risee besought him i the Pharisee wondered to see him lie down to Pharisee saw it, he dinner without washing his hands first. See notes [a] [b] on Mark vii. 3. marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. 39 And the Lord clean the outside of said unto him, Now Ye hypocritical Pharisees wash yourselves, as if do ye Pharisees make a man should wash his vessels, the outside of them the cup and the plat- only, leaving the insides of them full of all filthiness; ter; but your inward for thus do ye wash your bodies, leaving your souls part is full of raven- full of all uncleanness. ing and wickedness. 40 Ye fools, did not 40. This is an extreme folly; for if your outward he that made that washings were in obedience to God, you would cleanse which is without the insides, your hearts and souls also, as well as your make that which is within also? bodies. 41 But rather 41. The best way of purifying yourselves, estates, 7 give alms of meats, and drinks, &c., from all pollution cleaving to [c] such things as ye have; and, be- them, is (instead of that which you Pharisees attempt hold, all things are by washing your hands, your vessels, &c.) by works [d] clean unto you. of mercy, and liberal almsgiving; as far as you are 42 But woe unto able, restoring to the injured, or, if there be not place you, Pharisees! for for that, giving to those that want. ye 8 tithe mint and rue and all manner 1 anise and cummin, Matt. xxiii. 23, and so also of of herbs, and pass rue, and every the meanest herb that grows in your over judgment and the love of God: garden, and omit the principal duties both to God and these ought ye to man. These are the main things which God requires have done, and not of you, though those other lower performances ought to leave the other not to be omitted, of paying tithes exactly, according to the law and custom among you. undone. consistories, Matt. xxiii. 6. m syna 43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the m gogues, and greetings in the markets. 44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for grown over with grass, and they which see the ye are as graves which appear not, specious outsides of them, Matt. xxiii. 27, know not and the men that what is within, viz., bones of dead men and putrefacwalk over them are tion, and so are polluted by them: (see note [g] on not aware of them. Matt. xxiii.) 45 ¶ Then answer n ed one of the law- • doctors of the law, members of the sanhedrin, or yers, and said unto consistories, and saith unto him, This speech of thine * violence and villainy, åpπayîs kai πovпplas: see note [h] on 1 Cor. v. 7 what you have or are able, give alms, or in alms. 8 pay tithes of, ἀποδεκατοῦτε. HAMMOND, VOL. I. U him, Master, thus seems to reflect on us, and the gravity that belongs to saying thou re- our places and persons, and is a reproach to us. proachest us also. 46 And he said, P Woe unto you also, P And ye certainly are not free; ye are they which ye lawyers! for ye lay heavy tasks on others, and think not yourselves lade men with bur dens grievous to be obliged to perform or undergo any part of them. borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe unto you! that 47, 48. Woe be to you for that hypocrisy of yours, for ye [e] build the in appearing to bear such respect as to rebuild the sepulchres of the pro- tombs of those prophets whom your fathers killed; phets, and your fathers killed them. you yourselves having as bloody thoughts against 48 10 Truly ye bear those that are now sent to you, and being ready to fill witness that ye allow up their measure of bloodguiltiness, Matt. xxiii. 32. the deeds of your By your adorning their sepulchres, ye bear witness fathers: 11 for they indeed killed them, your fathers killed the prophets, and at the same and ye build their time ye are well pleased with their works, that is, sepulchres. delighted in and meditate the like; and though ye 49 Therefore also say, Matt xxiii. 30, that if you had lived in their days said the wisdom of God, I will send them ye would not have put the prophets to death, yet by prophets and 12 apos- your present actions of persecuting me, and thirsting tles, and some of them after my blood, ye shew that such pretensions are but they shall slay and hypocrisy in you. persecute : 49. 50 That the blood And so clearly you are the people of whom God of all the prophets, hath prophesied that they will kill and persecute those which was shed from whom he sends to them; for this was begun by your the foundation of the fathers, and continued in you, and is like to be perworld, may be re- fected by you. quired of this gene- 50. And this is likely to be the effect of it; the Jews ration; 51 From the blood of this age shall undergo the severest vengeance that of Abel unto the all the murdering of God's prophets can bring on a blood of Zacharias, rebellious people. which perished be- 51. See note [g] Matt. xxiii. tween the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key I have robbed the people of that understanding of of knowledge: ye scripture which might make them embrace the gospel entered not in your now preached to them: ye will not receive the faith were entering in ye yourselves, and those which are inclinable to receive it ye hinder as much as you can. selves, and them that hindered. 53 And as he said 9 that, Ti. 10 Thus ye bear witness, and consent, or are well pleased with the deeds, *Αρα μαρτυρεῖτε καὶ συνευδοκεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις. 11 that, T. 12 messengers, ἀποστόλους. these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to 13 urge him ve- to express great anger (see note [a] Mark vi.) hemently, and to and indignation against him, and to propose many [f] provoke him things to him by way of question, that they might get somewhat from him, which being testified against him 54 Laying wait for might be matter of accusation. to speak of many things: him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him. innumerable multi CHAP. XII. IN the mean time, a Of all other dangers take special heed of the Phawhen there were ga- risees, see Matt. x. 17, (and Sadducees, Matt xvi. 6,) thered together an whose doctrine, expressed by leaven, Matt. xvi. 12, tude of people, inso- is full of hypocrisy, puffs them up into a great opinion much that they trode of their own sanctity, and hath an influence, like leaupon one another, ven, to the souring of all their actions; and accordhe began to say unto ingly these men, though they make a great show of his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the piety, and may be apt to deceive you, and make you leaven of the Pha- expect good from them, yet will they of all others be risees, which is hy- readiest to betray you, Matt. x. 17, &c. pocrisy. 2 For there is no 2, 3. This I say not that you should so beware as thing covered, that to be afraid of them, or conceal any part of your shall not be revealed; neither hid, that message; I only foretell you your danger that you may shall not be known. prudently combat with it, proclaim publicly to their 3 Therefore what- faces whatsoever you have been taught by me, and soever ye have spok- not only secretly and whisperingly, but publicly and en in darkness shall confidently beat down this hypocrisy and false docbe heard in the light; trines of theirs: (that that is the meaning of ver. 2, 3. have spoken in the appears by comparing them with Matt. x. 27, and ear in closets shall Mark iv. 22.) and that which ye be proclaimed upon the housetops. and after that have 4 And I say unto 4, 5. And let me tell you, as one friend would do you my friends, Be another that which is most for his interest, that these not afraid of them Pharisees at the utmost can but kill the body, and that kill the body, when that is done, there is an end of their malice; and no more that they therefore it is much wiser to fear displeasing of God, (as you will do, if for fear of men ye omit to discharge 5 But I will fore- your duty,) who, as he will cast both body and soul warn you whom ye into hell, upon disobedience and disloyalty to his which after he hath commands, so can, if he please, and will, if he see it killed hath power to best for you, preserve you in the midst of the greatcast into hell; yea, est dangers. can do. shall fear: Fear him, I say unto you, Fear him. 13 be sharply angry with him. 14 pose him concerning many things. one of them is for 6 Are not five spar- 6. This is a work of that providence of his that rows sold for two attendeth and watcheth over the smallest things in farthings, and not the world; the vilest sparrow or bird of the air, in gotten before God? every motion of it, is within the reach of God's care. 7 But even the very 7. And agreeably to that particular providence of hairs of your head his, which extendeth to every event, you may resolve are all numbered. of yourselves that God hath a most particular proye are of more value vidence over all that belongs to his servants. This than many sparrows. will fortify you against all fear, whatsoever your dangers are for sure there is more value set on you, and care taken for your preservation, than there is over all the sparrows that are in the world. Fear not therefore : 8 Also I say unto 8. And this encouragement you have, that your you, Whosoever shall fearless confession of Christ and his truth shall be reconfess me before men, him shall the warded with his owning you in the day of judgment Son of man also con- (which sure is more to your advantage than any thing fess before the angels you can acquire by compliance with the world). 9. Whereas the contrary fear, or cowardice, or fall of God: 9 But he that de God. nieth me before men ing off from your duty, shall cause Christ to disclaim shall be denied be- you when you have most need of him. fore the angels of 10. Here are added by St. Luke words spoken by Christ on another occasion, Matt. xii. 32, and seem to 10 And whosoever be applied by him to the aggravation of the sin of the shall speak a word against the Son of Pharisees, on occasion of whom this whole passage man, it shall be for- from ver. 1. was delivered; that they that by the given him: but unto meanness of Christ's human appearance are tempted him that blasphem- to deny him to be the Messias, and do accordingly eth against the Holy Ghost it shall not oppose him, may have some place for pardon, and be be forgiven. in some degree excusable; but they that attribute his works of power (his miracles done visibly by the fin ger of God) to the working of the devil in him, there 11 And when they is no place of excuse and mercy for them, if they do bring you unto the not, upon the resurrection of Christ, and the apostles' synagogues, and un- preaching it to them, return and repent, and effectually to magistrates, and receive Christ. powers, take ye no shall say: 11. This being said of them as in a parenthesis, he returns to other passages of that speech of Christ's, Matt. x. x. 9, When they bring you before consistories, (see note [d] Matt. vi., and note [b] James ii.) 12. See Mark xiii. 11. you in the same hour b what ye ought to say. Sir, there is a controversy between my brother 13 ¶ And one of and me about the dividing our patrimony; I desire to the company said avoid the delays of a suit at law, and to do as it is orunto him, "Master, dinary, refer it to arbitration, and who so fit as you speak to my brother, that he divide the our Master to conclude it between us your disciples inheritance with me, and followers? 14 And he said un- 14. But he (knowing what had happened to Moses to him, Man, who when he would have made peace among the Jews, made me a judge or Exod. ii. 14, Who made thee a prince or a judge over a divider over you? sesseth. parable unto them, 15 And he said un- us?) gave them an answer which the evangelist sets to them, Take heed, down in the same words wherein the Greek rendered and beware of covet- the Hebrew there, that is, I will not be liable to such ousness: for 1aman's life consisteth not in objections from men as were then ungratefully made the abundance of the against Moses, I will not meddle with your matters of things which he pos- interest, wherein he that is not awarded what he desires will think himself unjustly dealt with. 16 And he spake a 15. All that I shall say to you is, That the desire of saying, The ground wealth, the labour to increase your own by lessening of a certain rich man another man's possessions, the not being content with brought forth plen- what you have, is a sin of great danger, diligently to tifully: be avoided, and indeed that which doth no man any 17 And he thought within himself, say-good. For though possessions are useful to sustain ing, What shall I life, yet no man is able to prolong his life, or to make do, because I have it any thing more happy or comfortable to him, by no room where to possessing more than he needs or uses, that is, by any bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, superfluity of wealth. The only way to be the better This will I do: I for the wealth of the world is to dispose and distribute will pull down my it to the service of God, and benefit and comfort of barns, and build others, ver. 21. greater; and there 16. To which purpose Christ spake and applied the fruits and my goods. parable following, The ground will I bestow all my take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry; 19 And I will to say 17. And he contrived and cast within himself in my soul, Soul, thou his thoughts what he should do with all that plenty hast much goods laid which was so much greater than his barns could hold. up for many years; 18, 19. And his resolution was, that he would pull down his barns and build bigger, and lay up all in 20 But God said them, (never thinking of giving others any of that unto him, Thou fool, which he knew not what to do with,) and then he this night thy soul should be an happy man, have wealth enough for shall be required of thee: then whose many years plentiful, voluptuous, festival living, shall those things pleasing himself and entertaining others. be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that 21. This is directly the case of any man that makes layeth up treasure no use of his increase and plenty, save only to posfor himself, and is sess it and provide for himself by it, never thinking not rich toward God. of employing that which he hath to spare to the re22 And he said lieving the poor, or otherwise to the service of God. unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto 22. To which purpose of trusting God's providence, you, Takeno thought in opposition to covetousness, is that which Christ for your life, what ye said at another time, Matt. vi. 25, Take no thought 1 it is not in any man's having superfluous that his life from his possessions consists. Or, no man's life, if he have never so much abundance, depends on his possessions; OÙK ÈV TÝ TEPIOσεύειν τινὶ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτοῦ. · feast, εὐφραίνου. 3 do they require thy soul from thee: see note [b] ch. xvi. 2 |