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fifty pence, or denarii. The woman whom I have supposed to be a heathen, not having these advantages, having no rule to || regulate her actions, and no curb on her evil propensities, may be considered as the debtor who owed five hundred pence, or denarii. And when both were compared, Simon's debt to God might be considered, in reference to hers, as fifty to five-hundred. However, we find, notwithstanding this great disparity, both were insolvent. Simon, the religious Pharisee, could no more pay his fifty to God than this poor heathen her five-hun- || dred; and if both be not freely forgiven by the divine mercy, both must finally perish. Having NOTHING to PAY, he kindly FORGAVE them both. Some think that this very Simon was no inconsiderable debtor to our Lord, as having been mercifully cleansed from a leprosy; for he is supposed to be the same as Simon the leper. See the note on Matt. xxvi. 6

clear from ver. 37. that the woman came in after Christ, having heard that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee's house. The reading which I have adopted is supported by several MSS. and Versions.

Verse 46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint] Anointing the head with oil was as common among the Jews as washing the face with water is among us. See Ruth iii. 3. 2 Sam. xii. 20. xiv. 2. 2 Kings iv. 2. and Psal. xxiii. 5. where the author alludes to the Jewish manner of receiving and entertaining a guest. Thou preparest a table for me; anointest my head with oil; givest me an overflowing cup, See Matt. v.

17.

Verse 47. For she loved much] Or, THEREFORE she loved much. It appears to have been a consciousness of God's forgiving love that brought her at this time to the Pharisee's

Verse 43. He, to whom he forgave most.] By this acknowledgement he was, unknowingly to himself, prepared to receive our Lord's reproof.

Verse 44. Thou gavest me no water] In this respect Simon was sadly deficient in civil respect, whether this proceeded from forgetfulness or contempt. The custom of giving water to wash the guest's feet was very ancient. See instances in Gen. xviii, 4. xxiv. 32. Judg. xix. 21. 1 Sam. xxv. 41. In Hindoostan it is the custom, that when a superior enters the house of an inferior, the latter washes his feet, and gives him water to rinse his mouth before he eats. See AYEEN AKBERY, vol. iii. p. 226.

Verse 45. Since the time I came in] Rather, since the time SHE came in, aQ'ng uonλfe, not onabor, I came in, for it is

sented to be the consequence of her loving much, which is causing the tree to produce the root, and not the root the tree. I have considered on here as having the sense of dor, therefore; because, to make this sentence suit with the foregoing parable, ver. 42, 43. and with what immediately follows here, but he to whom little is forgiven loveth little, we inust suppose her love was the effect of her being pardoned, not the cause of it. Or seems to have the sense of therefore in Matt. xiii. 13. John. viii. 44. 1 Cor. x. 17. and in the Septuagint, in Deut. xxxiii. 52. Isai. xlix. 19. Hos, ix 15. and Eccles. v. 6. Both these par- ticles are often interchanged in the New Testament.

Loved much-loveth little] That is, A man's love to God will be in proportion to the obligations he feels himself under to the bounty of his Maker.

Verse 48. Thy sins are forgiven.] He gave her the fullest

power of Christ. Thus should we contemplate the wonders of God's grace in the conviction and conversion of sinners. 2. They glorified God. They plainly saw that he had now visited his people: the miracle proclaimed his presence, and that a great prophet was risen among them, and they expect to be speedily instructed in all righteousness. The conversion of a sinner to God should be matter of public joy to all that fear his name; and should be considered as a full proof that the God of our fathers is still among their children. See ver. 16.

and women minister to him,

3. They published abroad the account. The work of the grace of God should be made known to all: the gospel should be preached in every place; and the miracle-working power of Christ every where recommended to notice. If those who are raised from the death of sin were more zealous in discours

ing of, walking in, and recommending the gospel of the grace of God, the kingdom of Christ would soon have a more extensive spread; and the souls thus employed would be incessantly watered from on high.

NOTES ON CHAP. VIII.

Verse 1. Throughout every city and village] That is, of Galilee.

Verse 2. Out of whom went seven devils] Who had been possessed in a most extraordinary manner, probably a case of inveterate lunacy, brought on by the influence of evil spirits. The number seven may here express the superlative degree.

Mary Magdalene is commonly thought to have been a prostitute before she came to the knowledge of Christ, and then to have been a remarkable penitent. So historians and painters represent her but neither from this passage, nor from any other of the New Testament, can such a supposition be legitimately drawn. She is here represented as one who had been possessed with seven dæmons; and as one among other women who had been healed by Christ of evil (or wicked) spirits and infirmities. As well might Joanna and Susanna, mentioned ver. 3. come in for a share of the censure as this Mary Magdalene; for they seem to have been dispossessed likewise by Jesus, according to St. Luke's account of them. They had all had infirmitics, of what sort it is not said, and those infirmities were occasioned by evil spirits within them; and Jesus had healed them all but Mary Magdalene, by her behaviour, and constant attendance on Jesus in his life-time,

at his crucifixion, and at his grave, seems to have exceeded all the other women in duty and respect to his person. Bishop PEARCE.

There is a marvellous propensity in commentators to make some of the women mentioned in the Sacred Writings appear as women of ill-fame; therefore Rahab must be a harlot and Mary Magdalene, a prostitute: and yet nothing of the kind. can be proved either in the former or in the latter case; nor in that mentioned chap. vii. 36, &c. where see the notes. Poor Mary Magdalene is made the patroness of penitent prostitutes, both by papists and protestants: and to the scandal of her name, and the reproach of the gospel, houses fitted up for the reception of such, are termed Magdalene hospitals! and the persons themselves Magdalenes! There is not only no proof that this person was such as commentators represent her, but there is the strongest presumptive proof against it: for if she ever had been such, it would have been contrary to every rule of prudence, and every dictate of wisdom, for Christ and his apostles to have permitted such a person to associate with them, however fully she might have been converted to God, and however exemplary her life, at that time, might have been. As the world who had seen her conduct, and knew her character (had she been such as is insinuated) could not see the

4 ¶And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred fold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Matt. 13. 2. Mark 4. 1.- Matt. 13. 10. Mark 4. 10.

9

Bower and his seed.

A. D. 27. An. Olymp CCL. 3.

And his disciples asked him, A.M. 4031. saying, What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

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с

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should be

lieve and be saved.

13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 And that which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard, go forth, and

Isai. 6. 9. Mark 4. 12.- — Matt. 13. 18. Mark 4. 14.

inward change, and as they sought to overwhelm Christ and his disciples with obloquy and reproach on every occasion, they would certainly have availed themselves of so favourable an opportunity to subject the character and ministry of Christ to the blackest censure, had he permitted even a converted prostitute to minister to him and his disciples. They were ready enough to say that he was the friend of publicans and sinners, because he conversed with them in order to instruct and save their souls; but they could never say he was a friend of prostitutes, because it does not appear that such persons ever came to Christ; or that he, in the way of his ministry, ever went to them. I conclude therefore that the common opinion is a vile slander on the character of one of the best women mentioned in the gospel of God; and a reproach cast on the character and conduct of Christ and his disciples. From the whole account of Mary Magdalene, it is highly probable that she was a person of great respectability in that place; such a person as the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, could associate with and a person on whose conduct or character the calumniating Jews could cast no aspersions.

more honourable and of more importance than when it was first created. Junius derives the word from the Islandic stivardur, which is compounded of stia, work, and vardır, a keeper or overseer: hence our words, warder, warden, ward, guard, guardian, &c. The Greek word in Hebrew letters is frequent in the Rabbinical writings, 115, and signifies among them the deputy ruler of a province. See on chap, xvi. 1. In the Islandic version, it is forstonarmanns.

Unto him] Instead of avr to him, meaning Christ, many of the best MSS. and Versions have auros to them, meaning both our Lord and the twelve apostles, see ver. 1. This is un questionably the true reading. Christ receives these assistances and ministrations, says pious Quesnel,

1. To honour poverty by subjecting himself to it.

2. To humble himself in receiving from his creatures. 3. That he may teach the ministers of the gospel to depend on the providence of their heavenly Father.

4. To make way for the gratitude of those he had healed. And

5. That he might not be burthensome to the poor to whom he went to preach.

Verse 5. A sower went out to sow] See all this parable largely explained on Matt. xiii. 1-23.

Verse 12. Those by the way side] Bishop PEARCE thinks that Luke, by & here, means σogo the seeds, though he acknowledges that he has never found such a word as woga in the plural number signifying seeds.

A.M. 4031. are choked with cares and riches and An. Olymp. pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

CCI. 3.

15 But that on the good ground are they, ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

16 No man, when he hath lighted a can¶ a dle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

soever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth Ar. Olymp. to have.

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CCL. 3.

19 Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.

21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

22 ¶Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.

Verse 15. With patience.] Rather, with perseverance. The Greek word uToμn which our translators render patience, properly signifies here, and in Rom. ii. 7. perseverance. The good ground, because it is good, strong and vigorous, continues to bear: bad or poor ground cannot produce a good crop, and besides it is very soon exhausted. The persons called the good ground in the text, are filled with the power and influence of God, and therefore continue to bring forth fruit; i. e. they persevere in righteousness. From this we may learn, that the perseverance of the saints, as it is termed, necessarily implies that they continue to bring forth fruit to the glory of God. Those who are not fruitful are not in a state of perseverance. Verse 16. Lighted a candle] This is a repetition of a part of our Lord's Sermon on the mount. See the Notes on Matt. v. 15. x. 26. and on Mark iv. 21, 22.

Verse 17. For nothing is secret, &c.] Whatever I teach you in private, ye shall teach publicly; and ye shall illustrate and explain every parable now delivered to the people.

Verse 18. Even that which he seemeth to have.] Or rather, even what he hath. O doXEL EXELY, rendered by our common version, what he seemeth to have; seems to me to contradict itself. Let us examine this subject a little.

1. To seem to have a thing, is only to have it in appearance, and not in reality: but what is possessed in appearance only, can only be taken away in appearance; therefore on the one side there is no gain, and on the other side no loss. On this ground, the text speaks just nothing.

2. It is evident that o doxu exu, what he seemeth to have, here, is equivalent to o xu, what he hath, in the parallel places, Mark iv. 25. Matt. xiii. 12. xxv. 29. and in Luke xix. 26.

3. It is evident also, that these persons had something which might be taken away from them. For 1. The word of God, the divine seed was planted in their hearts. 2. It had already produced some good effects; but they permitted the Devil, the cares of the world, the desire of riches, and the love of pleasure to destroy its produce.

4. The word dox is often an expletive: so Xenophon in Hellen. vi. oti edoxes tateixos Piros autois, because he seemed to be (i. e. was) their father's friend. So in his Econ. among the cities that seemed to be (doxovais, actually were) at war. So Athenæus, lib. vi. chap. 4. They who seemed to be (doXOUTES, who really were) the most opulent, drank out of brazen cups.

5. It often strengthens the sense, and is thus used by the very best Greek writers. ULPIAN in one of his notes on Demosthenes' Orat. Olinth. 1. quoted by Bishop PEARCE, says expressly, το δοκείν ου παντως επι αμφιβολου τατουσιν οι παλαιοί, αλλα πολλακις και επι του αληθευειν. The word δοκειν is used by the ancients to express, not always what is doubtful, but oftentimes what is true and certain. And this is manifestly its meaning in Matt. iii. 9. Luke xxii. 24. John v. 39. 1 Cor. vii. 40. x. 12. xi. 16. Gal. ii. 9. Phil. iii. 4. and in the text. See these meanings of the word established beyond the possibility of successful contradiction, in Bishop PEARCE's Notes on Mark x. 42. and in KYPKE in loc. See also the notes on Matt. xiii. 12.

Verse 19. His mother and his brethren] See the notes on Matt. xii. 46., &c. and on Mark iii. S1., &c.

Verse 22. Let us go over, &c.] Sce on Matt. viii. 24, &c. and Mark iv, 36–41.