins was the very last thing people of that kind wanted4 ,a ,herod suited them better1 for it was he and his court that set the example of the luxury and profligacy which characterised the capital4 ,do not all these revelations as to the state of things in the capital of ,israel set off more vividly than ever the pure lustre of the quiet1 simple1 humble1 peaceful surroundings of the ,babe of ,bethlehem and ,boy of ,nazareth8 ,put the dignity and trouble of ,jerusalem over against the humility and peace of ,bethlehem1 and say which is the more truly dignified and desirable4 ,when we look at the contrast we cease to wonder that1 with the exception of a very few devout ,simeons and ,annas1 waiting for the consolation of ,israel1 ,jerusalem1 as a whole1 was troubled to hear the rumour of the advent of her ,saviour-,king4 ,herod's trouble we can so readily understand that we need not spend time over it1 or over what he did to get rid of it1 so thoroughly in keeping as it was with all that history tells us of his character and conduct4 ,no wonder that the one thought in his mind was ,away with ,him6 ,but who are these truly dignified men1 who are now turning their backs on rich and gay ,jerusalem1 and setting their faces to the obscurity and poverty of the village of ,bethlehem8 ,they are men of rank and wealth and learning from the far ,east--representatives of all that is best in the old civilizations of the world4 ,they had only the scantiest opportunities of learning what was the ,hope of ,israel1 and how it should be realised2 but they were earnest men2 their minds were not taken up with gaiety and frivolity2 they had studied the works of nature till their souls were full of the thought of ,god in ,his glory and majesty2 but their hearts still yearned to know if ,he1 ,whose glory was in the heavens1 could stoop to cure the ills that flesh is heir to4 ,they had heard of ,israel's hope1 the hope of a child to be born of ,david's race1 who should bring divine mercy near to human need2 they had a vague idea that the time for the fulfilment of that hope was drawing near2 and1 as they mused1 behold a marvellous appearance in the heavens1 which seemed to call them away to seek ,him whom their souls desired6 ,hence their long journey to ,jerusalem and their eager entrance into ,bethlehem4 ,had their dignity been the kind of dignity which was boasted of in ,jerusalem1 they would no doubt have been offended by the poverty of the surroundings1 the poor house with its scanty furniture and its humble inmates4 ,but theirs was the dignity of mind and soul1 so they were not offended by the poor surroundings2 they recognised in the humble ,child the object of their search2 they bowed before ,him1 doing ,him homage1 and presented to ,him gifts as a tribute from the ,east to the coming ,king of righteousness and love4 ,what a beautiful picture2 how striking the contrast to the magnificence of ,herod the ,great in ,jerusalem1 surrounded by his wealthy and luxurious court4 ,verily1 these were wise men from the ,east1 wise with a wisdom not of this world--wise to recognise the hope of the future1 not in a monarch called the ,great1 surrounded by the world's pomp and luxury1 but in the fresh young life of the holy heaven-born ,child4 ,learned as they were1 they had simple hearts--they had had some glimpse of the great truth that it is not learning the world needs so much as life1 new life4 ,would that all the wise men of the present day were equally wise in heart6 ,we rejoice that so many of them are2 and if only all of them had true wisdom1 they would consider that even those who stand as high in the learning of the new ,west as these men did in the learning of the old ,east1 would do themselves honour in bowing low in presence of the ,holy ,child1 and acknowledge that by no effort of the greatest intellect is it possible to reach that truth which can alone meet the deepest wants of men--that there is no other hope for man than the new birth1 the fresh1 pure1 holy life which came into the world when the ,christ was born1 and which comes into every heart that in simple trustfulness gives ,him a welcome as did these wise men of old4 ,there1 at the threshold of the ,gospel1 we see the true relation of science and religion4 ,let knowledge grow from more to more1 ,but more of reverence in us dwell2 ,that mind and soul1 according well1 ,may make one music as before4 ,all honour to these wise men for bending low in presence of the ,holy ,child2 and thanks be to ,god for allowing ,his servant ,matthew to give us a glimpse of a scene so beautiful1 so touching1 so suggestive of pure and high and holy thought and feeling4 ,the gifts of the ,east no doubt provided the means of securing a refuge in the ,south and ,west4 ,that ,egypt gave the fugitives a friendly welcome1 and a safe retreat so long as the danger remained1 is obvious2 but here again we are left without detail4 ,the one thing which the ,evangelist wishes to impress upon us is the parallel between the experience of ,israel and ,israel's ,holy ,one4 ,israel of the ,old ,testament1 born in ,palestine1 had to flee into ,egypt4 ,when the time was ripe for return1 the way was opened for it2 and thus the prophet speaks of it in the name of the ,lord3 ,when ,israel was a child1 then ,i loved him1 and called ,my son out of ,egypt4 ,now that the ,holy ,one of ,israel has come to fulfil old ,israel's destiny1 the prophetic word1 which had been only partially realised in the history of the nation1 is fulfilled in the history of the ,anointed ,one4 ,hence1 just as it happened with the nation1 so did it happen with the nation's representative and ,king3 born in ,his own land1 ,he had to flee into ,egypt1 and remain there till ,god brought ,him out1 and set ,him in ,his land again4 ,other points of agreement with the prophetic word are mentioned4 ,it is worthy of note that they are all connected with the dark side of prophecy concerning the ,messiah4 ,the reason for this will readily appear on reflection4 ,the ,scribes and ,pharisees were insistent enough on the bright side1 the side that favoured their ideas of a great king1 who should rescue the people from the ,roman yoke1 and found a great world-kingdom1 after the manner of ,herod the ,great or of ,csar the mighty4 ,so there was no need to bring strongly out that side of prophecy which foretold of the glories of the coming ,king4 ,but the sad side had been entirely neglected4 ,it is this1 accordingly1 which the ,evangelist is prompted to illustrate4 ,it was1 indeed1 in itself an occasion of stumbling that the ,king of ,israel should have to flee to ,egypt4 ,but why should one stumble at it1 who looked at the course of ,israel's history as a nation1 in the light the prophets threw upon it8 ,it was an occasion of stumbling that ,his birth in ,bethlehem should bring with it such sorrow and anguish2 but why wonder at it when so great a prophet as ,jeremiah so touchingly speaks of the voice heard in ,ramah1 ,rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted1--a thought of exquisite beauty and pathos as ,jeremiah used it in reference to the banished ones of his day1 but of still deeper pathos as now fulfilled in the sorrow at ,ramah1 over the massacre of her innocents1 when not ,israel but ,israel's ,holy ,one is banished from the land of ,his birth4 ,again1 it was an occasion of stumbling that the ,king of ,israel1 instead of growing up in majesty in the midst of the ,court and the capital1 should retire into obscurity in the little village of ,nazareth1 and for many years be unheard of by the great ones of the land2 but why wonder at it when the prophets again and again represent ,him as growing up in this very way1 as a root out of a dry ground1 as a twig or shoot out of the stem of ,jesse1 growing up out of ,his place1 and attracting no attention while ,he grew4 ,such is the meaning of the words translated1 ,he shall be called a ,nazarene4 ,this does not appear in our language2 hence the difficulty which many have found in this reference1 there being no passage in any of the prophets where the ,christ is spoken of as a ,nazarene2 but the word to ,hebrew ears at once suggests the ,hebrew for ,branch1 continually applied to ,him in the prophets1 and especially connected with the idea of ,his quiet and silent growth1 aloof from the throng and unnoticed by the great4 ,this completes1 appropriately1 the sketch of ,his reception4 ,unthought of by ,his own1 till strangers sought ,him2 a source of trouble to them when they heard of ,him2 ,his life threatened by the occupant1 for the time1 of ,david's throne1 ,he is saved only by exile1 and on returning to ,his people passes out of notice3 and the great world moves on1 all unconscious and unconcerned1 whilst its ,saviour-,king is preparing1 in the obscurity of ,his village home1 for the great work of winning a lost world back to ,god4 #c ,life and ,times of ,jesus the ,messiah1 vol4 i41 p4 #acj4 ,,iii4 ,,his ,,herald4 ,,matt4 iii4 #a-ab4 ,thirty years have gone since all ,jerusalem was in trouble at the rumour of ,messiah's birth4 ,but as nothing has been heard of ,him since1 the excitement has passed away4 ,those who were troubled about it are ageing or old or dead2 so no one thinks or speaks of it now4 ,there have been several political changes since1 mostly for the worse4 ,juda is now a province of ,rome1 governed by procurators1 of whom the sixth1 called ,pontius ,pilate1 has just entered on his office4 ,society is much the same as before--the same worldliness and luxurious living after the manner of the ,greek1 the same formalism and bigotry after the manner of the ,scribe4 ,there is no sign1 in ,jerusalem at least1 of any change for the better4 ,the only new thing stirring is a rumour in the street4 ,people are telling one another that a new prophet has arisen4 ,in the ,palace8--,no4 ,in the ,temple8--,no4 ,surely somewhere in the city8--,no4 ,he is in the wilderness1 clad in roughest garb1 subsisting on poorest fare--a living protest against the luxury of the time4 ,he makes no pretence to learning1 draws no fine distinctions1 gives no curious interpretations1 and yet1 with only a simple message1--which1 however1 he delivers as coming straight from ,god ,himself1--is drawing crowds to hear him from all the country side4 ,so the rumour spreads throughout the town1 and great numbers go out to see what it is all about2 some perhaps from curiosity1 some in hope that it may be the dawn of a brighter day for ,israel1 all of them no doubt more or less stirred with the excitement of the thought that1 after so many silent centuries1 a veritable prophet has come1 like those of old4 ,for it must be remembered that even in gay ,jerusalem the deep-rooted feelings of national pride and patriotism had been only overlaid1 not superseded1 by the veneer of ,greek and ,roman civilisation1 which only seemed for the moment to satisfy the people4 ,so they go out in multitudes to the wilderness2 and what do they see8 ,a man clothed in fine raiment1 like the ,roman officials in the palace1 which in those degenerate days were ,jerusalem's pride8 ,a reed shaken by the wind1 like the time-serving politicians of the hour8 ,nay1 verily2 but a true prophet of the ,lord1 one reminding them of what they have read in the ,scriptures of the great ,elijah1 who suddenly appeared in the wild mountain region of ,gilead1 at a time when ,phnician manners were making the same havoc in ,israel that ,greek manners are now making in ,jerusalem4 ,who can he be8 ,he seems to be more than a prophet4 ,can he be the ,christ8 ,but this he entirely disclaims4 ,is he ,elijah then8 ,john probably knew that he was sent in the spirit and power of ,elijah1 for so his father had learned from the angel on the occasion of the announcement of his birth2 but that was not the point of their question4 ,when they asked1 ,art thou ,elijah8 they meant ,art thou ,elijah risen from the dead8 ,to this he must1 of course1 answer1 ,no4 ,in the same way he must disclaim identity with any of the prophets4 ,he will not trade upon the name of any of these holy men of old4 ,enough that he comes1 a nameless one1 before them1 with a message from the ,lord4 ,so1 keeping himself in the background1 he puts his message before them1 content that they should recognise in it the fulfilment of the well-known word of prophecy3 ,a voice crying in the wilderness1 ,prepare ye the way of the ,lord1 make ,his paths straight4 ,john wishes it to be distinctly understood that he is not that ,light which the prophets of old have told them should arise1 but is sent to bear witness to that ,light4 ,he has come as a herald to announce the approach of the ,king1 and to call upon the people to prepare for ,his coming4 ,think not of me1 he cries1 ask not who ,i am2 think of the coming ,king1 and make ready for ,him1--,prepare ye the way of the ,lord1 make ,his paths straight4 ,how is the way of the ,lord to be prepared8 ,is it by summoning the people to arms all over the land1 that they may repel the ,roman invader and restore the ancient kingdom8 ,such a proclamation would no doubt have struck a chord that would have vibrated through all the land4 ,that would have been after the manner of men2 it was not the way of the ,lord4 ,the summons must be1 not to arms1 but to repentance3 ,wash you1 make you clean3 put away the evil of your doings4 ,so1 instead of marching up1 a host of warriors1 to the ,roman citadel1 the people troop down1 band after band of penitents1 to the ,jordan1 confessing their sins4 ,after all it is the old1 old prophetic message over again1--the same which had been sent generation after generation to a backsliding people1 its burden always this3 ,turn ye unto ,me1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts1 and ,i will turn unto you1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts4 ,like many of the old prophets1 ,john taught by symbol as well as by word4 ,the preparation needed was an inward cleansing1 and what more fitting symbol of it than the water baptism to which he called the nation8 ,in that day1 it was written in the prophets1 there shall be a fountain opened to the house of ,david and to the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 for sin and for uncleanness4 ,the prophecy was about to be fulfilled1 and the baptism of ,john was the appropriate sign of it4 ,again1 in another of the prophets the promise ran1 ,then will ,i sprinkle clean water upon you1 and ye shall be clean2 from all your filthiness and from all your idols will ,i cleanse you 444 and ,i will put my spirit within you4 ,john knew well that it was not given to him to fulfil this promise4 ,he could not grant the real baptism1 the baptism of the ,holy ,ghost2 but he could baptise with water2 he could give the sign and assurance to the truly penitent heart that there was forgiveness and cleansing in the coming ,one2 and thus1 by his baptism with water1 as well as by the message he delivered1 he was preparing the way of the ,lord4 ,all this1 we cannot but observe1 was in perfect accord with the wonderful prophetic utterance of his father ,zacharias1 as recorded by ,st4 ,luke3 ,thou1 child1 shalt be called the prophet of the ,highest3 for thou shalt go before the face of the ,lord to prepare ,his ways2 to give knowledge of salvation unto ,his people by the remission of their sins1--not to give salvation1 which only ,christ can give1 but the knowledge of it4 ,this he did not only by telling of the coming ,saviour1 and1 when ,he came1 pointing to ,him as the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sin of the world2 but also by the appropriate sign of baptism1 which gave the same knowledge in the language of symbol addressed to the eye4 ,the summons of the prophet of the wilderness is not in vain4 ,the people come4 ,the throngs increase4 ,the nation is moved4 ,even the great ones of the nation condescend to follow the multitude4 ,pharisees and ,sadducees1 the leaders of the two great parties in ,church and ,state1 are coming2 many of them are coming4 ,what a comfort this must be to the prophet's soul4 ,how gladly he will welcome them1 and let it be known that he has among his converts many of the great ones of the land6 ,but the stern ,baptist is a man of no such mould4 ,what cares he for rank or position or worldly influence8 ,what he wants is reality1 simplicity1 godly sincerity2 and he knows that1 scarce as these virtues are in the community at large1 they are scarcest of all among these dignitaries4 ,he will not allow the smallest admixture of insincerity or hypocrisy in what is1 so far1 a manifest work of ,god4 ,he must test these new-comers to the uttermost1 for the sin of which they need most to repent is the very sin which they are in danger of committing afresh in its most aggravated form in offering themselves for baptism4 ,he must therefore test their motives2 he must at all risks ensure that1 unless their repentance is genuine1 they shall not be baptised4 ,for their own sakes1 as well as for the work's sake this is necessary4 ,hence the strong1 even harsh language he uses in putting the question why they had come4 ,yet he would not repel or discourage them4 ,he does not send them away as if past redemption1 but only demands that they bring forth fruit worthy of the repentance they profess4 ,and lest they should think that there was an easier way of entrance for them than for others1 lest they should think that they had claims sufficient because of their descent1 he reminds them that ,god can have his kingdom upon earth1 even though every son of ,abraham in the world should reject ,him3 ,think not to say within yourselves1 ,we have ,abraham to our father3 for ,i say unto you1 that ,god is able of these stones to raise up children unto ,abraham4 ,it is as if he said1 ,the coming kingdom of righteousness and truth will not fail1 even if ,pharisees and ,sadducees and all the natural children of ,abraham refuse to enter its only gate of repentance2 if there is no response to the ,divine summons where it is most to be expected1 then it can be secured where it is least to be expected2 if flesh become stone1 then stone can be made flesh1 according to the word of promise4 ,so there will be no gathering in of mere formalists to make up numbers1 no including of those who are only ,jews outwardly4 ,and there will be no half measures1 no compromise with evil1 no parleying with those who are unwilling or only half willing to repent4 ,a time of crisis has come1--now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees4 ,it is not lifted yet4 ,but it is there lying ready1 ready for the ,lord of the vineyard1 when ,he shall come 7and ,he is close at hand72 then1 every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire4 ,yet not for judgment is ,he coming1--,john goes on to say1--but to fulfil the promise of the ,father4 ,he is coming to baptise you with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire--to purify you through and through and to animate you with a new life1 glowing1 upward-striving1 heaven-aspiring2 and it is to prepare you for this unspeakable blessing that ,i ask you to come and put away those sins which must be a barrier in the way of ,his coming1 those sins which dim your eyes so that you cannot see ,him1 which stop your ears so that you cannot recognise your ,shepherd's voice1 that clog your hearts so that the ,holy ,spirit cannot reach them1--repent1 repent1 and be baptised all of you2 for there cometh ,one after me1 mightier than ,i1 whose meanest servant ,i am not worthy to be1--,he shall baptise you with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire1 if you are ready to receive ,him2 but if you are not1 still you cannot escape ,him1 ,whose fan is in ,his hand1 and ,he will thoroughly cleanse ,his threshing floor2 and ,he will gather ,his wheat into the garner1 but the chaff ,he will burn up with unquenchable fire 7,r4,v474 99 99 99 99 99 ,the work of ,john must still be done4 ,it specially devolves upon the ministers of ,christ2 would they were all as anxious as he was to keep in the background1 as little concerned about position1 title1 official rank1 or personal consideration4 ,,iv4 ,,his ,,baptism4 ,,matt4 iii4 #ac-ag4 ,the baptism of ,john1 was it from ,heaven or of men8 ,this question must have been asked throughout the length and breadth of the land in the days of his mission4 ,we know how it was answered2 for even after the excitement had died away1 we are told that all men counted ,john for a prophet4 ,this conviction would of course prevail in ,nazareth as well as everywhere else4 ,when1 therefore1 the ,baptist removed from the wilderness of ,juda and the lower reaches of the ,jordan to the ford of ,bethany1 or ,bethabara1--now identified with a point much farther north1 within a single day's journey of ,nazareth1--the people of ,galilee would flock to him1 as before the people of ,juda and ,jerusalem had done4 ,among the rest1 as might naturally be expected1 ,jesus came4 ,it was enough for ,him to know that the baptism of ,john was of ,divine appointment4 ,he was in all things guided by ,his ,father's will1 to whom ,he would day by day commit ,his way4 ,accordingly1 just as day by day ,he had been subject to ,his parents1 and just as ,he had seen it to be right to go up to the ,temple in accordance with the ,law1 so ,he recognised it to be ,his duty to present ,himself1 as ,his countrymen in such large numbers were doing1 to receive baptism from ,john4 ,the manner of the narrative implies that ,he came1 not as if ,he were some great person demanding special recognition1 but as simply and naturally as any of the rest3 ,then cometh ,jesus from ,galilee to the ,jordan unto ,john1 to be baptised of him4 ,john looks at ,him4 ,does he know ,him at all8 ,perhaps not2 for though they are cousins1 their lives have been lived quite apart4 ,before their birth their mothers met2 but it is doubtful if they themselves have seen each other before1 and even if they have1 in earlier years1 they may both be so changed that recognition is uncertain4 ,the one has had his home in the ,south2 the other1 in the ,north4 ,besides1 the elder of the two has spent his life mostly in the desert1 so that probably he is a stranger now even to his own townspeople1 and his father and mother1 both very old when he was born1 must be dead and gone long ago4 ,perhaps1 then1 ,john did not know ,jesus at all2 certainly he did not yet know ,him as the ,messiah4 ,but he sees something in ,him that draws forth the homage of his soul4 ,or possibly he gathers his impressions rather from what ,jesus says4 ,all the rest have confessed sin2 ,he has no sin of ,his own to confess4 ,but words would no doubt be spoken that would convey to the ,baptist how this disciple looked on sin1 how the very thought of it filled ,him with horror1 how ,his whole soul longed for the righteousness of ,god1 how it was a sacred passion with ,him that sin should perish from the hearts of men1 and righteousness reign in its place4 ,whether then1 it was by ,his appearance1 the clear eye1 the calm face1--an open window for the prophet to look through into ,his soul1--or whether it was by the words ,he spoke as ,he claimed a share in the baptism1 or both combined1 ,john was taken aback--surprised a second time1 though in just the opposite way to that in which he had been surprised before4 ,the same eagle eye that saw through the mask of ,pharisee and ,sadducee could penetrate the veil of humility and obscurity2 so he said3 ,i have need to be baptised of ,thee1 and comest ,thou to me8 ,think of the majesty of this ,john4 ,remember how he bore himself in presence of the ,pharisees and ,sadducees2 and how he faced ,herod1 telling him plainly1 at the risk of his life1 as it afterwards proved1 ,it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife4 ,remember that all ,juda1 and ,jerusalem1 and ,galilee had been bowing down in his presence2 and now1 when an obscure nameless ,one of ,nazareth comes to him1 only as yet distinguished from others by the holiness of ,his life and the purity of ,his soul1 ,john would not have ,him bow in his presence1 but would himself bend low before ,him3 ,i have need to be baptised of ,thee1 and comest ,thou to me8 ,oh for more of that grand combination of lofty courage and lowly reverence6 ,verily1 among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than ,john the ,baptist4 ,but ,jesus answering said unto him1 ,suffer it now2 for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness 7,r4,v474 ,though about to enter on ,his ,messianic work1 ,he has not yet taken its burden on ,him2 accordingly ,he comes1 not as ,messiah1 but in the simplest and most unassuming way2 content still1 as ,he has been all along till now1 to be reckoned simply as of ,israel4 ,this is what we take to be the force of the plural pronoun us4 ,on the other hand1 it should be remembered that ,jesus must have recognised in the summons to the ,jordan a call to commence ,his work as ,messiah4 ,he would certainly have heard from ,his mother of the prophetic words which had been spoken concerning ,his cousin and ,himself2 and would1 therefore1 as soon as ,he heard of the mission of ,john1 know well what it meant--,he could not but know that ,john was preparing the way before ,him1 and therefore that ,his time was close at hand4 ,of this1 too1 we have an indication in ,his answer to the expostulation of ,john4 ,suffer it now1 ,he says2 as if to say1 ,i am as yet only one of ,israel2 ,my time is at hand1 when ,i must take the position to which ,i am called1 but meantime ,i come as the rest come3 ,suffer it now2 for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness4 ,while then ,jesus came simply in obedience to the will of ,god1 ,he must have come with a very heavy burden4 ,his study of the ,scriptures must have made ,him painfully familiar with the dark prospects before ,him4 ,well did ,he know that the path of the ,messiah must be one of suffering1 that ,he must be despised and rejected1 that ,he must be wounded for the people's transgressions and bruised for their iniquity2 that1 in a word1 ,he must be the suffering ,priest before ,he can be the reigning ,king4 ,this thought of ,his priesthood must have been especially borne in upon ,him now that ,he had just reached the priestly age4 ,in ,his thirteenth year--the ,temple age--,he had gone to the ,temple1 and now at the age when the priest is consecrated to his office1 ,he is summoned to the ,jordan1 to be baptised by one whom ,he knows to be sent of ,god to prepare the way before ,him4 ,those ,scriptures1 then1 which speak of the priestly office the ,messiah must fill1 must have been very much in ,his mind as ,he came to ,john and offered ,himself to be baptised4 ,and of all these ,scriptures none would seem more appropriate at the moment than those words of the fortieth ,psalm3 ,lo1 ,i come3 in the volume of the book it is written of ,me1 ,i delight to do ,thy will1 ,o ,my ,god4 ,at this point we can readily see the appropriateness of ,his baptism1 and also an element in common between it and that of the people4 ,they had come professing to be willing to do the will of ,god by turning from sin to righteousness4 ,he had no need to turn from sin to do the will of ,god2 but ,he had to turn from the quiet and peaceful home life at ,nazareth1 that ,he might take up the burden laid upon ,him as ,messiah4 ,so ,he as well as they had to leave the old life and begin a new one2 and in this we can see how fitting it was that ,he as well as they should be baptised4 ,then1 just as by baptism--the symbol1 in their case1 of separation from sin and consecration to ,god--,john made ready a people prepared for the ,lord2 so by baptism--the symbol1 in ,his case1 of separation from private life and consecration to ,god in the office of ,messiah1--the ,lord was made ready for the people4 ,by baptism ,john opened the door of the new ,kingdom4 ,from the wilderness of sin the people entered it as subjects2 from the seclusion of private life ,jesus entered it as ,king and ,priest4 ,they came under a vow of obedience unto ,him2 ,he came under a vow of obedience unto death1 even the death of the ,cross4 ,this1 then1 is the moment of ,his taking up the ,cross4 ,it is indeed the assumption of ,his royalty as ,messiah-,king2 but then ,he knew that ,he must suffer and die before ,he could enter on ,his glory2 therefore1 as the first great duty before ,him1 ,he takes up the ,cross4 ,in this we can see a still further appropriateness in the words already quoted1 as is suggested in the well-known passage in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews3 ,sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not1 but a body hast thou prepared me3 in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure4 ,then said ,i1 ,lo1 ,i come 7in the volume of the book it is written of me7 to do thy will1 ,o ,god4 ,ah1 who can understand the love in the heart of ,jesus1 who can measure the sacrifice ,he makes as ,he bends before ,john1 and is baptised into the name of the ,christ1 the ,saviour of mankind6 ,the act of solemn consecration is over4 ,he comes up out of the water4 ,and lo1 the heavens are opened1 and the ,spirit of ,god descends upon ,him1 and a voice from heaven calls1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in ,whom ,i am well pleased4 ,the heavens were opened4 ,what was the precise natural phenomenon witnessed we can only conjecture1 but whatever it was1 it was but a symbol of the spiritual opening of the heavens4 ,the heaven of ,god's love and of all holy ,angels1 shut from man by sin1 was opened again by the ,christ of ,god4 ,nothing could be more appropriate1 therefore1 than that just at the moment when the ,holy ,one of ,israel had bowed ,himself to take up ,his heavy burden1 when for the first time it was possible to say1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 that taketh away the sin of the world6 the heavens should open to welcome ,him1 and in welcoming ,him1 the ,sin-bearer1 to welcome all whose sins ,he came to take away4 ,and ,he saw the ,spirit of ,god descending like a dove1 and lighting upon ,him4 ,this was ,his anointing for the work ,he had come to do4 ,the priests of the line of ,aaron had been anointed with oil2 ,he was anointed with that of which the oil was but a symbol1--the ,holy ,spirit descending from the open heaven4 ,from ,his birth1 indeed1 ,he had been guided by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,but up to this time ,he had1 as we have seen1 nothing more than was needed to minister to that growth in wisdom which had been going on in private life these thirty years1 nothing more than was necessary to guide ,him day by day in ,his quiet1 unexacting duties at home4 ,now ,he needs far more4 ,now ,he must receive the ,spirit without measure1 in the fulness of ,his grace and power2 hence the organic form of the symbol4 ,the emblem used when the apostles were baptised with the ,holy ,ghost was tongues of fire1 indicating the partial nature of the endowment2 here it is the dove1 suggesting the idea of completeness and1 at the same time1 as every one sees1 of beauty1 gentleness1 peace1 and love4 ,again let it be remembered that it is on ,him as our representative that the ,spirit descends1 that ,his baptism with the ,holy ,ghost is in order that ,he may be ready to fulfil the word of ,john1 ,he shall baptise you with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire4 ,heaven opened above ,him means all heavenly blessings prepared for those who follow ,him into the new ,kingdom4 ,the descent of the ,spirit means the bestowment on ,him and ,his of heaven's best gift as an earnest of all the rest4 ,last of all there is the voice1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased1 spoken not merely to ,himself individually1--all along1 in the personal sense1 ,he was ,god's beloved ,son1 in whom ,he was well pleased1--but to the ,messiah1 as the ,representative and ,head of a new redeemed humanity1 as the ,first-born among many brethren1 as ,one who at the very moment was undertaking suretyship on behalf of all who had already received ,him or should in the ages to come receive ,him as their ,priest and ,king--,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who hath blessed us with all spiritual and heavenly blessings in ,him3 with an open heaven1 a present ,spirit1 a reconciled ,father's voice4 ,blessed be our loving ,lord and ,saviour1 that ,he came so humbly to the ,jordan1 stooped so bravely to the yoke1 took up our heavy ,cross1 and carried it through these sorrowful years to the bitter1 bitter end4 ,and blessed be the ,holy ,spirit of all grace1 that ,he abode on ,him1 and abides with us4 ,may the grace of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and the love of ,god1 and the communion of the ,holy ,ghost1 be with us all6 ,v4 ,,his ,,temptation4 ,,matt4 iv4 #a-aa4 ,much has been written on the possibility of temptation in the experience of a sinless ,being4 ,the difficulties which have been raised in this region are chiefly of a metaphysical kind1 such as it is possible--for some minds1 we might say inevitable--to raise at every point in that mysterious complexity which we call life4 ,without attempting to enter profoundly into the question1 may not an appeal be made to our own experience8 ,do we not all know what it is to be tempted without sin1--without sin1 that is1 in reference to the particular thing to which we are tempted8 ,are there not desires in our nature1 not only thoroughly innocent1 but a necessary part of our humanity1 which1 nevertheless1 give occasion to temptation8 ,but on its being recognised that to follow the impulse1 however natural1 would lead to wrongdoing1 the temptation is instantly repelled and integrity perfectly preserved4 ,in such a case there is temptation1 conflict1 victory--all without sin4 ,surely then what is possible to us on occasion was also possible to our ,lord on all occasions1 all through ,his pure and spotless life4 ,his taking our nature indeed involved not only the possibility1 but the necessity1 of temptation4 ,the passage before us records what is known as the ,temptation1 by which it is not1 of course1 meant that it was the only one4 ,our ,lord was all ,his life exposed to the assaults of the ,tempter1 which seem indeed to have increased in violence as ,he approached the end of ,his life4 ,why1 then1 is this attack singled out for special record8 ,the reason seems obvious4 ,it marks the beginning of the life-work of the ,messiah4 ,in ,his quiet home at ,nazareth ,jesus must have had the ordinary temptations to which childhood and youth are subject4 ,that was the time of quiet preparation for the great campaign4 ,now the war must begin4 ,he must address ,himself to the mighty undertaking of destroying the works of the devil4 ,the great adversary1 therefore1 wisely endeavours to mar it at the outset1 by a deliberately planned series of assaults1 directed against all the vulnerable points of that human nature his great antagonist must wear4 ,from this time onward our ,lord's whole life was to be a warfare1 not against the rage of wicked men only1 but against the wiles of the unseen adversary1 whose opposition must have been as bitter and relentless as that of his representatives in flesh and blood4 ,from the nature of the case1 the conflict waged in the spiritual sphere could not appear in the history4 ,it belonged to that hidden life1 of which even the closest disciples could see but very little4 ,we get a hint of it occasionally in certain looks and words betokening inward conflict1 and in those frequent retirings to solitary places to pray2 but of the actual soul experience we have no record1 except in the case of this first pitched battle1 so to call it1 of the lifelong conflict4 ,it is evident that our ,lord ,himself must have given ,his disciples the information on this deeply interesting subject which enabled them to put it on record1 for the encouragement and comfort of ,his people in all time to come4 ,blessed be ,his ,holy ,name1 for this unveiling of ,his hidden life4 ,the greater portion1 indeed1 is still veiled4 ,a dark cloud of mystery hangs over the forty days4 ,nothing else is told of them in this ,gospel than that ,jesus fasted for that time--an indication of sustained intensity in the life of ,his spirit4 ,from ,st4 ,mark and ,st4 ,luke we learn that the temptation lasted throughout the entire period--a fact not at all inconsistent with sustained spiritual elevation1 for it is just at such periods that man is most exposed to the assaults of the enemy4 ,we may not penetrate the darkness of these forty days4 ,like the darkness in ,gethsemane1 and again1 from the sixth to the ninth hour on ,calvary1 it forbids entrance4 ,these were times when even the disciple whom ,jesus loved could not be with ,him4 ,these are solitudes that can never be disturbed4 ,only this we know3 that it was necessary that our ,saviour should pass through these dark cloud-gates as ,he entered on and as ,he finished ,his priestly work on earth4 ,but though we cannot comprehend what our ,lord did for us during these forty days1 when ,he recovered ,paradise to all mankind1 we may1 remembering that ,he was tempted1 not only as our ,representative but as our ,exemplar1 endeavour with all humility and reverence to enter into this soul-experience of our ,lord1 so far as the vivid representation of its main features in the inspired record warrants4 ,it is always difficult to tell the story of soul-experience in such a way as to come home to the common mind and heart of humanity4 ,it will not do to tell it in the language of philosophy or psychology1 which none but those familiar with such discussions could understand4 ,it must be addressed to the imagination as well as to the pure reason4 ,if this had been sufficiently kept in view1 it might have saved many a difficulty on the part of those who have set themselves to discover exactly what were the outward circumstances of the temptation1 forgetting that here especially it is the inward and spiritual with which we have to do1 not the outward and physical4 ,it is not what happened to the body of ,jesus1--whether it was actually carried to a pinnacle of the ,temple or not1--with which we have any concern in connection with the subject of temptation2 but what happened to ,his soul3 for it is the soul of man1 not his body1 which is tempted4 ,it is above all things necessary to hold firmly to the reality of the temptation4 ,it was no mere sham fight2 it was just as real as any we have ever had when most fiercely assailed by the tempter4 ,this will1 of course1 dispose of the vulgar idea that the devil appeared in recognisable shape1 like one of ,dor's fiends4 ,some people cannot rise above the folly of imagining that there is nothing real that is not material1 and therefore that our ,saviour could have had no conflict with ,satan1 if ,satan had not assumed some material shape4 ,the power of temptation consists in its appearance of being suggested without sinister intent4 ,our ,lord was tempted like as we are1 and therefore had not the advantage of seeing the tempter in his proper person4 ,he may have appeared as an angel of light1 or it may have been only as an invisible spirit that he came4 ,however that may be1 it was unquestionably a spiritual experience2 and in that consists its reality and value4 ,in order firmly to grasp the reality of the conflict1 we must not only bear in mind that our ,lord had to contend with the same invisible adversary whom we must encounter1 but that ,he had to meet him just as we have to meet him--not as ,god1 but as man4 ,the man ,christ ,jesus was tempted1 and in ,his human nature ,he triumphed4 ,he had emptied ,himself of ,his divine attributes2 and to have had recourse to them when the battle raged too fiercely for ,his resources as a man1 would have been to have acknowledged defeat4 ,what need was there to show that ,god could triumph over ,satan8 ,there needed no ,incarnation and no wilderness contest for that4 ,had it not been as a man that ,he triumphed there had been no victory at all4 ,it is true that ,he went into the wilderness in the power of the ,spirit2 but so may we go into any wilderness or anywhere4 ,it was through ,divine strength ,he triumphed1 but only in that strength made perfect in human weakness according to the promise which is valid for us all4 ,here too ,he was tempted like as we are1 with the same ways and means of resisting the temptation and overcoming it as are available to us4 ,it follows from all this that we should not look at this temptation scene as something quite foreign to ourselves1 but should endeavour to enter into it1 and1 as far as possible1 to realise it4 ,observe first the close connection with the baptism4 ,this is made prominent and emphatic in all the three accounts4 ,evidently1 then1 it supplies the key to it4 ,the baptism of ,christ was ,his consecration to the work of ,his ,messiahship4 ,and let us not imagine that ,he had any ready-made plan for the accomplishment of it4 ,his was no stereotyped life-work1 such as that which most of us take up1 in which we can learn from those who have gone before how they set about it1 and proceed accordingly4 ,even with all that advantage most of us have to do not a little hard thinking1 before we can lay our plans4 ,could it be1 then1 that ,he who had such a work before ,him had no need to think over it1 and plan it1 and weigh different methods of procedure1 and face the difficulties which every one who enters on a new enterprise has to meet8 ,do not let us forget for a moment that ,he was a real man1 and that in planning the course ,he would pursue1 as in all other points1 ,he was tried like as we are4 ,accordingly1 no sooner is ,he baptised1 than ,he withdraws by ,himself alone1 as ,moses and others had done when about to enter on their work1 to commune with ,god and to take counsel with ,his own thoughts4 ,was ,he free from all misgiving8 ,let us not imagine that it was impossible for ,him to doubt4 ,tempted in all points like as we are1 ,he must have known this sore temptation4 ,one may well suppose1 then1 that ,he was visited again and again with misgivings during these forty days1 so that it was not at all unnatural that temptation should take the form3 ,if ,thou be the ,son of ,god---- ,look now at the first temptation1 and mark the double human weakness to which it was addressed4 ,on the one hand doubt--,if ,thou art the ,son of ,god2 on the other1 hunger--for ,he had fasted long and had as strong a craving for bread as any of us would have had in the circumstances4 ,see now the force of the temptation4 ,he is suffering from hunger2 ,he is tempted to doubt4 ,how can ,he have relief8 ,if ,thou be the ,son of ,god1 command that these stones be made bread4 ,special powers are entrusted to ,him for ,his work as ,messiah4 ,should ,he not use them now8 ,why not8 ,so in his subtlety suggests the tempter4 ,in vain4 ,he had taken ,his place among ,his brother-men1 and would not separate ,himself from them4 ,they could not command stones to be made bread2 and would ,he cease to be their ,brother8 ,what saith the ,law8 ,a well-known passage leaps into ,his memory3 ,man shall not live by bread alone1 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of ,god4 ,man must trust in ,god1 and when he is hungry in the wilderness1 as ,israel was of old1 must look upwards for his help4 ,so must ,i2 so will ,i4 ,and ,he bears the hunger1 repels the doubt1 and conquers ,his subtle foe4 ,the thought of the doubt that must exist in other minds if not in ,his own1 gives occasion for a second assault4 ,to have proved ,his power by commanding the stones to be made bread would only have gratified a personal craving4 ,but would it not advance ,his work to make some signal display of the powers by which ,he shall be accredited--do something that would attract universal attention2 not in the desert1 but in ,jerusalem2--why not show to all the people that ,god is with ,him by casting ,himself from the pinnacle of the ,temple8 ,if ,thou be the ,son of ,god1 cast ,thyself down2 for it is written1 ,he shall give ,his angels charge concerning ,thee2 and in their hands they shall bear ,thee up1 lest at any time ,thou dash ,thy foot against a stone4 ,one sees at once the added force of this temptation4 ,the hunger remains1 together with the weakness of body and faintness of spirit which always accompany it4 ,and the very weapon ,he used to repel the first assault is turned against ,him now1 for ,his adversary has found a passage of ,scripture1 which he uses with great effect4 ,moreover1 the appeal seems to be to that very spirit of trustfulness which stood ,him in such stead in ,his first encounter4 ,is ,he not hard beset8 ,what then8 ,does ,he in this emergency summon to ,his aid any ally denied to us in similar stress of trial8 ,no3 ,he does exactly what we have to do in the same case3 meets ,scripture quoted with a bias by other ,scripture thought of without prejudice4 ,he recognises that the ,scripture first presented to ,his mind is only a part of the truth which bears on the case4 ,something more must be had in view1 before the path of duty is clear4 ,to meet the distracting thought1 this word occurs1 ,thou shalt not tempt the ,lord thy ,god4 ,it is one thing to trust1 another to tempt4 ,i was trusting when ,i refused to command the stones to be made bread4 ,but ,i should be tempting ,god were ,i to cast myself down from a pinnacle of the ,temple4 ,i should be experimenting upon ,him1 as did the children of ,israel at ,meribah and at ,massah 7for that is the connection of the words ,he quotes7 when they said1 ,is the ,lord among us or not8 ,i must not experiment1 ,i must not tempt1 ,i must simply trust4 ,thus victory is gained a second time4 ,if it is not right to begin ,his work by any such display as that which the tempter has just suggested1 how shall it be begun8 ,a question surely of unexampled difficulty4 ,the air was full of expectancy in regard to the coming of ,king ,messiah4 ,the whole nation was ready to hail him4 ,not only so1 but even the heathen nations were more or less prepared for ,his coming4 ,why not take advantage of this favourable state of things at home and abroad8 ,why not proclaim a kingdom that will satisfy these widespread expectations1 and gather round itself all those enthusiasms2 and1 after having thus won the people1 then proceed to lead them on to higher and better things8 ,why not8 ,it would be bowing down to the prince of this world4 ,it is clearly a temptation of the ,evil ,one4 ,to yield to it would be to fall down before him and worship him in exchange for the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them4 ,it would be gaining the allegiance of men by methods which are not of ,god1 but of the great adversary4 ,he recognises the device of ,satan to lure ,him from the path of self-denial which ,he sees to be the path of duty2 accordingly1 with energy ,he says1 ,get thee hence1 ,satan2 for it is written1 ,thou shalt worship the ,lord thy ,god1 and ,him only shalt thou serve4 ,in establishing ,my kingdom ,i must show ,myself to be a servant and worshipper of ,god and of ,him only2 accordingly1 no worldly methods must be used1 however promising they may seem to be2 the battle must be fought with spiritual weapons1 the kingdom must be established by spiritual forces alone1 and on truth and love alone must ,i depend3 ,i choose the path of the ,cross4 ,get thee hence1 ,satan4 ,the crisis is passed4 ,the path of duty and of sorrow lies plain and clear before ,him4 ,he has refused to turn aside to the right hand or to the left4 ,the tempter has been foiled at every point1 and so must withdraw1 for the time1 at least4 ,then the devil leaveth ,him2 and1 behold1 angels came and ministered unto ,him4 ,,vi4 ,,beginning ,,of ,,his ,,galilean ,,ministry4 ,,matt4 iv4 #ab-be4 ,did our ,lord's ministry begin in ,galilee8 ,if so1 why did ,he not ,himself set the example of beginning at ,jerusalem8 ,as a matter of fact we learn from the fourth ,gospel that ,he did begin at ,jerusalem2 and that it was only after ,he was rejected there that ,he changed the scene of ,his labours to the ,north4 ,why then do the three ,evangelists not mention this earlier ministry in the ,south8 ,the answer to this question seems suggested by the stress laid by each of the three on the fact of ,john's imprisonment1 as giving the date after which ,christ commenced ,his work in the ,north4 ,here1 for example 7ver4 #ab71 it is put thus3 ,now when ,he heard that ,john was delivered up1 ,he withdrew into ,galilee4 ,their idea1 then1 seems to be that the ,judan ministry of ,christ belonged rather to the closing months of ,john's career2 and that only after ,john's mission1 the sphere of which had been mainly in the ,south1 had closed1 could the special work of ,christ be regarded as having begun4 ,if we review the facts we shall see how natural and accurate was this view of the case4 ,john was sent to prepare the way of the ,lord1 to open the door of ,jerusalem and ,juda for ,his coming4 ,at first the herald meets with great success4 ,jerusalem and ,juda flock out to him for his baptism4 ,the way seems ready4 ,the door is opened4 ,the ,messiah has come2 and ,john has pointed ,him out as the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sin of the world4 ,now the ,passover is at hand4 ,people will be gathered together from all parts of the land4 ,what better time for the ,lord to come to ,his temple8 ,and1 as we are told in the fourth ,gospel1 ,jesus takes the opportunity1 goes up to ,jerusalem1 enters into the ,temple1 and at once begins to cleanse it4 ,how is ,he received8 ,as one whose way has been prepared1 whose claims have been duly authenticated by a prophet of the ,lord1 as all acknowledge ,john to be8 ,not at all4 ,forth step the ,temple officials and ask ,him by what authority ,he does these things4 ,he has come unto ,his own2 ,his own receive ,him not4 ,he does not1 however1 too hastily accept their suicidal refusal to receive ,him4 ,he gives them time to think of it4 ,he tarries in the neighbourhood1 ,he and ,john baptising in the same region2 patiently waiting1 as it would seem1 for signs of relenting on the part of the rulers and ,pharisees1--one of whom1 indeed1 has come by night and made inquiries2 and who can tell what the result will be--whether this ,nicodemus may not be able to win the others over1 so that after all there will be waiting for the ,king the welcome ,he ought to have1 and which ,he is well entitled to expect after the reception given to ,his herald8 ,but no3 the impression of ,john's preaching and baptism is wearing off2 the hardness of heart returns1 and passes into positive bitterness1 which reaches such a height that at last ,herod finds the tide so turned that he can hazard what a few months before would have been the foolhardy policy of seizing ,john and shutting him in prison4 ,so ends the mission of ,john--beginning with largest hope1 ending in cruellest disappointment4 ,the early ,judan ministry of ,christ1 then1 as related by ,st4 ,john may be regarded as the opportunity which ,christ gave to the nation1 as represented by the capital and the ,temple1 to follow out the mission of ,john to its intended issue--an opportunity which the leaders of the nation wasted and threw away1 and which therefore came to nothing4 ,hence it is that the three ,evangelists1 without giving any of the details which were afterwards supplied by ,st4 ,john1 sum up the closing months of the forerunner's ministry in the one fact which suggests all1 that ,john was silenced1 and shut up in prison4 ,we see1 then1 that though ,jesus did in a sense commence ,his work in ,galilee1 ,he did not do so until ,he had first given the authorities of the city and the ,temple the opportunity of having it begin1 as it would seem most natural that it should have begun1 in the centre of the old kingdom4 ,but though it was ,his treatment in the ,south which was the immediate cause of this withdrawal to the ,north and the beginning of the establishment of the new kingdom there1 yet this was no unforeseen contingency--this too was anticipated in the prophetic page1 for herein was fulfilled the word of ,isaiah the prophet1 spoken long ago of this same northern land3 ,the land of ,zabulon and the land of ,nepthalim1 by the way of the sea1 beyond ,jordan1 ,galilee of the ,gentiles2 the people which sat in darkness saw great light2 and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up4 ,it is the old story over again4 ,no room in the inn1 so ,he must be born in a manger2 no safety in ,juda1 so ,he must be carried to ,egypt2 no room for ,him in ,his own capital and ,his ,father's house1 so ,he must away to the country1 the uttermost part of the land1 which men despised1 the very speech of which was reckoned barbarous in the polite ears of the metropolitans1 a region which was scarce counted of the land at all1 being known as ,galilee of the ,gentiles1 a portion of the country which had been overrun more than any other by the foreign invader1 and therefore known as the region and shadow of death2 here it is that the new light will arise1 the new power be first acknowledged1 and the new blessing first enjoyed--one of the many illustrations of the ,lord's own saying1 ,many of the last shall be first1 and the first last4 ,here1 then1 our ,lord begins the work of setting up ,his kingdom4 ,he takes up the same message which had seemed to return void to its preacher in the ,south4 ,john had come saying1 ,repent ye2 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand4 ,the people of the ,south had seemed to repent2 and the kingdom seemed about to come in the ancient capital4 ,but the repentance was only superficial2 and though it still remained true that the kingdom was at hand1 it was not to begin in ,jerusalem4 ,so1 in the new2 and1 to human appearance1 far less promising field in the ,north1 the work must be begun afresh2 and now the same stirring words are ringing in ,galilee1 as rang a few months before in ,juda3 ,repent2 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand4 ,it is now in fact close at hand4 ,it is interesting to note its first beginnings4 ,and ,jesus walking by the ,sea of ,galilee1#d saw two brethren1 ,simon called ,peter1 and ,andrew his brother1 casting a net into the sea2 for they were fishers4 ,and ,he saith unto them1 ,follow ,me1 and ,i will make you fishers of men4 ,and they straightway left their nets1 and followed ,him4 ,and going on from thence ,he saw other two brethren1 ,james the son of ,zebedee1 and ,john his brother1 in a ship with ,zebedee their father1 mending their nets2 and he called them and they immediately left the ship and their father1 and followed ,him4 ,observe in the first place that1 though ,john is in prison1 and to all human appearance failure has been written on the work of his life1 the failure is only seeming4 ,the multitudes that had been stirred by his preaching have relapsed into their old indifference1 but there are a few whose souls have been permanently touched to finer issues4 ,they are not of the lordly ,pharisees or of the brilliant ,sadducees2 they cannot even claim to be metropolitans2 they are poor ,galilean fishermen3 but they gave heed when the prophet pointed them to the ,lamb of ,god1 the ,messiah that was to come2 and though they had only spent a short time in ,his company1 yet golden links had been forged between them2 they had heard the ,shepherd's voice2 had fully recognised ,his ,kingly claims2 and so were ready1 waiting for the word of command4 ,now it comes4 ,the same ,holy ,one of ,nazareth is walking by the shores of their lake4 ,he has been proclaiming ,his ,kingdom1 as now at last beginning2 and1 though the manner of its establishment is so entirely different from anything to which their thoughts have been accustomed in the past1 their confidence in ,him is such that they raise no doubt or question4 ,accordingly1 when they see ,him coming alone and unattended1 without any of the trappings or the suits of royalty1 without any badge or sign of office1 with a simple word of command1--a word of command1 moreover1 which demanded of them the sacrifice of all for ,his sake1 the absolute trusting of themselves and all their future to ,his guidance and care1--they do not hesitate for a single moment2 but first ,andrew and ,simon his brother1 and a little further on ,james and ,john his brother1 straightway leave nets1 father1 friends1 home1 everything1 and follow ,him4 ,such was the first exercise of the royal authority of the new ,king4 ,such was the constitution of ,his--,cabinet shall we call it8--or of ,his ,kingdom itself1 shall we not rather say8 for so far as we can see1 ,his cabinet at this moment was all the kingdom that ,he had4 ,let us here pause a moment and try to realise the picture painted for us in that grey morning time of what we now call the ,christian ,era4 ,suppose some of our artists could reproduce the scene for us3 in the background the lake with the deserted boats upon the shore1 old ,zebedee with a half sad1 half bewildered look upon his face1 wondering what was happening1 trying to imagine what he would do without his sons1 and what his sons would do without him and the boat and the nets2 and1 in the foreground1 the five men walking along1 four of them without the least idea of where they were going or of what they had to do4 ,or suppose that1 instead of having a picture of it now1 with all the light that eighteen centuries have shed upon it1 we could transport ourselves back to the very time and stand there on the very spot and see the scene with our own eyes2 and suppose that we were told by some bystander1 ,that man of the five that looks like the leader of the rest thinks himself a king3 he imagines he has been sent to set up a kingdom of ,heaven upon the earth2 and he has just asked these other four to join him1 and there they are setting out upon their task4 ,what should we have thought8 ,if we had had only flesh and blood to consult with1 we should have thought the whole thing supremely ridiculous2 we should have expected to see the four men back to their boats and nets again in a few days1 sadder but wiser men4 ,how far ,zebedee had a spiritually enlightened mind we dare not say2 perhaps he was as willing that his sons should go1 as they were to go2 but if he was1 it could not have been flesh and blood that revealed it to him2 he as well as his sons must have felt the power of the ,spirit that was in ,christ4 ,but if he did not at all understand it or believe in it1 we can fancy him saying to the two young men when they left3 ,go off now1 if you like2 you will be back again in a few days1 and foolish as you have been1 your old father will be glad to take you into his boat again4 ,it is worth while for us to try to realise what happened in its veriest simplicity2 for we have read the story so often1 and are so thoroughly familiar with it1 that we are apt to miss its marvel1 to fail to recognise that it is perhaps the most striking illustration in all history of the apostle's statement1 ,god hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise1 and ,god hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty1 444 that no flesh should glory in ,his presence4 ,where was ever a weaker thing in this world than the beginning of this kingdom8 ,it would be difficult to imagine any commencement that would have seemed weaker in worldly eyes4 ,stand by once again and look at it with only human eyes2 say1 is it not all weakness together8--weakness in the leader to imagine ,he can set up a kingdom after such a fashion1 weakness in the followers to leave a paying business on such a fool's errand4 ,but the foolishness of ,god is wiser than men2 and the weakness of ,god is stronger than men4 ,and now that we look back upon that scene1 we recognise it as one of the grandest this earth has ever witnessed4 ,if it were painted now1 what light must there be in the ,leader's eye1 what majesty in ,his step1 what glory of dawning faith and love and hope in the faces of the rest--it must needs be a picture of ,sunrise1 or it would be utterly unworthy of the theme6 ,now follow them3 where will they go1 and what will they do8 ,will they take arms and call to arms the country-side8 ,then march on ,jerusalem and take the throne of ,david1 and thence to ,rome and snatch from ,csar the sceptre of the world8 ,and ,jesus went about all ,galilee1 teaching in their synagogues1 and preaching the ,gospel of the ,kingdom1 and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people4 ,teaching--preaching--healing3 these were the methods for setting up the kingdom4 ,teaching--this was the new light2 preaching the ,gospel of the ,kingdom--this was the new power1 power not of the sword but of the ,word1 the power of persuasion1 so that the people will yield themselves willingly or not at all1 for there is to be not a shadow of constraint1 not the smallest use of force or compulsion1 not the slightest interference with human freedom in this new kingdom2 and healing--this is to be the great thing2 this is what a sick world wants1 this is what souls and bodies of men alike are crying out for--healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people4 ,heavenly light1 heavenly power1 heavenly healing--these are the weapons of the new warfare2 these the regalia of the new kingdom4 ,and the report of ,him went forth into all ,syria2 and they brought unto ,him all that were sick1 holden with divers diseases and torments1 possessed with devils1 and epileptic1 and palsied2 and ,he healed them 7,r4,v474 ,call to mind1 for a moment1 how in the extremity of hunger ,he would not use one fraction of the entrusted power for ,his own behoof4 ,himself ,he cannot save4 ,but see how ,he saves others4 ,no stinting now of the heavenly power2 it flows in streams of blessing3 ,they brought unto ,him all that were sick1 444 and ,he healed them4 ,it is ,daybreak on the shores of ,galilee4 ,the ,sun of ,righteousness has risen with healing in ,his wings4 #d ,it is worthy of notice that ,he has had the same experience even in ,galilee as before1 for ,he is cast out of ,his own place ,nazareth1 so that ,he cannot really begin there4 ,he gave them the first opportunity in ,galilee as ,he had given ,jerusalem first of all1 but they too had rejected it1 had driven ,him out1 and hence it is that the beginning was not in the village up in the hills1 but down by the lakeside in the midst of the busy life that thronged its shores4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom4 7,,sermon ,,on ,,the ,,mount47 ,,matt4 v41 vi41 vii4 ,it may seem almost heresy to object to the time-honoured title ,sermon on the ,mount2 yet1 so small has the word sermon become1 on account of its application to those productions of which there is material for a dozen in single sentences of this great discourse1 that there is danger of belittling it by the use of a title which suggests even the remotest relationship to these ephemeral efforts4 ,no mere sermon is this1 only distinguished from others of its class by its reach and sweep and power3 it stands alone as the grand charter of the commonwealth of heaven2 or1 to keep the simple title the evangelist himself suggests 7iv4 #bc71 it is ,the ,gospel 7or good news7 of the ,kingdom4 ,to understand it aright we must keep this in mind1 avoiding the easy method of treating it as a mere series of lessons on different subjects1 and endeavouring to grasp the unity of thought and purpose which binds its different parts into one grand whole4 ,it may help us to do this if we first ask ourselves what questions would naturally arise in the minds of the more thoughtful of the people1 when they heard the announcement1 ,the kingdom of heaven is at hand4 ,it was evidently to such persons the ,lord addressed ,himself4 ,seeing the multitudes1 we read ,he went up into the mountain1 perhaps for the purpose of selecting ,his audience4 ,the idle and indifferent would stay down on the plain2 only those who were in some measure stirred in spirit would follow ,him as ,he climbed the steep ascent from the shore of the lake to the plateau above2 and in their minds they would in all probability be revolving such questions as these3 7#a7 ,what is this kingdom1 what advantages does it offer1 and who are the people that belong to it8 7#b7 ,what is required of those that belong to it8 what are its laws and obligations8 ,and if these two questions were answered satisfactorily1 a third would naturally follow--7#c7 ,how may those who desire to share its privileges and assume its obligations become citizens of it8 ,these1 accordingly1 are the three great questions dealt with in succession4 ,i4 ,,the ,,nature ,,and ,,constitution ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom 7vv4 #b-af73 first in itself1 and then in relation to the world4 #a4 ,in itself 7,the ,beatitudes71 vv4 #b-ab4 ,the answer to the questions in the people's hearts is given in no cold didactic way4 ,the truth about the heavenly kingdom comes warm from a loving heart yearning over the woes of a weary and heavy-laden humanity4 ,its first word is ,blessed2 its first paragraph1 ,beatitudes4 ,plainly the ,king of heaven has come to bless4 ,there is no thunder nor lightning nor tempest on this mount2 all is calm and peaceful as a summer's day4 ,how high the key-note struck in this first word of the ,king6 ,the advantages usually associated with the best earthly government are very moderate indeed4 ,we speak of the commonwealth1 a word which is supposed to mean the common welfare2 but the common welfare is quite beyond the power of any earthly government1 which at most can only give protection against those enemies that would hinder the people from doing what they can to secure their own welfare4 ,but here is a kingdom which is to secure the well-being of all who belong to it2 and not well-being only1 but something far beyond and above it3 for eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 neither have entered into the heart of man1 the things which ,god hath prepared for them that love ,him1 and which ,his ambassador wrapped up in that great word ,blessed1 the key-note of the ,gospel of the ,kingdom4 ,as ,he proceeds to show wherein this blessedness is to be found1 we are struck by the originality of the conception1 and its opposition to vulgar ideas4 ,what the ordinary way of thinking on the subject is to this day can be readily seen in that very word wealth1 which in its original significance means welfare1 but from the mistaken idea that a man's life consists in the abundance of the things which he possesses has come to mean what it means now4 ,who can tell the woes that result from the prevalence of this grand mistake--how men are led off in pursuit of happiness in a wrong direction altogether1 away from its true source1 and set to contending and competing with one another1 so that there is constant danger--a danger averted only by the degree in which the truth enshrined in the ,beatitudes prevails--that the common wealth will become the common woe8 ,what a different world this would be if only the teaching of ,christ on this one subject were heartily accepted--not by a few here and there1 but by society at large6 ,then should we see indeed a kingdom of heaven upon earth4 ,for observe wherein our new ,king finds the universal weal4 ,we cannot follow the beatitudes one by one2 but glancing over them we see1 running through them all1 this great truth--that blessedness is essentially spiritual1 that it depends not so much on a man's condition as on his character1 not so much on what he has as on what he is4 ,it needs no great effort of imagination to see that if men in general were to make it their main object and endeavour in life to be what they ought to be1 rather than to scramble for what they can get1 this earth would speedily become a moral paradise4 ,in expounding the blessedness of the kingdom the ,master has unfolded the character of its members1 thus not only explaining the nature of the kingdom and the advantages to be enjoyed under it1 but also showing who those are that belong to it4 ,that this was intended seems evident from the first and the last of the beatitudes both ending with the emphatic words theirs is the kingdom of heaven4 ,it is as if on the two gates at the hither and farther end of this beautiful garden were inscribed the words1 ,the truly blessed ones1 the citizens of the commonwealth of heaven1 are those who are at home here4 ,originality of conception is again apparent4 ,a kingdom so constituted was an entirely new thing in the world4 ,previously it had been a matter of race or of place or of forced subjection4 ,the forefathers of these people had belonged to the kingdom of ,israel1 because they belonged to ,israel's race2 themselves belonged to the empire of ,rome1 because their country had been conquered and they were obliged to acknowledge ,rome's sway2 moreover1 they were subjects of ,herod ,antipas1 simply because they lived in ,galilee4 ,here was a kingdom in which race distinctions had no place1 which took no account of territorial limits1 which made no appeal to force of arms or rights of conquest--a kingdom founded on character4 ,yet it is no mere aristocracy of natural virtue4 ,it is not a ,royal ,academy of the spiritually noble and great4 ,its line seems rather to stretch down to the lowest1 for who else are the poor in spirit8 ,and the mourners and the meek are no elect classes of nature's nobility4 ,on the other hand1 however1 it runs up to heights even quite out of sight of the easy-going virtue of the day2 for those who belong to this kingdom are men full of eager aspirations1 bent on heart purity1 given to efforts for the good of others1 ready even to suffer the loss of all things for truth and righteousness' sake4 ,the line is stretched so far down that even the lowest may enter2 yet it runs up so high that those have no place in it who are satisfied with mere average morality1 who count it enough to be free from vices that degrade the man1 and innocent of crimes that offend the state4 ,most respectable citizens of an earthly commonwealth such honest men may be2 but no kingdom of heaven is open to such as they4 ,the foundations of common morality are of course assumed1 as is made specially evident in the next division of the great discourse2 but it would have been quite misleading had the ,herald of heaven's kingdom said ,blessed are the honest1 or ,blessed is the man who tells no lies4 ,the common virtues are quite indispensable2 but there must be something beyond these--first a sense of need of something far higher and better1 then a hungering and thirsting after it1 and as a necessary consequence some attainment of it1 in order to citizenship in the kingdom of heaven and enjoyment of its blessedness4 ,the last beatitude breaks forth into a song of joy4 ,no light-hearted joy1 as of those who shut their eyes to the dark things in life1 but joy in facing the very worst the world can do3 ,blessed are ye when men shall revile you1 and persecute you1 and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely1 for ,my sake4 ,rejoice1 and be exceeding glad4 ,o wonderful alchemy of heaven1 which can change earth's dust and ashes into purest gold6 ,think1 too1 what riches and royalty of spirit in place of the poverty with which the series began4 ,these eight beatitudes are the diatonic scale of heaven's music4 ,its key-note is blessing2 its upper octave1 joy4 ,those who heard it first with quickened souls could no longer doubt that the kingdom of heaven was at hand2 indeed1 was there on the mountain that day6 #b4 ,in relation to the world 7vv4 #ac-af74 ,the original promise to ,abraham was twofold3 ,i will bless thee1 ,thou shalt be a blessing 7,gen4 xii4 #b74 ,the beatitudes correspond to the former1 the passage before us to the latter4 ,the beatitudes are1 so to speak1 the home affairs of the kingdom of heaven2 the passage which follows is occupied with foreign relations4 ,those spoke of blessedness within1 this speaks of usefulness without2 for the disciples of ,christ are known not only by their personal character and disposition1 but also by their influence on others4 ,the relations of the members of the kingdom to those that are without is a complex and difficult subject2 but the essence of it is set forth with surpassing clearness1 comprehensiveness and simplicity by the use of two unpretentious but most expressive figures1 almost infinite in their suggestiveness--salt and light4 ,this is our first experience of a well-known characteristic of the teaching of ,christ--viz41 ,his use of the simplest and most familiar objects of nature and circumstances of daily life1 to convey highest and most important truth2 and at once we recognise the touch of the ,master4 ,we cannot fail to see that out of all nature's infinity ,he has selected the two illustrations1--the only two1 which exactly fit and fill the purpose for which ,he employs them4 ,to the thoughtful mind there is something here which prepares for such tokens of mastery over nature as are found later on in the hushing of the storm and the stilling of the sea4 ,salt suggests the conservative1 light the liberal1 side of the politics of the kingdom2 but the two are not in opposition1 they are in fullest harmony1 the one being the complement of the other4 ,christian people1 if they are what they profess to be1 are all conservatives and all liberals3 conservators of all that is good1 and diffusers of all that is of the nature of light4 ,each of these sides of ,christian influence is presented in succession4 ,ye are the salt of the earth4 ,the metaphor suggests the sad fact that1 whatever tendency to upward development there may be in the world of nature1 there is a contrary tendency in the world of men1 so far as character is concerned4 ,the world has often made great advances in civilisation2 but these1 unless counter-acted by forces from above1 have always been accompanied by a degeneracy in morals1 which in course of time has brought about the ruin of mighty states4 ,all that is best and most hopeful in mere worldly civilisation has in it the canker of moral evil1 ,that rotting inward slowly moulders all4 ,the only possible counteractive is the introduction of an element into society which will hold in check the forces that make for unrighteousness1 and be itself an elevating and purifying influence4 ,such an element ,christians were to be in the world4 ,such1 to a large extent1 they have been4 ,that they were the salt of the ,roman empire during the evil days of its decline1 no student of history can fail to see4 ,again1 in the dark ages that followed1 we can still trace the sweetening influence of those holy lives which were scattered like shining grains of salt through the ferment and seething of the times4 ,so it has been throughout1 and is still4 ,it is true that there is no longer the sharp distinction between ,christians and the world which there was in days when it cost something to confess ,christ4 ,there are now so many ,christians in name who are not so in reality1 and1 on the other hand1 so many in reality who are not so in name1 and moreover so many who are ,christians neither in name nor in reality1 but who are nevertheless unconsciously guided by ,christian principles as the result of the wide diffusion of ,christian thought and sentiment--that the conservative influence of distinctive ,christianity is very difficult to estimate and is far less appreciated than it should be4 ,but it is as real and efficient as ever4 ,if ,christianity1 as a conservative force in society1 were to be suddenly eliminated1 the social fabric would fall in ruins2 but if only the salt were all genuine1 if ,christian people everywhere had the savour of the eight beatitudes about them1 their conservative power as to all that is good1 and restraining influence as to all that is evil1 would be so manifest and mighty that none could question it4 ,if the salt would only keep its savour--there is the weak point4 ,we know and feel it after the experience of all these centuries4 ,and did not our omniscient ,lord lay ,his finger on it at the very outset8 ,he needed not that any one should tell ,him what was in man4 ,he knew that there was that in ,his truth which would be genuinely and efficiently conservative2 but ,he knew equally well that there was that in man which would to a large extent neutralise that conservative power1 that the salt would be in constant danger of losing its savour4 ,hence1 after the encouraging words ,ye are the salt of the earth1 ,he gives an earnest warning which necessarily moderates the too sanguine anticipations that would otherwise have been excited4 ,alas6 with what sad certainty has history proved the need of this warning6 ,the salt lost its savour in the churches of the ,east1 or it would never have been cast out and trodden underfoot of the ,mohammedan invaders4 ,it lost its savour in the ,west1 or there would have been no papal corruption1 growing worse and worse till it seemed as if ,western ,christendom must in turn be dissolved--a fate which was only averted by the fresh salt of the ,reformation revival4 ,in modern times there is ever the same danger1 sometimes affecting all the churches1 as in the dark days preceding the revival under ,whitefield and ,wesley1 always affecting some of them or some portions of them1 as is too apparent on every hand in these days in which we live4 ,there is as much need as ever to lay to heart the solemn warning of the ,king4 ,it is as pungent as salt itself4 ,of what use1 ,he asks1 is tasteless salt8 ,it is fit only to be cast out and trodden under foot of men4 ,equally useless is the so-called ,christian1 who has nothing in character or life to distinguish him from the world2 who1 though he may be honest and truthful and sober1 a very respectable citizen of an earthly kingdom1 has none of the characteristic marks of the kingdom of heaven1 none of the savour of the beatitudes about him4 ,it is only because there are still so many savourless ,christians that the value of the ,church as a conservative influence on society is so little recognised2 and that there are so many critics1 not all unintelligent or wilfully unfair1 who begin to think it is time that it were cast out and trodden under foot of men4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ye are the light of the world4 ,we need not stay to show the liberality of light4 ,its peculiar characteristic is giving1 spending2 for this purpose wholly it exists1 losing its own life in order to find it again in brightness diffused on all around4 ,observe1 it is not ,ye carry the light1 but ,ye are the light4 ,we are apt to think of light in the abstract--as truth1 as doctrine1 as something to be believed and held and expounded4 ,we quote the familiar words1 ,great is the ,truth1 and it shall prevail1 and we imagine they are true4 ,they are true indeed1 in the long run1 but not as often understood1 certainly not in the region of the moral and spiritual4 ,of course truth in the abstract1 especially moral and spiritual truth1 ought to prevail2 but it never does when men's interests lie1 or seem to lie1 in the contrary direction4 ,such truth1 to be mighty1 must be vitalised2 it must glow in human hearts1 burn on human tongues1 shine in human lives4 ,the ,king of truth knew this well2 and hence ,he placed the hope of the future1 the hope of dispelling the world's darkness1 not in abstract truth1 but in truth incarnate in the true disciple3 ,ye are the light of the world4 ,in the strictest and highest sense1 of course1 ,christ ,himself is the ,light of the world4 ,this is beautifully set forth in discourses reported by another ,evangelist 7,john viii4 #ab1 ix4 #e72 and1 indeed1 it has been already taught by implication in the ,evangel before us1 where1 as we have seen1 the opening of ,christ's ministry is likened to sunrise in the land of ,zebulon and ,naphtali 7chap4 iv4 #af74 ,but the personal ,christ cannot remain upon the earth4 ,only for a few years can ,he be in this way the ,light of the world1 as ,he expressly says in one of the passages above referred to 7,john ix4 #e72 and ,he is speaking now not for the next few years but for the coming centuries1 during which ,he must be represented by ,his faithful disciples1 appointed to be ,his witnesses 7,acts i4 #h7 to the ends of the earth2 so at once ,he puts the responsibility on them1 and says1 ,ye are the light of the world4 ,this responsibility it was impossible to avoid4 ,as a matter of course1 the kingdom of heaven must be a prominent object in the sight of men4 ,the mountain of the ,lord's house must be established on the top of the mountains 7,isa4 ii4 #b71 and therefore may not be inconspicuous3 ,a city set on a hill cannot be hid4 ,it has been often said1 but it will bear repeating1 that ,christians are the world's ,bible4 ,people who never read a word of either ,old or ,new ,testament will read the lives of those who profess to draw their inspiration thence1 and will judge accordingly4 ,they will form their opinions of ,christ and of ,his kingdom by those who call themselves or are called by others ,christians4 ,a city set on a hill cannot be hid4 ,here we have a truth complementary to that other conveyed in the symbol of salt4 ,it taught that true ,christians exert a great deal of silent1 unobserved influence1 as of salt hidden in a mass2 but1 besides this1 there is their position as connected with the kingdom of heaven which forbids their being wholly hid4 ,indeed1 it is their duty to see to it that they are not artificially hid3 ,neither do men light a lamp1 and put it under the bushel1 but on the stand2 and it shineth unto all that are in the house 7,r4,v474 ,how beautifully does the illustration lend itself to the needed caution against timidity1 without giving the least encouragement to the opposite vice of ostentation6 ,why does light shine8 ,simply because it cannot help it2 it is its nature2 without effort or even consciousness1 and making no noise1 it quietly does its duty2 and in the doing of it does not encourage but even forbids any looking at itself--and the brighter it is1 the more severely does it forbid it4 ,but while there is no ostentatious obtrusiveness on the one hand1 there is no ignoble shirking on the other4 ,who would ever think of kindling a light and then putting it under a bed8 ,yet how many ,christians do that very thing when they are called to work for ,christ1 to let the light ,he has given them shine in some of the dark places where it is most needed6 ,here1 again1 our ,lord lays ,his finger on a weak spot4 ,the ,church suffers sorely1 not only from quantities of savourless salt1--people calling themselves ,christians who have little or nothing distinctively ,christian about them1--but also from bushel-covered lights1 those who are genuinely ,christian1 but who do all they can to hide it1 refusing to speak on the subject1 afraid to show earnestness even when they feel it most1 carefully repressing every impulse to let their light shine before men1 doing everything1 in fact1 which is possible to render their testimony to ,christ as feeble1 and their influence as ,christians as small1 as it can be4 ,how many in all our ,christian communities are constantly haunted by a nervous fear lest people should think them forward6 ,for one person who makes a parade of his ,christianity there are a hundred or a thousand who want always to shrink into a corner4 ,this is not modesty2 it is the sign of an unnatural self-consciousness4 ,the disciples of ,christ should act simply1 naturally1 unconsciously1 neither making a display on the one hand nor hiding their light on the other4 ,so the ,master puts it most beautifully and suggestively3 ,let your light so shine before men1 that they may see your good works 7not the worker--that is of no consequence--but the works71 and glorify your ,father which is in heaven4 ,so closes the first great division of the ,manifesto of the ,king4 ,it had begun with goodwill to men2 it has shown the way of peace on earth2 it closes with glory to ,god in the highest4 ,it is a prolonged echo of the angels' song4 ,the ,gospel of the ,kingdom1 not only as set forth here in these beautiful paragraphs1 but in all its length and breadth and depth and height1 in all its range and scope and application1 is but an expansion of its very first proclamation3 ,glory to ,god in the highest1 on earth peace1 goodwill to men4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom 7v4 #ag-vii4 #ab74 #a4 ,general principles 7vv4 #ag-bj74 ,after blessing comes obligation--after beatitude1 law4 ,it is the same order as of old4 ,the old covenant was in its origin and essence a covenant of promise1 of blessing4 ,mercy1 not duty1 was its key-note4 ,when ,god called ,abraham to the land of promise1 ,his first word was3 ,i will bless thee1 and make thy name great2 and thou shalt be a blessing 7,gen4 xii4 #b74 ,later on came the obligation resulting1 as in ,genesis xvii4 #a3 ,walk before me1 and be thou perfect4 ,so in the history of the ,nation1 the promise came first and the law followed it after an interval of four hundred years--a fact of which special use is made by the ,apostle ,paul 7,gal4 iii4 #ag1 #ah74 ,the ,mosaic dispensation itself began by an acknowledgment of the ancient promise 7,i am the ,god of your fathers--,ex4 iii4 #f71 and a fresh declaration of ,divine mercy 7,i know their sorrows1 and am come to deliver them--,ex4 iii4 #g1 #h74 ,when ,mount ,sinai was reached1 the entire covenant was summarised in two sentences1 the first reciting the blessing1 the second setting forth the resulting obligation3 ,thus shalt thou say to the house of ,jacob1 and tell the children of ,israel2 ,ye have seen what ,i did unto the ,egyptians1 and how ,i bare you on eagles' wings1 and brought you unto ,myself4 ,now1 therefore1 if ye will obey ,my voice indeed1 and keep ,my covenant1 then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto ,me above all people 7,ex4 xix4 #c-e74 ,the very ,decalogue itself is constructed on the same principle2 for before a single commandment is given1 attention is called to the great salvation which has been wrought on their behalf3 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 which brought thee out of the land of ,egypt1 out of the house of bondage4 ,thus closely does the proclamation of the new kingdom follow the lines of the old2 far above and beyond it in respect of development1 in essence it is the same4 ,it was therefore most appropriate that1 in entering on the subject of the law of ,his kingdom ,christ should begin with the caution1 ,think not that ,i am come to destroy the law or the prophets4 ,on this point there would necessarily be the greatest sensitiveness on the part of the people4 ,the law was their glory--all their history had gathered round it1 the prophets had enforced and applied it2 their sacred ,scriptures1 known broadly as ,the ,law and the ,prophets1 had enshrined it4 ,was it1 then1 to be set aside for new legislation8 ,the feeling was quite natural and proper4 ,it was necessary1 therefore1 that the new ,king should set ,himself right on a matter so important4 ,he has not come to overturn everything4 ,he accepts the old covenant more cordially and thoroughly than they do1 as will presently appear2 ,he will build on it as a sure foundation2 and whatever in ,his legislation may be new grows naturally out of the old4 ,it is1 moreover1 worthy of notice that while the ,mosaic economy is specially in ,his mind1 ,he does not entirely leave out of consideration the elements of truth in other religious systems2 and therefore defines the attitude ,he assumes as a ,legislator and ,prophet1 in terms of the widest generality3 ,i am not come to destroy1 but to fulfil4 ,while in the widest sense ,he came not to destroy but to fulfil1 so that ,he could with fullest liberality acknowledge what was good and true in the work of all former teachers1 whoever and wherever they had been1 thus accepting and incorporating their broken lights as part of ,his ,light of the world 7compare ,john i4 #i71 ,he can speak of the old covenant in a way in which it would have been impossible to speak of the work of earth's greatest and best4 ,he can accept it as a whole without any reservation or deduction3 ,for verily ,i say unto you1 ,till heaven and earth pass1 one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law1 till all be fulfilled4 ,observe1 however1 that this statement is not at all inconsistent with what ,he teaches concerning the temporary character of much of the ,mosaic legislation2 it simply makes it clear that whatever passes away1 does not pass by destruction1 but by fulfilment--i4e41 the evolution of its hidden life--as the bud passes into the rose4 ,the bud is there no longer2 but it is not destroyed1 it is fulfilled in the rose4 ,so with the law as infolded in the ,old ,testament1 unfolded in the ,new4 ,how well fitted to inspire all thoughtful minds with confidence must have been the discovery that the policy of the new kingdom was to be on the lines1 not of brand-new experimental legislation1 but of ,divine evolution6 ,not only does ,he ,himself do homage to the law1 but takes order that ,his followers shall do the same4 ,it is no parting compliment that ,he pays the old covenant4 ,it is to be kept up both in the doing and in the teaching1 from generation to generation1 even in its least commandments4 ,not that there is to be such insistence on very small matters as to exclude altogether from the kingdom of heaven those who do not press every jot and tittle2 but that these will be reckoned of such importance1 that those who are lax in doctrine and practice in regard to them must be counted among the least in the kingdom2 while those who destroy nothing1 but seek to fulfil everything1 will be the great ones4 ,what a foundation is laid here for reverence of all that is contained in the law and the prophets6 ,and has it not been found that even in the very smallest features of the old covenant1 even in the details of the tabernacle worship1 for example1 there is for the devout and intelligent ,christian a treasury of valuable suggestion8 ,only we must beware of putting jots and tittles in the place that belongs to the weightier matters of the law1 of which we have warnings sufficient in the conduct of the scribes and ,pharisees4 ,their righteousness had the appearance of extending to the minutest matters2 but1 large as it seemed in popular eyes1 it was not nearly large enough2 and accordingly1 in closing this general definition of ,his relation to the old covenant1 our ,lord had to interpose this solemn warning3 ,i say unto you1 that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and ,pharisees1 ye shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven4 ,theirs was a righteousness as it were of the tips of the fingers1 whereas ,he must have the whole body full of light2 theirs was a righteousness that tithed mint and anise and cummin1 and neglected judgment1 mercy and faith2 theirs was in the narrow sphere of the letter1 that which ,he demanded must be in the large and lofty region of the ,spirit4 #b4 ,illustrations from the ,moral ,law 7vv4 #ba-dh74 ,the selection of illustrative instances is made with consummate skill4 ,our ,lord1 avoiding that which is specially ,jewish in its interest1 treats of matters that are of world-wide importance4 ,he deals with the broadest principles of righteousness as adapted to the universal conscience of mankind1 starting at the lowest point of mere earthly morality and rising to the very highest development of ,christian character1 thus leading up to the magnificent conclusion3 ,be ye therefore perfect1 even as your ,father which is in heaven is perfect4 ,he begins with the crime which the natural conscience most strongly and instinctively condemns1 the crime of murder2 and shows that the scribes and ,pharisees1 and those who had been like them in bygone days1 really destroyed the sixth commandment by limiting its range to the muscles1 so that1 if there were no actual killing1 the commandment was not broken2 whereas its true sphere was the heart1 the essence of the forbidden crime being found in unjustifiable anger1 even though no word is uttered or muscle moved1--a view of the case which ought to have been suggested to the intelligent student of the law by such words as these3 ,thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart 7,lev4 xix4 #ag72 or again3 ,whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly1 whom he hated not in time past1 444 is not worthy of death1 inasmuch as he hated him not in time past 7,deut4 xix4 #d74 ,hatred in the heart1 then1 is murder4 ,how searching6 ,and how terribly severe the sentence6 ,even in its least aggravated form it is the same as that decreed against the actual shedding of blood4 ,all the three sentences are death-penalties1 only there are aggravations in the penalty where there are aggravations in the offence4 ,such is the ,saviour's teaching on the great subject of sin4 ,yet there are those who imagine that the ,sermon on the ,mount is all the gospel they need6 ,the two practical applications which follow press the searching subject home4 ,the one has reference to the ,throne of ,grace1 and teaches that all offences against a brother must be put away before approaching it4 ,the other has reference to the ,throne of ,judgment1 and teaches by a familiar illustration drawn from common experience in the courts of ,palestine that it is an awful thing to think of standing there with the memory of a single angry feeling that had not been forgiven and utterly removed 7v4 #bf74 ,the crime of adultery furnishes the next illustration2 and ,he deals with it on the same lofty principles and with the same terrible severity4 ,he shows that this crime1 too1 is of the heart--that even a wanton look is a commission of it2 and again follows up ,his searching exposition by a twofold practical application1 first showing that personal purity must be maintained at any cost 7vv4 #bi1 #cj71 and then guarding the sacredness of home1 by that exaltation of the marriage bond which has secured the emancipation of woman and her elevation to her proper sphere1 and kept in check those frightful evils which are ever threatening to defile the pure and sacred spring from which society derives its life and sustenance 7vv4 #ca1 #cb74 ,next comes the crime of perjury--a compound sin1 which breaks at the same time two commandments of the ,decalogue1 the third and the ninth4 ,here1 again1 our ,lord shows that1 if only due homage is paid in the heart to reverence and to truth1 all swearing is superseded4 ,let a man habitually live in the fear of the ,lord all the day long1 and his word is as good as his oath--he will always speak the truth1 and will be incapable of taking the name of the ,lord in vain4 ,it is of course to be remembered that these are the laws of the kingdom of ,christ2 not laws meant for the kingdoms of this world1 which have to do with men of all sorts1 but for a kingdom made up of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness1 who seek and find purity of heart4 ,this passage accordingly has no bearing on the procedure of secular courts of justice4 ,but1 though the use of oaths may still be a necessity in the world1 in the kingdom of heaven they have no place4 ,the simple ,yea1 yea1 ,nay1 nay1 is quite enough where there is truth in the inward parts and the fear of ,god before the eyes2 and the feeling of reverence1 not only for ,god ,himself but for all the works of ,his hands1 will effectually prevent the most distant approach to profanity4 ,the sin of revenge furnishes the next illustration4 ,the ,pharisaic perversion of the old law actually sanctioned private revenge1 on the ground of a statute intended for the guidance of the courts of justice1 and given for the sake of curbing the revengeful spirit which without it would lead a prosecutor to demand that his enemy should suffer more than he had inflicted4 ,in this way they really destroyed that part of the ,mosaic legislation1 whereas ,he fulfilled it by developing still further1--bringing1 in fact1 to perfection1--that spirit of humanity which had dictated the law at the first4 ,the true spirit of the ,mosaic legislation was to discourage private revenge by assigning such cases to the courts1 and curbing it still further by the limitation of the penalty imposed4 ,was not this spirit most nobly fulfilled1 carried to its highest development1 when the ,saviour laid it down as the law of ,his kingdom that our revenge is to be the returning of good for evil8 ,the four practical illustrations 7vv4 #ci-db7 have been a source of difficulty1 but only to those who forget that our ,saviour is all the while warning against the letter that killeth1 and showing the need of catching the spirit of a commandment which giveth life to it4 ,to deal with these illustrations according to the letter1 as telling us exactly what to do in particular cases1 is not to fulfil but to destroy the ,saviour's words4 ,the great thing1 therefore1 is to catch their spirit2 then they will be found of use1 not for so many specified cases1 but for all cases whatever4 ,as an illustration of the difficulties to which we refer1 mention may be made of the prejudice against the passage which suggests the turning of the other cheek1 on the ground that it encourages a craven spirit4 ,take it as a definite command1 and this would be in many cases the result4 ,it would be the result wherever fear or pusillanimity was the motive4 ,but where is there in all this passage the least trace of fear or pusillanimity8 ,it is all love and magnanimity4 ,it is the very antipodes of the craven spirit4 ,it is the heroism of self-denying love6 ,the last illustration cuts at the root of all sin and crime1 the tap-root of selfishness4 ,the scribes and ,pharisees had made use of those regulations1 most needful at the time1 which separated ,israel from other nations1 as an excuse for restricting the range of love to those prepared to render an equivalent4 ,thus that wonderful statute of the old legislation1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself1 was actually made a minister to selfishness2 so that1 instead of leading them to a life above the world1 it left them not a whit better than the lowest and most selfish of the people4 ,if ye love them which love you1 what reward have ye8 ,do not even the publicans the same8 ,thus was the noble royal law according to the ,scripture destroyed by the petty quibbling use of the word neighbour4 ,our ,lord fulfilled it by giving to the word neighbour its proper meaning1 its widest extent1 including even those who have wronged us in thought or word or deed1 ,i say unto you1 ,love your enemies1 bless them that curse you1 do good to them that hate you1 and pray for them which despitefully use you1 and persecute you4 ,how lofty1 how far beyond the reach of the natural man6--but not impossible1 or it would not have been demanded4 ,it is one of the things of the kingdom concerning which the assurance is given later on3 ,ask1 and ye shall receive2 seek1 and ye shall find4 ,still1 the ,master knows full well that it is no small demand ,he is making of poor human nature4 ,so at this point ,he leads our thoughts upward to our ,father in heaven1 suggesting in that relationship the possibility of its attainment 7for why should not a child be like its father87 and the only example possible1 for this was a range of righteousness beyond the reach of all that had gone before--,he ,himself as the ,son of the ,father would later set it forth before the eyes of men in all its lustre4 ,but that time is yet to come1 and meantime ,he can only point upward to the ,highest1 and urge them to this loftiest height of righteousness by the tender plea1 ,that ye may be the children of your ,father which is in heaven3 for ,he maketh ,his sun to rise on the evil and on the good1 and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust4 ,how beautiful and expressive are these symbols from nature1 and how encouraging the interpretation of nature ,his use of them suggests6 ,and what shall we say of their suggestiveness in the higher sphere of the spirit8 ,already the ,sun of ,righteousness is rising with healing in ,his wings2 and in due time the rain of the ,spirit will fall in fulness of blessing2 so shall ,his disciples receive all that is needful to raise them to the very highest in character and conduct1 in beatitude and righteousness2 and accordingly their ,master may well finish ,his whole exposition of the morals of the kingdom with the stirring1 stimulating call1 ,be ye therefore perfect1 even as your ,father which is in heaven is perfect4 #c4 ,illustrations from ,religious ,duty 7vi4 #a-ah74 ,the righteousness of the kingdom is still the great subject2 for the reading of the ,revised ,version in the first verse of the chapter is evidently the correct one4 ,the illustrations of the preceding passage have all come under the head of what we call morality as distinguished from religion1 but it is important to observe that our ,lord gives no sanction to the separation of the two4 ,morality divorced from religion is a flower without root1 which may bloom for a while1 but in the end must wither away2 religion without morality is--nothing at all2 worse than nothing1 for it is a sham4 ,it is evident1 of course1 that this great word righteousness1 as used by our ,lord1 has a far wider scope than is given to it by those who take it merely as the equivalent of truth and honesty1 as if a man could in any proper sense of the word be righteous1 who was ungenerous to his neighbours1 unfilial to ,god1 or not master of himself4 ,again1 we have a principle laid down3 ,take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men1 to be seen of them 7,r4,v474 ,it is the same great principle as before1 though the caution in which it is embodied is different4 ,for if we compare ver4 #bj of the preceding chapter1 and remember its subsequent development in the verses which follow1 we find that it agrees with the warning before us in insisting on righteousness of the heart as distinguished from that which is merely outward4 ,the difference lies in this1 that whereas1 in the cases already dealt with1 external conformity with the law is good so far as it goes1 but does not go nearly far enough 7except your righteousness shall exceed1 exceed1 i4e41 by reaching back and down to the deepest recesses of the heart71 in the cases now to be taken up external conformity is not good in itself1 but really evil1 inasmuch as it is mere pretence4 ,accordingly the caution now must needs be much stronger3 ,be ye not as the hypocrites4 ,it is not1 however1 the being seen which is condemned1 otherwise the caution would be at variance with the earnest counsel in chap4 v4 #af1 and would1 in fact1 amount to a total prohibition of public worship4 ,as before1 it is a matter of the heart4 ,it is the hidden motive which is condemned3 ,take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men1 to be seen of them4 ,the principle is applied in succession to ,almsgiving1 to ,prayer1 to ,fasting4 ,almsgiving is no longer regarded as distinctively a religious duty4 ,nor can it be put under the head of morality according to the common idea attached to that word4 ,it rather occupies a kind of borderland between them1 coming under the head of philanthropy4 ,but whence came the spirit of philanthropy8 ,its foundation is in the holy mountains4 ,modern philanthropy is like a great fresh-water lake1 on the shores of which one may wander with admiration and delight for great distances without discovering any connection with the heaven-piercing mountains4 ,but such connection it has4 ,the explorer is sure to find somewhere an inlet showing whence its waters come1 a bright sparkling stream which has filled it and keeps it full2 or springs below it1 which1 though they may flow far underground1 bring the precious supplies from the higher regions1 perhaps quite out of sight4 ,if these connections with the upper springs were to be cut off1 the beautiful lake would speedily dry up and disappear4 ,almsgiving1 therefore1 is in its right place here3 its source is in the higher regions of the righteousness of the kingdom4 ,and in these early days the lakes had not been formed1 for the springs were only beginning to flow from the great ,fountain-head4 ,the general object our ,lord has in view1 moreover1 leads ,him to treat the subject1 not in relation to those who receive1 but to those who give4 ,there may be good done through the gifts of men who have no higher object in view than the sounding of their own trumpet2 but1 so far as they themselves are concerned1 their giving has no value in the sight of ,god4 ,everything depends on the motive3 hence the injunction of secrecy4 ,there may indeed be circumstances which suggest or even require a certain measure of publicity1 for the sake of the object or cause to which gifts are devoted2 but so far as the giver is concerned1 the more absolute the secrecy the better4 ,for though it is possible to give in the most open and public way without at all indulging the petty motive of ostentation1 yet so weak is human nature on that side of it1 that our ,lord puts ,his caution in the very strongest terms1 counselling us not only to avoid courting the attention of others1 but to refrain from even thinking of what we have done2 for that seems to be the point of the striking and memorable words ,let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth4 ,the trumpet-blowing may be a great success4 ,what the ,master thinks of that success is seen in the caustic irony of the words ,verily ,i say unto you1 they have their reward4 ,there it is--and you can see just how paltry and pitiful it is2 for there is nothing a man is more ashamed of than to be caught in even the slightest attempt to parade himself4 ,but if the praise of men is never thought of1 it cannot be said they have their reward4 ,their reward is to come2 and though it doth not yet appear1 it will certainly be worthy of our ,father ,who seeth in secret4 ,under the head of ,prayer two cautions are given4 ,the one may be dismissed in a few words1 not only because it exactly corresponds with the preceding case1 but because among us there is scarcely any temptation to that against which it is directed4 ,the danger now is all the other way4 ,the temptation for true children of the kingdom is not to parade their devotion for show1 but to conceal it for shame4 ,still there are some directions in which even yet the caution against ostentation in prayer is needed--as1 for instance1 by those who in public or social prayer assume affected tones1 or try in any way to give an impression of earnestness beyond what is really felt4 ,of the sanctimonious tone we may say that it has its reward in the almost universal contempt it provokes4 ,the other caution is directed1 not against pretence1 but against superstition4 ,it will be seen1 however1 that the two belong to the same category1 and therefore are most appropriately dealt with together4 ,what is the sin of the formalist8 ,it is that his heart is not in his worship4 ,what is the folly of the vain repetitionist8 ,it is the same--that his heart is not in his words4 ,for there is no discouragement of repetition1 if it be prompted by genuine earnestness4 ,our ,lord again and again encouraged even importunate prayer1 and ,himself in the ,garden offered the same petition three times in close succession4 ,it is not1 then1 repetition1 but vain repetition1--empty of heart1 of desire1 of hope--that is here rebuked2 not much prayer1 but much speaking1 the folly of supposing that the mere saying of prayers is of any use apart from the emotions of the heart in which true prayer essentially consists4 ,to guide us in a matter so important1 our ,lord not only cautions against what prayer ought not to be1 but shows what it ought to be4 ,thus1 incidentally as it were1 ,he hands to us this pearl of great price1 this purest crystal of devotion1 to be a possession of ,his people for ever1 never to lose its lustre through millenniums of daily use1 its beauty and preciousness becoming rather more and more manifest to each successive generation4 ,it is given especially as a model of form1 to show that1 instead of the vain repetitions condemned1 there should be simplicity1 directness1 brevity1 order--above all1 the plain1 unadorned expression of the heart's desire4 ,this main object is accomplished perfectly2 a whole volume on the form of prayer could not have done it better1 or so well4 ,but1 besides this1 there is instruction as to the substance of prayer4 ,we are taught to rise high above all selfish considerations in our desires1 seeking the things of ,god first2 and when we come to our own wants1 asking nothing more than our ,father in heaven judges to be sufficient for the day1 while all the stress of earnestness is laid on deliverance from the guilt and power of sin4 ,then as to the spirit of prayer1 mark the filial reverence implied in the invocation1--the fraternal spirit called for by the very first word of it1 and the spirit of forgiveness we are taught to cherish by the very terms in which we ask it for ourselves4 ,all this and more is superadded to the lesson for the sake of which the model prayer has been given4 ,the third application is to ,fasting4 ,in another place 7ix4 #ad7 will be found the principle to be followed in regard to times of fasting4 ,here it is taken for granted that there will be such times1 and the principle announced at the beginning of the chapter is applied to the exercise4 ,let it be done in secret1 before no other eye than ,his ,who seeth in secret2 thus only can we have the blessed recompense which comes to the heart that is truly humbled in the sight of ,god4 ,this principle plainly condemns that kind of fasting which is done only before men1 as when in the name of religion people will abstain from certain kinds of food and recreation on particular days or at appointed times1 without any corresponding humbling of the heart4 ,the fasting must be before ,god1 or it is a piece of acting1 as the hypocrites1 who play a part before men1 and when they go home put off the mask and resume their proper life4 ,be ye not as the hypocrites2 therefore see that your fasting is before ,god2 and then1 if the inward feeling naturally leads to restriction of the pleasures of the table or of society1 or to any other temporary self-denial1 let it by all means be followed out1 but so as to attract just as little attention as possible2 and not only so1 but if any traces of the secret exercise still remain when the penitential hour with ,god alone is over1 these are to be carefully removed before returning to the ordinary intercourse of life4 ,our penitence and prayer are for ourselves only1 and for ,god4 ,before men our light should shine4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the three illustrations cover by suggestion the whole ground2 for prayer may well be understood in that large scriptural sense in which praise is included1 and fasting is suggestive of all mortification of the flesh and humbling of the spirit4 ,the first shows true religion in its outgoing1 the second in its upgoing1 while the third abases self2 and all three are mutually helpful1 for the higher we soar ,god-ward in praise and prayer1 the lower shall we bend in reverent humility1 and the further will our hearts go out in world-wide charity4 ,all depends on truth in the inward parts1 on the secret life of the soul with ,god4 ,how impressively is this stated throughout the whole passage6 ,observe the almost rhythmical repetitions3 ,be ye not as the hypocrites1 three times repeated2 ,verily ,i say unto you1 they have their reward1 the very words three times repeated2 ,let thine alms be in secret1 ,pray to thy ,father which is in secret1 ,that thou appear not unto men to fast1 but unto thy ,father which is in secret2 and once more1 three times repeated1 ,thy ,father which seeth in secret ,himself shall reward thee4 ,no vain repetitions these4 ,they press the great lesson home with a threefold force4 #d4 ,duty in relation to the ,world and the things of it 7vi4 #ai-vii4 #ab74 ,from this point onwards the plan of the discourse is not so apparent1 and some have given up the idea of finding orderly sequence in it2 yet there seems to be no insuperable difficulty1 when the right point of view is taken4 ,the perplexity seems to have arisen from supposing that at this point an entirely new subject begins1 whereas all that follows on to chapter vii4 #ab1 arranges itself easily under the same general head--the ,righteousness of the ,kingdom4 ,according to this arrangement of the discourse there is an introduction of fourteen verses 7v4 #c-af71 and a concluding passage of almost exactly the same length 7vii4 #ac-bg72 while the main discussion occupies nearly three chapters1 the subject throughout being the ,righteousness of the ,kingdom1 dealt with1 first as morality 7v4 #ag-dh71 second as religion 7vi4 #a-ah71 and finally as spirituality 7vi4 #ai-vii4 #ab71 beginning and ending with a general reference to the law and the prophets 7v4 #ag1 vii4 #ab74 ,the first of these divisions had to do with righteousness as between man and man2#e the second with righteousness before ,god alone2 while the third1 on the consideration of which we now enter1 deals with righteousness as between the children of the kingdom and the world in the midst of which it is set up4 ,and just as in the paragraphs already considered we have been shown that our ,lord came not to destroy but to fulfil the code of ethics1 and the rules for ,divine service in the law and the prophets1 so in this it will be made equally apparent that ,he came not to destroy but to fulfil the principles involved in the political code by which ,israel was separated from the nations of the world to be the ,lord's peculiar people4 ,the subject before us now1 therefore1 is the relations of the children of the kingdom to the world2 and it is dealt with-- 7#a7 ,as regards the good things of the world4 ,from the ,beatitudes we have already learned that the blessedness of the children of the kingdom is to consist not in the abundance of the things they possess1 but in qualities of soul1 possessions in the realm of the unseen4 ,yet the children of the kingdom cannot do without the good things of this world2 what1 then1 has the law of the kingdom to say in regard to their acquisition and use8 ,the subject is large and difficult2 but with amazing clearness and force1 comprehensiveness and simple practical utility1 it is set forth in a single paragraph1 which is also characterised by a surpassing beauty of language4 ,as before1 the straight and narrow path is marked off by cautions on the right and on the left4 ,on the one side must be shunned the ,scylla of greed1 on the other the ,charybdis of care4 ,the one is the real danger of seeking too much1 the other the supposed danger of having too little1 of the good things of life4 ,it is not1 however1 a question of quantity4 ,as before1 it is a question of the heart4 ,on the one hand1 it is not the danger of having too much1 but of seeking too much2 on the other1 it is not the danger of having too little1 but of fearing that there will not be enough4 ,it is a mistake1 therefore1 to say that the one caution is for the rich and the other for the poor4 ,true1 indeed1 the rich are in greater danger of ,scylla than of ,charybdis1 and the poor in more peril from the pool than from the rock2 still a rich man may be1 often is1 a victim of care1 while a poor man may readily have his heart far too much set on the yearly or weekly increase of his little store4 ,it seems better1 then1 to make no distinction of classes1 but to look at each caution as needed by all4 7a7 ,against seeking the good things of the world too earnestly 7vv4 #ai-bd74 ,it is important to notice the strong emphasis on the word treasure4 ,this is evident not only from the reduplication of it--for the literal translation would be1 ,treasure not for yourselves treasures upon the earth--but also from the reason against it assigned in ver4 #ba3 ,where thy treasure is1 there will thy heart be also4 ,it is clear1 then1 that there is no prohibition of wealth1 but only of making it thy treasure4 ,but against this the law of the kingdom is in the highest degree decided and uncompromising4 ,the language is exceedingly forcible1 and the reasons marshalled are terribly strong4 ,with all faithfulness1 and with growing earnestness1 the ,master shows that to disobey this law is foolish1 pernicious1 fatal4 ,it is foolish2 for all earthly treasures are perishable1 eaten by moth1 consumed by rust1 stolen by thieves1 while the heavenly treasures of the spiritually-minded are incorruptible and safe for evermore4 ,it is not only foolish1 but most pernicious1--injurious to that which is most sensitive and most precious in the life1 that which is to the soul what the eye is to the body1 the darkening of which means the darkening of the whole body1 not the mere clouding of the vision1 but the condition suggested by the awful words full of darkness2 while the corresponding deterioration in the lower ranges of the life is indicated by what follows3 ,if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness1 how great is that darkness6 ,it is not only foolish and most pernicious1 but fatal1 for ,no man can serve two masters2 so that to set the heart on the world means to give up the kingdom4 ,it is vain to try to satisfy two claimants of the heart4 ,one or other must be chosen3 ,ye cannot serve ,god and mammon4 7b7 ,against anxiety about the things of the world4 ,the ,revised ,version has1 by its correct translation1 now removed the difficulty which seemed to lie in the words ,take no thought4 ,to modern ears these words seemed to encourage thoughtlessness and to bless improvidence4 ,our translators of the seventeenth century1 however1 had no such idea4 ,it is the result of a change of meaning in a current phrase4 ,at the time the translation was made1 to take thought meant to be anxious1 as will appear from such a passage as that in the first book of ,samuel 7ix4 #e71 where ,saul says to his servant1 ,come and let us return2 lest my father leave caring for the asses1 and take thought for us1 evidently in the sense of be anxious about us4#f ,it is then1 manifestly1 not against thoughtfulness and providence1 but against anxious care that the caution is directed4 ,although this evil seems to lie in the opposite direction from that of avarice1 it is really the same both in its root and its fruit1 for it is due to the estrangement of the heart from our ,father in heaven1 and amounts1 in so far as it prevails1 to enslavement to the world4 ,the covetous man is enslaved in one way1 the anxious man in another2 for does not our common language betray it every time we think or speak of freedom from care8 ,we need not wonder1 then1 that our ,lord should connect what ,he is about to say on this evil so closely with what ,he has said on the other1 as ,he does by use of the word therefore3 ,therefore ,i say unto you1 ,be not anxious for your life4 ,but though1 like the other1 it is slavery1 the sin of it is not nearly so great1 and hence the difference of tone1 which cannot but be observed as this new caution is given4 ,it is no longer strong condemnation1 but gentle expostulation2 not dark threatening now1 but tender pleading4 ,as before1 reason after reason is given against yielding to the all too natural weakness of the human heart4 ,we are encouraged to remember what ,god has given already3 the life1 with such amazing powers and capabilities2 the body1 with all its marvellous intricacy and adaptation3 and can it be supposed that ,he is likely to withhold the food to maintain the life1 the raiment to clothe the body8--to remember how the little birds of the air and the modest lilies of the field are not forgotten3 how then can we think that our ,father would forget us1 who are of so much more value than they8--to remember that the very fact that we know ,him as our ,father should be guarantee enough1 preventing us from an anxious solicitude pardonable in the heathen1 who have no such knowledge of a ,father in heaven ,who knoweth what ,his children need2--to remember also how vain and fruitless is our care1 seeing we cannot in the very smallest lengthen the life for which we fret1 while our times are wholly in the hand of ,him ,who gave it at first and daily satisfies its wants4 ,such is a bare outline of the thought in this passage1 to attempt to expound or illustrate which would be to spoil it4 ,the best way to deal with such a passage is first to study it carefully to see that its meaning and the point of all its parts is clearly apprehended1 and then quietly1 slowly1 lovingly to read it over and let its heavenly music enter into the soul4 ,then1 when the reading is finished and the great lesson has filled the heart with trustful love1 we may look back upon it and observe that not only is a great spiritual lesson taught1 but incidentally we are encouraged and directed to interrogate nature and learn what she has to teach1 to gaze on her beauty and lovingly look at what she has to show4 ,thus we find1 as it were by the way1 in the simple words of our ,king1 the germ principles of science and of art4 ,but these are wayside pearls2 no special attention is called to them4 ,these glimpses of nature come so naturally from the ,lord of nature that nothing is made of them--they flash along the chords and go2 and we return to the great lesson which1 now that the cautions have been given1 can be put in its positive form3 ,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god1 and ,his righteousness2 and all these things shall be added unto you 7vi4 #cc474 ,seek ye first ,his kingdom1 and ,his righteousness4 ,already1 as we have seen1 this lesson has been implied in the ,lord's ,prayer2 but it is well that it should be expressly set down--this will insure that the treasure is above1 that the eye is clear1 that the life is one3 and all these things shall be added1 so that to-morrow need not trouble you4 ,trouble there must be in the world1 but no one need have more than each day brings3 ,sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof4 7#b7 ,as regards the evil in the world4 ,the transition from the good things of the world to the evil that is in it comes quite naturally from the turn the ,master's thought has taken in the close of the preceding paragraph4 ,it is important to observe1 however1 that the whole subject of the evil in the world is not in view at this point4 ,has not the evil in the world in the large sense been in view from the beginning throughout2 and has not the great subject of righteousness had all along as its background the dark subject of sin8 ,the one point here is this3 the attitude of the children of the kingdom to the evil which they cannot but see in the people of the world by whom they are surrounded4 ,here1 as before1 there are two warnings1 each against a danger lying in opposite directions3 the one1 the danger of making too much of the evil we see1 or think we see1 in others2 the other1 that of making too little of it4 7a7 ,as against making too much of it--the danger of censoriousness 7vii4 #a-e74 ,here1 again1 the language is very strong1 and the warning given is solemn and earnest--a sure sign that the danger is real and great4 ,again1 too1 considerations are urged1 one after another1 why we should beware4 ,first1 there is so much evil in ourselves1 that we should be most careful how we condemn it in others1 for with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged2 and with what measure ye mete1 it shall be measured to you again4 ,moreover1 severity is a sign not of purity but of the reverse3 ,why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye1 but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye8 ,our severity should be applied to ourselves1 our charity to others2 especially if we would have any success in the correcting of our neighbour's faults3 ,how wilt thou say to thy brother1 ,let me cast out the mote out of thine eye2 and lo1 the beam is in thine own eye8 7,r4,v47 ,otherwise we are hypocrites1 and we must thoroughly reform ourselves before we have any idea even how to begin to improve others3 ,thou hypocrite1 first cast out the beam out of thine own eye2 and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye4 ,of what exceeding value is this teaching just where it stands6 ,the ,saviour has been summoning ,his people not only to pure morality and true godliness1 but to lofty spirituality of mind and heart2 and knowing what was in man--knowing that dangers lurked on his path at every turn1 and that even the highest spirituality has its special danger1 its besetting sin--,he points it out1 paints it in all its blackness1 spares not the sin of the saint any more than the sin of the sinner1 calls the man that gathers his skirts about him with the word or the thought ,i am holier than thou by the same ugly name with which ,he brands the poor fools who disfigure their faces that they may be seen of men to fast4 ,yet1 severe as it is1 is it not needed8 does not our best judgment approve and applaud8 and are we not glad and grateful that our ,lord has warned us so earnestly and impressively against a danger it might never have occurred to us to fear8 ,but there is another side to the subject2 so we have another warning1 in relation to the evil we see in the men of the world4 ,it is-- 7b7 ,against making too little of it 7ver4 #f74 ,though we may not judge1 we must discriminate4 ,it may be wrong to condemn2 but it may be necessary to withdraw1 otherwise sacred things may be profaned and angry passions stirred1 and thus much harm may be done though only good was intended4 ,such is the manifest purport of the striking caution3 ,give not that which is holy unto the dogs1 neither cast ye your pearls before swine1 lest they trample them under their feet1 and turn again and rend you4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,saviour is now about to close what ,he has to say on the ,righteousness of the ,kingdom in its relation to the ,law and the ,prophets2 and ,he does it by setting forth in most memorable words a great privilege and a compact1 comprehensive1 portable rule--a privilege which will keep the heart right with ,god1 a rule which will keep the heart right with man 7vv4 #g-ab74 ,the former is of course the more important of the two1 so it comes first and has much the larger space4 ,it is the mighty privilege of prayer4 ,when we think of the height and the depth1 the length and the breadth1 of the righteousness of the kingdom--when we think of the dangers which lurk on every hand and at every stage in our life-journey--we may well cry1 ,who is sufficient for these things8 ,to that cry of the heart this is the answer3 ,ask1 and it shall be given you4 ,we have had prayer before2 but it was prayer as a part of righteousness1 prayer as a religious duty4 ,now it is prayer as a power1 as the one sure and only means of avoiding the terrible evils on every side1 and obtaining the unspeakable blessings1 the good things 7ver4 #aa7 of the kingdom of heaven4 ,this being so1 it was of the greatest importance that we should have faith to use it4 ,hence the repeated assurance1 and the plain strong language in which it is conveyed2 hence1 too1 the simple1 strong and touching arguments to dispel our doubts and encourage our trust 7vv4 #i-aa74 ,here1 again1 of what priceless value are these few words of our blessed ,lord6 ,just where they are needed most they come1 bringing strength to the fainting heart in view of the seemingly inaccessible heights of ,god's holy hill1 on which the city of ,his kingdom is set4 ,why need we faint or fear1 now that we can ask and be sure of receiving1 can seek and be sure of finding1 can knock at door after door of these halls of ,sion1 and have them1 one after another1 opened at our touch8 ,again as before1 prayer to ,god is closely connected with our behaviour to men4 ,in the model prayer we were taught to say ,forgive us our debts1 as we forgive our debtors2 and not only so1 but a special warning was added1 that if we do not forgive others1 we cannot be forgiven4 ,so here too we are reminded that if we are to expect our ,father to act in a fatherly way to us by giving us good things1 we must act in a brotherly way to our neighbours4 ,hence the golden rule which follows1 and hence its connection with the prayer-charter by the word therefore4 ,and now that our relations to ,god and man have been summed up in the filial relation embodied in prayer1 and in the fraternal relation embodied in the golden rule1 all is complete1 and the proof of this is furnished in the appropriate concluding words3 ,this is the ,law and the ,prophets4 ,,iii4 ,,invitation ,,to ,,enter ,,the ,,kingdom 7vii4 #ac-bi74 ,the ,master has now said everything necessary in order to clear away popular misapprehensions1 and place the truth about ,his kingdom fairly before the minds of ,his hearers4 ,he has explained its nature as inward and spiritual1 setting forth the character of those who belong to it1 the blessedness they will enjoy1 and the influence they will exert on the world around them4 ,he has set forth clearly and fully the obligations that will rest upon them1 as summed up in the comprehensive requirement of righteousness understood in a larger and deeper sense than ever before--obligations of such stringency as to make it apparent that to seek the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness is no holiday undertaking1 that it is no easy thing to be a ,christian1 but that it requires self-restraint1 self-humbling1 self-denial2 and that therefore ,his kingdom cannot be attractive to the many1 but must appeal to those who are earnest-spirited enough to ask and seek and knock for admittance4 ,now that all has been fully and faithfully set forth--now that there is no danger of obtaining disciples under misapprehension--the great invitation is issued3 ,enter ye in4 ,it is the free universal invitation of the ,gospel1 as large and liberal as that later one1 ,whosoever will1 let him come1 though given in such a way as to keep still prominently before the minds of all comers what they may expect1 and what is expected of them3 ,enter ye in by the narrow gate3 for wide is the gate1 and broad is the way1 that leadeth to destruction1 and many be they that enter in thereby4 ,for narrow is the gate1 and straitened the way1 that leadeth unto life1 and few be they that find it 7,r4,v474 ,the terms of this first invitation are very significant4 ,the motives of fear and hope are appealed to2 but not directly or specially4 ,in the background lies1 on the one hand1 the dark doom of destruction1 and on the other the glorious hope of life2 but neither the one nor the other is made emphatic4 ,the demand for righteousness has been elaborated in full1 and warnings against sin have been multiplied and pressed with intensest earnestness2 but ,christ does not now1 as on account of the hardness of men's hearts ,he felt it needful later on to do1 set forth in language that appeals vividly to the imagination the fate of those who take the broad way of easy self-indulgence2 nor does ,he endeavour to picture the things which eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 nor heart conceived1 which ,god hath prepared for them that love ,him2 ,he simply suggests in the briefest manner1 by the use of a single word in each case--and that word characterised not so much by strength as by suggestiveness what will be the fate of the one1 the goal of the other4 ,suggestive as both words are in the highest degree1 they are not emphatic1 but lie as it were in the background1 while the attention is kept on the present alternative3 on the one hand the wide gate1 the broad way1 the many thronging it2 on the other1 the narrow gate1 the straitened way1 the few finding it4 ,our ,lord summons not so much to a choice that will pay1 as to a choice that will cost2 and in so doing makes ,his appeal to all that is noblest and highest and best in human nature4 ,throughout the whole discourse ,he has been leading up to this point4 ,he has been setting forth no prospect of happiness to draw the carnal eye1 but an ideal of blessedness to win the spiritual heart4 ,he has been unfolding a righteousness1 which1 while it cannot but be repulsive to man's natural selfishness1 profoundly stirs and satisfies his conscience2 and now1 in strict keeping with all that has gone before1 the appeal is made in such a way as shall commend it1 not to the thoughtless1 selfish crowd1 but to those whose hearts have been drawn and whose consciences have been touched by ,his presentation of the blessedness they may expect and the righteousness expected of them4 ,from all this there is surely to be learned a most important lesson1 as to the manner in which the ,gospel should usually be presented--not by sensational descriptions of the glories of heaven or the horrors of hell1 nor by the mere reiteration of exhortations to come to ,jesus1 but by such information of the mind1 awakening of the heart1 and stirring of the conscience as are found in perfection in this great discourse of the ,master4 ,it is characteristic of the large view our ,lord takes of human life that ,he speaks of only two paths4 ,there seem so many1 leading off in all different directions2 and so there are on a limited view of life's horizon2 but when eternal issues are in sight1 there are but two3 the easy path of self-indulgence leading down to death1 and the difficult path of duty#g leading up to life4 ,it is worthy of remark that there is not a trace of asceticism in our ,lord's representation4 ,the straitness referred to is not outward1 any more than the righteousness is2 so that there is no encouragement given to self-imposed restrictions and limitations1 as in the monastic vows of poverty1 chastity1 and obedience4 ,the way is strait enough in itself without any effort of ours to make it straiter4 ,it is enough that we set ourselves to keep all the commandments2 so shall we have a sufficiency of exercise to toughen our spiritual fibre1 to strengthen our moral energies1 to make us men and women instead of slaves of lust or tools of mammon4 ,for1 be it ever remembered1 the way we take leads on naturally and unavoidably to its end4 ,destruction is no arbitrary punishment for self-indulgence2 nor is life an arbitrary reward for self-discipline and surrender to the will of ,god4 ,the path of self-indulgence leadeth to destruction1 by a law which cannot be annulled or set aside4 ,but the path of self-restraint and self-surrender 7for these are what make of us men1 and not blind mouths1 as ,milton expressively puts it71 the path which is entered by the strait gate1 and is continued along the narrow way1 is one which in the course of natural development leadeth unto life4 ,the call to enter is followed by words of solemn warning against certain dangers which might beset even those who wish to enter4 ,first1 the danger of false guidance3 ,beware of false prophets4 ,the danger lies in the future4 ,hitherto1 while speaking throughout of present duty1 there have been backward glances over the past1 as our ,lord has made it evident1 point after point1 that the righteousness of ,his kingdom was not the destruction but the fulfilment of the law and the prophets4 ,now1 however1 ,he anticipates the time when there will be those claiming to speak in the name of ,god1 or in ,his own name1 whose doctrines will not be a fulfilment but a destruction of the ,truth1 and a constant danger to those who may be exposed to their wolf-like ravages4 ,there is manifestly no reference to such differences of opinion as divide real ,christians from each other in these days4 ,the doctrine throughout this manifesto is not speculative1 but practical2 it nowhere brings into prominence matters of opinion1 or what are called theological tenets1 but everywhere lays stress on that which immediately and powerfully affects the life4 ,so it is here also1 as is evident from the criterion suggested for the detection of false teachers3 ,by their fruits ye shall know them4 ,besides1 the connection in which the caution occurs makes it evident that our ,lord had specially in view those teachers who would lead their disciples astray as to the way of life1 especially those who would dare to make that easy which he had shown to be strait1 who would set before their hearers or readers a broad path instead of the narrow one which alone leadeth unto life4 ,this is a danger which besets us in these days4 ,there is so strong a sentiment abroad in favour of liberality--and liberality properly so called is so admirable1 and has been so much a stranger in times past--that we are in danger of accepting in its name easy-going representations of the ,christian life which amount to a total abolition of the strait gate and the narrow way4 ,let us by all means be liberal enough to acknowledge all who have entered by the strait gate of genuine repentance1 and are walking in the narrow way of faith and obedience1 however much they may differ from us in matters of opinion1 forms of worship1 or modes of work2 but let us beware how we give even the smallest encouragement to any on the broad road to imagine that they can continue as they are1 and find it all right in the end4 ,so to tamper with truth in the guise of liberality is to play the wolf in sheep's clothing4 ,the test our ,lord gives for discerning the spirits is one which requires time for its application1 but it is the only sure one2 and when we remember that the ,master is now looking forward into the future history of ,his kingdom1 we can see why ,he should lay stress on a test whose operation1 though slow1 was sure4 ,it is of course assumed that the first criterion is the ,word of the ,lord ,himself4 ,this is the law of the kingdom2 but1 knowing well what was in man1 the ,lord could not but foresee that there would be those who could so twist any words that might be spoken on those great subjects as to lay snares for the unwary2 and therefore1 besides the obvious appeal to the law and to the testimony1 ,he supplied a practical test which1 though less speedy in its application1 was perfectly sure in its results4 ,the announcement of so important a test leads to the development of the general principle on which its validity depends--viz41 the vital connection between essential doctrine and life4 ,in the long run the one is always the outcome of the other4 ,in the spiritual as in the natural world every species brings forth fruit after its kind4 ,do men gather grapes of thorns1 or figs of thistles8 ,even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit2 but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit4 ,a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit1 neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit4 ,the law being so absolute1 making it certain1 on the one hand1 that where there is truth in the inward parts there will be good fruit in the outward life1 and on the other1 that where there is corrupt fruit in the outward life there must be that which is corrupt in the hidden man of the heart1 it follows that the criterion is so sure as to be without appeal3 ,every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down1 and cast into the fire 7ver4 #ai71 and therefore may well determine the question as to who are trustworthy teachers in the ,church3 ,wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them4 ,in the development of the principle the ,master's thought has been enlarged so as to include not teachers only1 but all ,his disciples2 and ,his range of view has been extended so as to embrace the last things4 ,the great day of ,judgment is before him4 ,he sees the multitudes gathered around the throne4 ,he foresees that there will be many on that great day who will discover1 when it is too late1 that they have allowed themselves to be deceived1 that they have not been careful enough to test their spiritual guides1 that they have not been careful enough to try themselves and make sure that their fruits were such that the ,lord of the vineyard could recognise them as ,his own4 ,he is filled with sympathy and sorrow at the prospect2 so ,he lifts up ,his voice in earnest warning1 that1 if possible1 none of those to whom the words will ever come may allow themselves to fall into so fatal an error3 ,not every one that saith unto me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven2 but he that doeth the will of ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,how naturally1 and as it were unconsciously and inevitably1 ,he has passed from the ,teacher to the ,judge6 ,not as a personal claim4 ,in ,his earliest teaching ,he kept personal claims as much in the background as possible4 ,but now it is impossible to avoid some disclosure of ,his divine authority4 ,he must speak of the ,judgment2 and ,he cannot speak of it without making it appear that ,he is ,judge4 ,the force of this is all the greater that ,he is1 as it were1 surprised into it2 for ,he is evidently not thinking of ,himself at all1 but only of those who then were or would afterwards be in danger of making a most fatal mistake1 leading to consequences awful and irreparable4 ,we can well imagine that from this point on to the end there must have been a light on ,his face1 a fire in ,his eye1 a solemnity in ,his tone1 a grandeur in ,his very attitude1 which struck the multitude with amazement1 especially at the authority 7ver4 #bi7 with which ,he spoke3 ,many will say to ,me in that day1 ,lord1 ,lord1 did we not prophesy by ,thy name1 and by ,thy name cast out devils1 and by ,thy name do many mighty works8 ,and then will ,i profess unto them1 ,i never knew you3 depart from me1 ye that work iniquity 7,r4,v474 ,again1 observe the form the warning takes1 revealing the consciousness that to depart from ,him was doom--one of the many tokens throughout this discourse that none else than the ,lord of life and glory could possibly have spoken it4 ,yet how many vainly think that they can accept it without acknowledging ,him6 ,the same solemn and regal tone is kept up throughout the impressive passage which closes all1 and presses home the great warning against trusting to any experience short of the surrender of the life to do the will of ,god as set forth in the words of ,christ ,his ,son4 ,the two classes ,he has now in view are not the two great classes who walk1 the one in the broad and the other in the narrow way4 ,they are two classes of hearers4 ,most of those that throng the broad way are not hearers at all2 they have no desire or intention of seeking any other than the broad way--they would as little think of going up into a mountain and listening to a discourse on righteousness1 as they would of wearing a hair shirt or doing any other kind of penance2 but those our ,lord has now in view all have the idea of seeking the right way3 their very attitude as hearers shows it--they are all of the church-going class1 to translate into modern phrase2 and what ,he fears is that some of them may deceive themselves by imagining that because they hear with interest and attention1 perhaps admiration1 therefore they are in the narrow way4 ,accordingly ,he solemnly warns them that all this may amount to nothing3 there may be attention1 interest1 admiration1 full assent to all2 but if the hearing is not followed by doing1 all is in vain4 ,it may almost go without saying that1 after what our ,lord has just been teaching as to the vital connection between the faith of the heart and the fruits of the life 7vv4 #ae-bc71 there is no legalism here4 ,in fact1 the doing is not outward2 it is a doing of the heart4 ,the righteousness ,he has been expounding has1 as we have seen1 been a righteousness of the heart1 and the doing of it1 as a matter of course1 is a heart-work1 having its root in faith1 which is the beginning of the doing in every case1 according to ,his own word in another place3 ,this is the work of ,god1 that ye believe on ,him ,whom ,he hath sent4 ,the illustration with which ,he presses home the warning is in the highest degree appropriate and forcible4 ,the man who not only hears1 but does1 makes thorough work1 digs deep 7as ,st4 ,luke puts it in his record71 and founds the house he is building for time and eternity upon solid rock2 while the man who hears but does not1 is one who takes no care as to his foundation1 but erects his house just where he happens to be1 on loose sand or earth1 which the first storm will dislodge and sweep away4 ,meanwhile testing times are coming--rains1 floods1 winds--the searching trials of life culminating in the final judgment in the life to come4 ,these all test the work of the builder1 and render apparent the wisdom of the man who provided against the coming storm by choosing the rock foundation1 for his house abides through all2 and the folly of the other1 who without a foundation carelessly risked all1 for his house gives way before the storm1 and great is the fall of it4 ,alas for many hearers of the ,word6 ,alas for many admirers of the ,sermon on the ,mount6 ,where will they be when everything turns on the question ,wert thou a doer of it8 #e ,it is true that under the head of oaths comes the duty of reverence1 which scarcely seems to fall under this head2 but it will be remembered that this point comes in by way of a very natural suggestion in dealing with falsehood and the regulation of conversation1 which evidently belongs to righteousness as between man and man4 #f ,this complete change of meaning1 amounting in fact to the destruction and almost to the inversion of the sense1 is one of many illustrations of the absolute need of revision from time to time of translations1 not only to make them more correct1 but even to keep them as correct as they were at first4 #g ,duty of course in its largest sense--to ,god and man and self--including all righteousness in the ,master's sense of the word4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,signs ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom4 ,,matt4 viii4-ix4 #ce4 ,referring to chapter iv4 #bc1 we find the work of ,christ at the beginning of ,his ministry summarised as teaching and preaching and healing all manner of diseases4 ,of the teaching and preaching we have had a signal illustration in what is called the ,sermon on the ,mount2 now the other great branch of the work is set before us in a group of miracles1 filling up almost the whole of the eighth and ninth chapters4 ,the naturalness of the sequence will be at once apparent4 ,if men had needed nothing more than counsel1 guidance1 rules of life1 then might the ,gospel have ended when the ,sermon on the ,mount was concluded4 ,there are those who think they need nothing more2 but if they knew themselves they would feel their need not only of the ,teacher's word1 but of the ,healer's touch1 and would hail with gladness the chapters which tell how the ,saviour dealt with the poor leper1 the man with the palsy1 the woman with the fever1 those poor creatures that were vexed with evil spirits1 that dead damsel in the ruler's house4 ,we may well rejoice that the great ,teacher came down from the mountain1 and made ,himself known on the plain and among the city crowds as the mighty ,healer2 that ,his stern demand for perfect righteousness was so soon followed by that encouraging word1 so full of comfort1 for such as we3 ,i came not to call the righteous1 but sinners 7ix4 #ac74 ,the healing1 then1 is quite as essential as the teaching4 ,the ,sermon points out the way1 unfolds the truth2 but in the touch and word of the ,king ,himself is found the life4 ,the ,christ of ,god had come1 not as a mere ,ambassador from the court of heaven to demand submission to its laws1 but as a mighty ,saviour1 ,friend1 and ,comforter4 ,hence it was necessary that ,he should make full proof of ,his mission in this respect as well as in the other2 and accordingly the noble ethics taught on the mount are followed by a series of heavenly deeds of power and loving-kindness done in the plain4 ,the group in chapters viii4 and ix4 is well fitted to give a comprehensive view of ,christ's power and willingness to save4 ,if only they were looked at in this intelligent way1 how the paltry prejudices against miracles 7a word1 let it be observed1 not once to be found in this ,gospel7 would vanish4 ,miracles1 wonders1 prodigies--how incredible in an age of enlightenment6 ,yes2 if they were introduced as miracles1 wonders1 prodigies2 but they are not4 ,they are signs of the kingdom of heaven--just such signs of it as the intelligent reason demands2 for how otherwise is it possible for ,one ,who comes to save to show that ,he is able to do it8 ,how could the people have been expected to welcome ,him as a ,saviour1 unless ,he had taken some means to make it evident that ,he had the power as well as the will to save8 ,accordingly1 in consonance with what enlightened reason imperatively demands of such an ,one as ,he claims to be1 we have a series of mighty deeds of love1 showing forth1 not only ,his grace1 but ,his power--power to heal the diseases of the body1 power over the realm of nature1 power over the unseen world of spirit1 power to forgive and save from sin1 power to restore lost faculties and conquer death itself4 ,such are the appropriate signs of the kingdom spread before us here4 ,let us look first at that which occupies the foremost place1--power to heal disease4 ,the diseases of the body are the outward symptoms of the deep-seated malady of the spirit2 hence it is fitting that ,he should begin by showing in this region ,his will and power to save4 ,yet it is not a formal showing of it4 ,it is no mere demonstration4 ,he does not seek out the leper1 set him up before them1 and say1 ,now you will see what ,i can do4 ,all comes about in a most simple and natural way1 as became ,him ,who was no wonder-worker1 no worker of miracles in the vulgar use of that word1 but a mighty ,saviour from heaven with a heart of love and a hand of power4 ,,the ,,leper 7viii4 #a-d74 ,and when ,he was come down from the mountain1 great multitudes followed ,him4 ,and behold1 there came to ,him a leper4 ,what will ,he do with him8 ,should ,he say to him1 ,poor man1 you are too late--the sermon is done8 or should ,he give him some of the best bits over again8 ,no1 there is not a sentence in the whole of it that would be any answer to that cry1 ,lord1 if ,thou wilt1 ,thou canst make me clean4 ,what does ,he do1 then8 ,jesus put forth ,his hand1 and touched him1 saying1 ,i will3 be thou clean4 ,and immediately his leprosy was cleansed4 ,is it1 then1 a great stumbling-block in your way1 ,o nineteenth-century critic1 that you are expected to believe that the ,lord ,jesus actually did heal this leper8 ,would it take the stumbling-block away to have it altered8 ,suppose we try it1 amended to suit the anti-supernaturalism of the age4 ,and behold1 there came a leper to ,him1 saying1 ,lord1 if ,thou wilt1 ,thou canst make me clean4 ,and ,jesus put out ,his hand1 and motioned him away1 saying1 ,poor man1 you are quite mistaken1 ,i cannot help you4 ,i came to teach wise people1 not to help poor wretches like you4 ,there are great laws of health and disease2 ,i advise you to find them out1 and obey them3 consult your doctor1 and do the best you can4 ,farewell4 ,oh1 what nonsense many wise people talk about the difficulty of believing in ,divine power to heal6 ,the fact is1 that if ,christ had not proved ,himself a healer1 men could not have believed in ,him at all4 ,there could have been no better introduction to the saving work of the ,christ of ,god4 ,leprosy was of all diseases the most striking symbol of sin4 ,this is so familiar a thought that it need not be set forth in detail4 ,one point1 however1 must be mentioned1 as it opens up a vein of tender beauty in the exquisite simplicity of the story--the rigorous separation of the leprous from the healthy1 enforced by the ceremonial law1 which made it defilement to touch a leper4 ,yet ,jesus stretched forth ,his hand1 and touched him4 ,he was holy1 harmless1 undefiled1 separate from sinners2 therefore ,he could mingle with them1 contracting no stain ,himself1 but diffusing health around ,him4 ,he could take no defilement from the leper's touch2 the current was all the other way3 virtue went out of ,him1 and flowed in healing streams through the poor leper's veins4 ,o lovely symbol of the ,saviour's relation to us sinners6 ,he has in ,his holy ,incarnation touched our leprous humanity2 and remaining stainless ,himself1 has set flowing a fountain of healing for all who will open to ,him hearts of faith and let ,him touch them with ,his pure heart of love4 ,those were most wonderful words spoken on the mount3 they touch the conscience to the quick and fire the soul with heavenly aspiration2 but this touch of the leper goes to our hearts1 for it proves to us that1 though the time is coming when ,he shall sit as ,judge and say to all the sinful1 ,depart from ,me1 as yet ,he is the loving ,saviour1 saying1 ,come unto ,me1 ye weary1 and touching the leprous into health4 ,that our ,saviour was totally averse to anything at all sensational1 and determined rather to repress than encourage the mere thirst for marvels1 is evident from the directions given to the leper to say nothing about what had happened to him1 but to take the appointed method of giving thanks to ,god for his recovery1 at the same time registering the fact1 so that while his cure should not be used to gather a crowd1 it might be on record with the proper authorities as a witness to the truth of which it was a sign4 ,,the ,,centurion',s ,,servant 7#e-ac74 ,this case1 while affording another valuable illustration of the ,master's willingness and power to save1 differs in several important points from the first1 so that the lesson is widened4 ,first and chiefly1 the application was from a ,gentile2 next1 it was not on his own behalf that the centurion made it1 but on behalf of another1 and that other his servant2 and1 further1 it was a request to heal a patient out of sight1 out of knowledge even1 as it would seem4 ,each of these particulars might suggest a doubt4 ,he has healed this ,jew2 but will ,he listen to that ,gentile8 ,he has responded to this man's own cry2 but will ,he respond when there is no direct application from the patient8 ,he has cured this man with a touch2 but can he cure a patient miles away8 ,the ,saviour knew well the difficulties which must have lain in the way of this man's faith4 ,he has evidence1 moreover1 that his is genuine faith1 and not the credulity of superstition4 ,one could readily imagine an ignorant person thinking that it made no difference whether the patient were present1 or a thousand miles away3 what difference does distance make to the mere magician8 ,but this man is no ignorant believer in charms or incantations4 ,he is an intelligent man1 and has thought it all out4 ,he has heard of the kingdom of heaven1 and knows that this is the ,king4 ,reasoning from what he knows of the ,roman kingdom1 how orders given from a central authority can be despatched to the outskirts1 and be executed there with as great certainty as if the ,emperor himself had gone to do it1 he concludes that the ,king of the spiritual world must in like manner have means of communication with every part of ,his dominion2 and just as it was not necessary1 even for a mere centurion1 to do personally everything he wanted done1 having it in his power to employ some servant to do it1 so it was unreasonable to expect the ,king of heaven ,himself to come in person and heal his servant3 it was only necessary1 therefore1 that ,he should speak the word1 and by some unseen agency the thing would be done4 ,at once the ,saviour recognises the man's thoughtful intelligence on the subject1 and1 contrasting with it the slowness of mind and heart of those of whom so much more might have been expected1 ,he marvelled1 and said to them that followed1 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,i have not found so great faith1 no1 not in ,israel4 ,the thought of this immediately suggests to ,him the multitudes that shall exercise a similar faith in ages to come1 and in lands far off2 and1 as on the mount1 when ,he looked forward to the great future1 ,his heart yearned over the mere hearers of the word shut out at last2 so here ,he yearns with a great yearning over ,his unbelieving countrymen1 whose exclusion at last from the heavenly kingdom would be felt with all the sharper pain that such multitudes from far less favoured lands were safe within--at home with the patriarchs of the chosen nation--while they1 the natural heirs of the kingdom1 were exiles from it for evermore4 ,hence the wail and warning which follow ,his hearty appreciation of the centurion's faith3 ,and ,i say unto you1 that many shall come from the east and the west1 and shall sit down with ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 in the kingdom of heaven3 but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness3 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4 ,how fared it with the centurion's appeal8 ,was it any hindrance that he was a foreigner1 that he made it not for himself but for a servant1 and that the patient was so far away8 ,none whatever4 ,as he rightly judged1 the ,king of heaven had resources in abundance to meet the case4 ,without the least hesitation1 ,jesus said to the centurion1 ,go thy way3 and as thou hast believed1 so be it done unto thee4 ,and his servant was healed in the selfsame hour4 ,,the ,,fever ,,patient 7#ad1 #ae74 ,the leprosy and palsy were symbols of sin wholly possessing its victims3 the one suggestive of the state of those who are positively defiled by sin1 the other of the condition of those who1 though sound to all outward appearance1 are simply wanting in inward life1 paralysed in that part of their being which constitutes life4 ,these two cases1 then1 were most suitable for setting forth the saving power of the ,christ of ,god as regards the unconverted1 be they ,jew or ,gentile4 ,this third cure is within the circle of the disciples4 ,it is a case of fever in the home of ,peter4 ,it therefore fitly suggests the diseases to which those are still liable who have come to ,christ and been healed of their leprosy or palsy1 the chronic disease which defiled or paralysed them in time past2 but who are still liable to contagion1 still exposed to attacks of fever1 acute diseases which1 though temporary1 are most dangerous1 and1 just as certainly as the others1 need the touch of the ,great ,physician for their healing4 ,these fevers separate us from ,christ and unfit us for ,his service2 but they need not continue to do this1 for if only we allow ,him to enter the house and touch us1 the fever will cease2 and1 like this patient in the home of ,peter1 we may at once arise and minister unto ,him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the three specific cases which have been so appropriately selected and given in detail are followed by a general enumeration of a number of similar ones dealt with in like manner1 when the even was come--the whole experience of that eventful day leading to the joyful recognition of the fulfilment of a grand prophetic word spoken long ago of the ,messiah that was to come3 ,himself took our infirmities1 and bare our sicknesses4 ,the quotation is most suggestive4 ,it raises the question of our ,lord's personal relation to disease4 ,we have seen reason to believe that disease could not contaminate ,his holy flesh2 and certainly we never read of ,his suffering from any sickness of ,his own4 ,did ,he then know nothing personally of disease and fleshly infirmity8 ,if not1 how could ,he be tempted in all points like as we are8 ,the solution seems to lie in this most interesting quotation4 ,it is not a literal citation from the ,septuagint1 but it is a thoroughly fair and true reproduction of the idea of the prophet2 and it clearly suggests to the mind that the ,christ's relation to human sickness was of the same kind as ,his relation to human sin4 ,though personally ,he had no sin1 yet ,he was made sin for us1 so that ,he felt the intolerable weight pressing ,him down as in the garden1 and the awful darkness wrapping ,him round as on the cross4 ,in the same way1 even though ,his flesh may never actually have been subjected to physical disease1 ,he nevertheless could not remove diseases from others without bearing them ,himself4 ,ah6 it cost ,him far more than we are apt to think1 to say1 ,i will1 be thou clean4 ,it was only by the sacrifice of ,his life that ,he could take away the sin of the world2 and we believe that it was only by the sacrifice of a part of ,his life that ,he could take away the disease of a sufferer4 ,when ,he said1 ,somebody hath touched ,me1 for virtue has gone out of ,me1 we may be sure it was no mere jostling of the crowd2 it was an outflow of ,his life1 a partial shedding1 so to speak1 of ,his precious blood4 ,just as later1 in the words of ,st4 ,peter1 ,he bare our sins in ,his own body on the tree1 so already ,himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses4 ,,the ,,impulsive ,,scribe 7#ah-bj74 ,the two incidents which follow1 though at first sight apparently different in character from the great majority of the group1 are quite in place among the mighty deeds of the ,master1 manifesting1 as they do1 ,his penetrating insight into character4 ,to all appearance there could have been no better offer than that of the impulsive scribe--,master1 ,i will follow ,thee whithersoever ,thou goest2 and1 had it been made with a full understanding of all it meant1 it would beyond all question have been at once accepted2 but ,he ,who knew what was in man saw at once what manner of man this was--how he was quite unprepared for the hardships he would have to undergo2 and therefore1 while by no means declining the offer1 ,he gives him fair warning of what he might expect1 in these memorable words3 ,the foxes have holes1 and the birds of the air have nests2 but the ,son of man hath not where to lay ,his head4 ,there is infinite pathos in the words4 ,moreover1 the form in which the truth is put1 while fitted effectually to deter the selfish and faint-hearted1 would be no discouragement to a truly devoted and courageous soul1 but would rather fire it with a holier ardour to follow the ,son of man anywhere1 at whatever cost1 rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer shame and loss for ,his name4 ,,the ,,hesitating ,,disciple 7#ba1 #bb74 ,this case is one of the opposite description4 ,judging from the way in which the scribe had been dealt with1 it might have been expected that when this disciple asked to be excused for a time1 in order to discharge a duty which seemed so urgent1 the answer would have been one not only allowing but even enforcing the delay4 ,but no4 ,why the difference8 ,again1 because the ,master saw what was in man4 ,this was no impulsive1 impetuous nature which needed a word of caution2 but one of those hesitating natures which need to be summoned to immediate decision4 ,it would seem also1 from the peculiar expression1 ,leave the dead to bury their own dead 7,r4,v471 that he belonged to an ungodly family1 to associate again with whom at such a critical time in his history would be most prejudicial2 and it must be remembered that it would not have been the mere attending of the funeral2 there were the laws of uncleanness1 which would oblige him1 if he went1 to stay many days2 and meantime the golden opportunity might be gone4 ,thus are we guarded against the two opposite dangers--the one besetting the eager and impulsive1 the other the halting and irresolute4 ,in neither case are we told what the result was4 ,we may surmise that the scribe disappeared from view1 and that the other joined the party in the boat2 but something sealed the lips of that ,evangelist2 from which we may perhaps infer that his main object in relating the two incidents was1 not to give information of them1 but to show forth the glory of the ,master as the ,searcher of hearts1 to signalise the fact that ,he was no less ,master of the minds than of the bodies of men4 ,,the ,,storm ,,stilled 7#bc-bg74 ,it was not enough that the ,saviour of mankind should have power to grapple with disease and skill to search the hearts of men3 ,he must be ,master not only of life1 but of its environment too4 ,that ,he is becomes apparent before the boat which carries the little company reaches the other side of the lake4 ,one of those tempests which often lash the ,sea of ,galilee into sudden fury has burst upon them1 and the little boat is almost covered with the waves4 ,here is a situation beyond the reach even of the ,great ,physician1 unless indeed ,he be something more4 ,he is something more4 ,he is ,lord of nature1 ,master of all its forces6 ,must ,he not be8 ,he has come to reveal the unseen ,god of nature2 must ,he not then make it manifest1 now that the occasion calls for it1 that winds and waves are ministers of ,his1 that do ,his pleasure8 ,again1 it is no mere miracle1 no mere marvel which ,he works in the salvation of ,his terrified disciples--it is a sign1 an indispensable sign of the kingdom of heaven4 ,the story is told with exquisite simplicity1 and with all the reality of manifest and transparent truthfulness4 ,he was asleep--naturally enough after the fatigues of the day1 notwithstanding the howling of the storm2 for why should ,he fear wind or wave8 ,is there not a promise here for all ,his followers when tempest-tossed3 ,so ,he giveth ,his beloved sleep8 ,his disciples let ,him sleep as long as they dare2 but the peril is too imminent now4 ,so they come to ,him and awake ,him1 saying1 ,save1 ,lord2 we perish6 ,though no concern for ,himself would ever have disturbed ,his slumber1 the first cry of ,his disciples rouses ,him at once to action4 ,the resources of ,his human nature1 beyond which ,he never went for the purpose of meeting ,his own personal needs1 had been completely exhausted2 but there is no diminution of ,his power to save those who call upon ,him4 ,without any trace remaining of weariness or weakness1 ,he hastens to relieve them4 ,first1#h ,he quiets the tempest in the disciples' hearts1 rebuking their unbelief and calming their fears2 then ,he stills the storm without1 rebuking the winds and the sea2 and there was a great calm4 ,it reads like the story of creation4 ,no wonder the astonished disciples exclaimed3 ,what manner of man is this1 that even the winds and the sea obey ,him8 ,,demons ,,cast ,,out 7#bh-cd74 ,visible nature is not man's sole environment4 ,there is an unseen universe besides2 and ,he ,who would be ,saviour of mankind must be ,master there as well4 ,that this also is sure is now proved beyond a doubt4 ,for it is important to observe that this is not an ordinary case of healing1 otherwise its true place would have been with the group of bodily diseases at the beginning of this series4 ,when we consider its salient features1 we see that it is just in its right place1 closely following1 as it does1 the stilling of the storm4 ,there are storms in the spiritual world1 more terrible by far than any in the realm of nature2 and it is necessary that these darker storms be also subject to the control of the ,saviour of mankind4 ,the prince of the power of the air and all his legions must be subject to the ,son of man4 ,and this subjection1 rather than the cure of the individual sufferers1 is the salient feature of the passage4 ,it is not the men1 but the demons possessing them1 who cry out1 ,what have we to do with ,thee1 ,jesus1 ,thou ,son of ,god8 art ,thou come hither to torment us before the time8 ,well did these evil spirits know who ,he was2 and well1 also1 did they know that ,he was mightier than they1 and that the time was coming when they would be put entirely under ,his feet3 ,art ,thou come to torment us before the time8 ,the sequel has been the occasion of much cavil4 ,it has been represented as entirely beyond the bounds of rational belief2 but why8 ,the whole subject of demoniacal possession is a most difficult one2 but many of the calmest and deepest thinkers1 quite apart from the testimony of the ,gospel1 have found themselves unable to explain a multitude of dark facts in history and experience apart from the reality of demoniacal influence4 ,if a spirit can exercise a malign influence on a man1 why not on an animal8 ,moreover1 seeing that the keeping of these swine was an open breach of the law1 what difficulty is there in supposing that ,christ should allow their destruction1 especially when we consider that this transference of the malign influence not only made more apparent ,his absolute control over the spirits of evil1 but taught a most striking and instructive lesson as to their affinities8 ,for certain persons there is no more instructive and no more needful passage in ,scripture than this4 ,the difficulty is1 that those who prefer to keep their swine will not welcome the mighty ,exorcist1 but1 like these people of old1 beseech ,him to depart out of their coasts4 ,,sins ,,forgiven 7ix4 #a-ac74 ,master of disease--,searcher of hearts--,master of the forces of nature--,master of the powers of the ,unseen3 is not this enough8 ,not yet2 ,he must make it evident that the ,son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins4 ,to heal the diseases of the body was a great and blessed thing to do1 but it was not thorough work2 for what are all these varied diseases--leprosy1 fever1 palsy--but symptoms of one great disorder which has its roots1 not in the flesh1 but in the soul1 a disease belonging to that region of the unseen1 in which ,he has now made manifest ,his power--the dark disease of sin4 ,the time has now come to show that ,he can deal effectually with it2 and immediately on ,his return to ,his own side of the lake1 an opportunity presents itself4 ,they brought to ,him a man sick of the palsy1 lying on a bed4 ,as a case of palsy1 it is not new4 ,the centurion's servant was a palsy case2 and though from ,his treatment of it1 as of the leprosy and fever1 it might fairly have been inferred that ,he could deal also with that which was deeper1 it was not enough to leave it to inference--it must be made manifest4 ,it may have been that the disease of this man had been in some special manner connected with previous sins1 so that his conscience may have been the more exercised as he looked back over his past life2 but whether this was so or not1 it is obvious that his conscience was at work1--that much as his palsy may have troubled him1 his guilt troubled him much more4 ,why1 otherwise1 should the ,saviour have addressed him as ,he did1 making no reference to the disease1 but dealing directly with his spiritual condition8 ,moreover1 the special affection shown in the ,saviour's mode of address seems to indicate ,his recognition of that broken and contrite spirit with which the ,lord is well pleased4 ,it would scarcely be too strong to translate it thus3 ,my dear child1 be of good cheer2 thy sins are forgiven4 ,the ,saviour is coming closer and closer to human need1 dealing more and more thoroughly with the world's want and woe4 ,if we look at it aright1 we cannot but recognise it as really a greater thing to heal the deep disease of the soul1 than to heal any or all of the diseases of the body1 greater even than to still the storm or rule by superior power the spirits of evil4 ,for here there is something more needed than power or skill1 even though both be infinite4 ,we have already had a glimpse of the need there was1 even in taking away human sickness1 that the ,healer ,himself should suffer4 ,but deeper far is this necessity if the disease of the soul is to be reached4 ,it is only the ,lamb of ,god that can take away the sin of the world4 ,these scribes were right for once when they made more of this claim than of any that had gone before1 saying within themselves1 ,this man blasphemeth2 444 ,who can forgive sins but ,god only8 ,how could ,he prove to them ,his power actually to forgive the man's sins8 ,a demonstration of this is quite impossible2 but ,he will come as near to it as may be4 ,he has already recognised the faith of the bearers1 and the penitence of the man himself2 just as quickly ,he discerns the thoughts of the scribes1 and gives them proof that ,he does so by asking them1 ,wherefore think ye evil in your hearts8 ,then1 answering their thought 7which was1 ,he is only saying it71 ,he replies in effect1 ,it is indeed as easy to say one thing as another1 if saying is all2 but that you may be sure that the saying of it is not all1 ,i shall not repeat what ,i said before1 the result of which from the nature of the case you cannot see1 but something else1 the result of which you shall see presently2 whereupon1 turning to the sick of the palsy1 ,he said3 ,arise1 take up thy bed1 and go unto thine house4 ,and he arose1 and departed to his house4 ,with characteristic reticence1 the sacred historian says nothing of the feelings of the happy man as he hied him home with a double blessing beyond the power of words to tell4 ,is it possible to imagine any better proof that could have been given of ,christ's authority to forgive sins8 ,let those who have a horror of anything extraordinary suggest some way in which this assurance could have been given without any manifestation of superhuman power4 ,if they cannot1 why continue those unreasoning objections to the kind of proof ,he did give1 when no other proof can be even suggested that would have at all suited the purpose8 ,the purpose was accomplished1 so far at least as the people were concerned4 ,whether the scribes found some way of evading the conclusion1 the ,evangelist does not say2 but he does say that when the multitudes saw it1 they marvelled1 or1 as the probably more correct version of the ,revisers gives it1 they were afraid4 ,this is true to nature1 for now they knew that they stood in the presence of ,one ,who could look them through and through1 and touch them in their sorest spot2 so it was natural that their first feeling should be one of awe4 ,still1 they could not but be thankful at the same time that there was forgiveness within their reach2 so quite consistently the narrative proceeds--,and they glorified ,god1 which had given such power unto men4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now that ,his power to deal with sin is made so apparent1 it is time to let it be known that all sinners are welcome4 ,hence most appropriately there follows the call of one from among the most despised class to take a place among ,his closest followers4 ,we can well understand how the modest ,matthew1 who never mentions anything else about himself1 was glad to signalise the grace of the ,master in seeking out the hated and despised publican4 ,not only does ,christ welcome him1 but consents to sit at meat with his former associates 7ver4 #aj72 and when the self-righteous ,pharisee complains1 ,he takes occasion to speak those memorable words1 so full of warning to those who think themselves righteous1 so full of comfort to those who know themselves sinners3 ,they that be whole need not a physician1 but they that are sick4444 ,i am not come to call the righteous1 but sinners to repentance4 ,,death ,,vanquished 7#ad-bf74 ,the focal point of the passage is the chamber of death in the house of ,jairus4 ,there we learn that ,he ,who had shown ,himself to be ,lord of nature and of human nature1 ,master of the spirits of evil1 and ,saviour from sin1 is also ,conqueror of ,death4 ,he needs no preparation for the encounter4 ,the summons comes to ,him in the midst of a discourse1 yet ,he asks not a moment's delay1 but sets out at once2 on the other hand1 ,he is in no haste1 for ,he has time to attend to another sufferer by the way2 and there is no exhaustion afterwards1 for ,he deals with another case1 and still another1 on ,his way back4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the question with which ,he was engaged when the summons came was one raised by the disciples of ,john1 who1 as we learn from the other accounts1 were prompted by the ,pharisees in the hope of exciting antagonism between the followers of ,john and of ,jesus4 ,perhaps also they had the hope of setting ,him at variance with ,himself1 for had he not declared that one jot or one tittle should not pass from the law till all was fulfilled8 ,why1 then1 did not ,his disciples fast8 ,to this it might have been answered that the frequent fasts observed by ,pharisees1 and also by the disciples of ,john1 were not really appointed by the law1 which prescribed only one day of fasting in the year--the great atonement day4 ,but the ,saviour gives an answer of much wider scope and farther-reaching significance4 ,there was involved1 not the question of fasting only1 but of the entire ceremonial law2 and ,he disposes of it all by a series of characteristic illustrations1 each of them as good as a volume on the subject could have been4 ,the first of these illustrations sets the true principle of fasting in full1 clear light by a simple question--,can the children of the bridechamber mourn1 as long as the bridegroom is with them8 ,but the days will come1 when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them1 and then shall they fast4 ,there is here much more to think of besides the answering of the question4 ,there is a treasury of valuable suggestion in ,his calling ,himself the ,bridegroom1 thus applying to ,himself the rich imagery of the ,old ,testament on this theme2 while at the same time ,he adopts the very figure which ,john himself had used in order to mark his relation to ,jesus as the ,bridegroom's friend 7cf4 ,john iii4 #bi72 and it is especially worthy of note how this keeps up the ,gospel idea1--the great joy1 as of a marriage1 in the yielding of the heart to ,christ4 ,no less striking is ,his touching reference to the dark days coming1 the first distinct foreshadowing of the ,cross4 ,it has been well said by a ,german writer1 ,what man has ever looked so calmly1 so lovingly 7lieblich71 from such a height into such an abyss6 from the position of the ,bridegroom of humanity to that of the outcast on the ,cross4 ,ah6 the shadow of that ,cross is never off ,him1 not even when ,he is exulting in ,his bridegroom joy4 ,but these are only incidental suggestions2 the main idea is the true principle of fasting1 which1 like all the observances of the ,new ,testament1 must be the expression of that which is in the heart4 ,let the heart only be true1 and when the ,bridegroom of the heart is present1 fasting will be entirely out of the question2 but when ,he is absent no rule will be needed--they will fast as the natural expression of their sorrow4 ,the two companion illustrations which follow set in the clearest light the large subject of the relation of the new dispensation to the old in respect of forms4 ,as to substance1 ,he had already made it plain that the old was not to be destroyed1 nor even superseded1 but fulfilled1 to its last jot and tittle1 as harvest fulfils seed-time4 ,but as to form1 the case was entirely different4 ,the new life1 while losing nothing which was in the old1 was to be larger and freer1 and therefore must have new garments to match4 ,to try to piece out and patch the old would be no improvement1 but much the reverse1 for a worse rent would be the only result4 ,the second illustration1 suggested like the first by the associations of the marriage feast 7the ,saviour's illustrations are never far-fetched--,he always finds exactly what ,he needs close at hand1 thus proving ,himself ,master of the imagination as of all else71 is to the same purpose4 ,the new wine of the kingdom of heaven1 though it retains all the excellence of the old vintage1 yet having fresh properties of its own1 must have fresh skins to hold it1 that its natural expansion be not hindered2 for to attempt to confine it in the old vessels would be to expose them to destruction and to lose the wine4 ,what a striking illustration of these suggestive words of warning has been the history of doctrine and of form in those churches which cling to the worn-out ritualism of the ,old ,testament6 ,old ,testament forms were good in their time2 but they are not good to hold the new wine of spiritual life2 and to attempt to combine them1 as modern ritualists do1 is to injure both1 to do violence to the forms by subjecting them to a strain for which they were never intended1 and to lose the greater part of the life by trying to put it in moulds which were never intended for it4 ,there is now no longer the excuse which our ,lord was so ready to make1 at that time of transition1 for those who were slow to recognise the superiority of the new--a point which is brought out in the pendant to this illustration which the ,evangelist ,luke records3 ,no man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new3 for he saith1 ,the old is better2 or rather1 according to the more correct reading1 the old is good4 ,thus1 while the true principle was laid down for all time1 excuse was made on behalf of ,john and his disciples1 for clinging with a natural fondness to that which had done good service in the past4 ,a very needful lesson this for too ardent reformers1 not considerate enough of what is in many respects wholesome and praiseworthy conservatism4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was in the midst of these important teachings that the message came from the chamber of death1 to which we must now again direct our thoughts3 ,while ,he spake these things unto them1 behold1 there came a ruler1 and worshipped ,him1 saying1 ,my daughter is even now dead3 but come and lay ,thy hand upon her1 and she shall live4 ,and ,jesus arose1 and followed him1 and so did ,his disciples4 ,this promptness is a most precious revelation of the ,divine readiness to help at any moment4 ,no need of waiting for a convenient time4 ,any moment is convenient for ,him1 to ,whom the affairs even of the infinite universe are no burden4 ,the same lesson is still more strikingly taught by ,his manner of dealing with the case which met ,him on the way to the ruler's house4 ,so hastily had ,he set out1 in response to the ruler's appeal1 that one would have thought this of all times the most inconvenient--especially for a chronic invalid--to gain a hearing4 ,here is a woman who has had a disease for twelve years1 and who therefore might surely be asked to wait a few hours at least1 till the ,physician should be at leisure6 ,and the case is not at all forced on ,his attention2 she does not stand in front of ,him1 so that ,he cannot pass without noticing her1--she only came behind ,him2 nor does she take any means that seem likely to arrest ,his attention1--she only touched the hem of ,his garment4 ,but it is enough4 ,slight as the indication is that some one needs ,his help1 ,he at once observes it2 nor does ,he exhibit the least sign of impatience or of haste2 ,he turns round1 and speaks in the kindest manner1 assuring her1 as it were1 of her right to enjoy the great blessing of health1 which had just come to her1 for as soon as she had touched ,him ,he had cured her of her long and weary ailment4 ,what encouragement to the most timid soul6 and what a revelation of the large sympathy and ever-ready helpfulness of our ,saviour ,christ1 and of our heavenly ,father ,whom ,he so gloriously reveals6 ,the scene is now changed to the chamber of death4 ,there are most interesting details given in the fuller account by the ,evangelist ,mark1 but our scope is large enough here without endeavouring to bring them all in4 ,the maid had been at the point of death when the father left the house2 now it is all over1 and the room is full of noisy mourners4 ,these clamorous demonstrations were evidently very painful to the sensitive heart of ,christ1 not only1 perhaps1 on account of their unreality1 but also because of their inappropriateness in view of the better hope which ,he was bringing into light4 ,for we take it that in these words ,give place3 for the maid is not dead1 but sleepeth1 there was not only a reference to ,his intention at once to bring the dead one back to life1 but to the true nature of death in ,his kingdom4 ,in it death was to be death no longer--only a sleep1 with the prospect of a speedy and blessed awaking4 ,therefore such heathenish lamentations were to be henceforward out of place4 ,perhaps1 too1 ,he wished to set these people thinking on the great subject of death--what it is1 what it means1 and whether after all it need be death in the sense in which alone the noisy mourners thought of it4 ,but they laughed ,him to scorn1 so they must be put forth4 ,the ,lord of life cannot reveal ,himself to such as these4 ,only the faithful disciples1 and the parents whose hearts have been prepared for such a revelation by the discipline of genuine grief1 are permitted to be present4 ,it is probable that both parents had their hearts fully opened to the ,lord2 for though the mother had waited by the daughter's bedside1 she had no doubt gone with her husband in spirit on his hopeful errand2 and the father's faith must have been greatly confirmed by what had happened on the way back--there was nothing lost by that delay1 even though in the meantime the message had come from the house that it was too late4 ,it was not too late3 it was well that the damsel had died2 for now the ,saviour has the opportunity to show that ,he is no less ,master of the last great enemy than of all the other enemies of man4 ,he took her by the hand1 and the maid arose4 ,,lost ,,faculties ,,restored 7#bg-cd74 ,the raising of the dead may be regarded as the culminating point of the series2 yet there is a special value in the two that follow in close succession before the series is complete4 ,we have seen already that1 occurring1 as they do1 immediately after1 they show that ,his power is not at all exhausted--a token this of the exhaustlessness of the ,divine love and helpfulness4 ,but1 besides this1 are they not resurrections too--the raising again of faculties that had long been dead8 ,vision is a large part of our natural life2 and to lose it is to descend1 so far1 into the darkness of death4 ,and as the eye is to impression1 so is the tongue to expression4 ,the one is the crown of life on its receptive side1 the other on its communicative side 7cf4 ,psalm lvii4 #h2 cviii4 #a1 #b74 ,the eye1 then1 may well represent life on the one side of it and the tongue on the other2 while the two together represent it as completely as it is possible to do4 ,thus these two cases really come nearer to the idea of spiritual resurrection than even the raising of the dead damsel4 ,in the case of the daughter of ,jairus there was no part left alive to make its appeal to the ,lifegiver on behalf of the rest2 but with the others it was different3 the blind men1 for example1 were able to cry for mercy 7ver4 #bg72 and it was possible for the ,saviour to say to them1 as ,he touched their eyes1 ,according to your faith be it unto you 7ver4 #bi71 which ,he could not have said to the damsel4 ,had the series ended with the raising of the daughter of ,jairus1 it had been made sufficiently apparent that ,christ was able and willing to raise the dead2 but it had still remained unrevealed by what means a man spiritually dead could secure for himself the resurrection of his lost spiritual powers4 ,now it is clear4 ,the death of the spirit is parallel1 not to the total death of the damsel1 but to the partial death of the blind2 for though the spirit of a man be dead1 his mind remains alive1 his heart too1 his conscience even1 and his body of course2 there remains enough of him1 so to speak1 to imitate the example of these two blind men1 to ask the ,son of ,david for mercy1 to follow ,him till he finds it1 to allow ,him first to draw out the dormant faculty of faith1 and then1 having prepared him for the mighty boon1 to pour celestial light upon his soul1 bestowing on him a life so new and fresh and blessed1 that it will seem to him as if it were1 and it will in point of spiritual fact really be1 life from the dead4 ,it seems more than likely that it was because ,he wished to subordinate the physical to the spiritual that ,he strictly charged them1 saying1 ,see that no man know it4 ,if the main thing had been the restoration of bodily sight1 the more who heard of it the better4 ,but ,his great purpose was far higher1--even to put an end to spiritual blindness and death2 therefore ,he must limit ,his dealings with natural blindness to those who were prepared to receive the lower blessing without injuring them in their higher nature2 and to make known such a case in the way of advertisement through the country-side would have been to descend from ,his lofty position as ,saviour of men and ,herald of the kingdom of heaven to that of oculist for the neighbourhood4 ,but1 though we can readily see why the ,saviour should forbid the publication of the cure1 it was natural enough that the men should disobey the order4 ,they probably attributed ,his injunction to modesty1 and thought they were showing a proper appreciation of what had been done for them by publishing it abroad4 ,blameworthy they certainly were2 but not inexcusable4 ,the other case--the cure of the dumb demoniac--comes1 if possible1 still closer to the spiritual condition with which it was the work of the ,saviour especially to deal4 ,like the former1 it was the loss of a faculty2 but1 unlike it1 it was not the natural loss of it1 but the eclipsing of it by the malign presence of a spirit of evil4 ,how closely parallel is this to the case of the spiritually dead4 ,what is it that has destroyed the great faculty by which ,god is known and worshipped8 ,is it not sin8 ,let that demon be cast out1 and not only will the eye see1 but the tongue will speak2 there will be a new song in the mouth1 even praise to the ,most ,high4 ,furthermore1 as the cure of the blind men brought into prominence the power of faith1 this brings into prominence the power of ,christ to save to the uttermost4 ,for what more helpless case could there be8 ,he could not cry1 for he was dumb4 ,he could not follow ,christ as the blind men had done1 for he had not control of himself2 so he must be brought by others4 ,yet for him1 as well as for them1 there is full salvation1 as soon as he comes into the presence of the ,lord of life4 ,no wonder the multitudes marvelled1 and said1 ,it was never so seen in ,israel6 and no wonder that the ,pharisees1 unable in any other way to evade the force of such a succession of manifest signs of the kingdom of heaven1 should be driven to the contradictory and blasphemous suggestion1 ,he casteth out devils through the prince of the devils 7ver4 #cd74 ,the series is now complete2 and1 long as it has been1 we could not dispense with a single case4 ,there has been no repetition4 ,each case reported in detail has had its own special and peculiar value3 the leper1 the centurion's servant1 the mother-in-law of ,peter1 the dealings with the impulsive scribe and the hesitating disciple1 the stilling of the storm and mastery of the unseen legions of evil1 the forgiving of sin1 and welcoming of repentant sinners1 the healing of the chronic invalid by the way1 the raising of the dead damsel1 and the restoring of sight to the blind and speech to the dumb1--all different1 all most precious1 all needed to bring out some aspect of the truth concerning ,jesus as the ,saviour of mankind1 all together giving us a most comprehensive presentation of the signs of the kingdom of heaven4 ,and now that the nature of ,his work has been so fully set forth in its two great departments of teaching and of healing1 the rest is left unrecorded1 except in the general statement that ,jesus went about all the cities and villages1 teaching in their synagogues1 and preaching the gospel of the kingdom1 and healing every sickness and every disease among the people 7ver4 #ce74 #h ,the order is different in the second and third ,gospels2 but here only is the order of events noted3 ,and ,he saith unto them1 ,why are ye fearful1 ,o ye of little faith8 ,then ,he arose4 ,,ix4 ,,the ,,king',s ,,ambassadors4 ,,matt4 ix4 #cf-x4 #db4 ,i4--,,the ,,mission 7ix4 #cf-x4 #e74 ,so far the ,king ,himself has done all the work of the kingdom4 ,but it has grown upon ,him1 so that ,he can no longer do it without assistance2 ,he must therefore provide ,himself with deputies4 ,his doing so will be the first step in the organisation of ,his world-wide kingdom4 ,he reveals1 however1 no plan laid down to meet all possible emergencies4 ,it is enough to provide for necessities as they develop themselves4 ,he constructs no mechanism beforehand into the different parts of which life may be afterwards guided or forced2 ,his only care is about the life1 knowing well that if only this be full and strong1 the appropriate organisation will be ready when it is needed4 ,in conformity with this principle ,he does not make ,his arrangements1 necessary as they manifestly are1 without first providing that they shall not be mechanical but vital1 that they shall originate1 not as a contrivance of mind but as an outflow of soul4 ,first1 we are informed by the ,evangelist that the soul of the ,master ,himself was stirred with compassion as ,he looked upon the multitude1 and thought how much they needed in the way of shepherding1 and how little it was possible for them to have4 ,it was no matter of planning for the extension of ,his kingdom2 it was a great yearning over the sheep that were scattered1 and torn 7ver4 #cf1 ,gk4 of oldest ,,mss471 and lost 7x4 #f74 ,but it is not enough that the ,master's heart should be touched3 the disciples also must be moved4 ,so ,he turns their thoughts in the same direction1 urging them to observe how plenteous the harvest1 how few the labourers2 and therefore to pray that the lack may be speedily supplied4 ,he sets them thinking and praying about it--the only way to lay foundations for that which shall be true and lasting4 ,let it be observed further1 that the two emblems ,he uses present most strikingly the great motives to missionary work3 compassion for the lost1 and zeal for the ,divine glory4 ,sheep having no shepherd1--this appeals to our human sympathies2 the ,lord of the harvest deprived of ,his harvest for want of labourers to gather it in1--this appeals to our love and loyalty to ,god4 ,the result of their thought and prayer presently appears2 for we read in the next sentence of the setting apart of the twelve disciples to the work4 ,it does not follow1 because the narrative is continuous1 that the events recorded were2 it is probable that an interval elapsed which would be largely spent in prayer according to the word of the ,master4 ,this is the first mention of the ,twelve in this ,gospel2 but it is evident that the number had been already made up1 for they are spoken of as ,his twelve disciples4 ,it would appear from the second and third ,gospels that1 immediately before the delivery of the ,sermon on the ,mount1 the ,twelve were chosen from the whole number of disciples to be constantly with ,him1 as witnesses of ,his works and learners of ,his doctrine4 ,by this time they had been so far instructed and trained by their companionship with ,christ1 that they could be safely entrusted with a mission by themselves2 accordingly ,he for the first time gives them power to do deeds of mercy of the same sort as those which ,he ,himself had been doing1 as signs of the kingdom of heaven4 ,as the apostles have not been mentioned before1 their names are appropriately given here4 ,the number twelve was no doubt significant1 as suggestive of the twelve tribes of ,israel2 but there was plainly no attempt to have the tribes represented separately4 ,it would seem as if all were ,galileans1 except one1 and that one was ,judas ,iscariot 7i4e41 the man of ,kerioth1 supposed to be a town in ,juda74 ,the reason of this almost exclusive choice of ,galileans is in all probability to be found in the simple fact that there were none other available4 ,there had been those1 in the course of ,his ,judan ministry1 who had after a certain fashion believed on ,him2 but there was not one of them whom ,he could trust with such work as this 7,john ii4 #bc-e74 ,it may be thought1 indeed1 that surely there might have been some better representative--at least1 than ,judas proved himself to be--of the southern tribes2 but why should we think so8 ,we have no reason to suppose that ,judas was a traitor at heart when he was chosen4 ,perhaps there was in him at that time the making of as grand an apostle as the best of them4 ,it was not long1 indeed1 before the demon in him began to betray itself to the searching glance of the ,master 7,john vi4 #gj72 but had he only1 in the power of the ,master he followed1 cast that demon out of his own heart1 as possibly enough he may have helped in this very mission to cast demons out of others1 all would have been well4 ,the subsequent fall of the traitor does not by any means show that ,christ now made a mistaken choice2 it only shows that the highest privileges and opportunities may1 by the tolerance of sin in the heart1 be not only all in vain1 but may lead to a condemnation and ruin more terrible by far than would have been possible without them4 ,not only was the apostolate ,galilean1--it was plebeian1 and that without a solitary exception4 ,it seems to include not a single person of recognised rank or position4 ,again1 we believe that this is to be accounted for by the simple fact that there were none of these available4 ,we cannot suppose that if there had been a disciple like ,paul in the ranks1 the ,master would have hesitated to give him a place in the sacred college2 but1 seeing there was none1 ,he would not go out of ,his way to secure a representative of the learned or the great4 ,had ,nicodemus been bold enough to come out decidedly on the ,lord's side1 or had ,joseph of ,arimatha developed earlier that splendid courage which he showed when the ,master's work on earth was done1 we can scarcely doubt that their names might have been included in the roll4 ,but there is no such name2 and now1 as we look back1 was it not better so8 ,otherwise there could not have been such a wonderful illustration of the great fact that ,god hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty2 there could not otherwise have been the same invincible evidence that the work these men did was not the work of men1 but was indeed and in truth the doing of ,god4 ,though they were all from the lower ranks of life1 they were characterised by great varieties of gifts and dispositions4 ,some of them1 indeed1 are scarcely known to us at all4 ,it may be that they were more or less ordinary men who made no special mark2 but it would be rash to set this down as certain1 or even as probable1 seeing that our records of the time are so scanty1 and are manifestly constructed with the idea1 not of giving to every man his due--as would be the poor ideal of a mere writer of history--but of making nothing of the men1 and everything of the cause and of the ,master in ,whose great ,personality theirs was merged4 ,but those of them who do appear in the records are men of such varied dispositions and powers that the ,twelve might after all have been a fair miniature of the ,church at large4 ,some of the selections seem very strange4 ,we have already referred to ,judas the traitor4 ,but there were those among them who must have been far less likely men than he4 ,there were two in particular1 the choice of whom seemed to violate all dictates of wisdom and prudence4 ,these were ,matthew the publican and ,simon the ,cananan or ,zealot4 ,to have a publican1 hated as the whole class was1 among the apostles1 was apparently to invite the hostility and contempt of the great majority of the nation1 and especially of those who were strongly national in feeling4 ,on the other hand1 to invite one who was known as a ,zealot1 a radical and revolutionist in politics1 a man who had identified himself with the wildest schemes for the overthrow of the ,government1 was to provoke the opposition of all the law-abiding and peace-loving people of the time4 ,yet how could the heavenly ,king have more effectually shown that ,his kingdom was not of this world1 that the petty party spirit of the day had no place in it whatever1 that it mattered not what a man had been1 if now he was renewed in the spirit of his mind1 and consecrated in heart and soul and life to do the will of ,god and serve his ,master ,christ8#i ,so it has come to pass that1 though these twelve men had nothing at all to recommend them to the favour of the world1 and though there was very much from every worldly point of view to create the strongest prejudices against them and to militate against their influence1 yet they have1 by the grace of their ,divine ,master1 so triumphed over all1 that when we think of them now1 it is not as fishermen1 nor as publican or ,zealot--even the traitor has simply dropped out of sight--we see before us only the glorious company of the apostles6 ,,ii4--,,the ,,commission 7x4 #e-db74 ,these twelve ,jesus sent forth 7in pairs1 as we learn elsewhere1 and as is indicated here1 perhaps1 by the grouping in the list71 and charged them4 ,this leads us to look at their commission4 ,it begins with a limitation1 which1 however1 was only to be temporary4 ,the time had not yet come for the opening of the door to the ,gentiles4 ,besides this1 we must remember that the ,saviour's heart was yearning over ,his own people4 ,this appears in the tender way ,he speaks of them as the lost sheep of the house of ,israel4 ,moreover1 the apostles were by no means ready1 with all their national prejudices still rank in them1 to be entrusted with so delicate and difficult a duty as getting into communication with an alien race4 ,accordingly their field is strictly limited to their own countrymen4 ,there seems to have been a limitation also in their message4 ,they had themselves been to some extent instructed in regard to the nature of the kingdom1 its blessedness1 its righteousness1 its leading principles and features2 but1 though they may have begun to get some glimpse of the truth in regard to these great matters1 they certainly had not yet made it their own2 accordingly they are given1 as the substance of their preaching1 only the simple announcement1 with which the ,baptist had begun his ministry1 and with which ,christ also commenced ,his3 ,the kingdom of heaven is at hand4 ,though there seems to have been a limitation on the teaching side1 there was none on the side of healing1 for their ,lord empowers them to do the very same things for the relief of their suffering fellow-countrymen as they had seen ,himself doing4 ,we have already seen how much teaching there was in these signs of the kingdom2 and we can well believe that it was far better1 considering the stage of advancement the apostles had reached1 that reliance should be placed on the light such deeds of mercy would necessarily throw on the nature of the kingdom1 than on any exposition which1 apart from their ,master1 they could at that time have been able to give4 ,above all it is to be clear that the privileges of the kingdom are free to all2 its blessings are to be dispensed without money and without price3 ,freely ye have received1 freely give4 ,how1 then1 were they to be supported8 ,about this they were to give themselves no concern4 ,they were now to put in practice the great command1 ,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god1 and ,his righteousness1 relying on the promise1 all these things shall be added unto you4 ,but in no miraculous way are they to look for the provision of their wants4 ,they are to be maintained by those among whom and for whom they labour4 ,this was to be no burden1 but a privilege1 reserved for those who were found worthy 7ver4 #aa74 ,nor was it to be divided among as many as possible4 ,they were to stay on with the same person who first received them1 as the one whom the ,master had chosen for the honour2 while1 if any refused to recognise it as a privilege1 there was to be no weak solicitation1 but a dignified withdrawal4 ,the regulations throughout are manifestly intended to keep most vividly before their minds that they went not in their own names1 nor on their own strength1 nor at their own charges1--that they were ambassadors of a ,king1 clothed with ,his authority1 armed with ,his power1 vested with ,his rights2 so that there is a manifest appropriateness in the solemn words with which this part of the commission closes3 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,it shall be more tolerable for the land of ,sodom and ,gomorrha in the day of judgment1 than for that city which rejects you 7ver4 #ae74 ,the part of the charge which follows1 and which the limitation of our plan will not allow us to illustrate point by point1 bears not so much on the work more immediately before them as on the whole work of their apostolate4 ,it may have been spoken1 as some suppose1 later on1 and only put here as germane to the occasion2 for1 as we have seen1 the arrangement of this gospel is not chronological1 but is largely topical4 ,still there seems no very strong reason for supposing that the entire discourse was not spoken at this very time2 for why should not the apostles in the very beginning of their way have some idea of what it would cost them to accept the work to which they were now called8 ,the leading thoughts are these3 ,they must expect to be exposed to trial and suffering in the prosecution of their mission4 ,the ,master ,himself was sorely tried1 and the servant must not expect exemption4 ,he is not indeed to court trials1 or to submit to persecutions which are not inevitable3 ,when they persecute you in this city1 flee ye into another4 ,on the other hand1 when the path of duty lies evidently through trial or danger1 he must not shirk it1 but face it boldly2 and in all emergencies he is to place implicit confidence in ,him ,whose servant he is3 ,when they deliver you up1 be not anxious how or what ye shall speak3 for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak 7,r4,v474 ,the very hairs of your head are all numbered4 ,fear ye not1 therefore4 ,there is no way of avoiding the cross2 and they would be quite unworthy of their ,master should they seek to avoid it4 ,yet there is a great reward for those who bravely take it up and patiently bear it to the end4 ,it is the way to higher honour 7ver4 #cb71 and to the only life that is worthy of the name 7ver4 #ci72 while to turn away from it is to choose a path which leads to shame 7ver4 #cc7 and death 7ver4 #ci74 ,the passage1 taken up1 as so much of it has been1 with the anticipations of ill-treatment which the apostles will receive in setting out as sheep in the midst of wolves1 closes most appropriately and beautifully with a series of blessings on those who will treat them well1 ending with the encouraging assurance that even a cup of cold water given to a thirsty disciple will not be forgotten of ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the lessons on ,christian work with which this passage abounds are so numerous that it would be vain to attempt to unfold them4 ,it is not merely a record of facts2 it is an embodiment of great principles which are to govern the disciples of ,christ in their service to the end of the world4 ,if only the ,church as a whole were to think and pray as ,christ taught ,his disciples to think and pray before this great event2 and then if the labourers whom ,god has sent1 or would1 in answer to the prayers of the ,church1 immediately send1 into ,his harvest were to act--not necessarily according to the letter1 but in every part according to the spirit of these instructions1--using their own faculties with all the wisdom of the serpent1 and trusting to ,divine grace and power with all the simplicity of the dove--it would not be long before all the scattered sheep were gathered into the fold1 all the ripe sheaves garnered for the ,lord of the harvest6 #i ,it is interesting to notice that1 though ,matthew here calls himself ,matthew the publican1 no one else does4 ,to others the publican is lost in the apostle--it is only himself who will not forget the hole of the pit whence he was digged4 ,x4 ,,the ,,shadow ,,of ,,the ,,cross4 ,,matt4 xi41 xii4 ,i4--,,discouragements 7xi74 ,hitherto almost everything has been hopeful and encouraging in our ,evangelist's record of the ,saviour's ministry4 ,it began like daybreak on the shores of the sea of ,galilee4 ,great multitudes followed ,him wherever ,he went2 and those whom ,he called to be with ,him cheerfully responded to the summons4 ,when ,he preached the ,gospel of the kingdom1 the people were astonished at ,his doctrine1 and recognised that ,he taught them as one having authority1 and not as the scribes4 ,his works of healing were warmly welcomed1 and to a large extent appreciated by the people generally1 though already it was apparent that those whose selfish interests were touched by the progress of the truth were ready to cavil and complain4 ,notwithstanding this1 the work has grown upon ,him so1 that ,he has found it necessary to arm ,his twelve disciples with powers like ,his own1 and send them forth as heralds of ,his kingdom through the land4 ,but the path of the ,king is not to be a triumphal progress4 ,it is to be a via dolorosa1 leading to a cross and a grave4 ,many prophecies had been already fulfilled1 as our ,evangelist has shown again and again2 but there are others of a different sort which can as little fail of their fulfilment1--like that which speaks of the ,messiah as despised and rejected of men1 a man of sorrows1 and acquainted with grief4 ,it is not at all to be wondered at1 then1 that the ,evangelist should now give his readers some idea of the discouragements which met the ,king in the setting up of ,his kingdom on the earth4 ,the first of these which he mentions comes from a quarter from which least of all it might have been expected4 #a4 ,john in doubt 7vv4 #a-ae74 ,it was1 indeed1 not at all unnatural that ,john should be in doubt4 ,think of his character3 stern1 uncompromising1 severe1 and bold to rashness4 ,think of his circumstances3 languishing in prison for the truth's sake1 without any prospect of rescue2--after all1 was ,jesus ,king1 or ,herod8 ,remember1 too1 in what terms he had predicted the coming ,one3 ,now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees2 444 ,he that cometh after me is mightier than ,i2 444 ,whose fan is in ,his hand1 and ,he will thoroughly purge ,his floor1 and gather ,his wheat into the garner2 but ,he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire4 ,did not this betoken a work which would be swift1 severe1 thorough1--very different from anything of which he could hear in his prison cell8 ,the coming of the kingdom was too gentle and too slow for the stern1 impatient ,baptist4 ,accordingly1 offended 7see ver4 #f1 ,r4,v43 finding occasion of stumbling7 in his ,master1 he sends this message1 in the hope possibly that it may constrain ,him to avow ,himself and to bring matters to a crisis3 ,art thou ,he that should come1 or do we look for another8 ,though it was natural enough that ,john should doubt1 it was none the less trying to ,jesus4 ,the disciples were only children yet4 ,not one of them could enter into full sympathy with ,him4 ,john1 the forerunner1 was the one strong man1 on whom ,he had reason thoroughly to rely1 who had been tried again and again1 and always found brave and true4 ,yet it is he who sends the doubting message4 ,what a shock it must have been to the sensitive heart1 what a trial to the faith1 of the ,man ,christ ,jesus6 ,the message must have been a very disturbing and disconcerting one1 and fitted1 if widely known1 to neutralise to a large degree in the minds of the people the witness ,john had borne to ,jesus4 ,it is the last thing the ,evangelist would have thought of mentioning1 if he had been actuated in the selection of his material by motives of policy2 and the fact that this incident is published in two of the ,gospels is a striking illustration of what is manifest throughout--the perfect simplicity and candour of the sacred historians4 ,have we not reason to be most thankful that they did record it8 ,to the truly thoughtful mind it is no weakening of the testimony of ,john2 while it is full of comfort for the honest doubter1 giving him the assurance that even when the most serious questions trouble him--even though the very foundations of his faith seem to be shaken--there hath no temptation taken him but such as is common to man1 such as even a brave and true soul like ,john had to face2 full of encouragement also to do just as he did1--go straight to the ,master ,himself with the doubts1 and let ,him deal with them--wisely1 faithfully1 tenderly--as ,he does here4 ,how1 then1 does ,he deal with them8 ,by a miracle1 opening the prison doors1 and so making it perfectly plain to him that not ,herod1 but ,jesus1 is ,king8 ,by a sudden outburst of vengeance1 destroying hosts of unrepentant sinners and alarming all the country side1 and so satisfying the sternest thoughts of the ,baptist in his cell8 ,not at all4 ,he deals with them as ,he intends to deal with doubters always3 points him quietly to the many tokens of ,his ,divine mission--not in the way of judgment wrought on sinners1 nor of any grand demonstration which will astonish the nation1 but in the quiet progress of ,his helpful1 healing1 comforting work3 ,go1 and show ,john again those things which ye do hear and see3 the blind receive their sight1 and the lame walk1 the lepers are cleansed1 and the deaf hear1 the dead are raised up1 and the poor have the gospel preached to them4 ,then ,he encourages him to hold fast the beginning of his confidence firm unto the end1 by adding the significant words1 ,blessed is he1 whosoever shall find none occasion of stumbling in ,me 7,r4,v474 ,it was far better for ,john himself that he should be allowed to rally1 than that anything special should be done to meet his doubts4 ,he did rally2 he did secure the blessing his ,master set before him2 he was satisfied without any open demonstration1 satisfied to wait on and suffer in faith and patience1 till at last he sealed the testimony of his magnificent life by a martyr's death4 ,those are in some respects to be envied who in childlike simplicity believe without doubt or question2 but there is a special blessing for those who by the very force of their nature must wrestle with doubt1 yet in the trying hour find no occasion of stumbling in ,him4 ,they come out of the conflict more than conquerors through ,him that loved them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the answer sent to ,john was kind2 but there was no flattery in it--not even a word of commendation of his heroic endurance4 ,the ,master knew the strength of ,his disciple1 and ,he dealt with him accordingly4 ,but as soon as the messengers are gone ,he tells the people what ,he thinks of him4 ,he in effect deprecates the thought of judging ,john by a message sent in an hour of weakness and despondency4 ,do not imagine for a moment1 ,he seems to say1 that the man you went out into the wilderness to see is feeble as a reed1 or soft as a courtier4 ,he is all1 and more than all1 you took him to be4 ,he is a prophet indeed2 and much more1 for he is a herald of the heavenly ,king4 ,among them that are born of woman there hath not risen a greater than ,john the ,baptist2 and though he has not the advantages of even the little ones in the kingdom of heaven1 inasmuch as he belongs to the old dispensation1 yet1 as herald of the new1 he occupies a peculiarly honoured place--he stands between the old and the new2 for all the prophets and the law prophesied until ,john2 while from the days of ,john the ,baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is preached1 and men are pressing into it4 ,he is1 in fact1 if only you had ears to hear1 if only your minds were open to read the ,scriptures according to the spirit of them1 that very ,elijah whose coming your prophet has taught you to expect 7vv4 #g-ad74 ,so far we have followed what seems to be the drift of our ,saviour's words in regard to ,john2 but there is more than this in them4 ,he is contrasting the feebleness and fickleness of the multitude with the strength and stability of ,john4 ,there is before ,his mind1 throughout1 the thought of the transcendent importance of the events of the time as compared with the thoughtlessness of the people of the time4 ,the question ,what went ye out for to see8 was intended not merely to bring into relief the greatness of ,john1 but to search their hearts4 ,the important events of the time had circled first around ,john the ,baptist1 then around ,himself4 ,the people had not the least idea of the transcendent greatness of ,john and still less of the infinite greatness of ,him to ,whom he had borne witness4 ,jesus did not wish as yet fully to assert ,his own claims1 yet ,he desired to bring the inconsiderate multitudes to some conception of the things which their eyes saw1 to rebuke and1 if possible1 to correct their thoughtlessness and indifference4 ,it is to the presence of this underlying thought that some forms of expression are due which otherwise are difficult to understand4 ,this applies in particular to ver4 #ab1 which has been a terrible stumbling-block to expositors4 ,so far as the position of ,john was concerned1 it was enough to say that from his time the kingdom of ,god was preached 7the form found in ,st4 ,luke72 but in view of the levity and thoughtlessness of the multitudes it is put in such a way as to suggest that it is not your thoughtless1 fickle1 reed-hunting1 sight-seeing people1 that get the kingdom1 but eager1 earnest1 violent men4 ,the same thought accounts for the manner in which the paragraph closes1 indicating that that which had been spoken ought to lead to more serious thought1 more intelligent appreciation both of the herald and of the kingdom which in the spirit and power of the ,great ,elijah he has heralded3 ,he that hath ears to hear1 let him hear4 ,but would they hear8 ,alas6 no2 and this accordingly must be put down as a second and most serious discouragement4 #b4 ,the unreasonableness of the people 7vv4 #af-ai74 ,unable to recognise the true significance of the events of the time1 with deaf ears to the heavenly message which first the herald and then the ,king had brought them1 they fastened their attention on that which was merely incidental3 the asceticism of ,john1 the social friendliness of ,jesus4 ,of the first they complained1 because it was not like the second2 of the second they complained1 because it was not like the first4 ,any excuse for a complaint2 no ear to hear nor soul to appreciate the message of either4 ,to what can ,he liken them8 ,to a set of children1 sitting in the market-place indeed1 but with no thought of business in their heads3 they are there only to amuse themselves2 and even in their games they are as unreasonable as they can be4 ,one set proposes to play a wedding1 and the rest say1 ,no1 we want a funeral2 then1 when the others take it up and start the game of funeral1 they change their tune1 and say1 ,no1 we prefer a wedding4 ,nothing will please those who have no intention to be satisfied4 ,caring nothing for the kingdom which ,john heralded1 the multitude only noticed the peculiarity of his garb1 and the stern solitariness of his life1 and said he must be a lunatic4 ,when the ,king ,himself comes with no such peculiarity1 but mingling on familiar and friendly terms with the people1 still caring nothing for the kingdom which ,he preached1 they find fault with ,him for the very qualities the absence of which they deprecated in ,john4 ,if they had acted1 not as foolish children1 but as wise men1 they would have recognised that both were right1 inasmuch as each was true to himself and to the position he filled4 ,it was right and fitting that the last of the old prophets should be rugged and stern and solitary1 even as the great ,elijah1 in whose spirit and power he came4 ,it was no less right and fit that the ,saviour-,king of men should set out on new lines and introduce the new dispensation in a manner suited to its distinctive features of freedom and familiar friendliness4 ,thus1 in the one case1 and in the other1 wisdom is justified of her children4 #c4 ,the ,unbelief of the ,cities 7vv4 #bj-bd74 ,though the multitudes which had flocked to hear ,john might be fickle and thoughtless1 surely better things might be expected of those favoured towns by the lake of ,galilee1 where the signs of the kingdom had been so abundantly exhibited and the truth of the kingdom so earnestly and frequently preached4 ,but no3 even they repented not4 ,they would bring their sick in crowds to get them healed2 but they hid as it were their faces from ,him4 ,they had not indeed treated ,him as the people of ,nazareth had done2 for ,nazareth had cast ,him out1 and ,capernaum had taken ,him in4 ,yet ,his lamentation is not over ,nazareth1 but over ,capernaum4 ,we can readily see why4 ,what ,he suffered at ,nazareth was a personal indignity4 ,he was so summarily ejected that ,he had not time or opportunity to set before them the signs of the kingdom4 ,but in ,capernaum the time and opportunity had been ample4 ,the truth had been fully told2 the signs had been fully wrought4 ,the people had seemed to listen2 and all betokened a happy issue4 ,we can imagine the ,saviour waiting and hoping and longing 7for again1 let it be remembered that ,he was very man1 and that this experience discouraged ,him as it would discourage any of us71 and then tasting all the bitterness of hope deferred1 ending in crushing disappointment4 ,for a long time ,he continues silent1 bearing the heavy burden in ,his heart1 till the fountain of grief could be pent up no longer3 ,then began ,he to upbraid the cities wherein most of ,his mighty works were done1 because they repented not4 ,the words ,he speaks are very awful2 but it is in the last resort4 ,love and mercy have been ,his theme from day to day2 and it is only because these are obstinately rejected that wrath and judgment must now find a voice4 ,it is not a wrathful voice3 there are tears in it4 ,what must it have cost ,him to speak these awful words about ,capernaum's impending doom6 ,to think that those who were nearest ,his heart of all1 to whom ,he devoted the freshness of ,his first days of service1 the dew of ,his youth1 so to speak--that they would have none of ,him1 but preferred to remain in sin with all the woe it necessarily entailed1--oh6 it must have been torture to that loving heart4 ,and we may be sure there was no less pathos in this last appeal to ,bethsaida1 ,chorazin and ,capernaum1 than there was in the later lamentation over the city of the ,south4 99 99 99 99 99 ,how does the ,saviour bear ,himself under these repeated discouragements8 ,the passage which follows will show 7vv4 #be-cj74 ,some have found a difficulty in the word answered1 because there appears no question with which it is connected4 ,but did not these discouragements require an answer8 ,as we read1 first of the doubts of ,john1 then of the thoughtlessness of the multitudes1 and then of the impenitence of the favoured cities by the lake1 is there not a question in our hearts1 becoming more and more urgent as each new discouragement appears1 ,what will ,he say to this8 ,what can ,he answer8 ,thus our minds are well prepared for that which immediately follows3 ,at that time ,jesus answered and said1 ,i thank ,thee1 ,o ,father4 ,is it to be a thanksgiving1 then1 after such a series of disappointments and vexations8 ,even so4 ,as ,he has looked to the cities of the plain1 ,his voice has been a wail2 now that ,he looks up to ,his ,father1 wailing ceases1 and thanksgiving takes its place4 ,so will it always be to faith which is genuine and deep enough4 ,it is only when we look below and around that we are depressed4 ,when we look up we are strong4 ,i will lift up mine eyes unto the hills1 from whence cometh my help4 ,my help cometh from the ,lord ,who made heaven and earth4 ,was it the remembrance of this passage at the time of need which suggested the form of ,his thanksgiving3 ,i thank ,thee1 ,father1 ,lord of heaven and earth8 ,surely we have here the living original of that grand apostolic word1 ,in everything give thanks2 for if at that season 7,r4,v47 the ,saviour of men found occasion for thanksgiving1 we may well believe that at any season1 however dark1 we may find something to stir our hearts to gratitude2 and the very exercise of thanksgiving will bring a deep spiritual joy to set against the bitterest sorrow1 even as it was with our ,lord1 ,who1 as ,st4 ,luke informs us1 rejoiced in spirit as ,he lifted up ,his soul in thanks to ,god that day4 ,what1 then1 does ,he find to be thankful for8 ,first1 ,he discovers a cause for gratitude in the very limitation which occasions ,his sorest disappointments3 ,i thank ,thee1 444 because ,thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent1 and hast revealed them unto babes4 ,there is of course the cheering thought that amid the general unbelief and rejection there are some childlike souls who have welcomed the truth4 ,some are fain to make this the sole cause of thankfulness1 as if ,he meant to say1 ,i thank ,thee1 that though ,thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent1 ,thou hast revealed them unto babes4 ,but there is no authority for introducing this little word4 ,the ,saviour gives thanks1 not merely in spite of this hiding1 but because of it4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that ,he uses the language of resignation1 ,even so1 ,father3 for so it seemed good in ,thy sight1 which makes it evident that the fact that so many of the wise and intelligent rejected ,his gospel presented a real difficulty to ,his mind1 as it has done to earnest souls in all ages4 ,but while it was no doubt enough for ,him to feel sure that it was right in the sight of ,god1 we are not without indication in what follows1 that ,his faith not only led to resignation1 but enabled ,him to see for ,himself that it was wisely ordered4 ,for what is the great object of the ,gospel8 ,is it not to dethrone self and enthrone ,god in the hearts of men8 ,it is clear1 then1 that1 if it had in any way appealed to pride and self-sufficiency1 it would have defeated its own end4 ,suppose the revealing of things had been to the wise and prudent as such1 what would have been the result8 ,the kingdom of heaven would have become a mere scholarship prize4 ,and1 however good a thing scholarship may be1 and however important that it be encouraged1 this is not the work of the ,christ of ,god4 ,his ,gospel is for all2 so it is addressed not to the great in intellect1 which would confine it to the few1 but to the lowly in heart1 which brings it within reach of all1--for the very wisest and greatest in intellect may be1 and ought to be1 meek and lowly in heart4 ,indeed1 is it not to the meek and lowly heart that even the truths of science are disclosed8 ,a man who approaches nature with a preconceived theory1 about which his mind is already made up1 is sure to miss the mark4 ,to enter into its secrets1 prejudices and prepossessions must be laid aside1 and things observed with open mind and simple receptiveness4 ,in this connection one sees the special appropriateness of the reference to the ,lord of heaven and earth4 ,the principle is one which is not restricted in its range3 it runs all through nature4 ,still more appropriate is the appeal to the fatherhood of ,god4 ,it is not for the ,father to be partial to his clever children1 and leave the less favoured ones to shift for themselves4 ,to ,him they are all babes2 and to them ,he must be not examiner1 nor prize-giver1 but above all ,father1 if they would understand and feel ,his love4 ,so the more one thinks of it1 the more in every point of view does it seem good and necessary that these things should not be made known to the wise and understanding 7,r4,v47 as such1 but should be revealed to babes1 to those of childlike spirit4 ,it is well4 ,the wisest and most learned may join in the thanksgiving1 for it is far better for them to take their places with the rest1 as many happily do1 and receive the same loving welcome2 and those of us who cannot call ourselves wise and learned should surely be most devoutly thankful that1 however impossible it may be to compete with these highly favoured ones in obtaining the prizes of earth1 we are at no disadvantage in striving for the prize of the high calling of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the next great thought which comes to the relief of the ,saviour in ,his discouragement is that1 while there are barriers in the heart of man1 there is no barrier in the heart of ,god1 no limit whatever to the outpouring of ,divine love and grace3 ,all things are delivered unto ,me of ,my ,father4 ,even at the time when it is borne in upon ,him that men will have none of ,him1 ,he exults in the thought that ,he has everything for them4 ,if only they could see it6 ,if only they knew the boundless treasure there was for them in ,god6 ,if only they knew that ,god had put all within their reach by sending them ,his ,son6 ,but the ,son is unknown except to the ,father1 ,who sent ,him2 and the ,father is unknown except to the ,son1 ,who has come to reveal ,him4 ,but ,he has come to reveal ,him2 and with the revealing the way will be opened for all good things to follow4 ,as ,he thinks of it ,his heart yearns over the orphaned children of men1 and ,he exults in the thought that ,he has for them the revelation of the ,father's heart and home1 with enough and to spare for all ,his children 7ver4 #bg74 ,then follows such an outpouring of heart as there never has been before4 ,he knows that only in the ,father can the children of men find rest1 and so ,he says ,come unto ,me1 and ,i will lead you to the ,father1 ,who alone knows ,me1 as ,i alone know ,him2 and you1 finding ,him in ,me1 shall know ,him too1 and your hearts shall be at rest4 ,it is beautiful and most touching to observe how our ,lord is1 as it were1 compelled to make ,his appeal more personal than ,he has ever done before4 ,we look in vain through ,his previous utterances as reported in this ,gospel for such reduplication of the personal pronouns as there is here4 ,what is the reason of it8 ,we can see it when we read between the lines4 ,hitherto ,his great subject has been the kingdom of heaven4 ,this kingdom ,he has been preaching through all the country-side1 setting forth its purity and blessedness1 unfolding its unspeakable riches1 and entreating all to enter in by the strait gate1 which ,he has thrown open to receive them4 ,but they will not enter4 ,these things1 in spite of all ,he can say1 are hid from them4 ,well ,he knows what is the difficulty3 it is the hardness of their hearts4 ,if ,he could only get at these hearts6 ,how can ,he do it8 ,it can only be by the opening out of all ,his heart to them2 so ,he will make ,his pleading a personal entreaty now4 ,hence the peculiarly winning form ,his invitation now assumes4 ,it is no longer ,enter ye in at the strait gate2 it is not even1 ,i have come to call sinners to repentance2 it is the cry of a loving1 yearning heart1 ,come unto ,me4 ,and how tenderly ,he thinks of them6--no more upbraiding now1 no more reproof4 ,he will try to reach the conscience through the heart1 and so ,he does not even think of them as sinners now--,he forgets everything but their weariness and woe3 ,come unto ,me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will rest you4#aj ,we shall not1 however1 dwell on the precious words with which this chapter ends4 ,they are as rich and suggestive as they are simple and heart-thrilling2 but for this very reason we must not attempt to do more than place them in their setting1 which is often missed1 for the words themselves have attracted so much attention1 and so filled the minds and hearts of those who have looked at them that too little has been made of their surroundings4 ,observe only how nobly the ,son of man comes out of this ordeal of disappointment and discouragement4 ,see the grandeur of ,his faith4 ,at that season1 when we should expect to see ,him in the depths1 ,he rises to the very height of ,his dignity and majesty4 ,this passage above all others has been cited as an example of the self-assertion of ,jesus--say rather ,his sublime consciousness of divine dignity1 prerogative and power2 yet so entirely natural and unassuming is it all1 that in the very same breath ,he can say1 without conveying to the most thoughtful mind the least feeling of incongruity3 ,i am meek and lowly in heart4 ,then1 behold what manner of love6 ,these chilling blasts of doubt1 indifference1 and unbelief1 only fan it into a warmer1 steadier flame4 ,the sweetest of all ,his invitations1 the most touching of all ,his appeals1 comes from a heart which has just been wounded in its tenderest place1 and has tasted the bitterness of cruel disappointment4 ,who can measure the patient love which at that season finds such utterance8 ,,ii4--,,the ,,contradiction ,,of ,,sinners 7xii474 ,the darkness deepens on the ,saviour's path4 ,he has now to encounter direct antagonism4 ,there have been1 indeed1 signs of opposition before4 ,when the man sick of the palsy was forgiven1 certain of the scribes said within themselves1 ,this man blasphemeth 7ix4 #c72 but it was only within themselves1 they did not venture to speak out4 ,again1 after the feast in the house of ,levi1 the ,pharisees complained1 but not to ,christ ,himself2 they said unto ,his disciples1 ,why eateth your ,master with publicans and sinners8 7ix4 #aa74 ,and when the dumb demoniac was cured1 the ,pharisees muttered1 ,he casteth out devils through the prince of the devils 7ix4 #cd71 but did not yet say it to ,his face4 ,but now they are emboldened to attack ,him directly4 ,possibly they saw as clearly as any the discouraging aspect of affairs for the new kingdom4 ,they had1 in all probability1 heard of the doubts of ,john1 had taken note of the fault-findings of the people 7if1 indeed1 these had not been first suggested by themselves71 had observed that even the cities where most of ,his mighty works were done repented not 7xi4 #bj72 and having therefore less occasion to fear consequences1 they might think it safe to attack one who stood for a rapidly failing cause4 99 99 99 99 99 #a4 ,observe1 first1 the spirit in which our ,lord meets the repeated attacks of which the record is given in this chapter4 ,there are four in close succession4 ,the first is the charge of ,sabbath-breaking made against the disciples1 because they rubbed a few ears of corn in their hands as they passed through the fields on the ,sabbath day2 and following it1 the entangling question put to the ,master in the synagogue4 ,then there is the accusation founded on the healing of the blind and dumb demoniac3 ,this man doth not cast out devils1 but by ,beelzebub the prince of the devils 7ver4 #bd74 ,the third attack is the hypocritical application1 ,master1 we would see a sign from ,thee 7ver4 #ch71 the word ,master being evidently used in mockery1 and the request for a sign a scornful way of suggesting that all the signs ,he was giving were worth nothing4 ,these three attacks were made by the ,pharisees1 and were most irritating and vexatious1 each in its own way4 ,the first was annoying on account of its pettiness1 the second because of its bitter malice1 while the third was a studied insult2 and yet1 galling as these repeated attacks must have been1 we may well suppose that the keenest wound of all to the gentle spirit of the ,son of man would be the last1 inflicted by the members of ,his own family1 who seemed at this time as unsympathetic and unbelieving as the ,pharisees themselves2 for the untimely interruption recorded at the close of the chapter was intended1 as we learn from the account in the second gospel1 to put ,him under restraint as a madman4 ,this last interruption1 in which even ,his mother joined1 must have been gall and wormwood to that tender heart4 ,now consider ,him that endured such contradiction of sinners against ,himself 7,heb4 xii4 #c74 ,how does ,he bear ,himself through these storms of calumny and insult8 ,he bears ,himself so that out of this dark chapter of ,his history there comes to us one of the loveliest portraits of ,him to be found anywhere4 ,it had been sketched by one of the old masters as an ideal portrait1 and is now at last matched in real life3 ,behold ,my servant1 ,whom ,i have chosen2 ,my ,beloved1 in ,whom ,my soul is well pleased3 ,i will put ,my spirit upon ,him1 and ,he shall show judgment to the ,gentiles4 ,he shall not strive1 nor cry2 neither shall any man hear ,his voice in the streets4 ,a bruised reed shall ,he not break1 and smoking flax shall ,he not quench1 till ,he send forth judgment unto victory4 ,and in ,his name shall the ,gentiles trust 7vv4 #ah-ba74 ,what gentleness and tenderness1 yet what strength and majesty6--for1 though ,he strives not1 nor lifts up ,his voice in angry altercation1 while ,he will not break the bruised reed1 nor quench the smoking flax1 ,he will nevertheless declare judgment1 and secure victory1 and make ,his name such a power in the earth1 that the ,gentiles shall hope in ,him and the world go after ,him4 ,we can fancy the glow on the ,evangelist's face as he pauses in the midst of the sad record of these cruel assaults1 to look at1 and show to us1 that lovely portrait of the ,son of man4 ,and is it not all the lovelier that it shines out from such a background8 ,does it not give new significance to the tender words which linger in our ears from the chapter of discouragement before3 ,learn of ,me2 for ,i am meek and lowly in heart3 and ye shall find rest unto your souls8 99 99 99 99 99 #b4 ,it would have been a great thing if our ,lord had only borne in dignified silence these repeated provocations2 but ,he is too good and kind to leave these misguided people to their own devices without an effort to enlighten their dark minds and arouse their sleeping consciences4 ,how patiently ,he reasons with them6 ,we may glance at each attack in succession as an illustration of this4 ,on the charge of ,sabbath-breaking ,he endeavours to set them right by citing appropriate scriptures 7vv4 #c1 #d72 appealing to the law itself 7ver4 #e72 furnishing them with a great principle laid down by one of the prophets1 the key of the whole position 7ver4 #g72 and concludes by an illustrative act1 accompanied by a simple and telling argument1 which appeals to the universal conscience and heart 7vv4 #i-ac74 ,again1 how patiently ,he answers the malicious charge of collusion with ,satan1 showing them in the clearest manner1 and with amazing power1 how far they are astray1 and what a dangerous path they are treading 7vv4 #be-cg74 ,so1 too1 in meeting the third attack3 though ,he cannot but sternly rebuke the hypocritical application for a sign1 ,he yet does it in such a way as to prepare for them in due time1 when perhaps they may be ready to appreciate it1 a new sign--,his death and resurrection--overcoming the difficulty arising from the fact that ,he could not yet speak of it in plain terms 7for it was at a later period than this that ,he began to speak plainly of it even to ,his disciples7 by veiling it under the figure of the sign of the prophet ,jonas3 a way of putting it which had the advantage of being memorable1 and at the same time enigmatical enough to veil its meaning till the event should lighten it all up1 and bring out its deep suggestiveness2 and while thus preparing them for the new sign when it should come1 ,he warns them against that evil state of mind and heart which threatened to render even it of no avail 7vv4 #ch-de74 ,and then1 with what marvellous readiness does ,he use the painful interruption with which the chapter ends for the teaching of truth of the highest and purest and tenderest quality6 ,what patience1 what long-suffering1 what meekness of wisdom1 what faithfulness1 what strength and tenderness6 ,every line of the likeness drawn by the inspired hand of the old master is more than justified 7vv4 #df-ej74 99 99 99 99 99 #c4 ,observe1 further1 that in all ,his dealings with ,his bitterest foes ,he never in the least degree lowers ,his dignity1 but rather asserts it in the boldest and strongest terms4 ,it may be questioned1 indeed1 if there is any chapter in all the history in which this is more marked4 ,this1 again1 may be illustrated from all the four occasions4 ,in the argument on the ,sabbath question hear ,him as ,he draws ,himself up1 in presence of ,his accusers1 and says3 ,in this place is ,one greater than the temple 7ver4 #f72 and again3 ,the ,son of man is ,lord even of the ,sabbath day 7ver4 #h74 ,must there not have been something heavenly-majestic in ,his look and bearing when words like these were allowed to pass unchallenged by such men8 ,this consciousness of dignity appears no less in the argument by which the second charge is met4 ,in proof of this we may point to verses #bh and #cj2 and the same impression is produced by the solemnly repeated ,i say unto you 7vv4 #ca1 #cf71 in each case introducing one of those declarations of judgment to which reference is made in the passage quoted from the prophet 7vv4 #ah1 #bj74 ,quite as conspicuous is the same feature in the third remonstrance1 in which ,he asserts ,his superiority to the great ones of the old covenant in language which acquires1 from the connection in which it occurs1 a strength far beyond the mere terms employed3 ,behold1 a greater than ,jonas1 444 behold1 a greater than ,solomon1 is here 7vv4 #da1 #db74 ,and in the last of the four sad encounters the same lofty consciousness of peerless dignity is manifest4 ,son of ,mary is ,he8 brother of ,james and ,joses8 ,see ,him lift ,his eyes to heaven1 and speak of ,my ,father1 and look down the ages1 and out to the uttermost bounds of earth1 and say1 ,whosoever shall do the will of ,my ,father which is in heaven1 the same is ,my brother1 and sister1 and mother 7ver4 #ej74 99 99 99 99 99 #d4 ,we have seen how kindly and patiently the ,saviour deals with these cavillers1 so as to give them every opportunity of seeing their folly and wickedness and the beauty and excellence of the truth they are resisting4 ,but ,he does much more than this4 ,he speaks not only so as to meet their objections1 and give them the opportunity of being set right1 but so as to provide instruction1 warning and encouragement for all succeeding ages4 ,to show in any satisfactory way how this is done would require separate treatment for each of the four instances2 but it may be possible in a very brief way to suggest it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the first attack gave ,him the opportunity of speaking on the ,sabbath law4 ,as we have seen1 ,he began to treat the subject from the strictly ,jewish standpoint1 using the example of ,david and the ritual of the ,temple to correct the misapprehensions and misrepresentations of those with whom in the first instance ,he had to do4 ,but ,he does not leave it as a mere ,jewish question2 ,he broadens ,his view1 and shows that the day of rest is for humanity at large--not1 however1 as a burden1 but as a blessing1 the principle which underlies it being mercy1 and not sacrifice4 ,thus1 out of this conflict there has come to us the ,magna ,charta of the people's ,sabbath1 the full text of which is given in the corresponding passage of the second gospel3 ,the ,sabbath was made for man1 and not man for the ,sabbath3 therefore the ,son of man is ,lord also of the ,sabbath4 ,here we have1 on the one hand1 the vindication of our rights against those who would deprive us of the day of rest1 as if the privilege had been intended only for the ,jews1 and was abolished when the dispensation closed2 and1 on the other1 the assertion of our liberty against those who1 by their petty regulations and restrictions1 would make ,god's precious gift a burden instead of a blessing4 ,and how wisely and beautifully does ,he confirm to us our privileges by following the charter with an argument1 which1 though coming still under the head of the great principle 7,mercy1 and not sacrifice71 is no mere repetition1 but illustrates the wider aspect just unfolded1 by its freedom from ,jewish colour1 and its appeal to the conscience and heart of mankind at large3 ,what man shall there be among you1 that shall have one sheep1 and if it fall into a pit on the ,sabbath day1 will he not lay hold on it1 and lift it out8 ,how much1 then1 is a man better than a sheep8 7vv4 #aa1 #ab74 99 99 99 99 99 ,the second attack gave ,him the opportunity of bringing out with great distinctness and vividness the witness of the ,spirit of ,god to ,his work as ,saviour of mankind4 ,these ,pharisees regarded ,his miracles as mere displays of power1 apart altogether from the spirit of purity1 mercy and grace so manifest in them all4 ,it was only this narrowness of view that made it possible for them to imagine that the ,spirit of evil1 to whom of course no one could deny a certain measure of mere power1 was behind them4 ,how completely ,he answers their blasphemous suggestion by showing that the works ,he did1 judged1 not by the mere power they displayed1 but by their whole spirit and tendency1 were at the very opposite pole from the works of ,satan1 we plainly see2 but the point now is the permanent value of ,his reasoning4 ,at first sight it may seem to be quite out of date4 ,whoever dreams now of disposing of the works of ,christ by attributing them to ,satan8 ,let us not be over-hasty1 however1 in concluding that old objections are out of date4 ,if we look closely at those regarded as the newest1 we may find that they are but old ones in a new dress4 ,what of the position taken by some intelligent men in our day1 who candidly admit the power of ,christianity to elevate and sanctify men1 and yet set it down as false8 ,as an illustration of this1 we cannot do better than refer to a recent production#aa of the ,agnostic ,school1 in which there is the most emphatic testimony to the blessed power of ,christianity in particular instances1 followed by these most candid and generous words3 ,what needs admitting1 or rather proclaiming1 by agnostics who would be just1 is that the ,christian doctrine has the power of elevating and developing saintliness1 which has had no equal in any other creed or philosophy4 ,yet the book in which that sentence occurs assumes throughout that this doctrine1 which has had no equal in producing saintliness--a quality which in another place is described as so lofty1 so pure1 so attractive1 that it ravishes men's souls--is untrue6 ,is1 then1 the argument of our ,lord out of date8 and is it too late to ask the old question1 ,can ,satan cast out ,satan8 ,it does not always follow1 of course1 that that which is good in its effects in particular cases1 is thereby proved to be true4 ,truth and falsehood are to be determined fundamentally on other grounds than those of proved utility--this applies alike to truth and duty2 there is an absolute truth and falsehood quite irrespective of utility1 and there is an absolute right and wrong quite irrespective of utility1--but though we cannot in particular cases prove that to be true which appears to be beneficial1 yet we cannot but believe that in the end1 the true1 the good1 and the beautiful will be found to coincide2 and we maintain that1 seeing the effects of genuine ,christianity on human character have been tested for nearly two thousand years1 and have been found to make for righteousness1 nobility1 purity1 all that is good and gracious1 high and holy1 it is too late in the day to set it down to the father of lies4 ,we may be mistaken in our passing judgments1 may be misled into accepting as eternally true and right some measure or doctrine which has not yet had time to develop its real nature and character1 which may produce good results at first1 and then by degrees develop other results of quite a contrary kind--take the history of ,monasticism as a case in point2 but when there has been ample time and opportunity for testing the fruits of a system1 as there has been in the case of ,christianity2 when we observe that the gospel of ,christ has had these wonderful effects through eighteen successive centuries among all ranks and classes1 nations and races of men--it ought surely to require something stronger than ,agnosticism 7which at the worst can only say1 ,i do not know7 to make us believe the outrageously improbable supposition that it is false1 and therefore presumably of the kingdom of lies and of unclean things4 ,there have been too many devils cast out of human hearts to make it at all doubtful that in very deed the kingdom of ,god has come among us 7ver4 #bh74 ,there has been too much spoiling of the strong man's goods to make it at all doubtful that a stronger than he has mastered him and is spoiling his house4 ,the ,son of ,god was manifested1 that ,he might destroy the works of the devil 7#a ,john iii4 #h72 and wherever ,he has been admitted into human hearts ,he has done it1 setting up ,his kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy in the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the argument is as fresh to-day as the day it was propounded2 and it has now all the added strength of centuries of confirmation4 ,the third attack gave our ,lord the opportunity of laying bare the root of unbelief1 and setting forth the important truth that1 when the heart is estranged from ,god1 mere signs are unavailing4 ,the signs ,he had given in abundance should have been enough1 especially when the only way of evading their force the ingenuity of scepticism could devise had been closed by the powerful argument just delivered4 ,besides this there was the crowning sign of the resurrection still to come2 yet ,he knew that even that would fail to satisfy--not for reasons intellectual1 but because of the spirit of the age1 as ,he points out in that striking and powerful parable 7vv4 #dc-de71 and hints in the suggestive term1 an evil and adulterous generation 7ver4 #ci71 the word adulterous referring to the well-known1 and at that time thoroughly understood1 language of the ,old ,testament1 according to which estrangement of heart from ,god is branded as spiritual adultery4 7,see ,jeremiah iii41 ,hosea i41 ii41 and many other passages47 ,herein we see a sufficient explanation of the widespread unbelief of the age in which we live4 ,it is because the heart of this generation is so far estranged from ,god1 so wedded to the earthly and material1 so taken up with selfish aggrandisement and the multiplication of the luxuries of life4 ,in many cases of unbelief the individual is not so much to blame as the spirit of the age of which he is the representative4 ,observe that the ,lord does not say1 ,ye evil ,pharisees1 but1 ,an evil and adulterous generation2 thus making it evident that the spirit of scepticism was not peculiar to themselves1 but a something diffused throughout society4 ,hence it comes that many men1 of blameless lives--of whom it would be a breach of charity to say that they loved darkness rather than light1 because their deeds were evil--nevertheless declare themselves unsatisfied with the signs of the divine mission of ,christ our ,lord4 ,why is this8 ,it is because they are infected with the spirit of the age1 engrossed with the material1 the sensible1 the secular2 while their hearts1 swept and garnished though they be1 are empty of ,god3 ,the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving1 that the light of the gospel of the glory of ,christ1 ,who is the image of ,god1 should not dawn upon them 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #d1 ,r4,v474 ,such persons not only cannot recognise the signs of the kingdom of heaven1 but are in a state of heart and mind to which no sign can possibly be given4 ,we are indebted to the fine candour of the late ,mr4 ,darwin for a striking illustration of this4 ,in his ,life there is an interesting correspondence with ,professor ,asa ,gray1 the great botanist1 who1 wondering how ,darwin could remain unconvinced by the innumerable evidences of design in nature1 took the liberty of asking him if he could think of any possible proof which he would consider sufficient4 ,to this ,mr4 ,darwin replied3 ,your question1 ',what would convince me8' is a poser4 ,if ,i saw an angel come down to teach us so1 and ,i was convinced1 from others seeing him1 that ,i was not mad1 ,i should believe4 ,if he had left it there1 it might have been pertinent to ask him whether ,christ is not just such an angel come down from heaven to teach us1 and whether a sufficient number of persons did not see ,him in the flesh1 to say nothing of the multitudes who know ,him in the spirit1 to convince us that we are not mad in believing it4 ,he did not1 however1 leave it there1 but went on to say3 ,if man was made of brass and iron1 and in no way connected with any other organism which had ever lived1 ,i should perhaps be convinced4 ,nothing could be more candid1 or more in keeping with the transparent honesty of this great man4 ,but what an acknowledgment6 ,man must cease to be man1 and become a metal machine1 and the universe must cease to be a harmonious whole1 before there can be evidence enough for so simple and elementary a principle as design in the universe2 and then only a perhaps6 ,if all this were done for me1 ,i should perhaps be convinced4 ,is our ,lord's answer to the seekers after a sign out of date8 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,there shall no sign be given unto this generation 7,mark viii4 #ab74 ,how could there be8 99 99 99 99 99 ,what will ,he make of the distressing interruption caused by the interference of ,his mother and brethren8 ,knowing their motives and intentions as ,he did1 ,he could not for a moment yield2 and how was it possible to deal with them without a public rebuke1 from which1 seeing that ,his mother was involved in it1 ,his heart would instinctively shrink8 ,it was a most painful position2 and the more we think of it1 and try to imagine possible ways of extrication1 the more we must admire the wisdom and kindness shown in the way in which ,he confronted the difficulty4 ,he makes use of the opportunity for giving a new and most winning view of the kingdom of heaven as a happy family1 united each to ,himself1 and all to the ,father by the holiest bonds2 thus opening out the paradise of a perfect home to all who choose to enter it1 taking the sacred ties involved in the sweet words brother and sister and mother1 and giving them a range1 a dignity1 and a permanence they never had before4 ,in all this there was no word of direct censure2 yet the sadly mistaken conduct of ,his kindred did not pass without implied rebuke2 for the effect of ,his words was to make it clear that1 sacred as were1 in ,his eyes1 the ties of earth1 their only hope of permanence was in alliance with the higher ties of heaven4 ,he has come in the loving ,father's name to gather in ,his wandering children2 and if ,his mother and brethren according to the flesh attempt to hinder ,him1 ,he cannot listen to them for a moment1 but must steel ,his heart against their blind appeals1 and that1 not only for ,his works' sake1 but for theirs also4 ,they are slow to believe2 but the least likely way to bring them to faith would be to yield to their unbelief4 ,he will prosecute the path of duty1 though it involve the sacrifice of all that cheers and comforts ,his heart2 ,he must set ,his face as a flint to finish the work ,his ,father has given ,him to do1 and they will understand ,him by-and-by4 ,there is no doubt they would go home with sore hearts that day2 but no very long time would elapse till they would all be most grateful that their foolish1 however well meant1 interference had failed of its intent4 ,the course of events in later times has proved that the gentle rebuke involved in our ,lord's reception of the message from ,his mother was not only necessary at the time and for her1 but for the ages to come as well4 ,we have seen that1 in each of the attacks recorded before1 our ,saviour replies in such a way that ,his words not only meet the objection of the moment1 but continue of permanent value to meet similar objections and gainsayings in ages to come4 ,so is it here4 ,it certainly is no fault of ,mary herself1 whose name should ever be held in the highest respect by all who love the ,lord1 that a corrupt ,church1 reversing all the teaching of the ,church's ,head1 not only elevated the earthly relationship far above the spiritual1 but in virtue of this relationship put the mother in the place of the ,son1 and taught an ignorant people to worship her and trust in her as a mediator4 ,but the fact that this was done1 and is persisted in to this day1 shows that when our ,lord set aside the mere earthly relationship as one that must be merged in the spiritual1 ,he was correcting not only a pardonable error of ,mary1 but a most unpardonable error that afterwards1 without any encouragement whatever from her1 should be committed in her name4 ,after all1 however1 it is not the setting aside of the claims of ,mary and the lowering of the earthly relationship in comparison with the heavenly1 which is the great thing in the passage2 but the ,gospel of the ,family of ,god4 ,we have had the ,gospel of the ,kingdom of ,god1 and glad tidings it has been indeed2 but have we not here something even better8 ,it is much to be permitted to hail the ,son of ,god as our ,king2 is it not better still to be encouraged to hail ,him as a ,brother1 to know that all that is sweetest and tenderest in the dear words brother1 sister1 mother1 can be imported into our relation to ,him8 ,how it endears the heavenly relationship1 and hallows the earthly6 ,again1 how it rebukes all sectarianism6 ,he stretches out ,his hand towards ,his disciples1 and then to all the world by that word whosoever4 ,and it is not the mere promise of salvation with which this whosoever is connected4 ,there are ,christians in the present day who can scarcely allow themselves to be sectarian enough to deny that there is salvation out of the ,church to which they happen to belong3 they are good enough to think that these people1 who do not follow with them may somehow or other be saved2 but the idea of fraternising with them6 that is quite another thing4 ,now listen to the ,saviour ,himself3 ,whosoever shall do the will of ,my ,father which is in heaven 7no question of what ,church he belongs to1 or anything of that sort71 the same is ,my brother1 and sister1 and mother4 ,no arm's-length recognition there2 ,he takes all true disciples to ,his heart4 ,observe1 moreover1 the emphasis on doing1 with which we are already familiar4 ,in setting forth the ,gospel of the ,kingdom1 our ,lord was careful to warn ,his hearers3 ,not every one that saith unto ,me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven2 but he that doeth the will of ,my ,father 7vii4 #ba72 and now that ,he is setting forth the ,gospel of the ,family the emphasis is still in the same place4 ,it is not ,whosoever shall connect himself with this church or that church2 it is not ,whosoever shall be baptised1 and take the sacrament2 it is ,whosoever shall do the will of ,my ,father in heaven4 ,this emphasis on doing1 in connection with these endearing relations1 is most significant4 ,there must be love among the members of the family2 and what else than love is the characteristic of the family ties8 ,but how is love to be shown8 ,how are we to distinguish it from mere sentiment8 ,our ,saviour is careful to teach us2 and never is ,he more careful than in those passages where tender feeling is most prominent--as1 for example1 in ,his parting words in the upper room1 where again and again ,he reminds ,his disciples that obedience is the only sure test of love3 ,if ye love ,me1 keep ,my commandments2 ,he that hath ,my commandments1 and keepeth them1 he it is that loveth ,me 7,john xiv4 #ae1 #ba74 ,for the same reason obedience is here set forth as the only certain mark of the true disciple3 ,whosoever shall do the will of ,my ,father which is in heaven1 the same is ,my brother1 and sister1 and mother4 #aj ,this is the literal translation1 which means more than give you rest4 ,it is not as if rest were a blessing ,he could bestow1 as a friend would make a present which might be retained after the giver had gone4 ,rest is not so much what ,he gives to us as what ,he is to us2 and so ,he says1 not ,i will give you rest1 but ,i will rest you 7i4e41 ,i will be your rest74 #aa ,the ,service of ,man1 by ,j4 ,cotter ,morrison4 ,,xi4 ,,the ,,parables ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom4 ,,matt4 xiii4 ,the same day went ,jesus out of the house1 and sat by the sea side4 ,we can well imagine that1 after such a series of discouragements and mortifications1 the weary and heavy-laden ,saviour would long to be alone1 to get away from the abodes of men1 to some lonely place where silent nature around ,him would calm ,his spirit and furnish a temple in which ,he might lift up ,his soul to ,god4 ,how long ,he was allowed to be alone we cannot tell2 but possibly ,he may have contrived for a time to remain unobserved4 ,how burdened ,his spirit must have been6 ,what strength of faith it must have needed to look forward with any hope to the future of ,his work at such a time of crushing disappointment6 ,we must remember that ,he was true man1 and therefore ,his heart must have been very sore as ,he dwelt on the painful experiences through which ,he had just been passing4 ,the obstacles which lay right in ,his path must have seemed well-nigh insuperable2 and it would have been no wonder if at such a time ,he had despaired of the prospects of the kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy ,he had come to set up on the earth4 ,he did not despair2 but ,he did most deeply ponder2 and the result of ,his thinking appears in the series of parables recorded in this chapter1 which set forth1 on the one hand1 the nature of the obstacles the kingdom must meet1 and the reason why it must meet them1 and on the other1 its certain prospect1 notwithstanding these1 of growth and development onward to its final consummation4 ,if ,he was permitted to enjoy ,his seclusion1 it was only for a short time4 ,he could not be hid1 ,his quiet retreat was discovered2 and presently there came to ,him great multitudes1 so many that the only convenient way to address them all was to get into a boat1 and speak to the people gathered on the shore4 ,it is a lovely picture3 the multitudes on the shore with the green fields around and the hills behind1 and the ,master speaking from the little boat4 ,viewed apart from the sorrowful experience of the past1 it would have been full of cheer and hope4 ,what more encouraging sight than such a throng gathered to hear the words of light and hope ,he had for them8 ,but how can ,he view it apart from the sorrowful experience of the past8 ,have not these crowds been around ,him day after day1 week after week2 and what has come of it all8 ,it is one thing to sow the seed of the kingdom2 it is quite another to gather the harvest4 ,the result depends on the soil4 ,some of it may be hard1 so that the seed cannot enter2 some of it1 though receptive on the surface1 yet so rocky underneath1 that the fairest shoots will wither in a day2 some of it so filled with seeds of thorns and weeds1 that plants of grace are choked as they attempt to grow2 while only a portion1 and it may be a small proportion of the whole1 can yield a fair or full return4 ,such were ,his thoughts as ,he looked on the field of men before ,him1 and glanced from it to the fields of the plain of ,gennesaret around1 in the foreground of which as in a picture the multitudes were set4 ,as ,he thought1 so ,he spoke1 using the one field as a parable of the other1 thus veiling1 and at the same time beautifully revealing1 ,his thought in a figure1 which1 simple as it was1 demanded some degree of spiritual understanding for its appreciation2 and accordingly after speaking the parable ,he adds the suggestive word1 ,who hath ears to hear1 let him hear4 ,there is something very touching in that word4 ,it thrills with the pathos of these preceding chapters of disappointment4 ,he had such a message for them--good tidings of great joy1 rest for the weary and heavy laden1 words of life and light and hope eternal--if only there were ears to hear4 ,but that sad passage of ,isaiah is running in ,his mind3 ,by hearing ye shall hear1 and shall not understand2 and seeing ye shall see1 and shall not perceive3 for this people's heart is waxed gross1 and their ears are dull of hearing1 and their eyes they have closed2 lest at any time they should see with their eyes1 and hear with their ears1 and should understand with their heart1 and should be converted1 and ,i should heal them4 ,that is the great obstacle1 the one hindrance4 ,oh6 if only men would hear2 if only they would not close the ears of their souls6 ,who hath ears to hear1 let him hear4 ,i4--,,the ,,principle ,,of ,,parabolic ,,instruction4 ,the parable is a new style of teaching as compared with that of which the ,sermon on the ,mount was so notable an example4 ,that discourse was not by any means lacking in illustration2 still its main lines of thought were of the nature of direct spiritual instruction4 ,but here there is no direct spiritual teaching4 ,it is all indirect2 it is parabolic through and through4 ,no wonder the disciples noticed the difference1 and came to the ,master with the question1 ,why speakest ,thou unto them in parables8 ,the answer ,he gives is a revelation of the thoughts which have been passing in ,his mind4 ,of this disclosure we have already availed ourselves in our attempt to picture the scene2 but it remains to look at this weighty passage as answering the disciples' question1 and so explaining the rise of that form of instruction in which1 as in all that ,he did1 ,he showed himself a perfect ,master4 ,the whole thing turns on the distinction between earnest inquirers and careless hearers4 ,there must have been many of the latter in ,his audience1 for this was no selected company1 like that which listened to the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,the earnest inquirer has ears to hear2 the other has not4 ,the difference this makes is most strikingly set forth in the strong declaration3 ,whosoever hath1 to him shall be given1 and he shall have more abundance3 but whosoever hath not1 from him shall be taken away even that he hath1--that is1 instead of being the better for what he has heard1 he is the worse2 not apprehending the truth1 he is only perplexed and confused by it1 and instead of going away enriched1 he is poorer than ever4 ,what1 then1 is to be done8 ,if1 instead of doing the people good1 it only does them harm1 why try to teach them at all8 ,why not let them alone1 till they come with ears to hear1 ready to receive8 ,happily this sad alternative is not the only resource4 ,the truth may be put in such a way that it has both a shell and kernel of meaning2 and the kernel may be so inclosed in the shell that it can be kept safely there1 ready for the time when the inner fruit1 which is the true food of the soul1 can be used4 ,for this purpose the parable is pre-eminently serviceable4 ,the shell of meaning is so simple and familiar1 that even a child can understand it2 being of the nature of a story1 it is very easily remembered2 and connected as it is with that which is frequently observed1 it will come up again and again to the minds of those in whom the thought has been lodged2 so that1 even if1 on first hearing it1 there is no possibility of understanding its deep spiritual significance1 the time may come when it will flash upon the spirit the light which has been concealed within and so preserved from waste4 ,take this parable of ,the ,sower as an illustration4 ,the disciples1 having ears to hear1 were ready to get the good of it at once1 so to them ,he expounds it 7vv4 #ah-bc7 on the spot4 ,the rest were not ready to receive and apply it4 ,having ears 7but not ears to hear71 they heard not2 but did it follow from this that it was useless1 even worse than useless1 to give it them8 ,had the teaching been direct1 it would have been so2 for they would have heard and rejected1 and that would have been the last of it4 ,but put as it was in parabolic form1 while they were not prepared to understand and apply it then1 they could not but carry it away with them2 and1 as they walked the fields1 and observed the birds picking the seeds from the trodden field-paths1 or the tiny plants withering on the rocky ledges1 or the springing wheat strangled with rank growths of thorns1 or the healthy growing wheat plant1 or later in the season the rich golden grain on the good soil1 they would have opportunity after opportunity of getting a glimpse of the truth1 and finding that which at the first they were so unprepared to receive4 ,in this we can see the harmony of the passage before us1 with its parallels in the second and third ,gospels1 where the object of speaking in parables is represented as being that seeing1 they might not see1 and hearing they might not understand 7see ,mark iv4 #ab1 and ,luke viii4 #aj74 ,it is true that the object of the parable was to veil as well as to reveal2 and the effect1 which was also an intended effect1 was to veil it from the unprepared heart and reveal it to the heart prepared2 but inasmuch as the heart which is unprepared to-day may be prepared to-morrow1 or next month1 or next year1 the parable may serve1 and was intended to serve1 the double purpose of veiling it and revealing it to the same person--veiling it from him as long as his heart was gross1 but revealing it to him as soon as he should turn to the ,lord and be willing to use his spiritual powers of apprehension for the purpose for which they had been given him4 ,thus1 while this method of instruction was of the nature of judgment on the hard-hearted for the moment1 it was really in the deepest sense a device of love1 to prolong the time of their opportunity1 to give them repeated chances instead of only one4 ,it was judgment for the moment1 with a view to mercy in the time to come4 ,so we find1 as always1 that even when our ,saviour seems to deal harshly with men1 ,his deepest thoughts are thoughts of love2 and in ,his recourse to the parabolic veil1 ,he is once more illustrating the truth of the prophet's description of ,him cited in the foregoing chapter3 ,a bruised reed shall ,he not break1 and smoking flax shall ,he not quench1 till ,he send forth judgment unto victory4 ,how many difficulties might have been avoided if expositors had used less of the mere dry light of the understanding1 and tried more to lay their hearts alongside the beating heart of ,christ6 ,is not my word like as a fire8 saith the ,lord4 ,had this been remembered1 and the fire of love in such a passage as this brought to bear upon the heart1 before it was used like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces1 how different in many cases would have been the result6 ,it is sad to think that this very passage as to the object of the parables has been used as if it simply taught predestination in its hardest sense1 dooming the poor misguided soul to hopelessness for ever2 whereas1 if we enter at all into sympathy with the ,saviour's heart in the sad and trying circumstances in which the words were spoken1 we find in it no harshness at all1 but the yearning of a patient love1 seeking if by any means ,he may reach and gain the lost4 ,we have1 indeed1 the evidence on every side that the ,saviour's heart was greatly moved at this time4 ,we have already recognised the pathos of the cry1 ,who hath ears to hear1 let him hear4 ,we have seen the sorrow of ,his heart in the sad quotation from the prophet ,isaiah4 ,on the other hand1 what joy ,he has in those who do see and hear6--,but blessed are your eyes1 for they see2 and your ears1 for they hear4 ,for verily ,i say unto you1 ,that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see1 and have not seen them2 and to hear those things which ye hear1 and have not heard them4 ,the same satisfaction appears later 7ver4 #ea71 when1 after finishing the series1 ,he asks ,his disciples1 ,have ye understood all these things8 and they say unto ,him1 ,yea1 ,lord4 ,he adds1 ,therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder1 which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old4 ,the ,saviour evidently rejoices in the thought that these disciples1 having ears to hear1 are making real progress1--so much so that in due time they will be ready to be teachers of others1 each having a treasury of his own2 and not only will they be in possession of the old1 but will have power to strike out new views of sacred truth1 and so be prepared with freshness and variety to set forth the glad tidings of the kingdom of heaven4 ,how fully these hopes were realised we have only to look forward to the epistles to see4 ,there we have things old1 the very truths the ,master taught in the days of ,his flesh2 and not the old alone1 for there are things new as well1 fresh settings of the old1 new aspects1 varied applications of the truth--a treasury indeed for the ages to come4 ,the ,saviour1 then1 had good reason to take comfort that some of the seed ,he was sowing in tears was falling on good soil1 and promising a rich and blessed harvest4 ,but the dark and discouraging side is never long out of sight4 ,returning to ,his own country1 and teaching in their synagogue1 ,he so impressed the people that they could not but ask certain questions1 which1 if they had only pondered them1 would have led them to the truth3 ,whence hath this man this wisdom1 and these mighty works8 ,but the mere outside things that met their eyes so engrossed their attention1 that their heads and hearts remained as empty as ever4 ,instead of pressing the question ,whence8 which would have led them up to heaven and to ,god1 they dwelt upon this man1 this common man1 this carpenter's son1 with a mother called ,mary1 and brothers with the common names1 ,james and ,joseph1 ,simon and ,judas2 so1 proving themselves to be of the earth earthy1 they closed their ears and were offended in ,him4 ,it was very evident that the only hope of reaching people of that kind was to speak in parables1 which they could remember without understanding in the meantime1 with the hope that by-and-by as they thought of the subject without such prejudices as these which now cause them to stumble1 they may at last understand1 and receive the truth and inherit eternal life4 ,,ii4--,,the ,,group ,,of ,,seven4 ,so far we have dealt with the parabolic method of teaching1 and in doing so have glanced at only one of the seven parables the chapter contains1 every one of which invites special study2 but inasmuch as our plan will not admit of this1 we shall attempt nothing more than a general view of the entire group2 and to this we restrict ourselves the more willingly that there is a unity in the cluster which is apt to escape notice when they are considered apart1 and because by letting go the details we get the prominent features more vividly before our minds4 ,the arrangement seems to be in three pairs1 with a single concluding parable4 ,the first pair--,the ,sower and ,the ,tares--set forth the manner of the establishment of the kingdom of heaven1 and the obstacles it must encounter4 ,the sphere from which both parables are taken is admirably suited to bring out the radical distinction in regard to the manner of its establishment between the new kingdom and those with which the people were already familiar4 ,they were founded by the sword2 this kingdom by the ,word4 ,not force1 but persuasion1 is to be the weapon2 and accordingly there is placed before the mind1 not a warrior hasting to battle1 but a sower sowing seed4 ,the field is the world1 we are told--the world of men1 of human hearts2 and the seed is the word of the kingdom4 ,it is good seed1 and therefore it ought to be welcome2 but there are serious obstacles in the way4 ,the first parable sets forth the obstacles encountered in the soil itself4 ,sometimes the seed falls on hard soil1 where it cannot penetrate the surface1 and presently birds come and carry it away--representing those hearers of the word1 who1 though they remember it for a short time1 have their hearts hardened against it1 so that it does not enter1 but is presently snatched away by trifling worldly thoughts which come fluttering into the mind4 ,then there is the shallow soil1 a little loose earth on the surface1 and close under it the hard rock1 harder even than the trodden wayside--a kind of soil in which the seed will rapidly take root and spring up1 and as rapidly wither away in the noonday heat1 and which therefore fitly represents those who are easily impressed1 but whose impressions do not last2 who make many resolutions indeed1 but in so half-hearted and impulsive a way that they are destined to be blighted by the first blast of temptation4 ,finally1 there is the preoccupied soil1 where thorns and thistles hold the ground and choke the springing plants of grace1 representing those who are choked with cares1 and riches and pleasures of this life1 and bring no fruit to maturity4 ,the good soil is marked by characteristics which are simply the negatives of these3 it is not hard1 so the seed enters2 not shallow1 so it takes root2 not preoccupied1 so it holds the ground1 and springs up and brings forth fruit1 in some thirty1 in some sixty1 in some a hundredfold4 ,there are1 however1 other obstacles than those found in the nature of the soil4 ,there is the diligence of the enemy1 and the impossibility of getting rid of those who have come under his influence1 as set forth in the second parable1 that of ,the ,tares of the ,field4 ,in this parable the good seed is no longer the word1 but the children of the kingdom2 as if to suggest that ,christians themselves are to be to the world what the word has been to them2 while the bad seed--sown when men sleep1 sown when ,christians are asleep--does not remain as mere seed1 but embodies itself in children of the wicked one1 who take their places side by side with the true children of the kingdom1 and whom it is so difficult to distinguish from them1 that the separation may not be attempted till the time of the harvest1 when it shall be complete and final1 and the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their ,father4 ,the second pair--,the ,mustard ,seed and ,the ,leaven--set forth the growth of the kingdom notwithstanding the many obstacles it must encounter1 the one indicating its growth as recognisable to the observant eye1 the other its pervasive power as permeating society4 ,this twofold view of the development of the kingdom is in the same line of thought as the illustrations of the light and the salt in the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,the prophecy these parables infold is most marvellous1 spoken as it was in a time of so deep discouragement4 ,there is true pathos in the thought of the grain of mustard seed1 the least of all seeds1 and in the little word hid1 which comes in so significantly in the parable of the ,leaven2 and there is great strength of faith in the readiness of mind to recognise the hopeful thought of the inherent life and energy hidden in the tiny germ1 and working all unseen in the little leaven which literally disappeared in the at first unaltered mass4 ,the parables of ,the ,hid ,treasure and ,the ,pearl form a third pair1 shadowing forth the unsearchable riches of ,christ4 ,the reduplication of the thought adds greatly to its impressiveness1 and moreover affords the opportunity of suggested variation in the experience of those who find the treasure4 ,the merchantman we naturally think of as representing the rich1 and the man finding the treasure in the field as one of the poor in this world's goods4 ,both alike1 however1 buy their prize at the price of all that they possess1 on the principle which underlies all our ,lord's teaching as to the way of life3 ,whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be ,my disciple4 ,the one comes upon his treasure unexpectedly2 the other finds it in the course of diligent search4 ,both alike1 however1 recognise its exceeding value as soon as it is seen2 and it is under no constraint1 but willingly and gladly--for joy thereof1 as it is put in the case of the man who from his not seeking it might have been thought indifferent to it--that each one sells all that he has and buys it4 ,the last parable1 according to the arrangement we have suggested1 stands alone4 ,it is the parable of ,the ,net1 and its subject is the consummation of the ,kingdom4 ,its teaching is indeed to a great extent anticipated in the parable of the tares of the field2 but in that parable1 though the end of the world is pictured in the most impressive imagery1 it is not the main thought1 as it is here1 where the one lesson is1 that the present mixed state of things cannot continue for ever1 that there must come a time of separation1 when those in whose hearts ,god reigns shall be gathered to a place by themselves1 where they shall be satisfied for ever1 with their treasure no longer hid1 but open in all its immeasurable fulness2 while those who refused to allow ,god to reign in their hearts1 and preferred their own selfishness and sin1 shall be cast away and consumed1 with wailing and gnashing of teeth4 ,,xii4 ,,the ,,crisis ,,in ,,galilee4 ,,matt4 xiv4-xvi4 #ab4 ,the lives of ,john and of ,jesus1 lived so far apart1 and with so little intercommunication1 have yet been interwoven in a remarkable way1 the connection only appearing at the most critical times in the life of our ,lord4 ,this interweaving1 strikingly anticipated in the incidents of the nativity as recorded by ,st4 ,luke1 appears1 not only at the time of our ,saviour's baptism and first introduction to ,his ,messianic work1 but again at the beginning of ,his ,galilean ministry1 which dates from the time when ,john was cast into prison1 and once again as the stern prophet of the desert finishes his course2 for his martyrdom precipitates a crisis1 to which events for some time have been tending4 ,the period of crisis1 embracing the facts recorded in the two chapters following and in part of the sixteenth1 is marked by events of thrilling interest4 ,the shadow of the cross falls so very darkly now upon the ,saviour's path1 that we may look for some more striking effects of light and shade1--,rembrandt-like touches1 if with reverence we may so put it1--in the ,evangelist's picture4 ,many impressive contrasts will arrest our attention as we proceed to touch briefly on the story of the time4 ,i4--,,the ,,banquet ,,of ,,herod ,,and ,,the ,,feast ,,of ,,christ 7xiv4 #a-ba74 ,among them that are born of woman there hath not risen a greater than ,john the ,baptist4 ,such was the ,saviour's testimony to ,his forerunner in the hour of his weakness2 and the sequel fully justified it4 ,the answer which came to ,john's inquiry brought him no outward relief4 ,his prison bolts were as firmly fastened as before1 ,herod was as inexorable1 the prospect before ,him as dark as ever2 but he had the assurance that ,jesus was the ,christ1 and that ,his blessed work of healing the sick and preaching the gospel to the poor was going on2 and that was enough for him4 ,so he was quite content to languish on1 resting in the ,lord and waiting patiently for ,him4 ,we learn from ,st4 ,mark that ,herod was in the habit of sending for him at times1 evidently interested in the strange man1 probably to some extent fascinated by him1 and possibly not without some lingering hope that there might be some way of reconciling the preacher of righteousness and securing the blessing of so well-accredited a messenger of ,heaven4 ,there is little doubt that at these times the way was open for ,john to be restored to liberty1 if only he had been willing to lower his testimony against ,herod's sin1 or consent to say no more about it2 but no such thought ever crossed his noble soul4 ,he had said1 ,it is not lawful for thee to have her2 and not even in the hour of deepest depression and darkest doubt did he for a moment relax the rigour of his requirements as a preacher of righteousness4 ,as he had lived1 so he died4 ,we shall not dwell on the details of the revolting story4 ,it is quite realistic enough in the simple recital of the ,evangelist4 ,one cannot help recalling in this connection four hideous pictures of ,salome with the head of ,john the ,baptist recently displayed1 all on the line1 in the ,salon at ,paris4 ,of what possible use are such representations8 ,to what sort of taste do they minister8 ,there was no picture of ,john looking with flashing eyes at the guilty monarch as he said1 ,it is not lawful for thee to have her4 ,that is the scene which is worthy of remembrance3 let it abide in the memory and heart2 let the tragic end serve only as a dark background to make the central figure luminous1 a burning and a shining light4 ,the time of ,herod's merciful visitation is over4 ,so long as he kept the ,baptist safe 7,mark vi4 #ai1 #bj7 from the machinations of ,herodias1 he retained one link with better things4 ,the stern prisoner was to him like a second conscience2 and so long as he was there within easy reach1 and ,herod continued from time to time to see him and hear what he had to say1 there remained some hope of repentance and reformation4 ,had he only yielded to the promptings of his better nature1 and obeyed the prophet1 the way of the ,lord would have been prepared1 the preacher of righteousness would have been followed by the ,prince of ,peace2 and the gospel of ,jesus1 with all its unspeakable blessing1 would have had free course in his court and throughout his realm4 ,but the sacrifice of the prophet to the cruelty of ,herodias and the folly and wickedness of his vow put an end to such prospects2 and the fame of ,christ's deeds of mercy1 when at last it reached his ears1 instead of stirring in him a living hope1 aroused the demon of a guilty conscience1 which could not rid itself of the superstitious fear that it was ,john the ,baptist risen from the dead4 ,thus passed away for ever the great opportunity of ,herod ,antipas4 ,the disciples of ,john withdrew in sorrow1 but not in despair4 ,they had evidently caught the spirit of their master2 for as soon as they had reverently and lovingly taken up the mortal remains and buried them1 they came and told ,jesus4 ,it must have been a terrible blow to ,him1--perhaps even more than it was to them1 for they had ,him to go to1 while ,he had none on earth to take counsel with3 ,he must carry the heavy burden of responsibility all alone2 for even the most advanced of the ,twelve could not enter into any of ,his thoughts and purposes2 and certainly not one of them1 we might indeed say not all of them together1 had at this time anything like the strength and steadfastness of the great man who had just been taken away4 ,we learn from the other accounts that at the same time the ,twelve returned from their first missionary journey2 so that the question would immediately come up1 ,what was to be done8 ,it was a critical time4 ,should they stir up the people to avenge the death of their prophet8 ,this would have been after the manner of men1 but not according to the counsel of ,god4 ,long ago the ,saviour had set aside1 as quite apart from ,his way of working1 all appeals to force2 ,his kingdom must be a kingdom of the truth1 and on the truth ,he will rely1 with nothing else to trust to than the power of patient love4 ,so ,he takes ,his disciples away to the other side of the lake1 outside the jurisdiction of ,herod1 with the thoughtful invitation3 ,come ye yourselves apart into a desert place1 and rest awhile4 ,what are the prospects of the kingdom now8 ,sin and righteousness have long been at strife in the court of ,galilee2 now sin has conquered and has the field4 ,the great preacher of righteousness is dead2 and the ,christ1 to ,whom he bore such faithful witness1 has gone to the desert4 ,again the sad prophecy is fulfilled3 ,he is despised and rejected of men2 a man of sorrows1 and acquainted with grief4 ,that little boat crossing from the populous shores of ,gennesaret to the desert land on the other side--what does it mean8 ,defeat8 ,a lost cause8 ,is this the end of the mission in ,galilee1 begun to the music of that majestic prophecy which spoke of it as daybreak on the hills and shores of ,naphtali and ,zebulun1 ,gennesaret and ,jordan8 ,is this the outcome of two mighty movements so full of promise and hope8 ,did not all ,jerusalem and ,juda go after ,john1 confessing their sins and accepting his baptism8 ,and has not all ,galilee thronged after ,jesus1 bringing their sick to be healed1 and listening1 at least with outward respect and often expressed astonishment1 to ,his words of truth and hope8 ,now ,john is dead1 and ,jesus is crossing with ,his own disciples and those of ,john in a boat--one boat enough to hold them all--to mourn together in a desert place apart4 ,suppose we had been sitting on the shore that day1 and had watched it getting ever smaller as it crossed the sea1 what should we have thought of the prospects8 ,should we have found it easy to believe in ,christ that day8 ,verily the kingdom of ,god cometh not with observation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the multitudes will not believe on ,him2 yet they will not let ,him rest4 ,they have rejected the kingdom2 but they would fain get as much as they can of those earthly blessings which have been scattered so freely as its signs4 ,so the people1 noticing the direction the boat has taken1 throng after ,him1 running on foot round the northern shore4 ,when ,jesus sees them1 sad and weary as ,he is1 ,he cannot turn away4 ,he knows too well that it is with no pure and lofty devotion that they follow ,him2 but ,he cannot see a multitude of people without having ,his heart moved with a great longing to bless them4 ,so ,he went forth1 and healed their sick4 ,he continued ,his loving work1 lavishing ,his sympathy on those who had no sympathy with ,him1 till evening fell1 and the disciples suggested that it was time to send the people away1 especially as they were beginning to suffer from want of food4 ,but ,jesus said unto them1 ,they need not depart3 give ye them to eat4 ,and they say unto ,him1 ,we have here but five loaves1 and two fishes4 ,he said1 ,bring them hither to ,me4 ,the miracle which follows is of very special significance4 ,many things point to this4 7#a7 ,it is the one miracle which all the four ,evangelists record4 7#b7 ,it occurs at a critical time in our ,lord's history4 ,there has been discouragement after discouragement1 repulse after repulse1 despite and rejection by the leaders1 obstinate unbelief and impenitence on the part of the people1 the good seed finding almost everywhere hard or shallow or thorny soil1 with little or no promise of the longed-for harvest4 ,and now a crowning disaster has come in the death of ,john4 ,can we wonder that ,christ received the tidings of it as a premonition of ,his own8 ,can we wonder that henceforth ,he should give less attention to public preaching1 and more to the training of the little band of faithful disciples who must be prepared for days of darkness coming on apace--prepared for the cross1 manifestly now the only way to the crown8 7#c7 ,there is the significant remark 7,john vi4 #d7 that the ,passover was nigh4 ,this was the last ,passover but one of our ,saviour's life4 ,the next was to be marked by the sacrifice of ,himself as the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sin of the world4 ,another year1 and ,he will have fulfilled ,his course1 as ,john has fulfilled ,his4 ,was it not1 then1 most natural that ,his mind should be full1 not only of thoughts of the approaching ,passover1 but also of what the next one must bring4 ,this is no mere conjecture2 for it plainly appears in the long and most suggestive discourse ,st4 ,john reports as following immediately upon the miracle and designed for its application4 ,the feeding of the five thousand is indeed a sign of the kingdom1 like those grouped together in the earlier part of the ,gospel 7viii41 ix74 ,it showed the compassion of the ,lord upon the hungry multitude1 and ,his readiness to supply their wants4 ,it showed the ,lordship of ,christ over nature1 and served as a representation in miniature of what the ,god of nature is doing every year1 when1 by agencies as far beyond our ken as those by which ,his ,son multiplied the loaves that day1 ,he transmutes the handful of seed-corn into the rich harvests of grain which feed the multitudes of men4 ,it taught also1 by implication1 that the same ,god ,who feeds the bodies of men with the rich abundance of the year is able and willing to satisfy all their spiritual wants4 ,but there is something more than all this1 as we might gather from the very way it is told3 ,and ,he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass1 and took the five loaves1 444 and looking up to heaven1 ,he blessed1 and brake1 and gave the loaves to the disciples1 and the disciples to the multitude4 ,can we read these words without thinking of what our ,saviour did just a year later1 when ,he took bread and blessed it1 and brake it1 and gave it to the disciples and said1 ,take1 eat1 this is ,my body 7xxvi4 #bf78 ,he is not1 indeed1 instituting the ,supper now2 but it is very plain that the same thoughts are in ,his mind as when1 a year later1 ,he did so4 ,and what might be inferred from the recital of what ,he did becomes still more evident when we are told what afterwards ,he said--especially such utterances as these3 ,i am the bread of life2 ,the bread which ,i will give you is ,my flesh1 which ,i will give for the life of the world2 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of man1 and drink ,his blood1 ye have no life in you4 ,we have1 then1 here1 not a sign of the kingdom only1 but a parable of life eternal1 life to be bestowed in no other way than by the death to be accomplished at ,jerusalem at the next passover1 life for thousands1 life ministered through the disciples to the multitudes1 and not diminished in the ministering1 but growing and multiplying in their hands1 so that after all are fed there remain twelve baskets full1--far more than at the first3 a beautiful hint of the abundance that will remain for the ,gentile nations of the earth4 ,that passover parable comes out of the anguish of the great ,redeemer's heart4 ,already1 as ,he breaks that bread and gives it to the people1 ,he is enduring the cross and despising the shame of it1 for the joy set before ,him of giving the bread of life to a hungry world4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one can scarcely fail at this point to contrast the feast in honour of ,herod's birthday with the feast which symbolised the ,saviour's death4 ,when a convenient day was come1 ,herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords1 high captains1 and chief estates of ,galilee2 and---- the rest is well known1--the feasting1 mirth and revelry1 ending in the dark tragedy1 followed by the remorse of a guilty conscience1 the gnawing of the worm that dieth not1 the burning of the fire that is not quenched4 ,then think of that other feast on the green grass in the pure air of the fresh and breezy hillside--the hungry multitudes1 the homely fare1 the few barley loaves and the two small fishes2 yet by the blessing of the ,lord ,jesus there was provided a repast far more enjoyable to these keen appetites than all the delicacies of the banquet to the lords of ,galilee--a feast pointing indeed to a death1 but a death which was to bring life and peace and joy to thousands1 with abundance over for all who will receive it4 ,the one is the feast to which the world invites2 the other is the feast which ,christ provides for all who are willing to labour not for the meat that perisheth1 but for that which endureth unto eternal life4 ,,ii4--,,calm ,,on ,,the ,,mountain ,,and ,,trouble ,,on ,,the ,,sea4 ,we learn from the fourth ,gospel that the immediate result of the impression made by our ,lord's miraculous feeding of the five thousand was an attempt on the part of the people to take ,him by force and make ,him a king4 ,thus1 as always1 their minds would run on political change1 and the hope of bettering their circumstances thereby2 while they refused to allow themselves to think of that spiritual change which must begin with themselves1 and show itself in that repentance and hunger and thirst after righteousness1 which ,he so longed to see in them4 ,even ,his disciples1 as we know1 were not now1 nor for a long time subsequent to this1 altogether free from the same spirit of earthliness2 and it is quite likely that the general enthusiasm would excite them not a little1 and perhaps lead them to raise the question1 as they were often fain to do1 whether the time had not at last come for their ,master to declare ,himself openly1 put ,himself at the head of these thousands1 take advantage of the widespread feeling of irritation and discontent awakened by the murder of ,john the ,baptist1 whom all men counted for a prophet 7,mark xi4 #cb71 hurl ,herod ,antipas from the high position he disgraced1 and1 with all ,galilee under ,his control and full of enthusiasm for ,his cause1 march southward on ,jerusalem4 ,this was no doubt the course of action they for the most part expected and wished2 and1 with ,one at their head ,who could do such wonders1 what was there to hinder complete success8 ,may we not also with reverence suppose that this was one of the occasions on which ,satan renewed those assaults which he began in the wilderness of ,juda8 ,a little later1 when ,peter was trying to turn ,him aside from the path of the ,cross1 ,jesus recognised it1 not merely as a suggestion of the disciple1 but as a renewed temptation of the great adversary4 ,we may well suppose1 then1 that at this crisis the old temptation to bestow on ,him the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them--not for their own sake1 of course 7there could have been no temptation in that direction71 but for the sake of the advancement of the interests of the heavenly kingdom by the use of worldly methods of policy and force--was presented to ,him with peculiar strength4 ,however this may have been1 the circumstances required prompt action of some kind4 ,it was necessary that the disciples should be got out of reach of temptation as soon as possible2 so ,he constrained them to enter into a boat1 and go before ,him to the other side1 while ,he dispersed the multitude4 ,and need we wonder that in the circumstances ,he should wish to be entirely alone8 ,he could not consult with those ,he trusted most1 for they were quite in the dark1 and anything they were at all likely to say would only increase the pressure put upon ,him by the people4 ,he had only ,one for ,his ,counsellor and ,comforter1 ,his ,father in heaven1 ,whose will ,he had come to do2 so ,he must be alone with ,him4 ,he must have been in a state of great physical exhaustion after all the fatigue of the day1 for though ,he had come for rest ,he had found none2 but the brave1 strong spirit conquers the weary flesh1 and instead of going to sleep ,he ascends the neighbouring height to spend the night in prayer4 ,it is interesting to remember that it was after this night spent in prayer that ,he delivered the remarkable discourse recorded in the sixth chapter of ,st4 ,john1 in which ,he speaks so plainly about giving ,his flesh for the life of the world4 ,it is evident1 then1 that1 if any question had arisen in ,his mind as to the path of duty1 when ,he was suddenly confronted with the enthusiastic desire of the multitudes to crown ,him at once1 it was speedily set at rest3 ,he now plainly saw that it was not the will of ,his ,father in heaven that ,he should take advantage of any such stirring of worldly desire1 that ,he must give no encouragement to any1 except those who were hungering and thirsting after righteousness1 to range themselves upon ,his side4 ,hence1 no doubt1 the sifting nature of the discourse ,he delivered the following day4 ,he is eager to gather the multitudes to ,himself2 but ,he cannot allow them to come under any false assumption2--,he must have spiritually-minded disciples1 or none at all3 accordingly ,he makes ,his discourse so strongly spiritual1 directs their attention so far away from earthly issues to the issues of eternity 7,i will raise him up at the last day is the promise ,he gives over and over again1 whereas they wanted to be raised up then and there to high places in the world71 that not only did the multitude lose all their enthusiasm1 but from that time many of ,his disciples went back1 and walked no more with ,him1 while even the ,twelve themselves were shaken in their allegiance1 as seems evident from the sorrowful question with which ,he turned to them3 ,will ye also go away8 ,we may reverently suppose1 then1 that our ,lord was occupied1 during the early part of the night1 with thoughts like these--in preparation1 as it were1 for the faithful words ,he will speak and the sad duty ,he will discharge on the morrow4 ,meantime a storm has arisen on the lake--one of those sudden and often terrible squalls to which inland waters everywhere are subject1 but which are greatly aggravated here by the contrast between the tropical climate of the lake1 #fbj feet below the level of the ,mediterranean1 and the cool air on the heights which surround it4 ,the storm becomes fiercer as the night advances4 ,the ,saviour has been much absorbed1 but ,he cannot fail to notice how angry the lake is becoming1 and to what peril ,his loved disciples are exposed4 ,as the ,passover was nigh1 the moon would be nearly full1 and there would be frequent opportunities1 between the passing of the clouds1 to watch the little boat4 ,as long as there seems any prospect of their weathering the storm by their own exertions ,he leaves them to themselves2 but when it appears that they are making no progress1 though it is evident that they are toiling in rowing1 ,he sets out at once to their relief4 ,the rescue which follows recalls a former incident on the same lake 7viii4 #bc-bg74 ,but the points of difference are both important and instructive4 ,then ,he was with ,his disciples in the ship1 though asleep2 in their extremity they had only to rouse ,him with the cry1 ,save1 ,lord1 or we perish6 to secure immediate calm and safety4 ,now ,he was not with them2 ,he was out of sight1 and beyond the reach even of the most piercing cries4 ,it was therefore a much severer trial than the last2 and1 remembering the special significance of the miracle of the loaves1 we can scarcely fail to notice a corresponding suggestiveness in this one4 ,that one had dimly foreshadowed ,his death2 did not this1 in the same way1 foreshadow the relations ,he would sustain to ,his disciples after ,his death8 ,may we not look upon ,his ascent of this mountain as a picture of ,his ascension into heaven--,his betaking ,himself to ,his ,father now as a shadow of ,his going to the ,father then--,his prayer on the mount as a shadow of ,his heavenly intercession8 ,it was to pray that ,he ascended2 and though ,he1 no doubt1 needed1 at that trying time1 to pray for ,himself1 ,his heart would be poured out in pleading for ,his disciples too1 especially when the storm came on4 ,and these disciples constrained to go off in a boat by themselves1--are they not a picture of the ,church after ,christ had gone to ,his ,father1 launched on the stormy sea of the world8 ,what will they do without ,him8 ,what will they do when the winds rise and the waves roar in the dark night8 ,oh6 if only ,he were here1 ,who was sleeping in the boat that day1 and only needed to be roused to sympathise and save6 ,where is ,he now8 ,there on the hilltop1 interceding1 looking down with tenderest compassion1 watching every effort of the toiling rowers4 ,nay1 ,he is nearer still6 ,see that ,form upon the waves6 ,it is a spirit1 they cry2 and are afraid1 very much as1 a little more than a year afterward1 when ,he came suddenly into the midst of them with ,his ,peace be unto you1 they were terrified and affrighted1 and supposed that they had seen a spirit 7,luke xxiv4 #cg74 ,but presently they hear the familiar voice3 ,be of good cheer3 it is ,i2 be not afraid4 ,there can be no doubt that the remembrance of that night on the lake of ,galilee would be a wondrous consolation to these disciples during the storms of persecution through which they had to pass after their ,master had ascended up to heaven2 and their faith in the presence of ,his ,spirit1 and ,his constant readiness to help and save1 would be greatly strengthened by the memory of that apparently spectral ,form they had seen coming across the troubled sea to their relief4 ,have we not some reason1 then1 for saying that here1 too1 we have not only another of the many signs of the kingdom showing our ,lord's power over nature and constant readiness to help ,his people in time of need1 but a parable of the future1 most appropriately following that parable of life through death set forth in the feeding of the thousands on the day before8 ,there seems1 in fact1 a strange prophetic element running all through the scenes of that wondrous time4 ,we have already referred to the disposition on the part even of the ,twelve1 as manifested next day at the close of the discourse on the bread of life1 to desert ,him--to show the same spirit which afterward1 when the crisis reached its height1 so demoralised them that they all forsook ,him1 and fled2 and have we not1 in the closing incident1 in which ,peter figures so conspicuously1 a mild foreshadowing of his terrible fall1 when the storm of human passion was raging as fiercely in ,jerusalem as did the winds and waves on the lake of ,galilee that night8 ,there is the same self-confidence3 ,lord1 if it be ,thou1 bid me come unto ,thee on the water2 the same alarm when he was brought face to face with the danger the thought of which he had braved2 then the sinking1 sinking as if about to perish1 yet not hopelessly 7for the ,master had prayed for him that his faith should not fail72 then the humble prayer1 ,lord1 save me2 and the gracious hand immediately stretched out to save4 ,had the adventurous disciple learnt his lesson well that day1 what it would have saved him6 ,may we not say that there is never a great and terrible fall1 however sudden it seems1 which has not been preceded by warnings1 even long before1 which1 if heeded1 would have certainly averted it8 ,how much need have the disciples of ,christ to learn thoroughly the lessons their ,lord teaches them in ,his gentler dealings1 so that when darker days and heavier trials come they may be ready1 having taken unto themselves the whole armour of ,god1 to withstand in the evil day1 and having done all1 to stand4 ,there are many other important lessons which might be learnt from this incident1 but we may not dwell on them2 a mere enumeration of some of them may1 however1 be attempted4 ,it was faith1 in part1 at least1 which led the apostle to make this venture2 and this is1 no doubt1 the reason why the ,lord did not forbid it4 ,faith is too precious to be repressed2 but the faith of ,peter on this occasion is anything but simple1 clear and strong3 there is a large measure of self-will in it1 of impulsiveness1 of self-confidence1 perhaps of love of display4 ,a confused and encumbered faith of this kind is sure to lead into mischief1--to set on foot rash enterprises1 which show great enthusiasm1 and perhaps seem to rebuke the caution of the less confident for the time1 but which come to grief1 and in the end bring no credit to the cause of ,christ4 ,the rash disciple's enterprise is not1 however1 an entire failure3 he does succeed so far2 but presently the weakness of his faith betrays itself4 ,as long as the impulse lasted1 and his eye was fixed on his ,master1 all went well2 but when the first burst of enthusiasm was spent1 and he had time to look round upon the waves1 he began to sink4 ,but how encouraging it is to observe that1 when put to extremity1 that which is genuine in the man carries it over all the rest6--the faith which had been encumbered extricates itself1 and becomes simple1 clear and strong2 the last atom of self-confidence is gone1 and with it all thought of display2 nothing but simple faith is left in that strong cry of his1 ,lord1 save me6 ,nothing could be imagined better suited than this incident to discriminate between self-confidence and faith4 ,peter enters on this experience with the two well mixed together1--so well mixed1 that neither he himself nor his fellow-disciples could distinguish them2 but the testing process precipitates one and clarifies the other1--lets the self-confidence all go1 and brings out the faith pure and strong4 ,immediately1 therefore1 his ,lord is at his side1 and he is safe2--a great lesson this on faith1 especially in revealing its simplicity4 ,peter tried to make a grand thing of it3 he had to come back to the simple1 humble cry1 and the grasping of his ,saviour's outstretched hand4 ,the same lesson is taught on a larger scale in the brief account of the cures the ,master wrought when they reached the other side1 where all that was asked was the privilege of touching ,his garment's hem1 and as many as touched were made perfectly whole2 not the great ones1 not the strong ones1 but as many as touched4 ,only let us keep in touch with ,him1 and all will assuredly be well with us both in time and in eternity4 ,,iii4--,,israel ,,after ,,the ,,flesh1 ,,and ,,israel ,,after ,,the ,,spirit 7xv474 ,issue is now joined with the ecclesiastical leaders at ,jerusalem1 who send a deputation to make a formal complaint4 ,when ,jerusalem was last mentioned in our ,gospel1 it was in connection with a movement of quite a different character4 ,the fame of the ,saviour's deeds of mercy in ,galilee had then just reached the capital1 the result being that many set out at once to find out what new thing this might be3 ,there followed ,him great multitudes of people from ,galilee1 and from ,decapolis1 and from ,jerusalem1 and from ,juda1 and from beyond ,jordan 7iv4 #be74 ,that wave of interest in the south had now died down2 and instead of eager multitudes there is a small sinister band of cold1 keen-witted1 hard-hearted critics4 ,it was a sad change1 and must have brought new distress to the ,saviour's troubled heart2 but ,he is none the less ready to face the trial with ,his wonted courage and unfailing readiness of resource4 ,their complaint is trivial enough4 ,it is to be remembered1 of course1 that it was not a question of cleanliness1 but of ritual2 not even of ritual appointed by ,moses1 but only of that prescribed by certain traditions of their fathers which they held in superstitious veneration4 ,these traditions1 by a multitude of minute regulations and restrictions1 imposed an intolerable burden on those who thought it their duty to observe them2 while the magnifying of trifles had the natural effect of keeping out of sight the weightier matters of the law4 ,not only so1 but the most trivial regulations were sometimes so managed as to furnish an excuse for neglect of the plainest duties4 ,our ,lord could not therefore miss the opportunity of denouncing this evil1 and accordingly ,he exposes it in the plainest and strongest language4 ,the question with which ,he opens ,his attack is most incisive4 ,it is as if ,he said1 ,i am accused of transgressing your tradition4 ,what is your tradition8 ,it is itself transgression of the law of ,god4 ,then follows the striking illustration1 showing how by their rules of tradition they put it within the power of any heartless son to escape entirely the obligation of providing even for his aged father or mother--an illustration1 be it remembered1 which brought out more than a breach of the fifth commandment2 for by what means was it that the ungrateful son escaped his obligation8 ,by taking the name of the ,lord in vain2 for surely there could be no greater dishonour to the name of ,god than meanly to mark as dedicated to ,him 7,corban7 what ought to have been devoted to the discharge of an imperative filial duty4 ,besides1 it was not at all necessary that the money or property should be actually dedicated to sacred uses2 it was only necessary to say that it was1 only necessary to pronounce over it that magic word ,corban1 and then the mean hypocrite could use it for the most selfish purposes--for any purpose1 in fact1 he chose1 except that purpose for which it was his duty to use it4 ,it is really difficult to conceive such iniquity wrapped up in a cloak of so-called religion4 ,no wonder our ,lord was moved to indignation1 and applied to ,his critics the strong language of the prophet3 ,ye hypocrites1 well did ,isaiah prophesy of you1 saying1 ,this people honoureth ,me with their lips2 but their heart is far from ,me1 444 teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men 7,r4,v474 ,no wonder that ,he turned away from men who were so deeply committed to a system so vile1 and that ,he explained1 not to ,his questioners1 but to the multitude who had gathered round1 the principle on which ,he acted4 ,there seems1 however1 to have been more of sorrow than of anger in ,his tone and manner4 ,how else could the disciples have asked ,him such a question as that which follows3 ,knowest thou that the ,pharisees were offended1 after they heard this saying8 ,of course the ,pharisees were offended4 ,they had most excellent reason4 ,and the disciples would have known that ,he had no intention of sparing them in the least1 and no concern whether they took offence or not1 if ,his tone had been such as an ordinary person would naturally have put into such an invective4 ,it is probable that he said it all calmly1 earnestly1 tenderly1 without the slightest trace of passion2 from which it would not be at all unnatural for the disciples to infer that ,he had not fully realised how strong ,his language had been1 and into what serious collision ,he had brought ,himself with the leaders in ,jerusalem4 ,hence their gentle remonstrance1 the expression of those feelings of dismay with which they saw their ,master break with one party after another1 as if determined to wreck ,his mission altogether4 ,was it not bad policy to give serious offence to persons of such importance at so critical a time8 ,the ,saviour's answer is just what was to be expected4 ,policy had no place in ,his plan4 ,his kingdom was of the truth2 and whatever was not of truth must go1 be the consequences what they might4 ,that system of traditionalism had its roots deeply and firmly fastened in the ,jewish soil2 its fibres were through it all2 and to disturb it was to go against a feeling that was nothing less than national in its extent4 ,but no matter3 firmly1 deeply1 widely rooted though it was1 it was not of ,god's planting1 and therefore it cannot be let alone3 ,every plant1 which ,my heavenly ,father hath not planted1 shall be rooted up4 ,it is for all ritualists1 ancient and modern1 all who teach for doctrines what are only commandments of men1 seriously to ponder this most radical utterance by ,one ,whose right it is to speak with an authority from which there is no appeal4 ,having thus condemned the ritualistic teaching of the day1 ,he disposes next of the false teachers4 ,this ,he does in a way which ought to have been a warning to those persecutors and heresy-hunters who1 by their unwise use of force and law1 have given only larger currency to the evil doctrines they have tried to suppress4 ,he simply says ,let them alone3 they be blind leaders of the blind4 ,and if the blind lead the blind1 both shall fall into the ditch4 ,expose their error by all means2 root it out1 if possible2 but as for the men themselves1 let them alone4 ,the principle ,he sets forth as underlying the whole subject is the same as that which underlies ,his teaching in the ,sermon on the ,mount--viz41 that out of the heart are the issues of life4 ,the ritualist lays stress on that which enters into the man--the kind of food which enters his mouth1 the objects which meet his eye1 the incense which enters his nostril2 ,christ sets all this aside as of no consequence in comparison with the state of the heart 7vv4 #af-bj74 ,such teaching as this was not only irreconcilable with that of the scribes and ,pharisees from ,jerusalem1 but it lay at the very opposite pole4 99 99 99 99 99 ,was it on this account that after this interview ,jesus withdrew as far as possible from ,jerusalem8 ,he is limited1 indeed1 in ,his range to the ,holy ,land1 as ,he indicates in ,his conversation with the woman of ,canaan2 but just as after the death of ,john ,he had withdrawn out of the jurisdiction of ,herod to the east1 so now1 after this collision with the deputation from ,jerusalem1 ,he withdraws to the far north1 to the borders of ,tyre and ,sidon4 ,and was it only a coincidence that1 just as ,jerusalem had furnished such sorry specimens of dead formalism1 the distant borders of heathen ,tyre and ,sidon should immediately thereafter furnish one of the very noblest examples of living faith8 ,the coincidence is certainly very striking and most instructive4 ,the leaders from ,jerusalem had been dismissed with the condemnation of their own prophet3 ,this people honoureth ,me with their lips1 but their heart is far from ,me2 while out of far-away heathendom there comes one whose whole heart is poured out to ,him in earnest1 persevering1 prevailing prayer4 ,it is one of those contrasts with which this portion of our ,lord's history abounds1 the force of which will appear more clearly as we proceed4 ,the suppliant was a woman of ,canaan1 or1 as she is described more definitely elsewhere1 a ,syro-,phnician woman4 ,yet she has learned of ,jesus--knows ,him as the ,christ1 for she calls ,him ,son of ,david--knows ,him as a ,saviour1 for she comes to ask that her daughter may be healed4 ,her application must have been a great solace to ,his wounded heart4 ,he always loved to be asked for such blessings2 and1 rejected as ,he had been by ,his countrymen1 it must have been a special encouragement to be approached in this way by a stranger4 ,that it was so may be inferred from what ,he said on similar occasions4 ,when the ,roman centurion came to have his servant healed1 ,jesus commended his wonderful faith1 and then added3 ,i say unto you1 ,that many shall come from the east and west1 and shall sit down with ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 in the kingdom of heaven4 ,so1 too1 when it was announced to ,him that some ,greeks desired to see ,him1 the first effect was to sharpen the agony of ,his rejection by ,his own countrymen2 but immediately ,he recovers ,himself1 looks beyond the cross and the shame to the glory that shall follow1 and exclaims1 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up from the earth1 will draw all men unto ,me4 ,there can be no doubt that at this time of rejection in ,galilee it must have been a similar consolation to receive this visit from the woman of ,canaan4 ,how1 then1 can we explain ,his treatment of her8 ,first1 ,he answered her not a word4 ,then ,he reminded her that she did not belong to ,israel1 as if she therefore could have no claim on ,him4 ,and when she still urged her suit1 in a manner that might have appealed to the hardest heart1 ,he gave her an answer which seems so incredibly harsh1 that it is with a feeling of pain one hears it repeated after eighteen hundred years4 ,what does all this mean8 ,it means praise and honour and glory for the poor woman2 for the disciples1 and for all disciples1 a lesson never to be forgotten4 ,he ,who knew what was in man1 knew what was in this noble woman's heart1 and ,he wished to bring it out--to bring it out so that the disciples should see it1 so that other disciples should see it1 so that generation after generation and century after century should see it1 and admire it1 and learn its lesson4 ,it cost her some minutes' pain3 ,him also1--how it must have wrung ,his heart to treat her in a way so foreign to every fibre of ,his soul6 ,but had ,he not so dealt with her1 what a loss to her1 to the disciples1 to countless multitudes6 ,he very much needs a shining example of living faith to set over against the dead formalism of these traditionalists2 and here it is3 ,he must bring it out of its obscurity1 and set it as a star in the firmament of ,his gospel1 to shine for ever and ever4 ,he tested her to the uttermost1 because ,he knew that at the end of all ,he could say3 ,o woman1 great is thy faith3 be it unto thee even as thou wilt4 ,the heart of the ,saviour was never filled with a deeper tenderness or a wiser and more far-seeing love than when ,he repulsed this woman again and again1 and treated her with what seemed at the moment most inexcusable and unaccountable harshness4 ,the lessons which shine out in the simple story of this woman can only be touched in the slightest manner4 ,we have already referred to the contrast between the great men of ,jerusalem and this poor woman of ,canaan2 observe now how strikingly is suggested the distinction between ,israel according to the flesh and ,israel according to the spirit4 ,the current idea of the time was that lineal descent from ,abraham determined who belonged to the house of ,israel and who did not4 ,the ,saviour strikes at the root of this error4 ,he does not indeed attack it directly4 ,for this the time has not yet come3 the veil of the ,temple has not yet been rent in twain4 ,but ,he draws aside the veil a little1 so as to give a glimpse of the truth and prepare the way for its full revealing when the time shall come4 ,he does not broadly say1 ,this woman of ,canaan is as good an ,israelite as any of you2 but ,he says1 ,i am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of ,israel--and heals her daughter notwithstanding4 ,was it not1 then1 evident that this poor woman after all did in some sense belong to the lost sheep of the house of ,israel whom ,jesus came to save8 ,the house of ,israel8--what does ,israel mean8 ,learn at ,peniel4 ,see ,jacob in sore distress at the brook ,jabbok4 ,a man is wrestling with him1--wrestling with him all the night1 until the break of day4 ,it is no mere man1 for ,jacob finds before all is over that he has been face to face with ,god4 ,the man who wrestled with him indeed was the same as ,he ,who wrestled with this woman of ,canaan4 ,the ,divine ,man struggles to get away without blessing the patriarch4 ,jacob cries1 in the very desperation of his faith1 ,i will not let ,thee go1 except ,thou bless me6 ,the victory is won4 ,the blessing is granted1 and these words are added3 ,what is thy name8 ,jacob4 ,thy name shall be called no more ,jacob1 but ,israel 7i4e4 prince with ,god73 for as a prince hast thou power with ,god and with men1 and hast prevailed4 ,was this woman1 then1 or was she not1 a prince with ,god8 ,did she1 or did she not1 belong to the true house of ,israel8 ,let us now look back to vv4 #h and #i3 ,this people 7i4e4 the children of ,israel according to the flesh7 444 honoureth ,me with their lips2 but their heart is far from ,me4 ,but in vain they do worship ,me4 ,in vain do they worship3 are they1 then1 princes with ,god8 ,nay1 verily2 they are only actors before ,him1 as the ,saviour plainly says4 ,truly they are not all ,israel who are of ,israel2 and just as truly they are not the only ,israel who are of ,israel1 for here is this woman of ,canaan who earns the name of ,israel by as hard a contest and as great a victory as that of ,jacob at the brook ,jabbok1 when first the name was given4 ,another instructive contrast is inevitably suggested between the foremost of the apostles and this nameless woman of ,canaan4 ,the last illustration of faith was ,peter's venture on the water4 ,what a difference between the strong man and the weak woman6 ,to the strong1 brave man the ,master had to say ,o thou of little faith6 wherefore didst thou doubt8 ,to the weak woman1 ,o woman1 great is thy faith4 ,what an encouragement here to the little ones1 the obscure1 unnoticed disciples6 ,many that are first shall be last1 and the last first4 ,the encouragement to persevering prayer1 especially to parents anxious for their children1 is so obvious that it need only be named4 ,that silence first1 and then these apparent refusals1 are trials of faith1 to which many earnest hearts have not been strangers4 ,to all such the example of this woman of ,canaan is of great value4 ,her earnestness in making the case of her daughter her own 7she does not say1 ,have mercy on my daughter2 but1 ,have mercy on me2 and again1 ,lord1 help me71 and her unconquerable perseverance till the answer came1 have been an inspiration ever since1 and will be to the end of the world4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the lesson taught by our ,lord's dealing with the woman of ,canaan is conveyed again on a larger scale by what happened in the region of ,decapolis1 east of the ,sea of ,galilee2 for it was in that region1 as we learn from the more detailed account in the second ,gospel1 that the events which follow came to pass4 ,the distance from the one place to the other is considerable1 and the route our ,lord took was by no means direct4 ,his object at this time seems to have been to court retirement as much as possible1 that ,he might give ,himself to the preparation of ,his disciples--and we may1 with reverence add1 ,his own preparation also--for the sad journey southward to ,jerusalem and ,calvary4 ,besides1 ,his work in the north is done3 no more circuits in ,galilee now2 so ,he keeps on the far outskirts of the land1 passing through ,sidon1 across the southern ridge of ,lebanon1 past the base of mighty ,hermon1 then southward to ,decapolis--all the way on border territory1 where the people were more heathen than ,jewish in race and religion4 ,we can imagine ,him on this long and toilsome journey1 looking in both directions with strange emotion--away out to the ,gentile nations with love and longing2 and 7with what mingled feelings of pain and eagerness who can tell87 to that ,jerusalem1 where soon ,he must offer up the awful sacrifice4 ,when1 after the long journey1 ,he came nigh to the ,sea of ,galilee1 ,he sought seclusion by going up into a mountain4 ,but even in this borderland ,he cannot be hid2 and when the sick and needy throng around ,him1 ,he cannot turn away from them4 ,he still keeps within the limits of ,his commission1 as set forth in ,his reply to the woman of ,canaan2 but1 though ,he does not go to seek out those beyond the pale1 when they seek ,him1 ,he cannot send them away2 accordingly1 in these heathen or semi-heathen regions1 we have another set of cures and another feeding of the hungry multitude4 ,we need not dwell on these incidents1 as they are a repetition1 with variations1 of what ,he had done at the conclusion of ,his work in ,galilee4 ,as to the repetition1--strange to say1 there are those who cavil1 whenever similar events appear successively in the story of the life and work of ,christ4 ,as if it were possible that a work like ,his could be free from repetition6 ,how often does a physician repeat himself in the course of his practice8 ,christ is always repeating ,himself4 ,every time a sinner comes to ,him for salvation1 ,he repeats ,himself1 with variations2 and when need arose in ,decapolis--like that which had previously arisen at ,bethsaida1 only more urgent1 for the multitude in the present case had been three days from home1 and were ready to faint with hunger--must their wants go unrelieved merely to avoid repetition8 ,as to the telling of it--for this of course might have been avoided1 on the ground that a similar event had been related before--was there not most excellent reason for it1 in the fact that these people were not of the house of ,israel in the literal sense8 ,to have omitted the record of these deeds of mercy would have been to leave out the evidence they afforded that the love of ,christ went out not to ,jews only1 but to all sick and hungry ones4 ,sick and hungry--these words suggest the two great needs of humanity4 ,christ comes to heal disease1 to satisfy hunger2 in particular1 to heal the root disease of sin1 and satisfy the deep hunger of the soul for ,god and life in ,him4 ,and when we read how ,he healed all manner of disease among the multitudes in ,decapolis1 and thereafter fed them abundantly when they were ready to faint with hunger1 we see how ,he is set forth as a ,saviour from sin and ,revealer of ,god beyond the borders of the land of ,israel4 ,it is worth noticing how well this general record follows the story of the woman of ,canaan4 ,just as she--though not of ,israel after the flesh--proved herself to be of ,israel after the spirit1 so these heathen or semi-heathen people of ,decapolis forsake their paganism when they see the ,christ2 for of no heathen deity do they speak3 they glorified the ,god of ,israel 7ver4 #ca74 ,thus we have a contrast similar to that which we recognised in the case of the woman of ,canaan1 between those scribes and ,pharisees of ,jerusalem--who drew near to the ,god of ,israel with their lips while the heart was far away--and these people of ,decapolis1 who1 though afar off in the estimation of these dignitaries of ,jerusalem1 are in truth nigh to the ,god of ,israel4 ,is there not in the events of the chapter a wondrous light cast on the true meaning of the name ,israel1 as not according to the flesh1 but according to the spirit8 ,,iv4--,,the ,,culmination ,,of ,,the ,,crisis 7xvi4 #a-ab74 ,all this time ,jesus has been keeping as much out of the way of ,his ungrateful countrymen as the limits of ,his commission would permit1 hovering1 as it were1 around the northern outskirts of the land4 ,but when in the course of this largest circuit of all ,his northern journeys1 ,he reaches ,decapolis1 ,he is so near home that ,he cannot but cross the lake and revisit the familiar scenes4 ,how is ,he received8 ,do the people flock around ,him as they did before8 ,if it had been so1 we should no doubt have been told4 ,there seems to have been not a single word of welcome4 ,of all the multitudes ,he had healed and blessed1 there is no one to cry1 ,hosanna to the ,son of ,david6 ,his friends1 if ,he has any1 have gone back1 and walk no more with ,him2 but ,his old enemies the ,pharisees do not fail ,him2 and they are not alone now1 nor1 as before1 in alliance only with those naturally in sympathy with them1 but have actually made a league with their great opponents1 the two rival parties of ,pharisee and ,sadducee1 finding in their common hatred of the ,christ of ,god a sinister bond of union4 ,this is the first time the ,sadducees are mentioned in this ,gospel as coming in contact with ,jesus4 ,some of them had come to the baptism of ,john1 to his great astonishment2 but1 beyond this1 they have as yet put in no appearance4 ,they were the aristocracy of the land1 and held the most important offices of ,church and ,state in the capital4 ,it is therefore the less to be wondered at that up to this time the ,carpenter of ,nazareth should have been beneath their notice4 ,now1 however1 the news of ,his great doings in the north has at last compelled attention2 the result is this combination with the ,pharisees1 who have already been for some time engaged in the attempt to put ,him down4 ,there is indication elsewhere 7,mark viii4 #ae7 that the ,herodians had also united with them2 so we may look upon this as the culmination of the crisis in ,galilee1 when all the forces of the country have been roused to active and bitter hostility4 ,the ,pharisees and ,sadducees1 as is well known1 were at opposite poles of thought2 the one being the traditionalists1 the other the sceptics1 of the time1 so that it was quite remarkable that they should unite in anything4 ,they did1 however1 unite in this demand for a sign from heaven4 ,neither of them could deny that signs had been given1--that the blind had received sight1 lepers had been cleansed1 the lame healed1 and deeds of mercy done on every side4 ,but neither party was satisfied with this4 ,each was wedded to a system of thought according to which signs on earth were of no evidential value4 ,a sign from heaven was what they needed to convince them4 ,the demand was practically the same as that which the ,pharisees and scribes had made before 7xii4 #ch71 though it is put more specifically here as a sign from heaven4 ,the reason why the ,pharisees adopted the same method of attack as before is not far to seek4 ,their object was not to obtain satisfaction as to ,his claims1 but to find the easiest way of discrediting them2 and1 knowing as they did from their past experience that the demand of a special sign would be refused1 they counted on the refusal beforehand1 to be used by their new allies as well as themselves as a weapon against ,him4 ,they were not disappointed1 for our ,lord was no respecter of persons2 therefore ,he spoke just as plainly and sternly when the haughty ,sadducees were present as ,he had done before they made their appearance4 ,the words are stern and strong2 but here again it is more in sorrow than in anger that ,he speaks4 ,we learn from ,st4 ,mark that1 as ,he gave ,his answers1 ,he sighed deeply in ,his spirit4 ,there had been so many signs1 and they were so plain and clear--signs which spoke for themselves1 signs which so plainly spelt out the words1 ,the kingdom of heaven is among you--that it was unspeakably sad to think that they should be blind to them all1 and find it in their heart to ask for something else1 which in its nature would be no sign at all1 but only a portent1 a barren miracle4 ,we can see in this how determined our ,lord was not to minister to the craving for the merely miraculous4 ,he would work no miracle for the mere purpose of exciting astonishment or even of producing conviction1 when there was quite enough for all who were at all willing to receive it1 in the regular1 natural and necessary development of ,his work as the ,healer of the sick1 the ,shepherd of the people1 the ,refuge of the troubled and distressed4 ,had there been no signs of the times1 there might have been some reason for signs in the heavens2 but when there were signs in abundance of the kind to appeal to all that was best in the minds and hearts of men1 why should these be discredited by resorting to another kind of sign much inferior and far less adapted to the securing of the special object for which the ,king of heaven had come into the world8 ,the signs of the times were after all far more easily discerned than those signs in the heavens by which they were accustomed to anticipate both fine and stormy weather4 ,there were signs of blessing enough to convince any doubter that the summer of heaven was easily within ,his reach2 on the other hand1 in the state of the nation1 and the rapidly developing circumstances which were hastening on the fulfilment of the most terrible of the prophecies concerning it1 there were signs enough to give far more certain indication of approaching judgment1 than when the red and lowering morning gave token of the coming thunderstorm 7vv4 #b1 #c74 ,so ,he tells them1 convicting them of wilful blindness2 and then repeats in almost identical terms the refusal ,he had given to the scribes and ,pharisees before3 ,a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign2 and there shall no sign be given unto it1 but the sign of the prophet ,jonas 7see xii4 #ci1 and remarks on it on pp4 #aff-h74 ,and ,he left them1 and departed4 ,how sad for ,him2 how awful for them6 ,had there been in their hearts one single aspiration for the true and good1 ,he would not have left them so4 ,where are these ,pharisees and ,sadducees now8 ,what do they now think of the work of that day8 ,he left them1 and again entering into the boat departed to the other side 7,mark viii4 #ac74 ,did ,he ever cross the lake again8 ,if ,he did1 there is no record of it4 ,he passed in sight of it in that sorrowful southward journey to ,jerusalem which ,he must presently commence2 and ,he will visit the same shore again after ,his resurrection to cheer the apostles at their toil2 but this seems to have been the last crossing4 ,what a sad one it must have been6--after a beginning so bright that it was heralded as daybreak on ,gennesaret's shore1 after all ,his self-denying toil1 after all the words of wisdom ,he has spoken and the deeds of mercy ,he has done upon these shores1 to leave them1 as ,he does now1 rejected and despised1 an outcast1 to all outward appearance a failure4 ,no wonder ,he is silent in that crossing of the lake2 no wonder ,he is lost in saddest thought1 turning over and over in ,his mind the signs of the times forced so painfully on ,his attention6 ,the disciples with ,him in the boat had no share in these sad thoughts4 ,their minds1 as it would seem1 were occupied for the most part with the mistake they had made in provisioning the boat4 ,accordingly1 when at last ,he broke silence1 ,he found them quite out of touch with ,him4 ,he had been thinking of the sad unbelief of these ,pharisees and ,sadducees1 and of the awful danger of allowing the spirit which was in them to dominate the life2 hence the solemn caution3 ,take heed1 and beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees and of the ,sadducees4 ,the disciples meantime had been counting their loaves1 or rather1 looking sadly on the one loaf which1 on searching their baskets1 they found to be all they had2 and when the word leaven caught their ear1 coupled with a caution as to a particular kind of it1 they said one to another1 ,it is because we have taken no bread6 ,another cause of sadness to the ,master4 ,he had been mourning over the blindness of ,pharisees and ,sadducees2 ,he must now mourn over the blindness of ,his own disciples2 and not blindness only1 but also forgetfulness of a thrice-taught lesson3 for why should the mere supply of bread be any cause of anxiety to them1 after what they had seen once and again in these very regions to which they were going8 ,but these hearts were not shut against ,him2 theirs was not the blindness of those that will not see2 accordingly1 the result is very different4 ,he did not leave them and depart2 nor1 on the other hand1 did ,he explain in so many words what ,he meant4 ,it was far better that they should find out for themselves4 ,the riddles of nature and of life are not furnished with keys4 ,they must be discerned by thoughtful attention2 so1 instead of providing them a key to ,his little parable1 ,he puts them in the way of finding it for themselves by asking them a series of questions which convinced them of their thoughtlessness and faithlessness1 and led them to recognise ,his true meaning 7vv4 #h-ab74 ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,new ,,departure4 7,,founding ,,of ,,the ,,church47 ,,matt4 xvi4 #ac-xvii4 #ba4 ,this conversation at ,csarea ,philippi is universally regarded as marking a new era in the life of ,christ4 ,his rejection by ,his own is now complete4 ,jerusalem1 troubled at ,his birth1 had been troubled once again when ,he suddenly came to ,his ,temple1 and began to cleanse it in ,his ,father's name2 and though many at the feast were attracted by ,his deeds of mercy1 ,he could not commit ,himself to any of them 7,john ii4 #bd73 there was no rock there on which to build ,his ,church4 ,he had passed through ,samaria1 and found there fields white unto the harvest1 but the time of reaping was not yet4 ,galilee had given better promise3 again and again it had appeared as if the foundation of the new kingdom would be firmly laid in the land of ,zebulun and ,naphtali2 but there had been bitter and crushing disappointment1--even the cities where most of ,his mighty works were done repented not4 ,the people had eagerly welcomed ,his earthly things2 but when ,he began to speak to them of heavenly things they went back1 and walked no more with ,him4 ,and though opportunity after opportunity was given them while ,he hovered on the outskirts1 ever and anon returning#ab to the familiar scenes1 they would not repent2 they would not welcome or even receive the kingdom of ,god which ,christ came to found4 ,the country has been traversed from the wilderness of ,juda1 in the far south1 even unto ,dan2 and as there had been no room for the ,infant ,king in the inn1 so there was none in all the land for the infant kingdom4 ,thus it comes to pass that1 with the very small band ,he has gathered around ,him--called in the land indeed1 but now of necessity called to come out of it--,he withdraws to the neighbourhood of the ,gentile town of ,csarea ,philippi2 not for seclusion only1 but1 as the event shows1 to found an ,ecclesia--,his ,church4 ,the scenery in this region is exceptionally beautiful1 and the place was in every way suited for a season of quiet communion with nature and with nature's ,god4 ,it was1 moreover1 just outside the land2 and in the place and surroundings there was much that must have been suggestive and inspiring4 ,is not this great mountain1 on one of the southern flanks of which they are now resting1 the mighty ,hermon1 the great landmark of the north1 rearing its snowy head on high to catch the precious clouds of heaven1 and enrich with them the winds that shall blow southward over ,palestine8 ,and are not these springs which issue from the rock beside them the sources of the ,jordan1 the sacred river8 ,as the dew of ,hermon1 and as the flowing of the water-springs1 shall be that ,church of the living ,god1 which1 as the sequel will unfold1 had its first foundation on this rocky hillside and by these river sources4 ,into this remote and rocky region1 then1 the ,master has retired with the small band of faithful disciples1 on whom alone ,he can depend for the future4 ,but can ,he depend even on them8 ,have they not been tainted with the general apostasy8 ,does ,he not already know one of them to be in heart a traitor8 7cf4 ,john vi4 #gj74 ,and have not all of them just needed the caution themselves to beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees and ,sadducees8 ,are they really strong men of faith1 like faithful ,abraham1 or are they to be like reeds shaken by the wind8 ,the time has come to test it4 ,this ,he does1 first by asking them what they think of ,himself1 and then by showing them what they must expect if they still will follow ,him4 ,first there must be the test of faith1 to ascertain what they have learned from their intercourse with ,him in the past2 then the test of hope1 lest their attachment to ,him should be based on expectations doomed to disappointment4 ,i4--,,the ,,christ 7xvi4 #ac-bj74 ,the faith test is a strictly personal one4 ,we have seen how the ,master has1 so to speak1 focussed ,his gospel in ,himself4 ,he had begun by preaching the ,gospel of the ,kingdom1 and calling men to repentance2 but as time passed on ,he found it necessary to make a more personal appeal1 pressing ,his invitations in the winning form1 ,come unto ,me4 ,when things came to a crisis in ,galilee1 ,he first in symbol and then in word set ,himself before the people as the bread of life1 which each one must receive and eat if he would live4 ,thus ,he has been making it more and more evident that the only way to receive the kingdom of ,god is to welcome ,himself as the ,son of the living ,god come to claim the hearts of men for ,his ,father in heaven4 ,how is it with the little band8 ,is theirs the popular notion1 which classes the ,son of ,god as only one among other gifted sons of men1 or do they welcome ,him in the plenitude of ,his divine prerogative and power8 ,hence the first inquiry1 which brings out the answer3 ,some say that ,thou art ,john the ,baptist2 some1 ,elias2 and others1 ,jeremias1 or one of the prophets4 ,this is manifestly the popular idea at its highest and best4 ,there were1 no doubt1 among the people those whose thought already was ,away with ,him6 away with ,him6 ,but it might well go without saying that the disciples had no sympathy with these4 ,it did1 however1 remain to be seen whether they were not content1 like the best of the people1 to accept ,him as a teacher sent from ,god1 a great prophet of ,israel1 or at most a ,john the ,baptist1 the mere herald of the coming ,king4 ,we can imagine1 then1 with what intensity of feeling the ,master would look into the disciples' eyes as ,he put the testing question1 ,but whom say ye that ,i am8 and with what joy ,he would hail the ready response of their spokesman ,peter1 when1 with eyes full of heavenly light and heart glowing with sacred fire1 he exclaimed1 ,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god6 ,it would be beyond belief1 were it not so sadly familiar a fact1 that some1 professing honestly to interpret this passage1 resolve the answer of the apostle into little or nothing more than the popular idea1 as if the ,sonship here referred to were only what any prophet or righteous man might claim4 ,he surely must be wilfully blind who does not see that the apostolic answer which the ,lord accepts is wide as the poles from the popular notions ,he so decisively rejects2 and this is made peculiarly emphatic by the striking words with which the true answer is welcomed--the ,saviour's first personal beatitude 7as if to suggest1 ,his is the kingdom of heaven--cf4 ,matt4 v4 #c1 #aj73 ,blessed art thou1 ,simon ,bar-jona3 for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee1 but ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,it will be remembered that1 in asserting ,his own personal relation to the ,father1 ,christ had said3 ,no man knoweth the ,son1 but the ,father2 neither knoweth any man the ,father1 save the ,son1 and he to whomsoever the ,son will reveal ,him 7xi4 #bg72 and now that to one at least the ,father has been revealed in the ,son1 ,he recognises the fact with joy4 ,these notions of the people about ,him were but earth-born notions1 the surmisings of flesh and blood3 this faith of the true apostle was born from above2 it could have come only from heaven4 ,now at last1 therefore1 the foundation is laid1 and the building of the spiritual temple is begun4 ,the words which follow 7ver4 #ah7 are quite natural and free from most1 if not from all1 the difficulties in which perverse human ingenuity has entangled them1 if only we bear in mind the circumstances and surroundings4 ,the little group is standing on one of the huge rocky flanks of mighty ,hermon1 great boulders here and there around them2 and in all probability1 well in sight1 some great stones cut out of the rock and made ready for use in building1 like those still to be seen in the neighbourhood of ,baalbec1 to the north of ,hermon2 for this region was famous for its great temples4 ,now1 when we remember that the two words our ,lord uses 7 and 7 for rock in our version have not precisely the same meaning--the one 7,petros1 ,peter7 signifying a piece of rock1 a stone1 the other 7,petra7 suggesting rather the great bed-rock out of which these stones are cut and on which they are lying--we can understand that1 while the reference is certainly in the first place to ,peter himself1 the main thing is the great fact just brought out that he is resting1 in the strength of faith1 on ,god as revealed in ,his ,son4 ,thus1 while ,peter is certainly the piece of rock1 the first stone which is laid upon the great underlying foundation on which all the faithful build1 and therefore is in a sense--the common popular sense1 in fact--the foundation stone1 yet the foundation of all is the ,bed-,rock1 on which the first stone and all other stones are laid4 ,bearing this well in mind1 we further see that there is no inconsistency between this and those other scriptures in which ,god is represented as alone the ,rock of our salvation4 ,the ,bed-,rock1 the ,rock of ,ages1 is here1 as elsewhere1 ,god as revealed in ,his ,son1 and ,peter is the first stone well and truly laid upon it4 ,if the surroundings suggest the use of the words ,petros and ,petra1 stone and rock1 the circumstances suggest the use of the word ,ecclesia1 or ,church1 which is here employed by our ,lord for the first time4 ,up to this time ,he has spoken always of the kingdom1 never of the church4 ,how is this to be explained8 ,of course the kingdom is the larger term2 and now it is necessary that that portion of the kingdom which is to be organised on earth should be distinguished by a specific designation2 and the use of the word church in preference to the more familiar synagogue may be accounted for by the desire to avoid confusion4 ,besides this1 however1 the word itself is specially significant4 ,it means an assembly called out1 and suggests the idea of separateness1 so appropriate to the circumstances of the little band of outcasts4 ,to see into this more fully1 let us recall the recent teaching as to the true ,israel 7chap4 xv471 no longer to be found in the old land of ,israel4 ,if there is to be an ,israel at all1 it must be reconstituted outside the camp4 ,in view of this1 how strikingly significant is it that just as ,abraham had to leave his country and go to a strange land to found the old theocracy1 so ,christ has to leave ,his country and go with ,his followers to these remote northern regions to constitute the ,israel of ,god1 to inaugurate ,his ,church1 the company of those who1 like these faithful ones1 come out and are separate to be united by faith to ,him6 ,christ with the ,twelve around ,him is the ,israel of the ,new ,testament2 and we can imagine that it was on this occasion especially that in the prayers which we know from ,st4 ,luke's ,gospel ,he offered in connection with this very conversation1 ,he would find these words of devotion especially appropriate3 ,behold1 ,i and the children which ,god hath given ,me 7,heb4 ii4 #ac74 ,the family of ,god 7see chap4 xii4 #di7 are by themselves apart1 disowned by those who still bear unworthily the name of ,israel2 and most appropriate it is that on this occasion our ,lord should begin to use that great word1 which means first called out and then gathered in3 on this rock ,i will build ,my ,,church4 ,when we think of the place and the scene and the circumstances1 the sad memories of the past and the gloomy forebodings for the future1 what sublimity of faith must we recognise in the words which immediately follow3 ,the gates of hell shall not prevail against it6 ,oh6 shame on us who grow faint-hearted with each discouragement1 when the ,master1 with rejection behind ,him and death before ,him1 found it encouragement enough after so much toil to make a bare beginning of the new temple of the ,lord2 and even in that day of smallest things was able to look calmly forward across the troubled sea of the dark future and already raise the shout of final victory6 ,but that day of victory is still far off2 and before it can even begin to come1 there must be a descent into the valley of the shadow of death4 ,he is about to tell ,his disciples that ,he must go up to ,jerusalem and die1 and leave them to be the builders of the ,church4 ,he cannot continue long to be the ,keeper of the keys2 so ,he must prepare them for taking them from ,his hand when the time shall come for ,him to go4 ,hence the words which follow1 appropriately addressed in the first place to the disciple who had first confessed ,him3 ,i will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven4 ,honour to whom honour is due3 the first member of the ,church is to be its prime minister as well4 ,when the ,master's voice shall be silent1 the voice of the rock-disciple 7and of the other disciples as well1 for the same commission was afterwards extended to them all7 shall have the same authority to bind1 to loose1 to regulate the administration of ,church affairs as if ,he ,himself were with them4 ,it was not yet time to tell them how it would be--viz41 by the coming and indwelling of ,his ,spirit2 it is enough now to give them the assurance that the infant ,church shall not be left without authority from above1 without power from on high4 ,the ,church is founded2 but for a time it must remain in obscurity4 ,the people are not ready2 and the gospel1 which is to be the power of ,god unto salvation1 is not yet complete1 until ,he shall go up to ,jerusalem and suffer many things and die4 ,till then all that has passed in this sacred northern retreat must remain a secret3 ,he charged ,his disciples that they should tell no man that ,he was the ,christ 7,r4,v474 ,,ii4--,,the ,,cross 7xvi4 #ba-bh74 ,a still more searching test must now be applied4 ,it is not enough to discover what they have learned from their intercourse with ,him in the past2 ,he must find out whether they have courage enough to face what is now impending in the future4 ,their faith in ,god as revealed in ,christ ,his ,son has been well approved4 ,it remains to be seen whether it is strong enough to bear the ordeal of the cross1 to which it must soon be subjected3 ,from that time forth began ,jesus to show unto ,his disciples1 how that ,he must go unto ,jerusalem1 and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes1 and be killed4 ,already from time to time ,he had darkly hinted what manner of death ,he should die2 but it was only from this time that ,he began to show it unto them1 to put it before them so that they could not fail to see it4 ,herein see the wisdom and tender considerateness of the ,son of man4 ,so dark and difficult a lesson would have been too much for them before4 ,the ordeal would have been too severe4 ,not until their faith has begun with some firmness to grasp ,his true and proper divinity1 can their hope live with such a prospect4 ,there must be some basis for a faith in ,his rising again1 before ,he can ask them even to look into the dark abyss of death into which ,he must descend4 ,that basis is found in the confession of the rock-apostle2 and relying on it ,he can trust them by-and-by1 if not at once1 to look through the darkness of the suffering and death to the rising again1 the prospect of which ,he sets before them at the very same time3 and be raised again the third day4 ,besides1 there was no possibility of their ever beginning to understand the atonement till they had grasped the truth of the incarnation4 ,to this day the one is intelligible only in the light of the other4 ,those to whom ,jesus of ,nazareth is only one of the prophets cannot begin to see how ,he must suffer and die4 ,only those who with the apostles rise to the realisation of ,his divine glory are prepared to understand anything of the mystery of ,his ,cross and ,passion4 ,as yet1 however1 the mystery is too deep and the prospect too dark even for them1 as becomes painfully evident from the conduct of the bravest of them all1 who took ,him1 and began to rebuke ,him1 saying1 ,be it far from ,thee1 ,lord3 this shall not be unto ,thee4 ,we naturally and properly blame the presumption of the apostle1 who1 when he did not understand1 might at least have been silent1 or have contented himself with some modest question1 instead of this unbecoming remonstrance with ,one ,whose ,messiahship and ,divine ,sonship he had just confessed4 ,but1 though we may blame him for what he said1 we cannot wonder at what he thought and felt4 ,the lesson of the cross is just beginning4 ,the disciples are just entering a higher form in the ,master's school2 and it does not follow1 because they have undergone so well their examination on the great lesson of the past1 that they are prepared all at once to take in what must be the great lesson of the future4 ,they have had time for the first3 may they not be allowed time for the second8 ,why1 then1 is ,peter reproved so very severely8 ,we may say1 indeed1 that faithfulness to ,peter himself required it4 ,the strong commendation with which his noble confession has been greeted1 instead of making him humble1 as it ought to have done1 inasmuch as it reminded him that it was not of himself but from above he had the power to make it1 seems to have made him over-confident1 trustful to that very flesh and blood to which he had been assured he was1 in regard to that confession1 in no wise indebted4 ,it was therefore necessary that the warm commendation accorded to the strength of his faith should be balanced by an equally strong condemnation of his unbelief4 ,but there is more than this to be said4 ,christ is looking at ,peter1 and speaking to ,peter2 but he recognises another1 whom ,he names and whom in the first place ,he addresses3 ,get thee behind ,me1 ,satan4 ,he recognises the same old enemy1 with the same old weapon of assault3 for it is the same temptation as that which formed the climax of the conflict in the wilderness1 a temptation to prosecute ,his work by methods which would spare ,him the awful agony of the cross4 ,the devil had departed from ,him then2 but only1 as we were informed1 for a season2 and there are frequent indications in the subsequent history that at critical times the great adversary took opportunities of renewing the old temptation4 ,this is one of these occasions4 ,let us by all means bear in mind that our ,lord was true man--that ,he was compassed with infirmity1 that ,he was tempted in all points like as we are1 though ever without sin2 let us not imagine1 then1 that ,his human soul was always on so serene a height that the words of one who loved ,him and whom ,he loved so much would have no effect on ,him4 ,it was hard enough for ,him to face the awful darkness1 without having this new stumbling-block set in ,his path4 ,it is a real temptation1 and a most dangerous one2 ,he may not therefore tamper with it for a moment3 ,he may not allow ,his affection for ,his true disciple to blind ,him to the real source of it2 ,he must realise with whom ,he has to deal2 ,he must behind the love of the apostle recognise the malice of the evil one1 who is using him as his instrument2 accordingly1 with ,his face set as a flint1 with ,his whole being braced for resistance1 so that not a hair's-breadth shall be yielded1 ,he says3 ,get thee behind ,me1 ,satan3 thou art a stumbling-block unto ,me 7,r4,v47--words which clearly indicate that ,he had recognised the danger1 and summoned the resources of ,his faith and obedience to put the stumbling-block away4 ,resist the devil1 and he will flee from you4 ,we may be sure1 therefore1 that so soon as the energetic words were spoken he was gone3 the stumbling-block was out of the way4 ,the words which follow may therefore be regarded as spoken to ,peter himself1 to bring to his own consciousness the difference between the heavenly faith which had come by revelation from above1 and the earthly doubt and denial1 which was evidently not of ,god1 though so natural to flesh and blood3 ,thou mindest not the things of ,god1 but the things of men 7,r4,v474 ,thus once more the ,christ of ,god takes up the cross of man4 ,in doing so ,he not only sets aside the protest1 uttered or unexpressed1 of ,his disciples' hearts2 but ,he tells them plainly that they too must take the same dark path if they would follow ,him3 ,then said ,jesus unto ,his disciples1 ,if any man will come after ,me1 let him deny himself1 and take up his cross1 and follow ,me4 ,so ,he tests them to the uttermost4 ,he withdraws nothing ,he has said about the blessedness of those who welcome the kingdom of heaven2 but the time has come to put the necessary condition in its strongest light1 so that1 if they still follow1 it will be not blindly1 but with eyes fully open to all that it involves4 ,he has given hints before of the stringency of the ,divine requirement2 ,he has spoken of the strait gate and the narrow way2 now ,he goes to the very heart of that hard matter1 and unfolds the innermost secret of the kingdom of heaven4 ,let him deny himself3 here is the pivot of all--the crux4 ,be it observed that this is not self-denial as currently understood1 a term applied to the denial to self of something or other which perhaps self cares very little about1 but something much more radical4 ,it is the denial of self involving as its correlative the giving of the life to ,god4 ,it is the death of self-will1 and the birth of ,god-will1#ac as the central force of the life4 ,let him deny himself1 and take up his cross4 ,each one has his cross1 some point in which the will of ,god and self-will come into direct opposition4 ,to the ,captain of our salvation the conflict came in its very darkest and most dreadful form4 ,its climax was in the ,garden1 when after the great agony ,he cried3 ,not ,my will1 but ,thine be done4 ,our conflict will not be nearly so severe3 it may even be on a point that may seem small1--whether or not we will give up some besetting sin1 whether or not we will do some disagreeable duty1 whether or not we will surrender something which stands between us and ,christ1--but whatever that be in which the will of ,god and our own will are set in opposition1 there is our cross1 and it must be taken up1 and self must be denied that we may follow ,christ4 ,they that are ,christ's have crucified the flesh4 ,is this1 then1 the great salvation8 ,does it resolve itself into a species of suicide8 ,do we enter the kingdom of life by death8 ,it is even so2 and the words which follow resolve the paradox3 ,for whosoever will save his life shall lose it3 and whosoever will lose his life for ,my sake shall find it4 ,it is a surrender of life1 certainly1 for the giving up of self means the giving up of all2 but these words for ,my sake make all the difference4 ,it is a surrender which1 in dethroning self1 enthrones ,christ in the life4 ,it is dying indeed2 but it is dying into life3 it is an act of faith which puts an end to the old life of the flesh1 and opens the gate for the new life of the spirit4 ,we have seen that all may hinge on some point that may seem quite small1 in which case the sacrifice is plainly not to be compared with the compensation2 but even when the very greatest sacrifice is demanded1 it is folly not to make it3 ,for what shall a man be profited1 if he shall gain the whole world1 and forfeit his life8 7,r4,v474 ,and1 if life is forfeited1 how can it be bought back again3 ,what shall a man give in exchange for his life 7,r4,v478 ,in ,him was life1 and in ,him is life still2 therefore ,he is more to us than all the world4 ,it is better to suffer the loss of all things for ,christ1 than to have all that flesh and blood could desire without ,him4 ,the world is very large2 and the ,son of man must have seemed very small and weak that day1 as ,he told them of the coming days when ,he should suffer so many things at ,his enemies' hands1 and die2 but this is only while the time of testing lasts3 things will be seen in their true proportion by-and-by1 when the ,son of man shall come 7what a golden background this to the dark prospect immediately before them6 ,he must go2 yes2 but ,he shall come7 in the glory of ,his ,father with ,his angels2 then ,he shall reward every man according to his works4 ,thus1 with the searching test the ,saviour gives the reassuring prospect2 and lest by reason of its indefinite distance they may fail to find in it all the encouragement they need for the present distress1 ,he gives them the further assurance that1 before very long1 there shall be manifest tokens of the coming glory of their now despised and slighted ,king3 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,there be some standing here1 which shall not taste of death1 till they see the ,son of man coming in ,his kingdom4 ,,iii4--,,the ,,glory 7xvii4 #a-h74 ,after six days--the interval is manifestly of importance1 for the three ,evangelists who record the event all lay stress on it4 ,st4 ,luke says about an eight days1 which indicates that the six days referred to by the others were days of interval between that on which the conversation at ,csarea ,philippi took place and the morning of the transfiguration4 ,it follows that we may regard this important epoch in the life of our ,lord as covering a week2 and may we not speak of it as ,his passion week in the north8 ,the shadow of the cross was on ,him all ,his life through2 but it must have been much darker during this week than ever before4 ,at the beginning of it ,he had been obliged for the first time to let that shadow fall upon ,his loved disciples1 and the days which followed seem to have been given to thought and prayer1 and quiet1 unrecorded conversation4 ,beyond all question their thoughts would be fixed on the new subject of contemplation which had just been brought before them1 and whatever conversation they had with one another and with the ,master would have this for its centre4 ,it cannot but have been a very sad and trying week4 ,the first tidings of the approach of some impending disaster is often harder to bear than is the stroke itself when afterwards it falls4 ,to the disciples the whole horizon of the future would be filled with darkest clouds of mystery2 for though they had been told also of the rising again and the glory that should follow1 they could as yet get little cheer from what lay so far in the dim distance1 and was1 moreover1 so little understood1 that even after the vision on the mount1 the favoured three questioned with each other what the rising from the dead might mean 7,mark ix4 #aj74 ,to the ,master the awful prospect must have been much more definite and real2 yet even to ,his human soul it could not have been free from that namelessness of mystery that must have made the anticipation in some respects as bad as the reality1 rendering the week to ,him a passion week indeed4 ,no wonder that at the end of it ,he has a great longing heavenward1 and that ,he should ask the three most advanced of ,his disciples1 who had been with ,him in the chamber of death and were afterwards to be witnesses of ,his agony in the ,garden1 to go with ,him to a high mountain apart4 ,the wisdom of ,his taking only these three was afterwards fully apparent1 when it proved that the experience awaiting them on the mountain-top was almost too much for even them to bear4 ,it is of no importance to identify the mountain2 probably it was one of the spurs of the ,hermon range1 at the base of which they had spent the intervening week4 ,we can perfectly understand the sacred instinct which led the ,saviour to seek the highest point which could be readily reached1 so as to feel ,himself for the time as far away from earth and as near to heaven as possible4 ,when we think of this1 what pathos is there in the reference to the height of the mountain and the loneliness of the spot3 ,he bringeth them up into a high mountain apart6 ,we are told by ,st4 ,luke that they went up to pray4 ,it seems most natural to accept this statement as not only correct1 but as a sufficient statement of the object our ,saviour had in view4 ,the thought of transfiguration may not have been in ,his mind at all4 ,here1 as always1 ,he was guided by the will of ,his ,father in heaven2 and it is not necessary to suppose that to ,his human mind that will was made known earlier than the occasion required4 ,we are not told that ,he went up to be transfigured3 we are told that ,he went up to pray4 ,it seems probable that the idea was to spend the night in prayer4 ,we know that this was a not infrequent custom with ,him2 and if ever there seemed a call for it1 it must have been now1 when about to begin that sorrowful journey which led to ,calvary4 ,with this thought agree all the indications which suggest that it was evening when they ascended1 night while they remained on the top1 and morning when they came down4 ,this1 too1 will account in the most natural manner for the drowsiness of the apostles2 and the fact that their ,lord felt none of it only proved how much more vivid was his realisation of the awfulness of the crisis than theirs was4 ,we are to think of the four1 then1 as slowly and thoughtfully climbing the hill at eventide1 carrying their abbas1 or rugs1 on which they would kneel for prayer1 and which1 if they needed rest1 they would wrap around them1 as is the ,oriental custom4 ,by the time they reached the top1 night would have cast its veil of mystery on the grandeur of the mountains round about them2 while snowy ,hermon in the gloom would rise like a mighty giant to heaven1 its summit visited all night by troops of stars4 ,never before nor since has there been such a prayer meeting on this earth of ours4 ,a careful reading of all the records leads us to think of the following as the order of events4 ,having gone up to pray1 they would doubtless all kneel down together4 ,as the night wore on1 the three disciples1 being exhausted1 would wrap themselves in their cloaks and go to sleep2 while the ,master1 to whom sleep at such a time was unnatural1 if not impossible1 would continue in prayer4 ,can we suppose that that time of pleading was free from agony8 ,his soul had been stirred within ,him when ,peter had tempted ,him to turn aside from the path of the ,cross2 and may we not with reverence suppose that on that lonely hilltop1 as later in the ,garden1 there might be in ,his heart the cry1 ,father1 if it be possible8 ,if only the way upward were open now6 ,has not the kingdom of ,god been preached in ,juda1 in ,samaria1 in ,galilee1 away to the very borderlands8 and has not the ,church been founded8 and has not authority been given to the apostles8 ,is it1 then1 absolutely necessary to go back1 back to ,jerusalem1 not to gain a triumph1 but to accept the last humiliation and defeat8 ,there cannot but have been a great conflict of feeling2 and with all the determination to be obedient even unto death1 there must have been a shrinking from the way of the cross1 and a great longing for heaven and home and the ,father's welcome4 ,the longing cannot be gratified3 it is not possible for the cup to pass from ,him2 but just as later in ,gethsemane there came an angel from heaven strengthening him1 so now ,his longing for heaven and home and the smile of ,his ,father is gratified in the gladdening and strengthening experience which followed ,his prayer--a foretaste of the heavenly glory1 so vivid1 so satisfying1 that ,he will thenceforth be strong1 for the joy that is set before ,him1 to endure the ,cross1 despising the shame4 ,for behold1 as ,he prays1 ,his face becomes radiant1 the glory within shining through the veil of ,his mortal flesh4 ,we all know that this flesh of ours is more or less transparent1 and that in moments of exaltation the faces of even ordinary men will shine as with a heavenly lustre4 ,we need not wonder1 then1 that it should have been so with our ,lord1 only in an immeasurably higher degree3 that ,his face should have shone even as the sun2 and that1 though ,he could not yet ascend to heaven1 heaven's brightness should have descended on ,him and wrapped ,him round1 so that even ,his raiment was white as the light4 ,and not only heavenly light is round1 but heavenly company2 for behold1 there appeared unto them ,moses and ,elias talking with ,him4 ,the disciples could not sleep through all this4 ,when they were fully awake1 they saw ,his glory1 and the two men that stood with ,him 7,luke ix4 #cb1 ,r4,v474 ,how they recognised them we are not told4 ,it may have been through their conversation1 which in part at least they understood2 for the substance of it has been preserved in ,st4 ,luke's ,gospel1 where we read that they spake of ,his decease 7literally1 exodus7 which ,he should accomplish at ,jerusalem4 ,the human soul of ,jesus no doubt longed for an exodus here and now1 from this very height of ,hermon into the presence of ,god2 but ,he knows this cannot be3 ,his exodus must be accomplished in a very different way1 and at ,jerusalem4 ,this ,moses and ,elijah knew2 and their words must have brought ,him encouragement and strength1 and given steadiness and assurance to the wavering hearts of ,peter1 ,james and ,john4 ,that the conversation was intended for their benefit as well1 seems indicated by the way in which ,peter's intervention is recorded3 ,then answered ,peter1 and said unto ,jesus4 ,what he said is quite characteristic of the impulsive disciple1 so ready to speak without thinking4 ,on this occasion he blunders in a very natural and pardonable way4 ,he feels as if he ought to say something2 and1 as nothing more to the purpose occurs to him1 he blurts out his thoughtless proposal to make three tabernacles for their abode4 ,besides the thoughtlessness of this speech1 which is manifest enough1 there seems to lurk in it a sign of his falling back into the very error which a week ago he had renounced--the error of putting his ,master in the same class as ,moses and ,elias1 reckoning ,him thus1 as the people of ,galilee had done1 simply as one of the prophets4 ,if so1 his mistake is at once corrected2 for behold a bright luminous cloud--fit symbol of the ,divine presence3 the cloud suggesting mystery1 and the brightness1 glory--wraps all from sight1 and out of the cloud there comes a voice3 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in ,whom ,i am well pleased2 hear ye ,him4 ,we now see how appropriate it was that just these two should be the heavenly messengers to wait upon the ,son of man on this occasion4 ,the one represented the law1 the other the prophets4 ,the law and the prophets were until ,john2 but both are now merged in the gospel of ,jesus1 ,who is all and in all4 ,moses and ,elijah have long had audience of the people of ,god2 but behold a greater than ,moses or ,elijah is here1 and they must withdraw2 and accordingly1 when the ,voice is silent and the cloud has cleared away1 ,jesus is left alone4 ,no one remains to divide ,his authority1 and none to share ,his sorrow4 ,he must tread the winepress alone4 ,moses and ,elijah return to the world of spirits--,jesus1 ,god's beloved ,son1 to the world of men4 ,and all ,his human sympathies were fresh and quick as ever2 for1 finding ,his three disciples fallen on their faces for fear1 ,he came and touched them1 saying1 ,arise1 and be not afraid4 ,they no doubt thought their ,lord had laid aside ,his human body1 and left them all alone upon the mountain2 but with ,his human hand ,he touched them1 and with ,his human voice ,he called them as of old1 and with ,his human heart ,he welcomed them again4 ,reassured1 they lifted up their eyes1 and saw their ,lord--the man ,christ ,jesus as before--and no one else4 ,all is over2 and as the world is unprepared for it1 the vision is sealed until the ,son of man be risen from the dead4 ,why were their lips sealed8 ,the more we think of it1 the more we shall see the wisdom of this seal of secrecy1 even from the other nine2 for had they been prepared to receive the revelation1 they would have been privileged to witness it4 ,the transfiguration was no mere wonder2 it was no sign granted to incredulity3 it was one of those sacred experiences for rare spirits in rare hours1 which nature itself forbids men to parade1 or even so much as mention1 unless constrained to it by duty4 ,it is one of the innumerable notes of truth found1 wherever aught that is marvellous is recorded in these ,gospels1 that the glory on the mount is not appealed to1 to confirm the faith of any but the three who witnessed it4 ,upon them it did produce a deep and abiding impression4 ,one of them1 indeed1 died a martyr's death so very early that we have nothing from his pen 7,acts xii4 #b72 but both the others have left us words written late in their after life1 which show how ineffaceable was the impression produced upon them by what they saw that memorable night4 ,john evidently has it in mind1 both in the beginning of his ,epistle and of his ,gospel1 as where he says3 ,we beheld ,his glory1 the glory as of the only begotten of the ,father2 and ,peter thus conveys the assurance which the experience of that night left with him to the end3 ,we have not followed cunningly devised fables1 when we made known unto you the power and coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 but were eyewitnesses of ,his majesty4 ,for ,he received from ,god the ,father honour and glory1 when there came such a voice to ,him from the excellent glory1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in ,whom ,i am well pleased4 ,and this voice which came from heaven we heard1 when we were with ,him in the holy mount4 ,but while the impression made upon the three who witnessed it was so deep and abiding1 it could not be expected to have any direct evidential value to others2 accordingly it remained unused in their dealings with others until their ,master's work had been crowned by ,his resurrection from the dead1 which was to be the sign1 as ,he had again and again said to those who kept asking ,him for a sign from heaven4 ,the transfiguration was indeed a sign from heaven2 but it was no sign for a faithless generation3 it was only for those who by the strength of their faith and the purity of their devotion were prepared to receive it4 ,signs fitted to satisfy the doubting heart had been wrought in great abundance 7xi4 #d1 #e72 and the crowning sign was to be certified by many infallible proofs1 after which it would be time to speak of the experience of that sacred night upon the holy mount4 ,how fitly the transfiguration closes this memorable week6 ,as we linger with the ,lord and ,his disciples at the sources of the ,jordan1 we realise that we have reached what we may call the water-shed of doctrine in ,his training of the ,twelve4 ,slowly have they been rising in their thoughts of ,christ1 until at last they recognise ,his true divinity1 and make a clear and full confession of it4 ,but no sooner have they reached that height of truth than they are constrained to look down into the dark valley before them1 at the bottom of which they dimly see the dreadful cross2 and then1 to comfort and reassure1 there is this vision of the glory that shall follow4 ,thus we have1 in succession1 the three great doctrines of the faith3 ,incarnation1 ,atonement1 ,resurrection4 ,there is first the glory of ,christ as the ,son of ,god2 then ,his shame as ,bearer of our sin2 then the vision of the glory that shall follow1 the glory given to ,him as ,his reward4 ,for may we not regard that company upon the mount as a miniature of the ,church in heaven and on earth8 ,there was the great and glorified ,head of the ,church1 and round ,him five representative members3 two from the family in heaven1 three from the family on earth--those from the ,church triumphant1 these from the ,church still militant--those from among the saints of the old covenant1 these the firstfruits of the new4 ,could there have been a better representation of the whole family in heaven and on earth8 ,how appropriate that the passion week of the north1 which began with the founding of the ,church in the laying of its first stone1 should end with a vision of it as completed1 which must to some extent have been a fulfilment of the promise1 ,he shall see of the travail of ,his soul1 and shall be satisfied6 ,observe1 too1 in quick succession1 the great key-words of the new age3 ,the ,christ 7xvi4 #af71 ,the ,church 7ver4 #ah71 ,the ,cross 7ver4 #bd71 ,the ,glory 7ver4 #bg73 the latter1 as still in the future1 made real by the glory on the holy mount4 ,the medival interpreters1 always on the watch for the symbolism of numbers1 especially the number three1 regarded ,peter as the apostle of faith1 ,james of hope1 and ,john of love4 ,and though we may set this aside as a touch of fancy1 we cannot fail to observe that just as the mind1 in its grasp of truth1 is led from the incarnation to the atonement1 and thence to the resurrection and the glory that shall follow2 so the cardinal graces of the ,christian life are called out in quick succession3 first faith with its rock-foundation2 then love with its self-sacrificing devotion2 and finally hope with its vision of heavenly glory4 ,the whole gospel of ,christ1 the whole life of the ,christian1 is found in this brief passage of the first ,evangelist1 ending with the suggestive words1 ,jesus only4 ,,iv4--,,the ,,descent 7xvii4 #i-ba74 ,who can tell what each step downward cost the ,son of man8 ,if it seemed good to the disciples to be on the mountain-top1 what must it have been to the ,master6 and what utter denial of self and conscious taking up of the cross it must have been to leave that hallowed spot6 ,we have already seen a reason1 as regards the disciples1 why the vision should be sealed till the time of the end2 but was there not also a reason which touched the ,master ,himself8 ,it was well that ,he had enjoyed such a time of refreshing--it would be something to look back to in darkest hours2 but it must be a memory only3 it may not therefore be a subject of conversation--not the glory1 but the cross1 must now1 both for ,himself and for ,his disciples1 fill all the near horizon4 ,this view of the case is confirmed by the manner in which ,he deals with their question respecting ,elijah4 ,it was a very natural question4 ,it was no doubt perplexing in many ways to be absolutely forbidden to tell what they had seen2 but it seemed especially mysterious in view of ,elijah's appearance1 which they not unnaturally regarded as a fulfilment of the prophecy for which the scribes were waiting4 ,hence their question1 ,why1 then1 say the ,scribes that ,elias must first come8 ,our ,lord's answer turned their thoughts to the true fulfilment of the prophecy which was no shadowy appearance on a lonely hill1 but the real presence among the men of the time of a genuine reformer who had come in the spirit and power of ,elijah1 and who would certainly have restored all things1 had not these very scribes and ,pharisees1 failing to recognise him1 left him to the will of the tyrant who had done away with him4 ,then most significantly ,he adds1 that as it had been with the ,elijah1 so would it be with the ,messiah of the time3 ,likewise shall also the ,son of man suffer of them4 ,thus1 in showing them where to look for the true fulfilment of the prophecy1 ,he turns their attention as well as ,his own away from the glory on the mount1 which must now be a thing of the past1 to that dark scene in the prison cell1 which was so painfully impressed upon their minds1 and those still darker scenes in the near future of which it was the presage4 ,at the foot of the mountain there is presented one of those striking contrasts with which1 as we have seen1 this ,gospel abounds4 ,it is very familiar to us through ,raphael's great painting2 and we shall certainly not make the mistake of attempting to translate into our feeble words what is there seen1 and may now be regarded as known and read of all men4 ,leaving1 therefore1 to the imagination the contrast between the glory on the mount and the misery on the plain1 let us briefly look at the scene itself4 ,briefly2 for though it well deserves detailed treatment1 the proper place for this would be the full record of it in the second ,gospel2 while the more general way in which it is presented here suggests the propriety of dealing with it in outline only4 ,without1 then1 attempting to enter on the striking and most instructive details to be found in ,st4 ,mark's ,gospel1 and without even dealing with it as we have endeavoured to deal with similar cures under the head of the ,signs of the ,kingdom1 it may be well to glance at it in the light of the words used by our ,lord when ,he was confronted with the sorrowful scene3 ,o faithless and perverse generation1 how long shall ,i be with you8 how long shall ,i suffer you8 ,it seems evident from these words that ,he is looking at the scene1 not so much as presenting a case of individual suffering1 appealing to ,his compassion1 as a representation in miniature of the helplessness and perverseness of the race of men ,he has come to save4 ,remember how well ,he knew what was in man1 and therefore what it must have been to ,him1 immediately after such a season of pure and peaceful communion on the holy mount1 to have to enter into sympathy with all the variety of helplessness and confusion ,he saw around ,him4 ,there is the poor plague-stricken boy in the centre2 beside him his agonised father2 there1 the feeble and blundering disciples1 and the scribes 7,mark ix4 #ad7 questioning with them2 and all around the excited1 sympathetic and utterly perplexed multitude4 ,yet the kingdom of heaven is so near them1 and has been so long proclaimed among them6 ,alas6 alas for the perversity of men1 that blinds them to the ,sun of ,righteousness1 already arisen with healing in ,his wings1 and for the unbelief even of the disciples themselves1 which renders them1 identified though they are with the kingdom1 as helpless as all the rest6 ,when we think of all this1 need we wonder at the wail which breaks from the ,saviour's sorrowful heart1 need we wonder that ,he cries ,how long8 how long8 ,bring him hither to ,me4 ,here is the solvent of all4 ,from that very hour the boy is cured1 the father's heart is calmed and filled with gladness1 the cavillers are silenced1 the multitudes are satisfied and the worn-out faith of the disciples is renewed4 ,out of chaos1 order1 out of tumult1 peace1 by a word from ,christ4 ,it was a wilder sea than ,galilee at its stormiest2 but at ,his rebuke the winds and waves were stilled1 and there was a great calm4 ,so would it be still1 if this generation were not perverse and faithless in its turn--the world perverse1 the ,church faithless4 ,above the stormy sea of human sin and woe and helplessness1 there still is heard the lamentation ,how long shall ,i be with you8 how long shall ,i suffer you8 ,here are we groaning and travailing in this late age of the world and of the ,church1 the worst kind of demons still working their will in their poor victims1 the cry of anxious parents going up for lost children1 disciples blundering and failing in well-meant efforts to cast the demons out1 wise and learned scribes pointing at them the finger of scorn1 excited and angry multitudes demanding satisfaction which they fail to get--,oh1 if only all could hear the voice of the ,son of man as the multitude heard it that day2 and if we would only with one consent recognise the majesty of ,his face and mien as they did 7see ,mark ix4 #ae71 bring to ,him our plague-stricken ones1 our devil-possessed1 bring to ,him our difficulties and perplexities1 our vexed questions and our hard problems1 would ,he not as of old bring order out of our chaos1 and out of weakness make us strong8 ,oh1 for more faith1 faith to take hold of the ,christ of ,god1 come down from ,his holy habitation1 and with us even to the end of the world1 to bear the infirmities and carry the sorrows and take away the sins of men6--then should we be able to say to this mountain of evil under which our cities groan1 ,be thou removed1 and be thou cast into the sea1 and it would be done4 ,if only the ,church of ,christ in the world to-day had through all its membership that faith which is the only avenue by which the power of ,god can reach the need of man1 our social problems would not long defy solution--nothing would be impossible2 for over the millions of ,london1 and the masses everywhere1 there broods the same great heart of love and longing which prompted the gracious words1 ,come unto ,me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest2 and there is not a wretched one in all the world for whom there is not a blessed ray of hope in this pathetic wail which still proceeds from the loving heart of ,him ,who is the same yesterday and to-day and for ever4 ,o faithless and perverse generation1 how long shall ,i be with you8 how long shall ,i suffer you8 bring him hither to ,me4 ,bring him hither--this is a work of faith as well as a labour of love4 ,the ,church on earth is in the same position now as were the nine when the ,master was absent from them on the mountain-top4 ,he has ascended up on high1 and the work must be carried on by the members of ,his body on the earth2 and it is only in proportion to their faith that any success can attend them in their work4 ,is faith1 then1 all that is necessary8 ,it is3 provided it be genuine living faith4 ,this seems to be the point of the reference to the grain of mustard seed4 ,the little seed1 small as it is1 is set in true relation to the great life-force of ,mother ,nature1 and therefore out of it by-and-by there comes a mighty tree2 and in the same way even feeble faith1 if it be genuine1 and therefore set in true relation to the power of the ,father of our spirits1 becomes receptive of a force which in the end nothing can resist4 ,but genuine living faith it must be3 there must be the real opening up of the soul to the ,spirit of the living ,god1 so that the man's nature becomes a channel through which unobstructed the grace and power of ,god shall flow4 ,it need scarcely be remarked that the notion which mistakes faith for mere belief of certain doctrines is utterly misleading4 ,in nothing is the perversity of a faithless generation more conspicuous than in the persistency with which this absurd and unscriptural notion of faith holds its ground1 even with those who are supposed to be leaders of thought in certain directions4 ,if only that mountain of folly could be cleared away1 there would be a decided brightening of the spiritual outlook2 for then men everywhere would see that the faith which ,christ expects of them1 and without which nothing can be accomplished1 is no mere intellectual belief1 but the laying open and leaving open of the entire nature to the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,thus spurious dead faith would be utterly discredited1 and genuine living faith would alone be recognised2 and while the first effect would be to disclose the exceeding scantiness of the ,church's faith1 the result would be that even though what stood the test should be small as a grain of mustard seed1 it would have in it such vitality and power that by-and-by it would become mighty and all-pervading1 so that before it mountains would disappear 7ver4 #bj74 ,the last words of the paragraph#ad carry us back to the ultimate necessity for prayer4 ,it is plain that our ,lord refers to habitual prayer4 ,we cannot suppose that these nine disciples had utterly neglected this duty2 but they had failed to live in an atmosphere of prayer1 as was their ,master's rule4 ,we may be sure that they had not prayed at the base of the mountain as their ,lord had prayed on the summit1 or they would certainly not have failed in their attempt to cure the lunatic child4 ,this demand for prayer is not really anything additional to the faith set forth as the one thing needful4 ,there has been a good deal of discussion lately as to whether we can think without words4 ,we shall not presume to decide the question2 but it may safely be affirmed that without words we could not think to any purpose4 ,and just as the continuance and development of our thinking is dependent on words1 so the continuance and development of our faith is dependent on prayer4 ,is not the weak spot of our modern ,christianity just here8 ,in this age of tear and wear1 bustle and excitement1 what becomes of prayer8 ,if the amount of true wrestling with ,god in the daily life of the average ,christian could be disclosed1 the wonder might be1 not that he accomplishes so little1 but that ,god is willing to use him at all4 #ab ,a touching fulfilment of the ,messianic spirit of these prophetic words3 ,how shall ,i give thee up1 ,ephraim8 how shall ,i deliver thee1 ,israel8 how shall ,i make thee as ,admah8 how shall ,i set thee as ,zeboim8 mine heart is turned within me1 my repentings are kindled together4 ,compare chap4 xi4 #ba-bd4 #ac ,our wills are ours1 we know not how3 ,our wills are ours1 to make them ,thine4 #ad ,they are relegated to the margin in ,r4,v42 but the parallel passage in ,st4 ,mark's ,gospel is acknowledged to be genuine4 ,,xiv4 ,,last ,,words ,,at ,,capernaum4 ,,matt4 xvii4 #bb-xviii4 #ce4 ,,the ,,temple ,,tribute 7xvii4 #bb-bg47 ,the way southward lies through ,galilee2 but the time of ,galilee's visitation is now over1 so ,jesus avoids public attention as much as possible1 and gives ,himself up to the instruction of ,his disciples1 especially to impressing upon their minds the new lesson of the ,cross1 which they find it so very hard to realise1 or even to understand4 ,a brief stay in ,capernaum was to be expected2 and there above all places ,he could not hope to escape notice2 but the manner of it is sadly significant--no friendly greeting1 no loving welcome1 not even any personal recognition1 only a more or less entangling question as to the ,temple tax1 addressed1 not to ,christ ,himself1 but to ,peter3 ,doth not your ,master pay the half-shekel8 7,r4,v474 ,the impulsive disciple showed his usual readiness by answering at once in the affirmative4 ,he perhaps thought it was becoming his ,master's dignity to show not a moment's hesitation in such a matter2 but if so1 he must have seen his mistake when he heard what his ,lord had to say on the subject1 reminding him as it did that1 as ,son of ,god1 ,he was ,lord of the ,temple1 and not tributary to it4 ,some have felt a difficulty in reconciling the position taken on this occasion with ,his previous attitude towards the law1 notably on the occasion of ,his baptism1 when in answer to ,john's remonstrance1 ,he said1 ,it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness2 but it must be remembered that ,he has entered on a new stage of ,his career4 ,he has been rejected by those who acknowledged allegiance to the ,temple1 virtually excommunicated1 so that ,he has been constrained to found ,his ,church outside the commonwealth of ,israel2 ,he must therefore assert ,his own rights and theirs in spiritual things 7for it must be remembered that the half-shekel was not the tribute to ,csar1 but the impost for the maintenance of the ,temple worship74 ,but while asserting ,his right ,he would not insist on it3 ,he would stand by ,his disciple's word1 and so avoid putting a stumbling-block in the way of those that were without1 and who therefore could not be expected to understand the position ,he took4 ,while consenting to pay the tax1 ,he would provide it in such a way as not to lower ,his lofty claims in the view of ,his disciples1 but rather to illustrate them1 bringing home1 as it must have done1 to them all1 and especially to the pilot of the ,galilean lake1 that all things were under ,his feet1 down to the very fish of the sea1 and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas 7,psalm viii4 #h1 l4 #aj-ab74 ,the difficulty which some feel in regard to this miracle1 as differing so much in its character from those wrought in presence of the people as signs of the kingdom and credentials of the ,king1 is greatly relieved1 if not altogether removed1 by remembering what was the special object in view--the instruction of ,peter and the other disciples--and observing how manifestly and peculiarly appropriate it was for this particular purpose4 ,,the ,,little ,,ones 7xviii4 #a-ad74 ,the brief stay at ,capernaum was signalised by some other lessons of the greatest importance4 ,first1 as to the great and the small in the kingdom of heaven4 ,we learn from the other ,evangelists that by the way the disciples had disputed with one another who should be the greatest4 ,alas for human frailty1 even in the true disciple6 ,it is most humiliating to think that1 after that week1 with its high and holy lessons1 the first thing we hear of the disciples should be their failure in the very particulars which had been special features of the week's instruction4 ,recall the two points3 the first was faith in the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god1 and over against it we have from lack of faith the signal failure with the lunatic child2 the second was self-denial1 and over against it we have this unseemly strife as to who should be greatest in the kingdom4 ,it is startling and most sad2 but is it not true to nature8 ,is it not after the most solemn impressions that we need to be most watchful8 ,and how natural it is1 out of what is taught us1 to choose and appropriate what is welcome1 and1 without expressly rejecting1 simply to leave unassimilated and unapplied what is unwelcome4 ,the great burden of the instruction for the last eight or ten days had been the ,cross4 ,there had been reference to the rising again1 and the coming in the glory of the kingdom2 but these had been kept strictly in the background1 mentioned chiefly to save the disciples from undue discouragement1 and even the three who had the vision of glory on the mount were forbidden to mention the subject in the meantime4 ,yet they let it fill the whole field of view2 and though when the ,master is with them ,he still speaks to them of the ,cross1 when they are by themselves they dismiss the subject1 and fall to disputing as to who shall be the greatest in the kingdom6 ,how patiently and tenderly their ,master deals with them6 ,no doubt the same thought was in ,his heart again3 ,o faithless and perverse generation1 how long shall ,i be with you8 how long shall ,i suffer you8 ,but ,he does not even express it now4 ,he takes an opportunity1 when they are quietly together in the house1 of teaching them the lesson they most need in a manner so simple and beautiful1 so touching and impressive1 as to commend it to all true-hearted ones to the end of time4 ,jesus called a little child to ,him1 and set him in the midst of them4 ,can we doubt that they felt the force of that striking object-lesson before ,he said a word8 ,then1 as we learn from ,st4 ,mark1 to whom we always look for minute details1 after having set him in the midst of them for them to look at and think about for a while1 ,he took him in ,his arms1 as if to show them where to look for those who were nearest to the heart of the ,king of heaven4 ,nothing could have been more suggestive4 ,it perfectly suited the purpose ,he had in view2 but the meaning and the value of that simple act were by no means limited to that purpose4 ,it most effectually rebuked their pride and selfish ambition2 but it was far more than a rebuke--it was a revelation which taught men to appreciate child-nature as they had never done before4 ,it was a new thought the ,lord ,jesus so quietly introduced into the minds of men that day1 a seed-thought which had in it the promise1 not only of all that appreciation of child-life which is characteristic of ,christendom to-day1 and which has rendered possible such poems as ,vaughan's ,retreat1 and ,wordsworth's grand ode on ,immortality1 but also of that appreciation of the broadly human as distinguished from the mere accidents of birth or rank or wealth which lies at the foundation of all ,christian civilisation4 ,the enthusiasm of humanity is all in that little act done so unassumingly in heedless ,capernaum4 ,the words spoken are in the highest degree worthy of the act they illustrate4 ,the first lesson is1 ,none but the lowly are in the kingdom3 ,except ye be converted 7from the selfish pride of your hearts71 and become 7lowly and self-forgetful7 as little children1 ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven4 ,a most heart-searching lesson6 ,what grave doubts and questions it must have suggested to the disciples6 ,they had faith to follow ,christ in an external way2 but were they really following ,him8 ,had ,he not said1 ,if any man will come after ,me1 let him deny himself8 ,were they denying self8 ,on the other hand1 however1 we need not suppose that this selfish rivalry was habitual with them4 ,it was probably one of those surprises which overtake the best of ,christians2 so that it was not really a proof that they did not belong to the kingdom1 but only that for the time they were acting inconsistently with it2 and therefore1 before they could think of occupying any place1 even the very lowest in the kingdom1 they must repent1 and become as little children4 ,the next lesson is1 ,the lowliest in the kingdom are the greatest3 ,whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child1 the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven4 ,again a most wonderful utterance1 now so familiar to us1 that we are apt to regard it as a thing of course2 but what a startling paradox it must have been to the astonished disciples that day6 ,yet1 as they looked at the bright1 innocent1 clear-eyed1 self-unconscious little child1 so simple1 so trustful1 there must have come a response from that which was deepest and best within them to their ,master's words4 ,and though the thought was new to them at the time1 it did come home to them3 it passed into their nature1 and showed itself afterwards in precious fruit1 at which the world still wonders4 ,they did not indeed get over their selfishness all at once2 but how grandly were they cured of it when their training was finished6 ,if there is one thing more characteristic of the apostles in their after life than any other1 it is their self-forgetfulness--their self-effacement1 we may say4 ,where does ,matthew ever say a word about the sayings or doings of ,matthew8 ,even ,john1 who was nearest of all to the heart of the ,saviour1 and with ,him in all ,his most trying hours1 can write a whole gospel without ever mentioning his own name2 and when he has occasion to speak of ,john the ,baptist does it as if there were no other ,john in existence4 ,so was it with them all4 ,we must not forget that1 so far as this lesson of self-denial is concerned1 they were only beginners now 7see xvi4 #ba72 but after they had completed their course and received the ,pentecostal seal1 they did not disgrace their ,teacher any more3 they did then really and nobly deny self2 and thus did they at last attain true greatness in the kingdom of heaven4 99 99 99 99 99 ,so far we have what may be called the ,saviour's direct answer to the question as to the greatest2 but ,he cannot leave the subject without also setting before them the claims of the least in the kingdom of heaven4 ,he has shown them how to be great3 ,he now teaches them how to treat the small4 ,the two things lie very close together4 ,the man who makes much of himself is sure to make light of others2 and he who is ambitious for worldly greatness will have little regard for those who in his eyes are small4 ,the lesson1 then1 would have been incomplete had ,he not vindicated the claims of the little ones4 ,it is manifest1 from the whole strain of the passage which follows1 that the reference is not exclusively to children in years1 but quite as much to children in spiritual stature1 or in position and influence in the ,church4 ,the little ones are those who are small in the sense corresponding to that of the word great in the disciples' question4 ,they are those1 therefore1 that are small and weak1 and 7as it is sometimes expressed7 of no account in the ,church1 whether this be due to tender years or to slender abilities or to scanty means or to little faith4 ,what our ,lord says on this subject comes evidently from the very depths of ,his heart4 ,he is not content with making sure that the little ones shall receive as good a welcome as the greatest3 they must have a special welcome1 just because they are small4 ,he identifies ,himself with them--with each separate little one3 ,whoso shall receive one such little child in ,my name receiveth ,me4 ,what a grand security for the rights and privileges of the small6 what a word for parents and teachers1 for men of influence and wealth in the ,church in their relations to the weak and poor6 ,then follow two solemn warnings1 wrought out with great fulness and energy4 ,the first is against putting a stumbling-block in the way of even one of these little ones--an offence which may be committed without any thought of the consequences4 ,perhaps this is the very reason why the ,master feels it necessary to use language so terribly strong1 that ,he may1 if possible1 arouse ,his disciples to some sense of their responsibility3 ,whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in ,me1 it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck1 and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea4 ,how jealously ,he guards the little ones6 ,verily he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of ,his eye4 ,from the corresponding passage in ,st4 ,mark1 it would appear that ,christ had in view1 not only such differences of age and ability and social position as are found in every community of disciples1 but also such differences as are found between one company and another of professing ,christians 7see ,mark ix4 #ch-db74 ,this infuses a new pathos into the sad lament with which ,he forecasts the future3 ,woe unto the world because of offences6 for it must needs be that offences come2 but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh6 ,the solemn warnings which follow1 not given now for the first time 7see chap4 v4 #bi1 #cj71 coming in this connection1 convey the important lesson that the only effectual safeguard against causing others to stumble is to take heed to our own ways1 and be ready to make any sacrifice in order to maintain our personal purity1 simplicity and uprightness 7vv4 #h1 #i74 ,how often alas6 in the history of the ,church has the cutting off been applied in the wrong direction2 when the strong1 in the exercise of an authority which the ,master would never have sanctioned1 have passed sentence of excommunication against some defenceless little one2 whereas if they had laid to heart these solemn warnings1 they would have cut off1 not one of ,christ's members1 but one of their own--the harsh hand1 the hasty foot1 the jealous eye1 which caused them to stumble6 ,the other warning is3 ,take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones4 ,to treat them so is to do the reverse of what is done in heaven4 ,be their guardian angels rather1 if you would have the approval of ,him ,who reigns above2 for their angels are those who always have the place of honour there4 ,is there not something very touching in this home reference1 ,my ,father which is in heaven8--especially when ,he is about to refer to the mission of mercy which made ,him an exile from ,his home4 ,and this reference gives ,him an additional plea against despising one of these little ones2 for not only are the highest angels their honoured guardians1 but they are those whom the ,son of man has come to seek and to save4 ,the little lamb which you despise is one for whom the heavenly ,shepherd has thought it worth ,his while to leave all the rest of ,his flock that ,he may go after it1 and seek it on the lonely mountains1 whither it has strayed1 and over whose recovery ,he has greater joy than even in the safety of all the rest4 ,the climax is reached when ,he carries thoughts above the angels1 above even the ,son of man1 to the will of the ,father 7now it is your ,father2 for ,he desires to bring to bear upon them the full force of that tender relationship which it is now their privilege to claim73 ,even so it is not the will of your ,father which is in heaven1 that one of these little ones should perish4 ,,trespasses 7xviii4 #ae-ce74 ,the transition is natural from those solemn words in which our ,lord has warned ,his disciples against offending one of these little ones1 to the instructions which follow as to how they should treat those of their brethren who might trespass against them4 ,these instructions1 occupying the rest of this chapter1 are of perennial interest and value1 so long as it must needs be that offences come4 ,the trespasses referred to are of course real4 ,much heartburning and much needless trouble often come of offences which exist only in imagination4 ,a sensitive disposition 7often only another name for one that is uncharitable and suspicious7 leads to the imputing of bad motives where none exist1 and the finding of sinister meanings in the most innocent acts4 ,such offences are not worthy of consideration at all4 ,it is further to be observed that our ,lord is not dealing with ordinary quarrels1 where there are faults on both sides1 in which case the first step would be not to tell the brother his fault1 but to acknowledge our own4 ,the trespass1 then1 being real1 and the fault all on the other side1 how is the disciple of ,christ to act8 ,the paragraphs which follow make it clear4 ,the wisdom that is from above is first pure1 then peaceable2 accordingly we are first shown how to proceed in order to preserve the purity of the ,church4 ,then instructions are given with a view to preserve the peace of the ,church4 ,the first paragraph shows how to exercise discipline2 the second lays down the ,christian rule of forgiveness4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if thy brother shall trespass against thee1--what8 ,pay no heed to it8 ,since it takes two to make a quarrel1 is it best simply to let him alone8 ,that might be the best way to deal with offences on the part of those that are without2 but it would be a sad want of true brotherly love to take this easy way with a fellow-disciple4 ,it is certainly better to overlook an injury than to resent it2 yet our ,lord shows a more excellent way4 ,his is not the way of selfish resentment1 nor of haughty indifference2 but of thoughtful concern for the welfare of him who has done the injury4 ,that this is the motive in the entire proceeding is evident from the whole tone of the paragraph1 in illustration of which reference may be made to the way in which success is regarded3 ,if he shall hear thee1 thou hast gained thy brother4 ,if a man sets out with the object of gaining his cause or getting satisfaction1 he had better let it alone2 but if he wishes not to gain a barren triumph for himself1 but to gain his brother1 let him proceed according to the wise instructions of our ,lord and ,master4 ,there are four steps3 7#a7 ,go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone4 ,do not wait till he comes to apologise1 as is the rule laid down by the rabbis1 but go to him at once4 ,do not think of your own dignity4 ,think only of your ,master's honour and your brother's welfare4 ,how many troubles1 how many scandals might be prevented in the ,christian ,church1 if this simple direction were faithfully and lovingly carried out6 ,in some cases1 however1 this may fail2 and then the next step is3 7#b7 ,take with thee one or two more1 that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established4 ,the process here passes from private dealing2 still there must be no undue publicity4 ,if the reference to two or at most three 7see ,r4,v47 fail1 it becomes a duty to 7#c7 tell it unto the church1 in the hope that he may submit to its decision4 ,if he decline1 there is nothing left but 7#d7 excommunication3 ,let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican4 ,the mention of church censure naturally leads to a declaration of the power vested in the church in the matter of discipline4 ,our ,lord had already given such a declaration to ,peter alone2 now it is given to the church as a whole in its collective capacity3 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven3 and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven4 ,but the question comes3 ,what is the church in its collective capacity8 ,if it is to have this power of discipline1 of the admission and rejection of members--a power which1 rightly exercised on earth1 is ratified in heaven--it is important to know something as to its constitution4 ,this much1 indeed1 we know3 that it is an assembly of believers4 ,but how large must the assembly be8 ,what are the marks of the true church8 ,these questions are answered in vv4 #ai and #bj4 ,it is made very plain that it is no question of numbers1 but of union with one another and the ,lord4 ,let it be remembered that the whole discourse has grown out of the strife with one another which should be the greatest4 ,our ,lord has already shown that1 instead of ambition to be the greatest1 there must be readiness to be the least4 ,he now makes it plain that instead of strife and division there must be agreement1 unity in heart and desire4 ,but if only there be this unity1 this blending of hearts in prayer1 there is found the true idea of the ,church4 ,two disciples in full spiritual agreement1 with hearts uplifted to the ,father in heaven1 and ,christ present with them1--there is what may be called the primitive cell of the ,church1 the body of ,christ complete in itself1 but in its rudimentary or germinal form4 ,it comes to this1 that the presence of ,christ with ,his people and of ,his spirit in them1 uniting them with one another and with ,him1 is that which constitutes the true and living church2 and it is only when thus met in the name of ,christ1 and acting in the spirit of ,christ1 that assemblies of believers1 whether large or small1 have any guarantee that their decrees on earth are registered in heaven1 or that the promise shall be fulfilled to them1 that what they ask shall be done for them of ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,these words were spoken in the day of small things1 when the members of the ,church were reckoned by units2 therefore it is a mistake to use them as if very small gatherings for prayer were especially pleasing to the great ,head of the ,church4 ,it does indeed remain true1 for the encouragement of the faithful few1 that wherever two or three are met in the name of ,jesus ,he is there2 but that makes it no less disappointing when the numbers might be reasonably expected to be very much larger4 ,because our ,lord said1 ,better two of you agreed than the whole twelve at strife1 does it follow that two or three will have the power in their united prayers which two or three hundred would have8 ,the stress is not on the figure1 but on the agreement4 ,the words ,there am ,i in the midst of them are very striking as a manifestation of that strange consciousness of freedom from limitations of time and place1 which the ,lord ,jesus felt and often expressed even in the days of ,his flesh4 ,it is the same consciousness which appears in the answer to the cavil of the ,jews as to the intimacy with ,abraham ,he seemed to them to claim1--,before ,abraham was1 ,i am4 ,as a practical matter also it suggests that we do not need to ask and wait for the presence of the ,master1 when we are truly met in ,his name4 ,it is not ,he that needs to be entreated to draw near to us3 ,there am ,i4 ,so far the directions given have been with a view to the good of the offending brother and the honour of ,christ and ,his cause4 ,it remains to show how the offended person is to act on his part4 ,here the rule is very simple3 forgive him4 ,what satisfaction1 then1 is the offended party to get8 ,the satisfaction of forgiving4 ,that is all2 and it is enough4 ,it will be observed1 indeed1 that our ,lord1 in ,his discourse up to the point we have reached1 has said nothing directly about forgiveness4 ,it is fairly implied1 however1 in the manner of process1 in the very first act of it indeed2 for no one will go to an offending brother with the object of gaining him1 unless he have first forgiven him in his heart4 ,peter appears to have been revolving this in his mind1 and in doing so he cannot get over a difficulty as to the limit of forgiveness4 ,he was familiar1 of course1 with the rabbinical limit of the third offence1 after which the obligation to forgiveness ceased2 and1 impressed with the spirit of his ,master's teaching1 he no doubt thought he was showing great liberality in more than doubling the number of times the offence might be repeated and still be considered pardonable3 ,lord1 how oft shall my brother sin against me1 and ,i forgive him8 till seven times8 ,it has been thought that some of his brethren had been treating ,peter badly1 so that his patience was sorely tried4 ,be that as it may1 the question was not at all unnatural4 ,but it was founded on a fallacy1 which our ,lord cleared away by ,his answer1 and thoroughly exposed by means of the striking parable which follows4 ,the fallacy was this3 that we have a right to resent an injury1 that in refraining from this we are forbearing to exercise our right1 and consequently that there is a limit beyond which we have no call to exercise such forbearance4 ,our ,lord by ,his answer clears away the limit1 and makes the obligation unconditional and universal 7ver4 #bb74 ,the parable shows the reason why there should be no limit--viz41 that all believers1 or members of the ,church1 by accepting from ,god the unlimited forgiveness ,he has extended to them1 are thereby implicitly pledged to extend a like unlimited forgiveness to others4 ,there is no duty on which our ,lord insists more strenuously than this duty of forgiving those who trespass against us1 always connecting closely together our forgiving and our being forgiven2 and in this parable it is set in the strongest light4 ,the greatest offence of which our fellow-man can be guilty is as nothing to the sins we have committed against ,god4 ,the proportion suggested is very startling4 ,the larger sum is more than two millions sterling on the lowest computation2 the smaller is not much more than four guineas4 ,this is no exaggeration4 ,seven times altogether for a brother's offences seems almost unpardonable3 do we never offend against ,god as many times in a single hour8 ,then think of the days1 and the years6 ,this is a startling thought on the one side2 but how cheering on the other6 ,for the immensity of the debt does not interfere in the slightest with the freeness and fulness and absoluteness of the forgiveness4 ,verily there is no more satisfying or reassuring presentation of the gospel than this parable1 especially these very words1 which rang like a knell of doom in the unmerciful servant's ear3 ,i forgave thee all that debt4 ,but just in proportion to the grandeur of the gospel here unfolded is the rigour of the requirement1 that as we have been forgiven so must we forgive4 ,while we gladly take the abounding comfort1 let us not miss the stern lesson1 evidently given with the very strongest feeling4 ,our ,lord paints the picture of this man in the most hideous colours1 so as to fill our minds and hearts with a proper loathing of the conduct of those he represents4 ,the same intention is apparent in the very severe terms in which the punishment is denounced3 ,his lord was wroth1 and delivered him to the tormentors4 ,after this how awful is the closing sentence3 ,so likewise shall ,my heavenly ,father do also unto you1 if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses4 ,is that tender name of ,father out of place8 ,by no means2 for is it not the outraged love of ,god that cries out against the unforgiving soul8 ,and the words from your hearts1--are they not too hard on poor frail human nature8 ,it is easy enough to grant forgiveness with the lips1--but from the heart8 ,yet so it stands written2 and it only shows the need we have1 not only of unmeasured mercy1 but of unmeasured grace4 ,nothing but the love of ,christ can constrain to such forgiveness4 ,the warning was a solemn one1 but it need have no terror for those who have truly learned the lesson of the ,cross1 and welcomed the ,spirit of ,christ to reign in their hearts4 ,i can do all things through ,christ ,who strengtheneth me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is an admirable fulness and harmony in ,christ's teaching on this subject1 as on every other4 ,the duty of unlimited forgiveness is most plainly enjoined2 but not that weak forgiveness which consists simply in permitting a man to trespass as he chooses4 ,forgiveness and faithfulness go hand in hand4 ,the forgiveness of the ,christian is in no case to be the offspring of a weak unmanly indifference to wrong4 ,it is to spring from gratitude and love3 gratitude to ,god1 ,who has forgiven his enormous debt1 and love to the enemy who has wronged him4 ,it must be combined with that faithfulness and fortitude which constrains him to go to the offending party and frankly1 though kindly1 tell him his fault4 ,christ's doctrine of forgiveness has not an atom of meanness in it1 and ,his doctrine of faithfulness has not a spark of malice4 ,the wisdom that is from above is first pure1 then peaceable1 gentle1 and easy to be entreated1 full of mercy and good fruits1 without partiality and without hypocrisy4 ,and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace4 ,,xv4 ,,last ,,days ,,in ,,per,a4 ,,matt4 xix4 #a-xx4 #af4 ,there were two main roads from ,galilee to ,jerusalem4 ,one passed through ,samaria1 on the west of the ,jordan1 the other through ,pera1 east of it4 ,it was by the former that our ,lord went northward from ,juda to begin ,his work in ,galilee2 it is by the other that ,he now goes southward to complete ,his sacrifice in ,jerusalem4 ,as ,he must needs go through ,samaria then1 so ,he must needs go through ,pera now4 ,the main thought in ,his mind is the journey2 but ,he cannot pass through the large and important district beyond the ,jordan without bringing the kingdom of heaven near to the people1 and accordingly we read that great multitudes followed ,him1 and ,he healed them there4 ,we learn from ,st4 ,luke's ,gospel that ,he went through the cities and villages teaching1 and journeying towards ,jerusalem2 and from the details there recorded1 especially the mission of the seventy which belongs to that period1 it is evident that these circuits in ,pera must have occupied several months4 ,concerning the work of these months our ,evangelist is silent1 just as he was silent concerning the earlier work in ,juda and ,samaria1 as recorded by ,st4 ,john4 ,we are reminded by this of the fragmentariness of these memorials of our ,lord2 and when we consider how much is omitted in all the narratives 7see ,john xxi4 #be7 we can understand how difficult it is to form a closely connected history without any gaps between1 and with accurately fitted joinings at the intersections of the different accounts4 ,there is1 however1 no difficulty here2 for by comparison with the third ,gospel we find that our ,evangelist omits all the circuits in ,pera1 and takes up the story again when our ,lord is just about to leave that region for ,jerusalem4 ,when we take his point of view1 we can see how natural this was4 ,it was his special calling to give a full account of the work in ,galilee4 ,hence the haste with which he passes from what it was necessary for him to tell of the early years in the south till the work in ,galilee began2 and in the same way1 now that the work in ,galilee is done1 he hastens to the great crisis in ,jerusalem4 ,in following the journey southward he lingers only in two places1 each of them associated with special memories4 ,the one is ,capernaum1 where ,jesus1 as we have seen1 tarried for a few days before taking final leave of ,galilee2 the other is the place beyond ,jordan1 in the region where in baptism ,he had solemnly entered on ,his work 7cf4 ,john x4 #dj71 where again ,he remains for a brief period before going up to ,jerusalem for the last time4 ,,marriage ,,and ,,divorce 7vv4 #c-ab74 ,there it was1 and then1 that the ,pharisees came to ,him with their entangling question concerning divorce4 ,to know how entangling it was it is necessary to remember that there was a dispute at the time between two rival schools of ,jewish theology--the school of ,hillel and that of ,shammai--in regard to the interpretation of ,deut4 xxiv4 #a4 ,the one school held that divorce could be had on the most trivial grounds2 the other restricted it to cases of grievous sin4 ,hence the question3 ,is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause8 ,the answer ,jesus gives is remarkable1 not only for the wisdom and courage with which ,he met their attack1 but for the manner in which ,he availed ,himself of the opportunity to set the institution of marriage on its true foundation1 and give perpetual security to ,his followers for the sanctity of home1 by laying down in the clearest and strongest manner the position that marriage is indissoluble from its very nature and from its divine appointment 7vv4 #d-f74 ,as we read these clear and strong utterances1 let us bear in mind1 not only that the laxity which unhappily prevailed in ,rome had extended to ,palestine1 but that the monarch of the country through which our ,lord was passing was himself one of the most flagrant offenders4 ,how inspiring it is to think that then and there should have been erected that grand bulwark of a virtuous home3 ,what ,god hath joined together1 let not man put asunder4 ,the ,pharisees must have felt that ,he spoke with authority2 but they are anxious not to lose their opportunity of getting ,him into a difficulty1 so they press ,him with the disputed passage in ,deuteronomy3 ,why did ,moses1 then1 command to give a writing of divorcement1 and to put her away8 ,our ,lord's answer exposes the double fallacy lurking in the question4 ,why did ,moses command8 ,he did not command2 he only suffered it--it was not to further divorce1 but to check it1 that he made the regulation about the writing of divorcement4 ,and then1 not only was it a mere matter of sufferance1--it was a sufferance granted because of the hardness of your hearts4 ,since things were so bad among your fathers in the matter of marriage1 it was better that there should be a legal process than that the poor wives should be dismissed without it2 but from the beginning it was not so--it was not intended that wives should be dismissed at all4 ,marriage is in itself indissoluble1 except by death or by that which in its very nature is the rupture of marriage 7ver4 #i74 ,the wide prevalence of lax views on this subject is made evident by the perplexity of the disciples4 ,they were not at all prepared for such stringency1 so they venture to suggest that if that is to be the law1 better not marry at all4 ,the answer our ,lord gives1 while it does admit that there are circumstances in which celibacy is preferable1 plainly intimates that it is only in quite exceptional cases4 ,only one of the three cases he mentions is voluntary2 and while it is certainly granted that circumstances might arise in which for the kingdom of heaven's sake celibacy might be chosen 7cf4 #a ,cor4 vii4 #bf71 even then it must be only in cases where there is special grace1 and such full preoccupation with the things of the kingdom as to render it natural2 for such seems to be the import of the cautionary words with which the paragraph closes3 ,he that is able to receive it1 let him receive it4 ,how completely at variance with this wise caution have been the ,romish decrees in regard to the celibacy of the clergy may go without saying4 ,,the ,,children 7vv4 #ac-ae74 ,then were there brought unto ,him little children--a happy interruption6 ,the ,master has just been laying the solid foundations of the ,christian home2 and now the group of men by whom ,he is surrounded is joined by a troop of mothers1 some carrying infants in their arms 7for the passage in ,st4 ,luke expressly mentions infants71 and some leading their little ones by the hand1 to receive ,his blessing4 ,the timeousness of this arrival does not seem to have struck the disciples4 ,their hearts had not yet been opened to the lambs of the fold1 notwithstanding the great lesson at ,capernaum4 ,with as little regard for the feelings of the mothers as for the rights of the children1 they rebuked those that brought them1 7,mark x4 #ac7 and motioned them away4 ,that this wounded the heart of the ,saviour appears in ,his answer1 which is stronger1 as indicating displeasure1 than is shown in our translation2 while in the second ,gospel it is expressly mentioned that ,jesus was much displeased4 ,how can we thank the ,lord enough for that sore displeasure8 ,a distinguished opponent of ,christianity has lately been asking whether he is expected to accept the kind and peaceful ,jesus1 ,who smiles in one place1 or the stern ,judge1 ,who frowns in another--with the evident implication that it is impossible to accept both4 ,how any person of intelligence can find difficulty in supposing that ,christ could without inconsistency be either gentle or stern1 as the occasion required1 is very marvellous2 but here is a case in which the sternness and gentleness are blended together in one act2 and who will say that there is the least incompatibility between them8 ,he was much displeased with the disciples2 ,his heart was overflowing with tenderness to the children2 and in that moment of conflicting feeling ,he utters that immortal sentence1 these noblest and now most familiar of household words1 ,suffer little children1 and forbid them not1 to come unto ,me3 for of such is the kingdom of heaven4 ,the rights of woman had been implicitly taught in the law of marriage carried back to the original creation of male and female2 the treatment of woman had been vindicated from the rudeness of the disciples which would have driven the mothers away2 and this reception of the children1 and these words of welcome into the kingdom for all such little ones1 are the charter of the children's rights and privileges4 ,it is very plain that ,christ has opened the kingdom of heaven1 not only to all believers1 but to their children as well4 ,that the kingdom of heaven is here used in its ordinary sense throughout this ,gospel1 as referring to the heavenly kingdom which ,christ had come to establish upon earth1 cannot be denied2 but it is a very fair inference from the ,saviour's words that1 seeing the children are acknowledged as having their place in the kingdom on earth1 those of them who pass away from earth in childhood certainly find as sure and cordial a welcome to the kingdom above4 ,the holy to the holiest leads1 ,the kingdoms are but one4 ,the porch is on earth1 the palace is in heaven2 and we may be very sure that all whom the ,king acknowledges in the porch shall be welcome in the palace4 ,what a rebuke in these words of our ,lord to those who deal with children indiscriminately1 as if they were all dead in trespasses and sins4 ,how it must grieve the ,saviour's heart when lambs of ,his own fold who may have been ,his from their earliest infancy are taught that they are utterly lost1 and must be lost for ever1 unless they pass through some extraordinary change1 which is to them only a nameless mystery4 ,it is a mistake to think that children as a rule need to be dragged to the ,saviour1 or frightened into trusting ,him3 what they need is to be suffered to come4 ,it is so natural for them to come1 that all they need is very gentle leading1 and above all nothing done to hinder or discourage them3 ,suffer little children1 and forbid them not1 to come unto ,me3 for of such is the kingdom of heaven4 ,,the ,,rich ,,young ,,man 7vv4 #af-bb74 ,another inference from these precious words of ,christ is the importance of seeking to win the children for ,christ while yet they are children1 ere the evil days come1 or the years draw nigh1 when they will be apt to say they have no pleasure in ,him4 ,it is a sad thing to think how soon the susceptibility of the child-nature may harden into the impenetrability which is sometimes found even in youth4 ,is there not a suggestion of this in the story of the young man which immediately follows8 ,there was everything that seemed hopeful about him4 ,he was young1 so his heart could not be very hard2 of good moral character1 amiable in disposition1 and stirred with noble aspirations2 moreover1 he did the very best thing in coming to ,christ for guidance4 ,yet nothing came of it1 because of one obstacle1 which would have been no hindrance in his childhood1 but which proved insurmountable now4 ,young as he was1 his affections had had time to get so intertwined with his worldly possessions1 that he could not disengage them1 so that instead of following ,christ he went away sorrowful4 ,the manner of our ,lord's dealing with this young man is exceedingly instructive4 ,some have found a difficulty in what seems to them the strange answer to the apparently straightforward and admirable question ,what good thing shall ,i do1 that ,i may have eternal life8 ,why did ,he not give the same answer which ,st4 ,paul afterwards gave to the ,philippian jailer8 ,why did ,he not only fail to bring ,himself forward as the way1 the truth and the life1 but even disclaim the goodness which the young man had imputed to ,him8 ,and why did ,he point him to the law instead of showing him the ,gospel8 ,everything becomes quite clear when we remember that ,christ dealt with people not according to the words they spoke1 but according to what ,he saw to be in their hearts4 ,had this young man been in a state of mind at all like that of the ,philippian jailer when he came trembling and fell down before ,paul and ,silas1 he would no doubt have had a similar answer4 ,but he was in the very opposite condition4 ,he was quite satisfied with his own goodness2 it was not salvation he was seeking1 but some new merit to add to the large stock he already had3 what good thing shall ,i do in addition to all the well-known goodness of my character and daily life8 what extra claim can ,i establish upon the favour of ,god8 ,manifestly his idea of goodness was only conventional2 it was the goodness which passes muster among men1 not that which justifies itself before the all-searching eye of ,god2 and having no higher idea of goodness than that1 he of course used it in no higher sense1 when he addressed ,christ as good ,master4 ,there could1 then1 be no more appropriate or more heart-searching question than this1--,why callest thou ,me good8 7it is only in the conventional sense you use the term1 and conventional goodness is no goodness at all72 there is none good but ,one1 that is ,god4 ,having thus stimulated his easy conscience1 ,he sends him to the law that he may have knowledge of his sin1 and so may take the first step towards eternal life4 ,the young man's reply to this reveals the secret of his heart1 and shows that ,christ had made no mistake in dealing with him as ,he did4 ,which8 he asks1 evidently expecting that1 the ,ten ,commandments being taken for granted1 there will be something higher and more exacting1 the keeping of which will bring him the extra credit he hopes to gain4 ,the ,lord's answer to his question was well fitted to take down his spiritual pride1 pointing him as it did to the commonplace ,decalogue1 and to that part of it which seemed the easiest2 for the first table of the law is passed over1 and only those commandments mentioned which bear upon duty to man4 ,and is there not special skill shown in the way in which they are marshalled1 so as to lead up to the one which covered his weak point8 ,the sixth1 the seventh1 the eighth1 the ninth1 the fifth are rapidly passed in review2 then the mind is allowed to rest on the tenth1 not1 however1 in its mere negative form1 ,thou shalt not covet1 but as involved in that positive requirement which sums up the whole of the second table of the ,law1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,we can imagine how the ,saviour would mark the young man's countenance1 as one after another the commandments were pressed upon his conscience1 ending with that one which should have pierced him as with a two-edged sword4 ,but he is too strongly encased in his mail of self-righteousness2 and he only replies1 ,all these things have ,i kept from my youth up3 what lack ,i yet8 ,clearly it is a surgical case2 the medicine of the ,commandments will not do2 there must be the insertion of the knife3 ,go1 and sell that thou hast1 and give to the poor4 ,let us not1 however1 mistake the tone4 ,jesus beholding him loved him 7,mark x4 #ba72 and the love was never warmer than at the moment when ,he made this stern demand4 ,there was sorrow on ,his face and in ,his tone when ,he told him of the hard necessity2 and there was a heart full of love in the gracious invitation which rounded off the sharp saying at the end3 ,come1 and follow ,me4 ,let us hope that the ,saviour's compassionate love was not finally lost on him2 that1 though he no doubt did lose the great opportunity of taking a high place in the kingdom1 he nevertheless1 before all was done1 bethought him of the ,master's faithful and loving words1 repented of his covetousness1 and so found an open door and a forgiving welcome4 ,,danger ,,of ,,riches 7vv4 #bc-bf74 ,so striking an incident must not be allowed to pass without seizing and pressing the great lesson it teaches4 ,no lesson was more needful at the time4 ,covetousness was in the air2 it was already setting its mark on the ,hebrew people1 who1 as they ceased to serve ,god in spirit and in truth1 were giving themselves over more and more to the worship of mammon2 and1 as the ,master well knew1 there was one of the twelve in whom the fatal poison was even then at work4 ,we can understand1 therefore1 the deep feeling which ,christ throws into ,his warning against this danger1 and ,his special anxiety to guard all ,his disciples against an over-estimate of this world's riches4 ,we shall not1 however1 fully enter into the mind of our ,lord1 if we fail to notice the tone of compassion and charity which marks ,his first utterance4 ,he is still thinking kindly of the poor rich young man1 and is anxious to make all allowance for him4 ,it is as if ,he said1 ,see that you do not judge him too harshly2 think how hard it is for such as he to enter the kingdom4 ,this will explain how it is that in repeating the statement ,he found it desirable1 as recorded by ,st4 ,mark1 to introduce a qualification in order to render it applicable to all cases3 ,how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom6 ,but while softening it in one direction1 ,he puts it still more strongly in another3 ,again ,i say unto you1 it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle1 than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,we shall not enter into the trivial discussion as to the needle's eye2 it is enough to know that it was a proverbial phrase1 probably in common use1 expressing in the strongest way the insurmountable obstacle which the possession of riches1 when these are trusted in and so put in place of ,god1 must prove to their unfortunate owner4 ,the disciples' alarm expressed in the question ,who1 then1 can be saved8 does them much credit4 ,it shows that they had penetration enough to see that the danger against which their ,master was guarding them did not beset the rich alone2 that they had sufficient knowledge of themselves to perceive that even such as they1 who had always been poor1 and who had given up what little they had for their ,master's sake1 might nevertheless not be free enough from the well-nigh universal sin to be themselves quite safe4 ,one cannot help thinking that the searching look1 which ,st4 ,mark tells us their ,lord bent on them as ,he spoke1 had something to do with this unusual quickness of conscience4 ,it reminds us of that later scene1 when each one asked1 ,lord1 is it ,i8 ,is there any one of us1 who1 when that all-seeing ,eye is fixed upon us1 with its pure and holy gaze into the depths of our being1 can fail to ask1 with the conscience-stricken disciples1 ,who1 then1 can be saved8 ,the answer ,he gives does not at all lighten the pressure on the conscience4 ,there is no recalling of the strong words which suggest the idea of utter impossibility4 ,he does not say1 ,you are judging yourselves too strictly2 on the contrary1 ,he confirms their judgment1 and tells them that there they are right3 ,with men this is impossible2 but is there not another alternative8 ,who art thou1 ,o great mountain8 before ,zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain2 ,with ,god all things are possible4 ,a most significant utterance this for those to ponder who1 instead of following our ,lord's dealing with this case to its close1 treat it as if the final word had been ,if thou wilt enter into life1 keep the commandments4 ,this favourite passage of the legalist is the one of all others which most completely overthrows his hopes1 and shows that so deep are the roots of sin in the heart of man1 even of the most amiable and most exemplary1 that none can be saved except by the power of divine grace overcoming that which is to men an impossibility4 ,behold1 ,god is my salvation4 ,it is worthy of note that it is as a hindrance to entering the kingdom that riches are here stigmatised1--which suggests the thought that the danger is not nearly so great when riches increase to those who have already entered4 ,not that there is even for them no serious danger1 nor need of watching and of prayer that as they increase1 the heart be not set upon them2 but where there is true consecration of heart the consecration of wealth follows as a natural and easy consequence4 ,riches are a responsibility to those that are in the kingdom2 they are a misfortune only to those who have not entered it4 ,as on the question of marriage or celibacy1 so on that of property or poverty1 the ,romanist has pushed our ,lord's words to an extreme which is evidently not intended4 ,it was plain even to the disciples that it was not the mere possession of riches1 but the setting the heart on them1 which ,he condemned4 ,if our ,lord had intended to set forth the absolute renunciation of property as a counsel of perfection to ,his disciples1 this would have been the time to do it2 but we look in vain for any such counsel4 ,he saw it to be necessary for that young man2 but when ,he applies the case to disciples in general1 ,he does not say ,if any man will come after ,me1 let him sell all that he has1 and give to the poor1 but contents ,himself with giving a very strong warning against the danger of riches coming between man and the kingdom of ,god4 ,but while the ascetic interpretation of our ,lord's words is manifestly wrong1 the other extreme of reducing them to nothing is far worse1 which is the danger now4 ,,rewards 7xix4 #bg-xx4 #afae74 ,the thought of sacrifice very naturally suggests as its correlative that of compensation2 so it is not at all to be wondered at that1 before this conversation ended1 the impulsive disciple1 so much given to think aloud1 should blurt out the honest question3 ,behold1 we have forsaken all and followed ,thee2 what shall we have therefore8 ,he could not but remember that while the ,master had insisted on ,his disciples denying self to follow ,him1 ,he had spoken no less clearly of their finding life through losing it1 and of their being rewarded according to their deeds 7see xvi4 #bd-bg74 ,a more cautious man would have hesitated before he spoke2 but it was no worse to speak it than to think it3 and then1 it was an honest and fair question2 accordingly our ,lord gives it a frank and generous answer1 taking care1 however1 before leaving the subject1 to add a supplementary caution1 fitted to correct what was doubtful or wrong in the spirit it showed4 ,here1 again1 we see how thoroughly natural is our ,saviour's teaching4 ,not to destroy1 but to fulfil1 was ,his motto4 ,this is as true of ,his relation to man's nature as of ,his relation to the law and the prophets4 ,what shall we have8 is a question not to be set aside as wholly unworthy4 ,the desire for property is an original element in human nature4 ,it was of ,god at the first2 and though it has swelled out into most unseemly proportions1 and has usurped a place which does by no means belong to it1 that is no reason why it should be dealt with as if it had no right to exist4 ,it is vain to attempt to root it out2 what it needs is moderating1 regulating1 subordinating4 ,the tendency of perverted human nature is to make ,what shall we have8 the first question4 ,the way to meet that is not to abolish the question altogether1 but to put it last1 where it ought to be4 ,to be1 to do1 to suffer1 to enjoy--that is the order our ,lord marks out for ,his disciples4 ,if only they have it as their first anxiety to be what they ought to be1 and to do what they are called to do1 and are willing1 in order to this1 to take up the cross1 to suffer whatever may be theirs to suffer1 then they may allow as large scope as they please to the desire for possession and enjoyment4 ,observe the difference between the young man and the disciples4 ,he was coming to ,christ for the first time2 and if our ,lord had set before him what he would gain by following ,him1 ,he would have directly encouraged a mercenary spirit4 ,he therefore says not a word to him about prospects of reward either here or hereafter4 ,those who choose ,christ must choose ,him for ,his own sake4 ,our ,saviour dealt in no other way with ,peter1 ,james and ,john4 ,when first ,he called them to follow ,him1 ,he said not a word about thrones or rewards2 ,he spoke of work3 ,follow ,me1 and ,i will make you fishers of men2 and it was not till they had fully committed themselves to ,him that ,he went so far as to suggest even in the most general way the thought of compensation4 ,it would have spoiled them to have put such motives prominently before them at an earlier stage4 ,but it is different now4 ,they have followed ,him for months1 even years4 ,they have been tested in innumerable ways4 ,they are not certainly out of danger from the old selfishness2 but with the exception of one of them1 who is fast developing into a hypocrite1 all they need is a solemn word of caution now and then4 ,the time had come when their ,master might safely give them some idea of the prospects which lay before them1 when their cross-bearing days should be over4 ,the promise looks forward to an entirely altered state of things spoken of as the regeneration--a remarkable term1 reminding us of the vast scope of our ,saviour's mission as ever present to ,his consciousness even in these days of smallest things4 ,the word recalls what is said in the book of ,genesis as to the generation of the heaven and of the earth1 and suggests by anticipation the words of the ,apocalypse concerning the regeneration1 ,behold1 ,i make all things new1 and ,i saw a new heaven and a new earth4 ,that the reference is to that final restitution of all things1 and not merely to the new dispensation1 seems evident from the words which immediately follow3 ,when the ,son of man shall sit on the throne of ,his glory4 ,why1 then1 was the promise given in words so suggestive of those crude notions of an earthly kingdom1 above which it was so difficult and so important for the disciples to rise8 ,the answer is to be found in the limitation of human language3 ,eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 neither have entered into the heart of man1 the things which ,god hath prepared for them that love ,him2 accordingly1 if the promise was to be of any use to them in the way of comfort and encouragement1 it must be expressed in terms which were familiar to them then4 ,to their minds the kingdom was as yet bound up with ,israel2 the twelve tribes of ,israel was as large a conception of it as their thoughts could then grasp2 and it would certainly be no disappointment to them when they afterwards discovered that their relation as apostles of the ,lord was to a much larger ,israel1 embracing every kindred and nation and people and tribe2 and though their idea of the thrones on which they would sit was then and for some time afterwards quite inadequate1 it was only by starting with what ideas of regal power they had1 that they could rise to those spiritual conceptions which1 as they matured in spiritual understanding1 took full possession of their minds4 ,the ,lord is speaking1 however1 not for the apostles alone1 but for all ,his disciples to the end of time2 so ,he must give a word of cheer1 in which even the weakest and most obscure shall have a part 7ver4 #bi74 ,observe that here also the promise is only for those who have left what they had for the sake of ,christ4 ,we are not authorised to go with a message after this form3 ,if you leave1 you will get4 ,the reward is of such a nature that it cannot be seen until the sacrifice is made4 ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god2 until a man loses his life for ,christ's sake1 he cannot find it4 ,but when the sacrifice has been made1 then appears the compensation1 and it is seen that even these strong words are not too strong3 ,every one that hath forsaken houses1 or brethren1 or sisters1 or father1 or mother1 or wife1 or children1 or lands1 for ,my name's sake1 shall receive an hundredfold1 and shall inherit everlasting life4 ,the full consideration of this promise belongs rather to ,st4 ,mark's ,gospel1 in which it is presented without abridgment4 ,the supplementary caution--,but many that are first shall be last2 and the last shall be first--is administered in apparent reference to the spirit of the apostle's question1 which exhibits still some trace of mercenary motive1 with something also of a disposition to self-congratulation4 ,this general statement is illustrated by the parable immediately following it1 a connection which the unfortunate division into chapters here obscures2 and not only is an important saying of our ,lord deprived in this way of its illustration1 but the parable is deprived of its key1 the result of which has been that many have been led astray in its interpretation4 ,we cannot attempt to enter fully into the parable1 but shall only make such reference to it as is necessary to bring out its appropriateness for the purpose our ,lord had in view4 ,its main purport may be stated thus3 many that are first in amount of work shall be last in point of reward2 and many that are last in amount of work shall be first in point of reward4 ,the principle on which this is based is plain enough3 that in estimating the reward it is not the quantity of work done or the amount of sacrifice made that is the measure of value1 but the spirit in which the work is done or the sacrifice made4 ,the labourers who made no bargain at all1 but went to work on the faith of their ,master's honour and liberality1 were the best off in the end4 ,those who made a bargain received1 indeed1 all they bargained for2 but the others were rewarded on a far more liberal scale1 they obtaining much more than they had any reason to expect4 ,thus we are taught that those will be first who think least of wages as wages1 and are the least disposed to put such a question as1 ,what shall we then have8 ,this was the main lesson for the apostles1 as it is for all who occupy places of prominence in the kingdom4 ,it is thus put in later years by one of those who now for the first time learned it3 ,look to yourselves1 that we lose not those things which we have wrought1 but that we receive a full reward 7#b ,john #h74 ,look to yourselves1 see that your spirit be right1 that there be nothing selfish1 nothing mercenary1 nothing vainglorious2 else much good labour and real self-denial may miss its compensation4 ,besides the lesson of caution to the great ones1 there is a lesson of encouragement to the little ones in the kingdom--those who can do little and seem to themselves to sacrifice little for ,christ4 ,let such remember that their labour and self-denial are measured not by quantity but by quality1 by the spirit in which the service1 however small it be1 is rendered1 and the sacrifice1 trifling as it seems1 is made4 ,not only is it true that many that are first shall be last2 but also that many of the last shall be first4 ,if there be first a willing mind1 it is accepted according to that a man hath1 and not according to that he hath not4 ,neither in the general statement of our ,lord1 nor in the parable which illustrates it1 is there the slightest encouragement to idlers in the vineyard--to those who do nothing and sacrifice nothing for ,christ1 but who think that1 when the eleventh hour comes1 they will turn in with the rest1 and perhaps come off best after all4 ,when the ,master of the vineyard asks of those who are standing in the market-place at the eleventh hour1 ,why stand ye here all the day idle8 their answer is ready1 ,because no man hath hired us4 ,the invitation came to them1 then1 for the first time1 and they accepted it as soon as it was given them4 ,suppose the ,master of the vineyard had asked them in the morning1 and at the first hour and the second and the third1 and so on all the day1 and only at the eleventh hour did they deign to notice ,his invitation1 how would they have fared8 #ae ,the latter part of ver4 #af--,many be called1 but few chosen--does not properly belong to this passage 7see ,r4,v472 its consideration will therefore be postponed till its proper place is reached 7see chap4 xxii4 #ad74 ,,xvi4 ,,to ,,jerusalem4 ,,matt xx4 #ag-xxi4 #ag4 ,i4--,,the ,,going ,,up 7xx4 #ag-cd74 ,we have now reached the last stage of the long and sorrowful journey to ,jerusalem4 ,from the corresponding passage in the second ,gospel we learn that the disciples were greatly moved by something in their ,master's manner3 they were amazed2 and as they followed1 they were afraid4 ,it would appear1 indeed1 that they had considerable hesitation in following at all1 for it is pointedly mentioned that ,jesus went before them1 a hesitation which was no doubt due to the same feeling which prompted ,peter1 on the first announcement of the journey to ,jerusalem and what it would involve1 to say ,be it far from ,thee1 ,lord2 and as then1 so now1 the ,saviour felt it as an obstacle in ,his onward path which ,he must resolutely put out of the way2 and it was doubtless the new and severe effort required of that heroic will to set it aside1 and in doing so to face the gathering storm alone1 which explained ,his unwonted agitation as ,he addressed ,himself to the last stage of the fatal journey4 ,still1 ,he longs to have ,his disciples in sympathy with ,him4 ,he knows well that not yet have they fully appreciated what ,he has said to them2 accordingly1 at some convenient point on the way1 ,he takes them by themselves and tells them once again1 more distinctly and definitely than ever1 what must be the issue of the step ,he is now taking 7vv4 #ag-ai74 ,st4 ,luke tells us that even yet they understood none of these things4 ,their minds must have been in a state of great bewilderment2 and when we think of this1 we may well admire that strong personal devotion to their ,master which made them willing1 however reluctantly and hesitatingly1 still to follow ,him into the dark unknown4 ,with the one sad exception1 they were thoroughly loyal to their ,king2 they trusted ,him absolutely2 and though they could not understand why ,he should be mocked and scourged and crucified in ,his own capital1 they were willing to go with ,him there1 in the full expectation that1 in some way they then could not imagine1 ,he should triumph over his enemies and erect those thrones and bring in that glory of the kingdom of which ,he had spoken4 ,this failure of theirs to comprehend the real situation1 which one ,evangelist mentions1 is well illustrated by an incident which happened on the road as recorded by the others--one of those evidently undesigned coincidences which continually meet us1 and which1 in a higher degree than mere circumstantial agreements1 confirm our faith in the accuracy of the sacred writers4 ,then came to ,him the mother of ,zebedee's children with her sons1 worshipping ,him1 and desiring a certain thing of ,him1--the certain thing1 as it turned out1 being that the two sons should have the chief places of honour in the kingdom4 ,from the form in which the request was presented it would seem as if it had been founded on a misapprehension of one of ,his own sayings4 ,in ,st4 ,mark's ,gospel1 where the part which the two sons themselves had in it is related1 the very words of the application are given thus3 ,master1 we would that ,thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire1 as if to remind ,him of ,his promise to any two of them who should agree as touching anything they should ask 7xviii4 #ai71 and to claim the fulfilment of it4 ,it need not be assumed that the request was a purely selfish one4 ,however vague their ideas may have been as to the days of darkness that awaited them in ,jerusalem1 we cannot suppose that they left them wholly out of view2 and if not1 they must have been prepared1 or have thought themselves prepared1 to take foremost places in the battlefield as well as in the triumph that would surely follow4 ,there may well have been1 then1 a touch of chivalry along with the grosser motive which1 it is to be feared1 was their main inspiration4 ,this makes it easier for us to understand the possibility of their coming with such a request at such a time4 ,we all know how easy it is to justify a selfish proceeding when there is something to offset it4 ,we ourselves know how natural it is to think of those scriptures which suit our purpose1 while we conveniently forget for the moment those that do not4 ,was it1 then1 unnatural that ,james and ,john1 forgetting for the moment what their ,lord had taught them as to the way to true greatness in ,his kingdom1 should satisfy themselves with the thought that they were at all events taking up their cross in the first place1 and as to the ulterior object were certainly acting up to the very plain and emphatic word of the ,master ,himself3 ,i say unto you1 that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask1 it shall be done for them4 ,this view of their state of mind is confirmed by our ,lord's way of dealing with them4 ,he first asks them what it is they have agreed upon2 and1 when the mother tells ,him1 ,he quietly shows them that1 so far from agreeing together1 none of them know what they are asking4 ,they are all using the same words1 but the words might as well be in an unknown tongue1--better perhaps1 inasmuch as to misunderstand is a degree worse than not to understand at all4 ,he then proceeds to show them that the fulfilment of their request would involve issues for which as yet they were by no means prepared3 ,jesus answered and said1 ,ye know not what ye ask4 ,are ye able to drink of the cup that ,i shall drink of8 ,their answer confirms the view suggested1 that they did not leave out altogether the thought of cross-bearing2 but we have only to remember what took place in the course of a week to see that in saying ,we are able1 they knew as little of what they were promising as they had known of what they were asking4 ,he will not1 however1 break the bruised reed of their devotion1 nor quench the feeblest spark of self-denying courage2 accordingly ,he does not slight their offer1 but1 in accepting it1 ,he reminds them that the honours of the kingdom of heaven are not for favourites1 or for those who may first apply1 but only for those who approve themselves worthy in the sight of ,him ,who seeth all1 and who rewards every man according to his deeds 7ver4 #bc74 ,the ten were not much better than the two4 ,it was natural1 indeed1 that1 when they heard it1 they should be moved with indignation2 but1 though natural1 it was not ,christian4 ,had they remembered the lesson of the little child1 or even thought deeply enough of that very recent one about the last and the first1 they would have been moved with something else than indignation4 ,but need any one wonder that selfishness should be so very hard to kill8 ,is it not true to nature8 ,besides1 the ,spirit had not yet been given1 and therefore we need not wonder that even the plainest teaching of the ,lord ,himself failed to cast the selfish spirit out of ,his disciples then4 ,knowledge comes1 but wisdom lingers4 ,on the other hand1 think of the marvellous patience of the ,master4 ,how disappointing it must have been at such a time to see in all of them a spirit so wholly at variance with all that by precept and example ,he had been labouring to instil into them6 ,yet without one word of reproach ,he teaches them the old lesson once again1 gives them liberally the wisdom which they lack1 and upbraids them not4 ,the words of ,christ not only meet the case most fully1 but reach far beyond the immediate occasion of their utterance4 ,thus ,he brings good out of evil1 and secures that even the strife of ,his disciples shall make for peace on earth4 ,he begins by showing how absolutely in contrast to the kingdoms of the world is the kingdom ,he has come to establish4 ,in them the great ones lord it over 7,r4,v47 others2 in it the great ones are those who serve4 ,what a revolution of thought is involved in this simple contrast6 of how much that is great and noble has it been the seed6 ,the dignity of labour1 the royalty of service1 the pettiness of selfish ambition1 the majesty of self-sacrificing love2 the utter condemnation of the miserable maxim ,every man for himself2 the world's first question ,what shall we have8 made the last1 and its last question ,what shall we give8 made the very first1--such are some of the fruits which have grown from the seed our ,lord planted in so ungenial soil that day4 ,we are1 alas1 still very far from realising that great ideal2 but ever since that day1 as an ideal1 it has never been quite out of sight4 ,early ,christianity under the guidance of the apostles strove1 though with all too little success1 to realise it2 the chivalry of the middle ages1 with its glorification of knighthood1#af was an attempt to embody it2 and what is the constitutionalism of modern times but the development of the principle in political life1 the real power being vested not in the titular monarch1 who represents ideally the general weal1 but in a ministry1 so designated to mark the fact that their special function is to minister or serve1 the highest position in the realm bearing the humble title of ,prime ,minister1 or first servant of the state4 ,it is of value to have the principle before us as an ideal1 even though it be buried under the tombstone of a name1 the significance of which is forgotten2 but when the kingdom of heaven shall be fully established on the earth1 the ideal will be realised1 not in political life only1 but all through society4 ,if only the ambition to serve our generation according to the will of ,god were to become universal1 then would ,god's kingdom come and ,his will be done on earth even as it is in heaven4 ,of this great principle of the heavenly kingdom the ,king ,himself is the highest illustration3 even as the ,son of man came not to be ministered unto1 but to minister1 and to give ,his life a ransom for many4 ,there are those who write about the service of man as if the thought of it were a development of nineteenth-century enlightenment2 but there it is in all its truth and grandeur in the life1 and above all in the death1 of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ6 ,his entire life was devoted to the service of man2 and ,his death was but the giving up in one final act of surrender what had all along been consecrated to the same high and holy ministry4 ,these closing words of the great lesson are memorable1 not only as setting before us the highest exemplification of the law of service1 which as ,son of ,man ,christ gave to the world2 but as presenting the first intimation of the purpose of the great sacrifice ,he was about to offer at ,jerusalem4 ,again and again ,he had told the disciples that it was necessary2 but now for the first time does ,he give them an idea why it was necessary4 ,it is too soon1 indeed1 to give a full explanation2 it will be time enough to unfold the doctrine of atonement after the atonement has been actually made4 ,meantime ,he makes it plain that1 while ,his whole life was a life of ministering as distinguished from being ministered unto1 the supreme service ,he had come to render was the giving of ,his life as a ransom1 something to be rendered up as a price which must be paid to redeem ,his people4 ,it is plain from this way of putting it1 that ,he viewed the giving up of ,his life as the means by which alone ,he could save the many who should1 as ,his redeemed or ransomed ones1 constitute ,his kingdom4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the way to ,jerusalem lay the beautiful city of ,jericho4 ,the place now called by that name is such a wretched assemblage of miserable hovels that it is difficult for the traveller to realise that the ,jericho of the days of our ,lord was not only the most luxurious place of resort in ,palestine1 but one that might vie with its fashionable rivals throughout the ,roman ,empire4 ,since the days of ,herod the ,great it had been the winter residence of the ,court4 ,jerusalem being on the cold hilltop1 it was convenient to have within easy reach a warm and sheltered spot in the deep valley of the ,jordan2 and with a delightful winter climate and a rich and fertile soil1 ,jericho needed only the lavish expenditure of money to make it into a little ,paradise1 as ,josephus calls it4 ,with its gardens of roses and groves of palm1 it was1 even before the time of ,herod1 so beautiful a place1 that1 as a gem of the ,east1 ,antony bestowed it on ,cleopatra as an expression of his devotion2 after it passed into the hands of ,herod1 a theatre was erected and an amphitheatre1 and many other noble and costly buildings2 and during the season it was thronged by the rich and the great of the land1 among whom would be distinguished visitors from foreign parts4 ,what effect would all this grandeur have on ,christ and ,his disciples as they passed through it on their way to ,jerusalem8 ,we are not told4 ,two things only are noted as worthy of record3 the salvation of a rich publican 7,luke xix4 #a-aj71 and the healing of two poor blind men4 ,not the gardens and palaces of the city1 but its sins and sorrows1 engage the ,saviour's thoughts and occupy ,his time4 ,as a rule1 we regard it as waste of time to deal with the discrepancies between the different ,evangelists2 but as one of the most serious of them all has been found here1 it may be well to look at it1 to see how much1 or how little1 it amounts to4 ,first1 the other ,gospels speak of the cure of a blind man1 and tell his name1 ,bartimus2 this one says that two blind men were cured1 and does not mention any name4 ,if the other ,evangelists had said that only one was healed1 there would have been a real discrepancy2 but they do not4 ,another discrepancy which has been noticed is that ,st4 ,matthew says ,christ touched their eyes1 while the others do not mention the touch1 but only tell us what ,he said2 but surely there is no difficulty in supposing that ,christ both touched the eyes and spoke the words at the same time4 ,it is true that the words as recorded by ,st4 ,mark and ,st4 ,luke are not identical1 but they are precisely to the same effect2 and it is quite possible that every word which both of them report was actually said1 and that other words besides were spoken which have not been preserved4 ,these differences are not discrepancies at all2 but there remains one which may fairly enough be so characterised4 ,the first and second ,gospels represent the cure as taking place on the way into ,jericho2 the third puts it on the way out4 ,various suppositions1 more or less plausible1 especially less1 have been made to reconcile these two representations3 such as the fact that there were really two ,jerichos1 the old and the new1 the cure being wrought as the ,saviour passed from the one to the other1 so that both accounts would be strictly accurate2 or again1 that cures may have been wrought both in entering and in leaving ,jericho4 ,but why should we trouble ourselves to reconcile so small a difference8 ,it is not of the slightest consequence whether the cure took place on the way in or on the way out4 ,if it had been a point on which strict accuracy was essential1 care would doubtless have been taken to note the very moment and the very spot where it took place--as1 for example1 in the case of the cure of the nobleman's son at ,capernaum 7,john iv4 #eb72 but it was not2 and therefore we have no more reason to wonder at the variation in so unimportant a detail than at those variations from the accurate text which we continually find in the quotations from the ,old ,testament ,scriptures4 ,the discrepancy does not in the slightest degree affect the credibility of any of the witnesses2 it only serves1 together with the other variations1 to show the independence of the different accounts4 ,how small must be the minds1 or how strong the prejudices1 of those who find support for their unbelief in discrepancies of which this is acknowledged to be one of the gravest examples6 ,it so happens1 too1 that there is no story in all the ,gospels which shines more lustrously in its own light4 ,it is full of beauty and pathos in all the versions of it which have come down to us2 but most of all in the graphic story of ,st4 ,mark1 to whose ,gospel therefore its illustration may be regarded as belonging by special right4 ,,ii4--,,the ,,royal ,,entry 7xxi4 #a-ag74 ,travelling from ,jericho1 it is probable that our ,lord reached ,bethany on the evening of ,friday1 a week before ,his crucifixion4 ,the next day1 being the ,jewish ,sabbath1 ,he would spend in retirement1 probably in the house of ,lazarus1 whom a short time before ,he had raised from the dead4 ,the following day1 the first day of the week1 would therefore be the date of ,his entry into ,jerusalem as the ,royal ,son of ,david1 come to claim ,his kingdom4 ,that this entrance into the capital is a most important event in the history of ,jesus is evident not only from its nature and consequences1 but also from the fact that it is one which all the four ,evangelists record4 ,indeed1 it is just at this point that the four narratives converge4 ,the river of the water of life1 which was parted and became four heads diverging at times in their course1 now unites its waters in one channel broad and deep2 and all the four ,evangelists1 though in different accents still1 and with variation in the selection of details1 combine to tell the same wondrous story of our ,saviour's passion1 the story of the decease which ,he should accomplish at ,jerusalem4 ,this was the first occasion on which our ,lord distinctly put forth ,his claim to royalty4 ,from the beginning of ,his ministry ,he had shown ,himself to be a prophet mighty in word and in deed1 and to those who followed ,him it became manifest that ,he was the ,prophet foretold by ,moses1 for whose coming they had been taught to look with eager eyes 7see ,deut4 xviii4 #ae-ai74 ,from the beginning of ,his ministry1 too1 the ,saviour had been proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom2 but when we examine carefully all ,he says about it1 we find that ,he never expressly asserts that ,he ,himself is ,king4 ,not that ,he conceals the all-important truth3 ,he speaks of the kingdom in such a way that those who have ears to hear may learn that ,he is ,king ,himself--as1 for instance1 when ,he says1 ,suffer the little children to come unto ,me1 and forbid them not3 for of such is the kingdom of heaven4 ,one might quite readily infer from these words that ,jesus ,himself was ,king2 but the claim is not thereby formally made4 ,besides1 not only is it true that up to this time ,he did not formally assume the royal title1 but ,he even resisted attempts made to thrust it upon ,him 7e4g41 ,john vi4 #ae74 ,for this refusal to be crowned by the multitude there was only too good reason4 ,their ideas of royalty were entirely different from ,his4 ,had ,he allowed ,himself to be borne on the tide of popular favour to royal honours1 ,his kingdom would have been thereby marked as of this world1 it would have been stamped as something very different from the kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy in the ,holy ,ghost ,he had come to establish4 ,had ,he been a mere enthusiast1 ,he would undoubtedly have yielded to such a tidal wave of public excitement2 but ,his unerring wisdom taught ,him that ,he must reach ,his throne by another path than that of popular favour4 ,rather must it be through popular rejection--through the dark portals of despite and death2 and for that1 ,his hour had not then come4 ,now it has come4 ,he has been steadily advancing to ,jerusalem for the very purpose of accomplishing that decease which is to be the portal of ,his royalty4 ,already fully revealed as ,prophet1 ,he is about to be made perfect through suffering as our great ,high ,priest4 ,it is time1 therefore1 that ,he reveal ,himself as ,king1 so that no one may have it afterwards to say that ,he never really claimed the throne of ,his father ,david4 ,how1 then1 shall ,he assert ,his right8 ,shall a herald be sent to proclaim with the sound of a trumpet that ,jesus of ,nazareth is ,king over ,israel in ,jerusalem8 ,to take such a course would be to court misunderstanding4 ,it would be to raise the standard of revolt against the ,romans4 ,it would stir the city in a very different fashion from that in which the ,prince of ,peace would have it stirred4 ,it would be the signal for tumult1 bloodshed1 and disastrous war4 ,the ordinary method is evidently not to be thought of4 ,how1 then1 shall it be done8 ,our ,lord is never at a loss for means to accomplish ,his designs in ,his own way1 which is always the best4 ,he sends to a neighbouring village for a young ass1 mounts it1 and rides into the city4 ,that is all ,he does4 ,not a word said about royalty1 no herald1 no trumpeter1 no proclamation1 no royal pomp1 nothing whatever to rouse the ,roman jealousy or ire--nothing but the very ordinary circumstance of a man riding into the city on an ass's colt1 a mode of conveyance not in itself calculated to attract any special notice4 ,what was there1 then1 in such an act to secure the end8 ,nothing in itself2 but a great deal when taken in connection with a remarkable prophecy in the ,book of ,zechariah well known to every ,jew1 and much in the thoughts of all who were looking for the promised ,messiah4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that an ordinary man might have done the same thing and the people have taken no notice of him4 ,but ,jesus had become the object of very great interest and attention to large numbers of the people on account of the miracles ,he had been working--notably that great miracle which still stirred the minds of the whole community1 the raising of ,lazarus from the dead4 ,the chief priests and scribes1 indeed1 and the men of influence in ,jerusalem1 regarded ,him with all the greater rancour on account of ,his miracles of mercy1 and they had been specially embittered against ,him since the raising of ,lazarus2 but it was different with the body of the people1 especially those who had come or were coming from ,galilee and other distant parts of the land to be present at the great ,paschal feast4 ,we are told by ,st4 ,john that a large number of these had gone out the day before to ,bethany1 both to see ,lazarus1 who was naturally an object of curiosity1 and also to see ,jesus ,himself2 these accordingly were precisely in the state of mind in which they would most readily catch up the idea so naturally suggested by the significant act of our ,saviour's riding into the city of ,david on a colt the foal of an ass4 ,the result1 accordingly1 was as had been intended1 and is thus described by our ,evangelist2 ,the most part of the multitude spread their garments in the way2 and others cut branches from the trees and spread them in the way4 ,and the multitudes that went before ,him1 and that followed1 cried1 saying1 ,hosanna to the ,son of ,david2 ,blessed is ,he that cometh in the name of the ,lord2 ,hosanna in the highest 7,r4,v474 ,the excellence of the method adopted by our ,saviour to set forth ,his royal claims will still further appear when we consider that it arose quite naturally out of the circumstances in which ,he was placed4 ,so much was this the case that some have thought ,he was taken by surprise1 that ,he had no intention of calling forth the testimony of the people to ,his royal claims1 that in fact ,he was only giving way to a movement ,he could not well resist2 but this shallow view is plainly set aside1 not only by what has been already advanced1 but also by the answer ,he gives to the ,pharisees who ask him to rebuke and silence ,his disciples3 ,i tell you that if these should hold their peace1 the stones would immediately cry out 7,luke xix4 #ci1 #dj74 ,not only did the means adopted by our ,lord rise naturally out of the circumstances in which ,he and ,his followers were placed1 but they were specially suited to suggest important truths concerning the kingdom ,he claimed as ,his own4 ,we have already seen that1 if ,he had entered the city in regal pomp and splendour1 it would have conveyed an entirely false idea of the kingdom4 ,the method ,he did adopt was such as to give a true idea of it4 ,first1 it strikingly suggested the kingliness of lowliness1 which1 as we have seen1 was one of its great distinctive principles4 ,as we look back over ,his recent instructions to ,his disciples1 we see how very much this thought was in ,his heart and how great was the importance ,he attached to it4 ,he had just taught them that the ,son of man had come1 not to be ministered unto1 but to minister and to give ,his life a ransom for many2 and ,his manner of entering into ,his capital must be in harmony with the lowly1 self-renouncing work ,he has come to do4 ,thus ,he shows in the most impressive way that ,his kingdom is not of this world4 ,there is no suggestion of rivalry with ,csar2 yet to those who look beneath the surface ,he is manifestly more of a king than any ,csar4 ,he has knowledge of everything without a spy 7ver4 #b72 ,he has power over men without a soldier 7ver4 #c72 ,he has simply to say ,the ,lord hath need1 and immediately ,his royal will is loyally fulfilled4 ,evidently ,he has the mind of a ,king and the will of a ,king2 has ,he not also the heart of a ,king1 of a true ,shepherd of the people8 ,see how ,he bears the burden of their future on ,his heart1 a burden which weighs so heavily upon ,him that ,he cannot restrain ,his tears 7,luke xix4 #da-dd74 ,there is no kingly state2 but was not ,his a kingly soul1 ,who in such humble guise rode into ,jerusalem that day8 ,not less than lowliness1 is peace suggested as characteristic of ,his kingdom4 ,first by the manner of ,his entrance2 for while the horse and the chariot were suggestive of war1 the ass was the symbol of peace4 ,and then1 the prophecy is one of peace4 ,immediately after the words quoted by the ,evangelist there follows this remarkable promise3 ,i will cut off the chariot from ,ephraim1 and the horse from ,jerusalem1 and the battle bow shall be cut off2 and ,he shall speak peace unto the heathen2 and ,his dominion shall be from sea even to sea1 and from the river even to the ends of the earth4 ,it would seem1 indeed1 that some at least in the multitude realised that through the ,messiah was to be expected a deeper peace than that between man and man4 ,this deeper peace may have been suggested to their minds by the words following next in the prophecy1 which goes on to speak of prisoners of hope rescued from the pit1 and turning to the stronghold2 or by the ,psalm from which their cry ,hosanna in the highest was taken 7,ps4 cxviii472 certain it is that their minds did rise to a higher conception of the work of the ,messiah than they had given token of before2 for the cry of some of them at least was ,peace in heaven1 and glory in the highest 7,luke xix4 #ch74 ,a striking proof this1 of the fitness of ,his manner of entering into ,his capital to suggest the purest1 highest and best thoughts concerning the kingdom which ,he claimed as ,his own4 ,as ,jerusalem was the city of the great ,king1 the ,temple was ,his house1 ,his royal palace1 and accordingly ,he enters it and takes possession in ,his ,father's name4 ,we are told by ,st4 ,mark that when ,he had looked round about upon all things1 it being now eventide1 ,he went out unto ,bethany with the twelve4 ,but ,st4 ,matthew1 who is accustomed to pay more attention to the logical than to the exact chronological sequence of events1 proceeds at once to relate the purging of the ,temple1 which really took place the following day1 but which was so plainly the natural sequel of ,his royal entrance that he very properly gives it in close connection therewith4 ,besides1 what the ,king did on entering the ,temple the next day admirably illustrates the prophecy4 ,for what saith the prophet8 ,behold thy ,king cometh unto thee3 ,he is just1 and having salvation4 ,he is just1--therefore ,he will not tolerate the unholy traffic in the ,temple1 but cast out all them that sold and bought in the ,temple1 and overthrew the tables of the money-changers and the seats of them that sold the doves2 and ,he saith unto them1 ,my house shall be called a house of prayer2 but ye make it a den of robbers 7,r4,v473 and having salvation--accordingly1 when ,he sees the blind and the lame in the ,temple ,he does not turn them out1 ,he does not turn away from them1 ,he healed them4 ,the casting out of the traders illustrated the righteousness of the kingdom1 the healing of the blind and lame1 its peace1 and the shouts of the children which followed1 its joy4 ,this coming of the ,king to ,his capital has been familiarly spoken of as the triumphal entry4 ,the term seems unfortunate and misleading4 ,the waving of palms1 the strewing of branches and leaves1 the spreading of garments on the way--all this gave it something of the aspect of a triumph2 but that it was no triumph none knew better than the ,man of ,sorrows1 ,who was the centre of it all4 ,there was certainly no triumph in ,his heart that day4 ,if you wish to look into ,his heart1 watch ,him as ,he comes to the turn of the road where first the great city bursts upon ,his sight4 ,how it glitters in the sun1 its palaces and towers gleaming in the splendour of the day1 its magnificent ,temple1 which had taken nearly half a century to build1 rearing its stately head high above all1 into the glorious heaven--a city and a temple for a king to be proud of1 especially when seen through waving palm branches held in the hands of a rejoicing throng who shout ,hosanna to the ,son of ,david1 ,hosanna in the highest6 ,surely ,his soul must be thrilled with jubilant emotion6 ,ah6 but look at ,him3 look at ,him closely4 ,go up to ,him1 near enough to see ,his face and hear what ,he is saying4 ,is ,he jubilant8 ,his eyes are wet with tears2 and with tears in ,his voice ,he is speaking the saddest words of tongue or pen3 ,o ,jerusalem1 if thou hadst known1 even thou1 at least in this thy day1 the things which belong unto thy peace6 but now they are hid from thine eyes4 ,for the days shall come upon thee1 that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee1 and compass thee round1 and keep thee in on every side1 and shall lay thee even with the ground1 and thy children within thee2 and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another2 because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation4 ,ah6 well the ,man of ,sorrows knew what all that shouting and rejoicing were worth2 not even for a moment was ,he misled by it2 no less certainly now1 when the plaudits of the multitudes were ringing around ,him1 than when ,he had been on the way going up to ,jerusalem1 did ,he know that1 though ,he was the rightful ,king1 ,he should receive no king's welcome1 but should suffer many things and die4 ,he knew that it was to no royal palace1 but to the bitter cross1 ,he was advancing1 as ,he rode down ,olivet1 across the ,kedron1 and up to the city of ,david4 ,yet it is not the thought of ,his own cross that draws the tears from ,his eyes2 it is the thought of the woes impending over those whom ,he has come to save1 but who will have none of ,him4 ,o the depth of divine love in these self-forgetful tears6 ,one thrill of joy the day had for the ,king of sorrows4 ,it was ,his welcome from the children4 ,the plaudits of the multitude ,he seems to have received in silence4 ,why should ,he be moved by hosannas from the lips of those who1 as soon as they shall find out what manner of ,king ,he is1 will cry ,away with ,him8 ,but the hosannas of the children are genuine music to ,his soul4 ,the little ones at least are true4 ,there is no guile in their spirits4 ,of such is the kingdom of heaven4 ,it is most touching to observe how lovingly the heart of the ,saviour goes out to the little ones at this most trying time4 ,the climax of pathos in ,his lament over ,jerusalem is reached when1 after speaking of the fate of the city1 ,he adds1 and thy children within thee2 and the same deep sympathy with the little ones is shown in the answer ,he gives to the mean-spirited priests and scribes who were moved with indignation and tried to silence their sweet voices3 ,have ye never read1 ,out of the mouth of babes and sucklings ,thou hast perfected praise8 ,and ,he left them1 and went out of the city into ,bethany1 and ,he lodged there1--not in the house of ,lazarus1 we may be sure1 or ,he would not have hungered when in the morning ,he returned to the city 7ver4 #ah72 no doubt under the open canopy of heaven1 or at best under some booth erected as a temporary shelter4 ,what were ,his thoughts1 what ,his feelings1 as ,he looked back on the day and forward to the week8 #af ,the knight was originally a ,knecht a servant or slave4 ,,xvii4 ,,conflict ,,in ,,the ,,temple4 ,,matt4 xxi4-xxiii4 ,it had been written that the ,lord should suddenly come to ,his ,temple 7,mal4 iii4 #a72 but ,he would not too hastily assert ,his rights4 ,the first day ,he simply looked round about upon all things 7,mark xi4 #aa71 and then withdrew to ,bethany4 ,the second day--without1 however1 even yet assailing the authority of those in power--,he assumed ,his prerogative as ,lord of the ,temple by casting out the traffickers1 healing the blind and the lame1 and accepting the hosannas of the children4 ,the scribes and ,pharisees showed some displeasure at all this1 and raised objections2 but the answer they received silenced1 if it did not satisfy them4 ,thus two days passed without any serious attempt to dispute ,his authority2 but on the third day the conflict began4 ,it was a dark and terrible day1 and of its fateful history we have a full account in this ,gospel4 ,the day opens with the sight on the way to the city of the withered fig tree1 a sad symbol of the impending fate of ,israel1 to be decided ere the day closed by their final rejection of their ,saviour-,king4 ,this was our ,lord's single miracle of judgment2 many a stern word of warning did ,he speak1 but there is no severity in ,his deeds3 they are all mercy and love4 ,the single exception1 if exception it may be called1 makes this great fact stand out only the more impressively4 ,it was necessary for love's sake to show that in that arm1 which was always strong to save1 there was also strength to smite if the sad necessity should come2 but so tender-hearted is ,he that ,he cannot bear to strike where the stroke can be felt1 so ,he lets it fall on an unconscious tree4 ,thus to the end ,he justifies ,his name of ,jesus1 ,saviour1 and illustrates the blessed truth of which ,his whole life is the expression1 that ,god is love4 ,the ,son of man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them4 ,judgment is ,his strange work2 from the very thought of it ,he shrinks1 as seems suggested to us here by the fact that1 in the use ,he makes of the circumstance in ,his conversation with the disciples1 ,he refrains from speaking of its dark significance1 but rather takes the opportunity of teaching from it an incidental lesson full of hope and comfort regarding the power of faith and the value of prayer 7vv4 #ba1 #bb74 ,as soon as on the third day ,he enters the ,temple the conflict begins4 ,it would seem that the interval our ,lord had in mercy allowed for calm reflection had been used for no other purpose than to organise a conspiracy for the purpose of entangling ,him in ,his words and so discrediting ,his authority4 ,we gather this from the carefully framed questions with which ,he is plied by one party after another4 ,four successive attacks are recorded in the passage before us3 the first by the chief priests and elders of the people demanding ,his authority2 the next by the ,pharisees1 assisted by the ,herodians1 who endeavoured by means of the difficulty of the tribute money to embroil ,him with the ,roman power2 this was again immediately followed by a third1 in which the prime movers were the ,sadducees1 armed with what they considered an unanswerable question regarding the life to come2 and when that also broke down there was a renewed attack of the ,pharisees who thought to disconcert ,him by a perplexing question about the law4 ,we may not discuss the long sad history of these successive attacks with any fulness1 but only glance first at the challenge of our ,lord's authority and how ,he meets it1 and next at the ordeal of questions with which it was followed4 ,i4--,,the ,,challenge 7xxi4 #bc-xxii4 #ad74 ,by what authority doest ,thou these things8 ,and who gave ,thee this authority8 ,the question was fair enough2 and if it had been asked in an earnest spirit1 ,jesus would have given then1 as always to the honest inquirer1 a kind and satisfying answer4 ,it is not1 however1 as inquirers1 but as cavillers1 they approach ,him4 ,again and again1 at times and in ways innumerable1 by fulfilment of prophecy1 by ,his mighty deeds and by ,his wondrous words1 ,he had given proof of ,his ,divine authority and established ,his claim to be the true ,messiah4 ,it was not therefore because they lacked evidence of ,his authority1 but because they hated it1 because they would not have this man to reign over them1 that now they question ,him4 ,it was obvious that their only object was to entangle ,him2 accordingly our ,lord showed how in the net they were spreading for ,him their own feet were caught4 ,he meets their question with a counter question1 ,the baptism of ,john1 whence was it8 from heaven1 or of men8 ,the more we examine this question1 the more must we admire the consummate wisdom it displays4 ,we see at once how it turns the tables on ,his critics2 but it is far more important to notice how admirably adapted it was to lead them to the answer of their own question1 if only they would follow it out4 ,they dared not repudiate the baptism of ,john2 and had not ,john baptised ,jesus1 and solemnly borne repeated testimony to ,his ,messiahship8 ,had he not most emphatically borne that very testimony to a formal deputation sent by themselves8 7,john i4 #ai-bg74 ,finally1 were not the ministry and testimony of ,john closely associated in prophecy with that very coming of the ,lord to ,his ,temple which gave them so deep offence3 ,behold1 ,i will send ,my messenger1 and he shall prepare the way before ,me3 and the ,lord1 whom ye seek1 shall suddenly come to ,his temple3 444 behold1 ,he shall come1 saith the ,lord of hosts4 ,our ,lord's counter question1 then1 was framed with such exquisite skill as to disappoint their malice1 while at the same time it was suited to guide the earnest inquirer to the truth4 ,the propounders of the question were not true men1 but hypocrites4 ,a negative answer they could not give4 ,an affirmative they would not give4 ,so when they refused to answer1 our ,lord replied1 ,neither tell ,i you by what authority ,i do these things4 ,the ,lord of the ,temple now assumes the offensive1 and directs against ,his opponents a series of parables which ,he holds up to them as a triple mirror in which from different points of view they may see themselves in their true character1 and as a set of danger signals to warn them of their impending doom4 ,he presents them with such marvellous skill that ,he makes the ,pharisees their own judges1 and constrains them to pass sentence on themselves4 ,in the first parable ,he constrains them to declare their own guilt2 in the second1 ,he makes them decree their own punishment2 in the third1 ,he warns them of the impending fate of the people they were leading to destruction4 ,we have said that in these parables ,christ assumes the offensive2 but this is true only in a very superficial sense4 ,in the deepest sense ,he spoke them not against the ,pharisees1 but for them4 ,his object was to carry home to their hearts the conviction of sin1 and to impress them with a sense of their danger before it was too late4 ,this was what above all they needed4 ,it was their only hope of salvation4 ,and how admirably suited for ,his purpose were these three parables6 ,their application to themselves was plain enough after it was stated1 but not beforehand2 the effect of which was that they were put in a position to give an impartial verdict on their own conduct4 ,it was the same method so effectively employed by ,nathan in bringing conviction to the conscience of ,david4 ,had ,christ charged the sin of the ,pharisees directly home upon them1 they would have been at once thrown on the defensive1 and it would have been impossible to reach their conscience through the entanglements of prejudice and personal interest4 ,christ wishes to disentangle them from all that was darkening their moral vision2 and ,he uses the parable as the most effective means4 ,it is a great mistake1 then1 to suppose that ,jesus contented ,himself with turning the tables on them1 and carrying the war1 so to speak1 into the enemy's country4 ,it was with them a war of words1 but not with ,him4 ,he was seeking to save these poor lost ones4 ,he wished to give them ,his best for their worst4 ,they had come to entangle ,him in ,his talk4 ,he does ,his best to disentangle them from the meshes of self-deception4 ,the tone of all three parables is exceptionally severe2 but the spirit of them is love4 ,the ,two ,sons 7vv4 #bh-cb74 ,the parable of the two sons is exceedingly simple2 and the question founded upon it1 ,whether of them twain did the will of his father8 admitted of but one answer--an answer which seemed1 as it was spoken1 to involve only the simplest of all moral judgments2 yet how keen the edge of it when once it was disclosed6 ,observe the emphatic word did1 suggesting without saying it1 that it made comparatively little difference what they said 7see xxiii4 #c74 ,so far as profession went1 the ,pharisees were all that could be desired4 ,they were the representatives of religion in the land2 their whole attitude corresponded to the answer of the second son3 ,i go1 sir4 ,yet when ,john--whom they themselves admitted to be a prophet of the ,lord--came to them in the way of righteousness1 they set his word aside and refused to obey him4 ,on the other hand1 many of those whose lives seemed to say ,i will not1 when they heard the word of ,john1 repented and began to work the works of ,god4 ,thus it came to pass that many of these had entered the kingdom1 while the self-complacent ,pharisee still remained without4 ,the words with which the parable is pressed home are severe and trenchant2 but they are nevertheless full of gospel grace4 ,they set in the strongest light the welcome fact that the salvation of ,god is for the chief of sinners1 for those who have been rudest and most rebellious in their first answers to the divine appeal2 and then1 while they condemn so very strongly the self-deceiver1 it is not for the purpose of covering him with confusion1 but in order to open his eyes and save him from the net in which he has set his feet4 ,even in that terrible sentence which puts him lower down than open and disgraceful sinners1 there is a door left still unlatched for him to enter4 ,the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of ,god before you2 but you may enter after them4 ,if only you1 like them1 would afterward repent--if you would repent of your hypocrisy and insincerity1 as they have repented of their rudeness and rebellion--you would be as gladly welcomed as they into the kingdom of ,god4 ,the ,husbandmen 7vv4 #cc-df74 ,the second parable follows hard on the first1 and presses the chief priests and ,pharisees so closely that they cannot fail to see in the end that it is themselves they have been constrained to judge and condemn 7ver4 #de74 ,it is indeed difficult to suppose that they had not even from the beginning some glimpse of the intended application of this parable4 ,the vineyard was a familiar symbol1 with a definite and well understood meaning1 from which our ,lord in ,his use of it does not depart4 ,the vineyard being the nation1 the owner is evidently ,god2 the fruit expected1 righteousness2 the particulars mentioned 7the fence1 the press1 the tower7 implying the completeness of the arrangements made by the owner for securing the expected fruit4 ,the husbandmen are the leaders of the people1 those who are responsible for their direction and control4 ,the going to a far country represents the removal of ,god from their sight2 so that they are1 as it were1 put upon their honour1 left to act in the matter of the vineyard according to the prompting of their own hearts4 ,all this is contained in the few lines which make up verse #cc1 and forms the groundwork of this great parable4 ,thus are set forth in a very striking manner the high privileges and grave responsibilities of the leaders of the ,jewish people1 represented at the time by the chief priests and ,pharisees ,he was then addressing4 ,how are they meeting this responsibility8 ,let the parable tell4 ,it is a terrible indictment1 showing in the strongest light the guilt of their fathers1 and pointing out to them that they are on the verge of a crime far greater still4 ,again and again have prophets of righteousness come in the name of the ,lord1 and demanded the fruits of righteousness which were due4 ,how have they been received8 ,the husbandmen took his servants1 and beat one1 and killed another1 and stoned another4 ,so have their fathers acted time after time1 and still the patience of the owner is not exhausted1 nor does ,he even yet give up all hope of fruit from ,his favoured vineyard2 so1 as a last resort1 ,he sends ,his son1 saying1 ,they will reverence my son4 ,we can imagine the tone in which the ,son of ,god would speak these words4 ,what a sublime consciousness is implied in ,his use of them6 and how touchingly does ,he in this incidental way give the best of all answers to the question with which ,his enemies began6 ,surely the son1 the only and well beloved son1#ag had the best of all authority to act for the father6 ,in the former parable ,he had appealed to the recognised authority of ,john2 now ,he indicates that the highest authority of all is in ,himself4 ,if only their hearts had not been wholly shut against the light1 how it would have flashed upon them now6 ,they would have taken up the cry of the children1 and said1 ,hosanna6 blessed is ,he that cometh in the name of the ,lord2 and the parable would have served its purpose before it had reached its close4 ,but they are deaf and blind to the things of ,god2 so the awful indictment must proceed to the bitter end4 ,if there was in the heart of ,christ an exalted consciousness of ,his filial relation to ,god as ,he spoke of the sending of the ,son1 what a pang must have shot through it as ,he proceeded to depict in such vivid colours the crime they are now all ready to commit1 referring successively as ,he does to the arrest1 the handing over to ,pilate1 and the crucifixion without the gate3 ,they caught him1 and cast him out of the vineyard1 and slew him4 ,how appalling it must have been to ,him to speak these words6 how appalling it ought to have been to them to hear them6 ,that they did feel the force of the parable is evident from the answer they gave to the question1 ,what will he do to those husbandmen8 and1 as we have said1 they must surely have had some glimpses of its application to themselves2 but it did not disturb their self-complacency1 until our ,lord spoke the plain words with which ,he followed up the parable1 referring to that very psalm from which the children's cry of ,hosanna was taken4 ,from it ,he selects the symbol of the stone rejected by the builders1 but by ,god made the head of the corner1 applying it to ,himself 7the rejected stone7 and them 7the builders74 ,the reference was most appropriate in itself2 and it had the further advantage of being followed by the very word which it would be their salvation now to speak4 ,hosanna is the word which immediately follows the quotation ,he makes1 and it introduces a prayer which1 if only they will make their own1 all will yet be well with them4 ,the prayer is1 ,save now1 ,i beseech ,thee1 ,o ,lord2 followed by the words1 ,blessed be ,he that cometh in the name of the ,lord4 ,may we not assume that our ,lord paused after making ,his quotation1 to give them the opportunity of adopting it as their own prayer8 ,his whole heart was longing to hear these very words from them4 ,have we not the proof of it further on1 in the sad words with which at last ,he abandoned the hope3 ,i say unto you1 ye shall not see ,me henceforth till ye shall say1 ,blessed is ,he that cometh in the name of the ,lord 7xxiii4 #ci78 ,seeing they will not take the warning of the parable1 and that they refuse the opportunity given them while yet under its awe-inspiring influence1 to repent and return1 ,he must give sentence against them3 ,therefore say ,i unto you1 ,the kingdom of ,god shall be taken away from you1 and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof4 ,this sentence ,he follows up by setting before them the dark side of the other symbol3 ,whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken3 but on whomsoever it shall fall1 it will grind him to powder4 ,they were stumbling on the stone now1 and about to be broken upon it2 but the danger that lay before them if they persisted in their present unbelief and sin1 would be far greater still1 when ,he ,whom they now despised and rejected should be at the head of all authority and power4 ,but all is vain4 ,steeling their hearts against ,his faithful words1 they are only the more maddened against ,him1 and fear alone restrains them from beginning now the very crime against which they have just had so terrible a warning3 ,when they sought to lay hands on ,him1 they feared the multitudes1 because they took ,him for a prophet4 ,the ,marriage ,feast 7xxii4 #a-ad74 ,the manner in which this third parable is introduced leaves room for doubt whether it was spoken in immediate connection with the two preceding4 ,the use of the word answered 7ver4 #a7 would rather suggest the idea that some conversation not reported had intervened4 ,but though it does not form part of a continuous discourse with the others1 it is so closely connected with them in scope and bearing that it may appropriately be dealt with1 as concluding the warning called forth by the first attack of the chief priests and elders4 ,the relation between the three parables will be best seen by observing that the first has to do with their treatment of ,john2 the second and third with their treatment of ,himself and ,his apostles4 ,the second and third differ from each other in this3 that1 while the ,king's ,son1 ,who is prominent in both1 is regarded in the former as the last and greatest of a long series of heavenly messengers sent to demand of the chosen people the fruits of righteousness1 in the latter ,he is presented1 not as demanding righteousness1 but as bringing joy4 ,duty is the leading thought of the second parable1 privilege of the third2 in the one sin is brought home to ,israel's leaders by setting before them their treatment of the messengers of righteousness1 in the other the sin lies in their rejection of the message of grace4 ,out of this distinction rises another--viz41 that while the second parable runs back into the past1 upwards along the line of the ,old ,testament prophets1 the third runs down into the future1 into the history of the apostolic times4 ,the two together make up a terrible indictment1 which might well have roused these slumbering consciences1 and led even scribes and ,pharisees to shrink from filling up the measure of their iniquities4 ,a word may be necessary as to the relation of this parable to the similar one recorded in the fourteenth chapter of ,st4 ,luke1 known as ,the parable of the ,great ,supper4 ,the two have many features in common1 but the differences are so great that it is plainly wrong to suppose them to be different versions of the same4 ,it is astonishing to see what needless difficulties some people make for themselves by the utterly groundless assumption that our ,lord would never use the same illustration a second time4 ,why should ,he not have spoken of the gospel as a feast1 not twice merely1 but fifty times8 ,there would1 no doubt1 be many variations in ,his manner of unfolding the thought1 according to the circumstances1 the audience1 the particular object in view at the time2 but to suppose that because ,he had used that illustration in ,galilee1 ,he must be forbidden from reverting to it in ,juda is a specimen of what we may call the insanity of those who are ever on the watch for their favourite discrepancies4 ,in this case there is not only much variation in detail1 but the scope of the two parables is quite different1 the former having more the character of a pressing invitation1 with only a suggestion of warning at the close2 whereas the one before us1 while preserving all the grace of the gospel as suggested by the figure of a feast to which men are freely invited1 and even heightening its attractiveness inasmuch as it is a wedding feast--the most joyful of all festivities--and a royal one too1 yet has throughout the same sad tone of judgment which has been characteristic of all these three parables1 and is at once seen to be specially appropriate to the fateful occasion on which they were spoken4 ,as essentially a ,new ,testament parable1 it begins with the familiar formula ,the kingdom of heaven is like4 ,the two previous parables had led up to the new dispensation2 but this one begins with it1 and is wholly concerned with it4 ,the ,king's ,son appears now1 not as a messenger1 but as a bridegroom4 ,it was not the first time that ,jesus had spoken of ,himself as a bridegroom1 or rather as the ,bridegroom4#ah ,the thought was a familiar one in the prophets of the ,old ,testament1 the ,bridegroom1 be it remembered1 being none other than ,jehovah ,himself4 ,consider1 then1 what it meant that ,jesus should without hesitation or explanation speak of ,himself as the ,bridegroom4 ,and let us not imagine that ,he simply took the figure1 and applied it to ,himself as fulfilling prophecy2 let us not fail to realise that ,he entered fully into its tender meaning4 ,when we think of the circumstances in which this parable was spoken1 we have here a most pathetic glimpse into the sanctuary of our ,saviour's loving heart4 ,let us try with reverent sympathy to enter into the feeling of the ,king's ,son1 come from heaven to seek humanity for ,his bride1 to woo and to win her from the cruel bondage of sin and death1 to take her into union with ,himself1 so that she may share with ,him the liberty and wealth1 the purity and joy1 the glory and the hope of the heavenly kingdom6 ,the ,king made a marriage for ,his ,son--where is the bride8 what response is she making to the ,bridegroom's suit8 ,a marriage for ,his ,son6 ,on ,calvary8 ,it must have been very hard for ,him to go on2 but ,he will keep down the rising tide of emotion1 that ,he may set before this people and before all people another attractive picture of the kingdom of heaven4 ,he will give even these despisers of the heavenly grace another opportunity to reconsider their position4 ,so ,he tells of the invitations sent out first to them that were bidden--i4e41 to the chosen people who had been especially invited from the earliest times1 and to whom1 when the fulness of the time had come1 the call was first addressed4 ,and they would not come4 ,there is no reference to the aggravations which had found place in the former parable 7xxi4 #ci74 ,these were connected not so much with the offer of grace1 which is the main purport of this parable1 as with the demand for fruit1 which was the leading thought of the one before4 ,it was enough1 then1 in describing how they dealt with the invitation1 to say1 ,they would not come2 and1 indeed1 this refusal hurt ,him far more than their buffets and their blows4 ,when ,he is buffeted1 ,he is silent1 sheds no tears1 utters no wail2 ,his tears and lamentation are reserved for them3 ,how often would ,i have gathered thy children together1 even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings1 and ye would not6 ,they would not come4 ,but the love of the ,king and of ,his ,son is not yet exhausted4 ,a second invitation is sent1 with greater urgency than before1 and with fuller representations of the great preparations which had been made for the entertainment of the guests3 ,again1 he sent forth other servants1 saying1 ,tell them which are bidden1 ,behold1 ,i have prepared my dinner3 my oxen and my fatlings are killed1 and all things are ready3 come unto the marriage4 ,as the first invitation was that which had been already given and which they were now rejecting1 the second refers to that fuller proclamation of the gospel which was yet to be made after the work of the ,bridegroom-,redeemer should be finished1 when it could be said1 as not before3 ,all things are ready4 ,in the account which follows1 therefore1 there is a foreshadowing of the treatment the apostles would afterwards receive4 ,many1 indeed1 were converted by their word1 and took their places at the feast2 but the people as a whole made light of it1 and went their ways1 one to his farm1 another to his merchandise3 and the remnant took his servants1 and entreated them spitefully1 and slew them4 ,what was the consequence8 ,jerusalem1 rejecting the gospel of the kingdom1 even when it was preached with the ,holy ,ghost sent down from heaven1 must be destroyed2 and new guests must be sought among the nations that up till now had no especial invitation to the feast4 ,this prophetic warning was conveyed in terms of the parable2 yet there is a touch in it which shows how strongly the ,saviour's mind was running on the sad future of which the parable was but a picture3 ,when the king heard thereof1 he was wroth3 and he sent forth his armies1 and destroyed those murderers1 and burned up their city4 ,why city8 ,there had been no mention of a city in the parable4 ,true2 but ,jerusalem was in the ,saviour's heart1 and all the pathos of ,his lament over it is in that little word4 ,their city too1 observe1--reminding us of your house at the close of this sad day 7xxiii4 #ch74 ,in the same way the calling of the ,gentiles is most skilfully brought within the scope of the parable1 by the use of the peculiar word translated in the ,revised ,version--the partings of the highways1 which seems to suggest the thought of the servants leaving the city precincts1 and going out in all directions along the main trunk roads to the partings of the highways1 to carry the gospel to all without distinction1 wherever could be found an ear of man to listen1 or a human heart to welcome the ,king's grace and the ,bridegroom's love4 ,thus1 after all1 the wedding was to be furnished with guests4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the parable1 as we have seen1 is one of grace2 but righteousness too must find a place in it4 ,the demand for fruits of righteousness is no less rigid in the new dispensation than it had been in the old4 ,to make this clear and strong the parable of the ,feast is followed by the pendant of the ,wedding ,garment4 ,there are two ways in which the heavenly marriage feast may be despised3 first1 by those who will not come at all2 next1 and no less1 by those who try to snatch the wedding joy without the bridal purity4 ,the same leading thought or motive is recognisable here as in the parable of the two sons4 ,the man without the wedding garment corresponds to the son who said ,i go1 sir1 and went not1 while those who refuse altogether correspond to the son who answered ,i will not4 ,by bearing this in mind we can understand1 what to many has been a serious difficulty--how it is that the punishment meted out to the offender in this second parable is so terribly severe4 ,if we simply think of the parable itself1 it does seem an extraordinary thing that so slight an offence as coming to a wedding feast without the regulation dress should meet with such an awful doom2 but when we consider whom this man represents1 we can see the very best of reasons for it4 ,hypocrisy was his crime1 than which there is nothing more utterly hateful in the sight of ,him ,who desireth truth in the inward parts4 ,it is true that the representation does not at first seem to set the sin in so very strong a light2 but when we think of it1 we see that there was no other way in which it could be brought within the scope of this parable4 ,it is worthy of notice1 moreover1 that the distinction between the intruder and the others is not observed till the king himself enters1 which indicates that the difference between him and the others was no outward distinction1 that the garment referred to is the invisible garment of righteousness4 ,to the common eye he looked like all the rest2 but when the all-searching ,eye is on the company he is at once detected and exposed4 ,he is really worse than those who would not come at all4 ,they were honest sinners2 he was a hypocrite--at the feast with mouth and hand and eye1 but not of it1 for his spirit is not robed in white3 he is the black sheep in the fold2 a despiser within1 he is worse than the despisers without4 ,even to him1 indeed1 the king has a kindly feeling4 ,he calls him ,friend1 and gives him yet the opportunity to repent and cry for mercy4 ,but he is speechless4 ,false to the core1 he has no rallying point within to fall back upon4 ,all is confusion and despair4 ,he cannot even pray4 ,nothing remains but to pronounce his final doom 7ver4 #ac74 ,the words with which the parable closes 7ver4 #ad7 are sad and solemn4 ,they have occasioned difficulty to some1 who have supposed they were meant to teach that the number of the saved will be small4 ,their difficulty1 like so many others1 has been due to forgetfulness of the circumstances under which the words were spoken1 and the strong emotion of which they were the expression4 ,jesus is looking back over the time since ,he began to spread the gospel feast1 and thinking how many have been invited1 and how few have come6 ,and even among those who have seemed to come there are hypocrites6 ,one ,he specially would have in mind as ,he spoke of the man without the wedding garment2 for though we take him to be the type of a class1 we can scarcely think that our ,lord could fail to let ,his sad thoughts rest on ,judas1 as ,he described that man4 ,taking all this into consideration1 we can well understand how at that time ,he should conclude ,his parable with the lamentation3 ,many are called1 but few chosen4 ,it did not follow that it was a truth for all time and for eternity4 ,it was true for the time included in the scope of the parable4 ,it was most sadly true of the ,jewish nation then1 and in the times which followed on immediately2 but the day was coming1 before all was done1 when the heavenly ,bridegroom1 according to the sure word of prophecy1 should see of the travail of ,his soul1 and be satisfied4 ,no creed article1 therefore1 have we here1 but a cry from the sore heart of the heavenly ,bridegroom1 in the day of ,his sorrow1 in the pain of unrequited love4 ,,ii4--,,the ,,ordeal ,,of ,,questions 7xxii4 #ae-df74 ,the open challenge has failed2 but more subtle weapons may succeed4 ,the ,pharisees have found it of no avail to confront their enemy2 but they may still be able to entangle ,him4 ,they will at all events try4 ,they will spring upon ,him some hard questions1 of such a kind that1 answering on the spur of the moment1 ,he will be sure to compromise ,himself4 #a4 ,the first shall be one of those semi-political semi-religious questions on which feeling is running high--the lawfulness or unlawfulness of paying tribute to ,csar4 ,the old ,pharisees who had challenged ,his authority keep in the background1 that the sinister purpose of the question may not appear2 but they are represented by some of their disciples who1 coming fresh upon the scene and addressing ,jesus in terms of respect and appreciation1 may readily pass for guileless inquirers4 ,they are accompanied by some ,herodians1 whose divergence of view on the point made it all the more natural that they should join with ,pharisees in asking the question2 for it might fairly be considered that they had been disputing with one another in regard to it1 and had concluded to submit the question to ,his decision as to one who would be sure to know the truth and fearless to tell it4 ,so together they come with the request3 ,master1 we know that ,thou art true1 and teachest the way of ,god in truth1 neither carest ,thou for any man3 for ,thou regardest not the person of men4 ,tell us therefore1 ,what thinkest ,thou8 ,is it lawful to give tribute unto ,csar1 or not8 ,but they cannot impose upon ,him3 ,jesus perceived their wickedness1 and said1 ,why tempt ye ,me1 ye hypocrites8 ,having thus unmasked them1 without a moment's hesitation ,he answers them4 ,they had expected a yes or a no--a yes which would have set the people against ,him1 or better still a no which would have put ,him at the mercy of the government4 ,but1 avoiding ,scylla on the one hand1 and ,charybdis on the other1 ,he makes straight for ,his goal by asking for a piece of coin and calling attention to ,csar's stamp upon it4 ,those who use ,csar's coin should not refuse to pay ,csar's tribute2 but1 while the relation which with their own acquiescence they sustain to the ,roman emperor implied corresponding obligations in the sphere it covered1 this did not at all interfere with what is due to the ,king of kings and ,lord of lords1 in ,whose image we all are made1 and ,whose superscription every one of us bears3 ,render therefore unto ,csar the things which are ,csar's2 and unto ,god the things that are ,god's4 ,thus ,he not only avoids the net they had spread for ,him1 and gives them the very best answer to their question1 but1 in doing so1 ,he lays down a great principle of far-reaching application and permanent value respecting the difficult and much-to-be-vexed question as to the relations between ,church and ,state4 ,o answer full of miracle6 as one has said4 ,no wonder that when they had heard these words1 they marvelled1 and left ,him1 and went their way4 #b4 ,next come forward certain ,sadducees4 ,that the ,pharisees had an understanding with them also seems likely from what is said both in verse #ae1 which seems a general introduction to the series of questions1 and in verse #cd1 from which it would appear that they were somewhere out of sight waiting to hear the result of this new attack4 ,though the alliance seems a strange one1 it is not the first time that common hostility to the ,christ of ,god has drawn together the two great rival parties 7see chap4 xvi4 #a74 ,if we are right in supposing them to be in combination now1 it is a remarkable illustration of the deep hostility of the ,pharisees that they should not only combine with the ,sadducees against ,him1 as they had done before1 but that they should look with complacency on their using against ,him a weapon which threatened one of their own doctrines4 ,for the object of the attack was to cast ridicule on the doctrine of the resurrection1 which assuredly the ,pharisees did not deny4 ,the difficulty they raise is of the same kind as those which are painfully familiar in these days1 when men of coarse minds and fleshly imaginations show by their crude objections their incapacity even to think on spiritual themes4 ,the case they supposed was one they knew ,he could not find fault with so far as this world was concerned1 for everything was done in accordance with the letter of the law of ,moses1 the inference being that whatever confusion there was in it must belong to what they would call ,his figment of the resurrection3 ,in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven8 for they all had her4 ,it is worthy of note that our ,lord's answer is much less stern than in the former case4 ,these men were not hypocrites4 ,they were scornful1 perhaps flippant2 but they were not intentionally dishonest4 ,the difficulty they felt was due to the coarseness of their minds1 but it was a real difficulty to them4 ,our ,lord accordingly gives them a kindly answer1 not denouncing them1 but calmly showing them where they are wrong3 ,ye do err1 not knowing the ,scriptures1 nor the power of ,god4 ,ye know not the power of ,god1 or ye would not suppose that the life to come would be a mere repetition of the life that now is1 with all its fleshly conditions the same as now4 ,that there is continuity of life is of course implied in the very idea of resurrection2 but true life resides not in the flesh but in the spirit1 and therefore the continuity will be a spiritual continuity2 and the power of ,god will effect such changes on the body itself that it will rise out of its fleshly condition into a state of being like that of the angels of ,god4 ,the thought is the same as that which was afterwards expanded by the apostle ,paul in such passages as ,rom4 viii4 #e-aa1 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ce-ed4 ,ye know not the ,scriptures1 or you would find in the writings of ,moses from which you quote1 and to which you attach supreme importance1 evidence enough of the great doctrine you deny4 ,have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by ,god1 saying1 ,i am the ,god of ,abraham1 and the ,god of ,isaac1 and the ,god of ,jacob8 ,here1 again1 ,jesus not only answers the ,sadducees1 but puts the great and all-important doctrine of the life to come and the resurrection of the body on its deepest foundation4 ,there are those who have expressed astonishment that ,he did not quote from some of the later prophets1 where ,he could have found passages much clearer and more to the point3 but not only was it desirable that1 as they had based their question on ,moses1 ,he should give ,his answer from the same source2 but in doing so ,he has put the great truth on a permanent and universal basis2 for the argument rests not on the authority of ,moses1 nor1 as some have supposed1 upon the present tense ,i am1 but on the relation between ,god and ,his people4 ,the thought is that such a relation between mortal man and the eternal ,god as is implied in the declaration ,i am the ,god of ,abraham1 and the ,god of ,isaac1 and the ,god of ,jacob is itself a guarantee of immortality4 ,not for the spirit only1 for it is not as spirits merely but as men that we are taken into relation to the living ,god2 and that relation1 being of ,god1 must share ,his immortality3 ,god is not the ,god of the dead1 but of the living4 ,the thought#ai is put in a very striking way in a well-known passage in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews3 ,but now they 7the patriarchs7 desire a better country1 that is1 an heavenly3 wherefore ,god is not ashamed to be called their ,god3 for ,he hath prepared for them a city4 ,our ,lord's answer suggests the best way of assuring ourselves of this glorious hope4 ,let ,god be real to us1 and life and immortality will be real too4 ,if we would escape the doubts of old ,sadducee and new ,agnostic1 we must be much with ,god1 and strengthen more and more the ties which bind us to ,him4 #c4 ,the next attempt of the ,pharisees is on an entirely new line4 ,they have found that they cannot impose upon ,him by sending pretended inquirers to question ,him4 ,but they have managed to lay their hands on a real inquirer now--one of themselves1 a student of the law1 who is exercised on a question much discussed1 and to which very different answers are given2 they will suggest to him to carry his question to ,jesus1 and see what ,he will say to it4 ,that this was the real state of the case appears from the fuller account in ,st4 ,mark's ,gospel4 ,when1 then1 ,st4 ,matthew speaks of him as asking ,jesus a question1 tempting ,him1 we are not to impute the same sinister motives as actuated those who sent him4 ,he also was in a certain sense tempting ,jesus--i4e41 putting ,him to the test1 but with no sinister motive1 with a real desire to find out the truth1 and probably also to find out if this ,jesus was one who could really help an inquirer after truth4 ,in this spirit1 then1 he asks the question1 ,which is the great commandment in the law8 ,the answer our ,lord immediately gives is now so familiar that it is difficult to realise how great a thing it was to give it for the first time4 ,true1 ,he takes it from the ,scriptures2 but think what command of the ,scriptures is involved in this prompt reply4 ,the passages quoted lie far apart--the one in the sixth chapter of ,deuteronomy1 the other in the nineteenth of ,leviticus1 in quite an obscure corner2 and nowhere are they spoken of as the first and second commandments1 nor indeed were they regarded as commandments in the usually understood sense of the word4 ,when we consider all this1 we recognise what from one point of view might be called a miracle of genius1 and from another a flash of inspiration1 in the instantaneous selection of these two passages1 and bringing them together so as to furnish a summary of the law and the prophets beyond all praise1 which the veriest unbeliever if only he have a mind to appreciate that which is excellent1 must recognise as worthy of being written in letters of light ,that one short answer to a sudden question--asked indeed by a true man1 but really sprung upon ,him by ,his enemies who were watching for ,his halting--is of more value in morals than all the writings of all the ethical philosophers1 from ,socrates to ,herbert ,spencer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is now time to question the questioners4 ,the opportunity is most favourable4 ,they are gathered together to hear what ,he will say to their last attempt to entangle ,him4 ,once more ,he has not only met the difficulty1 but has done so in such a way as to make the truth on the subject in dispute shine with the very light of heaven4 ,there could not1 then1 be a better opportunity of turning their thoughts in a direction which might lead them1 if possible in spite of themselves1 into the light of ,god4 ,the question ,jesus asks 7vv4 #da-de7 is undoubtedly a puzzling one for them2 but it is no mere ,scripture conundrum4 ,the difficulty in which it lands them is one which1 if only they would honestly face it1 would be the means of removing the veil from their eyes1 and leading them1 ere it is too late1 to welcome the ,son of ,david come in the name of the ,lord to save them4 ,they fully accepted the psalm to which ,he referred as a psalm of ,david concerning the ,messiah4 ,if1 then1 they would honestly read that psalm1 they would see that the ,messiah when ,he comes must be1 not a mere earthly monarch1 as ,david was1 but a heavenly monarch1 one who should sit on the throne of ,god and bring into subjection the enemies of the kingdom of heaven4 ,if only they would take their ideas of the ,christ from the ,scriptures which were their boast1 they could not fail to see ,him standing now before them4 ,for we must remember that they had not only the words ,he spoke to guide them4 ,they had before them the ,messiah ,himself1 with the light of heaven in ,his eye1 with the love of ,god in ,his face2 and had they had any love for the light1 they would have recognised ,him then--they would have seen in ,him1 whom they had often heard of as ,david's son1 the ,lord of ,david1 and therefore the ,lord of the ,temple1 and the heavenly ,king of ,israel4 ,but they love the darkness rather than the light1 because their deeds are evil3 therefore their hearts remain unchanged1 the eyes of their spirit unopened2 they are only abashed and silenced3 ,no man was able to answer ,him a word1 neither durst any man from that day forth ask ,him any more questions4 ,,iii4--,,the ,,house ,,left ,,desolate 7xxiii474 ,the day of grace is over for the leaders of the people2 but for the people themselves there may still be hope2 so the ,lord of the ,temple turns to the multitude1 the general throng of worshippers1 mingled with whom were several of ,his own disciples1 and solemnly warns them against their spiritual guides4 ,there is every reason to suppose that many of the scribes and ,pharisees were within hearing2 for when ,he has finished what ,he has to say to the people1 ,he turns round and addresses them directly in that series of terrible denunciations which follow 7ver4 #ac1 seq474 ,his warning is couched in such a way as not in the least degree to weaken their respect for ,moses1 or for the sacred ,scriptures1 the exposition of which was the duty of their spiritual guides4 ,he separates sharply between the office and the men who hold it4 ,had they been true to the position they occupied and the high duties they had been called to discharge1 they would have been worthy of all honour2 but they are false men3 they say1 and do not4 ,not only so1 but they do positive evil1 making that grievous for the people which ought to be a delight2 and when they do or seem to do the right thing1 it is some petty observance1 which they exaggerate for the sake of vain display1 while their hearts are set on personal pre-eminence4 ,such are the leading thoughts set forth with great vigour of language and force of illustration1 and not without a touch of keen and delicate irony in our ,lord's remarkable indictment of the scribes and ,pharisees recorded by our ,evangelist 7vv4 #b-g74 99 99 99 99 99 ,then follows one of those passages of profound significance and far-reaching application which1 while admirably suiting the immediate occasions on which they were spoken1 prove to be a treasury of truth for the ages to come4 ,at first sight it strikes us as simply an exhortation to cultivate a disposition the reverse of that of the scribes and ,pharisees4 ,he has been drawing their portrait2 now ,he says1 ,be ye not like unto them1 but unlike in every respect4 ,but in saying this ,he succeeds in laying down great principles for the future guidance of ,his ,church1 the remembrance of which would have averted most of the evils which in the course of its history have weakened its power1 hindered its progress1 and marred its witness to the truth4 ,with one stroke ,he abolishes all claims of men to intervene between the soul and ,god4 ,one is your ,teacher 7,r4,v471 ,one is your ,father1 ,one is your ,master4 ,who is that ,one8 ,he does not in so many words claim the position for ,himself2 but it is throughout implied1 and at the end almost expressed2 for1 while in speaking of the ,teacher and the ,father ,he says nothing to indicate who the ,one is1 when ,he comes to the ,master1 ,he adds even the ,christ 7,r4,v474 ,standing thus at the end of all1 these words suggest that the office of the ,christ was to bring ,god within reach of every soul1 so that without any intervention of scribe or ,pharisee1 priest or pope1 each one could go direct to ,him for instruction 7,teacher71 for loving recognition 7,father71 for authoritative guidance and control 7,master74 ,we must remember1 too1 that ,he was speaking to ,his disciples as well as to the multitude1 and to them these words would be full of meaning4 ,when ,he said1 ,one is your ,teacher1 of whom could they possibly think but of ,himself8 ,when ,he said1 ,one is your ,father1 they would recall such utterances as ,i and ,my ,father are ,one1 and have suggested to them the truth which was so very soon to be plainly stated3 ,he that hath seen ,me1 hath seen the ,father4 ,it is probable1 then1 that even before ,he reached the end1 and added the words even the ,christ1 the minds of ,his disciples at least had anticipated ,him4 ,thus we find in these remarkable words an implicit claim on the part of ,christ to be the sole ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king of ,his people3 their sole ,prophet1 to teach them by the enlightening and sanctifying grace of the ,holy ,spirit2 their sole ,priest1 to open up the way of access to a reconciled ,father in heaven2 their sole ,king1 alone entitled to be the ,lord of their conscience and their heart4 ,if only the ,christian ,church had been true to all this1 how different would her history have been6 ,then the ,word of ,god would have been1 throughout1 the only and sufficient rule of faith1 and the ,holy ,spirit dealing directly with the spirits of men its sole authoritative interpreter4 ,then would there have been no usurping priesthood to stand between the souls of men and their ,father in heaven1 to bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them upon men's shoulders1 to multiply forms and observances and complicate what should have been simplest of all--the direct way to the ,father in heaven1 through ,christ the great ,priest of humanity4 ,then would there have been no lordship over men's consciences1 no ecclesiastical usurpation1 no spiritual tyranny1 no inquisition1 no persecution for conscience' sake4 ,how inexcusable has it all been6 ,it would seem as if pains had been taken deliberately to violate not only the spirit1 but the very letter of the ,saviour's words1 as e4g4 in the one fact that1 while it is expressly written ,call no man your father upon the earth1 the ,church of ,rome has actually succeeded age after age in getting the millions under its usurped spiritual control1 to give a man that very title2 for the word pope is the very word#bj which our ,lord so expressly forbids4 ,but all clerical assumption of priestly power is just as certainly and as clearly in violation of this great charter of our spiritual liberties4 ,and all ye are brethren4 ,this is the second commandment of the true canon law1 like unto the first1 and springing naturally out of it1 as naturally as the love of neighbour springs out of love to ,god4 ,as soon as the time shall come when all ,christians shall own allegiance alike1 full and undivided1 to the one ,lord of mind and heart and conscience1 then will there be an end to all ecclesiastical exclusiveness1 then shall we see realised and manifested to the world the brotherhood in ,christ of all believers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,turning once again to the scribes and ,pharisees1 the ,lord of the ,temple denounces them in words perhaps the most terrible in the whole ,bible4 ,it is a very thunderstorm of indignation1 with flash after flash of scorn1 peal after peal of woe4 ,it is the burden of the ,lord1 the wrath of the ,lamb4 ,is this at all inconsistent with the meekness and lowliness of ,his heart1 the love and tenderness of ,his character8 ,certainly not4 ,love is no love at all1 unless it be capable of indignation against wrong4 ,besides1 it is no personal wrongs which stir the heart of ,jesus1 ,who when ,he was reviled1 reviled not again1 when ,he suffered1 ,he threatened not2 but the wrong these hypocrites are doing to the poor sheep they are leading all astray4 ,the occasion absolutely demanded a tempest of indignation4 ,there is this further to be considered1 that the ,lord ,jesus1 as ,revealer of ,god1 must display ,his justice as well as ,his mercy1 ,his wrath as well as ,his love4 ,this passage1 terrible as it is1 commends itself to all that is noblest and best in us4 ,who is there who does not thank ,god for this scathing denunciation of that most hateful of all abominations--hypocrisy8 ,see how ,he brands it in every sentence--,woe unto you1 scribes and ,pharisees1 hypocrites6--how piece by piece ,he shows their miserable life to be a lie4 ,hypocrites6 because you profess to sit in ,moses' seat1 to have the key of knowledge1 to know the way of life yourselves1 and show it to others2 and all this profession is a lie 7ver4 #ac74 ,hypocrites6 because your pretended charity is a lie1 aggravated by the forms of devotion with which it is masked1 while the essence of it is most sordid avarice 7ver4 #ad74 ,hypocrites6 because your zeal for ,god is a lie1 being really a zeal for the devil1 your converts being perverts worse than yourselves 7ver4 #ae74 ,hypocrites6 because your morality is a lie1 making the law of ,god of none effect by your miserable casuistry 7vv4 #af-bb74 ,hypocrites6 because your devotion is a lie1 consisting merely in punctilious attention to the minutest forms1 while the weighty matters of the law you set aside1 like those who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel 7vv4 #bc1 #bd1 ,r4,v474 ,hypocrites6 because your whole demeanour is a lie1 all fair without like a whited sepulchre1 while within ye are full of dead men's bones1 and of all uncleanness 7vv4 #be-bh74 ,hypocrites6 because your pretended reverence for the prophets is a lie1 for had you lived in the days of your fathers you would have done as they did1 as is plain from the way in which you are acting now2 for you build the tombs of the dead prophets and put to death the living ones 7vv4 #bi-ca74 ,the sin branded1 sentence follows3 ,fill ye up then the measure of your fathers4 ,since you will not be saved1 there is nothing for it but that you go on in sin to the bitter end3 serpents1 for ever hissing at the heels of the holy1 a brood of vipers1 with no hope now of escaping the judgment of ,gehenna6 ,as in the ,sermon on the ,mount 7see page #ajb7 so here1 when ,he speaks as ,judge ,he cannot conceal ,his personal majesty4 ,all throughout ,he has been speaking with authority1 but has1 as usual1 avoided the obtrusion of ,his personal prerogative4 ,even in saying ,one is your ,master1 even the ,christ1 it is not at all the same as if ,he had said1 even ,myself4 ,all it necessarily conveyed was1 ,one is your master1 even the ,messiah1 whoever he may be4 ,but now ,he speaks as from ,his judgment throne4 ,he is no longer thinking of ,himself as one of the prophets1 or even as the ,king's ,son1 but as ,lord of all2 so ,he says3 ,wherefore1 behold1 ,i send unto you prophets1 and wise men1 and scribes3 and some of them ye shall kill and crucify2 and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues1 and persecute them from city to city3 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth1 from ,abel to ,zacharias4#ba ,and1 again1 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,all these things shall come upon this generation4 ,but judgment is ,his strange work4 ,he has been compelled by the fire of ,his holiness to break forth into this tempest of indignation against the hypocrites1 and to pronounce upon them the long-deferred sentence of condemnation and wrath4 ,but there has been a wail in all ,his woes4 ,his nature and ,his name is love1 and it must have been a terrible strain on ,him to keep up the foreign tone so long4 ,the wrath of the ,lamb is a necessary but not a natural combination4 ,we may not wonder1 then1 though well we may adore1 when after the tension of these woes1 ,his heart is melted into tenderness as ,he mourns over the fate which all ,his love may not avert3 ,o ,jerusalem1 ,jerusalem1 thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee1 how often would ,i have gathered thy children together1 even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings1 and ye would not6 ,again1 observe the lofty consciousness shining out in the little pronoun ,i4 ,he is a young man of little more than thirty2 but ,his personal consciousness runs back through all the ages of the past1 through all the times of the killing of the prophets and stoning of the messengers of ,god1 from ,abel on to ,zachariah3 and not only so1 but this ,son of ,israel speaks in the most natural way as the brooding mother of them all through all their generations--what wonders1 not of beauty alone1 and of exquisite pathos1 but of conscious majesty in that immortal lamentation6 99 99 99 99 99 ,our ,saviour's public ministry is closed4 ,he has yet many things to say to ,his disciples--a private ministry of love to fulfil ere ,he leave the world and go to the ,father2 but ,his public ministry is ended now4 ,commenced with beatitudes1 it ends with woes1 because the blessings offered in the beatitudes have been rudely rejected and trampled underfoot4 ,and now the ,lord of the ,temple is about to leave it--to leave it to its fate1 to leave it as ,he counselled ,his disciples to leave any city or house that refused to receive them3 shaking the dust off ,his feet2 and in doing so1 as ,he turns from the astonished hierarchs1 ,he utters these solemn words1 which close the time of their merciful visitation and leave them to eat of the fruit of their own way1 and be filled with their own devices3 ,behold1 your house is left unto you desolate4 ,your house4 ,it was ,mine4 ,i was its glory1 and would have been its defence2 but when ,i came unto ,my own1 ,mine own received ,me not2 and now it is no longer ,mine but yours1 and therefore desolate4 ,desolate2 and therefore defenceless1 a ready prey for the ,roman eagles when they swoop on the defenceless brood4 ,for ,i say unto you1 ,ye shall not see ,me henceforth till--till when8 ,is there still a door of hope8 ,there is1 even for scribes and ,pharisees--hypocrites2 the door ever open here on earth3 ,him that cometh unto ,me1 ,i will in nowise cast out4 ,the door is closed upon them for ever as leaders of the people2 as temple authorities they can never be recognised again1--their house is left to them desolate2 but for themselves there is still this door of hope2 these awful woes therefore are not a final sentence1 but a long1 loud1 last call to enter ere it be too late4 ,and as if to show1 after all the wrath of ,his terrible denunciation1 that judgment is ,his strange work and that ,he delighteth in mercy1 ,he points in closing to that still open door1 and says1 ,ye shall not see ,me henceforth1 till ye shall say1 ,blessed is ,he that cometh in the name of the ,lord4 ,why did they not say it then8 ,why did they not entreat ,him to remain8 ,but they did not4 ,so ,jesus went out1 and departed from the ,temple 7xxiv4 #a72 and though eighteen hundred years have rolled away since then1 the time has not yet come when as a people they have said1 ,blessed is ,he that cometh in the name of the ,lord2 accordingly their house is still desolate1 and they are scattered and peeled--chickens that will not nestle under the mother's wing4 #ag ,see the accounts in the second and third ,gospels4 #ah ,another example of the use of the same illustration more than once4 ,see ix4 #ae4 #ai ,compare the same thought in ,ps4 xvi4 #h-aa4 #bj ,papa1 pope1 is the ,latin translation of the ,hebrew word for ,father4 #ba ,the reason why these two are named is sufficiently obvious1 when we remember that the second ,book of ,chronicles1 in which the martyrdom of ,zachariah is recorded1 was the last book of the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 just as we might say1 ,all the promises from ,genesis to ,revelation4 ,the difficulty which has been made so much of 7,barachias v4 ,jehoiada7 is of no importance except to those who will not remember that the letter killeth and the spirit giveth life4 ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,prophecy ,,on ,,the ,,mount4 ,,matt4 xxiv41 xxv4 ,we have seen that though the ,saviour's public ministry is now closed1 ,he still has a private ministry to discharge--a ministry of counsel and comfort to ,his beloved disciples1 whom ,he soon must leave in a world where tribulation awaits them on every side4 ,of this private ministry the chief remains are the beautiful words of consolation left on record by ,st4 ,john 7xiii4-xvii471 and the valuable words of prophetic warning recorded by the other ,evangelists1 occupying in this ,gospel two long chapters 7xxiv41 xxv474 ,this remarkable discourse1 nearly equal in length to the ,sermon on the ,mount1 may be called the ,prophecy on the ,mount2 for it is prophetic throughout1 and it was delivered on the ,mount of ,olives4 ,from the way in which it is introduced 7vv4 #a-c7 we see that it is closely connected with the abandonment of the ,temple1 and that it was suggested by the disciples calling ,his attention to the buildings of the ,temple1 which were in full view of the little group as they sat on the ,mount of ,olives that memorable day--buildings which seemed stately and stable enough in their eyes1 but which were already tottering to their fall before 444 that ,eye which watches guilt ,and goodness2 and hath power to see ,within the green the mouldered tree1 ,and towers fallen as soon as built4 ,thus everything leads us to expect a discourse about the fate of the ,temple4 ,the minds of the whole group are full of the subject2 and out of the fulness of their hearts the question comes1 ,tell us1 when shall these things be8 ,and what shall be the sign of ,thy coming1 and of the end of the world8 ,from the latter part of the question it is evident that the coming of ,christ and the end of the world were closely connected in the disciples' minds with the judgment that was about to come upon the ,temple and the chosen people--a connection which was right in point of fact1 though wrong in point of time4 ,we shall not be surprised1 therefore1 to discover that the burden of the first part of the prophecy is that great event to which the attention of all was at that moment so pointedly directed4 ,but since the near as well as the distant event is viewed as the coming of the ,son of man1 we may give to what may be called the prophecy proper as distinguished from the pictures of judgment that follow1 a title which embodies this unifying thought4 ,i4 ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,man 7vv4 #c-dd74 ,in secular history the destruction of ,jerusalem is nothing more than the destruction of any other city of equal size and importance4 ,it is indeed marked out from similar events in history by the peculiarly terrible sufferings to which the inhabitants were subjected before the final overthrow4 ,but apart from this1 it is to the general historian an event precisely similar to the destruction of ,babylon1 of ,tyre1 of ,carthage1 or of any other ancient city once the seat of a dominion which now has passed away4 ,in sacred history it stands alone4 ,it was not merely the destruction of a city1 but the close of a dispensation--the end of that great age which began with the call of ,abraham to come out from ,ur of the ,chaldees1 and be the father of a people chosen of the ,lord4 ,it was the end of the world 7comp4 ,r4,v41 ver4 #c1 margin7 to the ,jews1 the end of the world which then was1 the passing away of the old to give place to the new4 ,it was the event which bore the same relation to the ,jews as the ,flood did to the antediluvians1 which was emphatically the end of the world to them4 ,if we bear this in mind it will enable us to appreciate the tremendous importance assigned to this event wherever it is referred to in the sacred ,scriptures1 and especially in this momentous chapter4 ,but though the destruction of ,jerusalem is the primary subject of the prophecy1 in its full sweep it takes a far wider range4 ,the ,saviour sees before ,him with prophetic eye1 not only that great event which was to be the end of the world which then was--the close of the dispensation of grace which had lasted two thousand years2 but also the end of all things1 when the last dispensation of grace--not for ,israel alone1 but for the whole world--shall have come to a close4 ,though these two events were to be separated from each other by a long interval of time1 yet were they so closely related in their nature and issues that our ,lord1 having in view the needs of those who were to live in the new dispensation1 could not speak of the one without also speaking of the other4 ,what ,he was then saying was intended for the guidance1 not only of the disciples then around ,him1 and of any other ,jews who might from them receive the message1 but also for the guidance of the whole ,christian ,church throughout the world to the end of time1--another marvellous illustration of that sublime consciousness of life and power1 infinitely beyond the limits of ,his mere manhood1 which is ever betraying itself throughout this wondrous history4 ,had ,he confined ,himself to the destruction of ,jerusalem1 ,his words would have had no special interest for us1 any more1 for example1 than the burden of ,babylon or of ,tyre or of ,dumah in the ,old ,testament ,scriptures2 but when ,he carries us on to that ,last ,great ,day1 of which the day of ,jerusalem's destruction 7as closing the ,old ,testament dispensation7 was a type1 we recognise at once our own personal interest in the prophecy2 for we ourselves are individually concerned with that ,day--we shall then either be overwhelmed in the ruins of the old1 or shall rejoice in the glories of the new2 therefore we should feel that this prophecy has an interest for us as personal as it had for those who first heard it on the ,mount of ,olives4 ,as might be expected from the nature of its subject1 the interpretation of the prophecy in matters of detail is beset with difficulties4 ,the sources of difficulty are sufficiently obvious4 ,one is in the elimination of time4 ,the time of both events is studiously concealed1 according to the principle distinctly announced by our ,saviour just before ,his ascension3 ,it is not for you to know the times or the seasons1 which the ,father hath put in ,his own power4 ,there are in each case signs given1 by which the approach of the event may be recognised by those who will give heed to them2 but anything in the shape of a date is studiously avoided4 ,it is perhaps not too much to say that nine-tenths of the difficulties which have been encountered in the interpretation of this passage have arisen from the unwarrantable attempts to introduce dates into it4 ,another difficulty arises from the similarity of the two events referred to1 and the consequent applicability of the same language to both of them4 ,this leads to different opinions as to which of the two is referred to in certain places4 ,to show the source of these difficulties is to suggest their solution2 for when we consider that one event is the type of the other1 that one is as it were the miniature of the other1 the same on a much smaller scale1 we need not hesitate to apply the same language to both1--it may be literally in the one case and figuratively in the other2 or it may be in a subordinate sense in the one case1 and in the fullest sense in the other2 or it may be in precisely the same sense in both cases4 ,in general1 however1 it will be observed that the lesser event--the destruction of ,jerusalem--stands out in full prominence in the beginning of the prophecy1 and the greater event--the ,great ,day of our ,saviour's appearing--in the latter part of it4 ,still another source of difficulty is that1 while our ,saviour's object in giving the prophecy was practical1 the object of many who study the prophecy is merely speculative4 ,they come to it to satisfy curiosity1 and as a matter of course they are disappointed1 for our ,lord did not intend when ,he spoke these words to satisfy so unworthy a desire2 and1 though ,his word never returns to ,him void1 it accomplishes that which ,he pleases1 and nothing else2 it prospers in the thing to which ,he has sent it1 but not in the thing to which ,he has not sent it4 ,he has sent us this1 not to satisfy our curiosity1 but to influence our conduct2 and if we use it not for speculative but for practical purposes--not to find support for any favourite theory1 which parcels out the future1 giving days and hours1 which neither the angels in heaven nor the ,son of man ,himself could tell 7,mark xiii4 #cb7--;but to find food for our souls1 then we shall not be troubled with so many difficulties1 and we shall certainly not be disappointed4 ,before we pass from the difficulties of this prophecy1 observe how strong an argument they furnish for its genuineness4 ,those who deny the divinity of ,christ are greatly troubled with this prophecy1 so much so that the only way in which they can get rid of its witness to ,him is by suggesting that it was really composed after the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and therefore never spoken by ,christ at all4 ,there are difficulties enough of other kinds in the way of such a disposal of the prophecy2 but there is one consideration which absolutely forbids it--viz41 that any one writing after the event would have avoided all that vagueness of language which gives trouble to expositors4 ,to those who can judge of internal evidence1 its obscurity is clear proof that this discourse could not have been produced in the full light of the subsequent history1 but must have been what it professes to be1 a foreshadowing of coming events4 ,we may not1 with the limits imposed by the plan of these expositions1 attempt a detailed explanation of this difficult prophecy1 but must content ourselves with giving only a general view4 ,our ,lord first warns ,his disciples against expecting the crisis too early 7vv4 #d-ad74 ,in this passage ,he prepares the minds of ,his disciples for the times of trouble and trial through which they must pass before the coming of the great and notable day of the ,lord which was at hand3 there shall be false ,christs and false prophets--there shall be wars and rumours of wars1 and shaking of the nations1 and famines1 and pestilences1 and earthquakes in divers places2 yet will all these be only the beginning of sorrows4 ,he also prepares their minds for the gigantic work which must be done by them and by their brother-disciples before that great day3 ,this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations2 and then shall the end come4 ,thus are the disciples taught the very important and thoroughly practical truth1 that they must pass through a great trial and do a great work before the ,day shall come4 ,he then gives them a certain sign by which they shall know that the event is imminent1 when it does approach4 ,this is not equivalent to fixing a date4 ,he gives them no idea how long the period of trial shall last1 no idea how long time they shall have for the great work before them--,he simply gives them a sign1 by observing which they shall not be taken completely by surprise1 but have at least a brief space to make their escape from the condemned city4 ,and so very little time will elapse between the sign and the event to which it points1 that ,he warns them against any delay1 and tells them1 as soon as it shall appear1 to flee at once to the mountains and escape for their lives4 ,it is sufficiently evident1 by comparing this passage with the corresponding place in ,luke1 where our ,lord speaks of ,jerusalem being compassed with armies1 that the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place refers to some particular act of sacrilegious impiety committed in the ,temple just at the time the ,romans were beginning to invest the city4 ,attempts have been made historically to identify this profanation1 but it is doubtful if these have been successful4 ,it is sufficient to know that whether or not the fact has found a place in history1 it served its purpose as a sign to the ,christians in the city who had treasured up in their hearts their ,saviour's warning words4 ,having told them what the sign would be1 and counselled ,his disciples to lose no time in making their escape as soon as they should see it1 ,he further warns them1 in a few impressive words1 of the terrors of those days of tribulation 7vv4 #ai-bb71 and then concludes this portion of the prophecy by warning them against the supposition--a very natural one in the circumstances--that even then the ,son of man should come4 ,so far we have found the leading ideas to be simple and practical1 and all connected with the destruction of ,jerusalem4 7#a7 ,do not expect that event too early2 for you must pass through many trials and do much work before it4 7#b7 ,as soon as you shall see the sign ,i give you1 expect it immediately1 and lose no time in making your escape from the horrors of these awful days4 7#c7 ,even then1 however1 do not expect the personal advent of the ,son of man2 for though it is a day of judgment1 it is only one of those partial judgments which are necessary on the principle that wheresoever the carcase is1 there will the eagles be gathered together4 ,the personal advent of ,christ and the day of final judgment are only foreshadowed by1 not realised in1 the destruction of ,jerusalem and the close of the old dispensation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the three closing verses of this portion of the prophecy refer pre-eminently to the great ,day of the coming of the ,son of man 7vv4 #bi-ca74 ,the word immediately has given rise to much difficulty1 on account of the hasty conclusion to which some have come that immediately after the tribulation of those days must mean immediately after the destruction of ,jerusalem2 according to which all this must have taken place long ago4 ,it is1 indeed1 sufficiently obvious that the tribulation of those days began with the destruction1 or rather with the besieging1 of ,jerusalem4 ,but when did it end8 ,as soon as the city was destroyed8 ,nay4 ,if we wish to get some idea of the duration of those days of tribulation1 let us turn to the same place in the same prophecy as given by ,st4 ,luke 7xxi4 #bc1 #bd71 where it clearly appears that it embraces the whole period of the ,jewish dispersion and of the standing of the ,gentile ,church4 ,the tribulation of those days is going on still1 and therefore the events of these verses are still future4 ,we look forward to the ,day of the ,lord of which that terrible day of judgment1 to which their thoughts were first turned1 was only a dim foreshadowing--a ,day far more august in its nature1 far more awful in its accompaniments1 far more terrible in its aspect to those who are unprepared for it1 yet full of glory and of joy to those who love ,his appearing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,appended to the main prophecy are some additional warnings as to time 7vv4 #cb-dd7 setting forth in the most impressive manner the certainty1 the suddenness1 and1 to those who are not looking for it1 the unexpectedness of the coming of the ,day of the ,lord4 ,here again1 in the first portion the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and in the latter portion the ,day of the ,son of man1 is prominent4 ,if we bear this in mind it will remove a difficulty many have found in ver4 #cd1 which seems to say that the events specially referred to in vv4 #bi-ca would be fulfilled before that generation passed away4 ,but when we remember that the prophecy proper closes with the thirty-first verse1 and that the warning as to the imminency of the events referred to commences with ver4 #cb1 the difficulty vanishes2 for it is most natural that the practical warning should follow the course of the prophecy itself1 referring first to the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and passing from it to that grand event of which it was the precursor4 ,on this principle vv4 #cb-ce are quite simple and natural1 as well as most impressive1 and the statement of ver4 #cd is seen to be literally accurate4 ,the passage from ver4 #cf onwards is still quite applicable to the near event1 the destruction of ,jerusalem2 but the language used is evidently such as to carry the mind onward to the more distant event which had been brought prominently forward in the latter part of the prophecy 7vv4 #cf-dd74 ,in these verses1 again1 not only is no date given1 but we are expressly told that it is deliberately withheld4 ,what then8 ,are we to dismiss the subject from our minds8 ,quite the reverse2 for though the time is uncertain1 the event itself is most certain1 and it will come suddenly and unexpectedly4 ,no time will be given for preparation to those who are not already prepared4 ,true1 there will be the sign of the ,son of man in heaven1 whatever that may be2 but1 like the other sign which was the precursor of ,jerusalem's destruction1 it will appear immediately before the event1 barely giving time for those who have their lamps trimmed and oil in their vessels with their lamps to arise and meet the ,bridegroom2 but for those who are not watching1 it will be too late--it will be with them as with those who lived at the close of the very first dispensation1 who were eating and drinking1 marrying and giving in marriage1 until the day that ,noah entered into the ark1 and knew not until the flood came1 and took them all away4444 ,watch therefore3 for ye know not what hour your ,lord doth come4 ,but know this1 that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come1 he would have watched1 and would not have suffered his house to be broken up4 ,therefore be ye also ready3 for in such an hour as ye think not the ,son of man cometh4 ,,ii4--,,parables ,,and ,,pictures ,,of ,,judgment 7xxiv4 #de-xxv474 ,the remainder of this great prophecy is taken up with four pictures of judgment1 very striking and impressive1 having for their special object the enforcement of the great practical lesson with which the first part has closed3 ,watch therefore 7vv4 #db1 #dc72 ,be ye also ready 7ver4 #dd74 ,in the former portion of the prophecy the destruction of ,jerusalem was in the foreground1 and in the background the coming of the ,son of man to judgment in the end of the world4 ,in this portion the ,great ,day of the ,son of man is prominent throughout4 ,the four pictures1 though similar in their scope and object1 are different in their subjects4 ,the first represents those who occupy positions of trust in the kingdom2 the second and third1 all professing ,christians1--the one setting forth inward grace1 the other outward activity2 the fourth is a picture of judgment on the whole world4 #a4 ,the ,servant set over the ,household 7xxiv4 #de-ea74 ,as in the case of the man without the wedding garment1 a single servant is taken as representing a class2 and who constitute this class is made quite clear1 not only by the fact that the servant is set over the household1 but also by the nature of the service3 to give them their food in due season 7,r4,v474 ,the application was evidently first to the apostles themselves1 and then to all who in the future should be engaged in the same work of providing spiritual nourishment for those under their charge4 ,the very pointed way in which the parable is introduced1 together with the fact that only one servant is spoken of1 suggests to each one engaged in the work the most careful self-examination4 ,who1 then1 is a faithful and wise servant8 ,the underlying thought seems to be1 that such an one is not very easily to be found2 and that therefore there is a special benediction for those who through the trying years are found both faithful and wise1 faithful to their high trust1 wise in relation to the momentous issues depending on the manner in which they fulfil it4 ,the benediction on the wise and faithful servant is evidently easy to miss and a great thing to gain4 ,but there is more to be thought of than the missing of the blessing4 ,there is a fearful doom awaiting the unfaithful servant1 of which the picture following gives a terrible presentation4 ,both offence and punishment are painted in the very darkest colours4 ,as to the former1 the servant not only neglects his duty but beats his fellow-servants1 and eats and drinks with the drunken4 ,here a question arises1 ,what was there to suggest such a representation to the ,saviour's mind8 ,surely it could not be intended specially for those who were sitting with ,him on the mount that day4 ,if ,judas was among the rest1 his sin was not of the nature that would have suggested the parable in this particular form1 and certainly there is no reason to suppose that any of the rest were in the slightest danger of being guilty of such cruelties and excesses as are here spoken of4 ,is it not plain then1 that the judge of all had in ,his view the dark days to come1 when the clergy of a degenerate ,church would be actually guilty of cruelties and excesses such as could not be more fitly set forth in parable than by the disgraceful conduct of that wicked servant8 ,this is still further confirmed by the reason given for such recklessness1--the evil servant saying in his heart1 ,my ,lord delayeth ,his coming4 ,there is reason to suppose that the early ,christians expected the return of the ,lord almost immediately4 ,in so far as they made this mistake1 it cannot be charged against their ,master2 for1 as we have seen1 ,he warns them against this error throughout the whole of the prophecy4 ,it is plain1 however1 that those who made this mistake were in no danger of saying in their hearts1 ,my ,lord delayeth ,his coming4 ,but as time passed on1 and the expectation of the ,lord's speedy return grew fainter1 then there would come in all its force the temptation to those who did not watch against it of counting on the ,lord's delay4 ,when we think of this1 we see how necessary it was that the danger should be set forth in language which may have seemed unnecessarily strong at the time1 but which the future history of the ,church only too sadly justified4 ,the punishment is correspondingly severe4 ,the word used to picture it 7shall cut him asunder7 is one to make us shudder2 and some have felt surprised that our ,lord did not shrink from the horror of the word4 ,ah6 but it was the horror of the thing which ,he dreaded1 and wished to avert4 ,it was the infinite pity of ,his heart that led ,him to use a word which might prove the very strongest deterrent4 ,besides1 how significant it is6 ,think1 again1 of whom ,he is speaking1--servants set over ,his household to give food in due season1 who instead of doing this maltreat their fellow-servants and ruin themselves with excess4 ,think of the duplicity of such conduct4 ,by office in the church exalted unto heaven1 by practice brought down to hell6 ,that unnatural combination cannot last4 ,these monsters with two faces and one black heart cannot be tolerated in the universe of ,god4 ,they shall be cut asunder2 and then it will appear which of the two faces really belongs to the man3 cut asunder1 his place shall be appointed with the hypocrites1 where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth 7ver4 #ea74 #b and #c4 ,the ,virgins2 ,the ,talents 7xxv4 #a-cj74 ,the second and third pictures1 presented in the form of two parables of the kingdom of heaven1 set before us the judgment of ,christ at ,his coming on ,his professed disciples1 distinguishing between real and merely nominal ,christians1 between the pretended and the true members of the kingdom of heaven4 ,in the former parable this distinction is set before us in the contrast between the wise and the foolish virgins2 in the latter it appears in the form of the one faithful and the two unfaithful servants4 ,no special significance need be attached to the respective numbers1 which are evidently chosen with a view to the consistency of the parables1 not to set forth anything in regard to the actual proportion between hypocrites and true disciples in the visible ,church4 ,the relation between the two parables has been already indicated4 ,the first represents the ,church as waiting1 the second as working1 for her ,lord2 the first shows the necessity of a constant supply of inward grace1 the second the need of unremitting outward activity2 the teaching of the first is1 ,keep thy heart with all diligence1 for out of it are the issues of life2 of the second1 ,do good as ye have opportunity1 ,be faithful unto death1 and ,i will give thee a crown of life4 ,the parable of the ,virgins comes appropriately before that of the ,talents1 inasmuch as a ,christian's inner life should be his first care1 the outer life being wholly dependent on it4 ,keep thy heart with all diligence1 is the first command2 ,do thy work with all diligence1 the second4 ,the first parable calls aloud to every member of the ,church1 ,be wise2 the second follows it with another call1 as urgent as the first1 ,be faithful4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,parable of the ,virgins 7vv4 #a-ac71 with its marriage feast1 recalls the parable of the marriage of the ,king's ,son1 so recently spoken in the ,temple4 ,the difference between the two is very clearly indicated by the way in which each parable is introduced3 there1 the kingdom of heaven is likened2 here1 then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened4 ,the gospel feast which was the subject of the parable spoken in the ,temple was already spread2 it was a thing of the present2 its word was1 ,all things are ready3 come to the marriage2 its preparation had been the object of the heavenly ,bridegroom's first coming4 ,the wedding feast of this parable is yet to be prepared2 it is the marriage supper of the ,lamb to which the ,lord will call ,his people at ,his second coming4 ,an interval1 therefore1 of unknown length must pass meantime2 and herein1 as the sequel will unfold1 lies the test which distinguishes the wise from the foolish virgins4 ,this interval is represented by a night1 with great appropriateness1 seeing that the heavenly ,bridegroom is the ,sun of the soul4 ,it being night1 all alike grow drowsy and fall asleep4 ,to make this a fault1 as some do1 is to spoil the parable4 ,had it been wrong to sleep1 the wise virgins would certainly have been represented as keeping awake4 ,if1 then1 we give a meaning to the sleep1 it is not that of spiritual torpor1 but rather such occupation with the concerns of the present life as is natural and necessary4 ,as the whole of the life that now is1 up till the coming of the ,lord1 is represented in the parable by the night1 and as sleep is the business of night1 we may fairly consider that the sleep of the parable represents the business of the life that now is1 in which ,christians1 however anxious to be ready for the coming of the ,lord1 must engage1 and not only so1 but must give themselves to it with an engrossment which for the time may amount to as entire abstraction from distinctively spiritual duties as sleep is an abstraction from the duties of the day4 ,in this point of view we see how reasonable is our ,lord's requirement4 ,he does not expect us to be always equally wide awake to spiritual and eternal things4 ,the wise as well as the foolish slumber and sleep4 ,it is not1 then1 by the temptation to sleep that the interval tests the virgins1 but by bringing out a difference which has existed all the while1 though at the first it did not appear4 ,all seemed alike at the beginning of the night4 ,had not every one of them a lamp1 with oil in it1 and were not the lights of all the ten brightly burning8 ,yes2 and if the ,bridegroom had come at that hour1 all would have seemed equally ready4 ,but the ,bridegroom tarries1 and while ,he tarries the business of the night must go on4 ,in this way time passes1 till at an unexpected moment in the very middle of the night as it were1 the cry is heard ,behold the ,bridegroom cometh2 go ye out to meet ,him4 ,then all those virgins arose1 and trimmed their lamps4 ,still no difference3 each of the ten lamps is trimmed and lighted4 ,but see1 five of them are going out almost as soon as they are kindled6 ,what is the reason8 ,there is no store of oil4 ,here1 then1 is the difference between the wise and the foolish1 and here lies1 therefore1 the main point of the parable4 ,what1 then1 are we to understand in the spiritual sphere by this distinction8 ,that the wise and the foolish represent the watchful and the unwatchful is plain enough2 but is there not something here to let us deeper into the secret of the great difference between the one and the other8 ,in order to get this1 it is not at all necessary to ask for the significance of each separate detail--the lamp1 the wick1 the oil1 the oil vessel4 ,the details belong to the drapery of the parable2 the essentials are manifestly the light and the source whence it comes4 ,the light is the very familiar symbol of the ,christian life2 the source whence it comes is divine grace1 abiding unseen in the heart4 ,now1 there is a certain superficial goodness which shines for the moment much as the true light of grace shines1 but is connected with no perennial supply2 there is no oil vessel from which the lamp can be constantly replenished4 ,there may be a flaring up for a moment2 but there is no steady enduring light4 ,all which points to the conclusion that the foolish virgins represent those professing ,christians who have religious emotion enough to kindle their lamp of life and make it glow with a flame which looks marvellously like true devotion1 but which is little else than the blazing up of natural feeling2 while the wise virgins represent those whose constant habit is devotion1 whose grace is something they carry with them always1 so that at any moment the light of it may shine1 the flame glow1 pure1 bright1 steady1 inextinguishable4 ,they may be as much engaged in the business of life as the others1 so that no flame of devotion may be seen2 but deep down1 hidden out of sight1 like the oil in the vessel1 there is abiding grace1 which is only waiting the occasion to burst into a flame1 of prayer or praise or joyful welcome of the ,bridegroom at whatever moment ,he may come4 ,the distinction1 therefore1 is between those worldly ,christians1 whose devotion is a thing of now and then1 and those thorough ,christians whose devotion is habitual1 not always to be recognised on the surface of their life1 not always to be seen of men1 not so as to hinder their engrossment in business hours with the ordinary duties of life1 but so as to be always there1 the deep abiding habit of their souls4 ,there is the secret of watchfulness2 there the secret of readiness for the coming of the ,lord4 ,this explains why the wise virgins cannot help the foolish4 ,it is not that they are selfish1 and will not do it2 but that it cannot be done4 ,some commentators1 men of the letter1 have puzzled themselves as to the advice to go to them that sell and buy4 ,that1 again1 belongs to the framework of the parable4 ,the thought conveyed is plain enough to those who think not of the letter but of the spirit4 ,it is simply this1 that grace is not transferable4 ,a man may belong to the warmest1 devoutest1 most gracious community of disciples in all ,christendom2 but if he himself has been foolish1 if he has not lived in communion with ,christ1 if he has not kept himself in communication with the ,fountain of grace1 not all the saints in whose company he has passed the night of the ,lord's personal absence1 however willing they may be1 will be able to lend him as much as one drop of the sacred oil4 ,the same principles are applicable to the solemn close of the parable4 ,the question has been asked1 ,why did not the ,bridegroom open the door8 ,late though the foolish virgins were1 they wished to enter1 and why should they not be allowed8 ,again let us look beyond the letter of the parable to the spirit of it--to the great spiritual facts it pictures for us4 ,if it were the mere opening of a door that would remedy the lateness1 assuredly it would be done2 but the real fact is1 that the lateness is now beyond remedy4 ,the door cannot be opened4 ,ponder the solemn words3 ,i know you not4 ,it is a question of the union of the life with ,christ4 ,the wise virgins had lived a life that was always1 even in sleep1 hid with ,christ in ,god2 the foolish virgins had not3 they had lived a life which had transient shows of devotion in it1 but no reality--a mistake too fatal to be in any wise remedied by the spasms of a few minutes at the close4 ,it is the old familiar lesson1 that cannot be taught too often or taken to heart too earnestly3 that the only way to die the death of the righteous is to live the life of the righteous4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,parable of the ,talents deals with the same subjects--viz41 the professed disciples of ,christ2 only instead of searching the reality of their inner life1 it tests the faithfulness of their service4 ,as in the former parable so in this1 stress is laid on the time that must elapse before the ,lord's return4 ,the employer of the servants travels into a far country2 and it is after a long time 7ver4 #ai7 that ,he cometh1 and reckoneth with them4 ,similarly1 in the cognate parable of the pounds1 reported by ,st4 ,luke1 we are told that it was spoken1 because they thought that the kingdom of ,god should immediately appear 7,luke xix4 #aa74 ,it would seem1 therefore1 that both these parables were intended to guard against the temptation to make the anticipation of the ,lord's return an excuse for neglect of present duty4 ,there is evidence that within a short time some ,christians in ,thessalonica fell into this very temptation1--so much so as to render it necessary that the apostle ,paul should write them a letter1 his second epistle1 for the express purpose of reproving them and setting them right4 ,his first ,epistle to the ,thessalonians had laid stress on the suddenness of the ,lord's coming1 as ,christ ,himself does again and again throughout this discourse2 but the result was that some of them1 confounding suddenness with imminence1 gave themselves up to idle waiting or feverish expectancy1 to the neglect even of the most ordinary duties4 ,to meet this he had to call attention to the divine ordinance1 that if any would not work1 neither should he eat1 and to enforce it with all the authority of ,christ ,himself3 ,now them that are such 7viz41 those excited busybodies working not at all7 we command and exhort by our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that with quietness they work1 and eat their own bread 7#b ,thess4 iii4 #aj-ab72 following it up with a caution1 on the other hand1 against allowing the ,lord's delay to discourage them in their activity in ,his service3 ,but ye1 brethren1 be not weary in well doing4 ,all this helps us to see how necessary it was that the parable of waiting should be followed by a summons to work1 and to admire the marvellous insight of our ,lord into human nature in recognising beforehand where hidden dangers would lurk in ,his people's path4 ,unhappily1 it is not necessary to go back to the case of the ,thessalonians to see how needful it is that the parable of work should go along with the parable of waiting2 we have painful illustration of it in our own day4 ,thanks to the clearness and strength of our ,lord's teaching1 the great majority of those who in our day look for ,his almost immediate return are not only diligent in work1 but an example and a rebuke to many who do not share their expectations2 but on the other hand there are not a few who have been so far led astray as to give up positions of great usefulness1 and discontinue work in which they had been signally blessed1 with the idea that the great event being now so near1 the sole duty of the believer is to wait for it4 ,the parable assumes that all disciples are servants of ,christ1 and that all of them have work for ,christ to do4 ,there is no reason1 however1 for narrowing the field of service to what is in current phrase distinctively spoken of as ,christian work4 ,all the work of ,christian people should be ,christian work1 and is ,christian work1 if it be done as it ought to be done1 as to the ,lord4 ,there must evidently1 however1 be the desire and purpose to serve the ,lord ,christ1 whatever the nature of the service be4 ,the talents signify ability and opportunity4 ,we must beware of using the word in any limited or conventional sense4 ,in ordinary conversation the word is generally applied to abilities above the average1 as1 for example1 when a man of more than ordinary ability is spoken of as a man of talent1 or a talented man4 ,the word ability1 indeed1 is used in the same way4 ,a man of ability1 an able man1 means a man able to do more than most people can2 whereas1 properly speaking1 and in the sense of the parable1 a man who is able to do anything--to break stones1 to write his name1 to speak a sentence of sense--is an able man4 ,he is not generally so called1 but he really is a talented man1 for ,god has given him1 as ,he has given to every one1 certain ability1 and according to that ability is the talent for service with which ,christ entrusts him4 ,at first sight this phrase according to his several ability seems invidious1 as if suggesting that ,christ was a respecter of persons1 and dealt more liberally with the strong than with the weak4 ,but the talents are not merely gifts1--they are trusts involving responsibility2 and therefore it is simple justice to graduate them according to ability4 ,as we shall see1 there is no respect of persons in appointing the awards4 ,but as respects the talents1 involving as they do a burden of responsibility1 it is very evident that it would be no kindness to the man of less ability that he should be made responsible for more than he can easily undertake4 ,the gradations of five1 two1 one1 appropriately correspond to what we speak of as superior1 ordinary and inferior ability4 ,at this point occurs the main distinction between this parable and the similar one of the pounds1 spoken at a different time and with a different purpose4 ,here the servants all differ at first1 but the faithful ones are alike in the end1 inasmuch as they have done equally well in proportion to their ability4 ,there the servants are all alike at the beginning1 but the faithful ones receive different awards1 inasmuch as they have differed in the degree of their diligence and faithfulness4 ,the two together bring out with striking clearness and force the great thought that not success but faithfulness is what the ,lord insists on4 ,the weakest is at no disadvantage2 he may not only do as well as the strongest1 but if the measure of his diligence and faithfulness is higher he may even excel him4 ,it is in keeping with the difference in the scope of the two parables that in the one the sums entrusted should be large 7talents71 in the other1 small 7pounds74 ,in the parable which has for its main lesson1 ,make the most of the little you have1 the amounts entrusted are small2 while the large sums are fitly found in the parable which emphasizes what may be called the other side of the great lesson1 ,to whom much is given1 of them much shall be required4 ,confining our attention now to the parable before us1 we have first the encouraging side in the cases of two of the servants4 ,the number is evidently chosen as the very smallest that would bring out the truth that where abilities differ the reward will be the same1 if only the diligence and faithfulness be equal4 ,it is quite probable1 indeed1 that the number of servants thought of was more than three1 perhaps ten1#bb to correspond with the number of the virgins1 and that only as many cases are taken as were necessary to bring out the truth to be taught4 ,these two faithful servants lost no time in setting to work4 ,this appears in the ,revised ,version1 where the word straightway is restored to its right place1 indicating that immediately on receiving the five talents the servant began diligently to use them 7ver4 #af1 ,r4,v474 ,the servant with the two talents acted in like manner 7ver4 #ag74 ,the result was that each doubled his capital1 and each received the same gracious welcome and high promotion when their lord returned 7vv4 #bj-bc74 ,they had been unequally successful2 but inasmuch as this was not due to any difference in diligence1 but only to difference in ability1 they were equal in welcome and reward4 ,it is1 however1 worthy of remark that while the language is precisely the same in the one case as in the other1 it is not such as to determine that their position would be precisely equal in the life to come4 ,there will be differences of ability and of range of service there as well as here4 ,in both cases the verdict on the past was faithful over a few things1 though the few things of the one were more than double the few things of the other2 and in the same way1 though the promise for the future was for the one as well as for the other1 ,i will set thee over many things1 it might well be that the many things of the future might vary as the few things of the past had done4 ,but all will be alike satisfied1 a thought which is beautifully put by ,dante in the third canto of his ,paradise1 where the sainted ,piccarda1 in answer to the question whether those who1 like her1 have the lower places have no envy of those above them1 gives an explanation of which this is the concluding passage3 ,so that as we1 from step to step1 ,are placed throughout this kingdom1 pleases all1 ,even as our ,king1 ,who in us plants ,his will2 ,and in ,his will is our tranquillity2 ,it is the mighty ocean1 whither tends ,whatever it creates and nature makes4 ,whereupon ,dante himself says3 ,then saw ,i clearly how each spot in heaven ,is ,paradise1 though with like gracious dew ,the supreme virtue shower not over all4 ,canto ,,iii4 #hb-ij 7,carey74 ,it is not suggested1 however1 in the parable that there is not the same gracious dew showering over all4 ,the joy of the ,lord would appear to be the same for all2 but it is significant that the leading thought of heavenly reward is not joy1 but rather promotion1 promotion in service1 a higher sphere and a wider range of work1 the few things which have been our glad service here exchanged for many things1 of which we shall be masters there--no more failures1 no more bungling1 no more mortifications as we look back upon work half done or ill done or much of it undone3 ,i will set thee over many things 7,r4,v474 ,that is the great reward2 the other follows as of course3 ,enter thou into the joy of thy ,lord4 ,as in the parable of the ,virgins1 so here1 the force increases as we pass from encouragement to warning4 ,the closing scene is solemn and fearful4 ,that the man with one talent should be selected as an illustration of unfaithfulness is very significant--not certainly in the way of suggesting that unfaithfulness is more likely to be found among those whose abilities are slender and opportunities small2 but so as to make it plain that1 though all due allowance is made for this1 it can in no case be accepted as an excuse for want of faithfulness4 ,it is just as imperative on the man with one talent1 as on him with five1 to do what he can4 ,had the illustration been taken from one with higher endowments1 it might have been thought that the greatness of the loss had something to do with the severity of the sentence2 but1 as the parable is constructed1 no such thought is admissible3 it is perfectly clear that it is no question of gain or loss1 but simply of faithfulness or unfaithfulness3 ,hast thou done what thou couldst8 ,the offence here is not1 as in the first of the four pictures of judgment1 painted in dark colours4 ,there was no beating of fellow-servants or drinking with the drunken1 no conduct like that of the unjust steward or the unmerciful creditor who took his fellow-servant by the throat--it was simple neglect3 ,i was afraid1 and went and hid thy talent in the earth4 ,the servant had such a modest estimate of his own abilities that he was even afraid he might do mischief in trying to use the talent he had1 so he laid it away and let it alone4 ,the excuse he makes 7vv4 #bd1 #be7 is very true to nature4 ,it is not modesty after all that is at the root of the idleness of those who hide their talent in the earth2 it is unbelief4 ,they do not believe in ,god as revealed in the ,son of ,his love2 they think of ,him as a hard ,master2 they shrink from having anything to do with religion1 rather wonder at those who have the assurance to think of their serving ,god1 or doing anything for the advancement of ,his kingdom4 ,they know not the grace of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and therefore it is that they hold aloof from ,him1 refusing to confess ,him1 declining to employ in ,his service the talents entrusted to their care4 ,at this point there is an instructive contrast between the parable of the ,virgins and the one before us4 ,there the foolish virgins failed because they took their duties too easily2 here the servant fails because he thinks his duties too hard4 ,bearing this in mind1 we recognise the appropriateness of the ,lord's answer4 ,he might have found fault with his excuse1 showing him how easily he might have known that his ideas of his ,master were entirely wrong1 and how if he had only addressed himself to the work to which he was called1 his difficulties would have disappeared and ,he would have found the service easily within his powers2 but the ,master waives all this1 accepts the hard verdict on ,himself1 admits the difficulties in the way1 and then points out that even at the worst1 even though he was afraid1 even though he had not courage enough1 like the other servants1 to go straightway to the work to which he was first called1 he might have found some other and less trying form of service1 something that would have avoided the risks he had not courage to face1 and yet at the same time have secured some return for his ,lord 7vv4 #bf1 #bg74 ,the ,master is ready to make all allowance for the weakness of ,his servants1 so long as it does not amount to absolute unfaithfulness2 so long as by any stretch of charity it is possible to call the servant good and faithful4 ,in this case it was not possible4 ,not faithful but slothful was the word2 therefore good it cannot be1 but--the only other alternative--wicked3 thou wicked and slothful servant4 ,then follows doom4 ,instead of promotion1 degradation3 take the talent from him4 ,and in this there is no arbitrary punishment1 no penalty needing to be inflicted--it comes as the result of a great law of the universe1 according to which unused powers fall into atrophy1 paralysis1 and death2 while on the other hand faithful and diligent use of power enlarges it more and more3 ,take therefore the talent from him1 and give it unto him which hath ten talents4 ,for unto every one that hath shall be given1 and he shall have abundance3 but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath4 ,as the necessary and natural sequel to promotion in service was the joy of the ,lord1 so the natural and necessary sequel of degradation is the outer darkness1 where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4 #d4 ,the ,final ,separation 7xxv4 #ca-df74 ,as in the ,sermon on the ,mount1 and again in the last discourse in the ,temple1 so here1 the language rises into a strain of great majesty and sublimity as the prophecy draws to a close4 ,no one can fail to recognise it4 ,this vision of judgment is the climax of the teaching of the ,lord ,christ4 ,alike for magnificence and for pathos it is unsurpassed in literature4 ,there is no departure from ,his wonted simplicity of style4 ,as little here as everywhere else do we recognise even a trace of effort or of elaboration2 yet as we read there is not a word that could be changed1 not a clause that could be spared1 not a thought that could be added with advantage4 ,it bears the marks of perfection1 whether we look at it from the point of view of the ,speaker's divinity or from the point of view of ,his humanity4 ,divine in its sublimity1 it is most human in its tenderness4 ,truly this was the ,son of ,god4 ,truly this was the ,son of man4 ,the grandeur of the passage is all the more impressive by contrast with what immediately follows3 ,and it came to pass1 when ,jesus had finished all these sayings1 ,he said unto ,his disciples1 ,ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover1 and the ,son of man is betrayed to be crucified4 ,into such an abyss was the ,son of man looking when in language so calm1 so confident1 so majestic1 so sublime1 ,he spoke of sitting on the throne of ,his glory as the ,judge of all mankind4 ,did ever man speak like this ,man8 ,it is significant that even when speaking of the coming glory ,he still retains ,his favourite designation1 the ,son of man4 ,in this we see one of the many minute coincidences which show the inner harmony of the discourses recorded in this ,gospel with those of a different style of thought preserved by ,st4 ,john2 for it is in one of these we read that ,he 7the ,father7 hath given ,him authority to execute judgment1 because ,he is the ,son of man4 ,thus the judgment of humanity proceeds out of humanity itself1 and constitutes as it were the final offering up of man to ,god4 ,this on the ,god-ward side2 and1 on the other side1 there is for those who stand before the ,judge1 the certainty that as ,son of man ,he knows by experience all the weaknesses of those ,he judges and the force of the temptations by which they have been beset4 ,nothing could be more impressive than the picture set before us of the throne of glory1 on which is seated the ,son of man with all the angels around ,him and all nations gathered before ,him4 ,it is undoubtedly the great assize1 the general judgment of mankind4 ,no partial judgment can it be1 nothing less than the great event referred to in that passage already quoted from ,st4 ,john's ,gospel1 where after speaking of judgment being committed to the ,son of man1 it is added3 ,marvel not at this3 for the hour cometh1 in which all that are in the graves shall hear ,his voice1 and shall come forth2 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of damnation4 ,this view of the passage is supported not only by the universality implied throughout and expressed in the term all the nations#bc2 but by every reference to the same subject throughout this ,gospel1 notably the parables of the ,tares and the ,net 7see ,matt4 xiii4 #ci-dc1 #dg-ej71 the general declaration at ,csarea ,philippi1 ,the ,son of man shall come in the glory of ,his ,father1 with ,his angels2 and then shall ,he reward every man according to his works 7,matt4 xvi4 #bg72 and especially the earlier reference to the same event in this discourse1 in that portion of it which we have spoken of as the prophecy proper1 where the mourning of all the tribes of earth1 and the gathering together of the elect from the one end of heaven to the other1 are connected with one another and with the coming of the ,son of man 7,matt4 xxiv4 #cj1 #ca74 ,it seems quite certain1 then1 that whatever subsequent unfoldings there may be in the later books of the ,new ,testament as to the order in which judgment shall proceed1 there is no intention here of anticipating them4 ,it is true that the preceding parables have each given a partial view of the judgment1--the first as affecting those in office in the ,church1 the second and third as applied to the members of the ,church2 but just as those specially contemplated in the first parable are included in the wider scope of the second and third1 so these contemplated in the second and third are included in the universal scope of the great judgment scene with which the whole discourse is fitly and grandly concluded4 ,in this great picture of the final judgment the prominent thought is separation3 ,he shall separate them one from another1 as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats3 and ,he shall set the sheep on ,his right hand1 but the goats on the left4 ,how easily and with what unerring certainty the separation is made--as easily and as surely as the shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats6 ,nothing eludes the glance of that all-searching ,eye4 ,no need of pleading or counter-pleading1 of prosecutor or prisoner's counsel1 no hope from legal quibble or insufficient proof4 ,all1 all is naked and opened unto the eyes of ,him with ,whom we have to do4 ,he sees all at a glance2 and as ,he sees1 ,he divides by a single dividing line4 ,there is no middle position3 each one is either on the right or on the left4 ,the dividing line is one entirely new4 ,all nations are there2 but not as nations are they divided now4 ,this is strikingly suggested in the original by the change from the neuter 7nations1 7 to the masculine 7them1 71 indicating as by a sudden flash of unexpected light that not as nations1 but as individuals1 must all be judged4 ,the line is one which crosses all other lines that have divided men from one another1 so that of all ranks and conditions of men there will be some on the right and some on the left4 ,even the family line will be crossed1 so that husband and wife1 parents and children1 brothers and sisters1 may be found on opposite sides of it4 ,what1 then1 is this new and final line of separation8 ,the sentence of the ,king will mark it out for us4 ,it is the first and only time that ,jesus calls ,himself the ,king4 ,he has displayed ,his royalty in ,his acts2 ,he has suggested it in ,his discourses and ,his parables2 ,he has claimed it by the manner of ,his entry into ,his capital and ,his temple2 ,he will afterwards assent when ,pilate shall ask ,him the plain question2 but this is the only place where ,he uses the title in speaking of ,himself4 ,how significant and impressive is this6 ,it is as if ,he would once for all before ,he suffered disclose the fulness of ,his majesty4 ,his royalty1 indeed1 was suggested at the very beginning by the reference to the throne of ,his glory2 but inasmuch as judgment was the work which lay immediately before ,him1 ,he still spoke of ,himself as the ,son of man2 but now that the separation is made1 now that the books have been opened and closed1 ,he rises above the ,judge and styles ,himself ,,the ,,king4 ,we must think of ,him now as all radiant with ,his royal glory--that visage which was so marred more than any man now shining with celestial light--that ,form which was distorted more than the sons of men1 now seen to be the very form of ,god1 the chiefest among ten thousand of the highest angels round ,him1 altogether lovely1 the personal embodiment of that glorious kingdom ,he has been preparing through all the centuries from the foundation of the world--disclosed at last as the answer to every longing soul1 the satisfaction of every pure desire1--,,the ,,king4 ,all this we must realise before we can imagine the awful gulf which lies between these simple words1 ,depart and ,come4 ,that sweet word ,come--how ,he has repeated and repeated it through all these ages1 in every possible way1 with endless variations6 ,spoken so tenderly with ,his own human lips1 it has been taken up and given forth by those whom ,he has sent in ,his name3 the ,spirit has said ,come2 the ,bride has said ,come2 the hearers have said ,come2 whosoever would1 has been invited to come4 ,the music of the word has never died away4 ,but now its course is nearly run4 ,once more it will ring out2 but with a difference4 ,no longer now to all4 ,the line of separation has been drawn1 and across the great gulf fixed the old sweet word of grace can reach no longer4 ,it is to those on the right1 and these alone1 that now the ,king says ,come4 ,to those on the left there remains the word1 a stranger to ,his lips before1 the awful word1 ,depart from ,me4 ,in the contrast between these two words1 there already is involved all that follows3 all the joy of the welcome--,come1 ye blessed of ,my ,father1 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world2 all the horror of the doom--,depart from ,me1 ye cursed1 into everlasting fire1 prepared for the devil and his angels4 ,still the great question remains unanswered1 ,what is the dividing line8 ,inasmuch as this belongs to the hidden man of the heart1 to the secrecy of consciousness and conscience1 the only way in which it could be made to appear in a picture parable of judgment such as this1 is by the introduction of such a conversation as that which follows the sentence in each case4 ,the general distinction between the two classes had been suggested by the simile of the sheep and the goats--the one white1 the other black1 the one obedient1 the other unruly2 but it is made much more definite by this dramatic conversation4 ,we call it dramatic1 because we regard it as extreme bondage to the letter to suppose this to be a prediction of the words that will actually be used1 and therefore look upon it simply as intended to represent1 as nothing else could1 the new light which both the righteous and the wicked will then see suddenly flashed upon their life on earth1 a light so full and clear and self-interpreting that there cannot but be unquestioning acquiescence in the justice of the final award4 ,there are those who1 looking at this conversation in the most superficial way1 find in it the doctrine of salvation by works1 and imagine that they are warranted on the strength of this passage to set aside all that is written in other parts of ,scripture as to the necessity of change of heart1 to dismiss from their minds all concern about creed or worship1 about doctrine or sacraments or church membership4 ,be kind to the poor--that will do instead of everything else4 ,in answer to such a perversion of our ,lord's language it should surely be enough to call attention to the fact that all is made to turn upon the treatment of ,christ by the one class and by the other4 ,kindness to the poor comes in1 not as in itself the ground of the division1 but as furnishing the evidence or manifestation of that devotion to ,god as revealed in ,christ1 which forms the real ground of acceptance1 and the want of which is the sole ground of condemnation4 ,true it is that ,christ identifies ,himself with ,his people1 and accepts the kindness done to the poorest of them as done to ,himself2 but there is obviously implied1 what is elsewhere in a similar connection clearly expressed1 that the kindness must be done in the name of a disciple4 ,in other words1 love to ,christ must be the motive of the deed of charity1 else it is worthless as a test of true discipleship4 ,the more carefully the whole passage is read1 the more manifest will it be that the great question which determines the separation is this3 ,how have you treated ,christ8 ,it is only to bring out more clearly the real answer to this question that the other is added3 ,how have you treated ,christ's poor8 ,for according to each man's treatment of these will have been his treatment of ,christ ,himself4 ,it is the same principle applied to the unseen ,christ as the apostle applies to the invisible ,god3 ,he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen1 how can he love ,god ,whom he hath not seen8 ,while there is no encouragement here for those who hope to make up for the rejection of ,christ by deeds of kindness to poor people1 there is abundant room left for the acceptance at the last of those who had no means of knowing ,christ1 but who showed by their treatment of their fellow-men in distress that the spirit of ,christ was in them4 ,to such the ,king will be no stranger when they shall see ,him on the throne2 nor will they be strangers to ,him4 ,he will recognise them as ,his own2 and they will recognise ,him as the very ,king of ,love for ,whom their souls were longing1 but ,who not till now has been revealed to their delighted gaze4 ,to all such will the gracious words be spoken ,come1 ye blessed of ,my ,father2 but they too1 as well as all the rest1 will be received not on the ground of works as distinguished from faith1 but on the ground of a real though implicit faith which worked by love and which was only waiting for the revelation of their ,king and ,lord to make it explicit1 to bring it out to light4 ,philanthropy can never take the place of faith2 and yet no words ever spoken or written on this earth have done so much for philanthropy as these4 ,it were vain to attempt1 in so brief a sketch1 to bring out even in the way of suggestion the mingled majesty and pathos of the words of the ,king to the righteous1 culminating in that great utterance which touches the very deepest springs of feeling and thrills every fibre of the pure and loving heart3 ,inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these ,my brethren1 ye have done it unto ,me4 ,besides the pathos of the words1 what depth of suggestion is there in the thought1 as shedding light upon ,his claim to be the ,son of man6 ,as ,son of ,god ,he is the ,king1 seated on the throne of ,his glory2 as ,son of man ,he is identified with all ,his brethren1 even with the least of them1 and with each one of them all over all the world and through all the ages3 ,inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these ,my brethren1 ye have done it unto ,me4 ,how the divinity shines1 how the humanity thrills1 through these great words of the ,king6 ,the scroll of this grand prophecy is finished with the awful words3 ,these shall go away into eternal punishment2 but the righteous into eternal life 7,r4,v474 ,eternal punishment1 eternal life--such are the issues which hang upon the coming of the ,son of man to judgment2 such are the issues which hang upon the treatment of the ,son of man in these years of our mortal life that are passing over us now4 ,there are those who flatter themselves with the idea that1 because the question has been raised by honest and candid interpreters of ,scripture whether absolute endlessness is necessarily involved in the word eternal1 therefore these words of doom are shorn of much of their terror2 but surely this is a pitiful delusion4 ,there is no possible way of reducing the force of the word eternal which will bring the awfulness of the doom within the bounds of any finite imagination2 and whatever may be said as to what the word necessarily implies1 whatever vague surmise there may be that absolute endlessness is not in it1 this much is perfectly certain3 that there is not the slightest suggestion of hope in the words2 no straining of the eyes can discern even the straitest gate out of that eternal punishment into eternal life4 ,between the one and the other there is a great gulf fixed4 ,it is the final judgment2 it is the final separation2 and scarcely with more distinctness could the awful letters have been traced1 ,leave every hope behind1 all ye who enter here4 ,these shall go away into eternal punishment2 but the righteous--none but the righteous--into eternal life4 #bb ,in the parable of the pounds the number of servants is ten1 and there1 too1 only three are selected as examples4 #bc ,it is not forgotten that the word translated nations is commonly applied to the ,gentiles as distinguished from the ,jews2 but clearly there is no such limitation here4 ,no commentator1 at least of any note1 suggests that the ,jews as a nation are not among the nations gathered around the throne4 ,,xix4 ,,the ,,great ,,atonement ,,day4 ,,matt4 xxvi4 #a--xxvii4 #ef4 ,we enter now on the story of the last day of the mortal life of our ,lord and ,saviour4 ,we have already noticed the large proportionate space given to the ,passion ,week2 but still more remarkable is the concentration of interest on the ,passion ,day4 ,the record of that single day is very nearly one-ninth of the whole book2 and a similar proportion is observed by all the four ,evangelists4 ,this proportion of space is very striking even when we bear in mind that properly speaking the ,gospels are not the record of thirty-three or thirty-four years1 but only of three or four4 ,of the story of the years of the public ministry one-seventh part is given to the last day2 and this1 too1 without the introduction of any lengthened discourse4 ,if the discourse in the upper room and the intercessory prayer as recorded by ,st4 ,john were added1 it would be1 not one-seventh1 but almost one-fourth of the whole4 ,truly this must be the ,day of days6 ,unspeakably sacred and precious as is the entire life of our ,lord and ,saviour1 sacred above all and precious above all is ,his death of shame and agony4 ,the same pre-eminence was evidently given to the dying of the ,lord ,jesus in the special revelation granted to ,st4 ,paul1 as is evident from the fact that1 in setting forth the gospel he had been commissioned to preach1 he spoke of it as the gospel of ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified1 and put in the foreground1 not the incarnate life1 great as he recognised it to be 7#a ,tim4 iii4 #af71 but the atoning death of ,christ3 ,i delivered unto you first of all that which ,i also received1 how that ,christ died for our sins according to the ,scriptures4 ,here1 then1 we have the very gospel of the grace of ,god4 ,here we enter the inner shrine of the ,word1 the ,holy of ,holies of the new covenant4 ,let us draw near with holy reverence and deep humility1 yet with the eye of faith directed ever upwards in reliance on the grace of ,him ,who searcheth all things1 even the deep things of ,god1 and ,whose work and joy it is to take of the things of ,christ1 even those that are among the deepest things of ,god1 and show them unto us4 ,,after ,,two ,,days 7xxvi4 #a-ai74 ,this passage does not strictly belong to the history of the one great day1 but it is the approach to it4 ,it opens with the solemn announcement ,after two days is the feast of the ,passover1 and the ,son of man is betrayed to be crucified2 and without any record of the ,saviour's doings in the interval1#bd it closes with the preparation for the keeping of the feast with ,his disciples1 the directions for which are introduced by the pathetic words1 ,my time is at hand4 ,the incident at ,bethany 7vv4 #f-ac7 seems to be introduced here in connection with the development of treason in the soul of ,judas4 ,this connection would not be so apparent were it not for the information given in ,st4 ,john's account of the feast1 that it was ,judas especially who objected to what he called this waste of the ointment1 and that the reason why he was displeased at it was because he had the bag1 and bare what was put therein4 ,with this in mind we can see how natural it was that1 having had no occasion before to tell the story of the feast at ,bethany1 the ,evangelist should be disposed to tell it now1 as connected in his mind with the traitor's selling of his ,lord for thirty pieces of silver4 ,the two days of interval would extend from the evening following the abandonment of the ,temple to the evening of the ,passover feast4 ,it is important always1 and especially in studying the days of the ,passion week1 to bear in mind that1 according to the ,jewish mode of reckoning1 each new day began1 not with the morning as with us1 but with the evening4 ,in this they followed a very ancient precedent3 ,the evening and the morning were the first day4 ,the two days1 then1 would be from ,tuesday evening till ,thursday evening2 so that with ,thursday evening began the last day of our ,lord's ,passion4 ,there is no record at all of how ,he spent the ,wednesday2 in all probability it was in seclusion at ,bethany4 ,nor have we any account of the doings of the ,thursday save the directions given to prepare the ,passover1 the keeping of which was to be the first act of the last day4 ,we may think of these two days1 then1 as days of rest for our ,lord1 of holy calm and quietude--a sacred lull before the awful storm4 ,what were ,his thoughts8 what ,his feelings8 ,what passages of ,scripture were ,his solace8 ,would not the ninety-fourth psalm be one of them8 ,if so1 how fondly would ,he dwell upon that sentence of it1 ,in the multitude of my thoughts within me ,thy comforts delight my soul4 ,if we only had a record of ,his prayers1 how rich it would be6 ,if we had the spiritual history of these two days it would no doubt be full of pleading as rich and precious as the prayer of intercession ,his disciples heard and one of them recorded for our sakes1 and of yearning as tender and touching as ,his wail over ,jerusalem4 ,but the ,spirit1 ,who takes of the things of ,christ and shows them unto us1 does not invade the privacy of the ,saviour's hours of retirement4 ,no diary is published2 and beyond doubt it is better so4 ,it may be that in the lives of the saints there has been too much of this--not too much of spiritual communing1 but too much unveiling of it4 ,it may be that there is a danger of leading us to seek after such exercises as an end in themselves1 instead of as mere means to the end of holy and unselfish living4 ,what the world should see is the life that is the outcome of those secret communings with ,god--it should see the life which was with the ,father manifested in glowing word and self-forgetting deed4 ,why have we no need to see into that holy1 loving heart during these two sacred days in ,bethany8 ,because it is sufficiently revealed in the story of the day that followed it4 ,ah6 the words1 the deeds of that day--what revealings of heart1 what manifestations of the life within are there6 ,the very silence of these two days is strikingly suggestive of repose4 ,we are presently to hear of the awful agony in the ,garden2 but from the very way in which we shall hear of it we shall be strengthened in the impression1 which no doubt is the true one1 that the two days of interval were not days of agony1 but days of soul rest2 and in this we recognise a striking contrast to the restlessness of those who spent the time in plotting ,his destruction4 ,contrast1 for example1 the calm of our ,lord's announcement in the second verse1 with the uneasy plotting in the palace of the high priest4 ,without agitation ,he faces the horror of great darkness before ,him2 without flinching ,he anticipates the very darkest of it all3 betrayed--crucified2 without a tremor on ,his lips ,he even specifies the time3 after two days4 ,now look at that company in the palace of the high priest1 as with dark brows and troubled looks they consult how they may take ,jesus by subtlety4 ,observe how in fear they put it off1--as not safe yet1 not for nine days at least1 till the crowds at the feast1 so many of whom had so recently been shouting ,hosanna to the ,son of ,david6 shall have gone home4 ,not for nine days1 so they resolve4 ,after two days1 so ,he has said4 ,oh1 but the counsel of the ,lord ,doth stand1 for ever sure4 ,christ knew far more about it than if there had been a spy in the palace of the high priest1 reporting to ,him4 ,he was in communication with ,one ,who doeth according to ,his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth4 ,caiaphas and his fellow-conspirators may plot what they please1 it shall be done according to the counsel of the ,lord2 it shall be so done that an apostle shall be able afterwards with confidence to say3 ,him1 being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of ,god1 ye have taken4 ,the means by which their counsels were overruled was the treason of ,judas1 into whose dark heart the ,bethany incident will afford us a glimpse4 ,its interest turns upon the different values attached to a deed of love1 by ,judas#be on the one hand1 and by ,jesus on the other4 ,to ,judas it meant waste4 ,and such a waste6--three hundred pence thrown away on the foolish luxury of a moment6 ,this ointment might have been sold for much1 and given to the poor4 ,be it remembered that there was a good deal to be said for this argument4 ,it is very easy for us1 who have the limelight of our ,lord's words on the whole scene1 to see how paltry the objection was2 but even yet1 with this story now published1 as our ,lord said it would be1 all over ,christendom1 how many arguments are heard of the very same description6 ,it is not so much to be wondered at that the objection of ,judas found a good deal of favour with some of the disciples4 ,they could not see the blackness of the heart out of which the suggestion came1 nor could they see the beauty of the love which shed from ,mary's heart a perfume far more precious than the odour of the ointment4 ,probably even ,mary was startled2 and1 if her ,lord had not at once taken her part1 might not have had a word to say for herself4 ,but ,jesus1 perceiving#bf it1 said unto them1 ,why trouble ye the woman8 for she hath wrought a good work on ,me4 ,he understood her--understood her perfectly1 read at once the whole secret of her loving heart1 explained her conduct better even than she understood it herself1 as we shall presently see4 ,he deals very tenderly with the disciples2 for ,he understood them too1 saw at once that there was no treason in their hearts1 that though they took up the suggestion of the traitor it was in no sympathy with his spirit1 but simply because of their want of insight and appreciation4 ,he1 however1 does rebuke them--gently2 and then ,he quietly opens their eyes to the surpassing beauty of the deed they had ventured to condemn4 ,she hath wrought a good work upon ,me4 ,the word translated good has prominent in it the thought of beauty4 ,and since our ,lord has set that deed of ,mary in its true light1 there is no one with any sense of beauty who fails to see how beautiful it is4 ,the very impulsiveness of the act1 the absence of all calculation1 the simplicity and naturalness of it1 the womanliness of it--all these add to its beauty as an outburst of love4 ,we can well imagine that these words of ,jesus may have furnished much of the inspiration which thrilled the soul of the apostle as he wrote to the ,corinthians his noble eulogy of love4 ,certainly its pricelessness could not have been more notably or memorably taught4 ,three hundred pence to be weighed against a true woman's love6 ,if a man would give all the substance of his house for love1 it would utterly be contemned4 ,we are led into still more sacred ground as we observe how highly the ,saviour values ,mary's affection for ,himself4 ,she hath wrought a good work upon ,me--,me ye have not always--she did it for ,my burial4 ,who can reach the pathos of these sacred words8 ,there is no doubt that amid the hate by which ,jesus was surrounded1 with ,his knowledge of the treason in the dark soul of ,judas1 and ,his keen sense of the want of sympathy on the part of the other disciples1 ,his human heart was yearning for love1 for sympathetic love4 ,oh1 how ,he loved6 and how that love of ,his was going out to all around ,him throughout the ,passion week--without return6 ,we may well believe1 then1 that this outburst of love from the heart of ,mary must have greatly cheered ,him4 ,she hath wrought a good work upon ,me4 ,with the ointment on ,his head1 there had come a far sweeter balm to ,his wounded heart2 for ,he saw that she was not wanting in sympathy--that she had some idea1 however vague it might be1 of the pathos of the time4 ,she felt1 if she did not quite see1 the shadow of the grave4 ,and this presentiment 7shall we call it87 not as the result of any special thought about it1 but in some dim way1 had prompted her to choose this touching manner of showing her love3 ,in that she hath poured this ointment on ,my body1 she did it for ,my burial4 ,verily1 a true human heart beats here1 welcoming1 oh6 so gladly1 this woman's loving sympathy4 ,but the ,divine ,spirit is here too1 looking far beyond the needs of the moment or the burdens of the day4 ,no one could more tenderly consider the poor2 nothing was nearer to ,his heart than their necessities1--witness that wonderful parable of judgment with which ,he finished ,his public ministry2 but ,he knew well that in that personal devotion which was shown in ,mary's loving act was to be found the mainspring of all benevolence1 and not only so but of all that was good and gracious2 therefore to discourage such personal affection would be to seal up the fount of generosity and goodness2 and accordingly ,he not only commends it1 but ,he lifts it up to its proper dignity1 ,he gives a commendation beyond all other words of praise ,he ever spoke2 looking away down the ages1 and out to the ends of the earth1 and recognising that this love to ,himself1 this personal devotion to a dying ,saviour1 was to be the very central force of the gospel1 and thus the hope of the world1 ,he adds these memorable words3 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world1 there shall also this1 that this woman hath done1 be told for a memorial of her4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from this that this woman hath done the record passes at once to that which was done by the man who had dared to find fault with it4 ,it also is told wherever the gospel is preached as a memorial of him4 ,behold1 then1 the two memorials side by side4 ,has not the ,evangelist shown himself the true historian in bringing them together8 ,the contrast intensifies the light that shines from the love of ,mary1 and deepens the darkness of the traitor's sin4 ,besides1 the story of the three hundred pence is a most fitting prelude to that of the thirty pieces of silver4 ,at the same time1 by suggesting the steps which led down to such an abyss of iniquity1 it saves us from the error of supposing that the sin of ,judas was so peculiar that no one now need be afraid of falling into it2 for we are reminded in this way that it was at bottom the very sin which is the commonest of all1 the very sin into which ,christians of the present day are in greatest danger of falling4 ,what was it that made so great a gulf between ,judas and all the rest8 ,not natural depravity2 in this respect they were no doubt much alike4 ,when the ,twelve were chosen there was in all probability as good material1 so to speak1 in the man of ,kerioth as in any of the men of ,galilee4 ,what1 then1 made the difference8 ,simply this1 that his heart was never truly given to his ,lord4 ,he tried throughout to serve ,god and mammon2 and if he had been able to combine the two services1 if there had been any fair prospect of these thrones on which the ,twelve were to sit1 and the honours and emoluments of the kingdom with which his fancy had been dazzled1 treason would never have entered his mind2 but when not a throne but a cross began to loom before him1 he found1 as every one finds some time1 that he must make his choice1 and that choice was what it invariably is with those who try to serve the two masters4 ,the god of this world had blinded him4 ,he not only failed to see the beauty of ,mary's loving deed1 as some of the other disciples did just at the first1 but he had become quite incapable of any spiritual insight1 quite incapable of seeing his ,master's glory1 or recognising ,his claims4 ,in a certain sense1 then1 even ,judas himself was like the other murderers of ,christ in not knowing what he did4 ,only he might have known1 would have known1 had not that accursed lust of gold been always in the way4 ,and we may say of any ordinary worshipper of mammon of the present day1 that if he had been in ,judas' place1 with the prospects as dark as they were to him1 with only the one course left1 as it would seem to him1 of extricating himself from a losing concern1 he would be in the highest degree likely to do the very same thing4 ,as the two days draw to a close we see ,judas seeking opportunity to betray his ,master1 and ,jesus seeking opportunity to keep ,his last ,passover with ,his disciples4 ,again what a contrast6 ,the traitor must lurk and lie in wait2 the ,master does not even remain in ,bethany or seek some lonely house on the ,mount of ,olives1 but sends ,his disciples right over into the city1 and with the same readiness with which ,he had found the ass's colt on which ,he rode into ,jerusalem ,he finds a house in which to keep the feast4 ,i4--,,the ,,evening 7xxvi4 #bj-cj74 ,the last day of our ,lord's ,passion begins at eventide on ,thursday with the ,passover feast1#bg at which ,he sat down with the ,twelve4 ,the entire feast would be closely associated in ,his mind with the dark event with which the day must close2 for of all the types of the great sacrifice ,he was about to offer1 the most significant was the paschal lamb4 ,most fitting1 therefore1 was it that towards the close of this feast1 when its sacred importance was deepest in the disciples' minds1 their ,master should institute the holy ordinance which was to be a lasting memorial of ,christ our ,passover sacrificed for us4 ,of this feast1 then1 with its solemn and affecting close1 the passage before us is the record4 ,it falls naturally into two parts1 corresponding to the two great burdens on the ,saviour's heart as ,he looked forward to this feast--the ,betrayal and the ,crucifixion 7see ver4 #b74 ,the former is the burden of vv4 #ba-be2 the latter of vv4 #bf-cj4 ,there was indeed very much besides to tell--the strife which grieved the ,master's heart as they took their places at the table1 and ,his wise and kindly dealing with it 7,luke xxii4 #bd1 seq472 the washing of the disciples' feet2 the farewell words of consolation2 the prayer of intercession 7,john xiii4-xvii471--but these are all omitted here1 that thought may be concentrated on the two outstanding facts3 the unmasking and dismissal of the traitor1 and the committing to the faithful ones of the sacred charge1 ,this do in remembrance of ,me4 #a4 ,it must have been sorrowful enough for the ,master as ,he sat down with the ,twelve to mark their unseemly strife1 and sadder still to think that1 though for the hour so closely gathered round ,him1 they would soon be scattered every man to his own and would leave ,him alone2 but ,he had the comfort of knowing that eleven were true at heart and foreseeing that after all wanderings and falls they would come back again4 ,he knoweth our frame1 and remembereth that we are dust2 and therefore with the eye of divine compassion ,he could look beyond the temporary desertion1 and find satisfaction in the fidelity that would triumph in the end over the weakness of the flesh4 ,but there was one of them1 for whom ,his heart was failing ,him1 in whose future ,he could see no gleam of light4 ,all the guiding and counsel with which he had been favoured in common with the rest had been lost on him1--even the early word of special personal warning 7,john vi4 #gj71 spoken that he might bethink himself ere it were too late1 had failed to touch him4 ,there is now only one opportunity left4 ,it is the last night2 and the last word must now be spoken4 ,how tenderly and thoughtfully the difficult duty is done6 ,as they did eat1 ,he said1 ,verily ,i say unto you1 that one of you shall betray ,me4 ,imagine in what tones these words were spoken1 what love and sorrow must have thrilled in them6 ,the kind intention evidently was to reach the heart of the one without attracting the attention of the rest4 ,for there must have been a studied avoidance of any look or gesture that would have marked the traitor4 ,this is manifest from the way in which the sad announcement is received4 ,it comes1 in fact1 to all the eleven as a summons to great searchings of heart1 a fitting preparation 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #bh7 for the new and sacred service to which they are soon to be invited2 and truly there could have been no better sign than the passing from lip to lip1 from heart to heart1 of the anxious question1 ,lord1 is it ,i8 ,the remembrance of the strife at the beginning of the feast was too recent1 the tone of the ,master's voice too penetrating1 the glance of ,his eye too searching1 to make self-confidence possible to them at that particular moment4 ,even the heart of the confident ,peter seems to have been searched and humbled under that scrutinising look4 ,if only he had retained the same spirit1 what humiliation would have been spared him6 ,there was one who did not take up the question2 but the others were all so occupied with self-scrutiny that no one seems to have observed his silence1 and ,jesus forbears to call attention to it4 ,he will give him another opportunity to confess and repent1 for so we understand the pathetic words which follow3 ,he that dippeth his hand with ,me in the dish1 the same shall betray ,me4 ,this was no mere outward sign for the purpose of denoting the traitor4 ,it was a wail of sorrow1 an echo of the old lament of the ,psalmist3 ,yea1 mine own familiar friend1 in whom ,i trusted1 which did eat of my bread1 hath lifted up his heel against me4 ,how could the heart even of ,judas resist so tender an appeal8 ,we shall understand the situation better if we suppose what is more than probable1#bh that he was sitting very near to ,jesus1 perhaps next to ,him on the one side1 as ,john certainly was on the other4 ,we cannot suppose1 from what we know of the customs of the ,east1 that ,judas was the only one dipping with ,him in the dish2 nor would he be the only one to whom the sop was given4 ,but if his position was as we have supposed1 there was something in the vague words our ,saviour used which tended to the singling of him out1 and1 though not the only one1 he would naturally be the first to whom the sop was given1 which would be a sufficient sign to ,john1 who alone was taken into confidence at the time 7see ,john xiii4 #be1 #bf71 without attracting in any special way the attention of the rest4 ,both in the words and in the action1 then1 we recognise the ,saviour's yearning over ,his lost disciple1 as ,he makes a last attempt to melt his obdurate heart4 ,the same spirit is manifest in the words which follow4 ,the thought of consequences to ,himself gives ,him no concern2 the ,son of man goeth1 even as it is written of ,him2 it is the awful abyss into which ,his disciple is plunging that fills ,his soul with horror3 but woe unto that man by whom the ,son of man is betrayed6 it had been good for that man if he had not been born4 ,o ,judas6 ,thy treachery is indeed a link in the chain of events by which the divine purpose is fulfilled2 but it was not necessary that so it should be4 ,in some other way the counsel of the ,lord would have been accomplished1 if thou hadst yielded to that last appeal4 ,it was necessary that the ,son of man should suffer and die for the world's sin1 but there was nothing to compel thee to have thy hand in it4 ,at last ,judas speaks2 but in no spirit of repentance4 ,he takes up1 it is true1 the question of the rest1 but not in sincerity--only driven to it as the last refuge of hypocrisy4 ,moreover1 he asks it in so low a tone1 that neither it nor the answer to it appears to have been noticed by the general company 7see ,john xiii4 #bi74 ,and that there is no inclining of the heart to his ,lord appears perhaps in the use of the formal title ,rabbi1 retained in the ,revised ,version3 ,is it ,i1 ,rabbi8 ,had he repented even at this late hour--had he thrown himself1 humbled and contrite1 at the ,saviour's feet1 with the question ,lord1 is it ,i8 struggling to find utterance1 or better still1 the heart-broken confession ,lord1 it is ,i--it would not yet have been too late4 ,he ,who never turned a penitent away would have received even ,judas back again and forgiven all his sin2 and in lowliness of heart the repentant disciple might have received at his ,master's hands the symbols of that infinite sacrifice which was sufficient even for such as he4 ,but his conscience is seared as with a hot iron1 his heart is hard as the nether millstone1 and accordingly without a word of confession1 actually taking the sop without a sign even of shame1 he gave himself up finally to the spirit of evil1 and went immediately out--and it was night 7see ,john xiii4 #cj74 ,there remain now around the ,master none but true disciples4 99 99 99 99 99 #b4 ,the ,passover meal is drawing to a close2 but ere it is ended the ,head of the little family has quite transfigured it4 ,when the traitor left the company we may suppose that the look of unutterable sadness would gradually pass from the ,saviour's countenance4 ,up to this time the darkness had been unrelieved4 ,as he thought of the lost disciple's fate1 there was nothing but woe in the prospect2 but when from that dark future he turned to ,his own1 ,he saw1 not the horror of the ,cross alone1 but the joy set before ,him2 and in view of it ,he was able with a heart full of thanks and praise to appoint for remembrance of the awful day a feast1 to be kept like the ,paschal feast by an ordinance for ever 7see ,ex4 xii4 #ad74 ,the connection of the new feast with the old is closely maintained4 ,it was as they were eating that the ,saviour took bread1 and from the way in which ,he is said to have taken a cup 7,r4,v47 it is plain that it was one of the cups it was customary to take at the ,paschal feast4 ,with this in mind we can more readily see the naturalness of the words of institution4 ,they had been feasting on the body of the lamb2 it is time that they should look directly at the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world2 so1 taking the new symbol and handing it to them1 ,he says1 ,take1 eat2 this is ,my body4 ,how strange that into words so simple there should have been imported anything so mysterious and unnatural as some of the doctrines around which controversy in the ,church has raged for weary centuries--doctrines sadly at variance with the simplicity that is in ,christ4#bi ,at the first institution of the ,passover the directions for eating it close with these words1 ,it is the ,lord's ,passover4 ,does any one for a single moment suppose that in so putting it ,moses meant to assert any mysterious identity of two things so diverse in their nature as the literal flesh of the lamb and the historical event known as the ,lord's ,passover8 ,why1 then1 should any one for a moment suppose that when ,jesus says1 ,this is ,my body1 ,he had any thought of mysterious transference or confusion of identity8 ,moses meant that the one was the symbol of the other2 and in the same way our ,saviour meant that the bread was henceforth to be the symbol of ,his body4 ,the same appropriateness1 naturalness and simplicity1 are apparent in the words with which ,he hands the cup3 ,this is ,my blood of the covenant 7,r4,v4 omits new1 which throws the emphasis more distinctly on ,my7 which is shed--not1 like the blood of the lamb1 for a little family group1 but--for many1 not as a mere sign 7see ,heb4 x471 but unto remission of sins4 ,the new symbols were evidently much more suitable to the ordinance which was to be of world-wide application4 ,besides1 it was no longer necessary that there should be further sacrifice of life4 ,christ our ,passover was sacrificed once for all2 and therefore there must be no thought of repetition of the sacrifice2 it must be represented only2 and this is done both simply and impressively in the breaking of the bread and the pouring of the wine4 ,nothing could be more natural than the transition from the old to the new ,passover feast4 ,rising now above all matters of detail and questions of interpretation1 let us try humbly and reverently to enter into the mind of ,christ as ,he breaks the bread and pours the wine and institutes the feast of love4 ,as in the earlier part of the evening we had in ,his dealings with the traitor a touching unveiling of ,his human heart1 so now1 while there is the same human tenderness1 there is with it a reach of thought and range of vision which manifestly transcend all mortal powers4 ,consider first how extraordinary it was that at such a time ,he should take pains to concentrate the thoughts of ,his disciples in all time to come upon ,his death4 ,even the bravest of those who had been with ,him in all ,his temptations could not look at it now2 and to ,his own human soul it must have seemed in the very last degree repulsive4 ,to the disciples1 to the world1 it must have seemed defeat2 yet ,he calmly provides for its perpetual celebration as a victory6 ,think of the form the celebration takes4 ,it is no mournful solemnity1 with dirges and elegies for one about to die2 but a ,feast--a strange way of celebrating a death4 ,it may be said that the ,passover feast itself was a precedent2 but in this respect there is no parallel4 ,the ,passover feast was no memorial of a death4 ,if ,moses had died that night1 would it ever have occurred to the children of ,israel to institute a feast for the purpose of keeping in memory so unutterable a calamity8 ,but a greater than ,moses is here1 and is soon to die a cruel and shameful death4 ,is not that a calamity as much more dreadful than the other as ,christ was greater than ,moses8 ,why1 then1 celebrate it by a feast8 ,because this death is no calamity4 ,it is the means of life to a great multitude that no man can number1 out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation4 ,therefore it is most fitly celebrated by a feast4 ,it is a memorial2 but it is far more4 ,it is a feast1 provided for the spiritual nourishment of the people of ,god through all their generations4 ,think what must have been in the ,saviour's mind when ,he said1 ,take1 eat2 how ,his soul must have been enlarged as ,he uttered the words shed for many4 ,simple words1 easily spoken2 but before they came from these sacred lips there must have risen before ,his mind the vision of multitudes all through the ages1 fed on the strangest food1 refreshed by the strangest wine1 that mortal man had ever heard of4 ,how marvellously the horizon widens round ,him as the feast proceeds6 ,at first ,he is wholly engaged with the little circle round the table4 ,when ,he says1 ,one of you shall betray ,me1 when ,he takes the sop and hands it1 when ,he pours out ,his last lament over the false disciple1 ,he is the ,man of ,sorrows in the little upper chamber2 but when ,he takes the bread and again the cup1 the horizon widens1 beyond the cross ,he sees the glory that shall follow1 sees men of all nations and climes coming to the feast ,he is preparing for them1 and before ,he closes ,he has reached the consummation in the heavenly kingdom3 ,i say unto you1 ,i will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine1 until that day when ,i drink it new with you in ,my ,father's kingdom4 ,truly this was the ,son of ,god4 ,then hear ,him singing at the close4 ,how bewildered the disciples1 how rapt the ,master1 must have been6 ,what a scene for the painter1 what a study of divine calm and human agitation6 ,the hymn they sang was in all probability the latter part of the ,great ,hallel1 which closes with ,psalm cxviii4 ,it is most interesting as we read the psalm to think what depths of meaning1 into which none of ,his disciples as yet could enter1 there must have been to ,him in almost every line4 ,,ii4--,,the ,,night 7xxvi4 #ca-ge74 ,as the little company have lingered in the upper room evening has passed into night4 ,the city is asleep1 as ,jesus leads the way along the silent streets1 down the steep slope of ,moriah1 and across the ,kedron1 to the familiar place of resort on the mount of ,olives4 ,as they proceed in silence1 a word of ancient prophecy lies heavy on ,his heart4 ,it was from ,zechariah1 whose prophecy was often#cj in his thoughts in the ,passion week4 ,awake1 ,o sword1 against ,my shepherd1 and against the man that is ,my fellow1 saith the ,lord of hosts3 smite the shepherd1 and the sheep shall be scattered4 ,it is the last part of it that troubles ,him4 ,for the smiting of the ,shepherd ,he is well prepared2 it is the scattering of the sheep that makes ,his heart so sore1 and forces ,him to break the silence with the sorrowful words1 ,all ye shall be offended because of ,me this night4 ,what pathos in these words because of ,me3 how it pained ,him to think that what must come to ,him should be so terrible to them6 ,and is there not a touch of kind allowance in the words this night8 ,he that walketh in the night stumbleth1 and how could they but stumble in such a night8 ,then the thought of the shepherd and the sheep which fills ,his mind and suggests the passage ,he quotes is full of tenderness without even a hint of reproach4 ,who will blame the sheep for scattering when the ,shepherd is smitten8 ,and how trustfully and withal how wistfully does ,he look forward to the reassembling of the flock in the old home1 the sacred region where they gathered first around the ,shepherd3 ,after ,i am risen again1 ,i will go before you 7as the shepherd goes before the flock7 into ,galilee4 ,thus after all would be fulfilled ,his prayer of intercession1 so recently offered on their behalf3 ,holy ,father1 keep through ,thine own name those whom ,thou hast given ,me1 that they may be one4 ,the silly sheep were not at all alarmed4 ,this was altogether natural2 for the danger was not yet within their sight4 ,nor was it really at all unnatural that the impulsive ,peter should be now at the very opposite pole of feeling from where he stood an hour or two before4 ,then1 sharing the general depression1 he joined the rest in the anxious question1 ,lord1 is it ,i8 now1 having been relieved from the anxiety which for the moment pressed upon him1 and having been moreover raised into a glow of feeling and an assurance of faith by his ,master's tender and stirring words1 and the prayer of intercession which so fitly closed them1 he has passed from the depths of self-distrust to the heights of self-confidence1 so that he even dares to say1 ,though all men shall be offended because of ,thee1 yet will ,i never be offended4 ,ah6 ,peter1 you were safe when you were crying ,lord1 is it ,i8--you are very far from safe now1 when you speak of yourself in so different a tone4 ,jesus sees it all1 and gives him warning in the very plainest words4 ,but ,peter persists4 ,he vainly imagines that his ,master cannot know how strong he is1 how burning his zeal1 how warm his love1 how steadfast his devotion4 ,of all this he is himself distinctly conscious4 ,there is no mistake about it4 ,devotion thrills in every fibre of his being2 and he knows1 he feels it in his soul1 that no torture1 not death itself1 could move him from his steadfastness3 ,though ,i should die with ,thee1 yet will ,i not deny ,thee4 ,likewise also said all the disciples4 ,quite natural too4 ,for the moment ,peter was the leader of the sheep4 ,they all caught his enthusiasm1 and were conscious of the same devotion3 why1 then1 should they not acknowledge it as he had done8 ,they had yet to learn the difference between a transient glow of feeling and abiding inward strength4 ,only by sad experience can they learn it now2 so ,jesus lets them have the last word4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now ,gethsemane is reached4 ,the olive trees which in the daytime give a shadow from the heat will now afford seclusion1 though the moon is at the full4 ,here1 then1 the ,son of man will spend some time with ,god1 alone1 before ,he is betrayed into the hands of sinners2 and yet1 true ,son of man as ,he is1 ,he shrinks from being left alone in that dread hour1 and clings to the love and sympathy of those who have been with ,him in ,his temptations hitherto4 ,so ,he leaves eight of the disciples at the entering in of the olive grove1 and takes with ,him into the darkness the three most in sympathy with ,him--the same three who had been sole witnesses of ,his power in raising from the dead the daughter of ,jairus1 and had alone seen ,his glory on the holy mount4 ,but even these three cannot go with ,him all the way4 ,he will have them as near as possible2 and yet ,he must be alone4 ,did ,he think of the passage1 ,i have trodden the winepress#ca alone1 and of the people there was none with me8 ,that solitude may not be invaded4 ,we can only1 like the disciples of old1 look reverently at it from afar4 ,there are probably many true disciples who can get no nearer than the edge of the darkness2 those who are closest in sympathy may be able to obtain a nearer view1 but even those who like ,john have leant on ,his breast can know it only in part--in its depth it passeth knowledge4 ,jesus is alone in ,gethsemane yet1 and of the people there is none with ,him4 ,ah6 never1 never can we know ,the depth of that mysterious woe4 ,while it is not possible for any of us to penetrate the deep recesses of ,gethsemane1 we have a key to let us in1 and open to us something of its meaning4 ,this help is found in that striking passage in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 where the experience of the ,lord ,jesus in the ,garden is closely connected with ,his being called of ,god an ,high ,priest after the order of ,melchisedec4 ,it is true that at ,his baptism ,jesus entered on ,his ministry in its largest sense1 the ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king of men4 ,but there is a sense in which later on1 at successive stages1 ,he was called of ,god to each of these offices in succession4 ,at ,his baptism the voice from heaven was1 ,this is ,my ,beloved ,son1 in ,whom ,i am well pleased4 ,on the mount of ,transfiguration there was this added1 ,hear ye ,him1 and the withdrawal of ,moses and ,elias1 leaving ,jesus alone1 indicated that henceforth ,he was called of ,god to be the one prophet of humanity4 ,similarly1 though from the beginning ,he was ,king1 it was not till after ,he had overcome the sharpness of death that ,he was called of ,god to be ,king1 to take ,his seat on the right hand of majesty in the heavens4 ,at what period1 then1 in ,his ministry was it that ,he was called of ,god to be an high priest8 ,to this natural question the passage in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews supplies the answer2 and when we take the thought with us we see that it is indeed a torch to lighten for us just a little the darkness of the ,garden's gloom4 ,is there not something in the very arrangement of the group which harmonises with the thought8 ,three days ago the ,temple had been closed for ever to its ,lord4 ,its shrine was empty now for evermore3 ,behold1 your house is left unto you desolate4 ,but still there is to be a temple1 in which shall minister a priest1 not of the line of ,aaron1 rather after the older order of ,melchisedec--a temple1 not of stone1 but of men--of believers1 according to the later apostolic word3 ,ye are the temple of the living ,god4 ,of that new and living temple we have a representation in ,gethsemane4 ,the eight disciples are its court2 the three are in the holy place2 into the holiest of all our great ,high ,priest has gone--alone3 for the veil is not yet rent in twain4 ,but why the agony8 ,the difficulty has always been to account for the sudden change from the calmness of the ,paschal feast to the awful struggle of ,gethsemane4 ,what had happened meanwhile to bring about so great a change8 ,there was light in the upper chamber--it was dark in the ,garden2 but surely the darkness and the light were both alike to ,him2 or if to ,his human heart there was the difference we all are conscious of1 it could not be that the mere withdrawal of the light destroyed ,his peace4 ,it is altogether probable that both the previous nights had been spent on this same mount of ,olives1 and there is no hint of agony then4 ,it is true that the prospect before ,him was full of unutterable horror2 but from the time ,he had set ,his face to go up to ,jerusalem it had been always in ,his view1 and though at times the thought of it would come over ,him as a cold wave that made ,him shudder for the moment1 there had been up to this hour no agony like this1 and not a trace of pleading that the cup might pass4 ,what1 then1 was the new element of woe that came upon ,him in that hour8 ,what was the cup now put for the first time to ,his sacred lips1 from which ,he shrank as from nothing in all ,his sad experience before8 ,is not the answer to be found in the region of thought into which we are led in that great passage already referred to1 which speaks of ,him as then for the first time called of ,god an ,high ,priest1 which represents ,him1 though ,he was a ,son1 learning ,his obedience 7as a ,priest7 by the things which ,he suffered8 ,may we not1 then1 reverently conceive of ,him as in that hour taking on ,him the sin of the world1 in a more intimate sense than ,he had ever done before8 ,he bare our sins in ,his own body on the tree4 ,in a certain sense ,he had borne the burden all ,his life1 for ,he had throughout endured the contradiction of sinners against ,himself2 but in some special sense manifestly ,he bore it on the tree4 ,when did ,he in that special sense take the awful burden on ,him8 ,was it not in the ,garden of ,gethsemane8 ,if so1 can we wonder that the ,holy ,one shrank from it1 as ,he never shrank from simple suffering8 ,to be identified with sin--to be made sin1 as the apostle puts it--how ,his soul revolted from it6 ,the cup of sorrow ,he could take without a murmur2 but to take on ,him the intolerable load of the world's sin--from this ,he shrank with all the recoil of stainless purity1 with all the horror of a heart that could not bear the very thought4 ,it was not the weakness of ,his flesh1 but the purity of ,his spirit1 that made ,him shrink1 that wrung from ,him once and again1 and yet again1 the cry1 ,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from ,me4 ,it was a new temptation1 three times repeated1 like that old one in the wilderness4 ,that assault1 as we found1 was in close relation to ,his assumption at ,his baptism of ,his work of ministry2 this conflict in the ,garden was1 we believe1 as closely connected with ,his assuming ,his priestly work1 undertaking to make atonement for sin by the sacrifice of ,himself4 ,as that followed ,his baptism1 this followed ,his institution of the holy supper4 ,in that ordinance ,he had prepared the minds of ,his disciples to turn from the ,paschal lamb of the old covenant1 to behold henceforth the ,lamb of ,god which taketh away the sin of the world4 ,from the feast ,he goes straightway to this lonely garden1 and there begins#cb ,his dread atoning work4 ,it must have been a great aggravation of ,his agony that even the three disciples could not enter into sympathy with ,him1 even so much as to hold their eyes waking4 ,true1 they were very weary1 and it was most natural that they should be heavy with sleep2 but had they had even a faint conception of what that agony of their ,master meant they could not possibly have slept2 and we can well fancy that in that hour of anguish the ,saviour must have called to mind from the ,book of ,psalms1 with which ,he was so perfectly familiar1 the sad lament3 ,reproach hath broken my heart2 and ,i am full of heaviness3 and ,i looked for some to take pity1 but there was none2 and for comforters1 but ,i found none4 ,but though ,he keenly feels ,his loneliness1 ,his thoughts are far less of ,himself than of them4 ,realising so vividly the horrors now so close at hand1 ,he sees1 from the very possibility of their sleeping1 how utterly unprepared they are for what awaits them1 so ,he summons them to watch and pray1 to be on the alert against sudden surprise1 and to keep in constant touch with ,god1 so that they may not find themselves confronted with temptation which1 whatever the devotion of the spirit1 may prove too much for the weakness of the flesh4 ,think of the tender consideration of this second warning1 when the first had been so little heeded4 ,and we cannot but agree with those who see in what ,he said when ,he returned for the last time to the three1 not irony1 no touch of sarcasm1 but the same tender consideration ,he has shown throughout4 ,from the ,garden they could easily see the city in the moonlight across the ravine4 ,as yet there was no sign of life about it3 all was quiet2 there was therefore no reason why they should not for the few moments that might remain to them sleep on now and take their rest4 ,but it can only be for a short time1 for the hour is at hand4 ,we may1 then1 think of the three lying down to sleep1 as the eight had probably been doing throughout1 while ,jesus1 from whose mortal eyes sleep was banished now for ever1 would watch until ,he saw the gleam of lanterns and torches as of men from the city coming down the hill1 and then ,he would wake them and say1 ,rise1 let us be going3 behold1 he is at hand that doth betray ,me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the arrest immediately follows the agony2 and with it1 begins the outward shame and torture of the ,passion4 ,the time has now come when all the indignities and cruelties of which ,jesus had spoken to ,his disciples apart in the way 7see xx4 #ag-ai7 shall be heaped upon ,him4 ,but none of these things move ,him4 ,the inward shame and torture had almost been too much for ,him4 ,his soul had been exceeding sorrowful1 even unto death2 so that ,he was in danger of passing away from the scene of conflict ere yet it would be possible to say ,it is finished4 ,only by strong crying and tears unto ,him that was able to save ,him from death had ,he obtained the needful strength 7,luke xxii4 #dc7 to pass the awful ordeal1 and come out of it ready to yield ,himself up into the wicked hands by which ,he must be crucified and slain4 ,but now ,he is strong4 ,st4 ,matthew does not tell us that the prayer in the ,garden was answered2 but we see it as we follow the ,son of man along the dolorous way4 ,if ,he shrank from taking up the load of human sin1 ,he does not flinch in carrying it2 and amid all ,he has to bear at the hands of sinners1 ,he maintains ,his dignity and self-possession4 ,when the armed men approach1 ,he goes calmly out to meet them4 ,even the traitor's kiss ,he does not resent2 but only takes occasion to make one more appeal to that stony heart1 ,comrade1#cc ,he says1 7do7 that for which thou art come 7see ,r4,v474 ,there is a brokenness in the utterance which makes it difficult to translate1 but which is touchingly natural4 ,it would seem as if our ,lord1 when ,judas first appeared1 though ,he knew well for what purpose ,he had come1 and wished to show him that ,he did1 yet shrank from putting it into words4 ,when the traitor had actually done that for which he had come1 when he had not only given the traitor's kiss1 and that in a shamelessly effusive way1 as appears from the strong word used in the account both here and elsewhere1 then would come that other appeal which most impressed the eye-witness from whom ,st4 ,luke had his information3 ,judas1 betrayest thou the ,son of man with a kiss8 ,at this point probably occurred an incident of the arrest recorded only in the fourth ,gospel1 the recoil of the mob when ,jesus confronted them and acknowledged ,himself to be the man whom they were seeking4 ,though this is not mentioned here1 we recognise the effect of it upon the disciples4 ,it would naturally embolden them when1 on the second advance1 they saw their ,master in the hands of these men1 to ask1 ,lord1 shall we smite with the sword8 ,and it was most characteristic that one of them 7whom we should have recognised1 even though ,st4 ,john had not mentioned his name7 should not wait for the answer1 but should smite at once4 ,all is excitement and commotion4 ,jesus alone is calm4 ,in such a sea of trouble1 behold the ,man6 ,see the heart at leisure from itself to care for and to cure the wounded servant of the high priest 7,luke xxii4 #ea74 ,think of the mind so free at such a time to look out far into the future1 using the occasion to lay down the great principle that force1 as a weapon which will recoil on those who use it1 must not be employed in the cause of truth and righteousness4 ,look at that spirit1 so serenely confident of power with ,god at the very moment that the frail body is helpless in the hands of men3 ,thinkest thou that ,i cannot now pray to ,my ,father1 and ,he shall presently give ,me more than twelve legions of angels8 ,how it enlarges our souls even to try to enter into that great mind and heart at such a moment4 ,what an outlook of thought6 ,what an up-look of faith6 ,and again1 what mastery6 ,what self-annihilation6 ,we have seen ,his self-repression in the prayer ,he offered in the ,garden2 but think of the prayers ,he did not offer3 think what effort1 what sacrifice1 what self-abnegation it must have been to ,him to suppress that prayer for help from the legions of heaven against these bands of the ungodly4 ,but it was enough for ,him to remember1 ,how then shall the ,scriptures be fulfilled1 that thus it must be8 ,it was necessary that ,he should suffer at the hands of men2 therefore ,he allows them to lead ,him away1 only reminding them that the force which would have been needful for the arrest of some robber desperado was surely quite unnecessary in dealing with ,one ,whose daily practice it had been to sit quietly teaching in the ,temple4 ,the reference to the ,scriptures was probably intended not only to explain ,his non-resistance1 but also to support the faith of ,his disciples when they saw ,him bound and carried off4 ,had they known the ,scriptures as under ,his teaching they might well have known them1 not only would they have seen that thus it must be1 but they would have had before them the sure prospect of ,his rising from the dead on the third day4 ,but in their case the ,scriptures were appealed to in vain2 they had not the faith of their ,master to venture on the sure ,word of ,god2 and so1 hope failing1 all the disciples forsook ,him and fled4 ,not all finally1 however1 even for that dark night2 for though faith and hope failed1 there remained love enough in the hearts of two to make them presently stop and think1 and then turn slowly and follow from afar4 ,only ,peter is mentioned here as doing this1 because the sequel concerns him2 but that ,john also went to the palace of the high priest we know from his own account 7,john xviii4 #ae74 99 99 99 99 99 ,the night is not yet over1 and therefore there can be no formal meeting of the ,jewish council1 according to an excellent law which enacted that all cases involving the death penalty should be tried in the daytime4 ,this law was1 quite characteristically1 observed in the letter1 transgressed in the spirit2 for though the formal sentence was deferred till morning 7xxvii4 #a71 the real trial was begun and ended before the dawn4 ,the reference by ,st4 ,matthew to both sessions of the council enables us clearly to understand what would otherwise have appeared a manifest discrepancy between his account and that of ,st4 ,luke1 the former speaking of the trial as having taken place in the night1 while the latter tells us it only began as soon as it was day4 ,our ,evangelist shows himself to be a true historian in that1 while disposing of the formal morning session in half a sentence1 he gives a full account of the night conclave which really settled all4 ,they proceed in a thoroughly characteristic manner4 ,having secured their prisoner1 they must first agree upon the charge3 what shall it be8 ,it was no easy matter2 for not only had his life been stainless1 but ,he had shown consummate skill in avoiding all the entanglements which had been set for ,him2 and besides1 it so happened that nothing they could prove conclusively against ,him1 such as ,his breaking the letter of the ,sabbath law1 or rather of their traditions1 would suit their purpose1 for they would run the risk on the one hand of calling fresh attention to the works of healing which had made so deep an impression on the popular mind1 and on the other of stirring up strife between the opposing factions which had entered into a precarious union based solely on their common desire to do away with ,him4 ,hence the great difficulty of securing testimony against ,him1 and the necessity of having recourse to that which was false4 ,we may wonder perhaps that a court so unscrupulous should have made so much of the difficulty of getting witnesses to agree4 ,could they not1 for other thirty pieces of silver1 have purchased two that would have served their purpose8 ,but it must be remembered that men in their position had to pay some respect to decency2 and from their point of view to pay a man for helping to arrest a criminal was an entirely different transaction from giving money to procure false witness4 ,besides1 there were men of the council who did not consent to the counsel and deed of them 7see ,luke xxiii4 #ea1 and ,john vii4 #ej1 #ea71 and they must be careful4 ,it is not probable of course that ,joseph of ,arimatha and ,nicodemus would be present at the secret session in the night2 but they would of course be present1 or have the opportunity of being present1 at the regular meeting in the morning4 ,when1 therefore1 the attempt to found a charge on the testimony of witnesses against ,him failed1 the only hope was to force ,him1 if possible1 to incriminate ,himself4 ,the high priest accordingly addresses himself to the prisoner1 and attempts to induce ,him to say something which might tend to clear up the confusion of the witnesses' testimony4 ,it was evident that something had been said about destroying the temple and building it in three days--would ,he not state exactly what it was8 ,but ,jesus held ,his peace4 ,he would not plead before such a tribunal1 or acknowledge the irregular appeal by so much as a single word4 ,caiaphas is baffled2 but there is one course left to him1 a course which for many reasons he would have preferred not to take1 but he sees now no other way of setting up a charge that will bear examination in the morning4 ,he therefore appeals to ,jesus in the most solemn manner to assert or deny ,his ,messiahship4 ,silence is now impossible4 ,the high priest has given ,him the opportunity of proclaiming ,his gospel in presence of the council1 and ,he will not lose it1 though it seal ,his condemnation4 ,he cannot deny ,himself4 ,in the most emphatic manner ,he proclaims ,himself the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 and tells them that the time is coming when their positions shall be reversed--,he their ,judge1 they summoned to ,his bar3 ,henceforth ye shall see the ,son of man sitting at the right hand of power1 and coming on the clouds of heaven4 7,r4,v474 ,what light must have been in ,his eye1 what majesty in ,his mien1 as ,he spoke those thrilling words6 ,and who shall limit their power8 ,who of us shall be surprised to find members of that very conclave among the ransomed of the ,lord in the ,new ,jerusalem8 ,they might not heed ,his words that night1 but three days after would they not recall them8 ,and fifty days after that again--who can tell8 ,meantime the only result is to produce real or affected horror4 ,the high priest rent his clothes1 thereby expressing in a tragic manner how it tore his heart to hear such blasphemy2 and with one consent1 or at least with no voice raised against it1 ,he is condemned to death4 ,the council have now done with ,him for the night1 and ,he is handed over to the custody of the guard and the servants of the high priest4 ,then follows that awful scene1 which cannot be recalled without a shudder4 ,to think that the ,holy ,one of ,god should suffer these personal indignities--oh1 degradation6 ,it is more dreadful to think of than even the nails and the spear4 ,alas1 even the dregs of the bitter cup of sorrow were wrung out to ,him6 ,is it nothing to you1 all ye that pass by8 behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto ,my sorrow6 99 99 99 99 99 ,where is ,peter now8 ,we left him following afar off4 ,he has summoned up courage enough to follow on into the court of the high priest's palace1 and to mingle among the people there4 ,if he had been let alone1 he would with ,john have in some measure retrieved the disgrace of all the disciples forsaking their ,master in that night on which ,he was betrayed2 but it has been necessary to rally all the remnants of his bravery to come so far1 and now he has none of it to spare4 ,besides1 he is very tired1 and shivering with cold--in no condition1 verily1 for anything heroic4 ,who is there of us will cast the first stone at him8 ,there are those that speak of him in a tone of contempt as quailing before a servant maid1 as if the meanness of the occasion were not the very thing which made it so hard for him4 ,had he been summoned to the presence of the high priest1 with all the eyes of the council fastened on him1 his tired feeling would have left him all at once1 his pulse would have beat fast1 the excitement would have stirred him so that no fire of coals would have been needed to warm him1 and he might then have acquitted himself in a manner worthy of the rock-apostle2 but to be suddenly met with a woman's question sprung upon him unawares1 with nobody he cared for looking on1 with nothing to rouse his soul from the prostration into which it had been cast by the suddenness of what looked like overwhelming defeat--that was more than even ,peter could bear2 and accordingly he fell--fell terribly4 ,not to the bottom all at once4 ,he tries first to pass the question off with a show of ignorance or indifference3 ,i know not what thou sayest4 ,but when the first downward step is taken1 all the rest follow with terrible rapidity4 ,as we look down into the abyss into which plunged headlong the foremost of the ,twelve1 and hear these oaths and curses1 what force it lends to the warning in ,gethsemane3 ,watch and pray1 that ye enter not into temptation6 ,what a lesson of charity is here6 ,suppose for a moment that one of the ,marys had been standing near1 and heard ,peter denying his ,master with oaths and curses1 what would her thought of him have been8 ,what else could it have been than a thought of sorrowful despair8 ,she would have felt constrained1 however reluctantly1 to place him1 not with the timid ten1 but alongside of ,judas who betrayed ,him4 ,yet she would have been wrong2 and many good people are quite wrong when they judge disciples of ,christ by what they see of them when at their worst4 ,after all ,peter was true at heart2 and though from such an abyss he could never have recovered himself1 he was so linked to his ,master by the true devotion of the days of old that he could not fall utterly away4 ,it was quite otherwise with ,judas4 ,his heart had been set on his covetousness throughout1 while ,peter in his inmost soul was loyal and true4 ,his ,master has prayed for him that his faith fail not4 ,his courage has failed2 and if that faith which is the only sure foundation for enduring courage had utterly failed too1 his case would have been hopeless indeed4 ,but it has not2 there is still a link to bind him to the ,lord1 ,whom in word he is denying for the moment2 and first the crowing of the cock which reminds him of his ,master's warning1 and then immediately after1 that look which was turned full on ,peter as ,jesus passed him1 led across the court1 perhaps with jeerings and buffetings at the very moment--that solemn memory and that sad and loving look recall him to himself again1 the old true life wells up from the depths of the genuine and noble heart of him1 and overflows in tears4 ,so ends the story of that awful night4 ,,iii4--,,the ,,morning 7xxvii4 #a-bf74 ,the formal meeting of the council in the morning would not occupy many minutes4 ,the death sentence had been already agreed upon1 and it only remained to take the necessary steps to carry it into effect4 ,hence the form in which the ,evangelist records the morning session3 ,all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against ,jesus to put ,him to death4 ,this could not have passed as a minute of the meeting2 but it was none the less a true account of it4 ,as1 however1 the law forbade their inflicting the death penalty1 when they had bound ,him1 they led ,him away1 and delivered ,him to ,pontius ,pilate the governor4 ,this delivering up of ,jesus is a fact of the ,passion on which special stress is laid in the sacred records4 ,it seems1 indeed1 to have weighed on the mind of ,jesus ,himself as much as the betrayal1 as would appear from the manner in which1 as ,he was nearing ,jerusalem1 ,he told ,his disciples what ,he should suffer there3 ,behold1 we go up to ,jerusalem2 and the ,son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and scribes1 and they shall condemn ,him to death1 and shall deliver ,him unto the ,gentiles to mock1 and to scourge1 and to crucify 7,matt xx4 #ah1 #ai2 see also ,mark x4 #cc1 and ,luke xviii4 #cb74 ,long before this1 indeed1 ,he came unto ,his own1 and ,his own received ,him not4 ,with the sorrow of that rejection ,he was only too familiar2 but it was a new heart-break to be delivered up to the ,gentiles4 ,it was a second betrayal on a much larger scale4 ,so ,stephen puts it in the impassioned close of his defence1 where he charges the council with being the betrayers and murderers of the ,just ,one2 and indeed the thought is suggested here1 not only by the association with what follows in regard to the traitor's end1 but by the use of the very same word as applied to the traitor's act2 for the word translated betrayed in verse #c is the very same in the original as that translated delivered up in verse #b4 ,judas is about to drop out of sight into the abyss2 but the nation is one ,judas now4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it may be1 indeed1 that it was the seeing of his own sin as mirrored in the conduct of the council which roused at last the traitor's sleeping conscience4 ,as he saw his late ,master led away bound1 as a lamb to the slaughter1 these very words may have come back to his memory3 ,they shall deliver the ,son of man to the ,gentiles to mock1 and to scourge1 and to crucify4 ,it is quite possible1 indeed1 that the man of ,kerioth was too good a ,jew to have been willing to sell his ,master to ,pilate directly4 ,but now he sees that that is just what he has done4 ,we have no sympathy with those who imagine that ,judas only intended to give his ,master an opportunity of displaying ,his power and asserting ,his rights in a manner that would secure at once the allegiance of the people2 but though we see no evidence of any good intentions1 we can readily believe that in the act of betrayal his mind did not go beyond the immediate consequences of his action--on the one hand the money2 and on the other what was it but the handing of his ,master to the chief priests and elders1 who were after all ,his ecclesiastical superiors2 and had they not the right to put ,him on ,his trial8 ,but now that he sees ,jesus1 ,whom by long acquaintance he knows to be without spot or stain1 bound as a common criminal and led away to execution1 his act appears in a new and awful light1 he is smitten with a measureless fear1 and can no longer bear to think of what he has done4 ,he repented himself1 so we read in our version2 but that it is no true repentance the more expressive ,greek makes plain1 for the word is quite distinct from that which indicates repentance after a godly sort4 ,had there been in his heart any spring of true repentance its waters would have been unsealed long ere this--at the ,table1 or when in the ,garden he heard his ,master's last appeal of love4 ,not love1 but fear1 not godly sorrow1 but very human terror1 is what moves him now2 and therefore it is not to ,jesus that he flies--had he even now gone up to ,him1 and fallen at ,his feet and confessed his sin1 he would have been forgiven--but to his accomplices in crime4 ,fain would he undo what he has done2 but it is impossible6 ,what he can do1 however1 he will2 so he tries to get the chief priests to take back the silver pieces4 ,but they will have nothing to do with them or with him4 ,to his piteous confession they pay no heed2 let him settle his own accounts with his own conscience3 ,what is that to us8 see thou to that4 ,he is now alone2 shut up to himself2 alone with his sin4 ,even the thirty pieces of silver1 which had such a friendly sound as he first dropped them in his purse1 have turned against him2 now he hates the very sight of them1 and must be rid of them4 ,as the priests will not take them back1 he will cast them into the sanctuary 7,r4,v471 and so perhaps find some relief4 ,but oh1 ,judas6 it is one thing to get the silver out of your hands1 and quite another to get the stain out of your soul4 ,the only effect of it is to make the solitude complete4 ,he has at last come to himself2 and what a self it is to come to6 ,no wonder that he went and hanged himself4 ,the chief priests have not yet come to themselves4 ,they will by-and-by1 whether after the manner of the prodigal or after the manner of the traitor time will show2 but meanwhile they are in the full career of their sin1 and can therefore as yet consult to very good purpose4 ,it was not at all a bad way of getting out of their difficulty with the money found in the sanctuary1 to buy with it a place to bury strangers in2 but little did they dream that when the story of it should be told thereafter to the world they would be discovered to have unconsciously fulfilled a prophecy 7,zech4 xi4 #ab1 #ac71 which on the one hand gibbeted their crime as a valuing of the ,shepherd of ,israel at the magnificent price of thirty pieces of silver1 and on the other carried with it the suggestion of those awful woes which ,jeremiah had pronounced at the very spot they had purchased with the price of blood 7,jer4 xix474 99 99 99 99 99 ,from the end of the traitor ,judas we return to the issue of the nation's treason4 ,now ,jesus stood before the governor4 ,the full study of ,jesus before ,pilate belongs rather to the fourth ,gospel1 which supplies many most interesting details not furnished here4 ,we must therefore deal with it quite briefly1 confining our attention as much as possible to the points touched in the record before us4#cd ,as before the council1 so before ,pilate1 our ,lord speaks1 or is silent1 according as the question affects ,his mission or ,himself4 ,when asked of ,his ,kingship1 ,he answers in the most decided manner 7,thou sayest was a strong affirmation1 as if to say ,certainly ,i am72 for on this depends the only hope of salvation for ,pilate--for ,his accusers--for all4 ,he will by no means disown or shrink from acknowledging the mission of salvation on which ,his ,father has sent ,him1 though it may raise against ,him the cry of blasphemy in the council1 and of treason in the court2 but when ,he is asked what ,he has to say for ,himself1 in the way of answer to the charges made against ,him1 ,he is silent3 even when ,pilate himself appeals to ,him in the strongest manner to say something in ,his own defence1 ,he gave him no answer1 not even to one word 7,r4,v474 ,insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly2 for how could he understand8 ,how can a cautious1 cunning1 time-serving man of the world understand the selflessness of the ,son of ,god8 ,pilate had no personal grudge against ,jesus1 and had sense enough to recognise at once that the claims of ,kinghood advanced by his prisoner did not touch the prerogatives of ,csar--had penetration also to see through the motives of the chief priests and elders 7ver4 #ah71 and therefore was not at all disposed to acquiesce in the demand made on him for a summary condemnation4 ,besides1 he was not without fears1 which inclined him to the side of justice4 ,he was evidently impressed with the demeanour of his prisoner4 ,this appears even in the brief narrative of our ,evangelist2 but it comes out very strikingly in the fuller record of the fourth ,gospel4 ,his wife's influence1 too1 was used in the same direction4 ,she evidently had heard something about ,jesus1 and had taken some interest in ,him1 enough to reach the conviction that ,he was a righteous man4 ,it was as yet quite early in the morning1 and she may not have known till after her husband had gone out that it was for the trial of ,jesus he was summoned4 ,having had uneasy dreams1 in which the ,man ,who had impressed her so much was a leading figure1 it was natural that she should send him a hasty message1 so as to reach him while he was sitting on the judgment seat 7,r4,v474 ,this message would reinforce his fears1 and increase his desire to deal justly with his extraordinary prisoner4 ,on the other hand1 ,pilate could not afford to refuse point blank the demand of the ,jewish leaders4 ,he was by no means secure in his seat4 ,there had been so many disturbances under his administration1 as we learn from contemporary history1 that his recall1 perhaps something more serious than recall1 might be expected from ,rome1 if he should again get into trouble with these turbulent ,jews2 so he did not dare to run the risk of simply doing what he knew was right4 ,accordingly he tried several expedients1 as we learn from the other accounts1 to avoid the necessity of pronouncing sentence1 one of which is here set forth at length 7ver4 #ae1 seq471 probably because it brings into strong relief the absolute rejection of their ,messiah alike by the rulers and by the people4 ,it was a most ingenious device1 and affords a striking example of the astuteness of the procurator4 ,barabbas may have had some following in his sedition2 but evidently he was no popular hero1 but a vulgar robber or bandit1 whose release was not at all likely to be clamoured for by the multitude2 and it was moreover reasonably to be expected that the chief priests1 much as they hated ,jesus1 would be ashamed to even hint that ,he was worse than this wretched criminal4 ,but he did not know how deep the hatred was with which he had to deal4 ,he knew that for envy they had delivered ,him2 but he did not know that at the root of that envy lay the conviction that either ,jesus must perish or they must4 ,they felt that ,he was of purer eyes than to behold evil1 and could not look upon iniquity2 and inasmuch as they had made up their minds to keep their iniquity1 they must get rid of ,him2 they must seal up these eyes which searched them through and through1 they must silence these tones which1 silvery as they were1 were to them as the knell of judgment4 ,they had no liking for ,barabbas1 and1 to do them justice1 no sympathy whatever with his crimes2 but they had no reason to be afraid of him3 they could live1 though he was free4 ,it must have been a hard alternative even for them2 but there is no hesitation about it4 ,themselves and their emissaries are busy among the mob1 persuading them that they should ask ,barabbas1 and destroy ,jesus4 ,the multitudes are only too easily persuaded4 ,not that they had the dark envy1 or anything like the rooted hatred1 of their leaders2 but what will a careless mob not be prepared to do when excitement prevails and passions are inflamed8 ,it is not at all unlikely that some of the same people who followed the multitude in shouting ,hosanna to the ,son of ,david6 only five days before1 would join in the cry which some of the baser sort would be the first to raise1 ,crucify ,him6 crucify ,him6 ,those who know human nature best--at its basest1 as in the hatred of the chief priests and elders2 at its shallowest1 as in the passions of the fickle crowd--will marvel least at the way in which the alternative of ,pilate was received4 ,there is no touchstone of human nature like the cross of ,christ2 and in the presence of the ,holy ,one of ,god1 sin is forced1 as it were1 to show itself in all its native blackness and enormity2 and what sin is there1 however small it seem to be1 which if allowed to develop its latent possibility of vileness1 would not lead on to this very choice--,not ,jesus1 but ,barabbas8 ,and ,pilate1 you may wash your hands before the multitude1 and say1 ,i am innocent of the blood of this just ,person2 but it is all in vain4 ,there is a ,searcher of hearts ,who knows you through and through4 ,see ye to it1 you say2 and so said to ,judas the chief priests and elders1 using the very same words4 ,but both they and you must see to that which each fain would put aside for ever4 ,ay1 and it will be less tolerable for you and for them than even for the thoughtless crowd who cry1 ,his blood be upon us and on our children4 ,it was in vain to ask of people like these1 ,what shall ,i do1 then1 with ,jesus which is called ,christ8 ,there was only one thing to do3 the thing which was right4 ,failing to do this1 you had no alternative but to share in the sin of all the rest4 ,even ,pilate must take a side1 as all must do4 ,neutrality here is impossible4 ,those who persist in making the vain attempt will find themselves at last on the same side as ,pilate took when he released unto them ,barabbas2 but ,jesus he scourged and delivered to be crucified4 ,,iv4--,,from ,,the ,,third ,,to ,,the ,,ninth ,,hour 7xxvii4 #bg-ef74 ,the cool of the morning was passing into the heat of the day1 as the soldiers took ,jesus and led ,him away to be crucified2 and the sun was at the same angle in the western sky when ,he bowed ,his head and gave up the ghost4 ,in the six hours between lay the crisis of the world 7see ,john xii4 #ca1 ,greek73 its judgment1 its salvation4 ,the great conflict of the ages is concentrated in these hours of agony4 ,in the brief record of them we have the very core and kernel of the gospel of ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified4 ,all we can hope to do is to find some point of view which may afford a general survey of the awful scene2 and such point of observation we may perhaps discover in the thought of the marvellous significance of each detail when set in the after light of faith4 ,most of the incidents are quite simple and natural--what might in every way be expected as concomitants of the deed of blood which darkened the day--and yet the simplest of them is charged with unexpected meaning4 ,the actors in this dark scene are moved by the basest of passions1 are destitute of the smallest gleam of insight into what is passing2 and yet1 in saying what they say and doing what they do1 they declare the glory of the ,christ of ,god as signally as if they were saying and doing all by divine direction4 ,in more senses than one they know not what they do4 ,from this point of view we might survey all the four records of the ,crucifixion1 and find striking illustrations of our thought in each of them4 ,as a specimen of this we may refer in passing to the words of ,pilate recorded by ,st4 ,john alone3 ,behold the ,man6 and again1 ,behold your ,king6 ,in these remarkable utterances the procurator quite unconsciously furnishes the answer to his own as yet unanswered questions 7,john xviii4 #ch2 ,matt4 xxvii4 #bb71 and1 ,balaam-like1 becomes a preacher of the gospel1 summoning the whole world to admiration and homage1 to faith and obedience4 ,but we may not extend our view over the other ,gospels2 it will be enough to glance at the particulars found in that which lies before us4 ,the first is the mockery of the soldiers4 ,a brutal set they must have been2 and their treatment of their victim1 as they intended it1 is too revolting even to think of in detail4 ,yet1 had they been inspired by the loftiest purpose1 and been able to look into the meaning of what they did with the most penetrating insight1 they could not have in a more striking manner illustrated the true glory of ,his royalty4 ,ah6 soldiers1 you may well plait that crown of thorns1 and put it on ,his head2 for ,he is the ,prince of ,sufferers1 the ,king of ,sorrow6 ,on that head are many crowns--the crown of righteousness1 the crown of heroism1 the crown of life2 but of them all the very best is the crown of thorns1 for it is the crown of ,love4 ,the next incident is the impressing of ,simon of ,cyrene to bear ,his cross4 ,it was intended as an insult4 ,the service was too degrading even for any of the rabble of ,jerusalem1 so they imposed it on this poor foreigner1 coming out of the country4 ,little did they think that this same man of ,cyrene1 who probably had provoked them by showing some sympathy with the ,sufferer1 and might by no means grudge the toil1 unjustly forced upon him though it was1 should with his two sons ,alexander and ,rufus 7see ,mark xv4 #ba7 be a kind of firstfruits of a great multitude of foreigners coming out of all countries1 who should consider it the highest honour of their lives to take up and bear after ,jesus the cross which ,simon had borne for ,him4 ,the very name ,golgotha1 though derived in all probability from the natural appearance of the eminence on which the crosses were erected1 has a certain dreary appropriateness1 not only because of the horror of the deed1 but because the thought is suggested that death's ,destroyer gained ,his victory on death's own ground2 and the offering of the potion usually given to deaden pain gave the pale sufferer an opportunity of showing by ,his refusal of it that not only was the death which ended all a voluntary act1 but that each pang of the passion was borne in the resoluteness of a love-constrained will3 ,thou wilt feel all1 that ,thou may'st pity all2 ,and rather wouldst ,thou wrestle with strong pain ,than overcloud ,thy soul ,so clear in agony4 99 99 99 99 99 ,o most entire and perfect ,sacrifice1 ,renewed in every pulse1 ,that on the tedious ,cross ,told the long hours of death4 ,the dividing of the garments among the soldiers was a most natural and ordinary incident2 it would seem1 indeed1 to have been the common practice at crucifixions2 and the fulfilment of prophecy would be the very last thing that would enter the men's minds as they did it3 even ,st4 ,matthew himself1 in recording it1 does not view it in this light2 for1 though he evidently made a point of calling attention to all fulfilments of prophecy that struck him1 he seems to have omitted this2#ce yet here again1 even in a small but most significant matter of detail1 as recorded by ,st4 ,john 7xix4 #bc1 #bd71 the ,scriptures are fulfilled4 ,the writing on the cross is called ,his accusation4 ,so indeed it was2 for it was for this he was condemned3 no other charge could be made good against ,him4 ,but it was not ,his accusation only1--it was ,his coronation4 ,in vain the chief priests tried to induce the governor to change it4 ,what ,i have written1 ,i have written1 was his answer2 and there it stood1 and a better inscription for the cross the apostles themselves could not have devised4 ,this is ,jesus1 the ,saviour--the name above every name4 ,how it must have cheered the ,saviour's heart to know that it was there6 ,this is ,jesus1 the ,king never more truly ,king than when this writing was ,his only crown4 ,this is ,jesus1 the ,king of the ,jews1 despised and rejected of them now1 but ,son of ,david none the less1 and yet to be claimed and crowned1 and rejoiced in when at last all ,israel shall be saved4 ,elsewhere we learn that the inscription was in ,hebrew and ,greek and ,latin1--the first the tongue of the people to whose keeping had been committed the oracles of ,god1 the other two the languages in which ,god's good tidings of ,life through a ,crucified ,saviour could be best and most quickly carried to every creature1--as if to make the proclamation world-wide4 ,his position between the two thieves is told as simply as all the rest2 yet how full of meaning1 not only as fulfilling the ,scripture which spoke of ,him as numbered with the transgressors1 but as furnishing a most impressive picture of the ,friend of ,sinners1 enduring their revilings1 and yet as soon as one of them shows the first signs of coming to a better mind1 eagerly granting him forgiveness and eternal life1 and receiving him into ,his kingdom as the firstfruits of ,his redeemed ones4 ,again1 the mocking cries of the passers-by are exactly what was to be expected from the coarse natures of the men2 yet each one of them when seen in the after light of faith becomes a tribute to ,his praise4 ,as an illustration of this1 listen to the cry which comes out of the deepest abyss of hatred4 ,hear these chief priests mocking ,him1 with the scribes and elders4 ,with bitter taunt they say1 in scorn1 ,he saved others2 ,himself ,he cannot save4 ,with bitter taunt8 ,in scorn8 ,ah1 fools and blind1 you little know that you are making a garland of imperishable beauty to wreathe around ,his brow6 ,it was indeed most true4 ,it was because ,he saved others that ,he could not save ,himself4 ,were ,he willing to let others perish--were ,he willing to let you perish--,he would this very moment save ,himself4 ,but ,he will bear1 not only the cruel nails and spear1 but your more cruel mockeries1 rather than give up ,his self-imposed task of saving others by ,his perfect sacrifice6 ,it is high noon2 but there1 at that place of a skull1 a deed is being done1 from which the sun must hide his face for shame4 ,from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour4 ,the simple-hearted ,evangelist has no reflections of his own to offer2 he simply records the well-remembered fact1 with his usual reticence of feeling1 which makes the deep1 dread meaning of it only more impressive4 ,for there is not only darkness over all the land2 there is darkness in the ,sufferer's soul4 ,the agony of the ,garden is on ,him once again4 ,he sees no longer the faces of the crowd1 and the mocking voices are now silent1 for the people cannot but feel the solemnising effect of the midday gloom4 ,the presence of man is forgotten1 and with it the shame1 even the pain3 the ,redeemer of the world is again alone with ,god4 ,alone with ,god1 and the sin of the world is on ,him4 ,he bare our sins in ,his own body on the tree1 therefore is it that ,he must enter even into the very deepest darkness of the soul1 the feeling of separation from ,god1 the sense of forsakenness1 which is so appalling to the awakened sinner1 and which even the sinless ,one must taste1 because of the burden laid upon ,him4 ,to ,him it was a pang beyond all others1 forcing from these silent lips the lamentable cry1 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 ,there is no reason indeed to suppose that the ,sufferer was really forsaken by ,god1 even for a moment4 ,never was the love of the ,father deeper and stronger than when ,his ,son was offering up the all-atoning sacrifice4 ,never was the repeated testimony more sure than now--,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in ,whom ,i am well pleased4 ,but none the less was there the sense of forsakenness4 ,this sense of forsakenness seems to have had some mysterious connection with the pains of death4 ,in the ,garden1 where the experience was similar1 ,he said1 ,my soul is exceeding sorrowful1 even unto death1 and now that death is on ,him1 now that ,his human spirit is about to sink into the unknown abyss1 now that darkness is closing over ,him on every side1 ,he feels as if ,he were forsaken utterly3 yet ,his faith fails not2 perhaps ,he thinks of the words1 ,yea the darkness hideth not from ,thee2 but the night shineth as the day3 the darkness and the light are both alike to ,thee1 and though ,he cannot now say ,father even1 ,he can at least cry as from the depths1 ,his spirit overwhelmed within ,him1 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god4 ,that #bbnd ,psalm which was certainly in ,his mind must have suggested thoughts of hope and strength1 and ere ,his spirit leaves the tortured body ,he has reached the triumphant close of it2 for as its opening utterance became ,his cry of agony1 its closing word suggests ,his shout of victory4 ,the shout is mentioned by ,st4 ,matthew2 the words we learn from ,st4 ,john3 ,it is finished4 ,from the sixth hour to the ninth the darkness lasted1 and at the ninth hour ,jesus yielded up the ghost4 ,the agony is over4 ,the feeling of separation1 of utter loneliness1 is gone1 for the last word has been1 ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend ,my ,spirit2 and as the spirit of the ,son of man returns to the ,father's bosom1 the gloom is gone1 and the sun shines out again upon the earth4 ,how appropriate the rending of the veil1#cf the quaking of the earth1 the shuddering of the graves1 and the visitants from the realm of the unseen greeting the eyes of those for whom heaven was opened now1 is all so plain in the light of faith on the ,son of ,god that it needs no pointing out4 ,it was no wonder that even the ,roman centurion1 unaccustomed as he was to think of such things1 could not refrain from exclaiming1 ,truly this was the ,son of ,god4 ,much more may we echo his exclamation when in the light of the glory that has followed we look back on the things that were done4 ,recall them1--the crown of thorns1 the cross-bearing of ,simon1 the place of a skull1 the parting of the garments1 the writing on the cross1 the company of the thieves1 the mockeries of the people1 the darkness of the heavens1 the shaking of the earth1 the rending of the veil1--is there not profound meaning in it all8 ,the portents at the close1 as was natural1 impressed the centurion most2 but these are just what make the least impression now1 because we do not see them1 and those for whom no veil has been rent by the ,saviour's sacrifice cannot be expected to recognise them4 ,but think of the other incidents--incidents to which not even the most sceptical can attach a shadow of doubt3 observe how utterly unconscious the actors were--the soldiers in plaiting the crown of thorns1 ,pilate in writing ,his title1 the chief priests in shouting ,he saved others2 ,himself ,he cannot save--and yet how these all1 viewed in a light that did not shine for them1 are seen to have vied with each other in setting forth ,his glory as the ,saviour-,king2 and then say whether it could all have been the merest chance1 whether there be not in it manifestly the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of ,god1 whether it is possible to escape the conviction of the ,roman centurion1 ,truly this is the ,son of ,god6 ,the reference to the many women1 beholding afar off1 forms a pathetic close to the story of the ,great ,atonement ,day4 #bd ,the feast in ,bethany did not take place during this interval1 but some days before 7see ,john xii4 #a72 in all probability the very day before ,christ's entry into ,jerusalem4 #be ,that the name of ,judas is not specially mentioned is probably to be accounted for by the consciousness on the part of ,st4 ,matthew that ,judas was not alone in the feeling he expressed1 that he and others of the disciples present sympathised with him in what he said1 so that in fairness he must lay the blame of the objection not alone on the man who expressly made it1 but on the disciples generally 7in ,st4 ,mark's ,gospel it is some had indignation74 ,we may well suppose that ,john1 the beloved disciple1 would be the least likely of all to sympathise with the objection1 and in this we may see the reason why he should feel no scruple in singling out the traitor as the man who was audacious enough to express the feeling of dissatisfaction4 #bf ,so ,r4,v4 ,the ,authorised ,version is peculiarly unhappy at this point4 ,when ,jesus understood it seems to suggest that it took ,him some time to make out what they were grumbling about4 ,it is altogether likely that the murmuring was among themselves1 and the speech of ,judas was probably spoken not loud enough for ,jesus to hear1 but in a low tone to the knot of sympathisers around ,him4 ,but there is no hint in the original of any time elapsing before ,jesus understood the situation4 ,as always1 ,he knew their thoughts at once4 #bg ,we may not enter fully into the vexed question whether our ,lord kept the ,passover on the day appointed by law1 or anticipated it by twenty-four hours1 as some suppose to be the necessary inference from the narrative of ,st4 ,john4 ,it is a long and intricate subject2 but much unnecessary difficulty has been imported into it by those who fail to realise two important facts3 7#a7 ,the word ,passover is frequently used for the entire ,feast of ,unleavened ,bread 7see ,luke xxii4 #a74 ,this is the regular usage of ,st4 ,john throughout his ,gospel2 yet many assume that in his story of the ,passion ,passover must mean ,passover ,day4 7#b7 ,the preparation of the ,passover 7see ,john xix4 #ad7 does not mean1 as many suppose1 the preparation for the paschal feast1 but the preparation for the ,sabbath4 ,this is in fact proved1 not only by ,mark xv4 #db1 but by a subsequent reference in the same ,gospel 7,john xix4 #ca74 ,suppose the paschal feast to have been eaten on ,thursday night1 ,friday would still be the preparation day of the ,passover1 inasmuch as the next day 7,saturday7 was the ,sabbath of the ,passover4 ,if these facts be borne in mind1 little difficulty will remain in accepting as the order of events that our ,lord kept the ,passover at the proper time1 on the evening of the #adth ,nisan 7,thursday71 died on the afternoon of the #aeth 7,friday71 lay in the grave over the ,sabbath 7,saturday1 #afth ,nisan71 and rose on the morning of the #agth1 the first day of the week4 #bh ,see the interesting discussion on the arrangement of the table in ,edersheim1 ,life and ,times of ,jesus the ,messiah1 vol4 ii41 p4 #did4 #bi ,the high ,sacramentarian view of the ,lord's ,supper is not only at variance with the simple and obvious meaning of the central words of institution1 but seems to disregard in the most wanton manner the plainest statements of the very authority on which the ordinance is based4 ,according to the ,gospel it was as they were eating that ,jesus took the bread and gave it to the disciples2 according to the ,ritualist it ought to be before anything else has touched the lips4 ,for their mystical act of consecration on the part of the priest1 all they can find either in gospel or epistle is the simple giving of thanks 7that blessed of ver4 #bf is the same act precisely is obvious by comparing the corresponding passages in the other ,gospels and in the first ,epistle to the ,corinthians--xi4 #bd72 while in opposition to the emphatic ,drink ye all of it the cup has been refused by the ,church of ,rome to the great majority of her communicants6 #cj ,see ,zech4 ix4 #i1 xi4 #ab1 xiii4 #g4 #ca ,gethsemane means oil-press4 #cb ,observe the emphatic word1 began to be sorrowful 7ver4 #cg74 #cc ,the word friend is too strong4 ,it is not the same word our ,lord uses when ,he says3 ,i have not called you servants1 ,i have called you friends2 it is a word which indicates not heart-friendship1 but that familiar intercourse which is supposed to take place only between friends4 ,the selection of the word is a striking illustration of our ,lord's carefulness of the claims of sincerity and truth1 while ,he is anxious if possible to use a word that will touch the traitor's heart4 #cd ,it is most instructive at this point to note the extreme condensation of this report of the trial before ,pilate4 ,this is especially noticeable at the first stage of the trial4 ,in the fuller reports by ,st4 ,john 7xviii4 #bi-ch7 we find indeed the question1 ,art thou king of the ,jews8 7v4 #cc71 and the answer1 ,thou sayest 7v4 #cg72 but how much more besides6 ,so is it beyond question in many other places where there is not the same opportunity of supplying what has been omitted4 ,if this were always borne in mind in reading the ,gospels1 we should avoid many difficulties1 which have often needlessly perplexed the best of people4 ,there is often much to read between the lines1 and not only so1 but much between the lines we cannot read1 the knowledge of which would make crooked things straight and rough places plain4 ,the difficulty of accurately realising a complex scene from a report of it which1 however accurate1 is highly condensed1 ought to be always present to the minds of readers of the ,gospels1 and ought to be a check on those who attribute to the mistakes of the writers what in all probability is due to the ignorance of the readers--ignorance1 it may be1 of some little matter of detail1 or some comparatively unimportant saying1 the knowledge of which would at once clear up a difficulty which to the unaided imagination may appear insoluble4 #ce ,the reference is inserted in our ,authorised ,version1 but without sufficient authority4 ,the ,revised ,version properly omits it4 #cf ,from the top to the bottom1--rent1 therefore1 by no human hand4 ,,xx4 ,,the ,,third ,,day4 ,,matt4 xxvii4 #eg-xxviii4 #ae4 ,now that the atoning work of ,christ is finished1 the story proceeds with rapidity to its close4 ,it was the work of the ,evangelist to give the history of the incarnate ,son of ,god2 and now that the flesh is laid aside1 it is necessary only to give such notes of subsequent events as shall preserve the continuity between the prophetic and priestly work of ,christ on earth which it had been ,his vocation to describe1 and the royal work which1 as exalted ,prince and ,saviour1 it still remained for ,him to do4 ,we need not wonder1 then1 that the record of the three days should be quite brief1 and of the forty days briefer still4 ,this brevity is a note of truthfulness4 ,the old idea of deliberate falsehood having been quite given up1 reliance is placed1 by those who wish to discredit the gospel witnesses1 on the suggestion that the records of the resurrection are the result of fancy crystallising into so-called fact4 ,but not only was there no time1 between the death of ,christ and the latest date which can be assigned for the writing of the first ,gospel1 for the process of crystallisation1 but had there been such a process1 the result would have been very different4 ,had fancy1 and not observation1 been the source1 how comes it that nothing is told but what came within the range of actual vision8 ,why is there not a word about ,christ's entry into ,paradise1 or descent into ,hades8 ,what a fruitful field for fancy here6--yet there is not even a hint2 for it is not from anything in the ,gospels1 but solely from a passage in one of the ,epistles1 that the doctrine of the descent into ,hades has been derived4 ,there is not a word or a hint of anything that passed in the unseen2 a plain statement of what was done with the body of ,jesus is absolutely all4 ,clearly it is not myth1 but history1 with which here we have to do4 ,the ,evening of the ,first ,day 7vv4 #eg-fa74 ,day was passing into evening when ,jesus yielded up ,his spirit2 for the early evening according to the ,jewish reckoning began at the ninth hour4 ,it was probably some time after this--perhaps towards the later evening1 which began about the twelfth hour 7six o'clock7--that ,joseph of ,arimatha thought of claiming the body to give it honourable burial4 ,why should such a duty have fallen to a stranger8 ,where were the eleven8 ,had none of them so far recovered from their fear8 ,where was ,peter8 might not his penitence for the past have impelled him to come forward now8 ,where was ,john8 ,he had taken the mother of ,jesus to his own home2 but why did he not come back to see what he could do for the sacred body8 ,how can they all leave this tender office to a stranger8 ,it may be thought by some sufficient answer simply to say1 ,so the ,lord willed it1 and so the ,scripture was fulfilled which intimated that ,he ,who had died with the wicked should be with the rich in ,his death2 but is there not more than this to be said8 ,is not the disappearance of the eleven and the coming forward of the two secret disciples 7for as we learn from the fourth ,gospel1 ,nicodemus--another secret disciple--appears a little later on the scene7 true to human nature8 ,let us remember that the faith of the eleven1 while much superior to that of the two1 was from the nature of the case exposed to a counter-current of feeling1 of which neither ,joseph nor ,nicodemus could know anything4 ,they had committed themselves and their all to ,jesus1 as ,joseph and ,nicodemus had never done4 ,the consequence was that when the terrible tempest broke on ,him1 it came with all its force on them too4 ,but ,joseph and ,nicodemus had not as yet ventured their all--had not1 it would appear1 as yet ventured anything for ,christ4 ,they were looking on at the storm1 as it were1 from the shore2 so they could stand it1 as those who were in the very midst of it could not4 ,they could stand beholding4 ,not having made themselves known1 they were not exposed to personal danger1 hence were in a position calmly and thoughtfully to watch the progress of events4 ,we can imagine them first looking towards ,calvary from afar1 and then1 as the darkness favoured a timid approach1 drawing nearer and nearer1 and at last coming within the spell of the ,divine ,sufferer4 ,as they witnessed ,his patient endurance1 they would become more and more ashamed of their half-hearted sympathy1 ashamed to think that though they had not consented to the counsel and deed of the rest 7,luke xxiii4 #ea2 ,john vii4 #ej1 #ea71 they had not had courage to offer any serious opposition4 ,they would feel1 as they thought of this1 as if they shared the responsibility of what must now appear to them an awful crime2 and so1 looking to ,him whom they had pierced1 they would mourn2 and1 brought at last to decision by ,his death 7,john xii4 #cb71 first ,joseph1 and after him ,nicodemus1 came out boldly1 the one asking for the body of ,jesus1 the other joining him in those tender and reverent ministrations which all that was best in them now constrained them to render4 ,the sad duty hastily but tenderly and fitly done1 a great stone is rolled to the door of the sepulchre1 and they depart4 ,but the sepulchre is not deserted yet4 ,what are these figures in the dusk1 these women that advance as the others retire8 ,while the two men were busy they have been keeping at a discreet and respectful distance2 but now that all is silent at the tomb1 they draw nearer1 and though night is coming on apace1 they cannot leave it1 and the story of the long day ends with this pathetic touch3 ,and ,mary ,magdalene was there1 and the other ,mary1 sitting over against the sepulchre4 ,the ,second ,day 7vv4 #fb-ff74 ,it was the ,jewish ,sabbath4 ,the ,evangelist for some reason avoids the common designation1 preferring to speak of it as the day after the preparation--whether it was that he shrank from mentioning the ,sabbath in such a connection1 or whether it was that the great event of the preparation day had such complete possession of his mind that he must date from it1 we shall not attempt to decide4 ,this is the only record we have of that ,sabbath day except that ,st4 ,luke tells us that on it the women rested according to the commandment4 ,but the enemies of ,jesus could not rest4 ,they were uneasy and troubled now that the deed was done4 ,they could not but have been impressed with the bearing of their ,victim1 and with all the portents which accompanied ,his end4 ,it was natural1 therefore1 that words of ,his1 which when reported to them before had not seemed worth noticing1 should come back to them now with fateful force4 ,after three days ,i will rise again was what ,he had often said4 ,what if ,he should rise8 we must see that ,he does not4 ,it would never do1 however1 to confess to such a fear2 but they may get all needful precautions taken by suggesting that there was danger of the disciples stealing the body1 and then saying that ,he had risen4 ,on this pretext they get a guard from ,pilate1 and authority to seal the sepulchre4 ,having thus made all secure1 they can sleep in peace4 ,the ,morning of the ,third ,day 7xxviii4 #a-ae74 ,the women1 having rested on the ,sabbath according to the commandment1 knew nothing of what had been done at the tomb that day1 so1 as they set out before daybreak on the third morning1 they only thought of the great stone1 and wondered how it could be rolled away2 but when they came1 the sun just rising as they reached the spot1 they found the stone already rolled away1 and an angel of the ,lord at the tomb1 so lustrous in the livery of heaven that the keepers had quailed in his presence and were powerless to interfere4 ,the awe with which the sight would naturally inspire the women also was mingled with joy as they heard his kindly greeting and sympathetic words4 ,altogether worthy of an angel from heaven are the words he is reported to have spoken4 ,there is first the tender response to their looks of dread--,fear not ye1 as if to say1 ,these others well may fear1 for there is nothing in common between them and me2 but with you it is different3 ,i know that ye seek ,jesus1 ,which was crucified4 ,then there is the joyful news3 ,he is not here2 for ,he is risen1 as ,he said3 and as he observes their look of half-incredulous wonder he kindly adds1 to let their sight be helper to their faith1 ,come1 see the place where the ,lord lay4 ,then he gives them the honour of carrying the glad tidings to the other disciples1 and assuring them that the ,divine ,shepherd will meet them all in ,galilee according to ,his word4 ,at this point we encounter one of the chief difficulties to be found in ,st4 ,matthew's record of the resurrection4 ,there are indeed several particulars in this ,gospel1 as well as in the others1 which it is difficult to fit into a connected account embracing all the facts2 but as every person of even moderate intelligence knows that the same difficulty is met in comparing various truthful accounts of any great event in which details are many and complex1 it is only the most unreasoning prejudice that can find in this an excuse for doubting the credibility of the writers4 ,rather is this feature of the records a distinct note of truthfulness2 for1 had it been easy to fit each fact into its exact place in all the other accounts1 we should have heard from the very same doubters1 and with far better reason1 that there was every sign of its being a made-up story4 ,all the four accounts are brief and fragmentary2 there is evidently no attempt whatever to relate all that took place1 and we should need to know all in order to form a complete picture of the entire series of events which glorified the first ,easter ,day4 ,we must therefore be content with the four vivid pictures given us1 without insisting on what with our imperfect knowledge is perhaps the impossible task of so combining them as to have one great canvas embracing all the details in each of the four4 ,the account before us is the briefest of all1 and therefore it would be especially out of place in dealing with this ,gospel to attempt to fill up the blanks and construct a consecutive history of all that took place on that eventful day4 ,but there is one point with which it is especially necessary to deal in considering ,st4 ,matthew's account of the resurrection--viz41 the prominence given to the appearance of the ,lord to ,his disciples in ,galilee--whereas in the fuller records of the third and fourth ,gospels1 not ,galilee1 but ,jerusalem and its vicinity1 is the region where ,he makes ,himself known4 ,those who are anxious to make the most of this difficulty are much disappointed to find the ninth verse in their way4 ,wishing to prove a sharp contradiction1 as if the one said the ,lord appeared only in ,galilee1 and the other that ,he appeared only in ,jerusalem and its neighbourhood1 they are naturally vexed to find one of the ,jerusalem appearances actually mentioned here4 ,the attempt has accordingly been made to discredit it2 but in vain4 ,it stands there an unquestionable part of the original text4 ,so we must bear in mind that ,st4 ,matthew not only does not assert that it was only in ,galilee that our ,lord appeared1 but he expressly mentions one appearance in ,jerusalem4 ,on the other hand1 while ,st4 ,mark mentions no appearance in ,galilee1 he does mention the ,lord's promise to meet ,his disciples there1 and leaves it distinctly to be inferred that it was fulfilled4 ,st4 ,luke1 indeed1 makes no mention of ,galilee at all2 but there is abundance of room for it3 for while he occupies almost all his space with the record of one day1 he tells us in the beginning of his second volume 7,acts i4 #c7 that ,christ showed ,himself alive after ,his passion by many infallible proofs1 being seen of them forty days1 and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of ,god4 ,st4 ,john also confines himself to what took place at ,jerusalem2 but in the interesting appendix to that ,gospel there is a striking account of a meeting with the eleven in ,galilee--evidently not the same one which is recorded here1 but another of the same1 affording one more specimen of meetings which were no doubt frequently repeated during the forty days4 ,it is abundantly evident1 therefore1 that there is no contradiction whatever4 ,still the question remains1 ,why does ,st4 ,matthew make so little of what the others make so much of1 and so much of what the others make so little of8 ,in answer we might first ask whether this was not in every way to be expected and desired4 ,if1 as evidently was the case1 there were manifestations of the risen ,lord both in the south and in the north1 and if we were to have several accounts1 was it not desirable that one at least should make it his specialty to bring into prominence the appearances in the north8 ,and if so1 who could do it more appropriately than ,matthew the publican of ,galilee8 ,the favour shown his own northern land had most deeply impressed his mind4 ,it will be remembered that he passed over entirely the early ,judan ministry recorded by ,st4 ,john1 and rejoiced in the ,galilean ministry as the dawning of the new ,day according to the words of ancient prophecy 7,matt4 iv4 #ad-af74 ,furthermore1 there is every reason to suppose that it was not till they met in ,galilee that the scattered flock of the disciples was gathered all together4 ,the appearances in ,jerusalem were to individuals and to little companies2 whereas in ,galilee it would seem that ,he appeared to as many as five hundred at once 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #f72 and though the ,lord appeared to the ten 7,thomas being absent71 and again to the eleven1 before they left ,jerusalem1 it is not to these occasions1 but rather to the meeting on the shore of the lake1 that we look for their fresh commission to address themselves again to their work as fishers of men4 ,this will appear more clearly if we bear in mind our ,lord's sad reference1 as the crisis approached1 to the scattering of the flock1 and ,his promise that after ,he had risen again ,he would go before them into ,galilee 7,matt4 xxvi4 #ca1 #cb74 ,we have here1 then 7ver4 #g71 a repetition of the same promise1 ,he goeth before you 7as the shepherd goes before his flock7 into ,galilee1 where all the scattered ones shall be gathered round the ,shepherd once again1 and thence sent out as under-shepherds 7see ,john xxi4 #ae-ag71 to gather in the rest of the flock that are scattered abroad4 ,the conduct of the chief priests and scribes 7vv4 #aa-ae7 is the natural sequel of their futile attempt to seal the sepulchre4 ,it is in vain to raise the objection1 as some do1 that it was too clumsy a device for men so astute2 for what else could they do8 ,it was indeed a poor evasion2 but1 baffled as they were1 no better was possible for them4 ,let the critic say what better expedient they could have thought of1 before he assigns its poverty as a reason for discrediting the story4 ,that ,st4 ,matthew1 and he alone1 records it1 is sufficiently accounted for by the fact that1 his being the first written ,gospel1 and moreover the ,gospel for the ,jew1 it behoved him to deal with a saying commonly reported among the ,jews until this day2 while its being recorded by him was a sufficient reason why no further notice should be taken of it1 when there was so much of greater importance to tell4 ,looking back on this very brief record of the great events of ,easter ,day1 nothing is more striking than the prominence of the women throughout4 ,it is a note of the new dispensation4 ,it must have been very strange to all the disciples1 and not least to the author of this ,gospel1 that woman1 who had been kept so far in the background1 treated almost as if her presence would pollute the sacred places1 should1 now that the veil was rent in twain from the top to the bottom1 not only enter into the sacred presence of the risen ,lord as the equal of her brother man1 but should be there before him1--that a woman's eyes should be the first to see ,him1 a group of women the first to receive ,his loving welcome and to fall in adoration at ,his sacred feet4 ,yet so it was4 ,not that there was any partiality4 ,in ,christ ,jesus there is neither male nor female4 ,it is not a question of sex2 it is a question of love and faith2 and it was because the love of these women was deeper1 and their fidelity greater1 than that of any of the men1 that they had this honour4 ,had the love of ,john been as all-engrossing as that of ,mary of ,magdala1 he would not have had to wait for the ,easter tidings till she had come to tell him4 ,it is not a question of faith alone1 but of faith and love4 ,the women's faith had failed them too4 ,it was with no hope of seeing a risen ,lord that they had gone to the tomb--it was with spices to finish the embalming of ,his dead body2 but their love1 love stronger than death1 even in the wreck of faith1 kept them near1 and so it was that1 when light first broke from out the darkness1 they were there to see4 ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,for ,,all ,,the ,,nations ,,through ,,all ,,the ,,days4 ,,matt4 xxviii4 #af-bj4 ,this brief concluding passage is all ,st4 ,matthew gives us of the thirty-nine days which followed the ,resurrection and preceded the ,ascension4 ,it would seem as if he fully realised that the manifestations of these days belonged rather to the heavenly than to the earthly work of ,jesus1 and that therefore1 properly speaking1 they did not fall within his province4 ,it was necessary that he should bear witness to the fact of the ,resurrection1 and that he should clearly set forth the authority under which the first preachers of the gospel acted4 ,having accomplished both1 he rests from his long labour of love4 ,that the commission of the eleven was not restricted to this particular time and place is evident from notices in the other ,gospels 7,mark xvi4 #ae2 ,luke xxiv4 #dh2 ,john xx4 #ba-bc1 xxi4 #ae-ag72 but we can see many reasons why this occasion was preferred to all others4 ,we have already seen how natural it was that ,st4 ,matthew should call the attention of his readers to the appearances of the risen ,lord in ,galilee rather than to those in ,jerusalem and its vicinity2 and the more we think of it1 the more do we see the appropriateness of his singling out this one in particular4 ,it was the only formally appointed meeting of the ,lord with ,his disciples4 ,in every other case ,he came unannounced and unexpected2 but for this meeting there had been a distinct and definite appointment4 ,this consideration is one of many which render it probable that this was the occasion referred to by ,st4 ,paul when our ,lord was seen by above five hundred brethren at once2 for on the one hand there was nothing but a definite appointment that would bring so large a company together at any one point1 and on the other hand1 when such an appointment was made1 it is altogether natural to suppose that the news of it would spread far and wide1 and bring together1 not the eleven only1 but disciples from all parts of the land1 and especially from ,galilee1 where the greater number of them would no doubt reside4 ,that ,st4 ,matthew mentions only the eleven may be accounted for by the object he has in view--viz41 to exhibit their apostolic credentials2 but even in his brief narrative there is one statement which is most easily understood on the supposition that a considerable number were present4 ,some doubted1 he says4 ,this would seem altogether natural on the part of those to whom this was the only appearance2 whereas it is difficult to suppose that any of the eleven could doubt after what they had seen and heard at ,jerusalem4 ,in any case1 the doubts were only temporary1 and were in all probability connected with the mode of ,his manifestation4 ,as on other occasions1 of which particulars are given in other ,gospels1 the ,lord would suddenly appear to the assembled company2 and we can well understand how1 when first ,his form was seen1 ,he should not be recognised by all2 so that1 while all would be solemnised1 and bow in adoration1 some might not be altogether free from doubt4 ,but the doubts would disappear as soon as ,he opened ,his mouth and taught them1 as of old4 ,to make these doubts1 as some do1 a reason for discrediting the testimony of all is surely the very height of perversity4 ,all the disciples were doubters at the first4 ,but they were all convinced in the end4 ,and the very fact that it was so hard to convince them1 when they were first confronted with so unexpected an event as the ,lord's appearing to them after ,his death1 gives largely increased value to their unfaltering certainty ever afterwards1 through all the persecution and sufferings1 even unto death1 to which their preaching the fact of the ,resurrection exposed them4 ,as ,galilee was the most convenient place#cg for a large public gathering of disciples1 so a mountain was the most convenient spot1 not only because of its seclusion1 but because it would give the best opportunity for all to see and hear4 ,what mountain it was we can only conjecture4 ,perhaps it was the mount on which the great ,sermon was delivered which gave the first outline sketch of the kingdom now to be formally established2 perhaps it was the mount which had already been honoured as the scene of the ,transfiguration2 but wherever it was1 the associations with the former mountain scenes in ,galilee would be fresh and strong in the disciples' minds4 ,the choice of a mountain in the north was moreover suitable as signalising the setting aside of ,mount ,zion and ,jerusalem as the seat of empire4 ,from this point of view we can see still another reason why ,st4 ,matthew1 the ,evangelist for the ,jew1 should mention the formal inauguration of the new kingdom in the north4 ,the rejection of the ,messiah by ,his own people had gone very deeply to the heart of the author of this ,gospel4 ,he certainly never obtrudes his feelings1 even when they are strongest1 as is most strikingly apparent in his calm record of the ,passion itself2 but there are many things which show how keenly he felt on this point4 ,recall how he tells us on the one hand that ,herod the king was troubled1 and all ,jerusalem with him1 when the report was spread abroad that the ,christ was born in ,bethlehem1 and on the other that the wise men from the ,east rejoiced with exceeding great joy4 ,remember how he speaks of ,galilee of the ,gentiles as rejoicing in the great light which had been unnoticed or unwelcome in ,jerusalem1 and how he calls special attention to the coasts of ,csarea ,philippi1 the utmost corner of the land1 as the place where the ,church was founded4 ,and now1 having recorded the ,lord's final and formal entry into the ancient capital to claim the throne of ,david1 only to be despised and rejected1 mocked and scourged and crucified1 it is natural that1 as the ,evangelist for the ,jew1 he should pass away from what he often fondly calls the holy ,city1#ch but which is now to him an accursed place1 to those calm regions of the north which were associated in his mind with the first shining of the light1 with so many words of wisdom spoken by the ,lord1 with the doing of most of ,his mighty deeds1 with the founding of the ,church1 and with the glory of the ,transfiguration4 ,the words of the ,lord on this last occasion are worthy of all that has gone before4 ,let all doubters ponder well the significance of this4 ,suppose for a moment that the story of the ,resurrection had been only the passion of a hallucinated woman1 as ,renan puts it1 and then consider the position4 ,no one of course denies that up to the moment of death there was a veritable ,jesus1 whose sayings and doings supplied the material for the history2 but now that the hero is dead and gone1 where are the materials8 ,the fishermen and publicans are on their own resources now4 ,they have to make everything out of nothing4 ,surely1 therefore1 there must be now a swift descent2 no more of those noble utterances to which we have been accustomed hitherto--only inventions of the poor publican now4 ,no more breadth of view--only ,jewish narrowness now4 ,it was about this very time that the disciples asked1 ,lord1 wilt ,thou at this time restore the kingdom to ,israel8 ,suppose1 then1 these men obliged themselves to invent a ,great ,commission1 how narrow and provincial will it be6 ,is there1 then1 such a swift descent8 ,are not the reported words of the risen ,lord--not in this ,gospel merely1 but in all the ,gospels--as noble1 as impressive1 as divine as any that have been preserved to us1 from the years of ,his life in the flesh8 ,search through this ,gospel1 and say if there can be found anywhere an utterance that has more of the ,king in it1 that is more absolutely free from all ,jewish narrowness and from all human feebleness1 than this ,great ,commission which forms its magnificent close4 ,it is very plain that these simple artists have their subject still before them4 ,manifestly they are not drawing from imagination1 but telling what they heard and saw4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is an unapproachable majesty in the words which makes one shrink from touching them4 ,they seem to rise before us like a great mountain which it would be presumption to attempt to scale4 ,what a mighty range they take1 up to heaven1 out to all the earth1 down to the end of time6--and all so calm1 so simple1 so strong1 so sure4 ,if1 as ,he finished the ,sermon on the ,mount1 the multitude were astonished1 much more must these have been astonished who first listened to this amazing proclamation4 ,all authority hath been given unto ,me in heaven and on earth 7,r4,v474 ,what words are these to come from ,one ,who has just been put to death for claiming to be the king of the ,jews6 ,king of kings and ,lord of lords is the title now ,he claims4 ,and yet it is as ,son of man ,he speaks4 ,he does not speak as ,god1 and say1 ,all authority is ,mine3 ,he speaks as the man ,christ ,jesus1 saying1 ,all authority has been given unto ,me--given as the purchase of ,his pain3 authority in heaven1 as ,priest with ,god--authority on earth1 as ,king of men4 ,having thus laid broad and deep and strong the foundations of the new kingdom1 ,he sends the heralds forth3 ,go ye therefore1 and make disciples of all the nations1 baptising them into the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost3 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i commanded you 7,r4,v474 ,these are simple words and very familiar now1 and a distinct effort is needed to realise how extraordinary they are1 as spoken then and there to that little company4 ,all nations are to be discipled and brought under ,his sway1--such is the commission2 and to whom is it given8 ,not to ,imperial ,csar1 with his legions at command and the civilised world at his feet2 not to a company of intellectual giants1 who by the sheer force of genius might turn the world upside down2 but to these obscure ,galileans of whom ,csar has never heard1 not one of whose names has ever been pronounced in the ,roman ,senate1 who have excited no wonder either for intellect or learning even in the villages and country-sides from which they come1--it is to these that the great commission is given to bring the world to the feet of the crucified ,nazarene4 ,imagine a nineteenth-century critic there1 and listening4 ,he would not have said a word4 ,it would have been beneath his notice4 ,a curl of the lip would have been all the recognition he would have deigned to give4 ,yes1 how ludicrous it seems in the light of reason6 ,but in the light of history is it not sublime8 ,the hidden power lay in the conjunction3 ,go ye therefore4 ,it would have been the height of folly to have gone on such an errand in their own strength2 but why should they hesitate to go in the name and at the bidding of ,one to ,whom all authority had been given in heaven and on earth8 ,yet the power is not delegated to them4 ,it remains1 and must remain with ,him4 ,it is not1 ,all authority is given unto you4 ,they must keep in closest touch with ,him1 wherever they go on this extraordinary mission4 ,how this may be will presently appear4 ,the two branches into which the commission divides--,baptising them into the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost1 ,teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i commanded you--correspond to the twofold authority on which it is based4 ,by virtue of ,his authority in heaven1 ,he authorises ,his ambassadors to baptise people of all nations who shall become ,his disciples into the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,thus would they be acknowledged as children of the great family of ,god1 accepted by the ,father as washed from sin through the blood of ,jesus ,christ ,his ,son1 and sanctified by the grace of ,his ,holy ,spirit--the sum of saving truth suggested in a single line4 ,in the same way1 by virtue of ,his authority on earth1 ,he authorises ,his disciples to publish ,his commands so as to secure the obedience of all the nations1 and yet not of constraint1 but willingly1 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you4 ,easily said2 but how shall it be done8 ,we can imagine the feeling of bewilderment and helplessness with which the disciples would listen to their marching orders1 until all was changed by the simple and sublime assurance at the close3 ,and lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,this assurance is perhaps the strangest part of all1 as given to a company1 however small1 who were to be scattered abroad in different directions1 and who were commissioned to go to the very ends of the earth4 ,how could it be fulfilled8 ,there is nothing in ,st4 ,matthew's narrative to explain the difficulty4 ,we know1 indeed1 from other sources what explains it4 ,it is the ,ascension--the return of the ,king to the heaven whence ,he came1 to resume ,his omnipresent glory1 by virtue of which alone ,he can fulfil the promise ,he has made4 ,this brings us to a question of considerable importance3 ,why is it that ,st4 ,matthew gives no record of the ,ascension1 and does not even hint what became of the risen ,christ after this last recorded interview with ,his disciples8 ,it seems to us that a sufficient reason is found in the object which ,st4 ,matthew had in view1 which was to set forth the establishment of the kingdom of ,christ upon earth as foretold by the prophets and expected by the saints of old2 and inasmuch as it is ,christ's kingdom on earth which he has mainly in view1 he does not call special attention to ,his return to heaven1 but rather to that earthly fact which was the glorious result of it--viz41 ,his abiding presence with ,his people on the earth4 ,had he finished his ,gospel with the ,ascension1 the last impression left on the reader's mind would have been of ,christ in heaven at the right hand of ,god--a glorious thought indeed1 but not the one it was his special aim and object to convey4 ,but1 concluding as he does1 the last impression on the reader's mind is of ,christ abiding on the earth1 and with all ,his people even to the end of the world--a most cheering1 comforting1 and stimulating thought4 ,to the devout reader of this ,gospel it is as if his ,lord had never left the earth at all1 but had suddenly clothed ,himself with omnipresence1 so that1 however far apart ,his disciples might be scattered in ,his service1 each one of them might at any moment see ,his face1 and hear ,his voice of cheer1 and feel ,his touch of sympathy1 and draw on ,his reserve of power4 ,thus was it made quite plain1 how they could keep in closest touch with ,him to ,whom was given all authority in heaven and on earth4 ,after all1 is it quite correct to say that ,st4 ,matthew omits the ,ascension8 ,what was the ,ascension8 ,we think of it as a going up2 but that is to speak of it after the manner of men4 ,in the kingdom of heaven there is no geographical up or down4 ,the ,ascension really meant the laying aside of earthly limitations and the resumption of divine glory with its omnipresence and eternity2 and is not this included in these closing words8 ,may we not fancy one of these doubting ones 7ver4 #ag71 who trembled in the presence of that ,form in which the ,lord appeared to them upon the mount1 recalling afterwards the supreme moment when the words ,lo1 ,i am with you1 entered into his soul1 in language such as this3 ,then did the ,form expand1 expand-- ,i knew ,him through the dread disguise1 ,as the whole ,god within ,his eyes ,embraced me-- an embrace in which he remained1 when the ,form had vanished4 ,the ,ascension is all in that wonderful ,i am4 ,it is not the first time we have heard it4 ,among ,his last words in ,capernaum1 when the ,saviour was thinking of ,his ,church in the ages to come1 gathered together in companies in all the lands where disciples should meet in ,his name1 the great thought takes ,him for the moment out of the limitations of ,his earthly life2 it carries ,him back1 or rather lifts ,him up1 to the eternal sphere from which ,he has come to earth1 so that ,he uses not the future of time1 but the present of eternity3 ,there am ,i in the midst of them 7xviii4 #bj74 ,a still more striking example has been preserved by ,st4 ,john4 ,when on one occasion ,he spoke of ,abraham as seeing ,his day1 the ,jews interrupted ,him with the question1 ,thou art not yet fifty years old1 and hast ,thou seen ,abraham8 ,recognising in this a challenge of ,his relation to that timeless1 dateless sphere from which ,he has come1 ,he promptly replies1 ,before ,abraham was1#ci ,i am4 ,it is as if a foreigner1 speaking perfectly the language of the country of his adoption1 were suddenly betrayed into a form of expression which marked his origin4 ,that was a momentary relapse1 as it were1 into the language of eternity2 but this last ,i am marks a change in ,his relations to ,his disciples3 it is the note of the new dispensation of the ,spirit4 ,these forty days were a transition time marked by special manifestations--not wholly material as in the days of the ,incarnation1 nor wholly spiritual as in the days after ,pentecost2 but on the borderland between the two1 so as to prepare the minds and hearts of the disciples for the purely spiritual relation which was thenceforward to be the rule4 ,whichever appearance was the last to any disciple would be the ,ascension to him4 ,to very many in that large gathering this would be the ,saviour's last appearance4 ,it was in all probability the time when the great majority of the disciples bade farewell to the ,form of their risen ,lord4 ,may we not1 then1 call this the ,ascension in ,galilee8 ,and just as the parting on the ,mount of ,olives left as its deepest impression the withdrawal of the man ,christ ,jesus1 with the promise of ,his return in like manner1 so the parting on the mount in ,galilee left as its deepest impression not the withdrawal of the human form1 but the permanent abiding of the ,divine ,spirit--a portion of the truth of the ,ascension quite as important as the other1 and even more inspiring4 ,no wonder that the great announcement which is to be the ,christian's title-deed1 for all ages to come1 of ,god's unspeakable gift1 should be introduced with a summons to adoring wonder3 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,the ,gospel ends by removing from itself all limitations of time and space extending the day of the ,incarnation to all the days1 enlarging the ,holy ,land to embrace all lands4 ,the times of the ,son of man are widened so as to embrace all times4 ,the great name ,immanuel 7i4 #bc7 is now fulfilled for all the nations and for all the ages4 ,for what is this finished ,gospel but the interpretation1 full and clear at last1 of that great ,name of the old covenant1 the name ,jehovah3 ,i ,,am1 ,i ,,am ,,that ,i ,,am 7,exod4 iii4 #ad78 ,all of the ,old ,testament revelation is gathered up in this final utterance1 ,i ,,am--with you2 and it has in it by anticipation all that will be included in that last word of the risen ,saviour3 ,i am ,alpha and ,omega1 the ,beginning and the ,end1 the ,first and the ,last 7,rev4 xxii4 #ac74 ,this last sentence of the ,gospel distinguishes the life of ,jesus from all other histories1 biographies1 or remains4 ,it is the one ,life in all literature4 ,these years were not spent as a tale that is told4 ,the ,lord ,jesus lives in ,his gospel1 so that all who receive ,his final promise may catch the light of ,his eye1 feel the touch of ,his hand1 hear the tones of ,his voice1 see for themselves1 and become acquainted with ,him ,whom to know is ,life ,eternal4 ,fresh and new1 and rich and strong1 for all the days1 this ,gospel is not the record of a past1 but the revelation of a present ,saviour1 of ,one ,whose voice sounds deep and clear across all storms of life3 ,fear not3 ,i am the ,first and the ,last3 ,i am ,he that liveth and was dead2 and behold ,i ,,am ,,alive ,,for ,,evermore4 #cg ,the number at ,jerusalem at the time of the ,ascension was only a hundred and twenty 7,acts i4 #ae74 #ch ,st4 ,matthew alone of the ,evangelists uses this designation4 #ci ,the full significance of the original can scarcely be given in ,english4 ,the ,greek language1 rich in the vocabulary of philosophy1 has two verbs corresponding to our to be1 one indicating phenomenal1 the other absolute being4 ,it is the former which is used of ,abraham2 the latter is used by our ,lord in speaking of ,himself4 ,there is1 therefore1 more than a difference of tense4 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 #ahhi-ij4 ,crown #hvo4 ,cloth4 ,price #gs4 #f;d4 each4 ,,judges ,,and ,,ruth4 ,by the ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,m4,a4 ,,the ,,prophecies ,,of ,,jeremiah4 ,by the ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,,ball1 ,m4,a41 ,chaplain of ,lincoln's ,inn4 ,,the ,,prophecies ,,of ,,isaiah4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,completing the ,work4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,george ,,adam ,,smith1 ,m4,a4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,st4 ,,matthew4 ,by the ,rev4 ,t4 ,,monro ,,gibson1 ,d4,d41 ,london1 ,author of ,the ,mosaic ,era1 etc4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,exodus4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,chadwick1 ,d4,d41 ,dean of ,armagh4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,,acts ,,of ,,the ,,apostles4 ,by the ,rev4 ,g4 ,t4 ,,stokes1 ,d4,d41 ,professor of ,ecclesiastical ,history in the ,university of ,dublin4 #ahhh-hi4 ,crown #hvo4 ,cloth4 ,price #gs4 #f;d4 each4 ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,galatians4 ,by the ,rev4 ,professor ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a41 ,headingley ,college1 ,leeds4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,isaiah4 ,chaps4 ,i4 to ,,xxxix4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,george ,,adam ,,smith1 ,m4,a41 ,aberdeen4 ,,the ,,pastoral ,,epistles4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,alfred ,,plummer1 ,d4,d41 ,master of ,university ,college1 ,durham4 ,,the ,,first ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,corinthians4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,second ,edition4 ,,the ,,revelation ,,of ,,st4 ,,john4,by the ,rev4 ,professor ,w4 ,,milligan1 ,d4,d41 of the ,university of ,aberdeen4 ,,the ,,epistles ,,of ,,st4 ,,john4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 ,w4 ,,alexander1 ,d4,d41 ,d4,c4,l41 ,lord ,bishop of ,derry and ,raphoe4 #ahhg-hh4 ,crown #hvo4 ,cloth4 ,price #gs4 #f;d4 each4 ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,colossians4 ,by ,,alexander ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d41 of ,manchester4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,according ,,to ,,st4 ,,mark4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,chadwick1 ,d4,d41 ,dean of ,armagh4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,genesis4 ,by the ,rev4 ,professor ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,,the ,,first ,,book ,,of ,,samuel4 ,by the ,rev4 ,professor ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,,the ,,second ,,book ,,of ,,samuel4 ,by the same ,author4 ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,hebrews4 ,by the ,rev4 ,principal ,t4 ,c4 ,,edwards1 ,m4,a4