43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith much that Jesus could no more openly enter sent him away; 44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to into the city, but was without in desart places: and they came to him from every quarter. Lev. 14. 3, 4, 10. Luke 5. 14. b Luke 5. 15.- ch. 2. 13. by his word and by his act: I will; be thou cleansed : and immediately his leprosy was removed. But see on Matt. viii. 2. Verse 43. Straitly charged] See the reason for this Matt. viii. 4. This verse is wanting in two copies of the Itala. Verse 45. Began to publish it much] Began to publish #0λλα, many things; probably all that he had heard about our Lord's miraculous works. And to blaze abroad the matter] That is, his own healing: thinking he could never speak too much, nor too well, of him who had thus mercifully and miraculously cleansed him. Jesus could no more openly enter into the city] A city of Galilee, probably Chorazin or Bethsaida, in which he did not appear, for fear of exciting the jealousy of the secular government; or the envy and malice of the Jewish rulers. And they came to him from every quarter.] So generally had the poor man, who was cleansed of his leprosy, spread abroad his fame. And can we suppose, that of all these people who came to him from all parts, and to whom he preached the glad-tidings of the kingdom, by the power and authority of God, few or none were saved? This is a common opinion; but every person who seriously considers it, must see that it is unfounded. Without doubt, Christ had thousands that were brought to God by his ministry; though in general, only those are mentioned, who were constant attendants on his person. It would be strange, if while God manifested in the flesh, was preacher, there should be few brought to the knowledge of themselves, and of the truth! In this respect he does not permit his faithful ministers to labour in vain. The Son of man sowed the seed of the kingdom; and it afterwards produced a plentiful harvest. Multitudes of Jews were converted by the preaching of the gospel; and the first Christian church was founded at Jerusalem. CHAPTER II. Christ preaches in Capernaum, 1, 2. A paralytic person is brought to him, whose sins are pronounced forgiven, 3-5. The Scribes accuse him of blasphemy, 6, 7. He vindicates himself, and proves his power to forgive sins, by healing the man's disease, 8-11. The people are astonished and edified, 12. He calls Levi from the receipt of custom, 13, 14. Eats in his house with publicans and sinners, at which the Pharisees murmur, 15, 16. He vindicates his conduct, 17. Vindicates his disciples, who were accused of not fusting, 18-22; and for plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath day, 23-26: and teaches the right use of the Sabbath, 27, 28. ND again he entered into Ca- 2 And straightway many were ga pernaum after some days; and it thered together, insomuch that there An Olymp. was noised that he was in the house. was no room to receive them; no, not A. M. 4031. A. D. 27. An. Olymp. A a b A. M. 4031. CCI S. Christ heals a paralytic person. A.M. 4031. A. Olymp. preached the word unto them. so much as about the door: and he || 10 But that ye may know that the 3¶ And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, A.M.40.51. An. Olymp. A. D. 27. CCL 3. 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. d 13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. 14 ° And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? || and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose 2 who can forgive sins but God only ? and followed him. g 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in 15 f & And it came to pass, that, as Jesus his spirit that they so reasoned within them-sat at meat in his house, many publicans and selves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples for there were many, and they followed him. : 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said *Job 14. 4. Isai. 45. 25.——b Matt. 9. 4. -Alatt. 9. 5.- Matt. 9. 9. e Matt. 9. 9. Lule 5. 27. fOr, at the place where the custom was received. * Matt. 9. 10. Verse 3. One sick of the palsy] A paralytic person. See on Matt. ix. 1, &c. Borne of four.] Four men, one at each corner of the sofa or couch on which he lay-this sick man appears to have been too feeble to come himself, and too weak to be carried in any other way. Verse 4. They uncovered the roof] The houses in the East are generally made flat-roofed, that the inhabitants may have the benefit of taking the air on them; they are also furnished with battlements round about, Deut. xxii. 8. Judg. xvi. 27. and 2 Sam. xi. 2. to prevent persons from falling off; and have a trap door by which they descend into the house. This door, it appears, was too narrow to let down the sick man and his couch; so they uncovered the roof, removed a part of the tiles, and having || broken it up, taken away the lathes or timber, to which the tiles had been attached, they then had room to let down the afflicted man. See Luke v. 19. and on Matt. x. 27. xxiv. 17. Verse 12. He took up the bed] The words of PROSPER on this place, are worthy of notice. "What is siu but a deplorable fall, a grovelling on the earth, a repose in the creature, often followed by an universal palsy of the soul; namely, an utter inability to help itself, to break off its evil habits, to walk in the ways of God, to rise or to take one good step towards him? Grace can repair all in a moment: because it is nothing but the almighty will of God, who commands, and does whatever he coinmands.” Verse 14. Levi] The same as Matthew; he appears to have been a Jew, though employed in the odious office of a tax-gatherer. For an account of his call, see his Gospel, chap. ix. 9, &c. Verse 16. Sinners] By apagtwo, the Gentiles or heathens are generally to be understood in the Gospels, for this was a term the Jews never applied to any of themselves. See the Verse 7. Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies?] See | note on Matt. ix. 10. this explained Matt ix. 3, &c How is it that he eateth] Some very good MSS. several PP ance. 18¶And the disciples of John, and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? 19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. filled it up, taketh away from the old, A. D. 27. An. Olymp. CCI. S. 22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred but new wine must be put into new bottles. d 23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day, that which is not lawful? 25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not law Verse 17. To repentance.] This is omitted by ABDKL, twenty-seven others; both the Syriac, Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Gothic, Vulgate; six copies of the Itala; Euthymius and Augustin. Griesbach has left it out of the text; Grotius, Mill, and Bengel approve of the omission. See on Matt. ix. 13. I leave it as in the parallel place above quoted. Properly speaking, the righteous cannot be called to repentance. They have already forsaken sin, mourned for it, and turned to God. In the other parallel place, Luke v. 32. all the MSS. and Versions retain μeTavolav repentance. Verse 18. Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast] See this largely explained on Matt, ix. 14, &c. The following vices are very common to Pharisees. 1. They are more busied in censuring the conduct of others, than in rectifying their own. 2. They desire that every one should regulate his piety by theirs; and embrace their particular customs, and forms of devotion. On the nature, times, and duration of fasting, see Matt. vi. 16. and ix. 15. Verse 20. In those days.] But instead of ais, many of the best MSS. and Versions read, xn on nμeça, in that day; viz. the day in which Jesus Christ should be delivered up to the Jews and Gentiles. Mill and Bengel apof this reading, and Griesbach adopts it. The former prove part of the verse seems to vindicate the common reading. Verse 21. No man-seweth] See Matt. ix. 16. No man seweth a piece of unscoured cloth upon an old garment. In the common editions, this verse begins with xa and, but this is omitted by almost every MS. and Version of note. The construction of the whole verse is various in the MSS. the translation given here, and in Matt. ix. 16. is intelligible, and speaks for itself. Verse 23. Went through the corn fields] See on Matt. xii. 1. Verse 26. The days of Abiathar the high priest] It appears from 1 Sam. xxi. 1. which is the place referred to here, that Ahimelech was then high priest at Nob: and from 1 Sam. xxii. 20. xxiii. 6. and 1 Chron. xviii. 16. it appears, that Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech, The Persic reads Abi 3. They speak of and compare themselves with other peo-melech instead of Abiathar. Theophylact supposes that Abiaple, only that they may have an opportunity of distinguishing thar was the priest, and Ahimelech or Abimelech the high and exalting themselves. priest, and thus endeavours to reconcile both the Sacred His An Olymp. gave also to them which were with him? CCI. 3. the sabbath determined. made for man, and not man for the AM.401. sabbath: b 28 Therefore the Son of man is 27 And he said unto them, a The sabbath was Lord also of the sabbath. A. D. 27. An. Olymp. CCI 3. a Exod. 23. 12. Deut. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 3. 21, 22. b Matt. 11. 27. & 12. 8. Luke 6. 5. torians. Others reconcile the accounts thus, Ahimelech was tation; for it seems to say that a man may make what us called Ahimelech Abiathar, 28 ab, father, understood; and he pleases.of the sabbath; and were this true, the moral obAbiathar was called Abiathar Ahimclech, ¡ɔ ben, son, under-ligation of the sabbath would soon be annihilated. stood. Probably they both officiated in the high priesthood; and the name of the office was indifferently applied to either. Shewbread] See Matt. xii. 4. Verse 27. The sabbath was made for man] That he might have the seventh part of his whole time to devote to the purposes of bodily rest, and spiritual exercises. And in these respects it is of infinite use to mankind. Where no sabbath is observed, there disease, poverty, and profligacy generally prevail. Had we no sabbath, we should soon have no religion. This whole verse is wanting in the Coder Beza, and in five of the Itala. Verse 28. The Son of man is Lord] See on Matt. xii. 7, 8. Some have understood this as applying to men in general, and not to Christ. The Son of man, any man, is Lord of the Sabbath; i. e. it was made for him, for his ease, comfort, and use, and to these purposes he is to apply it. But this is a very harsh, and at the same time a very lar mode of interpre God ordained the sabbath not only to be a type of that rest which remains for the people of God, but to be also a mean of promoting the welfare of men in general. The ordinances of religion should be regulated according to their end, which is the honour of God, and the salvation of men. It is the property of the true religion to contain nothing in it but what is beneficial to man. Hereby God plainly shews, that it is neither out of indigence or interest, that he requires men to worship and obey him; but only out of goodness, and to make them happy. God prohibited work on the Sabbath day, lest servants should be oppressed by their masters, that the labouring beasts might have necessary rest, and that men might have a proper opportunity to attend his ordinances, and get their souls saved. To the sabbath under God, we owe much of what is requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul. upon CHAPTER III. The man with the withered hand healed, 1-5. The Pharisees plot our Lord's destruction, 6. Christ withdraws, and is followed by a great multitude, 7-9. He heals many, and goes to a mountain to pray, 10-13. He ordains twelve disciples, and gives them power to preach, and work miracles, 14, 15. Their names, 16—19. The multitudes throng him, and the Scribes attribute his miracles to Beelzebub, 20-22. He vindicates himself by a parable, 23-27. Of the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, 28-30. His mother and brethren send for him, 31, 32. And he takes occasion from this to shew, that they who do the will of God are to him as his brother, sister, and mother, 33-85. NOTES ON CHAP. III. b Gr. Arise, stand forth in the midst. Verse 2. They watched him] Пagerngour auтov, they malici Verse 1. A man there which had a withered hand.] See this ously watched him. See on Luke xiv. 1. explained on Matt. xii. 10, &c. and on Lüké vi. 6, 10. Verse 4. To do good-or-evil? to save life, or to kill?] 2 Unclean spirits cast out. and Sidon, a great multitude, when 5 And when he had looked round about on 9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small them with anger, being grieved for the hard-ship should wait on him, because of the multiness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, tude, lest they should throng him. It was a maxim with the Jews, as it should be with all men, that he who neglected to preserve life when it was in his power; was to be reputed a murderer. Every principle of sound justice requires that he should be considered in this light. But if this be the case, how many murderers are there against whom there is no law but the law of God? To kill--but instead of amoxTaval, several MSS. and Versions have aola to destroy. Wetstein and Griesbach quote Theophylact for this reading; but it is not in my copy. Paris Edit. 1635. 10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. 11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12 And he straitly charged them, that they should not make him known. 13¶And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. e Or, rushed.--f ch. 1. 23, 24. Luke 4. 41. ———— Matt. 14. 53. ch. 1. 1.ch. 1. 25, 34. Matt. 12. 16.- iMatt. 10. 1. Luke 6. 12. & 9. 1. fore it was no uneasy passion, but an excess of generous grief. Whole as the other.] This is omitted by the best MSS. and Versions. Grotius, Mill, and Bengel approve of the omission, and Griesbach leaves it out of the text. Verse 6. Herodians] For an account of these, see the note on Matt. xvi. 1. xxii. 16. Verse 7. Galilee] See Matt. iv. 13, 15. Verse 8. Tyre-Sidon, &c.] See Matt. xi. 21. When they had heard what great things he did, came unto Verse 5. With anger, being grieved for the hardness of their him.] So, if Christ be persecuted and abandoned by the hearts] These words are not found in any of the other Evan-wicked, there are a multitude of pious souls who earnestly gelists. For wgwon hardness, or rather callousness, the Codex seek and follow him. He who labours for God, will always Beza, and four of the Itala read vɛxgrou, deadness; the Vul-find more than he loses, in the midst of all his contradictions gate and some of the Itala, cæcitate, blindness. Join all these and persecutions. together, and they will scarcely express the fulness of this people's wretchedness. By a long resistance to the grace and spirit of God, their hearts had become callous, they were past feeling. By a long opposition to the light of God, they became dark in their understanding, were blinded by the deceitfulness of sin; and thus were past seeing. By a long continuance in the practice of every evil work, they were cut off from all union with God, the fountain of spiritual life; and becoming dead in trespasses and sins, they were inca-maladies immediately removed. pable of any resurrection but through a miraculous power of God. With anger-what was the anger which our Lord felt? That which proceeded from excessive grief, which was occasioned by their obstinate stupidity and blindness: there Verse 9. A small ship] Пagiov. The lytil boot, Old English MS. It was doubtless something of the boat kind, which probably belonged to some of the disciples. Our Lord was at this time, teaching by the sea of Galilee. The word ship is utterly improper in many places of our Translation; and tends to mislead the people. Verse 10. They pressed upon him3 Rushed upon him, Plagues.] Rather disorders, paçıyas; properly such disorders as were inflicted by the Lord. The word plague also tends to mislead. Verse 11. Thou art the Son of God.] Two MSS. and the latter Syriac, have Thou art the Christ, the Son of God. One |