28 But he said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 29 ¶'And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it f Matt. xii. 38. Verse 28. Yea, rather, blessed. -Our Lord allows the blessedness of his mother. She had been declared blessed by the spirit of prophecy, and he confirms that sentence; but he speaks of a superior blessedness to hers, considered merely as flowing from her having been his mother, -the blessedness of hearing and keeping the word of God. This stands in direct opposition to the extravagant notions of the blessedness which in subsequent ages was superstitiously and idolatrously ascribed to the Virgin Mary. For if in consequence of her having been the mother of Christ, she has been exalted to the nearest place to God in heaven, if she has been invested, in fact, with the very attributes of Deity, so as to be able to distribute blessings of every kind upon her worshippers, she has attained more than any one can attain by merely hearing and keeping the word of God. But superior blessedness is attached to this by our Lord; from which we may conclude that the blessedness of Mary consisted in that satisfaction of her mind which arose from the reflection that she was the mother of Messiah, and in the distinction which was thus conferred upon her above g Matt. v. 15. all women. From this alone, however, she derived none of those spiritual advantages which come from hearing and keeping the word of God; the pardon of sin, the assistance of grace, spiritual fellowship with God, and eternal life. These are inseparably connected with those,hearing, faith, and obedience; and the blessedness which they impart is not only given to all who perform the condition, but is infinitely higher and more valuable than that which Mary derived from having brought forth the promised Seed. What importance is thus stamped upon hearing the word of God, that is, paying all due attention to understand it, and then receiving it in the simplicity of an entire faith; and keeping, that is, carefully observing it as the rule of our whole conduct, that by which we are to order our inward frame and temper of mind, the words of our lips, and the actions of our life! Verse 30. As Jonas was a sign, &c.— See the notes on Matt. xii. 40. Verse 31. The queen of the south.-See the note on Matt. xii. 42. Verse 33. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, &c.-This and the following in a secret place, neither under a bushel,* but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. See Matt. v. 15. three verses are also portions of the sermon, on the mount. See the notes on Matt. v. 15, and vi. 22, 23. But the occasion was different, and they are here used, not so much as general truths, as adapted to the occasion and the previous discourse. Our Lord had been reproving those who demanded some greater sign than they had received, and he reminds them, that he had already placed clear and decisive evidence of the truth of his mission before them; and as no man lights a lamp to put it in a secret place, or under a bushel; but on a lampstand, that they which come in may see the light; so he had performed his illustrious works publicly before the whole nation. But then, as only a sound eye transmits the outward light within; and as a diseased or evil eye intercepts it, and leaves the body full of darkness; so he teaches them that if the truth of his mission had not been received by any, its demonstrative evidence had been intercepted by an ill-disposed and prejudiced mind, which, like a diseased eye shutting out the light of a lamp, would leave them in total moral darkness, and fatal error. Hence the solemn caution which follows, Take heed therefore that the light which is within thee be not darkness. As to the scribes and Pharisees, indeed, for the most part, and especially those who had wickedly invented the scandal that "he cast out devils by the prince of devils," their eye had always been evil, and had excluded all light on the subject of the divine mission of our Lord; but great numbers of the people had admitted the light, and for a time rejoiced to walk in it. They were, however, in great danger lest the artifices of the Pharisees, and their wicked sophisms, operating upon Jewish and worldly prejudices, should lead them back to unbelief; and as to many this occurred. Thus their mental eye, at first single or sound, became evil or diseased, and the light within them faded into total remediless darkness. This appears to be the connexion of these passages, first delivered in the sermon on the mount, but now applied to a particular occasion; and the lesson they teach as to the inevitable and necessary connexion between religious error and a bad state of heart is admonitory to all, and assuredly in direct opposition to modern opinion as to the innocence of error in matters of religion, and the passiveness of the mind under evidence. Evidence no more produces conviction in matters where the affections have their strong aversions or desires, than light falling upon the eye produces vision. If vision is produced, there must be not only light, but a fit condition of the organ of seeing to receive it; and so as to religious truth, if bad passions and carnal affections, and other evils sensual or mental, be suffered to predomi nate, conviction will be arrested or weakened, and the strongest light still leave us grovelling in darkness. A beauful passage follows, in which, however, the critics can see only a tautology, which they have endeavoured by various means to remedy, but without satisfying themselves. This is the confession of Koinoel, and others; some of whom, rather than suspect themselves, have suspected the passage to be a marginal gloss, although against all evidence. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle, or lamp, doth give thee light. Nothing can be more obvious, or more striking, than the meaning. The comparison is of the understanding, under the emblem of the chamber of vision behind the eye, to a room lighted by a bright lamp: if then, says our Lord, thy whole body be paTELPOP, illuminated, by the transmission of the rays of light through a sound eye; having no part σкоTewov, dark; then the whole shall be fully and effectually enlightened, to all purposes of comfort, and usefulness, 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. 37¶ And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. 38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. i 39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. 40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? Matt. vi. 22. and safety, as when a lamp enlightens thee, τη aστpany, by its bright or sparkling flame. Here surely is no tautology. The promise simply is, that if we keep our minds honestly open to conviction, we shall be as fully illuminated with truth, as a room is filled with the light of a brilliant and well-trimmed lamp. Verse 37. A certain Pharisee.-This man was probably impressed with what he heard, and might invite our Lord to dine, out of a friendly feeling. Many Pharisees, however, appear to have been present with malicious design, which gave occasion to our Lord to address to them, in the hearing and for the benefit of his host, and probably many others not of this deceitful sect, the reproofs which follow. Verse 38. That he had not first washed. -See the note on Mark vii. 4. They wondered that he had not first washed or baptized. This means the washing or baptizing the hands up to the elbow, which might be either by immersing them, or having water poured over them by the attendants. As this was not done with i Matt. xxiii. 25. reference to cleanliness, but superstition, our Lord did not sanction the practice by his example. At this the Pharisee wondered, having been accustomed to associate this act with his idea of superior sanctity. Verse 39. Now do ye Pharisees make clean. &c.-The vvv, now, here signifies at the present time, at your meals; as, Now you are particular as to cleansing the body from supposed defilement, which is but as the outside of the cup or dish, and you rest there. Your purifications go not beyond the exterior, but your inward part is full of ravening, plunder; that is, the desire of plunder, extortion, oppression, and covetousness, the great vices of the sect, and wickedness of various kinds. Verse 40. Ye fools.-A term not of angry reproach, but of a reproving description; appoves, men without discernment and understanding, although professed doctors of the law. Did not he that made that which is without, &c.—Some take wong as in the sense of purifies; and so the sense will be, "Who 41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. *Or, as you are able. ever washes a cup or platter, but washes the inside as well as the outside?" And, indeed, role may answer to the Hebrew wy, to beautify and cleanse; but the interpretation is frigid, and is scarcely allowed by the tense of the verb. The To ecwoev is better understood of the body, and To Eσwber of the mind. Indeed, in any other view, the force of the charge of want of discernment, in these pretended wise men, is not apparent. There must be implied in it the want of attention to some obvious truth which ought to have been kept before them; and that truth the words of our Lord, rightly interpreted, express: Did not he that made the outward man, the body, also make the inward man, the soul? And thus the reproof comes home to them in all its force. They were scrupulously careful to purify the body, as a RELIGIOUS ACT, out of respect to God, its maker, and their relation to him as creatures; and they therefore stood condemned by that very act, for neglecting the purification of the soul, which was equally God's workmanship, and the higher and nobler part of man's nature. Every true religious act of purification must therefore begin at the heart. Verse 41. But rather give alms of such things as ye have.—The phrase тa Evoνta, rendered by us of such things as ye have, has occasioned a good deal of discussion from its ambiguity. It has been rendered the things which are in them; give that which the dishes contain in alms, rather than be solicitous about cleansing the outside of them: but, not to urge that our Lord is only speaking figuratively in the preceding verse, of the cleansing of cups and platters, the sense thus given to the passage is directly contrary to Christ's whole doctrine; for it makes him say that giving alms of that luxury which is obtained by extortion and rapine would cleanse the remainder. Our Lord never thus sanctifies robbery and hypocrisy; may nor does he ever teach that almsgiving alone can make us stand clear and accepted with God, however righteously we have become possessed of what we give. Dr. Owen's interpretation is ingenious: 'As To esweer plainly relates to the body, and TO εσωθεν to the mind; so I am apt to think that Ta evovia must here mean right inward principles, and that the sense of the whole is to this purpose: Any, contrary to what you now do, purify your hearts, rectify your dispositions, make clean all within, give alms from right motives, and, behold, all things are clean to you." This would be paralleled by the sentiment of St. Paul, “To the pure all things are pure." But the sense of the ancient commentators, adopted by Grotius, Rosenmuller, and Schleusner, is to be preferred, But give alms according to your ability, or substance, kala being understood before Ta evorla. This agrees with the Syriac version, and is confirmed by the reason of the case; for he who gives acceptable alms must not only give what is his own, not spoil and robbery, but he must give in proportion as God hath prospered him. τα And, behold, all things are clean unto you. The Jews use the word, which signifies to be clean, for giving alms. The Arabic and Syriac word for alms has this sense also; and it is upon this double meaning that our Lord's remark is founded. Not that he confines himself to almsgiving merely; for we know that he attached no greater importance to that, than to any other moral duty. It is also to be well remembered, that he never separates one duty from another, as if any single duty would be rightly performed unless all others were performed also. The contrary is his doctrine; for he regards no outward act but as it expresses a right state of the heart, both to God and our neighbour; and when the heart is thus right, it must bring forth “good things out of its good treasure," or, in 42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. 44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. 45 ¶ Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. k Matt. xxiii. 6. other words, it must practise universal holiness. Almsgiving is therefore adduced by our Lord as one branch of practical piety; not exclusive of, but a specimen of, all other duties; and he teaches that those who lead a godly and charitable life need be under no anxiety, as to bodily purifications and baptisms, but that to them all things are clean, so that by nothing but by sin can they be defiled before God. The giving of alms was probably selected as an instance of practical piety, because the discourse concerned the washing of hands before meat; and the hands being the members employed in the distribution of alms, Christ shows them a more excellent way of purifying their hands, than by unnecessarily and superstitiously laving them with water. Verse 42. Ye tithe mint and rue.Matthew says, "Mint, anise, and cummin;" which variation, and others in these woes pronounced against the Pharisees, though in substance the same as those recorded by St. Matthew, were uttered on a different occasion, and at a different place. See the note on Matt. xxiii. 23. Verse 43. Ye love the uppermost seats, &c. See notes on Matt. xxiii. 6, 7. Verse 44. As graves that appear not.The metaphor in Matthew xxiii. 27 is dif 1 Matt. xxiii. 4. ferent. It is there taken from the painted and ornamented sepulchres, which are contrasted with the corruption within. Both similitudes are striking, but they are distinct, and convey a different sense. The former contrasts the rottenness within with the beautiful appearance without : the other refers to the manner in which the Pharisees succeeded in hiding their real character; so that, as men coming unawares upon an unapparent grave were, according to Jewish notions, defiled; those who, not being acquainted with the real wickedness of the Pharisees, were drawn into an acquaintance with them, which speedily seduced and corrupted them also. Verse 45. One of the lawyers.-Some have argued from this apparent dictinction between the scribes and Pharisees and the lawyers, vouкo, that the latter were private teachers of the law, the scribes the public expounders; or that the scribes were of the sect of the Pharisees, the lawyers of the sect of the Sadducees; or that the scribes were interpreters of the law, the lawyers of the traditions. But the comparison of this with the former verse will show that the scribes and lawyers are the same class. Previously, our Lord had only pro |