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   Title: Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
   Creator(s): Calvin, John (1509-1564)
   (Alternative)
   (Translator)
   Rights: Public Domain
   LC Call no: BS491
   LC Subjects:

   The Bible

   Works about the Bible
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   COMMENTARY

   ON A

   HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS,

   MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE,


   BY JOHN CALVIN



   TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN, AND COLLATED WITH
   THE AUTHOR'S FRENCH VERSION,

   BY THE REV. WILLIAM PRINGLE



   VOLUME SECOND



   CHRISTIAN CLASSICS ETHEREAL LIBRARY
   GRAND RAPIDS, MI

   [1]http://www.ccel.org
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   COMMENTARY

   ON A

   HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS
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   MARK 6:12-13; LUKE 9:6

   Mark 6:12-13

   Luke 9:6

   12. And they departed, and preached [1] that men should repent. 13. And
   they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many diseased persons,
   and healed them.

   6. And they departed, and we went round about through the villages [2]
   preaching the Gospel, and healing everywhere.


   Mark 6:12. And they departed, and preached. Matthew silently passes
   over what the Apostles did. Mark and Luke relate that they proceeded to
   execute the commission which they had received; and from their
   statements it appears more clearly, that the office which Christ at
   that time bestowed upon them, as I have formerly mentioned, was
   temporary, and indeed lasted but a few days. They tell us that the
   Apostles went through the cities and villages: and they unquestionably
   returned in a short time to their Master, as we shall find to be stated
   in another passage.

   The only matter that requires exposition here is the fact related by
   Mark, that they anointed with oil many diseased persons Christ having
   conferred on them the power of healing, it is asked, why did they apply
   oil? Some learned persons suppose that it was a sort of medicine; and I
   acknowledge that in these countries the use of oil was very common. But
   nothing is more unreasonable than to imagine, that the Apostles
   employed ordinary and natural remedies, which would have the effect of
   obscuring the miracles of Christ. They were not instructed by our Lord
   in the art and science of healing, but, on the contrary, were enjoined
   to perform miracles which would arouse all Judea. I think, therefore,
   that this anointing was a visible token of spiritual grace, by which
   the healing that was administered by them was declared to proceed from
   the secret power of God; for under the Law oil was employed to
   represent the grace of the Spirit. The absurdity of an attempt to
   imitate the Apostles, by making the anointing of the sick a perpetual
   ordinance of the Church, appears from the fact, that Christ bestowed on
   the Apostles the gift of healing, not as an inheritance which they
   should hand down to posterity, but as a temporary seal of the doctrine
   of the Gospel. In our own day, the ignorance of the Papists is
   exceedingly ridiculous in maintaining that their nasty unction, [3] by
   which they hurry to the grave persons who are fast dying, is a
   Sacrament.
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   [1] "Eux donc estans partis prescherent;" -- "they then having set out,
   preached."

   [2] "Eux donc estans partis alloyent de village en village a l'entour;"
   -- "they then having set out, went from village to village round
   about."

   [3] The allusion is to extreme unction, (or last anointing,) which is
   one of the Seven Sacraments recognized by the Church of Rome. -- Ed.
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   MATTHEW 11:1-6; LUKE 7:18-23

   Matthew 11:1-6

   Luke 7:18-23

   1. And it happened that when Jesus had made an end of commanding his
   twelve disciples, [4] he departed thence to teach and to preach in
   their cities. 2. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of
   Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3. And said to him, Art thou he
   who was to come, or do we look for another? 4. And Jesus answering said
   to them, Go and relate to John those things which you hear and see.
   5. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are
   cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor
   receive the message of the Gospel. [5] 6. And blessed is he who shall
   not be offended at me.

   18. And the disciples of John informed him of all these things; 19. And
   John called to him two of his disciples and sent them to Jesus, saying,
   Art thou he who was to come, or do we look for another? (Shortly
   afterwards.) 21. And in the same hour he cured many of diseases and
   plagues, and evil spirits, and to many who were blind he gave sight.
   22. And he answering said to them, Go and relate to John those things
   which you have heard and seen, that the blind see, the lame walk, the
   lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, to the poor
   the Gospel is preached. 23. And blessed is he who shall not be offended
   at me. [6]


   Matthew 11:1. And it happened that when Jesus had made an end In this
   passage Matthew means nothing more than that Christ did not desist from
   the exercise of his office, while the Apostles were laboring in another
   direction. As soon, therefore, as he sent them away, with the necessary
   instructions, to perambulate Judea, he performed the duties of a
   teacher in Galilee. The word commanding, which Matthew employs, is
   emphatic; for he means that they did not receive a commission to do
   what they pleased, but were restricted and enjoined as to the
   statements which they should make, and the manner in which they should
   conduct themselves.

   2. Now when John had heard. The Evangelists do not mean that John was
   excited by the miracles to acknowledge Christ at that time as Mediator;
   but, perceiving that Christ had acquired great reputation, and
   concluding that this was a fit and seasonable time for putting to the
   test his own declaration concerning him, he sent to him his disciples.
   The opinion entertained by some, that he sent them partly on his own
   account, is exceedingly foolish; as if he had not been fully convinced,
   or obtained distinct information, that Jesus is the Christ. Equally
   absurd is the speculation of those who imagine that the Baptist was
   near death, and therefore inquired what message he should carry, from
   Christ's mouth as it were, to the deceased fathers. It is very evident
   that the holy herald of Christ, perceiving that he was not far from the
   end of his journey, and that his disciples, though he had bestowed
   great pains in instructing them, still remained in a state of
   hesitation, resorted to this last expedient for curing their weakness.
   He had faithfully labored, as I have said, that his disciples should
   embrace Christ without delay. His continued entreaties had produced so
   little effect, that he had good reason for dreading that, after his
   death, they would entirely fall away; and therefore he earnestly
   attempted to arouse them from their sloth by sending them to Christ.
   Besides, the pastors of the Church are here reminded of their duty.
   They ought not to endeavor to bind and attach disciples to themselves,
   but to direct them to Christ, who is the only Teacher. From the
   beginning, John had openly avowed that he was not the bridegroom, (John
   3:29.) As the faithful friend of the bridegroom he presents the bride
   chaste and uncontaminated to Christ, who alone is the bridegroom of the
   Church. Paul tells us that he kept the same object in view, (2
   Corinthians 11:2,) and the example of both is held out for imitation to
   all the ministers of the Gospel.

   3. Art thou he who was to come? John takes for granted what the
   disciples had known from their childhood; for it was the first lesson
   of religion, and common among all the Jews, that Christ was to come,
   bringing salvation and perfect happiness. On this point, accordingly,
   he does not raise a doubt, but only inquires if Jesus be that promised
   Redeemer; for, having been persuaded of the redemption promised in the
   Law and the Prophets, they were bound to receive it when exhibited in
   the person of Christ. He adds, Do we look for another? By this
   expression, he indirectly glances at their sloth, which allowed them,
   after having been distinctly informed, to remain so long in doubt and
   hesitation. At the same time, he shows what is the nature and power of
   faith. Resting on the truth of God, it does not gaze on all sides, does
   not vary, but is satisfied with Christ alone, and will not be turned to
   another.

   4. Go and relate to John As John had assumed for the time a new
   character, so Christ enjoins them to carry to him that message, which
   more properly ought to have been addressed to his disciples. He gives
   an indirect reply, and for two reasons: first, because it was better
   that the thing should speak for itself; and, secondly, because he thus
   afforded to his herald a larger subject of instruction. Nor does he
   merely supply him with bare and rough materials in the miracles, but
   adapts the miracles to his purpose by quotations from the Prophets. He
   notices more particularly one passage from the 35th, and another from
   the 61st, chapter of Isaiah, for the purpose of informing John's
   disciples, that what the Prophets declared respecting the reign of
   Christ was accomplished and fulfilled. The former passage contains a
   description of Christ's reign, under which God promises that he will be
   so kind and gracious as to grant relief and assistance for every kind
   of disease. He speaks, no doubt, of spiritual deliverance from all
   diseases and remedies; but under outward symbols, as has been already
   mentioned, Christ shows that he came as a spiritual physician to cure
   souls. The disciples would consequently go away without any hesitation,
   having obtained a reply which was clear and free from all ambiguity.

   The latter passage resembles the former in this respect. It shows that
   the treasures of the grace of God would be exhibited to the world in
   Christ, and declares that Christ is expressly set apart for the poor
   and afflicted. This passage is purposely quoted by Christ, partly to
   teach all his followers the first lesson of humility, and partly to
   remove the offense which the flesh and sense might be apt to raise
   against his despicable flock. We are by nature proud, and scarcely
   anything is much valued by us, if it is not attended by a great degree
   of outward show. But the Church of Christ is composed of poor men, and
   nothing could be farther removed from dazzling or imposing ornament.
   Hence many are led to despise the Gospel, because it is not embraced by
   many persons of eminent station and exalted rank. How perverse and
   unjust that opinion is, Christ shows from the very nature of the
   Gospel, since it was designed only for the poor and despised. Hence it
   follows, that it is no new occurrence, or one that ought to disturb our
   minds, if the Gospel is despised by all the great, who, puffed up with
   their wealth, have no room to spare for the grace of God. Nay, if it is
   rejected by the greater part of men, there is no reason to wonder; for
   there is scarcely one person in a hundred who does not swell with
   wicked confidence. As Christ here guards his Gospel against contempt,
   he likewise reminds us who they are that are qualified to appreciate
   the grace of salvation which it offers to them; and in this manner,
   kindly inviting wretched sinners to the hope of salvation, raises them
   to full confidence.

   5. The poor receive the message of the Gospel By the poor are
   undoubtedly meant those whose condition is wretched and despicable, and
   who are held in no estimation. However mean any person may be, his
   poverty is so far from being a ground of despair, that it ought rather
   to animate him with courage to seek Christ. But let us remember that
   none are accounted poor but those who are really such, or, in other
   words, who lie low and overwhelmed by a conviction of their poverty.

   6. And blessed is he who shall not be offended in me. By this
   concluding statement Christ intended to remind them, that he who would
   adhere firmly and steadfastly to the faith of the Gospel must encounter
   offenses, which will tend to interrupt the progress of faith. This is
   said by way of anticipation, to fortify us against offenses; for we
   shall never want reasons for rejecting it, until our minds are raised
   above every offense. The first lesson, therefore, to be learned is,
   that we must contend with offenses, if we would continue in the faith
   of Christ; for Christ himself is justly denominated a

   rock of offense and stone of stumbling, by which many fall,
   (1 Peter 2:8.)

   This happens, no doubt, through our own fault, but that very fault is
   remedied, when he pronounces those to be blessed who shall not be
   offended in him; from which too we infer, that unbelievers have no
   excuse, though they plead the existence of innumerable offenses. For
   what hinders them from coming to Christ? Or what drives them to revolt
   from Christ? It is because he appears with his cross, disfigured and
   despised, and exposed to the reproaches of the world; because he calls
   us to share in his afflictions; because his glory and majesty, being
   spiritual, are despised by the world; and in a word, because his
   doctrine is totally at variance with our senses. Again, it is because,
   through the stratagems of Satan, many disturbances arise, with the view
   of slandering and rendering hateful the name of Christ and the Gospel;
   and because every one, as if on purpose, rears up a mass of offenses,
   being instigated by not less malignity than zeal to withdraw from
   Christ. [7]
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   [4] "Quand Iesus eut acheve de donner mandemens a ses douze disciples;"
   -- "when Jesus had finished giving injunctions to his twelve
   disciples."

   [5] "Et l'Evangile est annonce aux poures;" -- "and the Gospel is
   preached to the poor."

   [6] "Qui ne sera point scandalize, ou offense, en moy;" -- "who shall
   not be scandalized, or offended, at me."

   [7] "Pource que tous non seulement sont bien aises de se retirer de
   Christ, mais aussi tachent malicieusement d'entrouver les moyens;" --
   "because not only are all strongly disposed to withdraw from Christ,
   but they even endeavor maliciously to discover the means of doing so."
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   MATTHEW 11:7-15; LUKE 7:24-28

   Matthew 11:7-15

   Luke 7:24-28

   7. And as they were departing, Jesus began to say to the multitudes
   concerning John, What went you out into the wilderness to see? A reed,
   which is shaken by the wind? 8. But what went you out to see? A man
   clothed in soft raiment? [8] Lo, they who wear soft clothing are in the
   houses of kings. 9. But what went you out to see? A Prophet? Yea, I say
   to you, and higher than a Prophet. 10. For this is he of whom it is
   written, Lo, I send my messenger before thy face, who will prepare the
   way before thee. 11. Verily, I say to you, Among those who are born of
   women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he
   who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12. And from
   the days of John the Baptist to this day, the kingdom of heaven
   suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13. For all the
   Prophets and the Law itself prophesied until John. 14. And if you are
   willing to receive it, [9] he is Elijah, who was to come. 15. He that
   hath ears to hear, let him hear.


   24. And when the messengers of John had departed, he began to say to
   the multitude concerning John, What went you out into the wilderness to
   see? A reed, which is shaken by the wind? 25. But what went you out to
   see? A man clothed with soft garments? [10] Lo, they that live in
   magnificent attire, and in delicacies, are in the courts of kings.
   26. But what went you out to see? A Prophet? Yea, I say to you, and
   more than a Prophet. 27. It is he of whom it is written, Lo, I send my
   messenger [11] before my face, who will prepare the way before thee.
   28. For I say to you, Among those who are born of women, there is not a
   great Prophet than John the Baptist; yet he that is least in the
   kingdom of God is greater than he.

   Luke 16:16

   16. The Law and the Prophets (were) till John: since that time the
   kingdom of God is preached, and all press violently into it.



   Matthew 11:7. And while they were departing Christ praises John before
   the people, in order that they may state from recollection what they
   have heard from him, and may give credit to his testimony. For his name
   was widely celebrated, and men spoke of him in lofty terms: but his
   doctrine was held in less estimation, and there were even few that
   waited on his ministrations. Christ reminds them, that those who went
   out to see him in the wilderness lost their pains, if they did not
   devoutly apply their minds and faculties to his doctrine. The meaning
   of the words, you went out into the wilderness, is this: "Your journey
   would have been an act of foolish and ridiculous levity, if you had not
   a fixed object in view. But it was neither worldly splendor nor any
   sort of amusement [12] that you were in quest of: your design was, to
   hear the voice of God from the mouth of the Prophet. If therefore you
   would reap advantage from your undertaking, it is necessary that what
   he spoke should remain fixed in your memory."

   8. Clothed with soft garments Those who think that Christ here condemns
   the extravagance of a court are mistaken. There are many other passages
   in which luxury of dress, and excessive attention to outward
   appearance, are censured. But this passage simply means, that there was
   nothing in the wilderness to attract the people from every quarter;
   that every thing there was rude and unpolished, and fitted only to
   inspire disgust; and that such elegance of dress as delights the eyes
   is rather to be looked for in the courts of kings. [13]

   11. Verily I say to you These words not only maintain the authority of
   John, but elevate his doctrine above the ancient prophets, that the
   people may keep in view the right end of his ministry; for they mistook
   the design of his mission, and, in consequence of this, derived almost
   no advantage from his discourses. Accordingly, Christ extols and places
   him above the rank of the prophets, and gives the people to understand
   that he had received a special and more excellent commission. When he
   elsewhere says respecting himself that he was not a Prophet, (John
   1:21,) this is not inconsistent with the designation here bestowed upon
   him by Christ. He was, no doubt, a Prophet, like others whom God had
   appointed in his Church to be expounders of the Law, and messengers of
   his will; but he was more excellent than the Prophets in this respect,
   that he did not, like them, make known redemption at a distance and
   obscurely under shadows, but proclaimed that the time of redemption was
   now manifest and at hand. Such too is the import of Malachi's
   prediction, (Malachi 3:1,) which is immediately added, that the
   pre-eminence of John consisted in his being the herald and forerunner
   of Christ; [14] for although the ancient Prophets spoke of his kingdom,
   they were not, like John, placed before his face, to point him out as
   present. As to the other parts of the passage, the reader may consult
   what has been said on the first chapter of Luke's Gospel. [15]

   There hath not arisen Our Lord proceeds farther, and declares that the
   ministers of the Gospel will be as far superior to John as John was
   superior to the Prophets. Those who think that Christ draws a
   comparison between himself and John have fallen into a strange blunder;
   for nothing is said here about personal rank, but commendation is
   bestowed on the pre-eminence of office. This appears more clearly from
   the words employed by Luke, there is not a greater Prophet; for they
   expressly restrict his eminence to the office of teaching. In a word,
   this magnificent eulogium is bestowed on John, that the Jews may
   observe more attentively the commission which he bore. Again, the
   teachers who were afterwards to follow are placed above him, to show
   the surpassing majesty of the Gospel above the Law, and above that
   preaching which came between them. Now, as Christ intended to prepare
   the Jews for receiving the Gospel, we ought also, in the present day,
   to be aroused to listen with reverence to Christ speaking to us from
   the lofty throne of his heavenly glory; lest he take revenge for our
   contempt of him by that fearful curse which he pronounces on
   unbelievers by Malachi in the same passage.

   The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God denote the new condition
   of the Church, as in other passages which have already occurred; for it
   was promised that at the coming of Christ all things would be restored.
   He that is least in the kingdom. The Greek word mikroteros, which I
   have rendered least, is in the comparative degree, and signifies less;
   but the meaning is more clearly brought out, that all the ministers of
   the Gospel are included. Many of them undoubtedly have received a small
   portion of faith, and are therefore greatly inferior to John; but this
   does not prevent their preaching from being superior to his, because it
   holds out Christ as having rendered complete and eternal satisfaction
   by his one sacrifice, as the conqueror of death and the Lord of life,
   and because it withdraws the veil, and elevates believers to the
   heavenly sanctuary.

   12. Since the days of John I have no doubt that Christ speaks honorably
   of the majesty of the Gospel on this ground, that many sought after it
   with warm affection; for as God had raised up John to be the herald of
   the kingdom of his Son, so the Spirit infused such efficacy into his
   doctrine, that it entered deeply into the hearts of men and kindled
   that zeal. It appears, therefore, that the Gospel, which comes forward
   in a manner so sudden and extraordinary, [16] and awakens powerful
   emotions, must have proceeded from God. But in the second clause is
   added this restriction, that the violent take it by force The greater
   part of men were no more excited than if the Prophets had never uttered
   a word about Christ, or if John had never appeared as his witness; and
   therefore Christ reminds them, that the violence, of which he had
   spoken, existed only in men of a particular class. The meaning
   therefore is, A vast assembly of men is now collected, as if men were
   rushing violently forward to seize the kingdom of God; for, aroused by
   the voice of one man, they come together in crowds, and receive, not
   only with eagerness, but with vehement impetuosity, the grace which is
   offered to them. Although very many are asleep, and are no more
   affected than if John in the wilderness were acting a play which had no
   reference to them, yet many flock to him with ardent zeal. The tendency
   of our Lord's statement is to show, that those who pass by in a
   contemptuous manner, and as it were with closed eyes, the power of God,
   which manifestly appears both in the teacher and in the hearers, are
   inexcusable. Let us also learn from these words, what is the true
   nature and operation of faith. It leads men not only to give, cold and
   indifferent assent when God speaks, but to cherish warm affection
   towards Him, and to rush forward as it were with a violent struggle.

   Luke 16:16. The Law and the Prophets were till John Our Lord had said
   that the earnestness of the people was a prelude to those things which
   the Prophets had foretold as to the future renovation of the Church. He
   now compares the ministry of John to the Law and the Prophets "It is
   not wonderful," he tells us, "that God should now act so powerfully on
   the minds of men; for he is not as formerly, seen at a distance under
   dark shadows, but appears openly and at hand for the establishment of
   his kingdom." Hence it follows, that those who obstinately reject
   John's doctrine are less excusable than those who despised the Law and
   the Prophets

   Matthew 11:13. All the Prophets and the Law itself Prophesied. The word
   prophesied is emphatic; for the Law and the Prophets did not present
   God before the eyes of men, but represented him under figures and
   shadows as absent. The comparison, we now perceive, is intended to
   show, that it is highly criminal in men to remain indifferent, when
   they have obtained a manifestation of the presence of God, who held his
   ancient people in suspense by predictions. Christ does not class John
   with the ministers of the Gospel, though he formerly assigned to him an
   intermediate station between them and the Prophets. But there is no
   inconsistency here: for although John's preaching was a part of the
   Gospel, it was little more than a first lesson.

   14. And if you are willing to receive it He now explains more clearly
   in what manner John began to preach the kingdom of God It was in the
   character of that Elijah, who was to be sent before the face of God,
   (Malachi 4:5.) Our Lord's meaning therefore is, that the great and
   dreadful day of the Lord, which Malachi described, is now beheld by the
   Jews, when Elijah, who was there promised, discharges his office as a
   herald. Again, by this exception, if you are willing to receive it, he
   glances at their hardened obstinacy, in maliciously shutting their eyes
   against the clearest light. But will he cease to be Elijah, if he shall
   not be received? Christ does not mean that John's official character
   [17] depends on their approbation; but having declared that he is
   Elijah, he charges them with carelessness and ingratitude, if he does
   not obtain that respect to which he is entitled.

   15. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. We know that it is
   customary with Christ to introduce this sentence, whenever he treats of
   subjects which are highly important, and which deserve no ordinary
   attention. [18] He reminds us, at the same time, of the reason why the
   mysteries of which he speaks are not received by all. It is because
   many of his hearers are deaf, or at least have their ears closed. But
   now, as every man is hindered not only by his own unbelief, but by the
   mutual influence which men exercise on each other, Christ here exhorts
   the elect of God, whose ears have been pierced, to consider attentively
   this remarkable secret of God, and not to remain deaf with unbelievers.
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   [8] "Un homme vestu de precieux vestemens?" -- "A man clothed with
   costly garments?"

   [9] "Si vous le voulez recevoir, ou, et si vous voulez recevoir mon
   dire;" -- "if you are willing to receive it, or, and if you are willing
   to receive my saying."

   [10] "Vestu de precieux vestemens?" -- "clothed with costly garments?"

   [11] "Mon messager, ou, Angel;" -- "my messenger, or, Angel."

   [12] "Ni autre passe-temps et amusement vain;" -- "nor other pastime
   nor vain amusement."

   [13] "Que pour voir de beaux vestemens et autres choses agencees bien
   proprement il faut plustost aller es Cours des Rois;" -- "that in order
   to see fine dresses, and other things very neatly arranged, we must
   rather go to the courts of kings."

   [14] "Pource qu'il est le Heraut marchant devant Christ pour luy faire
   honneur;" -- "because he is the Herald marching before Christ to do him
   honor."

   [15] Harmony, volume 1. [2]p.20.

   [16] "Laquelle tant soudainement gaigne les coeurs des hommes d'une
   facon non accoustumee, et y cause des mouvemens merveilleux;" -- "which
   so suddenly gains the hearts of men in an unusual manner, and excites
   in them wonderful emotions."

   [17] "L'estat et la commission de Iean;" -- "John's rank and
   commission."

   [18] "Et qui ne doit pas estre escoutee par acquit;" -- "and which
   ought not to be listened to in an indifferent manner."
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   MATTHEW 11:16-19; Luke 7:29-35

   Matthew 11:16-19

   Luke 7:29-35

   16. But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children,
   who sit in the market-place, and call out to their companions, 17. And
   say, We have played on the flute to you, and you have not danced; we
   have sung mournful airs to you, and you have not lamented. 18. For John
   came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
   19. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo, a man
   who is a glutton and a wine-bibber, [19] a friend to publicans and
   sinners; and Wisdom is justified by her children.


   29. And all the people hearing, and the publicans, justified God,
   having been baptized with the baptism of John. [20] 30. But Pharisees
   and Lawyers [21] despised [22] the counsel of God in themselves, [23]
   having not been baptized by him. 31. And the Lord said, To what then
   shall I compare the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
   32. They are like children sitting in the market-place, and calling out
   to each other, and saying, We have played on the flute to you, and you
   have not danced; we have sung mournful airs to you, and you have not
   wept. 33. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking
   wine, and you say, He hath a devil. 34. The Son of man came eating and
   drinking, and you say, Lo, a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber, a friend
   to publicans and sinners. [24] 35. And Wisdom is justified by all her
   children.



   Luke 7:29. And all the people hearing. This part is left out by
   Matthew, though it throws no small light on the connection of the
   words; for it was this circumstance which gave rise to Christ's
   expostulation, when he perceived that the scribes persisted so
   obstinately in despising God. The substance of this passage is, that
   the common people and the publicans gave glory to God; while the
   Scribes, flattering themselves with confidence in their own knowledge,
   cared little for what Christ said. At first sight, this tends only to
   obscure, and even to disfigure, the glory of the Gospel, that Christ
   could not gather disciples to himself, except from the dregs and
   offscourings of the people; while he was rejected by those who had any
   reputation for holiness or learning. But the Lord intended, from the
   beginning, to hold out this example, that neither the men of that age,
   nor even posterity, might judge of the Gospel by the approbation of
   men; for we are all by nature inclined to this vice. And yet nothing is
   more unreasonable than to submit the truth of God to the judgment of
   men, whose acuteness and sagacity amounts to nothing more than mere
   vanity. Accordingly, as Paul says, "God hath chosen that part which is
   weak and foolish in the eyes of the world, that he may cast down from
   its height whatever appears to be mighty and wise," (1 Corinthians
   1:27.) Our duty is to prefer this foolishness of God, to use Paul's
   expression, (1 Corinthians 1:25,) to all the display of human wisdom.

   Justified God. This is a very remarkable expression. Those who
   respectfully embrace the Son of God, and assent to the doctrine which
   he has brought, are said to ascribe righteousness to God. We need not
   therefore wonder, if the Holy Spirit everywhere honors faith with
   remarkable commendations, assigns to it the highest rank in the worship
   of God, and declares that it is a very acceptable service. For what
   duty can be deemed more sacred than to vindicate God's righteousness?
   The word justify applies generally, no doubt, to every thing connected
   with the praises of God, and conveys the idea, that God is beheld with
   approbation, and crowned with glory, by the people who embrace that
   doctrine of which He is the author. Now, since faith justifies God, it
   is impossible, on the other hand, but that unbelief must be blasphemy
   against him, and a disdainful withholding of that praise which is due
   to his name. This expression also teaches us, that men are never
   brought into complete subjection to the faith until, disregarding the
   flesh and sense, they conclude that every thing which comes from God is
   just and holy, and do not permit themselves to murmur against his word
   or his works.

   Having been baptized with the baptism of John. Luke means that the
   fruits of the baptism which they had received were then beginning to
   appear; for it was a useful preparation to them for receiving the
   doctrine of Christ. It was already an evidence of their piety that they
   presented themselves to be baptized. Our Lord now leads them forward
   from that slender instruction to a higher degree of progress, as the
   scribes, in despising the baptism of John, shut against themselves,
   through their pride, the gate of faith. If, therefore, we desire to
   rise to full perfection, let us first guard against despising the very
   least of God's invitations, [25] and be prepared in humility to
   commence with small and elementary instructions. Secondly, let us
   endeavor that, if our faith shall have a feeble beginning, it may
   regularly and gradually increase.

   30. Despised the counsel of God within themselves. The counsel of God
   is mentioned by way of respect, as contrasted with the wicked pride of
   the scribes; for the term counsel carries along with it a dignity,
   which protects the doctrine of God against the contempt of men.
   Literally, Luke says, that they despised Against Themselves: and indeed
   I do not disapprove of the meaning which is preferred by some, that the
   scribes were rebellious to their own destruction. But as Luke's
   narrative is simple, and as the preposition eis is often used in the
   sense of en I have chosen rather to translate it, within themselves; as
   meaning, that although they did not openly and expressly contradict,
   yet as they inwardly swelled with hidden pride, they despised within
   themselves

   31. To what shall I compare? He does not include all the men of his
   age, but speaks particularly of the scribes and their followers. He
   charges them with this reproach, that while the Lord endeavored, by
   various methods, to draw them to himself, they repelled his grace with
   incorrigible obstinacy. He employs a comparison, which was probably
   taken from a common amusement of children; for there is probability in
   the conjecture, that the children divided themselves into two bands,
   and sang in that manner. And, indeed, I think that, in order to abase
   the pride of the scribes, Christ intentionally borrowed from children
   the materials of his reproof: thus declaring that, however
   distinguished they were, nothing more was necessary to condemn them
   than a song which children were wont to sing in the market-place for
   their amusement.

   33. For John the Baptist came. Leading an austere life, he thundered
   out repentance and severe reproofs, and sung, as it were, a plaintive
   song; while the Lord endeavored, by a cheerful and sprightly song, to
   draw them more gently to the Father. Neither of those methods had any
   success, and what reason could be assigned except their hardened
   obstinacy? This passage also shows us, why so wide a difference
   existed, as to outward life, between Christ and the Baptist, though
   both had the same object in view. Our Lord intended, by this diversity,
   and by assuming as it were a variety of characters, to convict
   unbelievers more fully; since, while he yielded and accommodated
   himself to their manners, he did not bend them to himself. But if the
   men of that age are deprived of every excuse for repelling, with
   inveterate malice, a twofold invitation which God had given them, we
   too are held guilty in their persons; for God leaves not untried any
   sort of pleasing melody, or of plaintive and harsh music, to draw us to
   himself, and yet we remain hard as stones. They called John a demoniac,
   just as persons of unsound mind, or whose brain is disturbed, are
   usually called madmen.

   34. The Son of man came. To eat and drink means here nothing more than
   to live in the customary way; as Christ says that John came neither
   eating nor drinking, because he confined himself to a peculiar diet,
   and even abstained from ordinary food. This is more fully expressed by
   the words of Luke, neither eating bread nor drinking wine. Those who
   think that the highest perfection consists in outward austerity of
   life, and who pronounce it to be an angelical life when a person is
   abstemious, [26] or mortifies himself by fasting, ought to attend to
   this passage. On this principle John would rank higher than the Son of
   God; but, on the contrary, we ought to maintain, that

   bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness
   is profitable to all things, (1 Timothy 4:8.)

   And yet we must not make this a pretense for giving a loose rein to the
   flesh, by indulging in luxuries and effeminacy: only we must beware of
   superstition, lest foolish men, imagining that perfection lies in
   matters of a purely elementary nature, neglect the spiritual worship of
   God. Besides, while Christ accommodated himself to the usages of
   ordinary life, he maintained a sobriety truly divine, and did not
   encourage the excesses of others by his dissimulation or by his
   example.

   35. And Wisdom is justified This passage is variously explained by
   commentators. Some maintain that Wisdom was acquitted by the Jews,
   because, conscious of guilt, and judges of their own unbelief, they
   were compelled to acknowledge, that the doctrine which they rejected
   was good and holy. By the children of Wisdom they understand the Jews
   who boasted of that title. Others think that it was spoken in irony:
   "It is in this manner that you approve of the Wisdom of God, of which
   you boast that you are the children?" But as the Greek preposition apo
   [27] does not properly relate to an agent, some explain it, that Wisdom
   is acquitted by her children, and is no longer under obligation to
   them, in the same manner as when an inheritance is transferred to
   another. Thus Paul says, that Christ was justified (dedikaiotai) from
   sin, (Romans 6:7,) because the curse of sin had no longer any power
   over him.

   Some interpret it more harshly, and with greater excess of freedom, to
   mean that Wisdom is estranged from her children But granting that this
   were the import of the Greek preposition, I look upon the other meaning
   as more appropriate, that Wisdom, however wickedly she may be slandered
   by her own sons, loses nothing of her worth or rank, but remains
   unimpaired. The Jews, and particularly the scribes, gave themselves out
   as children of the Wisdom of God; and yet, when they trod their mother
   under their feet, they not only flattered themselves amidst such
   heinous sacrilege, but desired that Christ should fall by their
   decision. Christ maintains, on the contrary, that, however wicked and
   depraved her children may be, Wisdom remains entire, and that the
   malice of those who wickedly and malignantly slander her takes nothing
   from her authority.

   I have not yet brought forward that meaning which appears to my own
   mind the most appropriate and natural. First, the words of Christ
   contain an implied contrast between true children and bastards, who
   hold but an empty title without the reality; and they amount to this:
   "Let those who haughtily boast of being the children of Wisdom proceed
   in their obstinacy: she will, notwithstanding, retain the praise and
   support of her own children. Accordingly, Luke adds a term of
   universality, by all her children; which means, that the reluctance of
   the scribes will not prevent all the elect of God from remaining
   steadfast in the faith of the Gospel. With respect to the Greek word
   apo, it undoubtedly has sometimes the same meaning as hupo. Not to
   mention other instances, there is a passage in Luke's Gospel, (17:25,)
   where Christ says, that he must suffer many things, kai
   apodokimasthonai apo tos geneas tautes, and be rejected By this
   generation. Everybody will admit, that the form of expression is the
   same as in the corresponding clause. [28] Besides, Chrysostom, whose
   native language was Greek, passes over this matter, as if there were no
   room for debate. Not only is this meaning more appropriate, but it
   corresponds to a former clause, in which it was said, that God was
   justified by the people, (v. 29.) Although many apostates may revolt
   from the Church of God, yet, among all the elect, who truly belong to
   the flock, the faith of the Gospel will always remain uninjured.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [19] "Gourmand et; yvrongne;" -- "a glutton and a drunkard."

   [20] "Et tout le peuple qui oyoit cela, et les Peagers qui estoyent
   baptizez du baptesme de Iean, iustiferent Dieu." -- "And all the people
   who heard that, and the publicans who were baptized with the baptism of
   John, justified God."

   [21] "Les Docteurs de la Loy;" -- "the Doctors of the Law."

   [22] "Reietterent le conseil de Dieu;" -- "rejected the counsel of
   God."

   [23] "En eux-mesmes, ou, a l'encontre d'eux-mesmes;" -- "in themselves,
   or, against themselves."

   [24] "Ami des Peagers et gens du mauvaise vie;" -- "a friend of
   publican and persons of wicked life."

   [25] "Gardons premierement de mespriser un seul moyen par lequel Die
   nous convie;" -- "let us first guard against despising a single method
   by which God invites us."

   [26] "Quand un homme ne boira point de vin;" -- "when a person will
   drink no wine."

   [27] "Le mot Grec que nous avons rendu par De;" -- "the Greek word
   which we have translated by."

   [28] "On void bien que la ce mot De se rapporte a la personne qui fait,
   et non pas a celuy qui souffre;" -- "It is very evident that the word
   By relates to the person that acts, and not to him who suffers."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 10:1-12

   Luke 10:1-12

   1. And after these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and
   sent them two by two before his face into every city and place, to
   which he was to come 2. He said, therefore to them, The harvest is
   indeed abundant, but the laborers are few; pray ye, therefore, the Lord
   of the harvest to send out the laborers into his harvest 3. Go: behold,
   I send you as lambs among wolves. 4. Carry neither purse, nor bag nor
   shoes, and salute no man by the way. 5. Into whatsoever house you shall
   enter, first say, Peace be to this house. 6. And if the son of peace
   will remain upon it: but if not, it will return to you. 7. And remain
   in the same house eating and drinking those things which shall be given
   by them; [29] for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house
   to house. 8. And into whatsoever city you shall enter, and they shall
   receive you, eat those things which are set before you: 9. And cure the
   diseased who are in it, and say to them, The kingdom of God is nigh to
   you. 10. And in whatsoever city you shall enter, and they shall not
   receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11. Even the dust, which
   has cleaved to us from your city, we wipe off against you: yet know
   this, that the kingdom of God is nigh to you. 12. I say to you, That in
   that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that day.


   Luke 10:1. And after these things the Lord appointed That the Apostles
   had returned to Christ before these seventy were substituted in their
   room, may be inferred from many circumstances. The twelve, therefore,
   were sent to awaken in the Jews the hope of an approaching salvation.
   After their return, as it was necessary that higher expectation should
   be excited, others were sent in greater numbers, as secondary heralds,
   to spread universally in every place the report of Christ's coming.
   Strictly speaking, they received no commission, but were only sent by
   Christ as heralds, to prepare the minds of the people for receiving his
   doctrine. As to the number seventy, he appears to have followed that
   order to which the people had already been long accustomed. We must
   bear in mind what has been already said about the twelve Apostles, [30]
   that as this was the number of the tribes when the people were in a
   flourishing condition, so an equal number of apostles or patriarchs was
   chosen, to reassemble the members of the lacerated body, that the
   restoration of the Church might thus be complete.

   There was a similar reason for these seventy. We know that Moses,
   finding himself insufficient for the burden, took seventy judges to be
   associated with him in governing the people, (Exodus 18:22; 24:1.) But
   when the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity, they had a
   council or sunedrion--which was corrupted into Sanedrin [31]
   --consisting of seventy-two judges. As usually happens with such
   numbers, when they spoke of the council, they called them only the
   seventy judges; and Philo assures us, that they were chosen out of the
   posterity of David, that there might be some remaining authority in the
   royal line. After various calamities, this was the finishing stroke,
   when Herod abolished that council, and thus deprived the people of a
   legitimate share in the government. Now as the return from Babylon
   prefigured a true and complete redemption, the reason why our Lord
   chooses seventy heralds of his coming appears to be, to hold out the
   restoration of their fallen state; and as the people were to be united
   under one head, he does not give them authority as judges, but only
   commands them to go before him, that he may possess the sole power. And
   sent them by two and two. He appears to have done so on account of
   their weakness. There was reason to fear, that individually they would
   not have the boldness necessary for the vigorous discharge of their
   office; and therefore, that they may encourage one another, they are
   sent by two and two

   2. The harvest is indeed abundant. I have explained this passage under
   the ninth chapter of Matthew; [32] but it was proper to insert it again
   in this place, because it is related for a different purpose. In order
   to stimulate his disciples the more powerfully to apply with diligence
   to their work, he declares that the harvest is abundant: and hence it
   follows, that their labor will not be fruitless, but that they will
   find, in abundance, opportunities of employment, and means of
   usefulness. He afterwards reminds them of dangers, contests, and
   annoyances, and bids them go and prepare themselves for traversing with
   speed the whole of Judea. [33] In short, he repeats the same
   injunctions which he had given to the Apostles; and, therefore, it
   would serve no good purpose to trouble the reader here with many words,
   since a full exposition of all these matters may be found in the
   passage already quoted. We may notice briefly, however, the meaning of
   that expression, salute no man by the way. It indicates extreme haste,
   when, on meeting a person in the way, we pass on without speaking to
   him, lest he should detain us even for a short time. Thus, when Elisha
   sent his servant to the Shunamite woman, he charged him not to salute
   any person whom he met:

   if thou meet any man, salute him not;
   and if any salute thee, answer not again, (2 Kings 4:31.)

   Christ does not intend that his disciples shall be so unkind [34] as
   not to deign to salute persons whom they meet, but bids them hasten
   forward, so as to pass by every thing that would detain them.

   7. Eating and drinking those things which they shall give you This is
   another circumstance expressly mentioned by Luke. By these words Christ
   not only enjoins them to be satisfied with ordinary and plain food, but
   allows them to eat at another man's table. Their plain and natural
   meaning is: "you will be at liberty to live at the expense of others,
   so long as you shall be on this journey; for it is proper that those
   for whose benefit you labor should supply you with food." Some think
   that they were intended to remove scruples of conscience, that the
   disciples might not find fault with any kind of food. [35] But nothing
   of this kind was intended, and it was not even his object to enjoin
   frugality, but merely to permit them to accept of a reward, by living,
   during this commission, at the expense of those by whom they were
   entertained.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [29] "Mangeans et beuvans de ce qui sera mis devant vous;" -- "eating
   and drinking of what shall be set before you."

   [30] Harmony, volume 1 [3]p. 438.

   [31] "Lequel les Grecs nomment Synedrion, et eux l'appeloyent par une
   prononciation corrompue Sanedrin;" -- "which the Greeks denominate
   Synedrion, and which they, by a corrupt pronunciation, called
   Sanedrin."

   [32] Harmony, volume 1 [4]p. 421.

   [33] "Et leur commande d'aller alaigrement et en diligence, a fin que
   bien tost ils ayent fait une course par tout le pays de Iudee;" -- "and
   commands them to go with alacrity and diligence, that they may soon
   have performed a circuit through the whole country of Judea."

   [34] "Si inhumains et mal-gracieux;" -- "so barbarous and uncivil."

   [35] "A fin que les disciples ne facent conscience d'aucune sorte de
   viande;" -- "in order that the disciples may not make conscience of any
   kind of food."
     __________________________________________________________________

   matthew 11:20-24; luke 10:13-16

   Matthew 11:20-24

   Luke 10:13-16

   20. Then he began to upbraid the cities, in which most of his mighty
   works were done, because they had not repented of crimes: 21. Woe to
   thee, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which
   have been done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have
   repented of their crimes long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22. But I say
   to you, It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon [36] in the day of
   judgment than for you. 23. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted even
   to heaven shall be cast down even to hell; for if the mighty works,
   which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have
   remained until this day. 24. But I say to you, That it will be more
   tolerable for the land of Sodom [37] in the day of judgment than for
   thee.


   13. Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaida! for if the might
   works, which have been done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
   they would have long ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
   14. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment
   than for you. [38] 15. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted even to
   heaven, shall be cast down even to hell. 16. He that heareth you
   heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that
   despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.



   Matthew 11:20. Then he began to upbraid. Luke states the time when, and
   the reason why, Christ uttered such invectives against those cities. It
   was while he was sending the disciples away into various parts of
   Judea, to proclaim, as they passed along, that the kingdom of God was
   at hand. Reflecting on the ingratitude of those among whom he had long
   discharged the office of a prophet, and performed many wonderful works,
   without any good result, he broke out into these words, announcing that
   the time was now come, when he should depart to other cities, having
   learned, by experience, that the inhabitants of the country adjoining
   that lake, among whom he had begun to preach the Gospel and perform
   miracles, were full of obstinacy and of desperate malice. But he says
   nothing about the doctrine, and reproaches them that his miracles had
   not led them to repent. [39] The object which our Lord had in view, in
   exhibiting those manifestations of his power, undoubtedly was to invite
   men to himself; but as all are by nature averse to him, it is necessary
   to begin with repentance. Chorazin and Bethsaida are well known to have
   been cities which were situated on the lake of Gennesareth.

   21. If those mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon. As Tyre and
   Sidon, in consequence of their proximity, were at that time abhorred
   for their ungodliness, pride, debauchery, and other vices, Christ
   employs this comparison for the express purpose of making a deeper and
   more painful impression on his Jewish countrymen. There was not one of
   them who did not look upon the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon as
   abominable despisers of God. It is, therefore, no small heightening of
   his curse, when Christ says, that there would have been more hope of
   reformation from those places in which there was no religion, than is
   to be seen in Judea itself.

   Lest any should raise thorny questions [40] about the secret decrees of
   God, we must remember, that this discourse of our Lord is accommodated
   to the ordinary capacity of the human mind. [41] Comparing the citizens
   of Bethsaida, and their neighbors, with the inhabitants of Tyre and
   Sidon, he reasons, not of what God foresaw would be done either by the
   one or by the other, but of what both parties would have done, so far
   as could be judged from the facts. The exceedingly corrupt morals and
   unrestrained debauchery of those cities might be ascribed to ignorance;
   for there the voice of God had never been heard, nor had miracles been
   performed, to warn them to repent. But in the cities of Galilee, which
   Christ upbraids, there was a display of very hardened obstinacy in
   despising miracles, of which they had seen a vast number without
   reaping any advantage. In short, the words of Christ convey nothing
   more than that the inhabitants of Chorazin and Bethsaida go beyond
   those of Tyre and Sidon in malice and incurable contempt of God.

   And yet we have no right to contend with God, for having passed by
   others of whom better hopes might have been entertained, and displaying
   his power before some who were extremely wicked and altogether
   desperate. Those on whom he does not bestow his mercy are justly
   appointed to perdition. If he withhold his word from some, and allow
   them to perish, while, in order to render others more inexcusable, he
   entreats and exhorts them, in a variety of ways, to repentance, who
   shall charge him, on this account, with injustice? Let us, therefore,
   aware of our own weakness, learn to contemplate this height and depth
   [42] with reverence; for it is intolerable fretfulness and pride that
   is manifested by those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the
   righteousness of God, except so far as it comes within the reach of
   their senses, and who disdainfully reject those mysteries, which it was
   their duty to adore, simply because the reason of them is not fully
   evident.

   If the mighty works had been done. We have said that these words inform
   us concerning the right use of miracles, though they likewise include
   doctrine; for Christ did not remain silent, [43] while he was holding
   out to their view the power of the Father; but, on the contrary,
   miracles were added to the Gospel, that they might attend to what was
   spoken by Christ.

   In sackcloth and ashes Repentance is here described by outward signs,
   the use of which was at that time common in the Church of God: not that
   Christ attaches importance to that matter, but because he accommodates
   himself to the capacity of the common people. We know that believers
   are not only required to exercise repentance for a few days, but to
   cherish it incessantly till death. But there is no necessity, in the
   present day, for being clothed with sackcloth, and sprinkled with
   ashes; and, therefore, there is not always occasion for that outward
   profession of repentance, but only when, after some aggravated revolt,
   men turn to God. Sackcloth and ashes are, no doubt, indications of
   guilt, for the purpose of turning away the wrath of the Judge; [44] and
   therefore relate strictly to the beginning of conversion. But as men
   testify by this ceremony their sorrow and grief, it must be preceded by
   hatred of sin, fear of God, and mortification of the flesh, according
   to the words of Joel, (2:13,) Rend your hearts and not your garments.
   We now see the reason why sackcloth and ashes are mentioned by Christ
   along with repentance, when he speaks of Tyre and Sidon, to the
   inhabitants of which the Gospel could not have been preached, without
   condemning their past life, leaving nothing for them, but to betake
   themselves to the wretched apparel of criminals for the sake of humbly
   beseeching pardon. Such, too, is the reference of the word sitting,
   which is employed by Luke, Sitting in sackcloth and ashes; for it
   denotes "lying prostrate on the ground,"--a posture adapted to express
   the grief of wretched persons, as is evident from many passages of the
   Prophets.

   23. And thou, Capernaum. He expressly addresses the city of Capernaum,
   in which he had resided so constantly, that many supposed it to be his
   native place. It was indeed an inestimable honor, that the Son of God,
   when about to commence his reign and priesthood, had chosen Capernaum
   for the seat of his palace and sanctuary. And yet it was as deeply
   plunged in its filth, as if there had never been poured upon it a drop
   of Divine grace. On this account, Christ declares, that the punishment
   awaiting it will be the more dreadful, in proportion to the higher
   favors which it had received from God. It deserves our earnest
   attention in this passage, that the profanation of the gifts of God, as
   it involves sacrilege, will never pass unpunished; and that the more
   eminent any one is, he will be punished with the greater severity, if
   he shall basely pollute the gifts which God has bestowed upon him; and
   above all, an awful vengeance awaits us, if, after having received the
   spiritual gifts of Christ, we treat him and his Gospel with contempt.

   If they had been done in Sodom. We have already hinted, that Christ
   speaks after the manner of men, and does not bring forth, as from the
   heavenly sanctuary, [45] what God foresaw would happen if he had sent a
   Prophet to the inhabitants of Sodom. But if quarrelsome persons are not
   satisfied with this answer, every ground of objection is removed by
   this single consideration, that although God had a remedy in his power
   for saving the inhabitants of Sodom, yet in destroying them he was a
   just avenger. [46]

   Luke 10:16. He that heareth you heareth me. It is a mistake to suppose
   that this passage is a repetition of what we formerly met with in the
   Gospel of Matthew 10:40 he that receiveth you receiveth me [47] Then,
   Christ was speaking of persons, but now, of doctrine. The former
   receiving had a reference to offices of kindness; but now he recommends
   faith, which receives God in his Word. The general meaning is, that the
   godliness of men is ascertained by the obedience of faith; [48] and
   that those who reject the Gospel, though they may boast of being the
   most eminent of the worshippers of God, give evidence that they
   wickedly despise him.

   We must now attend to the design of Christ. As a considerable portion
   of the world foolishly estimates the Gospel according to the rank of
   men, and despises it because it is professed by persons of mean and
   despicable condition, our Lord here contradicts so perverse a judgment.
   Again, almost all are so proud, that they do not willingly submit to
   their equals, or to those whom they look down upon as inferior to them.
   God has determined, on the other hand, to govern his Church by the
   ministry of men, and indeed frequently selects the ministers of the
   Word from among the lowest dregs of the people. It was, therefore,
   necessary to support the majesty of the Gospel, that it might not
   appear to be degraded by proceeding from the lips of men.

   This is a remarkable commendation [49] of the outward ministry, when
   Christ declares, that whatever honor and respect is rendered to the
   preaching of men, provided that the preaching be faithful, God
   acknowledges as done to Himself. In two points of view, this
   recommendation is useful. Nothing ought to be a stronger encouragement
   to us to embrace the doctrine of the Gospel, than to learn that this is
   the highest worship of God, and a sacrifice of the sweetest odor, to
   hear him speaking by human lips, and to yield subjection to his word,
   which is brought to us by men, in the same manner as if he were
   descending from heaven or making known his will to us by angels. Again,
   our confidence is established, and all doubt is removed, when we learn,
   that the testimony of our salvation, when delivered to us by men whom
   God has sent, is not less worthy of credit, than if His voice resounded
   from heaven. To deter us, on the other hand, from despising the Gospel,
   he adds a severe threatening:

   He that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth
   him that sent me. Those who disdain to listen to ministers, however
   mean and contemptible they may be, offer an insult, not to men only,
   but to Christ himself, and to God the Father. While a magnificent
   eulogium is here pronounced on the rank of pastors, who honestly and
   faithfully discharge their office, it is absurd in the Pope and his
   clergy to take this as a pretense for cloaking their tyranny.
   Assuredly, Christ does not speak in such a manner, as to surrender into
   the hands of men the power which the Father has given him, but only to
   protect his Gospel against contempt. Hence it follows, that he does not
   transfer to the persons of men the honor which is due to himself, but
   only maintains that it cannot be separated from his Word. If the Pope
   wishes to be received, let him bring forward the doctrine by which he
   may be recognized as a minister of Christ; but so long as he continues
   to be what he now is, a mortal enemy of Christ, and destitute of all
   resemblance to the Apostles, let him cease to deck himself with
   borrowed feathers.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [36] "Que Tyr et Sidon seront plus doucement traittez;" -- "that Tyre
   and Sidon will be treated more gently."

   [37] "Que ceux de Sodome seront traittez plus doucement;" -- "that
   those of Sodom will be treated more gently."

   [38] "Pourtant Tyr et Sidon seront plus doucement traittez au
   Iugementque vous;" -- "therefore Tyre and Sidon will be more gently
   treated in the Judgment than you."

   [39] "Que par les miracles ils n'ont point esmeus pour se convertir a
   repentance;" -- "that by the miracles they were not moved to be
   converted to repentance."

   [40] "Des questions curieuses et difficiles;" -- "curious and difficult
   questions."

   [41] "A la capacite et apprehension commune de l'entendement humain;"
   -- "to the ordinary capacity and apprehension of the human
   understanding."

   [42] "Ceste hautesse et profondeur des iugemens de Dieu;" -- "this
   height and depth of the judgments of God."

   [43] "N'a pas eu cependant sa bouche close;" -- "did not in the
   meantime keep his mouth shut."

   [44] "A fin d'adoucir le Iuge, et destourner son iuste courroux;" --
   "in order to pacify the Judge, and to turn away his just wrath."

   [45] "Il ne vent point ici amener le conseil secret de Dieu;" -- "he
   does not intend here to exhibit the secret purpose of God."

   [46] "Que toutesfois, en les destruisant et damnant, il n'a rien fait
   qui empesche qu'il ne soit tousiours recognue iuste en sa punition et
   sa vengeance;" -- "that notwithstanding, in destroying and condemning
   them, He has done nothing to prevent Him from being always acknowledged
   to be righteous in His punishment and in His vengeance."

   [47] Harmony, volume 1 [5]p. 475.

   [48] "Que la crainte de Dieu qui est es hommes, se monstre par
   l'obeissance de la foy;" -- "that the fear of God which is in men is
   manifested by the obedience of faith."

   [49] "C'est donc une louange et recommendation singuliere;" -- "it is
   then a singular praise and recommendation."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 10:17-20

   Luke 10:17-20

   17. And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils
   are subject to us in thy name. [50] 18. And he said to them, I beheld
   Satan falling from heaven like lightning. 19. Lo, I give you power to
   tread on serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy, and
   nothing shall hurt you. 20. Nevertheless, rejoice not in this, that the
   spirits are subject to you; but rejoice, because your names are written
   in heaven.


   17. And the seventy returned. It is evident, that the faith of the
   seventy disciples in the words of Christ had not been full and
   complete, when they returned, exulting over it as a thing new and
   unexpected, that they had cast out devils by the power of Christ. Nay,
   they had received this power accompanied by a command. At the same
   time, I have no doubt that, when they departed, they were convinced
   that nothing which the Master had said to them would fail of its
   accomplishment; but afterwards, when the matter proceeded to an extent
   which surpassed their expectations, they were astonished at the sight.
   [51] And this is frequently the case with believers, that they receive
   from the word but a slight perception of the Divine power, and are
   afterwards excited to admiration by actual experience. What was the
   nature of that joy will more clearly appear from Christ's reply.

   18. I beheld Satan From one instance Christ leads them to the whole
   class; for he commanded his Gospel to be published for the very purpose
   of overturning Satan's kingdom. [52] So then, while the disciples
   rested solely on that demonstration which they had obtained from
   experience, Christ reminds them, that the power and efficacy of their
   doctrine extends farther, and that its tendency is to extirpate the
   tyranny which Satan exercises over the whole human race. We have now
   ascertained the meaning of the words. When Christ commanded that his
   Gospel should be preached, he did not at all attempt a matter of
   doubtful result, but foresaw the approaching ruin of Satan. [53] Now
   since the Son of God cannot be deceived, and this exercise of his
   foresight relates to the whole course of the Gospel, we have no reason
   to doubt, that whenever he raises up faithful teachers, he will crown
   their labor with prosperous success.

   Hence we infer, that our deliverance from the bondage of Satan is
   effected in no other way than through the Gospel; and that those only
   make actual proficiency in the Gospel, in whom Satan loses his power,
   so that sin is destroyed, and they begin to live to the righteousness
   of God. We ought also to attend to the comparison which he employs,
   that the thunder of the Gospel makes Satan fall like lightning; for it
   expresses the divine and astonishing power of the doctrine, which
   throws down, in a manner so sudden and violent, the prince of the world
   armed with such abundant forces. It expresses also the wretched
   condition of men, on whose heads fall the darts of Satan, who rules in
   the air, and holds the world in subjection under his feet, till Christ
   appear as a Deliverer.

   19. Lo, I give you power. This is said by way of admission. Christ does
   not affirm that the gift of which they now boast is not illustrious,
   but reminds them, that they ought to keep their eye chiefly on
   something loftier still, and not remain satisfied with outward
   miracles. He does not altogether condemn their joy, as if it were
   groundless, but shows it to be faulty in this respect, that they were
   immoderately delighted with a temporal favor, and did not elevate their
   minds higher. To this disease even the godly are almost all liable.
   Though the goodness of God is received by them with gratitude, yet the
   acts of the Divine kindness do not assist them, as they ought to do, by
   becoming ladders for ascending to heaven. This makes it necessary that
   the Lord should, as it were, stretch out his hand to raise them up,
   that they may not rest satisfied with the earth, but may aspire to
   heavenly renovation. The power of the enemy is the name given by him to
   every kind of annoyance; for all that is hostile to us is wielded
   against us by Satan. I do not mean that every thing which tends to
   injure men is placed at his disposal; but that, being armed with the
   curse of God, he endeavors to turn to our destruction all his
   chastisements, and seizes them as weapons for the purpose of wounding
   us.

   20. Your names are written. As it was the design of Christ to withdraw
   his disciples from a transitory joy, that they might glory in eternal
   life, he leads them to its origin and source, which is, that they were
   chosen by God and adopted as his children. He might indeed have
   commanded them to rejoice that they had been regenerated by the Spirit
   of God, (Titus 3:5,) and become new creatures in Christ, (2 Corinthians
   5:17;) that they had been enlightened (Ephesians 1:18) in the hope of
   salvation, and had received the earnest of the inheritance, (Ephesians
   1:14.) But he intended to point out, that the source from which all
   these benefits had flowed was the free election of God, that they might
   not claim any thing for themselves. Reasons for praising God are no
   doubt furnished by those acts of his kindness which we feel within us;
   but eternal election, which is without us, shows more clearly that our
   salvation rests on the pure goodness [54] of God. The metaphorical
   expression, your names are written in heaven, means, that they were
   acknowledged by God as His children and heirs, as if they had been
   inscribed in a register. [55]
     __________________________________________________________________

   [50] "Par ton Nom;" -- "by thy Name."

   [51] "Ils furent esmerveillez et esbahis de voir cela advenir;" --
   "they were astonished and overwhelmed at seeing that happen."

   [52] "A ceste fin de renverser et destruire;" -- "for the very purpose
   of overthrowing and destroying."

   [53] "Christ n'a point entreprins, ou essaye une chose a l'aventure, et
   de laquelle l'issue fust incertaine: mais a veu que la ruine de Satan
   s'en en-suyvroit;" -- "Christ did not undertake or attempt a thing at
   random, and the result of which was uncertain; but saw that the ruin of
   Satan would follow from it."

   [54] "La pure et simple bonte;" -- "the pure and simple goodness."

   [55] "Comme s'ils estoyent escrits en une rolle, ou enregistrez en
   quelque livre;" -- "as if they were written in a roll, or registered in
   some book."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 11:25-30; Luke 10:21-22

   Matthew 11:25-30

   Luke 10:21-22

   25. At that time Jesus answering said, I acknowledge to thee, [56] O
   Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from
   the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little children.
   26. Undoubtedly, O Father, such was thy good pleasure. [57] 27. All
   things have been delivered to me by my Father; and none knoweth the Son
   but the Father; and none knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom
   the Son has chosen to reveal him. [58] 28. Come to me, all that labor
   and are burdened, and I will relieve you. 29. Take my yoke upon you,
   and learn of me, that I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find
   rest in your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.


   21. In the same hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I acknowledge
   to thee, [59] O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid
   these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to
   little children: certainly, O Father, it is because such was thy good
   pleasure. 22. All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and
   none knoweth who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but
   the Son, and he to whom the Son shall choose to reveal him.



   Matthew 11:25. Jesus answering. Though the Hebrew verb, answer, (nh,)
   is frequently employed even in the commencement of a discourse, yet in
   this passage I consider it to be emphatic; for it was from the present
   occurrence that Christ took occasion to speak. This is more fully
   confirmed by the words of Luke, that in the same hour Jesus rejoiced in
   spirit Whence came that rejoicing? Was it not because the Church,
   composed of poor and despised persons, was viewed by him as not less
   precious and valuable than if all the nobility and high rank in the
   world had lent to it their brilliancy? Let it be observed, also, that
   the discourse is addressed to the Father, and consequently is marked by
   greater energy than if he had spoken to his disciples. It was on their
   behalf, no doubt, and for their sake, that he gave thanks to the
   Father, that they might not be displeased with the low and mean aspect
   of his Church.

   We are constantly looking for splendor; and nothing appears to us more
   incongruous, than that the heavenly kingdom of the Son of God, whose
   glory is so magnificently celebrated by the prophets, should consist of
   the dregs and offscourings of the common people. And truly it is a
   wonderful purpose of God, that though he has the whole world at his
   command, he chooses rather to select a peculiar people to himself from
   among the contemptible vulgar, than from the nobility, whose high rank
   would have been a greater ornament to the name of Christ. But here
   Christ withdraws his disciples from a proud and haughty imagination,
   that they may not venture to despise that mean and obscure condition of
   his Church, in which he delights and rejoices. To restrain more fully
   that curiosity which is constantly springing up in the minds of men, he
   rises above the world, and contemplates the secret decrees of God, that
   he may lead others to unite with him in admiring them. And certainly,
   though this appointment of God contradicts our senses, we discover not
   only blind arrogance, but excessive madness, if we murmur against it,
   while Christ our Head adores it with reverence.

   I acknowledge to thee, O Father [60] By these words he declares his
   acquiescence in that decree of the Father, which is so greatly at
   variance with human senses. There is an implied contrast between this
   praise, which he ascribes to the Father, and the malicious slanders, or
   even the impudent barkings, of the world. We must now inquire in what
   respect he glorifies the Father. It is because, while he was Lord of
   the whole world, he preferred children and ignorant persons to the wise
   It has no small weight, as connected with this subject, that he calls
   the Father Lord of heaven and earth; for in this manner he declares
   that it is a distinction which depends entirely on the will of God,
   [61] that the wise remain blind, while the ignorant and unlearned
   receive the mysteries of the Gospel. There are many other passages of a
   similar nature, in which God points out to us, that those who arrive at
   salvation have been freely chosen by him, because he is the Creator and
   Governor of the world, and all nations are his.

   This expression implies two things. First, that all do not obey the
   Gospel arises from no want of power on the part of God, who could
   easily have brought all the creatures into subjection to his
   government. Secondly, that some arrive at faith, while others remain
   hardened and obstinate, is accomplished by his free election; for,
   drawing some, and passing by others, he alone makes a distinction among
   men, whose condition by nature is alike. [62] In choosing little
   children rather than the wise, he has a regard to his glory; for the
   flesh is too apt to rise, and if able and learned men had led the way,
   it would soon have come to be the general conviction, that men obtain
   faith by their skill, or industry, or learning. In no other way can the
   mercy of God be so fully known as it ought to be, than by making such a
   choice, from which it is evident, that whatever men bring from
   themselves is nothing; and therefore human wisdom is justly thrown
   down, that it may not obscure the praise of divine grace.

   But it is asked, whom does Christ denominate wise? And whom does he
   denominate little children? For experience plainly shows, that not all
   the ignorant and unlearned on the one hand are enlightened to believe,
   and that not all the wise or learned are left in their blindness. It
   follows, that those are called wise and prudent, who, swelled with
   diabolical pride, cannot endure to hear Christ speaking to them from
   above. And yet it does not always happen that God reprobates those who
   have a higher opinion of themselves than they ought to have; as we
   learn from the instance of Paul, whose fierceness Christ subdued. If we
   come down to the ignorant multitude, the majority of whom display
   envenomed malice, we perceive that they are left to their destruction
   equally with the nobles and great men. I do acknowledge, that all
   unbelievers swell with a wicked confidence in themselves, whether their
   pride be nourished by their wisdom, or by a reputation for integrity,
   or by honors, or by riches. But I consider that Christ here includes
   all who are eminent for abilities and learning, without charging them
   with any fault; as, on the other hand, he does not represent it to be
   an excellence in any one that he is a little child. True, humble
   persons have Christ for their master, and the first lesson of faith is,
   Let no man presume on his wisdom. But Christ does not speak here as to
   voluntary childhood. He magnifies the grace of the Father on this
   ground, that he does not disdain to descend even to the lowest and most
   abominable, that he may raise up the poor out of filth.

   But here a question arises. As prudence is a gift of God, how comes it
   that it hinders us from perceiving the brightness of God, which shines
   in the Gospel? We ought, indeed, to remember what I have already said,
   that unbelievers corrupt all the prudence which they possess, and that
   men of distinguished abilities are often hindered in this respect, that
   they cannot submit to be taught. But with respect to the present
   passage I reply: Though the sagacity of the prudent does not stand in
   their way, they may notwithstanding be deprived of the light of the
   Gospel. Since the condition of all is the same or alike, why may not
   God take this or that person according to his pleasure? The reason why
   he passes by the wise and the great is declared by Paul to be, that

   God hath chosen the weak and foolish things of the world to confound
   the glory of the flesh,
   (1 Corinthians 1:27.)

   Hence also we infer, that the statement made by Christ is not
   universal, when he says, that the mysteries of the Gospel are hidden
   from the wise If out of five wise men four reject the Gospel and one
   embraces it, and if, out of an equal number of unlearned persons, two
   or three become disciples of Christ, this statement is fulfilled. This
   is also confirmed by that passage in Paul's writings, which I lately
   quoted; for he does not exclude from the kingdom of God all the wise,
   and noble, and mighty, but only declares that it does not contain many
   of them.

   The question is now solved. Prudence is not condemned as far as it is a
   gift of God, but Christ merely declares that it has no influence in
   procuring faith. On the other hand, he does not recommend ignorance, as
   if it rendered men acceptable to God, but affirms that it does not
   hinder mercy from enlightening ignorant and unlearned men with heavenly
   wisdom. It now remains to explain what is meant by revealing and
   hiding. That Christ does not speak of the outward preaching may be
   inferred with certainty from this circumstance, that he presented
   himself as a Teacher to all without distinction, and enjoined his
   Apostles to do the same. The meaning therefore is, that no man can
   obtain faith by his own acuteness, but only by the secret illumination
   of the Spirit.

   26. Undoubtedly, O Father This expression removes every pretense for
   that licentiousness of inquiry, to which we are continually excited.
   There is nothing which we yield to God with greater difficulty, than
   that his will shall be regarded by us as the highest reason and
   justice. [63] He frequently repeats, that his judgments are a deep
   abyss, (Psalm 36:6;) but we plunge with headlong violence into that
   depth, [64] and if there is any thing that does not please us, we gnash
   our teeth, or murmur against him, and many even break out into open
   blasphemies. On the contrary, our Lord lays down to us this rule, that
   whatever God has determined must be regarded by us as right. [65] This
   is sober wisdom, to acquiesce in the good pleasure of God as alone
   equal to a thousand arguments. [66] Christ might indeed have brought
   forward the causes of that distinction, if there were any; but he is
   satisfied with the good pleasure of God, and inquires no farther why he
   calls to salvation little children rather than others, and composes his
   kingdom out of an obscure flock. [67] Hence it is evident, that men
   direct their fury against Christ, when, on learning that some are
   freely chosen, and others are reprobated, by the will of God, they
   storm because they find it unpleasant to yield to God. [68]

   27. All things have been delivered to me. The connection of this
   sentence with the preceding one is not correctly understood by those
   commentators who think that Christ intends nothing more than to
   strengthen the confidence of his disciples for preaching the Gospel. My
   opinion is, that Christ spoke these words for another reason, and with
   another object in view. Having formerly asserted that the Church
   proceeds from the secret source of God's free election, he now shows in
   what manner the grace of salvation comes to men. Many persons, as soon
   as they learn that none are heirs of eternal life but those whom God
   chose before the foundation of the world, (Ephesians 1:4,) begin to
   inquire anxiously how they may be assured of God's secret purpose, and
   thus plunge into a labyrinth, from which they will find no escape.
   Christ enjoins them to come direct to himself, in order to obtain
   certainty of salvation. The meaning therefore is, that life is
   exhibited to us in Christ himself, and that no man will partake of it
   who does not enter by the gate of faith. We now see that he connects
   faith with the eternal predestination of God, -- two things which men
   foolishly and wickedly hold to be inconsistent with each other. Though
   our salvation was always hidden with God, yet Christ is the channel
   through which it flows to us, and we receive it by faith, that it may
   be secure and ratified in our hearts. We are not at liberty then to
   turn away from Christ, unless we choose to reject the salvation which
   he offers to us.

   None knoweth the Son. He says this, that we may not be guided by the
   judgment of men, and thus form an erroneous estimate of his majesty.
   The meaning therefore is, that if we wish to know what is the character
   of Christ, we must abide by the testimony of the Father, who alone can
   truly and certainly inform us what authority he hath bestowed upon him.
   And, indeed, by imagining him to be what our mind, according to its
   capacity, conceives of him, we deprive him of a great part of his
   excellence, so that we cannot know him aright but from the voice of the
   Father That voice alone would undoubtedly be insufficient without the
   guidance of the Spirit; for the power of Christ is too deep and hidden
   to be attained by men, until they have been enlightened by the Father
   We must understand him to mean, not that the Father knoweth for
   himself, but that He knoweth for us to reveal him to us.

   But the sentence appears to be incomplete, for the two clauses do not
   correspond to each other. Of the Son it is said, that none knoweth the
   Father except himself, and he to whom he shall be pleased to reveal him
   Of the Father nothing more is said than this, that He alone knoweth the
   Son. Nothing is said about revelation. I reply, that it was unnecessary
   to repeat what he had already said; for what else is contained in the
   previous thanksgiving, than that the Father hath revealed the Son to
   those who approve of him? When it is now added that He alone knoweth
   the Son, it appears to be the assigning of a reason; for this thought
   might, have occurred, What neccessity was there that the Son, who had
   openly exhibited himself to the view of men, should be revealed by the
   Father? We now perceive the reason why it was said, that none knoweth
   the Son but the Father only It now remains that we attend to the latter
   clause:

   None knoweth the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son shall be
   pleased to reveal him. This is a different kind of knowledge from the
   former; for the Son is said to know the Father, not because he reveals
   Him by his Spirit, but because, being the lively image of Him, he
   represents Him visibly in his own person. At the same time, I do not
   exclude the Spirit, but explain the revelation here mentioned as
   referring to the manner of communicating information. This agrees most
   completely with the context; for Christ confirms what he had formerly
   said, that all things had been delivered to him by his Father, by
   informing us that the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth in him,
   (Colossians 2:9.) The passage may be thus summed up: [69] First, it is
   the gift of the Father, that the Son is known, because by his Spirit he
   opens the eyes of our mind to discern the glory of Christ, which
   otherwise would have been hidden from us. Secondly, the Father, who
   dwells in inaccessible light, and is in himself incomprehensible, is
   revealed to us by the Son, because he is the lively image of Him, so
   that it is in vain to seek for Him elsewhere. [70]

   28. Come to me all that labor He now kindly invites to himself those
   whom he acknowledges to be fit for becoming his disciples. Though he is
   ready to reveal the Father to all, yet the greater part are careless
   about coming to him, because they are not affected by a conviction of
   their necessities. Hypocrites give themselves no concern about Christ,
   because they are intoxicated with their own righteousness, and neither
   hunger nor thirst (Matthew 5:6) for his grace. Those who are devoted to
   the world set no value on heavenly life. It would be in vain,
   therefore, for Christ to invite either of these classes, and therefore
   he turns to the wretched and afflicted. He speaks of them as laboring,
   or groaning under a burden, and does not mean generally those who are
   oppressed with grief and vexations, but those who are overwhelmed by
   their sins, who are filled with alarm at the wrath of God, and are
   ready to sink under so weighty a burden. There are various methods,
   indeed, by which God humbles his elect; but as the greater part of
   those who are loaded with afflictions still remain obstinate and
   rebellious, Christ means by persons laboring and burdened, those whose
   consciences are distressed by their exposure to eternal death, and who
   are inwardly so pressed down by their miseries that they faint; for
   this very fainting prepares them for receiving his grace. He tells us
   that the reason why most men despise his grace is, that they are not
   sensible of their poverty; but that there is no reason why their pride
   or folly should keep back afflicted souls that long for relief.

   Let us therefore bid adieu to all who, entangled by the snares of
   Satan, either are persuaded that they possess a righteousness out of
   Christ, or imagine that they are happy in this world. Let our miseries
   drive us to seek Christ; and as he admits none to the enjoyment of his
   rest but those who sink under the burden, let us learn, that there is
   no venom more deadly than that slothfulness which is produced in us,
   either by earthly happiness, or by a false and deceitful opinion of our
   own righteousness and virtue. Let each of us labor earnestly to arouse
   himself, first, by vigorously shaking off the luxuries of the world;
   and, secondly, by laying aside every false confidence. Now though this
   preparation for coming to Christ makes them as dead men, [71] yet it
   ought to be observed, that it is the gift of the Holy Spirit, because
   it is the commencement of repentance, to which no man aspires in his
   own strength. Christ did not intend to show what man can do of himself,
   but only to inform us what must be the feelings of those who come to
   him.

   They who limit the burden and the labor to ceremonies of the Law, take
   a very narrow view of Christ's meaning. I do acknowledge, that the Law
   was intolerably burdensome, and overwhelmed the souls of worshippers;
   but we must bear in mind what I have said, that Christ stretches out
   his hand to all the afflicted, and thus lays down a distinction between
   his disciples and those who despise the Gospel. But we must attend to
   the universality of the expression; for Christ included all, without
   exception, who labor and are burdened, that no man may shut the gate
   against himself by wicked doubts. [72] And yet all such persons are few
   in number; for, among the innumerable multitude of those that perish,
   few are aware that they are perishing. The relief which he promises
   consists in the free pardon of sins, which alone gives us peace.

   29. Take my yoke upon you. Many persons, we perceive, abuse the grace
   of Christ by turning it into an indulgence of the flesh; and therefore
   Christ, after promising joyful rest to wretchedly distressed
   consciences, reminds them, at the same time, that he is their Deliverer
   on condition of their submitting to his yoke. He does not, he tells us,
   absolve men from their sins in such a manner, that, restored to the
   favor of God, they may sin with greater freedom, but that, raised up by
   his grace, they may also take his yoke upon them, and that, being free
   in spirit, they may restrain the licentiousness of their flesh. And
   hence we obtain a definition of that rest of which he had spoken. It is
   not at all intended to exempt the disciples of Christ from the warfare
   of the flesh, that they may enjoy themselves at their ease, but to
   train them under the burden of discipline, and keep them under the
   yoke.

   Learn of me It is a mistake, I think, to suppose that Christ here
   assures us of his meekness, lest his disciples, under the influence of
   that fear which is usually experienced in approaching persons of
   distinction, should remain at a distance from him on account of his
   Divine glory. It is rather his design to form us to the imitation of
   himself, because the obstinacy of the flesh leads us to shrink from his
   yoke as harsh and uneasy. Shortly afterwards, he adds, (verse 30,) my
   yoke is easy But how shall any man be brought willingly and gently to
   bend his neck, unless, by putting on meekness, he be conformed to
   Christ? That this is the meaning of the words is plain; for Christ,
   after exhorting his disciples to bear his yoke, and desirous to prevent
   them from being deterred by its difficulty, immediately adds, Learn of
   me; thus declaring that, when his example shall have accustomed us to
   meekness and humility, we shall no longer feel his yoke to be
   troublesome. To the same purpose he adds, I will relieve you So long as
   the flesh kicks, we rebel; and those who refuse the yoke of Christ, and
   endeavor to appease God in any other manner, distress and waste
   themselves in vain. In this manner, we see the Papists wretchedly
   torturing themselves, and silently enduring the dreadful tyranny under
   which they groan, that they may not bow to the yoke of Christ.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [56] "Ie te ren graces;" -- "I give thee thanks."

   [57] "Il est ainsi, Pere, pourtant que ton bon plaisir a este tel;" --
   "it i so, O Father, because thy good pleasure was such."

   [58] "Le Fils le vent reveler, ou, donner a cognoistre;" --"the Son
   chooses to reveal him, or, to make him known."

   [59] "Ie to ren graces;" -- "I give thee thanks."

   [60] "Ie to ren graces, que tu as cache;" -- "I thank thee, that thou
   hast concealed."

   [61] "Qu'il n'y a que le bon plaisir et vouloir de Dieu qui soit cause
   de ceste diversit," -- "that it is only the good pleasure and will of
   God that is the cause of this diversity."

   [62] "Desquels tous la condition est semblable de nature;" -- "of all
   of whom the condition by nature is alike."

   [63] "Pour la derniere et souveraine raison, et pour Justice parfaite;"
   -- "for the last and supreme reason, and for perfect justice."

   [64] "Pour sonder ce qui y est;" -- "to sound what is in it."

   [65] "Que tout ce que Dieu a determine est bon et droict;" -- "that all
   that God has determined is good and right."

   [66] "Et cela est estre sage a sobriete, d'acquiescer au seul bon
   plaisir de Dieu, et nous y arrester paisiblement, plus que s'il y avoit
   dix mille raisons devant nos yeux;" -- "and this is to be wise to
   sobriety, to acquiesce in the good pleasure of God, and to rest calmly
   upon it, more than if there were ten thousand arguments before our
   eyes."

   [67] "D'une troupe de gens incognus, et de petite estime;" -- "from a
   flock of persons unknown and little esteemed."

   [68] "Vienent incontinent a tempester, pource quil leur fasche que Dieu
   ait le dernier mot;" -- "come immediately to storm, because it gives
   them uneasiness that God should have the last word."

   [69] "Tout ce passage revient a ces deux points;" -- "the whole of this
   passage amounts to these two points."

   [70] "En sorte que c'est temps perdu de le chercher ailleurs;" -- "so
   that it is lost time to seek him elsewhere."

   [71] "Combien que ceste preparation a recevoir la grace de Christ
   despouille desia entierement les hommes, et monstre qu'ils sont du tout
   vuides de vertu;" -- "though this preparation for receiving the grace
   of Christ already strips men entirely, and shows that they are wholly
   devoid of virtue."

   [72] "Par une desfiance et facon perverse de douter;" -- "by a distrust
   and wicked manner of doubting."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5

   Matthew 12:1-8

   Mark 2:23-28

   Luke 6:1-5

   1. At that time Jesus was passing through the corn-fields on the
   Sabbath; [73] and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the
   ears of corn, and to eat. 2. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said
   to him, Lo, thy disciples do what it is not lawful to do on the
   Sabbath. 3. But he said to them, Have you not read what David did, when
   he was hungry, and those who were with him? 4. How he entered into the
   house of God, and ate the shew-bread, which it was not lawful for him
   to eat, nor for those who were with him, but for the priests alone?
   5. Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in
   the temple profane the temple, and are free from blame? [74] 6. But I
   say to you, That one greater than the temple is in this place. 7. But
   if you knew what that is, I choose mercy, and not sacrifice, you would
   not have condemned the innocent. 8. For the Son of man is Lord even of
   the Sabbath.


   23. And it happened, that he was passing through the corn-fields, and
   his disciples began to pluck the ears of corn as they went along.
   24. And the Pharisees said to him, Lo, why do they on the Sabbath what
   is not lawful? 25. And he said to them, Have you not read what David
   did, when he had need, and was hungry, and those who were with him?
   26. How he entered into the house of God in the time of Abiathar, the
   high-priest, and ate the shew-bread, which it is not lawful to eat but
   for the priests, and gave also [75] to those who were with him? 27. And
   he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the
   Sabbath. 28. Therefore the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.


   1. And it happened that, on the second-first Sabbath, he was passing
   through the cornfields; and his disciples were plucking ears of corn,
   and were eating, rubbing them in their hands. 2. And some of the
   Pharisees said to them, Why do you do what it is not lawful to do on
   the Sabbath? 3. And Jesus answering saith to them, Have you not read
   even this which David did when he was hungry, and those who were with
   him? 4. How he entered into the house of God, and took the shew-bread,
   and ate it, and gave also to those who were with him, which it is not
   lawful to eat but only for the priests? 5. And he said to them, The Son
   of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.



   Matthew 12:1. Jesus was walking on the Sabbath It was the design of the
   Evangelists, in this history, to show partly what a malicious
   disposition the Pharisees had, and partly how superstitiously they were
   attached to outward and slight matters, so as to make holiness to
   consist in them entirely. They blame the disciples of Christ for
   plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath, during their journey, when
   they were pressed with hunger, as if, by so doing, they were violating
   the Sabbath. The keeping of the Sabbath was, indeed, a holy thing, but
   not such a manner of keeping it as they imagined, so that one could
   scarcely move a finger without making the conscience to tremble. [76]
   It was hypocrisy, therefore, that made them so exact in trifling
   matters, while they spared themselves in gross superstitions; as Christ
   elsewhere upbraids them with

   paying tithe of mint and anise, and neglecting the
   important matters of the Law, (Matthew 23:23.)

   It is the invariable practice of hypocrites to allow themselves liberty
   in matters of the greatest consequence, and to pay close attention to
   ceremonial observances. Another reason why they demand that outward
   rites should be more rigorously observed is, that they wish to make
   their duty toward God to consist only in carnal worship. But it was
   malevolence and envy, still more than superstition, that led them to
   this act of censure; for towards others they would not have been
   equally stern. It is proper for us to observe the feelings by which
   they were animated, lest any one should be distressed by the fact, that
   the very Doctors of the Law were so hostile to Christ.

   Luke 6:1. On the second-first Sabbath It is beyond all question that
   this Sabbath belonged to some one of the festival-days which the Law
   enjoined to be observed once every year. Some have thought that there
   were two festival-days in immediate succession; but as the Jews had
   arranged their festival-days after the Babylonish captivity so that one
   day always intervened between them, that opinion is set aside. Others
   maintain with greater probability, that it was the last day of the
   solemnity, which was as numerously attended as the first. I am more
   inclined to favor those who understand by it the second festivity in
   the year; and this agrees exceedingly well with the name given to it,
   the second-first Sabbath, because, among the great Sabbaths which were
   annually observed, it was the second in the order of time. Now the
   first was the Passover, and it is therefore probable that this was the
   feast of first-fruits, (Exodus 23:15, 16.)

   Mark 2:24. Why do they on the Sabbath what is not lawful? The Pharisees
   do not blame the disciples of Christ for plucking ears of corn from a
   field that was not their own, but for violating the Sabbath; as if
   there had been a precept to this effect, that famishing men ought
   rather to die than to satisfy their hunger. Now the only reason for
   keeping the Sabbath was, that the people, by sanctifying themselves to
   God, might be employed in true and spiritual worship; and next, that,
   being free from all worldly occupations, they might be more at liberty
   to attend the holy assemblies. The lawful observation of it, therefore,
   must have a reference to this object; for the Law ought to be
   interpreted according to the design of the Legislator. But this shows
   clearly the malicious and implacable nature of superstition, and
   particularly the proud and cruel dispositions of hypocrites, when
   ambition is joined to hatred of the person. It was not the mere
   affectation of pretended holiness, as I have said, that made the
   Pharisees so stern and rigorous; but as they expressly wished to carp
   at every thing that Christ said or did, they could not do otherwise
   than put a wrong meaning in cases where there was nothing to blame, as
   usually happens with prejudiced interpreters. The accusation was
   brought--according to Matthew and Mark--against our Lord,
   and--according to Luke--against his disciples. But there is no
   inconsistency here; for the disciples were in all probability so
   harassed, that the charge was directed chiefly against the Master
   himself. It is even possible that the Pharisees first wrangled with the
   disciples, and afterwards with Christ, and that, in the rage of their
   malice, they blamed him for remaining silent, and permitting his
   disciples to break the Sabbath.

   Matthew 12:3. Have you not read what David did? Christ employs five
   arguments to refute their calumny. First, he apologizes for his
   disciples by pleading the example of David, (1 Samuel 21:6.) While
   David was fleeing from the rage of Saul, he applied for provisions to
   the high-priest Ahimelech; and there being no ordinary food at hand, he
   succeeded in obtaining a part of the holy bread. If David's necessity
   excused him, the same argument ought to be admitted in the case of
   others. Hence it follows, that the ceremonies of the Law are not
   violated where there is no infringement of godliness. [77] Now Christ
   takes for granted, that David was free from blame, because the Holy
   Spirit bestows commendation on the priest who allowed him to partake of
   the holy bread. When he says, that it was not lawful to eat that bread
   but for the priests alone, we must understand him to refer to the
   ordinary law:

   they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made,
   to consecrate and to sanctify them; but a stranger shall not
   eat thereof, because they are holy, (Exodus 29:33.)

   If David had attempted to do what was contrary to law, it would have
   been in vain for Christ to plead his example; for what had been
   prohibited for a particular end no necessity could make lawful.

   5. That on the Sabbaths the priests profane the Sabbath. This is the
   second argument by which Christ proves that the violation of the
   Sabbath, of which the Pharisees complained, was free from all blame;
   because on the Sabbaths it is lawful to slay beasts for sacrifice, to
   circumcise infants, and to do other things relating to the worship of
   God. Hence it follows, that the duties of piety are in no degree
   inconsistent with each other. [78] But if the temple sanctifies manual
   operations connected with sacrifices, and with the whole of the outward
   service, the holiness of the true and spiritual temple has greater
   efficacy, in exempting its worshippers from all blame, while they are
   discharging the duties of godliness. [79] Now the object which the
   disciples had in view was, to present to God souls which were
   consecrated by the Gospel.

   Matthew alone glances at this argument. When Christ says, that the
   priests Profane the Sabbath, the expression is not strictly accurate,
   and is accommodated to his hearers; for when the Law enjoins men to
   abstain from their employments, it does not forbid them to perform the
   services of religion. But Christ admits that to be true which might
   appear to be so in the eye of ignorant persons, [80] and rests
   satisfied with proving, that the labors performed in the temple are not
   offensive to God.

   7. But if you knew This Third argument is also mentioned by Matthew
   alone. Christ conveys an indirect reproof to the Pharisees, for not
   considering why ceremonies were appointed, and to what object they are
   directed. This has been a common fault in almost every age; and
   therefore the prophet Hosea (6:6) exclaims against the men of his own
   age for being too much attached to ceremonies, and caring little about
   the duties of kindness. But God declares aloud, that he sets a higher
   value on mercy than on sacrifice, employing the word mercy, by a figure
   of speech, for offices of kindness, as sacrifices include the outward
   service of the Law. This statement Christ applies to his own time, and
   charges the Pharisees with wickedly torturing the Law of God out of its
   true meaning, with disregarding the second table, and being entirely
   occupied with ceremonies.

   But a question arises: Why does God declare that he is indifferent
   about ceremonies, when he strictly enjoined in his Law that they should
   be observed? The answer is easy. External rites are of no value in
   themselves, and are demanded by God in so far only as they are directed
   to their proper object. Besides, God does not absolutely reject them,
   but, by a comparison with deeds of kindness, pronounces that they are
   inferior to the latter in actual value. Nor is it inconsistent with
   this to say, that in the perfection of righteousness the highest rank
   belongs to the worship of God, and the duties which men owe to each
   other occupy the second rank. For, though piety is justly reckoned to
   be as much superior to charity as God is higher than men, yet as
   believers, by practicing justice towards each other, prove that their
   service of God is sincere, it is not without reason that this subject
   is brought under the notice of hypocrites, who imitate piety by outward
   signs, and yet pervert it by confining their laborious efforts to the
   carnal worship alone. [81] From the testimony of the Prophet, Christ
   justly infers that no blame attaches to his disciples; for while God
   trained his people in the rudiments of the Law, it was far from being
   his design to kill wretched men with famine.

   8. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath. Some connect this
   sentence with a preceding statement, that one greater than the temple
   is in this place, (ver. 6;) but I look upon them as different. In the
   former case, Christ, by an allusion to the temple, affirmed that
   whatever was connected with his personal holiness was not a
   transgression of the Law; but now, he declares that he has received
   authority to exempt his followers from the necessity of observing the
   Sabbath. The Son of man, (he says,) in the exercise of his authority,
   can relax the Sabbath in the same manner as other legal ceremonies. And
   certainly out of Christ the bondage of the Law is wretched, from which
   he alone delivers those on whom he bestows the free Spirit of adoption,
   [82] (Romans 8:15.)

   Mark 2:27. The Sabbath was made for man. This Fifth argument is related
   by Mark alone. The general meaning is, that those persons judge amiss
   who turn to man's destruction, [83] the Sabbath which God appointed for
   his benefit. The Pharisees saw the disciples of Christ employed in a
   holy work; they saw them worn out with the fatigue of the journey, and
   partly with want of food; and yet are offended that, when they are
   hungry, they take a few grains of corn for the support of their wearied
   bodies. Is not this a foolish attempt to overturn the purpose of God,
   when they demand to the injury of men that observation of the Sabbath
   which he intended to be advantageous? But they are mistaken, I think,
   who suppose that in this passage the Sabbath is entirely abolished; for
   Christ simply informs us what is the proper use of it. Though he
   asserted, a little before, that he is Lord of the Sabbath, yet the full
   time for its abolition [84] was not yet come, because the veil of the
   temple was not yet rent, (Matthew 27:51.)
     __________________________________________________________________

   [73] "Un iour du Sabbath;" -- "on a Sabbath-day."

   [74] "Et n'en sont point reprehensibles;" -- "and are not blameable for
   it."

   [75] "Et en donna aussi;" -- "and gave of it also."

   [76] "Avec tremblement et incertitude de conscience;" -- "with
   trembling and uncertainty of conscience."

   [77] "Quand on ne derogue rien a la reverence deue, a Dieu;" -- "when
   nothing is taken away from the reverence that is due to God."

   [78] "Que les exercices de piete ne sont point contraires les uns aux
   autres, mais s'accordent bien ensemble;" -- "that the exercises of
   godliness are not opposed to each other, but agree well together."

   [79] "Quand ils s'employent a oeuvres qui tendent a l'honneur de Dieu;"
   -- "when they are employed in works which tend to the honor of God."

   [80] "Ainsi Christ accorde estre vray, ce qui ne l'est pas de faict,
   mais qui pourroit sembler l'estre en apparence a gens qui ne scavent
   pas bien iuger et discerner les choses;" -- "thus Christ admits that to
   be true which is not so in reality, but which might appear to be so to
   persons who do not know how to judge and distinguish matters properly."

   [81] "Et cependant neantmoins la renversent et falsifient, s'arrestans
   au seul service charnel, auquel ils prenent grande peine;" -- "and yet
   nevertheless overthrow and falsify it, confining themselves to the
   carnal service alone, on which they bestow great pains."

   [82] "Ausquels il donne l'Esprit d'adoption, qui est l'Esprit de la
   liberte;" -- "to whom he gives the Spirit of adoption which is the
   Spirit of liberty."

   [83] "Lesquels convertissent au dommage et a la ruine de l'homme;"--
   "who turn to the injury and to the ruin of man."

   [84] "La vraye saison et le temps opportun de l'abolissement
   d'iceluy;"-- "the true season and appropriate time for the abolition of
   it."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-5; Luke 6:6-10

   Matthew 12:9-13

   Mark 3:1-5

   Luke 6:6-10

   9. And having departed thence, he came into their synagogue: 10. And,
   lo, there was a man having a withered hand, and they asked him, saying,
   Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths? that they might accuse him.
   11. But he said to them, What man shall there be among you who shall
   have one sleep, and if it fall on the Sabbath into a ditch, will not
   lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12. How much more then is a man better
   than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbaths.
   13. Then he saith to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched it
   out, and it was restored to soundness like the other.


   1. And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there
   having a withered hand. 2. And they watched him, if he would heal that
   man on the Sabbath, that they might accuse him. 3. And he said to the
   man having the withered hand, Rise up in the midst. 4. Whether is it
   lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil? to save life or to
   kill? But they were silent. 5. And when he had looked round upon them
   with indignation, grieving on account of the blindness of their heart,
   he saith to the man, Stretch out thy hand; and he stretched it out, and
   his hand was restored to soundness like the other.


   6. And it happened also on another Sabbath, that he entered into the
   synagogue, and taught; and there was a man there whose right hand was
   withered. 7. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, if he would
   heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an opportunity of accusing
   him. 8. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man that had the
   withered hand, Rise up, and stand in the midst. And he rose up and
   stood. 9. Jesus therefore saith to them, I will ask you, Whether is it
   lawful on the Sabbaths to do good or to do evil? to save life or to
   destroy it? 10. And when he had looked round about upon them all, he
   said to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was
   restored sound like the other.


   Matthew 12:9. And having departed thence. This narrative and that which
   immediately precedes it have the same object; which is to show, that
   the scribes watched with a malicious eye for the purpose of turning
   into slander every thing that Christ did, and consequently that we need
   not wonder if men, whose minds were so depraved, were his implacable
   enemies. We see also, that it is usual with hypocrites to pursue what
   is nothing more than a shadow of the righteousness of the Law, and as
   the common saying is, to stickle more about the form than about the
   substance. First, then, let us learn from this passage to keep our
   minds pure, and free from every wicked disposition, when we are about
   to form a decision on any question; for if hatred, or pride, or
   anything of that description, reign within us, we will not only do
   injury to men, but will insult God himself, and turn light into
   darkness. No man, who was free from malice, would have refused to
   acknowledge that it was a Divine work, which those good teachers do not
   scruple to condemn. [85] Whence comes such fury, but because all their
   senses are affected by a wicked hatred of Christ, so that they are
   blind amidst the full brightness of the sun? We learn also, that we
   ought to beware lest, by attaching undue importance to ceremonial
   observances, we allow other things to be neglected, which are of far
   higher value in the sight of God, and which Christ in another passage
   calls the more important matters of the Law, (Matthew 23:23.) For so
   strongly are we inclined to outward rites, that we shall never preserve
   moderation in this respect, unless we constantly remember, that
   whatever is enjoined respecting the worship of God is, in the first
   place, spiritual; and, secondly, ought to be regulated by the rule
   which Christ has laid down to us in this passage.

   10. They asked him, saying. Mark and Luke say only that they watched
   what our Lord would do; but Matthew states more clearly that they also
   attacked him by words. It is probable, that some others had been
   previously cured on Sabbath-days; and hence they take occasion to ask
   if he believes it to be lawful for him to do again what he had formerly
   done. They ought to have considered whether it was a work of God, or of
   man, to restore a withered hand by a mere touch, or by a single word.
   When God appointed the Sabbath, he did not lay down a law for himself,
   or impose upon himself any restraint from performing operations on the
   Sabbath, when he saw it to be proper, in the same manner as on other
   days. It was excessive folly, therefore, to call this in question, and
   thus to prescribe rules for God himself, and to restrain the freedom of
   his operations.

   11. What man shall there be among you who shall have a sheep? Christ
   again points out what is the true way of keeping the Sabbath; and, at
   the same time, reproves them for slander, in bringing as a charge
   against him what was a universal custom. For if any man's sheep had
   fallen into a ditch, no person would have hindered it from being taken
   out: but in proportion as a man is of more value than a sheep, so much
   the more are we at liberty to assist him. It is plain, therefore, that
   if any man should relieve the necessity of brethren, he did not, in any
   degree, violate the rest which the Lord has enjoined. Mark and Luke
   take no notice of this comparison, but only state that Christ inquired,
   Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?

   He who takes away the life of a man is held to be a criminal; and there
   is little difference between manslaughter and the conduct of him who
   does not concern himself about relieving a person in distress. So then
   Christ indirectly charges them with endeavoring, under the pretense of
   a holy act, to compel him to do evil; for sin is committed, as we have
   already said, not only by him who does any thing contrary to the Law,
   but also by him who neglects his duty. Hence also we perceive, that
   Christ did not always employ the same arguments in refuting this
   slander; for he does not reason here about his divinity as he does in
   the case mentioned by John, (v. 18.) Nor was there any necessity for
   doing so; since the Pharisees were completely refuted by this single
   defense, that nothing could be more unreasonable than to pronounce a
   man, who imitated God, to be a transgressor of the Sabbath.

   Luke 6:8. But he knew their thoughts If Matthew states the truth, they
   had openly declared by their language what was in their minds; and
   therefore Christ replies not to their secret thoughts, but to express
   words. But both may be true, that they spoke plainly, and yet that
   Christ discerned their secret thoughts; for they did not openly avow
   their designs, and Matthew himself tells us that their question was
   intended to take Christ by surprise; and, consequently, Luke means
   nothing more than that Christ was aware of their insidious designs,
   though not expressed in words.

   Mark 3:5. And when he had looked around upon them with indignation To
   convince us that this was a just and holy anger, Mark explains the
   reason of it to be, that he was grieved on account of the blindness of
   their hearts. First, then, Christ is grieved, because men who have been
   instructed in the Law of God are so grossly blind; but as it was malice
   that blinded them, his grief is accompanied by indignation. This is the
   true moderation of zeal, to be distressed about the destruction of
   wicked men, and, at the same time, to be filled with wrath at their
   ungodliness. Again, as this passage assures us, that Christ was not
   free from human passions, we infer from it, that the passions
   themselves are not sinful, provided there be no excess. In consequence
   of the corruption of our nature, we do not preserve moderation; and our
   anger, even when it rests on proper grounds, is never free from sin.
   With Christ the case was different; for not only did his nature retain
   its original purity, but he was a perfect pattern of righteousness. We
   ought therefore to implore from heaven the Spirit of God to correct our
   excesses.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [85] "N'ont point de honte de condamner;" -- "are not ashamed to
   condemn."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 12:14-21; Mark 3:6-12; Luke 6:11

   Matthew 12:14-21

   Mark 3:6-12

   Luke 6:11

   14. Then the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they
   might destroy him. [86] 15. But when Jesus knew this, he withdrew from
   that place; and great multitudes followed him, and he cured them all.
   16. And he threatened them, [87] that they should not make him known:
   17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet,
   who says, 18. Lo, my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom
   my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall
   proclaim judgment to the Gentiles. 19. He shall not strive, nor cry,
   nor shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20. The bruised reed
   he will not break, and the smoking flax he will not quench, till he
   send forth judgment into victory. 21. And in his name the Gentiles will
   trust.


   6. And the Pharisees went out, and immediately took counsel with the
   Herodians against him, to destroy him. 7. And Jesus withdrew with his
   disciples to the sea, and a vast multitude followed him from Galilee,
   and from Judea. 8. And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond
   Jordan; and a great multitude (of men) who dwelt around Tyre and Sidon,
   who, when they had heard what he was doing, came to him. 9. And he
   commanded his disciples, that a small ship should wait upon him on
   account of the multitude, that they might not press upon him. 10. For
   he had cured many; so that as many as were afflicted pressed upon him
   to touch him. 11. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down
   before him, and cried out, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12. And he
   vehemently threatened the that they should not make him known

   11. And they were filled with madness, and talked with each other what
   they should do to Jesus.



   Matthew 12:14. Then the Pharisees took counsel. How obstinate is the
   rage which drives the wicked to oppose God! Even after having been
   convinced, they pour out their venom more and more. It is truly
   monstrous and shocking, that the most distinguished teachers of the
   Law, who were entrusted with the government of the Church, are engaged,
   like robbers, in contriving murder. But this must happen, whenever the
   malice of men reaches such a height, that they wish to destroy every
   thing that is opposed to their fancy, even though it may be from God.

   The circumstance of Christ's making his escape by flight must not be
   ascribed to fear; for he did not become more courageous by the lapse of
   time, but was endued with the same fortitude of the Spirit at the time
   when he fled, as when, at a later period, he voluntarily presented
   himself to die. And this was a part of that emptying of himself which
   Paul mentions, (Philippians 2:7,) that when he could easily have
   protected his life by a miracle, he chose rather to submit to our
   weakness by taking flight. The only reason why he delayed to die was,
   that the seasonable time, which had been appointed by the Father, was
   not yet come, (John 7:30; 8:20.) And yet it is manifest, that he was
   preserved by heavenly power rather than by flight; for it would not
   have been difficult for his enemies to find out the place to which he
   had retired, and so far was he from shrouding himself in darkness, that
   he carried a great company along with him, and rendered that place
   illustrious by his miracles. He withdrew from their presence for the
   sole purpose of not aggravating their rage.

   Mark 3:6. The Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians. Now they
   regarded the Herodians with the fiercest hatred; for their eagerness to
   be considered the guardians and protectors of public liberty made it
   necessary for them to make an open profession of mortal hatred to the
   ministers of that tyrant. And yet this aversion is counteracted by
   their hatred and fury against Christ, [88] which makes them not only
   enter into a conspiracy with foreigners, but insinuate themselves into
   the good graces of those with whom, on other occasions, they would have
   shrunk from intercourse. While ungodliness hurries men in various
   directions, and drives them to different courses, it engages them, with
   one consent, in a contest with God. No hostilities prevent them from
   giving their hand to each other for opposing the truth of God.

   Matthew 12:16. And he threatened them. The expression used by Mark
   conveys, in a still more pointed manner, that he restrained the unclean
   spirits, [89] who were exclaiming, Thou art the Son of God. We have
   formerly explained the reason why he did not choose to have such
   witnesses. [90] And yet there is no room to doubt, that divine power
   extorted from the devils this confession; but having made it evident
   that they were subject to his dominion, Christ properly rejected their
   testimony. But Matthew goes farther, and states, that Christ discharged
   them from spreading the fame of the miracles which he was performing.
   Not that he wished that fame to be wholly repressed, (as we have
   pointed out on other occasions, [91] but to allow it to strike root,
   that it might bring forth abundant fruit at the proper season. We know
   that Christ did not perform miracles for the purpose of amusement, but
   had a distinct object in view, which was to prove that he was the Son
   of God, and the appointed Redeemer of the world. But he was manifested
   gradually, and by regular steps, and was not revealed in his true
   character

   "until the time appointed by the Father,"
   (Galatians 4:2.)

   At the same time, it deserves our attention, that when wicked men do
   their utmost to extinguish the glory of God, they are so far from
   gaining their wish, that, on the contrary, God turns their rebellious
   designs in an opposite direction. Though Christ withdrew from a
   populous district, yet in this very concealment [92] his glory
   continues to shine, and even bursts forth magnificently into its full
   splendor.

   17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken Matthew does not mean
   that this prediction was entirely fulfilled by Christ's prohibiting
   loud and general reports to be circulated respecting his power [93] ,
   but that this was an exhibition of that mildness which Isaiah describes
   in the person of the Messiah. Those wonderful works which Christ
   performed in presence of a few, and which he did not wish to be
   announced in pompous terms, were fitted to shake heaven and earth,
   (Hebrews 12:26.) It was, therefore, no ordinary proof, how widely he
   was removed from the pomp and ostentation of the world.

   But it will be proper for us to examine more closely the design of
   Matthew. By this circumstance he intended to show, that the glory of
   Christ's divinity ought not to be the less admired, because it appeared
   under a veil of infirmity. This is unquestionably the very object to
   which the Holy Spirit directed the eyes of the prophet. The flesh is
   constantly longing for outward display, and to guard believers against
   seeking any thing of this description in the Messiah, the Spirit of God
   declared that he would be totally different from earthly kings, who, in
   order to draw admiration upon themselves, produce great noises wherever
   they go, and fill cities and towns with commotion. [94] We now perceive
   how appropriately Matthew applies the prediction of the prophet to the
   case in hand. God appointed for his Son a low and mean appearance, and
   that ignorant persons may not take offense at an aspect which has no
   attraction, and is fitted to awaken contempt, both the prophet and
   Matthew come forward to declare, that it is not by accident, but in
   consequence of a decree of Heaven, that he assumes such a character.
   [95] Hence it follows, that deep blame attaches to all who despise
   Christ, because his outward condition does not correspond to the wishes
   of the flesh. We are not at liberty to imagine to ourselves a Christ
   that corresponds to our fancy, but ought simply to embrace him as he is
   offered by the Father. He who is offended by the low condition of
   Christ, which God declares to be agreeable to his will, is unworthy of
   salvation. I now come to examine the words of the prophet, (Isaiah
   42:1.)

   18. Lo, my servant, whom I have chosen. To fix our attention more
   closely on his will, God points out by the finger, as it were, the
   person whom he is about to send; and this is the design of the
   exclamation, Lo! A similar reason may be assigned for the epithets that
   follow, when God calls him his servant, his elect in whom his soul is
   well pleased. For whence comes it, that men venture to measure Christ
   by their own sense, but because they do not consider that their
   redemption depends exclusively on the grace of God? When God offers to
   us an invaluable treasure, it is excessive and wicked presumption to
   regulate our estimation of it by the disdainful views of our flesh. He
   is called a servant, not as if he were of the ordinary rank, but by way
   of eminence, and as the person to whom God has committed the charge and
   office of redeeming his Church. As:

   no man taketh this honor to himself, but he who is called of God
   (Hebrews 5:6)

   is justly entitled to this rank, God declares that he who comes forward
   in this character was elected by his decree. [96] Hence it follows,
   that men are not at liberty to reject him; because, by doing so, they
   would be guilty of contempt and rebellion against God. And, indeed, it
   were the height of absurdity that our choice or our pride should set
   aside that calling of God which ought to be regarded as sacred and
   inviolable.

   My beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. There is a still wider
   import in this statement, which God next makes by the prophet, that the
   delight of his soul dwells in Christ; for though the calling of each of
   us proceeds from the free favor of God as its only source, yet in
   Christ there is this remarkable peculiarity, that in his person God the
   Father embraces in his love the whole Church. As we are all by nature
   enemies of God, his love will never come to us till it first begin with
   the Head; which we have seen on a former occasion, and will see again
   under another passage, (Matthew 17:5.)

   He will proclaim judgment to the Gentiles. The prophet gives a brief
   description of Christ's office, when he foretells that he will proclaim
   judgment to the Gentiles By the word judgment the Jews understand a
   government which is correctly and properly arranged, in which order and
   justice prevail. The design of the prophet is to inform us, that a
   person will come who will restore justice that had fallen, who will be
   the governor not of one nation only, but will also bring under
   subjection to God the Gentiles, among whom dreadful confusion formerly
   prevailed. And this is the import of the word bring forth, which the
   prophet employs; for it was the office of Christ to spread throughout
   the whole world the kingdom of God, which was at that time confined to
   the corner of Judea; [97] as it is said in another passage,

   The Lord will send forth the scepter of thy power out of Zion,
   (Psalm 110:2.)

   I will put my Spirit upon him. This explains the manner in which
   judgment shall be brought forth. It is no doubt true, that there never
   was any portion whatever of righteousness in the world that did not
   proceed from the Spirit of God, and that was not maintained by his
   heavenly power; as none of the kings of the earth can frame or defend
   good order, except so far as he shall be assisted by the same Spirit.
   But in bringing forth judgment Christ is greatly superior to all
   others, for he has received the Spirit from the Father, that he may
   pour it out on all his people; for not only does he by word or writing
   prescribe what is proper, but inwardly forms the hearts of men, by the
   grace of his Spirit, to preserve the rule of righteousness.

   19. He will not strive The general meaning is, that the coming of
   Christ will not be attended by noise, will have nothing of royal
   splendor and magnificence. He presently adds, that this will turn to
   the advantage of men, by inducing them to love that mildness which the
   world everywhere despises. And certainly it is an astonishing display
   of the folly of men, that their sentiments with regard to Christ are
   less respectful, because he mildly and voluntarily accommodates himself
   to their capacity. Were Christ to appear in his glory, what else could
   be expected, but that it would altogether swallow us up? What
   wickedness then is it to be less willing to receive him, when on our
   account he descends from his elevation?

   That the gentleness of Christ may awaken reverence in believers, Isaiah
   reminds them how advantageous, and even how necessary that gentleness
   must be. Each of us is conscious of his own weakness; and therefore we
   ought to consider of what importance it is that Christ should treat us
   with kindness. I speak not of unbelievers, who are entirely destitute
   of all the graces of the Spirit; but with respect to those whom God has
   already called, are they not like a half-broken reed and a smoking
   lamp, till God kindle them to full brightness, and supply them with
   perfect strength? When Christ is thus pleased to condescend to our
   weakness, let his unspeakable goodness be embraced by us with joy.
   Meanwhile, let none flatter himself in his vices, but let each of us
   labor to make greater proficiency, that we may not be tossed about
   (Ephesians 4:14) through our whole life, or bend, like reeds, to the
   slightest gale. Let us grow to the stature of perfect men, that we may
   remain firm against the diversified attacks of Satan, that our faith
   may not only emit slight sparks encompassed by thick smoke, but may
   send out bright rays.

   The example of Christ instructs all his ministers in what manner they
   ought to conduct themselves. But as there are some who falsely and
   absurdly maintain that mildness ought to be exercised indiscriminately
   towards all, we must attend to the distinction which the prophet
   expressly makes between weak and wicked persons. Those who are too
   stubborn need to have their hardness beaten violently with a hammer;
   and those who endeavor to spread darkness in every direction, or who
   act as torches to kindle conflagrations, must have their smoke
   dispelled and their flame extinguished. While the faithful ministers of
   the Word ought to endeavor to spare the weak, and thus to cherish and
   increase that portion of the grace of God, however small, which they
   possess, they must also exercise prudent caution, lest they encourage
   the obstinate malice of those who have no resemblance to the smoking
   lamp or bruised reed.

   20. Till he send out judgment into victory. The words of the prophet
   are a little different, he will bring forth the judgment unto truth.
   But the term employed by Matthew is very emphatic, and is intended to
   inform us, that justice is not established in the world without a great
   struggle and exertion. The devil throws all possible difficulties in
   the way, which cannot be removed without violent opposition. This is
   confirmed by the word victory, for victory is not obtained in any other
   way than by fighting.

   21. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust Instead of these words the
   prophet has, The isles shall wait for his law. But though Matthew has
   changed the words, the meaning is the same, that the grace of Christ
   will be shared by the Gentiles.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [86] "Comment ils le mettroyent a mort;" -- "how they should put him to
   death."

   [87] "Et aveques menaces leur defendit;" -- "and with threatenings
   prohibited them."

   [88] "Toutesfois la haine enragee qu'ils ont contre Christ, surmonte
   toutes leurs autres meschantes affections;" -- "and yet the enraged
   hatred which they have against Christ rises above all their other
   wicked dispositions."

   [89] "A scavoir qu'il menacoit et faisoit taire les esprits
   immondes;"-- "namely, that he threatened and silenced the unclean
   spirits."

   [90] Harmony, volume 1 [6]p. 246.

   [91] Harmony, volume 1, pp. [7]374, [8]418.

   [92] "Toutesfois mesmes en ceste cachete, (par maniere de dire;")--"yet
   even in this hiding place, (so to speak.")

   [93] "Les miracles et signes qu'il faisoit par sa vertu Divine;" --
   "the miracles and signs which he performed by his Divine power."

   [94] "Ils font faire de grans bruits: il semble que les villes et citez
   doyvent tourner ce que dessus dessous, tant y a grande esmotion;" --
   "they cause great noises to be made; and so great is the commotion,
   that it would seem as if towns and cities were to be turned upside
   down."

   [95] "Quand Christ vient au monde sans pompe exterieure;" -- "when
   Christ comes into the world without external pomp."

   [96] "Dieu prononce que par son ordonnance il a eleu celuy qu'on verra
   venir ayant les marques qu'il met la;" -- "God declares that, by his
   decree, he hath elected him who will be seen coming, attended by the
   marks which he there describes."

   [97] "Qui estoit pour lors comme enclos en un anglet au pays de Iudee;"
   --"which was then shut up, as it were in a corner, in the country of
   Judea."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 12:22-24; Mark 3:20-22;
   Luke 11:14-15

   Matthew 12:22-24

   Mark 3:20-22

   Luke 11:14-15

   22. Then was brought to him one who was tormented by a devil, blind and
   dumb; and he cured him, so that the blind and dumb person both spoke
   and saw. 23. And all the multitudes were astonished, and said, Is not
   this the son of David? 24. But when the Pharisees heard it, they said,
   This man doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub prince of the
   devils.


   20. And they come into the house, and immediately a multitude
   assembled, so that they could not even eat bread. [98] 21. And when
   those who were related to him heard it, they went out to lay hands on
   him; [99] for they said, He is gone mad. [100] 22. And the Scribes, who
   had come down from Jerusalem, said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the
   prince of the devils he casteth out devils.

   14. And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. [101] And when he
   had cast out the devil, the dumb person spoke, and the multitudes
   wondered. [102] 15. And some of them said, By Beelzebub, the prince of
   the devils, he casteth out devils. [103]



   Mark 3:20. And they come into the house. Mark undoubtedly takes in a
   somewhat extended period of time, when he passes from the miracles to
   that wicked conspiracy which the relatives of Christ formed with each
   other, to bind him as if he had been a madman. Matthew and Luke mention
   not more than a single miracle, as having given to the Pharisees an
   opportunity of slander; but as all the three agree in this last clause
   which is contained in Mark's narrative, I have thought it proper to
   insert it here.

   It is wonderful that such wickedness should have been found among the
   relatives of Christ, who ought to have been the first to aid him in
   advancing the kingdom of God. When they see that he has already
   obtained some reputation, their ambition leads them to desire that he
   should be admired in Jerusalem; for they exhort him to go up to that
   city,

   that he may show himself more openly, (John 7:3,4.)

   But now that they perceive him to be hated on one side by the rulers,
   exposed on another to numerous slanders, and even despised by the great
   body of the people--to prevent any injury, or envy, or dishonor, from
   arising to the whole family, they form the design of laying hands on
   him, and binding him at home, as if he had been a person who labored
   under mental derangement; and, as appears from the words of the
   Evangelist, such was their actual belief.

   Hence we learn, first, how great is the blindness of the human mind, in
   forming such perverse judgments about the glory of God when openly
   displayed. Certainly, in all that Christ said and did, the power of the
   Holy Spirit shone magnificently; and if others had not clearly
   perceived it, how could it be unknown to his relatives, who were
   intimately acquainted with him? But because Christ's manner of acting
   does not please the world, and is so far from gaining its good graces
   that it exposes him to the resentments of many, they give out that he
   is deranged. Let us learn, in the second place, that the light of faith
   does not proceed from flesh and blood, but from heavenly grace, that no
   man may glory in any thing else than in the regeneration of the Spirit;
   as Paul tells us,

   If any man wishes to be considered to be in Christ,
   let him be a new creature, (2 Corinthians 5:17.)

   Matthew 12:22. Then was brought to him. Luke explains from the effect,
   that the devil by which the man was possessed was dumb; but Matthew
   says, that a twofold plague had been inflicted on the man. Many
   persons, no doubt, are blind and deaf on account of natural defects;
   but it is evident, that this man had become blind, and had been
   deprived of the use of speech, though there was no defect in his
   optical nerves, [104] or in the proportion of his tongue. We need not
   wonder that so much liberty should be allowed to Satan in injuring the
   bodily senses, when God justly permits him to corrupt or pervert all
   the faculties of the soul.

   23. And all the people were astonished. Hence we infer, that there was
   a visible display of the power of God, which drew upon him the
   admiration of the great body of the people, who were not at all
   actuated by any wicked disposition. For how came it that all admired,
   but because the fact compelled them to do so? And certainly there is
   not one of us, who does not see in this narrative, as in a mirror, an
   unwonted power of God: and hence it follows, that a diabolical venom
   must have seized the minds of the scribes, who were not ashamed to
   slander so remarkable a work of God. But we must attend to the result
   of the miracle. Moved with admiration, those who saw it ask each other,
   Is not Jesus the Christ? Acknowledging the power of God, they are led,
   as it were by the hand, to faith. Not that they suddenly profited as
   much as they ought to have done, (for they speak doubtfully;) but yet
   it is no small proficiency to be aroused to consider more attentively
   the glory of Christ. Some look upon this as a full affirmation, but the
   words convey no such meaning; and the fact itself shows, that an
   unexpected occurrence had struck them forcibly, and that they did not
   form a decided opinion, but only that it occurred to them that he might
   be the Christ.

   24. But when the Pharisees heard it. The scribes cannot withhold the
   acknowledgment of a fact so open and manifest, and yet they maliciously
   carp [105] at what Christ did by Divine power. Not only do they obscure
   the praise of the miracle, but endeavor to turn it into a reproach, as
   if it were performed by magical enchantment; and that work, which could
   not be ascribed to a man, is alleged by them to have the devil for its
   author. Of the word Beelzebub I have spoken under the Tenth Chapter,
   [106] and of the prince of the devils I have said a little under the
   Ninth Chapter. [107] The opinion expressed by the scribes, that there
   is a prince among wicked spirits, did not arise from a mistake of the
   common people, or from supposition, but from a conviction entertained
   among the godly, that the reprobate have a head, in the same manner as
   Christ is the Head of the Church.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [98] "Ils ne pouvoyent pas mesme prendre leur repas;" -- "they could
   not even take their meal."

   [99] "Ils sortirent pour le saisir;" -- "they went out to seize him."

   [100] "Car ils disoyent qu'il estoit hors du sens;" -- "for they said
   that he was out of his senses."

   [101] "Un diable qui estoit muet;" -- "a devil which was dumb."

   [102] "Dont les troupes s'emerveillerent;" -- "at which the multitudes
   wondered."

   [103] "C'est par Beel-zebub, prince des diables, qu'il iette hors les
   diables;" -- "it is by Beelzebub, prince of the devils, that he casteth
   out devils."

   [104] "Aux nerfs appelez Optiques, qui sont les conduits de la veue;"--
   "in what are called the Optical nerves, which are the conductors of
   vision."

   [105] "Ils ne laissent pas toutesfois de ronger, comme par despit et
   d'un vouloir malicieux;" -- "and yet they do not fail to carp as with
   spite, and with a wicked disposition."

   [106] Harmony, volume 1. [9]p. 459.

   [107] Harmony, volume 1: [10]p. 419. The reader must have observed
   that, when our Author has explained a phrase or illustrated a fact, he
   seldom repeats what he had said, but refers to the earlier portions of
   his work, in which the information may be found. It is not improbable
   that this may have been his leading motive for adopting the plan of a
   Harmony, instead of writing a separate Commentary on each Gospel. He
   had made some observations on Matthew 9:34, But the Pharisees said, He
   casteth out devils by the prince of the devils; and takes for granted,
   that the terms which occur in that passage require no farther
   elucidation. But it would appear to have escaped his recollection that,
   on the occasion alluded to, he satisfied himself with general remarks
   on the "wicked slander" of the Pharisees, and took no notice of the
   phrase, prince of the devils. The deficiency is partly supplied by an
   explanation which he now makes. -- Ed.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 12:25-32; Mark 3:23-30;
   Luke 11:16-23; 12:10

   Matthew 12:25-32

   Mark 3:23-30

   Luke 11:16-23

   25. But as Jesus knew their thoughts, he said to them, [108] Every
   kingdom divided against itself shall be laid waste; and every city or
   house divided against itself shall not stand. 26. And if Satan casteth
   out Satan, he is divided against himself, and how then shall his
   kingdom stand? 27. And if I, by the assistance of Beelzebub, cast out
   devils, by whose assistance do your children cast them out? therefore
   they shall judge concerning you. [109] 28. But if by the Spirit of God
   I cast out devils, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
   29. Otherwise, how can a man enter into the house of a strong man, and
   pillage his property, unless he first bind the strong man, and then he
   will pillage his house? 30. He that is not with me is against me; and
   he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 31. Therefore I say to you,
   All sin and blasphemy [110] shall be forgiven to men; but the blasphemy
   against the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. 32. And whosoever
   shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him;
   but he who shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be
   forgiven him, neither in the present life nor in the future.

   23. And having called them to him, he spoke in parables, How can Satan
   cast out Satan? 24. And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that
   kingdom cannot stand. 25. And if a house be divided against itself,
   that house cannot stand. 26. And if Satan hath risen up against
   himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. [111] 27. No
   man can enter into the house of a strong man, and pillage his property,
   unless he first bind the strong man, and then he will pillage his
   house. 28. Verily I say to you, All sins shall be forgiven to the sons
   of men, and blasphemies with which they shall blaspheme: 29. But he who
   shall speak blasphemy against the Holy Spirit hath not forgiveness to
   eternity, [112] but is exposed to eternal judgment. 30. For they said,
   He hath an unclean spirit. [113]

   16. And others tempting him sought from him a sign from heaven. 17. But
   as he knew their thoughts, [114] he said to them, Every kingdom divided
   against itself is laid waste, and a house against a house falleth.
   [115] 18. But if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his
   kingdom stand? for you say that by Beelzebub I cast out devils. 19. But
   if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them
   out? therefore they shall be your judges. 20. But if I cast out devils
   by the finger of God, truly has the kingdom of God come to you.
   21. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his property is at
   peace; 22. But when a stronger than he cometh upon him, and overcometh
   him, he taketh from him all his armor, in which he trusted, and
   divideth his spoils. 23. He that is not with me is against me, and he
   that gathereth not with me scattereth.

   Luke 12:10.

   And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be
   forgiven him; but he who shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, it
   shall not be forgiven him.


   Matthew 12:25. But as Jesus knew their thoughts. Though Christ knew
   sufficiently well, and had often learned by experience, that the
   scribes, in the exercise of their malice [116] were in the habit of
   putting an unfavorable construction on every thing that he did, yet
   Matthew and Luke, I have no doubt, mean that Christ was a discerner of
   their hearts. [117] And indeed it is probable, that they spoke so
   openly against Christ, that their calumnies reached his ears; but
   Christ knew by his Divine Spirit the dispositions which led them to
   slander him. For it frequently happens that erroneous judgments are
   formed by men who do not intentionally, after all, oppose what is
   right, but err through ignorance; who do not cherish a hidden and
   concealed venom, but whose rashness carries them headlong. [118] The
   meaning therefore is, that Christ reproved them with the greater
   severity, because he was a witness and judge of their inward malice.

   Every kingdom divided against itself. In refuting the calumny alleged
   against him, he first quotes a common proverb. This refutation may
   appear to be not quite satisfactory. We know what subtle methods Satan
   sometimes employs, presenting all the while an appearance of discord,
   in order to entrap the minds of men by superstitions. Thus, for
   example, the exorcisms of Popery are nothing else than feats of
   dexterity, in which Satan pretends to fight with himself. But no
   suspicion of this nature fell on Christ; for he cast out devils in such
   a manner, as to restore to God the men in whom they dwelt sound and
   whole. Whenever Satan enters into a collusion with himself, he pretends
   to be vanquished, and yet it is himself that triumphs. But Christ
   attacked Satan in open combat, threw him down, and left him nothing
   remaining. He did not lay him low in one respect, that he might give
   him greater stability in another, but stripped him completely of all
   his armor. Christ therefore reasons justly, that there is no community
   of interest between him and Satan, because that father of cunning [119]
   keeps one object in view -- the preservation of his kingdom.

   But perhaps it will be objected, that the devils are often hurried
   along, by giddiness and blind madness, to destroy themselves. The
   answer is easy. The words of Christ mean nothing more than that it was
   absurd in the scribes to maintain, that the devil, who endeavors by
   every method to make men his slaves, should, of his own accord, destroy
   the power which he possessed over them. Besides, it ought to be
   remembered, that common proverbs were employed by Christ in such a
   manner, as to be merely probable conjectures, and not solid arguments;
   and that, when he speaks of what is known and well attested, he finds
   it easier to reach the conscience of his adversaries. [120] Everybody
   knew that Christ had driven Satan from his possession, and nothing was
   plainer than that all his miracles tended to this object; and hence it
   was easy to conclude, that his power, which was so much opposed to
   Satan, was divine.

   27. By whom do your children cast them out? He charges them with
   passing an unjust and malicious decision, because in the same case they
   did not decide in a similar manner, but as they were affected towards
   the persons. Now this inequality shows, that their prevailing motive
   was not a regard to what is just and right, but blind love or hatred;
   and that it was even an evidence of wicked self-love (philautias) and
   envy, to condemn in Christ what they praised in their own children By
   your children some understand the children of the whole nation; and
   some think that the Apostles are so called, because they were
   acknowledged to be children, while Christ was treated as if he had been
   a foreigner. [121] Others refer it to the ancient Prophets. I have no
   doubt that he means the Exorcists, who were at that time generally
   employed among the Jews, as is evident from the Acts of the Apostles,
   (19:19.) There is reason to believe, that no greater kindness would be
   exercised in judging of the disciples of Christ than of their Master;
   and to apply these words to the dead is a forced construction, when
   they manifestly denote a comparison of the present time.

   There was indeed no statute of the Law for having Exorcists among the
   Jews; but we know that God, in order to maintain their fidelity to his
   covenant, and their purity of worship, often testified his presence
   among them by a variety of miracles. It is even possible that there
   were persons who cast out devils by calling on the name of the Lord;
   and the people, having experienced such a display of the power of God,
   rashly concluded that it was an ordinary office. [122] The Papists
   afterwards, resolving not to occupy a lower rank, imitated them by
   creating Exorcists; and in this way were apes of apes. Besides, it was
   not necessary that Christ should approve of those exorcisms, in order
   to point out the malice of those who wished to have them regarded as
   sacred, and as authorized by the name of God; for the objection was, as
   we say, of a personal nature. [123]

   Therefore they shall judge concerning you. These words are not to be
   taken literally, but the meaning is: "We need not go far to seek your
   condemnation. You attribute to Beelzebub the miracles which I have
   performed, and you praise the same things in your own children. You
   have at home what is sufficient to condemn you." But if any one prefer
   to understand them differently, as reproaching them with the grace of
   God, which was sometimes exhibited through the Exorcists, I do not
   greatly object to that view. Though they were greatly degenerated, yet
   the Lord was pleased not to leave them altogether without evidences of
   his power, that there might be some testimony to authorize the
   priesthood in general, and the service of the temple; for it was of the
   highest importance that there should be evident marks to distinguish
   them from the superstitions of the Gentiles. I look upon the former
   view, however, as the natural one.

   28. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God. Luke says, if I cast
   out devils by The Finger of God; employing the word Finger
   metaphorically instead of the Spirit. As God works, and exerts his
   power, by his Spirit, it is with propriety that the word Finger is
   applied to him. And this mode of expression was common among the Jews,
   as Moses relates that Pharaoh's magicians said, This is the finger of
   God Now Christ infers from what he has already stated, that the scribes
   prove themselves to be ungrateful to God, by being unwilling that He
   should reign among them. Hitherto, he replied to their idle calumny;
   but now, he treats them as convicted persons, and charges them not to
   make ungodly opposition to the kingdom of God. He does not confine
   himself to a single miracle, but takes occasion from it to discourse on
   the object of his coming, reminds them that they ought not merely to
   look at one remarkable fact, but at a far more important truth, that it
   was the will of God, by revealing His Messiah, to raise up their
   salvation which was fallen, and to restore his kingdom among them. Thus
   we see that Christ complains of their ingratitude, in madly rejecting
   from the midst of them the inestimable grace of God. The kingdom of God
   hath come to you The word come is emphatic, and implies that, without
   any request from them, God appears as their Redeemer, while they do
   everything that is in their power to drive him away, and, when he is
   present and prepared for their salvation, refuse to give him a place.

   29. How can any one enter into the house of a strong man? Though the
   Evangelists differ a little as to words, there is a perfect agreement
   among them as to the substance of this discourse. Christ is pursuing
   the subject, on which he had lately touched, about the kingdom of God,
   and declares it to be necessary that Satan be violently driven out, in
   order that God may establish his kingdom among men. What he now states
   is nothing else than a confirmation of the preceding statement. But to
   ascertain more fully the intention of Christ, we must call to our
   recollection that analogy which Matthew (8:17) traces between the
   visible and the spiritual layouts which Christ bestows. [124] Every
   benefit which the bodies of men received from Christ was intended to
   have a reference to their souls. Thus, in rescuing the bodily senses of
   men from the tyranny of the devil, he proclaimed that the Father had
   sent him as a Deliverer, to destroy his spiritual tyranny over their
   souls.

   I now return to his words. He maintains that a strong and powerful
   tyrant cannot be deprived of his dominion, till he is stripped of his
   armor; for if he is not met by a force superior to his own, he will
   never yield of his own accord. Why is this asserted? First, we know
   that the devil is everywhere called the prince of the world Now the
   tyranny which he exercises is defended on every side by strong
   ramparts. His snares for entrapping men are beyond all calculation;
   nay, men are already his slaves, and so firmly bound by a variety of
   fetters, that they rather cherish the slavery, to which they are
   devoted, than make any aspirations after freedom. There are also
   innumerable evils which he inflicts upon them, by which he holds them
   in wretched oppression under his feet. In short, there is nothing to
   prevent him from tyrannizing over the world without control. Not that
   he can do anything without the permission of the Creator, but because
   Adam, having withdrawn from the dominion of God, has subjected all his
   posterity to this foreign sway.

   Now though it is contrary to nature that the devil reigns, and though
   it is by, just punishment of God, on account of sin, that men are
   subjected to his tyranny, yet he remains in quiet possession of his
   kingdom, and may insult us at his pleasure, till a stronger than he
   shall rise up against him. But this stronger person is not to be found
   on earth, for men have not sufficient power to relieve themselves; and
   therefor it was promised that a Redeemer would come from heaven. Now
   this kind of redemption Christ shows to be necessary, in order to
   wrench from the devil, by main force, what he will never quit till he
   is compelled. By these words he informs us, that it is in vain for men
   to expect deliverance, till Satan has been subdued by a violent
   struggle. [125]

   He expressly accuses the scribes of ignorance, in not understanding the
   principles of the kingdom of God. But this reproof applies almost
   equally to all, for all are chargeable with the same folly. There is no
   man who does not loudly boast that he desires the kingdom of God; and
   yet we do not permit Christ to fight boldly, as the occasion requires,
   in order to rescue us from the power of our tyrant; just as if a sick
   man were to entreat the aid of a physician, and then to refuse every
   remedy. We now see the reason why Christ introduced this parable. It
   was to show, that the scribes were hostile to the kingdom of God, the
   beginnings of which they maliciously resisted. Let us also learn that,
   as we are all subject to the tyranny of Satan, there is no other way in
   which he commences his reign within us, than when he rescues us, by the
   powerful and victorious arm of Christ, from that wretched and accursed
   bondage.

   30. He that is not with me. There are two ways of explaining this
   passage. Some suppose that it is an argument drawn from contraries, and
   that Christ's meaning is: "I cannot reign till the devil is overthrown;
   for the object of all his attempts is, to scatter whatever I gather."
   And certainly we see abundant evidence of the earnestness with which
   that enemy labors to destroy the kingdom of Christ. But I rather agree
   in opinion with those who explain it to denote, that the scribes are
   declared to be, in two respects, opposed to the kingdom of God, because
   they intentionally hinder its progress. "It was your duty to assist me,
   and to give me your hand in establishing the kingdom of God; for
   whoever does not assist is, in some measure, opposed to me, or, at
   least, deserves to be reckoned among enemies. What then shall be said
   of you, whose furious rage drives you into avowed opposition?" [126]

   And he that gathereth not with me scattereth The truth of this is
   abundantly manifest from what has been already said; for so strong is
   our propensity to evil, that the justice of God can have no place but
   in those who apply to it in good earnest. This doctrine has a still
   more extensive bearing, and implies that they are unworthy to be
   considered as belonging to the flock of Christ, who do not apply to it
   all the means that are in their power; because their indolence tends to
   retard and ruin the kingdom of God, which all of us are called to
   advance.

   31. Therefore I say to you. This inference ought not to be confined to
   the clause immediately preceding, but depends on the whole discourse.
   Having proved that the scribes could not blame him for casting out
   devils, without opposing the kingdom of God, he at length concludes
   that it is no light or ordinary offense, but an atrocious crime,
   knowingly and willingly to pour contempt on the Spirit of God. We have
   already said, that Christ did not pronounce this decision on the mere
   words which they uttered, but on their base and wicked thought.

   All sin and blasphemy. As our Lord declares blasphemy against the Holy
   Ghost to be more heinous than all other sins, it is of importance to
   inquire what is the meaning of that term. Those who define it to be
   impenitence [127] may be refuted without any difficulty; for it would
   have been in vain and to no purpose for Christ to say, that it is not
   forgiven in the present life. Besides, the word blasphemy cannot be
   extended indiscriminately to every sort of crimes; but from the
   comparison which Christ makes, we shall easily obtain the true
   definition. Why is it said that he who blasphemes against the Spirit is
   a more heinous sinner than he who blasphemes against Christ? Is it
   because the majesty of the Spirit is greater, that a crime committed
   against him must be punished with greater severity? Certainly that is
   not the reason; for as the fullness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9)
   shines in Christ, he who pours contempt upon him overturns and
   destroys, as far as it lies in his power, the whole glory of God. Now
   in what manner shall Christ be separated from his Spirit, so that those
   who treat the Spirit with contempt offer no injury or insult to Christ?

   Already we begin to perceive, that the reason why blasphemy against the
   Spirit exceeds other sins, is not that the Spirit is higher than
   Christ, but that those who rebel, after that the power of God has been
   revealed, cannot be excused on the plea of ignorance. Besides, it must
   be observed, that what is here said about blasphemy does not refer
   merely to the essence of the Spirit, but to the grace which He has
   bestowed upon us. Those who are destitute of the light of the Spirit,
   however much they may detract from the glory of the Spirit, will not be
   held guilty of this crime. [128] We do not maintain, that those persons
   are said to pour contempt on the Spirit of God, who oppose his grace
   and power by hardened malice; and farther we maintain, that this kind
   of sacrilege is committed only when we knowingly endeavor to extinguish
   the Spirit who dwells in us.

   The reason why contempt is said to be poured on the Spirit, rather than
   on the Son or the Father, is this. By detracting from the grace and
   power of God, we make a direct attack on the Spirit, from whom they
   proceed, and in whom they are revealed to us. Shall any unbeliever
   curse God? It is as if a blind man were dashing against a wall. But no
   man curses the Spirit who is not enlightened by him, and conscious of
   ungodly rebellion against him; for it is not a superfluous distinction.
   that all other blasphemies shall be forgiven, except that one blasphemy
   which is directed against the Spirit. If a man shall simply blaspheme
   against God, he is not declared to be beyond the hope of pardon; but of
   those who have offered outrage to the Spirit, it is said that God will
   never forgive them. Why is this, but because those only are blasphemers
   against the Spirit, who slander his gifts and power, contrary to the
   conviction of their own mind? Such also is the import of the reason
   assigned by Mark for the extreme severity of Christ's threatening
   against the Pharisees; because they had said that he had the unclean
   spirit; for in this manner they purposely and maliciously turned light
   into darkness; and, indeed, it is in the manner of the giants, [129] as
   the phrase is, to make war against God.

   But here a question arises. Do men proceed to such a pitch of madness
   as not to hesitate, knowingly and willfully, to rush against God? for
   this appears to be monstrous and incredible. I reply: Such audacity
   does indeed proceed from mad blindness, in which, at the same time,
   malice and virulent rage predominate. Nor is it without reason that
   Paul says, that though he was

   a blasphemer, he obtained pardon, because he had done it ignorantly in
   his unbelief,
   (1 Timothy 1:13;)

   for this term draws a distinction between his sin and voluntary
   rebellion. This passage refutes also the error of those who imagine
   that every sin which is voluntary, or which is committed in opposition
   to the conscience, is unpardonable. On the contrary, Paul expressly
   limits that sin to the First Table of the Law; [130] and our Lord not
   less plainly applies the word blasphemy to a single description of sin,
   and at the same time shows, that it is of a kind which is directly
   opposed to the glory of God. [131]

   From all that has been said, we may conclude that those persons sin and
   blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, who maliciously turn to his dishonor
   the perfections of God, which have been revealed to him by the Spirit,
   in which His glory ought to be celebrated, and who, with Satan, their
   leader, are avowed enemies of the glory of God. We need not then
   wonder, if for such sacrilege there is no hope of pardon; for they must
   be desperate who turn the only medicine of salvation into a deadly
   venom. Some consider this to be too harsh, and betake themselves to the
   childish expedient, that it is said to be unpardonable, because the
   pardon of it is rare and difficult to be obtained. But the words of
   Christ are too precise to admit of so silly an evasion. It is
   excessively foolish to argue that God will be cruel if he never pardon
   a sin, the atrocity of which ought to excite in us astonishment and
   horror. [132] Those who reason in that manner do not sufficiently
   consider what a monstrous crime it is, not only to profane
   intentionally the sacred name of God, but to spit in his face when he
   shines evidently before us. It shows equal ignorance to object, that it
   would be absurd if even repentance could not obtain pardon; for
   blasphemy against the Spirit is a token of reprobation, and hence it
   follows, that whoever have fallen into it, have been delivered over to
   a reprobate mind, (Romans 1:28.) As we maintain, that he who has been
   truly regenerated by the Spirit cannot possibly fall into so horrid a
   crime, so, on the other hand, we must believe that those who have
   fallen into it never rise again; nay, that in this manner God punishes
   contempt of his grace, by hardening the hearts of the reprobate, so
   that they never have any desire towards repentance.

   32. Neither in the present life What these words mean, Mark briefly
   explains by saying, that those who have spoken against the Spirit are
   exposed to eternal judgment Every day we ask from God the forgiveness
   of sins, and every day he reconciles us to Him; and, finally, at death,
   he takes away all our sins, and declares that he is gracious to us. The
   fruit of this mercy will appear at the last day. The meaning therefore
   is: -- "There is no reason to expect that those who shall have
   blasphemed against the Spirit will obtain pardon in this life, or will
   be acquitted in the last judgment."

   With regard to the inference drawn by the Papists, that the sins of men
   are forgiven after death, there is no difficulty in refuting their
   slander. First, they act foolishly in torturing the expression, future
   life, to mean an intermediate period, while any one may perceive that
   it denotes "the last judgment." But it is likewise a proof of their
   dishonesty; for the objection which they sophistically urge is
   inconsistent with their own doctrine. Who knows not their distinction,
   that sins are freely pardoned in respect of guilt, but that punishment
   and satisfaction are demanded? This is an acknowledgment, that there is
   no hope of salvation to any one whose guilt is not pardoned before
   death. To the dead, therefore, there remains no forgiveness, except as
   regards punishment; and surely they will not venture to deny that the
   subject of this discourse is guilt. Let them now go and light their
   fire of purgatory with these cold materials, if ice can kindle a flame.
   [133]
     __________________________________________________________________

   [108] "Mais Iesus, cognoissant leurs pensees, leur dit;" -- "but Jesus,
   knowing their thoughts, said to them."

   [109] "Parquoy iceux seront vos iuges;" -- "therefore they shall be
   your judges."

   [110] "Toute sorte de peche et blaspheme;" -- "every description of sin
   and blasphemy."

   [111] "Ains il prend fin;" -- "and so he comes to an end."

   [112] "N'aura point de remission eternellement;" -- "will have no
   forgiveness eternally."

   [113] "Il a l'esprit immonde;" -- "he hath the unclean spirit."

   [114] "Mais luy cognoissant leurs pensees;" -- "but he knowing their
   thoughts."

   [115] "Et toute' maison divisee' contre soy-mesme dechet;"-- "and every
   house divided against itself falleth."

   [116] "Comme c'estoyent gens tout pleins d'un malin vouloir;" -- "as
   they were people entirely full of a wicked disposition.

   [117] "Que Christ a cognu ce qui estoit cache dedans leur coeurs;" --
   "that Christ knew what was concealed within their hearts."

   [118] "Mais se laissent trop aisement transporter d'une temerite ne
   voyans pas le mal qu'ils font;" -- "but allow themselves too easily to
   be carried away by rashness, not perceiving the evil that they do."

   [119] "Ce pere de toute finesse et malice;" -- "that father of all
   dexterity and malice."

   [120] "Il ne va pas chercher fort loin les choses pour poindre les
   consciences de ses adversaires;" -- "he does not go far to see things
   fitted to affect the consciences of his adversaries."

   [121] "Et cependant les scribes tenoyent Christ pour estranger;" --
   "and yet the scribes held Christ to be a foreigner."

   [122] "Le peuple en a fait un office ordinaire sans regarder
   comment;"-- "the people made it to be an ordinary office, without
   considering in what manner."

   [123] "Car l'objection s'addresse a la personne, comme on dit, et non
   pas a la chose: c'est a dire, Christ ne regarde point ce qu'a la verite
   il falloit dire de ces Exorcistes, mais ce qu'en pensoyent les
   scribes;" -- "for the objection is addressed to the person, as we say,
   and not to the thing: that is to say, Christ does not consider what in
   truth ought to be said of these Exorcists, but what the Jews thought of
   them."

   [124] Harmony, volume 1 p. 251.

   [125] "Que c'est folie aux hommes d'attendre deliverance, si Satan
   n'est premierement mis bas en choquant a bon escient contre luy;" --
   "that it is folly in men to expect deliverance, if Satan is not first
   put down by encountering him in good earnest."

   [126] "A batailler ouvertement contre Dieu;" -- "to fight openly
   against God."

   [127] "Quant a ceux qui disent que c'est un endurcissement jusqu'a la
   mort;" -- "as to those who say that it is hardened obstinacy even to
   death."

   [128] "Ne seront pas toutesfois tenus coulpables de ce grand crime
   duquel il est ici parle;" -- "will not, on that account, be held guilty
   of the great crime here spoken of."

   [129] "Et cela c'est desfier Dieu, et luy faire la guerre, comme les
   Geans des Poetes, ainsique porte le proverbe Latin;" -- "and that is to
   defy God, and make war with him, like the Giants of the Poets, as the
   Latin proverb bears."

   [130] "Restreint nommement a la Premiere Table de la Loy ce peche
   contre l'Esprit;" -- "expressly limits to the First Table of the Law
   this sin against the Spirit."

   [131] "Que c'est un peche qui battaille directement contre la gloire de
   Dieu;" -- "that it is a sin which fights directly against the glory of
   God."

   [132] "Veu que l'horreur d'iceluy nous devroit a tous faire dresser les
   cheveux en la teste;" -- "since the horror at it ought to have such an
   effect on all of us, as to make the hair stand on our head."

   [133] "Voire s'i1 est possible de tant souffler la glace, qu'on la face
   flamber;" -- "that is, if it be possible to blow upon the ice in such a
   manner as to produce a flame."
     __________________________________________________________________

   MATTHEW 12:33-37

   Matthew 12:33-37

   33. Either make the tree good, and its fruit good: or make the tree
   bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by the fruit.
   34. Offspring of vipers, how can you speak what is good, when you are
   bad? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35. A
   good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth what is
   good, and a bad man, out of the bad treasure, bringeth forth what is
   evil. 36. But I say to you, That men will give account, at the day of
   judgment, for every idle word which they shall have spoken. 37. For by
   thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
   condemned.


   33. Either make the tree good It might look like absurdity, that men
   should be allowed a choice of being either good or bad; but if we
   consider what sort of persons Christ is addressing, the difficulty will
   be speedily resolved. We know what opinion was generally entertained
   about the Pharisees; for their pretended sanctity had so blinded the
   minds of the common people, that no one ventured to pass sentence on
   their vices. [134] Wishing to remove this mask, Christ desires them to
   be either good or bad; or, in other words, declares that nothing is
   more inconsistent with honesty than hypocrisy, and that it is in vain
   for men to boast of pretensions to righteousness who are not sincere
   and upright. [135] So then he puts nothing at their disposal, and
   withdraws no restraint from them, but only reminds them that their
   empty professions will avail them nothing so long as they are double,
   because they must be either good or bad

   From the expression, make the tree, some foolishly infer, that it is in
   every man's power to regulate his own life and conduct. It is a
   rhetorical mode of speaking, by which Christ points out the scribes,
   dispels--so to speak--the smoke of their hypocrisy, and recalls them to
   pure and genuine uprightness. He afterwards explains the way and manner
   in which they may show that they are good or bad trees; which is by
   yielding good or bad fruit: so that there is no ambiguity in the
   meaning. The life of the scribes was not rendered infamous among men by
   gross vices. Pride, ambition, and envy, displayed their venom in the
   slanders which they uttered; but as that venom was not perceived by
   ignorant people, Christ brings the concealed evil from its
   lurking-place, and drags it forth to light.

   But perhaps it will be objected that, in consequence of the corruption
   of our nature, it is impossible to find any man who is altogether
   upright, and free from every vice. The answer is ready. Christ does not
   demand absolute and entire perfection, but only a sincere and unfeigned
   disposition, which the Pharisees whom he addresses were far from
   possessing. As Scripture applies the terms, bad and wicked, to those
   who are completely given up to Satan, so the sincere worshippers of
   God, though they are encompassed by the infirmity of their flesh and by
   many sins, and groan under the burden, are called good. This arises
   from the undeserved kindness of God, who bestows so honorable a
   designation on those who aim at goodness.

   34. Offspring of vipers. The similarity between the tree and the fruit
   is here applied by Christ to nothing more than speech, because this
   afforded an opportunity of detecting the inward and concealed malice of
   the scribes; and that is the reason why he dwells so much on this one
   kind of sin. It is because their falsehood and slanders betrayed what
   was not so visible in the rest of their life, that Christ attacks them
   with such severity. "There is no reason to wonder," he says, "that you
   vomit out wicked words; for your heart is full of malice." Nor are we
   to suppose that he ought to have treated them with greater gentleness,
   because some might regard this reproof as excessively severe. There are
   other sins, no doubt, that call for harsh reproofs; but when
   hypocritical persons pervert what is right, or put a false coloring on
   what is sinful, such wickedness renders it necessary that God should
   thunder against it in a more terrible manner than against other sins.

   Now the design of Christ, suggested by the present occurrence, was to
   condemn the wicked sophistry which turns light into darkness. This
   passage shows how highly valuable in the sight of the Lord truth is,
   since he maintains and defends it with such rigor. Would that this were
   earnestly considered by those persons, whose ingenuity is too ready to
   be employed in defending any cause, and whose venal tongue disguises
   impostures! In a particular manner, Christ waxes wroth against those
   whom ambition, or envy, or some other fraudulent design, prompts to
   slander, even when there is nothing that their conscience condemns.
   Against the Pharisees, too, as his custom was, Christ used greater
   harshness, because they were so captivated by an unfounded conviction
   of their righteousness, that an ordinary warning had no effect upon
   them. And till hypocrites are sharply pierced, [136] all that is said
   to them is treated with scorn and contempt.

   How can you speak what is good? We have formerly hinted, that
   proverbial sayings ought not to be rigidly interpreted as an invariable
   rule, for they state nothing more than the ordinary fact. Sometimes, no
   doubt, a cruel man will deceive the simple by honied flatteries, a
   cunning man will cheat under the garb of simplicity, and a man of very
   wicked thoughts will breathe almost angelical purity of language. [137]
   But the ordinary practice demonstrates the truth of what Christ here
   says, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh;
   agreeably to the old proverb, which declared the tongue to be the index
   of the mind. [138] And, indeed, whatever hidden and crooked recesses
   may exist in the heart of man, and whatever may be the amazing
   contrivances by which every man conceals his vices, yet the Lord
   extorts from each of them some kind of confession, so that they
   discover by the tongue their natural disposition and hidden feelings.
   We must also observe the purpose for which Christ employs those
   parables; for he reproaches the Pharisees with having manifested by
   words the malice which they had inwardly conceived. Besides, knowing
   them to be sworn enemies, he takes occasion from, single calumny to
   expose their whole life, and to destroy their credit with the people,
   which gave them too great influence in deceiving and in doing mischief.
   Though good speeches do not always proceed from the inmost heart, but
   originate (as the phrase is) on the tip of the tongue, yet it is an
   invariable truth, that bad speeches are indications of a bad heart.

   36. Of every idle word This is an argument from the less to the
   greater; for if every idle word is to be called in question, how would
   God spare the open blasphemies and sacrilegious insolence of those who
   bark against his glory? [139] An idle word means one that is useless,
   or that yields no edification or advantage. Many look upon this as too
   severe; [140] but if we consider the purpose for which our tongues were
   made, we will acknowledge, that those men are justly held guilty who
   unthinkingly devote them to trifling fooleries, and prostitute them to
   such a purpose. It is no light fault to abuse, for frivolous purposes,
   the time, which Paul enjoins us to be careful to redeem, (Ephesians
   5:16; Colossians 4:5.)

   Now since no man is so cautious in speech, or maintains such a wise
   restraint upon himself, as never to allow some idle words to escape
   him, there remains for all of us absolute despair, if the Lord should
   treat us with rigor. But as the confident hope of our salvation rests
   on the assurance that God will not enter into judgment with us, (Psalm
   143:2,) but will bury in gracious forgetfulness the sins which deserve
   innumerable deaths, [141] we entertain no doubt that, when he removes
   the condemnation of our whole life, he will likewise pardon the guilt
   of idle talking. When the judgment of God is mentioned in Scripture, it
   does not in any way set aside the forgiveness of sins. And yet let no
   man indulge himself, but let every man earnestly endeavor to bridle his
   tongue, (James 1:26.) First, let us speak of the sacred mysteries of
   God with the utmost reverence and sobriety; secondly, let us abstain
   from talkativeness, buffoonery, and vain jests, and much more from
   slanderous attacks; and, lastly, let us endeavor to have our speech
   seasoned with salt, (Colossians 4:6.)

   37. By thy words thou shalt be justified This was a common proverb,
   which he applied to the present subject; for I have no doubt that this
   was a saying which the people had frequently in their mouths, that
   "every man is condemned or acquitted by his own acknowledgment." But
   Christ turns it to a meaning somewhat different, that a wicked speech,
   being the indication of concealed malice, is enough to condemn a man.
   The attempt which the Papists make to torture this passage, so as to
   set aside the righteousness of faith, is childish. A man is justified
   by his words, not because his speech is the ground of his
   justification, (for we obtain by faith the favor of God, so that he
   reckons us to be righteous persons;) but because pure speech [142]
   absolves us in such a manner, that we are not condemned as wicked
   persons by our tongue. Is it not absurd to infer from this, that men
   deserve a single drop of righteousness in the sight of God? On the
   contrary, this passage upholds our doctrine; for, although Christ does
   not here treat of the ground of our justification, yet the contrast
   between the two words points out the meaning of the word justify. The
   Papists reckon it absurd in us to say, that a man is justified by
   faith, because they explain the word justified to mean, that he
   becomes, and is, actually righteous; while we understand it to mean,
   that he is accounted righteous, and is acquitted before the tribunal of
   God, as is evident from numerous passages of Scripture. And is not the
   same thing confirmed by Christ, when he draws a contrast between
   justified and condemned?
     __________________________________________________________________

   [134] "Que nul n'osoit parler de leurs vices, et les condamner;" --
   "that none dared to speak of their vices, or to condemn them."

   [135] "Lesquels ne vont point rondement, et n'ont une affection
   droite;" -- "who do not go straight forward, and have not an upright
   disposition."

   [136] "Iusques a ce qu'ils sentent qu'on le poigne a bon escient;" --
   "till they feel that they are pierced in good earnest."

   [137] "Il semblera, a l'ouir parler, qu'il ait une purete Angelique;"
   -- "to hear him speak, you would imagine that he has the purity of an
   Angel."

   [138] "Comme aussi le proverbe ancien portoit, Que la langue est le
   charactere ou pourtrait du coeur;" -- "as also the old proverb bore,
   That the tongue is the type or portrait of the heart."

   [139] "Qui abbayent contre sa gloire, comme chiens mastins;" -- "who
   bark against his glory, like mastiff-dogs."

   [140] "Ceci semble a plusieurs estre trop extreme et rigoureux;"--
   "this appears to many to be too extreme and rigorous."

   [141] "Qui meritent dix mille morts;" -- "which deserve ten thousand
   deaths."

   [142] "La parole pure, droite, et honneste;" -- "pure, upright, and
   becoming speech."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26

   Matthew 12:43-45

   Luke 11:24-26

   43. But when the unclean spirit hath gone out of a man, he walketh
   through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. 44. Then he
   saith, I will return to my house, whence I came out; and coming, he
   findeth it empty, and swept, and embellished. 45. Then he goeth away,
   and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and
   entering, he dwelleth there: and the last state of that man is worse
   than the first. [143] So shall it be also to this wicked generation.

   24. When the unclean spirit hath gone out of a man, he walketh through
   dry places, seeking rest; and not finding it, he saith, I will return
   to my house, whence I came out. 25. And when he is come, he findeth it
   swept and embellished. 26. Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven
   other spirits more wicked than himself; and entering, they dwell there:
   and the last state of that man is worse than the first.



   43. But when the unclean spirit hath gone out. He speaks of scribes and
   hypocrites of a similar character, who, despising the grace of God,
   enter into a conspiracy with the devil. Against such persons he
   pronounces that punishment which their ingratitude deserves. To make
   his doctrine more extensively useful, he points out, in a general
   manner, the condemnation that awaits those who, despising the grace
   offered to them, again open the door to the devil. But as almost every
   particle has great weight, there are some points that must be noticed
   in their order, before we come to treat the substance of the parable.

   What Christ says about the going out of the devil is intended to
   magnify the power and efficacy of the grace of God. Whenever God draws
   near to us, and, above all, when he approaches us in the person of his
   Son, the design is, to rescue us from the tyranny of the devil, and to
   receive us into his favor. This had been openly declared by Christ in
   the miracle which he had lately performed. As it is the peculiar office
   of Christ to banish wicked spirits, that they may no longer reign over
   men, the devil is justly said to go out of those men to whom Christ
   exhibits himself as a Redeemer. Though the presence of Christ is not
   efficacious to all, because unbelievers render it useless to them, yet
   he intended to point out why he visits us, what is implied in his
   coming, and how it is regarded by wicked spirits; for in every case in
   which Christ operates on men, the devils are drawn into a contest with
   him, and sink beneath his power. Let us, therefore, hold it to be a
   settled point, that the devil is cast out of us, whenever Christ shines
   upon us, and displays his grace towards us by some manifestation.

   Secondly, the wretched condition of the whole human race is here
   described to us; for it follows that the devil has a residence within
   man, since he is driven from it by the Son of God. Now what is here
   said relates not to one individual or to another, but to the whole
   posterity of Adam. And this is the glory of our nature, that the devil
   has his seat within us, and inhabits both the body and the soul. So
   much the more illustrious is the display of the mercy of God, when we,
   who were the loathsome dens of the devil, are made temples to Himself,
   and consecrated for a habitation of His Spirit.

   Thirdly, we have here a description of Satan's nature. He never ceases
   to do us injury, but is continually busy, and moves from one place to
   another. In a word, he directs all his efforts to accomplish our
   destruction; and above all, when he has been vanquished and put to
   flight by Christ, it only tends more to whet his rage and keenness to
   do us injury. [144] Before Christ makes us partakers of his energy, it
   seems as if it were in sport and amusement that this enemy reigns over
   us; [145] but when he has been driven out, he conceives resentment at
   having lost his prey, collects new forces, and arouses all his senses
   to attack us anew.

   He walketh through dry places. This is a metaphorical expression, and
   denotes that to dwell out of men is to him a wretched banishment, and
   resembles a barren wilderness. Such, too, is the import of the phrase,
   seeking rest, so long as he dwells out of men; for then he is
   displeased and tormented, and ceases not to labor by one means or by
   another, till he recover what he has lost. [146] Let us, therefore,
   learn that, as soon as Christ calls us, a sharper and fiercer contest
   is prepared for us. Though he meditates the destruction of all, and
   though the words of Peter apply to all without exception, that he

   goeth about as a roaring lion, and seeketh whom he may devour,
   (1 Peter 5:8,)

   yet we are plainly taught by these words of Christ, that Satan views
   with deeper hatred, and attacks with greater fierceness and rage, those
   who have been rescued from his snares. Such an admonition, however,
   ought not to inspire us with terror, but to arouse us to keep diligent
   watch, and to put on the spiritual armor, that we may make a brave
   resistance.

   44. He findeth it empty Christ is unquestionably describing those who,
   being destitute of the Spirit of God, are prepared for receiving the
   devil; for believers, in whom the Spirit of God efficaciously dwells,
   are fortified on all sides, so that no opening is left for Satan. The
   metaphor of a house swept and embellished is taken from men who find
   pleasure in the cleanness and neatness of their apartments; for to
   Satan no sight is beautiful but deformity itself, and no smell is sweet
   but filth and nastiness. The meaning therefore is, that Satan never
   finds a more appropriate habitation within us, than when, having parted
   with Christ, we receive Satan as a guest. [147] His highest delight is
   in that emptiness by which the neglect of divine grace is followed.
   [148]

   45. He taketh with him seven other spirits The number seven is here
   used indefinitely, as in many other passages. By these words Christ
   shows that if we fall from his grace, our subjection to Satan is
   doubled, so that he treats us with greater cruelty than before, and
   that this is the just punishment of our slothfulness. [149] Let us not
   then suppose that the devil has been vanquished by a single combat,
   because he has once gone out of us. On the contrary, let us remember
   that, as his lodgment within us was of old standing, ever since we were
   born, he has knowledge and experience of all the approaches by which he
   may reach us; and that, if there be no open and direct entrance, he has
   dexterity enough to creep in by small holes or winding crevices. [150]
   We must, therefore, endeavor that Christ, holding his reign within us,
   may block up all the entrances of his adversary. Whatever may be the
   fierceness or violence of Satan's attacks, they ought not to intimidate
   the sons of God, whom the invincible power of the Holy Spirit preserves
   in safety. We know that the punishment which is here threatened is
   addressed to none but those who despise the grace of God, and who, by
   extinguishing the light of faith, and banishing the desire of
   godliness, [151] become profane.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [143] "La fin de cest homme est pire que le commencement;" -- "the end
   of that man is worse than the beginning."

   [144] "Il aiguise tant plus son appetit enrage de nous mal-faire;" --
   "so much the more does it whet his enraged appetite to do us injury."

   [145] "Ce mal-heureux ennemi nous manie tout a son aise, et regne en
   nous comme en se iouant;" -- "this unhappy foe governs us altogether at
   his ease, and reigns over us, as it were, in sport."

   [146] "Iusques a ce qu'il retrouve la proye qu'on luy a ostee
   d'entremains;" -- "till he recover the prey that has been snatched out
   of his hands."

   [147] "Que quand, laissans Christ, et nous esloignans de luy, nous
   attirons c'est hoste a nous;" -- "that when leaving Christ, and
   withdrawing from him, we entice this guest."

   [148] "Ce qu'il aime donc le plus, et ou il prend un souverain plaisir,
   c'est ceste place vuide qui se fait quand l'homme ne tient conte de la
   grace de Dieu, et est nonchalant d'en bien user;" -- "that which he
   loves most, and in which he takes a supreme pleasure, is the emptiness
   which is produced, when man sets no value on the grace of God, and is
   indifferent about making a good use of it."

   [149] "En sorte qu'il nous tient le pied sur la gorge plus estroitement
   que devant: et qu'en cela nous recevons une iuste recompense et
   punition de nostre nonchalance;" -- "so that he holds his foot upon our
   throat more straitly than before; and that in this we have a just
   reward of our indifference."

   [150] "Et s'il n'y pent entrer de front et apertement, il est assez fin
   pour s'y fourrer secretement par dessous terre, ou par quelque fente a
   coste;"-- "and if he cannot enter it in front and openly, he is cunning
   enough to dig into it secretly below ground, or by some chink in the
   side."

   [151] "Et effacans l'amour de la crainte de Dieu;" -- "and effacing the
   love of the fear of God."
     __________________________________________________________________

   MATTHEW 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35;
   Luke 11:27-28; 8:19-21

   Matthew 12:46-50

   Mark 3:31-35

   Luke 11:27-28

   46. And while he was still talking to the multitudes, lo, his mother
   and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak to him. 47. And one
   said to him, Lo, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to
   speak to thee. 48. But he answering said to him who had told him, Who
   is my mother, or who are my brethren? 49. And stretching out his hand
   toward his disciples, he said, Lo, my mother and my brethren. 50. For
   whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my
   brother, and sister, and mother.


   31. And his mother and brethren came, and standing without, sent to him
   to call him. [152] 32. And the multitude was sitting around him, and
   they say to him, Lo, thy mother and thy brethren without seek thee.
   33. And he answered, saying to them, Who is my mother and my brethren?
   34. And when he had looked all around on the disciples sitting around
   him, he said, Lo, my mother and my brethren. 35. For he who shall do
   the will of God is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

   27. And it happened while he was saying these things, a certain woman
   from among the multitude, raising her voice, said to him, Blessed is
   the womb that bore thee, and the breasts which thou hath sucked.
   28. but he said, Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of
   God, and keep it.

   Luke 8:19-21

   19. And his mother and his brethren came to him, and could not reach
   him on account of the crowd. 20. And it was related and told him, Thy
   mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. 21. Who
   answering said to them, My mother and my brethren are those who hear
   the word of God, and do it. [153]


   Luke 11:27. Blessed is the womb. By this eulogium the woman intended to
   magnify the excellence of Christ; for she had no reference to Mary,
   [154] whom, perhaps, she had never seen. And yet it tends in a high
   degree to illustrate the glory of Christ, that she pronounces the womb
   that bore him to be noble and blessed. Nor was the blessing
   inappropriate, but in strict accordance with the manner of Scripture;
   for we know that offspring, and particularly when endued with
   distinguished virtues, is declared to be a remarkable gift of God,
   preferable to all others. It cannot even be denied that God conferred
   the highest honor on Mary, by choosing and appointing her to be the
   mother of his Son. And yet Christ's reply is so far from assenting to
   this female voice, that it contains an indirect reproof.

   Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God. We see that
   Christ treats almost as a matter of indifference that point on which
   the woman had set a high value. And undoubtedly what she supposed to be
   Mary's highest honor was far inferior to the other favors which she had
   received; for it was of vastly greater importance to be regenerated by
   the Spirit of God than to conceive Christ, according to the flesh, in
   her womb; to have Christ living spiritually within her than to suckle
   him with her breasts. In a word, the highest happiness and glory of the
   holy Virgin consisted in her being a member of his Son, so that the
   heavenly Father reckoned her in the number of new creatures.

   In my opinion, however, it was for another reason, and with a view to
   another object, that Christ now corrected the saying of the woman. It
   was because men are commonly chargeable with neglecting even those
   gifts of God, on which they gaze with astonishment, and bestow the
   highest praise. This woman, in applauding Christ, had left out what was
   of the very highest consequence, that in him salvation is exhibited to
   all; and, therefore, it was a feeble commendation, that made no mention
   of his grace and power, which is extended to all. Christ justly claims
   for himself another kind of praise, not that his mother alone is
   reckoned blessed, but that he brings to us all perfect and eternal
   happiness. We never form a just estimate of the excellence of Christ,
   till we consider for what purpose he was given to us by the Father, and
   perceive the benefits which he has brought to us, so that we who are
   wretched in ourselves may become happy in him. But why does he say
   nothing about himself, and mention only the word of God? It is because
   in this way he opens to us all his treasures; for without the word he
   has no intercourse with us, nor we with him. Communicating himself to
   us by the word, he rightly and properly calls us to hear and keep it,
   that by faith he may become ours.

   We now see the difference between Christ's reply and the woman's
   commendation; for the blessedness, which she had limited to his own
   relatives, is a favor which he offers freely to all. He shows that we
   ought to entertain no ordinary esteem for him, because he has all the
   treasures of life, blessedness, and glory, hidden in him, (Colossians
   2:3,) which he dispenses by the word, that they may be communicated to
   those who embrace the word by faith; for God's free adoption of us,
   which we obtain by faith, is the key to the kingdom of heaven. The
   connection between the two things must also be observed. We must first
   hear, and then keep; for as faith cometh by hearing, (Romans 10:17,) it
   is in this way that the spiritual life must be commenced. Now as the
   simple hearing is like a transitory looking into a mirror, [155] as
   James says, (1:23,) he likewise adds, the keeping of the word, which
   means the effectual reception of it, when it strikes its roots deep
   into our hearts, and yields its fruit. The forgetful hearer, whose ears
   alone are struck by the outward doctrine, gains no advantage. On the
   other hand, they who boast that they are satisfied with the secret
   inspiration, and on this ground disregard the outward preaching, shut
   themselves out from the heavenly life. What the Son of God hath joined
   let not men, with wicked rashness, put asunder, (Matthew 19:6.) The
   Papists discover amazing stupidity by singing, in honor of Mary, those
   very words by which their superstition is expressly condemned, and who,
   in giving thanks, detach the woman's saying, and leave out the
   correction. [156] But it was proper that such a universal stupefaction
   should come upon those who intentionally profane, at their pleasure,
   the sacred word of God.

   Luke 8:19. And his mother and his brethren came to him. There is an
   apparent discrepancy here between Luke and the other two Evangelists;
   for, according to their arrangement of the narrative, they represent
   Christ's mother and cousins as having come, while he was discoursing
   about the unclean spirit, while he refers to a different occasion, and
   mentions only the woman's exclamation, which we have just now
   explained. But we know that the Evangelists were not very exact as to
   the order of dates, or even in detailing minutely every thing that
   Christ did or said, so that the difficulty is soon removed. Luke does
   not state at what precise time Christ's mother came to him; but what
   the other two Evangelists relate before the parable of the sower he
   introduces after it. The account which he gives of the exclamation of
   the woman from among the multitude bears some resemblance to this
   narrative; for inconsiderate zeal may have led her to exalt to the
   highest pitch what she imagined that Christ had unduly lowered.

   All the three Evangelists agree in stating, that while Christ was
   discoursing in the midst of a crowd of people, his mother and brethren
   came to him The reason must have been either that they were anxious
   about him, or that they were desirous of instruction; for it is not
   without some good reason that they endeavor to approach him, and it is
   not probable that those who accompanied the holy mother were
   unbelievers. Ambrose and Chrysostom accuse Mary of ambition, but
   without any probability. What necessity is there for such a conjecture,
   when the testimony of the Spirit everywhere bestows commendation on her
   distinguished piety and modesty? The warmth of natural affection may
   have carried them beyond the bounds of propriety: this I do not deny,
   but I have no doubt that they were led by pious zeal to seek his
   society. Matthew relates that the message respecting their arrival was
   brought by one individual: Mark and Luke say that he was informed by
   many persons. But there is no inconsistency here; for the message which
   his mother sent to call him would be communicated, as usually happens,
   from one hand to another, till at length it reached him.

   Matthew 12:48. Who is my mother? These words were unquestionably
   intended to reprove Mary's eagerness, and she certainly acted
   improperly in attempting to interrupt the progress of his discourse.
   [157] At the same time, by disparaging the relationship of flesh and
   blood, our Lord teaches a very useful doctrine; for he admits all his
   disciples and all believers to the same honorable rank, as if they were
   his nearest relatives, or rather he places them in the room of his
   mother and brethren Now this statement is closely connected with the
   office of Christ; for he tells us that he has been given, not to a
   small number of individuals, but to all the godly, who are united in
   one body with him by faith. He tells us also, that there is no tie of
   relationship more sacred than spiritual relationship, because we ought
   not to think of him according to the flesh, but according to the power
   of his Spirit which he has received from the Father to renew men, so
   that those who are by nature the polluted and accursed seed of Abraham
   begin to be by grace the holy and heavenly sons of God. In like manner,
   Paul affirms that to know Christ after the flesh is not to know him
   properly, (2 Corinthians 5:16,) because we ought rather to consider
   that renovation of the world, which far exceeds human power, and which
   takes place when he forms us anew by his Spirit to the image of God. To
   sum up the whole, this passage, first, teaches us to behold Christ with
   the eyes of faith; and, secondly, it informs us, that every one who is
   regenerated by the Spirit, and gives himself up entirely to God for
   true justification, is thus admitted to the closest union with Christ,
   and becomes one with him.

   50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven. When
   he says that they do the will of his Father, he does not mean that they
   fulfill, in a perfect manner, the whole righteousness of the law; for
   in that sense the name brother, which is here given by him to his
   disciples, would not apply to any man. [158] But his design is, to
   bestow the highest commendation on faith, which is the source and
   origin of holy obedience, and at the same time covers the defects and
   sins of the flesh, that they may not be imputed. This, says Christ in a
   well-known passage,

   is the will of my Father, that whosoever seeth the Son, and believeth
   in him, may not perish, but have eternal life,
   (John 6:40.)

   Although these words seem to imply that Christ has no regard to the
   ties of blood, yet we know that in reality he paid the strictest
   attention to human order, [159] and discharged his lawful duties
   towards relatives; but points out that, in comparison of spiritual
   relationship, no regard, or very little, is due to the relationship of
   the flesh. Let us therefore attend to this comparison, so as to perform
   all that nature can justly claim, and, at the same time, not to be too
   strongly attached to flesh and blood. Again, as Christ bestows on the
   disciples of his Gospel the inestimable honor of being reckoned as his
   brethren, we must be held guilty of the basest ingratitude, if we do
   not disregard all the desires of the flesh, and direct every effort
   towards this object.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [152] "Et estans dehors envoyerent quelques uns vers luy pour
   l'appeler;" -- "and being without, sent some persons to him to call
   him."

   [153] "Mais luy respondant leur dit, Ceux-la sont ma mere et mes
   freres, qui oyent la parole de Dieu, et la mettent en effect;" -- "but
   he answering said to them, Those are my mother and my brethren, who
   hear the word of God, and put it in practice."

   [154] "Il ne faut pas penser qu'elle eust regard a Marie;" -- "we must
   not suppose that she had reference to Mary."

   [155] "Autant que l'ouye simple est comme quand on regarde en un
   mirroir, et que la memoire s'en escoule incontinent;" -- "since the
   simple hearing is as when we look into a mirror, and the remembrance of
   it immediately passes away."

   [156] "Et en leurs graces apres le repas, ils prenent le dire de la
   femme, laissans la correction qui estoit le principal;" -- "and in
   their thanksgivings after a meal, they employ the woman's saying
   leaving out the correction, which was the most important matter,"

   [157] "Et de faict, c'estoit mal avise a elle de vouloir ainsi rompre
   son propos, lors qu'il enseignoit;" -- "and in fact, it was foolish in
   her to wish to break off his discourse in this manner, while he was
   teaching."

   [158] "Ne conviendroit a homme vivant;" -- "would not apply to any man
   living."

   [159] "Qu'a la verite il a observe et entretenu en toute sainctete
   l'ordre qui est entre les hommes;" -- "that in reality he observed and
   maintained."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 12:38-42; Luke 11:16, 29-32

   Matthew 12:38-42

   Luke 11:16, 29-32

   38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees asked him, saying, Master,
   we desire to see a sign from thee. 39. But he answering said to them, A
   wicked and adulterous generation seeketh a sign, [160] and a sign shall
   not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40. For as
   Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so
   will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the
   earth. 41. The men of Nineveh will rise in judgment with this
   generation, and will condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of
   Jonah; and, lo, a greater than Jonah is here. [161] 42. The queen of
   the south will rise in judgment with this generation, and will condemn
   it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of
   Solomon; and, lo, a greater than Solomon is here. [162]

   16. And others tempting, sought from him a sign from heaven. -- (A
   little after.) 29. And while the multitudes were crowding together, he
   began to say, This is a wicked generation: it seeketh a sign, and a
   sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
   30. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall the Son of man
   be also to this nation. 31. The queen of the south will rise in
   judgment with the men of this nation, and will condemn them: for she
   came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, lo,
   a great than Solomon is here. 32. The men of Nineveh will rise in
   judgment with this nation, and will condemn it: for they were brought
   to repentance by the preaching of Jonah; and, lo, a greater than Jonah
   is here.


   Luke 11:16. And others tempting sought from him a sign. Something
   similar to this is afterwards related by Matthew, (16:4,) and by Mark,
   (8:11, 12.) Hence it is evident, that Christ repeatedly attacked them
   on this subject, so that there was no end to the wickedness of those
   men who had once resolved [163] to oppose the truth. There can be no
   doubt that they ask a sign, in order to plead, as a plausible pretense
   for their unbelief, that Christ's calling has not been duly attested.
   They do not express such submissiveness as to be prepared to yield to
   two or three miracles, and still less to be satisfied with a single
   miracle; but as I hinted a little before, they apologize for not
   believing the Gospel on this pretense, that Christ shows no sign of it
   from heaven. [164] He had already performed miracles before their eyes
   sufficiently numerous and manifest; but as if these were not enough for
   the confirmation of doctrine, they wish to have something exhibited
   from heaven, by which God will, as it were, make a visible appearance.
   They call him Master, according to custom; for such was the appellation
   given at that time to all scribes and expounders of the law. But they
   do not acknowledge him to be a prophet of God, till he produce a
   testimony from heaven. The meaning therefore is: "Since thou professest
   to be a teacher and Master, if thou desirest that we should be thy
   disciples, let God declare from heaven that He is the Author of thy
   teaching, and let Him confirm thy calling by a miracle."

   Matthew 12:39. A wicked generation He does not merely charge that age
   with malice, but pronounces the Jews--or at least the scribes, and
   those who resembled them--to be a wicked nation; thus declaring that
   they labored under a hereditary disease of obstinacy. The word genea
   sometimes denotes an age, and sometimes a people or nation. He calls
   them adulterous, that is, spurious or illegitimate, [165] because they
   were degenerated from the holy fathers; as the prophets reproach the
   men of their age with being not the descendants of Abraham, but the
   ungodly seed of Canaan.

   Seeks a sign. This leads to the inquiry, Does Christ address them with
   such harshness of language, because they wished to have a sign given
   them? for on other occasions God manifests that He is not so much
   displeased on this account. Gideon asks a sign, (Judges 6:17,) and God
   is not angry, but grants his request; and though Gideon becomes
   importunate and asks another sign, yet God condescends to his weakness.
   Hezekiah does not ask a sign, and it is offered to him, though
   unsolicited, (Isaiah 38:7,8.) Ahaz is severely blamed for refusing to
   ask a sign, as the prophet had enjoined him to do, (Isaiah 7:11.) It is
   not solely, therefore, because they ask a sign, that Christ makes this
   attack upon the scribes, but because they are ungrateful to God,
   wickedly despise so many of his wonderful works, and try to find a
   subterfuge for not obeying his word. What a display was this, I do not
   say of indifference, but of malice, in shutting their eyes against so
   many signs! There was, therefore, no proper ground for this annoyance;
   and they had no other object in view than to appear to have a good
   reason for rejecting Christ. Paul condemns their posterity for the same
   crime, when he says that the Jews require a sign, (1 Corinthians 1:22.)

   A sign shall not be given to it. They had already been convicted by
   various miracles, and Christ does not abstain from exerting his power
   among them, for the purpose of rendering them inexcusable, but only
   means that one sign would stand for all, because they were unworthy of
   having their ungodly desire granted. "Let them rest satisfied," says
   he, "with this sign, that as Jonah, brought up from the bottom of the
   sea, preached to the Ninevites, so they will hear the voice of a
   prophet risen from the dead." The most of commentators, I am aware,
   display greater ingenuity in expounding this passage; but as the
   resemblance between Christ and Jonah does not hold at every point, we
   must inquire in what respect Christ compares himself to Jonah. For my
   own part, leaving the speculations of other men, I think that Christ
   intends to mark out that single point of resemblance which I have
   already hinted, that he will be their prophet after that he is risen
   from the dead. "You despise," he says, "the Son of God, who has come
   down to you from heaven: but I am yet to die, and to rise from the
   grave, and to speak to you after my resurrection, as Jonah came from
   the bottom of the sea to Nineveh." In this manner our Lord cuts off
   every pretense for their wicked demands, by threatening that he will be
   their Prophet after his resurrection, since they do not receive him
   while clothed with mortal flesh.

   Luke 11:30. As Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites. He declares that he
   will be a sign to them, as Jonah was to the inhabitants of Nineveh. But
   the word sign is not taken in its ordinary sense, as pointing out
   something, but as denoting what is widely removed from the ordinary
   course of nature. In this sense Jonah's mission was miraculous, when he
   was brought out of the belly of the fish, as if from the grave, to call
   the Ninevites to repentance. Three days and three nights This is in
   accordance with a well-known figure of speech. [166] As the night is an
   appendage to the day, or rather, as the day consists of two parts,
   light and darkness, he expresses a day by a day and a night, and where
   there was half a day, he puts down a whole day.

   Matthew 12:41. The men of Nineveh will rise in judgment. Having spoken
   of the Ninevites, Christ takes occasion to show that the scribes and
   others, by whom his doctrine is rejected, are worse than the Ninevites
   were. "Ungodly men," he says, "who never had heard a word of the true
   God, repented at the voice of an unknown and foreign person who came to
   them; while this country, which is the sanctuary of heavenly doctrine,
   hears not the Son of God, and the promised Redeemer." Here lies the
   contrast which is implied in the comparison. We know who the Ninevites
   were, men altogether unaccustomed to hear prophets, and destitute of
   the true doctrine. Jonah had no rank to secure their respect, but was
   likely to be rejected as a foreigner. The Jews, on the other hand,
   boasted that among them the Word of God had its seat and habitation. If
   they had beheld Christ with pure eyes, [167] they must have
   acknowledged, not only that he was a teacher sent from heaven, but that
   he was the Messiah, and the promised Author of Salvation. But if that
   nation was convicted of desperate ungodliness, for despising Christ
   while he spoke to them on earth, we are worse than all the unbelievers
   that ever existed, if the Son of God, now that he inhabits his
   sanctuary in heaven, and addresses us with a heavenly voice, does not
   bring us to obey him. Whether the men of Nineveh were truly and
   perfectly turned to God I judge it unnecessary to inquire. It is enough
   for the present purpose that they were so deeply affected by the
   teaching of Jonah, as to have their minds directed to repentance.

   42. The queen of the south. As Ethiopia lies in a southerly direction
   from Judea, I willingly concur with Josephus and other writers, who
   assert that she was the queen of Ethiopia. In sacred history she is
   called the queen of Sheba, (2 Chronicles 9:1.) We must not suppose this
   Sheba to be the country of Saba, which rather lay toward the east, but
   a town situated in Meroe, an island on the Nile, which was the
   metropolis of the kingdom. Here, too, we must attend to the points of
   contrast. A woman who had not been at all educated in the school of
   God, was induced, by the desire of instruction, to come from a distant
   region to Solomon, an earthly king; while the Jews, who had been
   instructed in the divine law, reject their highest and only teacher,
   the Prince of all the prophets. The word condemn relates not to the
   persons, but to the fact itself, and the example which it yields.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [160] "Ausquels il respondit, et leur dit, La nation meschante et
   adultere (ou, bastarde) requiert un signe;" -- "to whom he answered,
   and said to them, The wicked and adulterous (or, bastard) nation
   demandeth a sign."

   [161] "Et voyci, il y a ici plus que Ionas;" -- "and, lo, there is here
   a greater than Jonah."

   [162] "Et voyci, il y a ici plus que Salomon;" -- "and, lo, there is
   here a greater than Solomon."

   [163] "Qui une fois s'estoyent endurcis;" -- "who had once become
   hardened."

   [164] "Que Christ ne leur monstre aucun signe d'enhaut qui soit pour
   seelet ceste doctrine;" -- "that Christ shows them no sign from above
   that is sufficient to seal this doctrine."

   [165] "Il entend qu'ils sont enfans bastars;" -- "he means that they
   are bastard children."

   [166] "Quant aux trois nuits, il y a ici (cornme on scait bien) une
   figure que les Grecs et Latins appellent Synecdoche;" -- "as to the
   three nights, there is here (as is well known) a figure which the Greek
   and Latin writers call Synecdoche."

   [167] "D'un oeil pur, et sans mauvaise affection;" -- "with a pure eye,
   and without evil disposition."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 13:1-17; Mark 4:1-12, 24-25;
   Luke 8:1-10, 18; 10:23-24

   Matthew 13:1-17

   Mark 4:1-12, 24-25

   Luke 8:1-10, 18

   1. And on the same day Jesus went out of the house, and sat down near
   the sea. 2. And great multitudes were gathered to him, so that he
   entered into a ship, and sat down, and the whole multitude was standing
   on the shore. 3. And he said many things to them by parables, saying,
   Lo, one who was sowing, some seeds fell near the road, and the birds
   came and devoured them. 5. And some fell on stony places, where they
   had not much earth, and immediately they sprang up, because they had
   not depth of earth. 6. But when the sun rose, they were burnt up, and
   because they had not a root, they withered away. 7. Others again fell
   on thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked them. 8. And others fell
   on good soil, and yielded fruit: some a hundred-fold, some sixty-fold,
   some thirty-fold. 9. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10. And
   the disciples approaching said to him, Why dost thou speak to them by
   parables? 11. But he answering, said to them, To you it is given to
   know the mysteries [168] of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is
   not given, 12. For whosoever hath, it shall be given to him, and he
   shall be rendered more wealthy; [169] and whosoever hath not, even that
   which he hath shall be taken from him. 13. For this reason I speak to
   them in parables, because seeing, they do not see, and hearing, they do
   not hear nor understand. 14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of
   Isaiah, which saith, With the ears you shall hear, and shall not
   understand, and seeing, you shall see, and shall not perceive. 15. For
   the heart of this people hath become gross, and with their ears they
   have heard heavily, and their eyes they have shut, lest at any time
   they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
   understand with the heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
   16. But your eyes are blessed for they see; and your ears, for they
   hear. 17. Verily, I say to you, That many prophets and righteous men
   have desired to see the things which you see, and have not seen them,
   and to hear the things which you hear, and have not heard them.

   1. And again he began to teach near the sea, and a great multitude was
   gathered to him, so that, entering into a ship, he sat on the sea, and
   the whole multitude was near the sea on land. 2. And he taught them
   many things by parables, and said to them in his doctrine: 3. Hear, lo,
   a sower went out to sow. 4. And it happened while he was sowing, some
   fell closer to the road; and the fowls of heaven came and ate them up.
   5. And some fell on stony places, where it had not much earth, and
   immediately it sprang up, because it had not depth of earth. 6. And
   when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had not a root,
   it withered. 7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew, and
   choked it, and it did not yield fruit. 8. And some fell on good soil,
   and yielded fruit springing up and growing, and produced some thirty,
   and some sixty, and some a hundred. 9. And he said to them, He that
   hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10. And when he began to be alone,
   those who were around him, with the twelve, asked him about the
   parable. 11. And he said to them, To you it is given to know the
   mystery [170] of the kingdom of God, but to those who are without all
   things are done by parables: 12. That seeing, they may see and may not
   perceive, and hearing, they may hear and may not understand, lest at
   any time they may be converted, and their sins may be forgiven them. --
   (A little after,) 24. And he said to them, Observe what you hear: with
   what measure, the same admeasurement shall be made to you, and it shall
   be added to you who shall hear. 25. For to him who hath it shall be
   given; and he that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken
   away from him.


   1. And it happened afterwards, and he was traveling through each city
   and village, [171] preaching and proclaiming the glad tidings of the
   kingdom of God; and the twelve were with him, 2. And likewise some
   women, who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases, Mary, who is
   called Magdalene, out of whom had gone seven devils, 3. And Joanna, the
   wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who
   assisted him out of their property 4. And while a very great multitude
   was assembling, and while they were crowding to him out of each city,
   he said by a parable: 5. One who sowed went out to sow his seed, and
   while he was sowing, some fell near the road, and the fowls of heaven
   ate it up. 6. And some fell on a rock, and when it was sprung up, it
   withered, because it hath not moisture. 7. And some fell among thorns,
   and the thorns springing up along with it, choked it. 8. And some fell
   on a good soil, and, springing up, produced fruit a hundred-fold.
   Saying these things, he exclaimed, He that hath ears to hear, let him
   hear. 9. And his disciples asked him, saying, What was this parable?
   [172] 10. But he said, To you it is given to know the mysteries [173]
   of the kingdom of God, but to the rest by parables; that seeing, they
   may not see, and hearing, they may not understand. -- (A little after,)
   18. Consider then how you hear. For whosoever hath, it shall be given
   to him; and whosoever hath not, even that which he thinketh that he
   hath shall be taken from him.

   Luke 10:23-24.

   23. And turning to his disciples, he said to them privately, Blessed
   are the eyes that see the things which you see. 24. For I say to you,
   That many prophets and kings have desired to see the things which you
   see, and have not seen them; and to hear the things which you hear, and
   have not heard them.



   What I have here introduced from Luke belongs, perhaps, to another
   time; but I saw no necessity for separating what he has placed in
   immediate connection. First, he says that the twelve apostles preached
   the kingdom of God along with Christ; from which we infer that, though
   the ordinary office of teaching had not yet been committed to them,
   they constantly attended as heralds to procure an audience for their
   Master; and, therefore, though they held an inferior rank, they are
   said to have been Christ's assistants. Next, he adds, that among those
   who accompanied Christ were certain women, who had been cured of evil
   spirits and diseases, such as Mary Magdalene, who had been tormented by
   seven devils To be associated with such persons might be thought
   dishonorable; for what could be more unworthy of the Son of God than to
   lead about with him women who were marked with infamy? But this enables
   us more clearly to perceive that the crimes with which we were loaded
   before we believed, are so far from diminishing the glory of Christ,
   that they tend rather to raise it to a higher pitch. And, certainly, it
   is not said, that the Church which he elected was found by him to be
   without spot and blemish, but that he cleansed it with his blood, and
   made it pure and fair.

   The wretched and disgraceful condition of those women, now that they
   had been delivered from it, redounded greatly to the glory of Christ,
   by holding out public manifestations of his power and grace. At the
   same time, Luke applauds their gratitude in following their Deliverer,
   and disregarding the ridicule of the world. [174] Beyond all question,
   they were pointed at with the finger on every side, and the presence of
   Christ served for a platform to exhibit them; but they do not refuse to
   have their own shame made generally known, provided that the grace of
   Christ be not concealed. On the contrary, they willingly endure to be
   humbled, in order to become a mirror, by which he may be illustriously
   displayed.

   In Mary, the boundless goodness of Christ was displayed in an
   astonishing manner. A woman, who had been possessed by seven devils,
   and might be said to have been the meanest slave of Satan, was not
   merely honored to be his disciple, but admitted to enjoy his society.
   Luke adds the surname Magdalene, to distinguish her from the sister of
   Martha, and other persons of the name of Mary, who are mentioned in
   other passages, (John 11:1; 19:25.)

   Luke 8:3. Joanna, the wife of Chuza It is uncertain whether or not Luke
   intended his statement to be applied to those women in the same manner
   as to Mary To me it appears probable that she is placed first in order,
   as a person in whom Christ had given a signal display of his power; and
   that the wife of Chuza, and Susanna, matrons of respectability and of
   spotless reputation, are mentioned afterwards, because they had only
   been cured of ordinary diseases. Those matrons being wealthy and of
   high rank, it reflects higher commendation on their pious zeal, that
   they supply Christ's expenses out of their own property, and, not
   satisfied with so doing, leave the care of their household affairs, and
   choose to follow him, attended by reproach and many other
   inconveniences, through various and uncertain habitations, instead of
   living quietly and at ease in their own houses. It is even possible,
   that Chuza, Herod's steward, being too like his master, was strongly
   opposed to what his wife did in this matter, but that the pious woman
   overcame this opposition by the ardor and constancy of her zeal.

   Matthew 13:2. And great multitudes were gathered together to him. It is
   not without good reason that the Evangelists begin with informing us
   that, a vast multitude had assembled, and that when Christ beheld them,
   he was led to compare his doctrine to seed That multitude had been
   collected from various places: all were held in suspense; all were
   alike eager to hear, but not equally desirous to receive instruction.
   The design of the parable was to inform them, that the seed of
   doctrine, which is scattered far and wide, is not everywhere
   productive; because it does not always find a fertile and well
   cultivated soil. Christ declared that he was there in the capacity of a
   husbandman, who was going out to sow seed, but that many of his hearers
   resembled an uncultivated and parched soil, while others resembled a
   thorny soil; so that the labor and the very seed were thrown away. I
   forbear to make any farther inquiry into the meaning of the parable,
   till we come to the explanation of it; which, as we shall find, is
   shortly afterwards given by our Lord. It may only be necessary, for the
   present, to remind the reader, that if those who ran from distant
   places to Christ, like hungry persons, are compared to an unproductive
   and barren soil, we need not wonder if, in our own day, the Gospel does
   not yield fruit in many, of whom some are lazy and sluggish, others
   hear with indifference, and others are scarcely drawn even to hear.

   9. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. These words were intended
   partly to show that all were not endued with true understanding to
   comprehend what he said, and partly to arouse his disciples to consider
   attentively that doctrine which is not readily and easily understood by
   all. Indeed, he makes a distinction among the hearers, by pronouncing
   some to have ears, and others to be deaf. If it is next inquired, how
   it comes to pass that the former have ears, Scripture testifies in
   other passages, that it is the Lord who pierces the ears, (Psalm
   40:7,)and that no man obtains or accomplishes this by his own industry.

   10. The disciples approaching said to him. From the words of Matthew it
   is evident, that the disciples did not merely look to themselves, but
   wished also to consult the benefit of others. Being unable to
   comprehend the parable, they concluded that it would be as little
   understood by the people; and, therefore, they complain that Christ
   employed language from which his hearers could derive no profit. Now
   though parables are generally found to illustrate the subject of which
   they treat, yet the uninterrupted course of a metaphor may lead to
   obscurity. [175] So then Christ, in delivering this parable, intended
   to wrap up, in an allegory, what he might have said more plainly and
   fully, without a figure. [176] But now that the exposition is added,
   the figurative discourse has greater energy and force than if it had
   been simple: by which is meant, that it is not only fitted to produce a
   more powerful impression on the mind, but is also more clear. So highly
   important is the manner in which any thing is said. [177]

   11. To you it is given to know the mysteries [178] of the kingdom of
   heaven From this reply of Christ we learn, that the doctrine of
   salvation is proclaimed by God to men for various purposes; for Christ
   declares that he intentionally spoke obscurely, in order that his
   discourse might be a riddle to many, and might only strike their ears
   with a confused and doubtful sound. It will perhaps be objected, that
   this is inconsistent with that prophecy,

   I have not spoken in secret, nor in a dark corner: I said not in vain
   to the seed of Jacob, Seek me,
   (Isaiah 45:19;)

   or with the commendations which David pronounces on the Law, that it

   is a lamp to the feet, and that it giveth wisdom to little children
   (Psalm 119:105,130.)

   But the answer is easy: the word of God, in its own nature, is always
   bright, [179] but its light is choked by the darkness of men. Though
   the Law was concealed, as it were, by a kind of veil, yet the truth, of
   God shone brightly in it, if the eyes of many had not been blinded.
   With respect to the Gospel, Paul affirms with truth, that it is hidden
   to none but to the reprobate, and to those who are devoted to
   destruction, whose minds Satan hath blinded, (2 Corinthians 4:3,4.)
   Besides, it ought to be understood, that the power of enlightening
   which David mentions, and the familiar manner of teaching which Isaiah
   predicts, refer exclusively to the elect people.

   Still it remains a fixed principle, that the word of God is not
   obscure, except so far as the world darkens it by its own blindness.
   And yet the Lord conceals its mysteries, so that the perception of them
   may not reach the reprobate. [180] There are two ways in which he
   deprives them of the light of his doctrine. Sometimes he states, in a
   dark manner, what might be more clearly expressed; and sometimes he
   explains his mind fully, without ambiguity and without metaphor, but
   strikes their senses with dulness and their minds with stupidity, so
   that they are blind amidst bright sunshine.

   Such is the import of those dreadful threatenings, in which Isaiah
   forewarns, that he will be to the people a barbarian, speaking in a
   foreign and unknown language; that the prophetical visions will be to
   the learned a shut and sealed book, in which they cannot read; and that
   when the book shall be opened, all will be unlearned, and will remain
   in amazement, through inability to read, (Isaiah 28:11; 29:11.) Now
   since Christ has purposely dispensed his doctrine in such a manner,
   that it might be profitable only to a small number, being firmly seated
   in their minds, and might hold others in suspense and perplexity, it
   follows that, by divine appointment, the doctrine of salvation is not
   proclaimed to all for the same end, but is so regulated by his
   wonderful purpose, that it is not less a savor of death to death to the
   reprobate than a life-giving savor to the elect, (2 Corinthians
   2:15,16.) And that no one may dare to murmur, Paul declares, in that
   passage that whatever may be the effect of the Gospel, its savor,
   though deadly, is always a sweet savor to God.

   To ascertain fully the meaning of the present passage, we must examine
   more closely the design of Christ, the reason why, and the purpose for
   which, these words were spoken. First, the comparison is undoubtedly
   intended by Christ to exhibit the magnitude of the grace bestowed on
   his disciples, in having specially received what was not given
   indiscriminately to all. If it is asked, why this privilege was
   peculiar to the apostles, [181] the reason certainly will not be found
   in themselves, and Christ, by declaring that it was given to them,
   excludes all merit. [182] Christ declares that there are certain and
   elect men, on whom God specially bestows this honor of revealing to
   them his secrets, and that others are deprived of this grace. No other
   reason will be found for this distinction, except that God calls to
   himself those whom he has gratuitously elected.

   12. For whosoever hath, it shall be given to him. Christ pursues the
   subject which I have just mentioned; for he reminds his disciples how
   kindly God acts towards them, that they may more highly prize his
   grace, and may acknowledge themselves to be under deeper obligations to
   his kindness. The same words he afterwards repeats, but in a different
   sense, (Matthew 25:29;) for on that occasion the discourse relates to
   the lawful use of gifts. [183] But here he simply teaches, that more is
   given to the apostles than to the generality of men, because the
   heavenly Father is pleased to display in perfection his kindness
   towards them.

   He does not forsake the work of his own hand,
   (Psalm 138:8.)

   Those whom he has once begun to form are continually polished more and
   more, till they are at length brought to the highest perfection. The
   multiplied favors which are continually flowing from him to us, and the
   joyful progress which we make, spring from God's contemplation of his
   own liberality, which prompts him to an uninterrupted course of bounty.
   And as his riches are inexhaustible, [184] so he is never wearied with
   enriching his children. Whenever he advances us to a higher degree, let
   us remember that every increase of the favors which we daily receive
   from him flows from this source, that it is his purpose to complete the
   work, of our salvation already commenced. On the other hand, Christ
   declares that the reprobate are continually proceeding from bad to
   worse, till, at length exhausted, they waste away in their own poverty.

   And he that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken from him.
   This may appear to be a harsh expression; but instead of saying, that
   what the ungodly have not is taken from them, Luke softens the
   harshness and removes the ambiguity by a slight change of the words:
   and whosoever hath not, even that which he thinketh that he hath shall
   be taken from him. And indeed it frequently happens, that the reprobate
   are endued with eminent gifts, and appear to resemble the children of
   God: but there is nothing of real value about them; for their mind is
   destitute of piety, and has only the glitter of an empty show. Matthew
   is therefore justified in saying that they have nothing; for what they
   have is of no value in the sight of God, and has no permanency within.
   Equally appropriate is the statement of Luke, that the gifts, with
   which they have been endued, are corrupted by them, so that they shine
   only in the eyes of men, but have nothing more than splendor and empty
   display. Hence, also let us learn to aim at progress throughout our
   whole life; for God grants to us the taste of his heavenly doctrine on
   the express condition, that we feed on it abundantly from day to day,
   till we come to be fully satiated with it.

   The manner in which Mark introduces this sentence has some appearance
   of confusion. Consider, says our Lord, what you hear; and then, if they
   make due progress, he holds out the expectation of more plentiful
   grace: it shall be added to you that hear Lastly, follows the clause
   which agrees with the words of Matthew, but is inserted in the middle
   of a sentence which I expounded under the seventh chapter of Matthew;
   [185] for it is not probable that they are here placed in their proper
   order. The Evangelists, as we have remarked on former occasions, were
   not very exact in arranging Christ's discourses, but frequently throw
   together a variety of sayings uttered by him. Luke mixes this sentence
   with other discourses of Christ spoken at different times, and likewise
   points out a different purpose for which Christ used these words. It
   was that they might be attentive to his doctrine, and not permit the
   seed of life to pass away unimproved, which ought to be cordially
   received, and take root in their minds. "Beware," he says, "lest what
   has been given be taken away from you, if it yield no fruit."

   13. For this reason I speak by parables. He says that he speaks to the
   multitude in an obscure manner, because they are not partakers of the
   true light. And yet, while he declares that a veil is spread over the
   blind, that they may remain in their darkness, he does not ascribe the
   blame of this to themselves, but takes occasion to commend more highly
   the grace bestowed on the Apostles, because it is not equally
   communicated to all. He assigns no cause for it, except the secret
   purpose of God; for which, as we shall afterwards see more fully, there
   is a good reason, though it has been concealed from us. It is not the
   only design of a parable to state, in an obscure manner, what God is
   not pleased to reveal clearly; but we have said that the parable now
   under our consideration was delivered by Christ, in order that the form
   of an allegory might present a doubtful riddle.

   14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. He confirms his
   statement by a prediction of Isaiah, that it is far from being a new
   thing, if many persons derive no advantage from the word of God, which
   was formerly appointed to the ancient people, for the purpose of
   inducing greater blindness. This passage of the Prophet is quoted, in a
   variety of ways, in the New Testament. Paul quotes it (Acts 28:26) to
   charge the Jews with obstinate malice, and says that they were blinded
   by the light of the Gospel, because they were bitter and rebellious
   against God. There he points out the immediate cause which appeared in
   the men themselves. But in the Epistle to the Romans (11:7) he draws
   the distinction from a deeper and more hidden source; for he tells us,
   that the remnant was saved according to the election of grace, and that
   the rest were blinded, according as it is written. The contrast must
   there be observed; for if it is the election of God, and an undeserved
   election, which alone saves any remnant of the people, it follows that
   all others perish by a hidden, though just, judgment of God. Who are
   the rest, whom Paul contrasts with the elect remnant, but those on whom
   God has not bestowed a special salvation?

   Similar reasoning may be applied to the passage in John, (12:38;) for
   he says that many believed not, because no man believes, except he to
   whom God reveals his arm, and immediately adds, that they could not
   believe, because it is again written, Blind the heart of this people.
   Such, too is the object which Christ has in view, when he ascribes it
   to the secret purpose of God, that the truth of the Gospel is not
   revealed indiscriminately to all, but is exhibited at a distance under
   obscure forms, so as to have no other effect than to overspread the
   minds of the people with grosser darkness. [186] In all cases, I admit,
   those whom God blinds will be found to deserve this condemnation; but
   as the immediate cause is not always obvious in the persons of men, let
   it be held as a fixed principle, that God enlightens to salvation, and
   that by a peculiar gift, those whom He has freely chosen; and that all
   the reprobate are deprived of the light of life, whether God withholds
   his word from them, or keeps their eyes and ears closed, that they do
   not hear or see.

   Hearing you shall hear. We now perceive the manner in which Christ
   applies the prediction of the prophet to the present occasion. He does
   not quote the prophet's words, nor was it necessary; for Christ
   reckoned it enough to show, that it was no new or uncommon occurrence,
   if many were hardened by the word of God. The words of the prophet
   were,

   Go, blind their minds, and harden their hearts, (Isaiah 6:10.)

   Matthew ascribes this to the hearers, that they may endure the blame of
   their own blindness and hardness; for the one cannot be separated from
   the other. All who have been given over to a reprobate mind (Romans
   1:28) do voluntarily, and from inward malice, blind and harden
   themselves. Nor can it be otherwise, wherever the Spirit of God does
   not reign, by whom the elect alone are governed. Let us, therefore,
   attend to this connection, that all whom God does not enlighten with
   the Spirit of adoption are men of unsound mind; and that, while they
   are more and more blinded by the word of God, the blame rests wholly on
   themselves, because this blindness is voluntary. Again, the ministers
   of the word ought to seek consolation from this passage, if the success
   of their labors does not always correspond to their wish. Many are so
   far from profiting by their instruction, that they are rendered worse
   by it. What has befallen them was experienced by a Prophet, [187] to
   whom they are not superior. It were, indeed, to be wished, that they
   should bring all under subjection to God; and they ought to labor and
   strive for that end. But let them not wonder if that judgment, which
   God anciently displayed through the ministration of the Prophet, is
   likewise fulfilled at the present day. At the same time, we ought to be
   extremely careful, that the fruit of the Gospel be not lost through our
   negligence.

   Mark 4:12. That seeing, they may see, and not perceive. Here it may
   suffice to state briefly what has already been fully explained, that
   the doctrine is not, strictly speaking, or by itself, or in its own
   nature, but by accident, the cause of blindness. When persons of a weak
   sight come out into sunshine, their eyes become dimmer than before, and
   that defect is in no way attributed to the sun, but to their eyes. In
   like manner, when the word of God blinds and hardens the reprobate, as
   this takes place through their own depravity, it belongs truly and
   naturally to themselves, but is accidental, as respects the word.

   Lest at any time they should be converted. This clause points out the
   advantage that is gained by seeing and understanding It is, that men,
   having been converted to God, are restored to his favor, and, being
   reconciled to him, enjoy prosperity and happiness. The true end for
   which

   God desires that his word should be preached is, to reconcile men to
   himself by renewing their minds and hearts. With respect to the
   reprobate, on the other hand, Isaiah here declares that the stony
   hardness remains in them, so that they do not obtain mercy, and that
   the word fails to produce its effect upon them, so as to soften their
   minds to repentance.

   Matthew 13:15. Lest I should heal them In the word healing, Matthew, as
   well as the Prophet, includes deliverance from every evil; for a people
   afflicted by the hand of God is metaphorically compared by them to a
   sick man. They say that healing is bestowed, [188] when the Lord
   releases from punishment. But as this healing depends on the pardon of
   sins, Mark describes appropriately and justly its cause and source,
   lest they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them
   For whence comes the mitigation of chastisements, but because God has
   been reconciled to us, and makes us the objects of his blessing?
   Sometimes, no doubt, after removing our guilt, he continues to punish
   us, either with the view of humbling us the more, or of making us more
   cautious for the future. And yet, not only does he show evidences of
   his favor by restoring us to life and health; but as punishments
   usually terminate when the guilt is removed, healing and forgiveness
   are properly introduced together. It must not, however, be concluded,
   that repentance is the cause of pardon, as if God received into his
   favor converted men, because they deserved it; [189] for conversion
   itself is a mark of God's free favor. Nothing more is expressed than
   such an order and connection, that God does not forgive the sins of any
   but those who are dissatisfied with themselves.

   Matthew 13:16. But blessed are your eyes. Luke appears to represent
   this statement as having been spoken at another time; but this is
   easily explained, for in that passage he throws together a variety of
   our Lord's sayings, without attending to the order of dates. We shall,
   therefore, follow the text of Matthew, who explains more clearly the
   circumstances from which Christ took occasion to utter these words.
   Having formerly reminded them of the extraordinary favor which they had
   received, in being separated by our Lord from the common people, and
   familiarly admitted to the mysteries of his kingdom, he now magnifies
   that grace by another comparison, which is, that they excel ancient
   Prophets and holy Kings This is a far loftier distinction than to be
   preferred to an unbelieving multitude. Christ does not mean any kind of
   hearing, or the mere beholding of the flesh, but pronounces their eyes
   to be blessed, because they perceive in him a glory which is worthy of
   the only-begotten Son of God, so as to acknowledge him as the Redeemer;
   because they perceive shining in him the lively image of God, by which
   they obtain salvation and perfect happiness; and because in them is
   fulfilled what had been spoken by the Prophets, that those who have
   been truly and perfectly taught by the Lord (Isaiah 54:13) do not need
   to learn every man from his neighbor, (Jeremiah 31:34.)

   This furnishes a reply to an objection that might be drawn from another
   saying of Christ, that

   blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed,
   (John 20:29;)

   for there he describes that kind of seeing which Thomas desired in
   consequence of his gross apprehension. [190] But that seeing, of which
   Christ now speaks, has been enjoyed by believers in every age in common
   with the Apostles. We do not see Christ, and yet we see him; we do not
   hear Christ, and yet we hear him: for in the Gospel we behold him, as
   Paul says,

   face to face, so as to be transformed into his image,
   (2 Corinthians 3:18;)

   and the perfection of wisdom, righteousness, and life, which was
   formerly exhibited in him, shines there continually.

   Luke 10:24. Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see. The condition
   of the Church, at the present day, is justly pronounced to be
   preferable to that of the holy fathers, who lived under the Law;
   because to them was exhibited, under shadows and figures only, what is
   now openly manifested in the shining face of Christ. The veil of the
   temple being rent, (Matthew 27:51,) we enter by faith into the heavenly
   sanctuary, and are freely permitted to approach to God. Although the
   fathers were satisfied with their lot, and enjoyed a blessed peace in
   their own minds, yet this did not prevent their desires from extending
   farther. Thus, Abraham saw the day of Christ afar off, and rejoice,
   (John 8:56,) and yet longed to enjoy a nearer view, but did not obtain
   his wish. Simeon spoke the sentiments of all, [191] when he said, Now
   thou sendest thy servant away in peace, (Luke 2:29.) And indeed it was
   impossible that, under the burden of that curse by which the human race
   is crushed, they should be otherwise than altogether inflamed with the
   desire of a promised deliverance. [192] Let us therefore learn, that
   they breathed after Christ, like hungry persons, and yet possessed a
   serene faith; so that they did not murmur against God, but kept their
   minds in patient expectation till the full time of revelation.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [168] "De cognoistre les secrets;" -- "to know the secrets."

   [169] "Et en aura tant plus;" -- "and he shall have so much the more of
   it."

   [170] "De cognoistre le secret;" -- "to know the secret."

   [171] "Il alloit de ville en ville, et de village en village;" -- "he
   was going from town to town, and from village to village."

   [172] "Et ses disciples l'interroguerent, dema, dans quelle estoit
   ceste similitude;" -- "and his disciples interrogated him, asking what
   was this parable."

   [173] "De cognoistre les secrets;" -- "to know the secrets."

   [174] "D'autant qu'elles ont suyvi leur Liberateur, nonobstant
   l'ignominie du monde qu'il leur faloit endurer en ce faisant;" --
   "because they followed their Deliverer, notwithstanding the ignominy of
   the world which they must endure by so doing."

   [175] "Si est-ce toutesfois qu'elles sont obscures et enveloppees,
   quand on continue tousiours la metaphore sans rien y entremesler;" --
   "yet they are obscure and involved, when the metaphor is constantly
   pursued, without any thing being intermingled with it."

   [176] "En usant de termes communs;" -- "by using ordinary terms."

   [177] "Voyla comme il y a bien a regarder comment on couche ou on
   deduit un propos;" -- "this shows us the great attention that is due to
   the manner in which a discourse is expressed or conveyed."

   [178] "De cognoistre les secrets;" -- "to know the secrets."

   [179] "La parole de Dieu de sa nature est tousiours pleine de lumiere
   et clairte;" -- "the word of God in its own nature is always full of
   light and brightness."

   [180] "Cependant neantmoins il ne laisse point d'estre vray, que le
   Seigneur tient ses secrets cachez, a fin que le goust et la fruition
   d'iceux ne parviene aux reprouvez;" -- "yet, nevertheless, it does not
   cease to be true, that the Lord keeps its secrets hidden, in order that
   the relish and enjoyment of them may not reach the reprobate."

   [181] "Si on demande d'ou venoit un tel privilege et honneur aux
   Apostres plustost aux autres;" -- "if it is asked, whence came such a
   privilege and honor to the Apostles rather than to the others."

   [182] "Exclud toute merite de sa part;" -- "excludes all merit on their
   part."

   [183] "Car la le propos sera touchant le droict et legitime usage des
   dons de Dieu;" -- "for there the discourse will relate to the right and
   lawful use of the gifts of God."

   [184] "Et comme ses richesses sont infinies, et ne se peuvent
   espuiser;"-- "and as his riches are infinite, and cannot be exhausted."

   [185] Harmony, volume 1 [11]p. 345.

   [186] "En sorte que c'estoit tousiours pour esblouir de plus en plus
   les yeux de l entendement du peuple;" -- "so that it was always to
   dazzle more and more the eyes of the understanding of the people."

   [187] "Il leur advient ce que le Prophete Isaie a experimente;" -- "it
   happens to them what the Prophet Isaiah experienced."

   [188] "Ils disent qu'il guarit, et remet en sante;" -- "they say that
   he heals, and restores to health."

   [189] "Il ne faut pas conclurre par cela que la repentance, ou
   conversion, soit cause de nous faire avoir remission et pardon de nos
   pechez; comme si Dieu prenoit a merci ceux qui se convertissent, pource
   qu'ils en sont dignes, et le meritent;" -- "we must not therefore
   conclude, that repentance, or conversion, is the cause of making us
   have forgiveness and pardon of our sins; as if God exercised mercy
   towards those who are converted, because they are worthy of it, and
   deserve it."

   [190] "Selon son apprehension carnale et grossiere;" -- "according to
   his carnal and gross apprehension."

   [191] "Simeon disoit selon l'affection de tours les Peres;" -- "Simeon
   spoke according to the feeling of all the Fathers."

   [192] "Et de faict, il ne se pouvoit faire que ces bons personnages ne
   fussent tous ravis, et comme enflambez d'un grand desir de la
   delivrance promise." -- "And indeed it was impossible that those good
   men should not be altogether transported, and as it were inflamed with
   a great desire of the promised deliverance."
     __________________________________________________________________

   MATTHEW 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15

   Matthew 13:18-23

   Mark 4:13-20

   Luke 8:11-15

   18. Hear therefore the parable of the sower. 19. When any one heareth
   the word of the kingdom, and understandeth not, that wicked one cometh,
   and taketh away what was sown in the heart. This is he who received
   seed near the road. 20. But he that received the seed thrown into stony
   places, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with
   joy: 21. But hath not root in himself, but is of short duration: when
   affliction or persecution ariseth on account of the word, immediately
   he is offended. 22. And he that received the seed among thorns is he
   that heareth the word, and the care of this life, and the deceitfulness
   of riches, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 23. But he who
   receiveth seed into a good soil is he that heareth the word and
   understandeth it, and who afterwards yieldeth and produceth fruit,
   [193] some a hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold.


   13. And he said to them, Know you not this parable? and how shall you
   know all parables? 14. The sower is he that soweth the word. 15. And
   there are some that (receive the seed) near the road, in whom the word
   is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan cometh, and taketh
   away the word which was sown in their hearts. 16. And in like manner
   there are others who receive the seed into stony places, who, when they
   have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17. And have not
   root in themselves, but are of short duration: afterwards, when
   affliction or persecution ariseth on account of the words, immediately
   they are offended. 18. And there are others who receive the seed among
   thorns: these are they that hear the word, 19. And the anxieties of
   this life, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires of other
   things, entering in, choke the word, and it is rendered unfruitful.
   20. There are others who have received the seed into a good soil, who
   hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruit, some thirty, some sixty,
   some a hundred.

   11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12. And they
   that (received the seed) near the road are those who hear: afterwards
   cometh the devil, and taketh the word out of their heart, that they may
   not believe and be saved. 13. For they that are on the rock are those
   who, when they have heard, receive the word with joy: but these have
   not roots, who for a time believe, and in the time of temptation fall
   away. 14. And what fell among thorns are those who have heard, and,
   going away, are choked by the anxieties, and riches, and pleasures of
   life, and do not yield fruit. 15. And what fell into a good soil are
   those who, with a good and upright heart, keep it, and yield fruit with
   patience.



   According to Matthew and Luke, Christ explains the parable to his
   disciples simply, and unaccompanied by a reproof; but according to
   Mark, he indirectly blames them for being slow of apprehension, because
   those who were to be the teachers of all did not run before others.
   [194] The general truth conveyed is, that the doctrine of the Gospel,
   when it is scattered like seed, [195] is not everywhere fruitful;
   because it does not always meet with a fertile and well cultivated
   soil. He enumerates four kinds of hearers: the first of which do not
   receive the seed; [196] the second appear, indeed, to receive it, [197]
   but in such a manner that it does not take deep root; in the third, the
   corn is choked; [198] and so there remains a fourth part, which
   produces fruit. Not that one hearer only out of four, or ten out of
   forty, embrace the doctrine, and yield fruit; for Christ did not intend
   here to fix down an exact number, or to arrange the persons, of whom he
   speaks, in equal divisions; and, indeed, where the word is sown, the
   produce of faith is not always alike, but is sometimes more abundant,
   and at other times more scanty. He only intended to warn us, that, in
   many persons, the seed of life is lost on account of various defects,
   in consequence of which it is either destroyed immediately, or it
   withers, or it gradually degenerates. That we may derive the greater
   advantage from this warning, we ought to bear in mind, that he makes no
   mention of despisers who openly reject the word of God, but describes
   those only in whom there is some appearance of docility. But if the
   greater part of such men perish, what shall become of the rest of the
   world, by whom the doctrine of salvation is openly rejected? I now come
   down to each class.

   Matthew 13:19. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and
   understandeth it not. He mentions, in the first place, the barren and
   uncultivated, who do not receive the seed within, because there is no
   preparation in their hearts. Such persons he compares to a stiff and
   dry soil, like what we find on a public road, which is trodden down,
   and becomes hard, like a pavement. I wish that we had not occasion to
   see so many of this class at the present day, who come forward to hear,
   but remain in a state of amazement, and acquire no relish for the word,
   and in the end differ little from blocks or stones. Need we wonder that
   they utterly vanish away?

   That which was sown in their heart. This expression, which Christ
   employs, is not strictly accurate, and yet it is not without meaning;
   for the wickedness and depravity of men do not make the word to lose
   its own nature, or to cease to have the character of seed. This must be
   carefully observed, that we may not suppose the favors of God to cease
   to be what they are, though the good effect of them does not reach us.
   With respect to God, the word is sown in the hearts, but it is far from
   being true, that the hearts of all receive with meekness what is
   planted in them, as James (1:21) exhorts us to receive the word. So
   then the Gospel is always a fruitful seed as to its power, but not as
   to its produce. [199]

   Luke adds, that the devil [200] taketh away the seed out of their
   heart, that they may not believe and be saved Hence we infer that, as
   hungry birds are wont to do at the time of sowing, this enemy of our
   salvation, as soon as the doctrine is delivered, watches and rushes
   forth to seize it, before it acquires moisture and springs up. It is no
   ordinary praise of the word, when it is pronounced to be the cause of
   our salvation.

   20. But he that received the seed thrown into stony places. This class
   differs from the former; for temporary faith, being a sort of
   vegetation of the seed, [201] promises at first some fruit; but their
   hearts are not so properly and thoroughly subdued, as to have the
   softness necessary for their continued nourishment. [202] We see too
   many of this class in our own day, who eagerly embrace the Gospel, and
   shortly afterwards fall off; for they have not the lively affection
   that is necessary to give them firmness and perseverance. Let every one
   then examine himself thoroughly, that the alacrity which gives out a
   bright flame may not quickly go out, as the saying is, like a fire of
   tow; [203] for if the word does not fully penetrate the whole heart,
   and strike its roots deep, faith will want the supply of moisture that
   is necessary for perseverance. Great commendation is due, no doubt, to
   that promptitude, which receives the word of God with joy, and without
   delay, as soon as it is published; but let us learn, that nothing has
   been done, till faith acquires true firmness, that it may not wither in
   the first blade.

   21. When affliction or persecution ariseth on account of the word. By
   way of example, Christ says that such persons are made uneasy by the
   offense of the cross. And certainly, as the heat of the sun discovers
   the barrenness of the soil, so persecution and the cross lay open the
   vanity of those, who are slightly influenced by I know not what desire,
   but are not actually moved by earnest feelings of piety. Such persons,
   according to Matthew and Mark, are temporary, [204] not only because,
   having professed, for a time, that they are the disciples of Christ,
   they afterwards fall away through temptation, but because they imagine
   that they have true faith. According to Luke, Christ says that they
   believe for a time; because that honor which they render to the Gospel
   resembles faith. [205] At the same time we ought to learn, that they
   are not truly regenerated by the incorruptible seed, which never
   fadeth, as Peter tells us, (1 Peter 1:4;) for he says that these words
   of Isaiah, The word of God endureth for ever, (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter
   1:25,) are fulfilled in the hearts of believers, in whom the truth of
   God, once fixed, never passes away, but retains its vigor to the end.
   Still, those persons who take delight in the word of God, and cherish
   some reverence for it, do in some manner believe; for they are widely
   different from unbelievers, who give no credit to God when he speaks,
   or who reject his word. In a word, let us learn that none are partakers
   of true faith, except those who are scaled with the Spirit of adoption,
   and who sincerely call on God as their Father; and as that Spirit is
   never extinguished, so it is impossible that the faith, which he has
   once engraven on the hearts of the godly, shall pass away or be
   destroyed.

   22. And he who received the seed among thorns. He places in the third
   class, those who would have been disposed to receive the seed within,
   if they had not permitted other things to corrupt and render it
   degenerate. Christ compares to thorns the pleasures of this life, or
   wicked desires, and covetousness, and the other anxieties of the flesh.
   Matthew mentions only the care of this life, along with covetousness,
   but the meaning is the same; for under that term he includes the
   allurements of pleasures, which Luke mentions, and every kind of
   desire. As corn, which otherwise might have been productive, no sooner
   rises into the stalk than it is choked by thorns and other matters
   injurious to its growth; so the sinful affections of the flesh prevail
   over the hearts of men, and overcome faith, and thus destroy the force
   of the heavenly doctrine, before it has reached maturity.

   Now though sinful desires exert their power on the hearts of men,
   before the word of the Lord springs up into the blade, yet, at first,
   their influence is not perceived, and it is only when the corn has
   grown up, and given promise of fruit, that they gradually make their
   appearance. Each of us ought to endeavor to tear the thorns out of his
   heart, if we do not choose that the word of God should be choked; for
   there is not one of us whose heart is not filled with a vast quantity,
   and, as I may say, a thick forest, of thorns. And, indeed, we perceive
   how few there are that reach maturity; for there is scarcely one
   individual out of ten that labors, I do not say to root out, but even
   to cut down the thorns. Nay more, the very number of the thorns, which
   is so prodigious that it ought to shake off our sloth, is the reason
   why most people give themselves no trouble about them.

   The deceitfulness of riches. Christ employs this phrase to denote
   covetousness He expressly says, that riches are imposing or deceitful,
   in order that men may be more desirous to guard against falling into
   their snares. Let us remember that the affections of our flesh, the
   number and variety of which are incalculable, are so many injurious
   influences to corrupt the seed of life.

   23. But he that received the seed into a good soil. None are compared
   by Christ to a good and fertile soil, but those in whom the word of God
   not only strikes its roots deep and solid, but overcomes every obstacle
   that would prevent it from yielding fruit. Is it objected that it is
   impossible to find any one who is pure and free from thorns? It is easy
   to reply, that Christ does not now speak of the perfection of faith,
   but only points out those in whom the word of God yields fruit. Though
   the produce may not be great, yet every one who does not fall off from
   the sincere worship of God is reckoned a good and fertile soil We ought
   to labor, no doubt, to pull out the thorns; but as our utmost exertion
   will never succeed so well, but that there will always be some
   remaining behind, let each of us endeavor, at least, to deaden them,
   that they may not hinder the fruit of the word. This statement is
   confirmed by what immediately follows, when Christ informs us that all
   do not yield fruit in an equal degree.

   Some a hundred-fold, and some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold. Though
   the fertility of that soil, which yields a thirty-fold produce, is
   small, compared with that which yields a hundred-fold, yet we perceive
   that our Lord classes together all kinds of soil which do not entirely
   disappoint the labors and expectation of the husbandman. [206] Hence
   too we learn, that we have no right to despise those who occupy a lower
   degree of excellence; for the master of the house himself, though he
   gives to one the preference above another on account of more abundant
   produce, yet bestows the general designation, good, even on inferior
   soils. Those three gradations are absurdly tortured by Jerome, to
   denote virgins, widows, and married persons; as if that produce which
   the Lord demands from us belonged to celibacy alone, and as if the
   piety of married persons did not, in many cases, yield more abundantly
   every fruit of virtue. It must also be observed, in passing, that what
   Christ says about a hundred-fold produce is not hyperbolical; for such
   was at that time the fertility of some countries, as we learn from many
   historians, who give their report as eye-witnesses.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [193] "Celuy qui oit la Parole, et l'entend, a scavoir celuy qui porte
   et produit fruict;" -- "he who heareth the word, and understandeth it,
   that is he who beareth and produceth fruit."

   [194] "Ne passent autrement les autres pour leur monstrer le chemin;"--
   "did not go beyond others to show them the road."

   [195] "Estant espandue ca et la comme le b1e qu'on iette en terre;"--
   "being scattered here and there, like the corn which is thrown into the
   earth."

   [196] "Desquels les premiers ne retienent pas la semence en leurs
   coeurs pour germer;" -- "the first of which do not retain the seed in
   their hearts so as to spring up."

   [197] "Les seconds semblent bien l'avoir gardee iusques a venir a
   germer;" -- "the second appear to have kept it till it came to spring
   up."

   [198] "Aux troisiemes, le ble estant en herbe est estouffe;" -- "in the
   third, the corn, while yet in the blade, is choked."

   [199] "Mais non pas a ce qui s'accomplit es hommes;" -- "but not as to
   what is accomplished in men."

   [200] "Le mauvais;" -- "the wicked one."

   [201] "La foy temporelle, qui est comme le germe de la semence;"--
   "temporary faith, which is as it were the germ of the seed."

   [202] "Mais les coeurs ne sont point tellement cultivez et preparez,
   qu'ils ayant une douceur pour nourrir et entretenir ce qui est
   commence;" -- "but the hearts are not so cultivated and prepared, as to
   have a softness for nourishing and supporting what is begun."

   [203] "De peur que ceste ardeur et alaigrete qui est de grand monstre
   pour le commencement, ne s'en aille bien tost en fumee comme un feu
   d'estouppes, ainsi que porte le proverbe commun;" -- "lest that ardor
   and alacrity, which makes a great show at the beginning, may soon
   vanish into smoke, like a fire of tow, as the common proverb goes."

   [204] "Temporels, c'est a dire, de petite duree;" -- "temporary, that
   is to say, of short duration."

   [205] "Ressemble aucunement a la foy;" -- "somewhat resembles faith."

   [206] "Esquelles le laboureur ne perd pas du tout sa peine;" -- "in
   which the husbandman does not entirely lose his trouble."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

   Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

   24. He put forth to them another parable, saying, The kingdom of heaven
   is compared to a man sowing good seed in his field. 25. But while men
   were asleep, his enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went
   away. 26. And when the blade sprang up, and yielded fruit, then
   appeared also the tares. 27. And the servants of the household
   approaching, said to him, Lord, didst not thou sow good seed in thy
   field? Whence then hath it tares? [207] 28. And he said to them, An
   enemy [208] hath done this. And his servants said to him, Is it thy
   will then that we go away and gather them? 29. But he said, No; lest,
   while you are gathering the tares, you root out along with them the
   wheat also. 30. Allow both to grow together till the harvest; and at
   the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares,
   and bind them in bundles to burn them; but collect the wheat into my
   barn. -- (A little after.) 36. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and
   came into the house, and his disciples approached him, saying, Explain
   to us the parable of the tares of the field. 37. But he answering, said
   to them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man. 38. And the
   field is the world. The good seed is the children of the kingdom; but
   the tares are the children of that wicked one. 39. And the enemy that
   soweth them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world, and the
   reapers are the angels. 40. So then as the tares are gathered, and are
   burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. 41. The
   Son of man will send his angels, and will gather out of his kingdom all
   stumbling-blocks, and those who commit iniquity. 42. And they will east
   them into a furnace of fire: there shall be lamentation and gnashing of
   teeth. 43. Then the righteous will shine as the sun in the kingdom of
   their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.


   In order to reap the advantage of this parable, it is necessary to
   ascertain the object which Christ had in view. Some think that, to
   guard a mixed multitude against satisfying themselves with an outward
   profession of the Gospel, [209] he told them, that in his own field bad
   seed is often mixed with the good, but that a day is coming, when the
   tares shall be separated from the wheat. [210] They accordingly connect
   this parable with the one immediately preceding, as if the design of
   both had been the same. For my own part, I take a different view. He
   speaks of a separation, in order to prevent the minds of the godly from
   giving way to uneasiness or despondency, when they perceive a confused
   mixture of the good along with the bad. Although Christ has cleansed
   the Church with his own blood, that it may be without spot or blemish,
   yet hitherto he suffers it to be polluted by many stains. I speak not
   of the remaining infirmities of the flesh, to which every believer is
   liable, even after that he has been renewed by the Holy Spirit. But as
   soon as Christ has gathered a small flock for himself, many hypocrites
   mingle with it, persons of immoral lives creep in, nay, many wicked men
   insinuate themselves; in consequence of which, numerous stains pollute
   that holy assembly, which Christ has separated for himself. Many
   persons, too, look upon it as exceedingly absurd, that ungodly, or
   profane or unprincipled men should be cherished within the bosom of the
   Church. Add to this, that very many, under the pretense of zeal, are
   excessively displeased, when every thing is not conducted to their
   wish, and, because absolute purity is nowhere to be found, withdraw
   from the Church in a disorderly manner, or subvert and destroy it by
   unreasonable severity.

   In my opinion, the design of the parable is simply this: So long as the
   pilgrimage of the Church in this world continues, bad men and
   hypocrites will mingle in it with those who are good and upright, that
   the children of God may be armed with patience and, in the midst of
   offenses which are fitted to disturb them, may preserve unbroken
   stedfastness of faith. It is an appropriate comparison, when the Lord
   calls the Church his field, for believers are the seed of it; and
   though Christ afterwards adds that the field is the world, yet he
   undoubtedly intended to apply this designation, in a peculiar manner,
   to the Church, about which he had commenced the discourse. But as he
   was about to drive his plough through every country of the world, so as
   to cultivate fields, and scatter the seed of life, throughout the whole
   world, he has employed a synecdoche, to make the world denote what more
   strictly belonged only to a part of it.

   We must now inquire what he means by the wheat, and what by the tares
   These terms cannot be explained as referring to doctrine, as if the
   meaning had been that, when the Gospel is sown, it is immediately
   corrupted and adulterated by wicked inventions; for Christ would never
   have forbidden them to labor strenuously to purge out that kind of
   corruption. With respect to morals, those faults of men which cannot be
   corrected must be endured; but we are not at liberty to extend such a
   toleration to wicked errors, which corrupt the purity of faith. [211]
   Besides, Christ removes all doubt, by saying expressly, that the tares
   are the children of the wicked one And yet it must also be remarked,
   that this cannot be understood simply of the persons of men, as if by
   creation God sowed good men and the devil sowed bad men. I advert to
   this, because the present passage has been abused by the Manicheans,
   for the purpose of lending support to their notion of two principles.
   But we know that whatever sin exists, either in the devil or in men, is
   nothing else than the corruption of the whole nature. As it is not by
   creation that God makes his elect, who have been tainted with original
   sin, to become a good seed, but by regenerating them through the grace
   of his Spirit; so wicked men are not created by the devil, but, having
   been created by God, are corrupted by the devil, and thrown into the
   Lord's field, in order to corrupt the pure seed.

   37. He that soweth the good seed He had formerly said that the kingdom
   of heaven resembles a man sowing. The mode of expression is unusual,
   but plainly means, that the same thing happens with the preaching of
   the Gospel as usually takes place in the sowing of fields; the tares
   grow, up along with the wheat One peculiarity, however, is pointed out
   by him, when he says that the sowing of tares in the field was effected
   by the trick of an enemy. This is intended to inform us that, when many
   wicked men are mingled with believers, this is no accidental or natural
   occurrence, as if they were the same seed, but that we must learn to
   charge the blame of this evil on the devil. Not that, by condemning
   him, men are acquitted of guilt; but, in the first place, that no blame
   whatever may be laid on God on account of this fault which arose from
   the agency of another; and, secondly, that we may not be surprised to
   find tares frequently growing in the Lord's field, since Satan is
   always on the watch to do mischief. Again, when Christ says, not that
   the ministers of the word sow, but that he alone sows, this is not
   without meaning; for though this cannot be supposed to be restricted to
   his person, yet as he makes use of our exertions, and employs us as his
   instruments, for cultivating his field, so that He alone acts by us and
   in us, he justly claims for himself what is, in some respects, common
   to his ministers. Let us, therefore, remember, that the Gospel is
   preached, not only by Christ's command, but by his authority. and
   direction; in short, that we are only his hand, and that He alone is
   the Author of the work.

   39. The harvest is the end of the world. This is, no doubt, a very
   distressing consideration, that the Church is burdened with the
   reprobate to the very end of the world; but Christ enjoins on us to
   exercise patience till that time, that we may not deceive ourselves
   with a vain hope. Pastors ought to labor strenuously to purify the
   Church; and all the godly, so far as their respective callings enable
   them, ought to lend assistance in this matter; but when all shall have
   devoted their united exertions to the general advantage, they will not
   succeed in such a manner as to purify the Church entirely from every
   defilement. Let us therefore hold, that nothing was farther from the
   design of Christ than to encourage pollution by lending countenance to
   it. All that he intended was, to exhort those who believed in him not
   to lose courage, because they are under the necessity of retaining
   wicked men among them; and, next, to restrain and moderate the zeal of
   those who fancy that they are not at liberty to join in a society with
   any but pure angels. [212]

   This passage has been most improperly abused by the Anabaptists, and by
   others like them, [213] to take from the Church the power of the sword.
   But it is easy to refute them; for since they approve of
   excommunication, which cuts off, at least for a time, the bad and
   reprobate, why may not godly magistrates, when necessity calls for it,
   use the sword against wicked men? They reply that, when the punishment
   is not capital, [214] there is room allowed for repentance; as if the
   thief on the cross (Luke 23:42) did not find the means of salvation. I
   shall satisfy myself with replying, that Christ does not now speak of
   the office of pastors or of magistrates, but removes the offense which
   is apt to disturb weak minds, when they perceive that the Church is
   composed not only of the elect, but of the polluted dregs of society.

   The reapers are the angels. This term must be viewed in reference to
   the present subject. In another passage, the Apostles are called
   reapers, as compared with the Prophets, because they have entered into
   their labors, (John 4:38,) and it is enjoined on all the ministers of
   the word,

   that they should bring forth fruit, and that their fruit should remain,
   (John 15:16.)

   Such also is the import of that statement, that the fields are white,
   and are in want of reapers, (John 4:35;) and again, that

   the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few,
   (Matthew 9:37.)

   But here the comparison is applied in a different manner; for those who
   occupy a place in the Church are said to be planted in the Lord's
   field. Nor is this inconsistent with what is said elsewhere, that
   Christ, as soon as he comes forth with his Gospel,

   hath a winnowing-fan in his hand, and will thoroughly
   cleanse his thrashing-floor, (Matthew 3:12.)

   These words describe the commencement of that cleansing, which, this
   passage declares, will not take place before the last day, because not
   till then will it be fully completed. Christ will put the last hand to
   the cleansing of the Church by means of angels, but he now begins to do
   the work by means of pious teachers. He assigns this office to angels,
   because they will not remain idle spectators before his tribunal, [215]
   but will hold themselves in readiness to execute his commands. It
   follows, that those who proceed, with undue haste, to root out whatever
   displeases them, prevent, as far as lies in their power, the sentence
   of Christ, deprive angels of their office, and rashly take that office
   on themselves.

   41. They shall gather out of his kingdom all stumbling-blocks The words
   that follow, and those who commit iniquity, are added for the sake of
   exposition; for it is not intended to point out two different things,
   but to state, that then will be the full and seasonable time, when all
   things shall be restored to regular order, and when the wicked shall be
   removed, who are now stumbling-blocks. They are so called, because not
   only are their own lives wicked, but they undermine the faith of many,
   retard others in the right course, draw some entirely aside, and drive
   others headlong. We ought to draw from this a useful admonition, not to
   become indolent and careless on account of our being surrounded by so
   many stumbling-blocks, but to be zealous and active in guarding against
   them. It reproves also the effeminacy of those who are so delicate,
   that the smallest possible stumbling-blocks make them turn back. [216]
   It is difficult, I admit, not to stumble frequently, and even sometimes
   to fall, when stumbling-blocks without number lie across our path. But
   our minds ought to be fortified with confidence; for the Son of God,
   who commands his followers to walk in the midst of stumbling-blocks,
   will unquestionably give us strength to overcome them all. He
   pronounces likewise an awful punishment against any hypocrites and
   reprobate persons, who now appear to be the most distinguished citizens
   of the Church.

   42. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire. This is a metaphorical
   expression; for, as the infinite glory which is laid up for the sons of
   God so far exceeds all our senses, that we cannot find words to express
   it, so the punishment which awaits the reprobate is incomprehensible,
   and is therefore shadowed out according to the measure of our capacity.
   From ignorance of this, the Sophists have tortured themselves, to no
   purpose, by fruitless disputes, as we have already hinted on a former
   occasion. [217] Some commentators, I am aware, carry their ingenious
   inquiries into every minute phrase; but as there is reason to fear that
   subtleties, which rest on no solid grounds, may lead us into idle
   fooleries, I choose to philosophize more sparingly, and to rest
   satisfied with the plain and natural meaning. If we put a question to
   those who are so delighted with matters of curiosity, how it comes
   about that, while Christ is asleep, and unacquainted with the affair,
   the devil sows tares among the good seed, they will have nothing to
   reply; but while I desire to exercise caution, I have endeavored to
   leave out nothing that is useful and necessary to be known.

   43. Then will the righteous shine. What a remarkable consolation! The
   sons of God, who now lie covered with dust, or are held in no
   estimation, or even are loaded with reproaches, will then shine in full
   brightness, as when the sky is serene, and every cloud has been
   dispelled. The adverb then (tote) is emphatic; for it contains an
   implied contrast between their present state and the ultimate
   restoration, by the expectation of which Christ animates those who
   believe in him. The meaning therefore is, Though many wicked men now
   hold a high rank in the Church, yet that blessed day is assuredly to be
   expected, when the Son of God shall raise his followers on high, and
   remove every thing that now tends to dim or conceal their brightness.
   It is no doubt true, that the future glory is promised to none but
   those in whom the image of God already shines, and who are transformed
   into it by continued advances of glory. But as the life of the godly is
   now hidden, and as their salvation is invisible, because it consists in
   hope, Christ properly directs the attention of believers to heaven,
   where they will find the glory that is promised to them.

   In order to make a deeper impression on his hearers, our Lord
   unquestionably refers here to a passage in Daniel, (12:3,)

   And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament.

   "The Prophet," he seems to say, "when he predicts a future brightness,
   intimates also that there is a temporary obscurity: and so, if we admit
   the prediction, we ought to endure patiently that mixture which, for a
   time, classes the elect of God with the reprobate." By comparing this
   glory to the sun, he does not determine that it will be alike in all.
   As Christ now distributes his gifts variously [218] among believers, in
   like manner will he crown these gifts at the last day. But we must
   recollect what I have said, that the restoration, which is delayed till
   the last coming of Christ, is compared with the cloudy state of the
   world. [219]

   The kingdom of the Father, as the inheritance of the godly, is
   contrasted with the earth, to remind them that here they are pilgrims,
   and therefore ought to look upwards towards heaven. In another passage,
   the kingdom of God is said to be within us, (Luke 17:21,) but we shall
   not obtain the full enjoyment of it till God be all in all, (1
   Corinthians 15:28.)
     __________________________________________________________________

   [207] "D'ou vient donc qu'il y a de l'yvroye?" -- "Whence comes it then
   that there are tares?"

   [208] "L'homme ennemi, (ou, quelque ennemi;)" -- "the enemy, (or, some
   enemy.)"

   [209] "Pour retirer le commun populaire d'une folle presomption, a
   cause qu'en apparence externe ils faisoyent quelque profession de
   l'Evangile;"-- "to withdraw the common people from a foolish
   presumption, because in outward appearance they made some profession of
   the Gospel."

   [210] "Qu'on separera l'yvroye d'avec le bon ble;" -- "when the tares
   shall be separated from the good corn."

   [211] "Mais c'est autre chose de la doctrine: car il ne faut iamais
   endurer les erreurs meschantes qui corrompent la purete de la foy;" --
   "but it is quite otherwise with doctrine; for we must never tolerate
   the wicked errors which corrupt the purity of faith."

   [212] "Qui ne pensent point qu'il soit bon de s'adioindre a la
   compagnie des fideles, sinon que tout y soit pur comme entre les
   Anges;"-- "who do not think that it is proper to join themselves to the
   society of believers, unless every thing in it be as pure as among the
   Angels."

   [213] "Et semblables reveurs;" -- "and similar dreamers."

   [214] "Quand la peine n'est pas a mort (comme est l'excommunication;)"
   -- "when the punishment, as in the case of excommunication, is not to
   death."

   [215] "Devant le siege iudicial de sa maieste;" -- "before the
   judgment- seat of his majesty."

   [216] "Ils tournent incontinent bride;" -- "they immediately wheel
   about."

   [217] Harmony, volume 1 [12]p. 200.

   [218] "Diversement, aux uns plus, aux autres moins;" -- "variously, to
   some more, to others less."

   [219] "Avec l'estat present du monde, qui est comme tout obscurci de
   brouillars;" -- "with the present state of the world, which is
   entirely, so to speak, obscured by mists."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 13:31-35; Mark 4:26-34;
   Luke 13:18-22

   Matthew 13:31-35

   Mark 4:26-34

   Luke 13:18-22

   31. He delivered another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven
   is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field:
   32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown up, it
   is the largest among herbs, [220] and becometh a tree, so that the
   fowls of heaven come and make their nests among its branches. 33. He
   spake another parable to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven,
   which a woman took and hid among three measures of meal, till the whole
   was leavenened. 34. All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the
   multitudes, and without a parable he spoke nothing to them. 35. That it
   might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, who saith, I will
   open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been hidden
   from the foundation of the world.


   26. And he said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed
   into the ground, 27. And sleep, and rise by night and day, and the corn
   should spring and grow up, while knoweth not how. 28. For the earth
   yieldeth fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, and then the
   full corn in the ear. 29. And when the fruit is matured, he immediately
   applieth the sickle, because the harvest is at hand. 30. And he said,
   To what shall we say that the kingdom of God is like? or with what
   comparison shall we compare it? 31. As a grain of mustard, which, when
   it is sown in the earth, is smaller than all the seeds which are in the
   earth; 32. And when it is sown, it springs up, and is larger than all
   herbs, [221] and putteth forth great branches, so that the fowls of
   heaven can make their nests under its shadow. 33. And by such parables
   he spake the word to them, as they were able to bear it: 34. But
   without a parable he did not speak to them, but he explained all things
   to his disciples when they were apart.

   18. Therefore he said, To what is the kingdom of God like? and to what
   shall I compare it? 19. It is like a grain of mustard, which a man took
   and cast into his garden, and it grew, and became a large tree, and the
   fowls of the air made their nests among its branches. 20. And again he
   said, To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21. It is like
   leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the
   whole was leavened. 22. And he went through the cities and villages,
   teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem.



   By these parables Christ encourages his disciples not to be offended
   and turn back on account of the mean beginnings of the Gospel. We see
   how haughtily profane men despise the Gospel, and even turn it into
   ridicule, because the ministers by whom it is preached are men of
   slender reputation and of low rank; because it is not instantly
   received with applause by the whole world; and because the few
   disciples whom it does obtain are, for the most part, men of no weight
   or consideration, and belong to the common people. This leads weak
   minds to despair of its success, which they are apt to estimate from
   the manner of its commencement. On the contrary, the Lord opens his
   reign with a feeble and despicable commencement, for the express
   purpose, that his power may be more fully illustrated by its unexpected
   progress. [222]

   The kingdom of God is compared to a grain of mustard, which is the
   smallest among the seeds, but grows to such a height that it becomes a
   shrub, in which the birds build their nests. It is likewise compared to
   leaven, which, though it may be small in amount, spreads its influence
   in such a manner, as to impart its bitterness to a large quantity of
   meal. [223] If the aspect of Christ's kingdom be despicable in the eyes
   of the flesh, let us learn to raise our minds to the boundless and
   incalculable power of God, which at once created all things out of
   nothing, and every day raises up things that are not, (1 Corinthians
   1:28,) in a manner which exceeds the capacity of the human senses. Let
   us leave to proud men their disdainful laugh, till the Lord, at an
   unexpected hour, shall strike them with amazement. Meanwhile, let us
   not despond, but rise by faith against the pride of the world, till the
   Lord give us that astonishing display of his power, [224] of which he
   speaks in this passage.

   The word leaven is sometimes taken in a bad sense, as when Christ warns
   them to

   beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees,
   (Matthew 16:11;)

   and when Paul says, that

   a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,
   (1 Corinthians 5:6.)

   But here the term must be understood simply as applying to the present
   subject. As to the meaning of the phrase, the kingdom of God, and the
   kingdom of heaven, we have spoken on former occasions.

   Mark 4:26. So is the kingdom of God. Though this comparison has the
   same object with the two immediately preceding, yet Christ appears to
   direct his discourse purposely to the ministers of the word, that they
   may not grow indifferent about the discharge of their duty, because the
   fruit of their labor does not immediately appear. He holds out for
   their imitation the example of husbandmen, who throw seed into the
   ground with the expectation of reaping, and do not torment themselves
   with uneasiness and anxiety, but go to bed and rise again; or, in other
   words, pursue their ordinary and daily toil, till the corn arrive at
   maturity in due season. In like manner, though the seed of the word be
   concealed and choked for a time, Christ enjoins pious teachers to be of
   good courage, and not to allow their alacrity to be slackened through
   distrust.

   Matthew 13:34. All these things Jesus spoke in parables. Though Mark
   expressly says, that Christ spoke the word to them as they were able to
   bear it, yet I think it probable that he continued to employ parables,
   not so much for the purpose of instruction, as to keep the attention of
   his hearers awake till a more convenient time. For why did he explain
   them familiarly to his disciples when they were apart? Was it because
   they were more slow of apprehension than the great body of the people?
   No; but because he wished to convey to them privately a knowledge of
   his meaning, and to allow others to remain in a state of suspense, till
   a fitter opportunity should arrive. These were only a sort of
   introduction to the Gospel, the full brightness and publication of
   which was delayed till the proper time.

   There is an apparent contradiction between this statement of Matthew
   and the prediction of Isaiah, which was quoted a little before. But
   this is easily removed; for, though he withdrew the light of doctrine
   from the reprobate, yet this did not prevent him from accommodating
   himself to their capacity, so as to render them inexcusable. He
   therefore adopted a method of teaching which was proper and suitable to
   hearers, whom he knew to be not yet sufficiently prepared to receive
   instruction.

   35. That it might be fulfilled Matthew does not mean, that the psalm,
   which he quotes, is a prediction which relates peculiarly to Christ,
   but that, as the majesty of the Spirit was displayed in the discourse
   of the Prophet, in the same manner was his power manifested in the
   discourse of Christ. The Prophet, when he is about to speak of God's
   covenant, by which he adopted the seed of Abraham, of the benefits
   which he continued to bestow upon his people, and of the whole
   government of the Church, introduces his subject in lofty terms, I will
   open my mouth in parables, (Psalm 78:2:) that is, "I will not speak of
   trifling matters, but will handle with becoming gravity subjects of the
   highest importance." When he adds, I will utter dark sayings, the
   meaning is the same; such repetitions being very frequent in the
   Psalms. The Hebrew word mslym, (Meshalim) signifies comparisons; and it
   came afterwards to be applied to "weighty sentences," because
   comparisons generally impart beauty and energy to a discourse. The word
   chydvt (Chidoth) sometimes denotes "riddles," and at other times,
   "short sayings."

   Now though Matthew seems to allude to the word parable, he undoubtedly
   means, that Christ spoke figuratively, in order that his very style,
   being more brilliant than ordinary discourse, might carry more weight
   and dignity. In short, he says that what is contained in the psalm was
   fulfilled; because the use of allegories and figures tended to show,
   that Christ was treating of the hidden mysteries of God, and to prevent
   his doctrine from being despised. Hence, too, we infer, that there was
   no inconsistency in the various objects which Christ had in view, when
   he spoke to the people in a dark manner. Though he intended to conceal
   from the reprobate what he was saying, yet he labored to make them
   feel, even in the midst of their amazement, that there was something
   heavenly and divine in his language. [225]

   Luke 13:22. Journeying towards Jerusalem. It is uncertain whether Luke
   speaks only of one journey, or means that, while Christ walked
   throughout Judea, and visited each part of it for the purpose of
   teaching, he was wont to go up to Jerusalem at the festivals. The
   former clause, certainly, appears to describe that course of life which
   Christ invariably pursued, from the time that he began to discharge the
   office which had been committed to him by the Father. To make the
   latter clause agree with this, the meaning will be, that, when the
   festivals were at hand, he attended, along with others, [226] the holy
   assemblies.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [220] "Il est plus grand que les autres herbes;" -- "it is larger than
   the other herbs."

   [221] "Que toute autre herbe;" -- "than every other herb."

   [222] "A fin que sa puissance soit tant mieux cognue, quand on verra
   les avancemens qu'on n'avoit iamais attendus;" -- "in order that his
   power may be so much the better known, when the progress, which had not
   been anticipated, shall be seen."

   [223] "Qu'il fait aigrir et lever une grande quantite de paste;" --
   "that it embitters and causes to rise a large quantity of paste."

   [224] "Iuques a ce que le Seigneur nous face sentir l'effect de cette
   vertu incomprehensible;" -- "till the Lord make us feel the effect of
   that incomprehensible power."

   [225] "Car combien qu'il voulust parler en telle sorte que les
   reprouvez n'y entendissent rien, il a toutesfois tellement modere son
   style, qu'en leur stupidite ils ont senti que son parler avoit quelque
   vertu celeste et Divine;" -- "for, though he intended to speak in such
   a manner, that the reprobate might understand nothing of it, yet he was
   so regulated in his style that, amidst their stupidity, they felt that
   his manner of speaking had some Divine and heavenly power."

   [226] "Sa coustume estoit de se trouver;" -- "his custom was to be
   present."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 13:44-52

   Matthew 13:44-52

   44. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hid in a field,
   which when found a man hideth, [227] and for the joy which he hath on
   account of it, goeth away, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth
   that field. 45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant,
   seeking beautiful pearls, [228] 46. Who, having found one valuable
   pearl, went away, and sold all that he possessed, and bought it.
   47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net east into the sea, and
   collecting of every kind, [229] 48. Which, when it was full, they drew
   to shore, and sat down, and collected the good into vessels, but cast
   away the bad. [230] 49. So shall it be at the end of the world: the
   Angels will come, and will separate the bad from the midst of the
   righteous, 50. And will cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall
   be lamentation and gnashing of teeth. 51. Jesus saith to them, Have you
   understood all these things? They say to him, Yes, Lord. 52. But he
   said to them, Therefore every scribe instructed in reference to the
   kingdom of heaven [231] is like a householder, who bringeth forth out
   of his treasure things new and old.


   The first two of these parables are intended to instruct believers to
   prefer the Kingdom of heaven to the whole world, and therefore to deny
   themselves and all the desires of the flesh, that nothing may prevent
   them from obtaining so valuable a possession. We are greatly in need of
   such a warning; for we are so captivated by the allurements of the
   world, that eternal life fades from our view; [232] and in consequence
   of our carnality, the spiritual graces of God are far from being held
   by us in the estimation which they deserve. Justly, therefore, does
   Christ speak in such lofty terms of the excellence of eternal life,
   that we ought not to feel uneasiness at relinquishing, on account of
   it, whatever we reckon in other respects to be valuable.

   First, he says, that the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure.
   We commonly set a high value on what is visible, and therefore the new
   and spiritual life, which is held out to us in the Gospel, is little
   esteemed by us, because it is hidden, and lies in hope. There is the
   highest appropriateness in comparing it to a treasure, the value of
   which is in no degree diminished, though it may be buried in the earth,
   and withdrawn from the eyes of men. These words teach us, that we ought
   not to estimate the riches of the grace of God according to the views
   of our flesh, or according to their outward display, but in the same
   manner as a treasure, though it be hidden, is preferred to a vain
   appearance of wealth. The same instruction is conveyed by the other
   parable. One pearl, though it be small, is so highly valued, that a
   skillful merchant does not hesitate to sell houses and lands in order
   to purchase it. The excellence of the heavenly life is not perceived,
   indeed, by the sense of the flesh; and yet we do not esteem it
   according to its real worth, unless we are prepared to deny, on account
   of it, all that glitters in our eyes.

   We now perceive the leading object of both parables. It is to inform
   us, that none are qualified for receiving the grace of the Gospel but
   those who disregard all other desires, and devote all their exertions,
   and all their faculties, to obtain it. It deserves our attention, also,
   that Christ does not pronounce the hidden treasure, or the pearl, to be
   so highly valued by all. The treasure is ascertained to be valuable,
   after that it has been found and known; and it is the skillful merchant
   that forms such an opinion about the pearl [233] These words denote the
   knowledge of faith. "The heavenly kingdom," Christ tells us, "is
   commonly held as of no account, because men are incapable of relishing
   it, and do not perceive the inestimable value of that treasure which
   the Lord offers to us in the Gospel."

   But it is asked, is it necessary that we abandon every other
   possession, in order that we may enjoy eternal life? I answer briefly.
   The natural meaning of the words is, that the Gospel does not receive
   from us the respect which it deserves, unless we prefer it to all the
   riches, pleasures, honors, and advantages of the world, and to such an
   extent, that we are satisfied with the spiritual blessings which it
   promises, and throw aside every thing that would keep us from enjoying
   them; for those who aspire to heaven must be disengaged from every
   thing that would retard their progress. Christ exhorts those who
   believe in him to deny those things only which are injurious to
   godliness; and, at the same time, permits them to use and enjoy God's
   temporal favors, as if they did not use them.

   46. And bought it. By the word buy Christ does not mean, that men bring
   any price, with which they may purchase for themselves the heavenly
   life; for we know on what condition the Lord invites believers in the
   book of Isaiah, (55:1,) Come and buy wine and milk without money and
   without price. But though the heavenly life, and every thing that
   belongs to it, is the free gift of God, yet we are said to buy it, when
   we cheerfully relinquish the desires of the flesh, that nothing may
   prevent us from obtaining it; as Paul says, that he

   reckoned all things to be loss and dung, that he might gain Christ,
   (Philippians 3:8.)

   47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net. No new instruction is
   here given by Christ; but what he formerly taught is confirmed by
   another parable, that the Church of God, so long as it exists in the
   world, is a mixture of the good with the bad, and is never free from
   stains and pollutions. And yet the design of this parable is perhaps
   different. It may be that Christ intends not only to remove the offense
   which perplexes many weak minds, because they do not find in the world
   all the purity that might be desired, but likewise to employ the
   influence of fear and modesty, in restraining his disciples from
   delighting themselves with the empty title, or mere profession, of
   faith. For my own part, I cheerfully adopt both views. Christ informs
   us, that a mixture of the good and the bad must be patiently endured
   till the end of the word; because, till that time, a true and perfect
   restoration of the Church will not take place. Again, he warns us, that
   it is not enough, and--what is more--that it is of little consequence
   to us, to be gathered into the fold, unless we are his true and chosen
   sheep. To this effect is the saying of Paul,

   The Lord knoweth who are his; and let every one that calleth on the
   name of the Lord depart from iniquity,
   (2 Timothy 2:19.)

   The preaching of the Gospel is justly compared to a net sunk beneath
   the water, to inform us that the present state of the Church is
   confused.

   Our God is the God of order, and not of confusion,
   (1 Corinthians 14:33,)

   and, therefore, recommends to us discipline; but he permits hypocrites
   to remain for a time among believers, till the last day, when he will
   bring his kingdom to a state of perfection. So far as lies in our
   power, let us endeavor to correct vices, and let us exercise severity
   in removing pollutions; but the Church will not be free from every spot
   and blemish, until Christ shall have separated the sheep from the
   goats, (Matthew 25:32.)

   51. Have you understood all these things? We must keep in recollection
   what we have formerly seen, that all the parables of Christ were
   explained in private. And now the Lord, after having taught them in
   this kind and familiar manner, warns them at the same time, that his
   object, in taking so much pains to instruct them, was not merely that
   they might be well informed, [234] but that they might communicate to
   others what they had received. In this way he whets and excites their
   minds more and more to desire instruction. He says that teachers are
   like householders, who are not only careful about their own food, but
   have a store laid up for the nourishment of others; and who do not live
   at ease as to the passing day, but make provision for a future and
   distant period. The meaning, therefore, is, that the teachers of the
   Church ought to be prepared by long study for giving to the people, as
   out of a storehouse, [235] a variety of instruction concerning the word
   of God, as the necessity of the case may require. Many of the ancient
   expositors understand by things new and old the Law and the Gospel; but
   this appears to me to be forced. I understand them simply to mean a
   varied and manifold distribution, wisely and properly adapted to the
   capacity of every individual.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [227] "Que quelqu'un a trouve et cache;" -- "which some one hath found
   and hidden."

   [228] "Qui cherche de bonnes perles;" -- "who seeks good pearls."

   [229] "De toutes sortes de choses;" -- "of all sorts of things."

   [230] "Lequel estant plein, les pescheurs' le tirent en haut sur la
   rive: et estant assis mettent le bon a part en leurs vaisseaux, et
   iettent hors ce qui ne vaut rien;" -- "which being full, the fishers'
   draw it upwards on the bank; and sitting down, put the good aside in
   their vessels, and throw away what is worth nothing."

   [231] "Quant au royaume des cieux;" -- "as to the kingdom of heaven."

   [232] "Que nous venons a oublier la vie eternelle;" -- "that we come to
   forget eternal life."

   [233] "C'est le bon marchand qui fait telle estime de la perle;" -- "it
   is the good merchant who sets so high a value on the pearl."

   [234] "Qu'ils gardent ceste cognoissance pour eux-mesmes seulement;" --
   "that they may keep that knowledge for themselves only."

   [235] "Commoe nous voyons que le pere de famille tire de son cellier ou
   grenier toutes sortes de provisions;" -- "as we see that the master of
   a family draws from his cellar or granary all kinds of provisions."
     __________________________________________________________________

   LUKE 7:36-50

   Luke 7:36-50

   36. And one of the Pharisees requested him to take food with him; and
   he entered into the house of the Pharisee, and sat down at table.
   37. And, lo, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, when she knew that
   he sat at table in the house of the Pharisee, brought an alabaster box
   of ointment: [236] 38. And sitting at his feet behind him, and weeping,
   she began to wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of
   her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment. [237]
   39. And the Pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, said, speaking
   within himself, If this man were a Prophet, he would certainly know who
   and what sort of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner.
   [238] 40. And Jesus answering, said to him, Simon, I have something to
   say to thee. And he said, Master, say on. 41. A certain creditor had
   two debtors: one owed five hundred pence, and another fifty. 42. And
   when they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both. Tell me then, which
   of them will love him more? 43. Simon answering said, I suppose that it
   will be he to whom he forgave more. And he said to him, Thou hast
   decided aright. 44. And turning to the woman, he said to Simon, Seest
   thou this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest not water for my
   feet; but she hath moistened my feet with tears, and wiped them with
   the hairs of her head. 45. Thou gavest me not a kiss; but she, since
   the time that I entered, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 47. For which
   reason I say to thee, Her many sins are forgiven, for she hath loved
   much; but he to whom less is forgiven loveth less. 48. And he said to
   her, Thy sins are forgiven thee. 49. And those who sat at table with
   him began to say within themselves, Who is this that even forgiveth
   sins? 50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in
   peace.



   36. And one of the Pharisees requested him. This narrative shows the
   captious disposition, not only to take, but to seek out, offenses,
   which was manifested by those who did not know the office of Christ. A
   Pharisee invites Christ; from which we infer, that he was not one of
   those who furiously and violently opposed, nor of those who haughtily
   despised his doctrine. But whatever might be his mildness, he is
   presently offended when he sees Christ bestow a gracious reception on a
   woman who, in his opinion, ought not to have been permitted to approach
   or to converse with him; and, accordingly, disowns him as a prophet,
   because he does not acknowledge him to be the Mediator, whose peculiar
   office it was to bring miserable sinners into a state of reconciliation
   with God. It was something, no doubt, to bestow on Christ the honor due
   to a prophet; but he ought also to have inquired for what purpose he
   was sent, what he brought, and what commission he had received from the
   Father. Overlooking the grace of reconciliation, which was the main
   feature to be looked for in Christ, the Pharisee concluded that he was
   not a prophet And, certainly, had it not been that through the grace of
   Christ this woman had obtained the forgiveness of her sins, and a new
   righteousness, she ought to have been rejected.

   Simon's mistake lies only in this: Not considering that Christ came to
   save what was lost, he rashly concludes that Christ does not
   distinguish between the worthy and the unworthy. That we may not share
   in this dislike, let us learn, first, that Christ was given as a
   Deliverer to miserable and lost men, [239] and to restore them from
   death to life. Secondly, let every man examine himself and his life,
   and then we will not wonder that others are admitted along with us, for
   no one will dare to place himself above others. It is hypocrisy alone
   that leads men to be careless about themselves, [240] and haughtily to
   despise others.

   37. A woman who was a sinner The words stand literally as I have
   translated them,(hetis hen hamaztolos.) Erasmus has chosen to take the
   pluperfect tense, who Had Been a sinner, [241] lest any one should
   suppose that at that time she still was a sinner But by so doing, he
   departed from the natural meaning; for Luke intended to express the
   place which the woman held in society, and the opinion universally
   entertained respecting her. Though her sudden conversion had rendered
   her a different person in the sight of God from what she had previously
   been, yet among men the disgrace attaching to her former life had not
   yet been effaced. She was, therefore, in the general estimation of men
   a sinner, that is, a woman of wicked and infamous life; and this led
   Simon to conclude, though erroneously, that Christ had not the Spirit
   of discernment, since he was unacquainted with that infamy which was
   generally known. [242]

   40. And Jesus answering said. By this reply Christ shows how
   egregiously Simon was mistaken. Exposing to public view his silent and
   concealed thought, he proves himself to possess something more
   excellent than what belonged to the Prophets; for he does not reply to
   his words, but refutes the sentiment which he kept hidden within his
   breast. Nor was it only on Simon's account that this was done, but in
   order to assure every one of us, that we have no reason to fear lest
   any sinner be rejected by him, who not only gives them kind and
   friendly invitations, but is prepared with equal liberality, and--as we
   might say--with outstretched arms, to receive them all.

   41. A certain creditor had two debtors The scope of this parable is to
   demonstrate, that Simon is wrong in condemning the woman who is
   acquitted by the heavenly judge. He proves that she is righteous, not
   because she pleased God, but because her sins were forgiven; for
   otherwise her case would not correspond to the parable, in which Christ
   expressly states, that the creditor freely forgave the debtors who were
   not able to pay. We cannot avoid wondering, therefore, that the greater
   part of commentators have fallen into so gross a blunder as to imagine
   that this woman, by her tears, and her anointing, and her kissing his
   feet, deserved the pardon of her sins. The argument which Christ
   employs was taken, not from the cause, but from the effect; for, until
   a favor has been received, it cannot awaken gratitude, [243] and the
   cause of reciprocal love is here declared to be a free forgiveness. In
   a word, Christ argues from the fruits or effects that follow it, that
   this woman has been reconciled to God.

   44. And turning to the woman. The Lord appears to compare Simon with
   the woman, in such a manner as to make him chargeable with nothing more
   than light offenses. But this is spoken only in the way of concession.
   "Suppose now, Simon," he says, "that the guilt from which God
   discharges thee was light, [244] and that this woman has been guilty of
   many and very heinous offenses. Yet you see how she proves by the
   effect that she has obtained pardon. For what mean those profuse tears,
   those frequent kisses of the feet, that precious ointment? What mean
   they but to acknowledge, that she had been weighed down by an enormous
   burden of condemnation? And now she regards the mercy of God with
   fervor of love proportioned to her conviction that her necessity had
   been great."

   From the words of Christ, therefore, we are not at liberty to infer,
   that Simon had been a debtor to a small amount, or that he was absolved
   from guilt. [245] It is more probable that, as he was a blind
   hypocrite, he was still plunged in the filth of his sins. But Christ
   insists on this single point, that, however wicked the woman may have
   been, she gave undoubted proofs of her righteousness, by leaving no
   kind of duty undone to testify her gratitude, and by acknowledging, in
   every possible way, her vast obligations to God. At the same time,
   Christ reminds Simon, that he has no right to flatter himself, as if he
   were free from all blame; for that he too needed mercy; and that if
   even he does not obtain the favor of God without pardon, he ought to
   look upon this woman's gifts, whatever might have been her former sins,
   as evidences of repentance and gratitude.

   We must attend to the points of contrast, in which the woman is
   preferred to Simon. She moistened his feet with tears, and wiped them
   with the hairs of her head; while he did not even order water to be
   given, according to custom. She did not cease to kiss his feet, while
   he did not deign to receive Christ with the kiss of hospitality. [246]
   She poured precious ointment on his feet, while he did not even anoint
   his head with oil. But why did our Lord, who was a model of frugality
   and economy, permit the expense of the ointment? It was because, in
   this way, the wretched sinner testified that she owed all to him. He
   had no desire of such luxuries, was not gratified by the sweet odor,
   and did not approve of gaudy dress. But he looked only at her
   extraordinary zeal to testify her repentance, which is also held out to
   us by Luke as an example; for her sorrow, which is the commencement of
   repentance, was proved by her tears. By placing herself at Christ's
   feet behind him, and there lying on the ground, she discovered her
   modesty and humility. By the ointment, she declared that she offered,
   as a sacrifice to Christ, herself and all that she possessed. Every one
   of these things it is our duty to imitate; but the pouring of the
   ointment was an extraordinary act, which it would be improper to
   consider as a rule. [247]

   47. Her many sins are forgiven Some interpret the verb differently, may
   her many sins be forgiven, and bring out the following meaning: -- "As
   this woman evinces by remarkable actions, that she is full of ardent
   love to Christ, it would be improper for the Church to act harshly and
   severely towards her; but, on the contrary, she ought to be treated
   with gentleness, whatever may have been the aggravations of her
   offenses." But as apheontai is used, in accordance with the Athic
   dialect, for apheintai, we must dispense with that subtlety of
   exposition which is disapproved by the context; for a little after,
   Christ uses the same words in his address to the woman, where the
   imperative mood would not apply. Here, too is added a corresponding
   clause, that he to whom less is forgiven loveth less

   The verb, which is in the present tense, must, no doubt, be resolved
   into a preterite. [248] From the eager desire which she had manifested
   to discharge all the duties of piety, Christ infers that, although this
   woman might have been guilty of many sins, the mercy of God was so
   abundant towards her, that she ought no longer to be regarded as a
   sinner. Again, loving is not here said to be the cause of pardon, [249]
   but a subsequent manifestation, as I have formerly mentioned; for the
   meaning of the words is this: -- "They who perceive the display of deep
   piety in the woman form an erroneous judgment, if they do not conclude
   that God is already reconciled to her;" so that the free pardon of sins
   comes first in order. Christ does not inquire at what price men may
   purchase the favor of God, but argues that God has already forgiven
   this wretched sinner, and that, therefore, a mortal man ought not to
   treat her with severity.

   48. Thy sins are forgiven. It may be asked, why does Christ now promise
   to her the pardon which she had obtained, and of which she had been
   assured? Some reply that these words were uttered, not so much on her
   own account, as for the sake of others. For my own part, I have no
   doubt that it was chiefly on her own account; and this appears more
   clearly from the words that follow. Nor ought we to wonder, that the
   voice of Christ again pronounces an absolution of the woman, who had
   already tasted his grace, and who was even convinced that he was her
   only refuge of salvation. Thus, at the present day, faith is previously
   necessary, when we pray that the Lord would forgive our sins; and yet
   this is not a useless or superfluous prayer, but the object of it is,
   that the heavenly Judge may more and more seal his mercy on our hearts,
   and in this manner may give us peace. Though this woman had brought
   with her a confident reliance on that grace which she had obtained, yet
   this promise was not superfluous, but contributed greatly to the
   confirmation of her faith.

   49. And those who sat at table with him began to say within themselves.
   Hence we again learn, that ignorance of Christ's office constantly
   leads men to conceive new grounds of offense. The root of the evil is,
   that no one examines his own wretched condition, which undoubtedly
   would arouse every man to seek a remedy. There is no reason to wonder
   that hypocrites, who slumber amidst their vices, [250] should murmur at
   it as a thing new and unexpected, when Christ forgives sins.

   50. Thy faith hath saved thee. To repress those murmurings, [251] and,
   at the same time, to confirm the woman, Christ commends her faith. Let
   others grumble as they may, but do thou adhere steadfastly to that
   faith which has brought thee an undoubted salvation. [252] At the same
   time, Christ claims for himself the authority which had been given to
   him by the Father; for, as he possesses the power of healing, to him
   faith is properly directed. And this intimates that the woman was not
   led by rashness or mistake to come to him, but that, through the
   guidance of the Spirit, she had preserved the straight road of faith.
   Hence it follows, that we cannot believe in any other than the Son of
   God, without considering that person to have the disposal of life and
   death. If the true reason for believing in Christ be, that God hath
   given him authority to forgive sins, whenever faith is rendered to
   another, that honor which is due to Christ must of necessity be taken
   from him. This saying refutes also the error of those who imagine that
   the forgiveness of sins is purchased by charity; for Christ lays down a
   quite different method, which is, that we embrace by faith the offered
   mercy. The last clause, Go in peace, denotes that inestimable fruit of
   faith which is so frequently commended in Scripture. It brings peace
   and joy to the consciences, and prevents them from being driven hither
   and thither by uneasiness and alarm.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [236] "Or voyci il y avoit une femme de la ville qui avoit este de
   mauvaise vie, laquelle ayant cognu qu'il estoit assis a table en la
   maison du Pharisien, apporta une boiste d'ongnement;" -- "but, lo,
   there was a woman of the city who was of wicked life, who, having
   learned that he sat at table in the house of the Pharisee, brought a
   box of ointment."

   [237] "Et les frottoit d'ongnement;" -- "and rubbed them with
   ointment."

   [238] "Car elle est de mauvaise vie;" -- "for she is of wicked life."

   [239] "Que Christ a este donne pour liberateur au genre humain,
   miserable et perdu;" -- "that Christ was given as a deliverer to the
   human race, miserable and lost."

   [240] "Qui fait que les hommes se me cognoissent;" -- "which makes men
   forget themselves."

   [241] "Quoe fuerat peccatrix

   [242] "Veu qu'il ne cognoist point l'infamie de la vie de ceste femme
   qui estoit notoire a un chacun;" -- "since he does not know the infamy
   of the life of this woman, which was notorious to every one."

   [243] "Veu que le remerciment presuppose tousiours qu'on ait avant
   receuquelque bien;" -- "since gratitude always presupposes that some
   favor has been received."

   [244] "Mettons le cas, Simon, que le fardeau des pechez, desquels Dieu
   t'a descharge fust petit;" -- "let us put the case, Simon, that the
   burden of the sins, from which God has discharged thee, was small."

   [245] "Et s'il avoit este absous de la condamnation qu'il avoit
   encourue;" --"and if he had been absolved from the condemnation which
   he had incurred."

   [246] "En lieu que l'autre n'a pas mesme daigne le baiser par une facon
   commune de civilite;" -- "whereas the other did not even deign to kiss
   him, according to an ordinary custom of civility."

   [247] "A este un acte special et extraordinaire, duquel si on vouloit
   faire une reigle generale, ce seroit un abus;" -- "was a special and
   extraordinary act, of which, if we wished to make a general rule, it
   would be a mistake."

   [248] "Combien qu'il faut resoudre le verbe du temps present en un
   temps passe: comme quand il dit, Ses pechez luy sont pardonnez: il faut
   entendre, Ont este pardonnez;" -- "though the verb must be resolved
   from the present tense into a past tense: as when he says, Her sins are
   forgiven, we must understand it to mean, Have been forgiven."

   [249] "Il n'est pas dit ici que la dilection ou amour des hommes envers
   Dieu soit la cause de la remission des pechez;" -- "it is not here said
   that the loving, or the love of men towards God, is the cause of the
   forgiveness of sins."

   [250] "Qui se plaisent et fiattent en leurs vices;" -- "who please and
   flatter themselves amidst their vices."

   [251] "Pour reprimer les murmures de ces gens;" -- "to repress the
   murmurings of those people."

   [252] "Qui t'a apporte certitude de salut;" -- "which has brought thee
   certainty of salvation."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 10:38-42

   Luke 10:38-42

   38. And it happened, while they were traveling, that he entered into a
   certain village; and a certain woman, called Martha, received him into
   her house. 39. And she had a sister called Mary, who also, sitting at
   the feet of Jesus, heard his word. 40. And Martha was cumbered about
   much serving; who stood, and said, Lord, hast thou no care that my
   sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore assist me.
   41. And Jesus answering said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious
   and distressed about many things. 42 But one thing is necessary: Mary
   hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her.


   38. And it happened that he entered into a certain village. This
   narrative shows, that Christ, wherever he came, did not devote himself
   to his private concerns, or consult his own ease or comfort; but that
   the single object which he kept in view was, to do good to others, and
   to discharge the office which had been committed to him by the Father.
   Luke relates that, having been hospitably received by Martha, as soon
   as he entered the house, he began to teach and exhort. As this passage
   has been basely distorted into the commendation of what is called a
   Contemplative life, we must inquire into its true meaning, from which
   it will appear, that nothing was farther from the design of Christ,
   than to encourage his disciples to indulge in indolence, or in useless
   speculations. It is, no doubt, an old error [253] , that those who
   withdraw from business, and devote themselves entirely to a
   contemplative, lead an Angelical life. For the absurdities which the
   Sorbonnists [254] utter on this subject they appear to have been
   indebted to Aristotle, who places the highest good, and ultimate end,
   of human life in contemplation, which, according to him, is the
   enjoyment of virtue. When some men were driven by ambition to withdraw
   from the ordinary intercourse of life, or when peevish men gave
   themselves up to solitude and indolence, the resolution to adopt that
   course was followed by such pride, that they imagined themselves to be
   like the angels, because they did nothing; for they entertained as
   great a contempt for active life, as if it had kept them back from
   heaven. On the contrary, we know that men were created for the express
   purpose of being employed in labor of various kinds, and that no
   sacrifice is more pleasing to God, than when every man applies
   diligently to his own calling, and endeavors to live in such a manner
   as to contribute to the general advantage. [255]

   How absurdly they have perverted the words of Christ to support their
   own contrivance, will appear manifest when we have ascertained the
   natural meaning. Luke says that Mary sat at the feet of Jesus Does he
   mean that she did nothing else throughout her whole life? On the
   contrary, the Lord enjoins his followers to make such a distribution of
   their time, that he who desires to make proficiency in the school of
   Christ shall not always be an idle hearer but shall put in practice
   what he has learned; for there is a time to hear, and a time to act.
   [256] It is, therefore, a foolish attempt of the monks to take hold of
   this passage, as if Christ were drawing a comparison between a
   contemplative and an active life, while Christ simply informs us for
   what end, and in what manner, he wishes to be received.

   Though the hospitality of Martha deserved commendation, and is
   commended, yet there were two faults in it which are pointed out by
   Christ. The first is, that Martha carried her activity beyond proper
   bounds; for Christ would rather have chosen to be entertained in a
   frugal manner, and at moderate expense, than that the holy woman should
   have submitted to so much toil. The second fault was, that Martha, by
   distracting her attention, and undertaking more labor than was
   necessary, deprived herself of the advantage of Christ's visit. The
   excess is pointed out by Luke, when he speaks of much serving; for
   Christ was satisfied with little. It was just as if one were to give a
   magnificent reception to a prophet, and yet not to care about hearing
   him, but, on the contrary, to make so great and unnecessary
   preparations as to bury all the instruction. But the true way of
   receiving prophets is, to accept the advantage which God presents and
   offers to us through their agency.

   We now see that the kind attention of Martha, though it deserved
   praise, was not without its blemishes. There was this additional evil,
   that Martha was so delighted with her own bustling operations, as to
   despise her sister's pious eagerness to receive instruction. [257] This
   example warns us, that, in doing what is right, we must take care not
   to think more highly of ourselves than of others.

   42. But one thing is necessary. Some give a very meager interpretation
   of these words, as if they meant that one sort of dish is enough. [258]
   Others make ingenious inquiries, but beside the purpose, about Unity.
   [259] But Christ had quite another design, which was, that whatever
   believers may undertake to do, and in whatever employments they may
   engage, there is one object to which every thing ought to be referred.
   In a word, we do but wander to no purpose, if we do not direct all our
   actions to a fixed object. The hospitality of Martha was faulty in this
   respect, that she neglected the main business, and devoted herself
   entirely to household affairs. And yet Christ does not mean that every
   thing else, with the exception of this one thing, is of no importance,
   but that we must pay a proper attention to order, lest what is
   accessory--as the phrase is--become our chief concern.

   Mary hath chosen the good part. There is no comparison here, as
   unskillful and mistaken interpreters dream. Christ only declares, that
   Mary is engaged in a holy and profitable employment, in which she ought
   not to be disturbed. "You would have a good right," he says, "to blame
   your sister, if she indulged in ease, or gave herself up to trifling
   occupations, or aimed at something unsuitable to her station, and left
   to you the whole charge of the household affairs. But now, when she is
   properly and usefully employed in hearing, it would be an act of
   injustice to withdraw her from it; for an opportunity so favorable is
   not always in her power." There are some, indeed, who give a different
   interpretation to the latter clause, which shall not be taken away from
   her, as if Christ intended to say, that Mary hath chosen the good part,
   because the fruit of heavenly doctrine can never perish. For my own
   part, I have no objection to that opinion, but have followed the view
   which appeared to me to be more in accordance with Christ's design.
   [260]
     __________________________________________________________________

   [253] "Il est vray que ceste erreur n'est pas d'auiourd'huy, mais est
   bien ancien;" -- "it is true that this error is not of today, but is
   very old."

   [254] "Some readers may happen to ask, Who were the Sorbonnists, or, as
   they are often called, the Doctors of the Sorbonne? In reply, I take
   the liberty of extracting from a volume, which I gave to the world a
   few years ago, a few remarks on this subject." -- "The College of the
   Sorbonne, in Paris, takes its name from Robert de Sorbonne, who founded
   it in the middle of the thirteenth century. Its reputation for
   theological learning, philosophy, classical literature, and all that
   formerly constituted a liberal education, was deservedly high. In the
   Doctors of the Sorbonne the Reformation found powerful adversaries. The
   very name of this University, to which the greatest scholars in Europe
   were accustomed to pay deference, would be regarded by the multitude
   with blind veneration. If such men as Calvin, Beza, Melancthon, and
   Luther, were prepared by talents and acquirements of the first order to
   brave the terrors of that name, they must have frequently lamented its
   influence on many of their hearers. Yet our author meets undaunted this
   formidable array, and enters the field with the full assurance of
   victory. Despising, as we naturally do, the weak superstitions and
   absurd tenets held by the Church of Rome, we are apt to underrate our
   obligations to the early champions of the Reformed faith, who
   encountered with success those veteran warriors, and contended
   earnestly (Jude, verse 3) for the faith which was once delivered to the
   saints."--(Biblical Cabinet, volume 30, p. 140.)--Ed.

   [255] "Met peine de vivre en sorte qu' il apporte quelque profit a la
   societe commune des hommes;" -- "endeavors to live so as to yield some
   advantage to the general society of men."

   [256] "Car il y a temps d'ouir, et temps de faire, et de mettre la main
   a la besongne;" -- "for there is a time to hear, and a time to act, and
   to put the hand to the work."

   [257] "En la conduite du banquet, et bruit de mesnage;" -- "in the
   preparation of the entertainment, and the noise of household affairs."

   [258] "Comme si Christ entendoit qu'il y a assez d'un mets, ou d'une
   sorte de viande;" -- "as if Christ meant that one dish, or one sort of
   food, is enough."

   [259] "De Monade." -- "Les autres plus subtilement, mais mal a propos,
   traittans ici de l'unite: comme si par ce mot de Un, Iesus Christ eust
   voulu exlurre tout nombre;" -- "others more ingeniously, but
   inappropriately, treaying here of unity: as if, by the word One, Jesus
   Christ intended to exclude all diversity of employment."

   [260] Calvin appears to interpret the words, which shall not be taken
   from her, not as a doctrinal statement, but as a command, or, at least,
   as marking out the line of conduct which ought to be pursued by Martha
   and others towards Mary. The good part, or, as he explains it, "the
   holy and profitable employment," shall not be take, from her. "She
   ought not to be disturbed," and "it would be an act of injustice to
   withdraw her from it." -- Ed.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 12:13-21

   Luke 12:13-21

   13. And one out of the multitude said to him, Master, bid my brother
   divide the inheritance with me. 14. And he said to him, Man, who made
   me a judge or a divider over you? 15. And he said to them, Take heed
   and beware of covetousness; for the life of any man does not consist in
   the abundance of those things which he possesseth. [261] 16. And he
   spoke a parable to them, saying, The field of a certain rich man
   yielded an abundant produce. 17. And he thought within himself, saying,
   What shall I do? for I have no place in which I can collect my fruits.
   18. And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and will
   build larger ones, and there I will collect all my fruits and my goods.
   19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for
   many, years: take thine ease, eat, drink, and enjoy thyself. [262]
   20. But God said to him, Fool, this night they shall demand thy soul
   from thee; [263] and as to the things which thou hast provided, to whom
   shall they go? 21. So is he that layeth up for himself: [264] and is
   not rich toward God.


   13. Bid my brother divide Our Lord, when requested to undertake the
   office of dividing an inheritance, refuses to do so. Now as this tended
   to promote brotherly harmony, and as Christ's office was, not only to
   reconcile men to God, but to bring them into a state of agreement with
   one another, what hindered him from settling the dispute between the
   two brothers? [265] There appear to have been chiefly two reasons why
   he declined the office of a judge. First, as the Jews imagined that the
   Messiah would have an earthly kingdom, [266] he wished to guard against
   doing any thing that might countenance this error. If they had seen him
   divide inheritances, the report of that proceeding would immediately
   have been circulated. Many would have been led to expect a carnal
   redemption, which they too ardently desired; and wicked men would have
   loudly declared, that he was effecting a revolution in the state, and
   overturning the Roman Empire. Nothing could be more appropriate,
   therefore, than this reply, by which all would be informed, that the
   kingdom of Christ is spiritual. Let us learn from this to regulate our
   conduct by prudence, and to undertake nothing which may admit of an
   unfavorable construction.

   Secondly, our Lord intended to draw a distinction between the political
   kingdoms of this world and the government of his Church; for he had
   been appointed by the Father to be a Teacher, who should

   divide asunder, by the sword of the word, the thoughts and feelings,
   and penetrate into the souls of men,
   (Hebrews 4:12,)

   but was not a magistrate to divide inheritances This condemns the
   robbery of the Pope and his clergy, who, while they give themselves out
   to be pastors of the Church, have dared to usurp an earthly and secular
   jurisdiction, which is inconsistent with their office; for what is in
   itself lawful may be improper in certain persons.

   There was also in my opinion, a third reason of great weight. Christ
   saw that this man was neglecting doctrine, and was looking only to his
   private concerns. This is too common a disease. Many who profess the
   Gospel do not scruple to make use of it as a false pretense for
   advancing their private interests, and to plead the authority of Christ
   as an apology for their gains. From the exhortations [267] which is
   immediately added, we may readily draw this inference; for if that man
   had not availed himself of the Gospel as a pretext for his own
   emolument, Christ would not have taken occasion to give this warning
   against covetousness The context, therefore, makes it sufficiently
   evident, that this was a pretended disciple, whose mind was entirely
   occupied with lands or money.

   It is highly absurd in the Anabaptists to infer from this reply, that
   no Christian man has a right to divide inheritances, to take a part in
   legal decisions, or to discharge any public office. Christ does not
   argue from the nature of the thing itself, but from his own calling.
   Having been appointed by the Father for a different purpose, he
   declares that he is not a judge, because he has received no such
   command. Let us hold by this rule, that every one keep within the
   limits of the calling which God has given him.

   15. Take heed and beware of covetousness. Christ first guards his
   followers against covetousness, and next, in order to cure their minds
   entirely of this disease, he declares, that our life consisteth not in
   abundance. These words point out the inward fountain and source, from
   which flows the mad eagerness for gain. It is because the general
   belief is, that a man is happy in proportion as he possesses much, and
   that the happiness of life is produced by riches. Hence arise those
   immoderate desires, which, like a fiery furnace, send forth their
   flames, and yet cease not to burn within. If we were convinced that
   riches, and any kind of abundance, are evils of the present life, which
   the Lord bestows upon us with his own hand, and the use of which is
   accompanied by his blessing, this single consideration would have a
   powerful influence in restraining all wicked desires; and this is what
   believers have come to learn from their own experience. [268] For
   whence comes it, that they moderate their wishes, and depend on God
   alone, but because they do not look upon their life as necessarily
   connected with abundance, or dependent upon it, but rely on the
   providence of God, who alone upholds us by his power, and supplies us
   with whatever is necessary?

   16. And he spoke a parable to them This parable presents to us, as in a
   mirror, a lively portrait of this sentiment, that men do not live by
   their abundance. Since the life even of the richest men is taken away
   in a moment, what avails it that they have accumulated great wealth?
   All acknowledge it to be true, so that Christ says nothing here but
   what is perfectly common, and what every man has constantly in his
   mouth. But where is the man that honestly believes it? Do not all, on
   the contrary, regulate their life, and arrange their schemes and
   employments in such a manner as to withdraw to the greatest distance
   from God, making their life to rest on a present abundance of good
   things? It is therefore necessary that all should immediately arouse
   themselves, lest, by imagining their happiness to consist in riches,
   they entangle themselves in the snares of covetousness.

   This parable shows us, first, that the present life is short and
   transitory. Secondly, it points out to us, that riches are of no avail
   for prolonging life. We must add a third, which is not expressed, but
   may easily be inferred from the other two; that it is a most excellent
   remedy for believers, to ask from the Lord their daily bread, and to
   rely on his providence alone, whether they are rich or poor.

   17. What shall I do? Wicked men are driven to perplexity in their
   deliberations, because they do not know how any thing is to be lawfully
   used; [269] and, next, because they are intoxicated with a foolish
   confidence which makes them forget themselves. Thus we find that this
   rich man lengthens out his expectation of life in proportion to his
   large income, and drives far away from him the remembrance of death.
   And yet this pride is accompanied by distrust; for those men, when they
   have had their fill, are still agitated by insatiable desire, like this
   rich man, who enlarges his barns, as if his belly, which had been
   filled with his former barns, had not got enough. At the same time,
   Christ does not expressly condemn this man for acting the part of a
   careful householder in storing up his produce, but because his ravenous
   desire, like a deep whirlpool, swallows up and devours many barns; from
   which it follows that he does not comprehend the proper use of an
   abundant produce.

   19. Take thine ease, eat, drink, enjoy thyself. When he exhorts himself
   to eat and drink, he no longer remembers that he is a man, but swells
   into pride by relying on his abundance. We daily perceive striking
   instances of this disdainful conduct [270] in irreligious men, who hold
   up the mass of their riches, as if it were nothing less than a brazen
   rampart against death. When he says, Eat, my soul, and enjoy thyself,
   there is an emphatic meaning in this Hebrew idiom; [271] for he
   addresses himself in such a manner as to imply, that he has all that is
   necessary for gratifying all his senses and all his desires.

   20. Fool, this night they will demand thy soul from thee. The word soul
   carries an allusion. Formerly, the rich man addressed his soul as the
   seat of all the affections: but now, he speaks of the life itself, or
   the vital spirit. The words, they will demand, (apaitousin) though in
   the plural number, are used indefinitely, and mean nothing more than
   that the life of the rich man, which he imagined to be in his own
   power, was at the disposal of another. I advert to this, because some
   take occasion from them to make unfounded speculations about angels.
   The design of Christ is simply to show that the life of men, which they
   imagine to be strongly protected by the fortress of their riches, is
   every moment [272] taken away. The rich man is thus convicted of folly,
   in not knowing that his life depended on another.

   21. So is he that layeth up for himself. As the two clauses are
   evidently contrasted, the one must be taken into account for the
   exposition of the other. Let us ascertain, therefore, what is meant by
   being rich in God, or, "towards God" or, "with respect to God." Those
   who are tolerably acquainted with the Scriptures know that the
   preposition eis not unfrequently takes the sense of en. But whether it
   be understood in the one sense or in the other, is of little
   consequence; for the meaning comes to this, that they are rich
   according to God, who do not trust to earthly things, but depend solely
   on his providence. It matters not whether they are in abundance or in
   want, provided that both classes present their sincere prayers to the
   Lord for their daily bread. The corresponding phrase, layeth up for
   himself, conveys the idea that this man paid no attention to the
   blessing of God, but anxiously heaped up an immense store, so that his
   confidence was shut up in his barns. [273] Hence we may easily conclude
   that the parable was intended to show, that vain are the deliberations
   and foolish attempts of those who, trusting to the abundance of their
   wealth, do not rely on God alone, and are not satisfied with their own
   share, or prepared for whatever may befall them; [274] and, finally,
   that such persons will suffer the penalty of their own folly.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [261] "Car encore que les biens' abondent a quelqu'un, si n'a-il pas
   vie par les biens;" -- "for though a man may abound in wealth, yet he
   has no life by his wealth."

   [262] "Et fay grand'chere;" -- "and make great cheer."

   [263] "En ceste nuict ton ame to sera ostee, ou, on to redemandera ton
   ame;" -- "this night thy soul shall be taken from thee, or, thy soul
   shall be asked again from thee."

   [264] "Ainsi est celuy qui thesaurize (ou, a fait grand areas de biens)
   pour soy;" -- "so is he that hoards up (or, has formed a great heap of
   goods) for himself."

   [265] "On pourroit demander qui a empesche qu'il ne se soit entremis
   d'oster toute occasion de debat entre deux freres?" -- "It might be
   asked, what hindered him from undertaking to remove all ground of
   quarrel between two brothers?"

   [266] "Que le Messias regneroit a la facon des princes terriens;" --
   "that the Messiah would reign in the manner of earthly princes."

   [267] "En considerant la circonstance de l'exhortation qui est ici
   adioustee, il est aise a iuger que cestuy-ci estoit mene d'une telle
   affection perverse;" --"by considering the circumstance of the
   exhortation which is here added, it may easily be inferred that this
   man was under the influence of such a wicked disposition."

   [268] "Ce que les fideles experimentent ton les iours en eux-mesmes
   estre vray;" -- "which believers every day experience in themselves to
   be true."

   [269] "Pource qu'ils ne scavent point quel est le droit et legitime
   usage des creatures de Dieu;" -- "because they know not what is the
   proper and lawful use of the creatures of God."

   [270] "D'une telle mecognoissance et fierte;" -- "of such ingratitude
   and pride."

   [271] "En ceste locution Hebraique il y a une vehemence et proprie plus
   que les mots n'emportent de prime face;" -- "in that Hebrew form of
   expression there is greater force and propriety than the words at first
   sight bear."

   [272] "Que d'heure en heure la vie est ostee aux hommes;" -- "that from
   hour to hour the life of man is taken away."

   [273] "En sorte que la fiance de l'homme est en ses greniers, ou en ses
   coffres;" -- "so that the confidence of the man is in his granaries, or
   in his chests."

   [274] "Estans prests a recevoir ce qu'il plaira a Dieu leur envoyer;"
   -- "being prepared to receive what God may be pleased to send to them."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 13:1-9

   Luke 13:1-9

   1. And at that time some were present, who told him of the Galileans,
   whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2. And Jesus
   answering said to them, Do you imagine that these Galileans were
   sinners beyond all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?
   3. I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all perish in like
   manner. 4. Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloah fell and slew
   them, do you imagine that they were debtors beyond all men that dwell
   in Jerusalem? [275] 5. I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you shall
   all perish in like manner. 6. And he spake this parable: A certain man
   had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and came seeking fruit on it,
   and did not find it. 7. And he said to the vine-dresser, Lo, there are
   three years that I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none:
   cut it down; why does it even occupy the ground? [276] 8. But he
   answering, said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall
   dig about it, and dung it: 9. And if it bear fruit: [277] but if not,
   afterwards thou shalt cut it down.


   2. Do you imagine? etc. This passage is highly useful, were it for no
   other reason than that this disease is almost natural to us, to be too
   rigorous and severe in judging of others, and too much disposed to
   flatter our own faults. The consequence is, that we not only censure
   with excessive severity the offenses of our brethren; but whenever they
   meet with any calamity, we condemn them as wicked and reprobate
   persons. On the other hand, every man that is not sorely pressed by the
   hand of God slumbers at ease in the midst of his sins, as if God were
   favorable and reconciled to him. This involves a double fault; for when
   God chastises any one before our eyes, he warns us of his judgments,
   that each of us may examine himself, and consider what he deserves. If
   he spares us for a time, we are so far from having a right to take such
   kindness and forbearance as an opportunity for slumber, that we ought
   to regard it as an invitation to repentance.

   To correct the false and cruel judgment which we are accustomed to pass
   on wretched sufferers, and, at the same time, to shake off the
   indulgence which every man cherishes towards himself, he shows, first,
   that those who are treated with severity are not the most wicked of all
   men; because God administers his judgments in such a manner, that some
   are instantly seized and punished, and others are permitted to remain
   long in the enjoyment of ease and luxury, Secondly, he declares that
   all the calamities which happen in the world are so many demonstrations
   of the wrath of God; and hence we learn what an awful destruction
   awaits us, [278] if we do not avert it.

   The immediate occasion for this exhortation was, that some told him
   that Pilate had mingled human blood with sacrifices, in order that so
   shocking an event might bring sacrifices into abhorrence. As it is
   probable that this outrage was committed on the Samaritans, who had
   departed from the pure service of the Law, the Jews would easily and
   readily be disposed to condemn the Samaritans, and by so doing to
   applaud themselves. But our Lord applies it to a different purpose. As
   that whole nation was hated and detested by them on account of
   ungodliness, he puts the question, "Do you imagine that those wretched
   persons, who have been put to death by Pilate, were worse than others?
   You are perfectly aware, that that country is full of ungodly men, and
   that many who deserved the same punishment are still alive. He is a
   blind and wicked judge who decides as to the sins of all men by the
   punishments which they now endure. It is not always the most wicked man
   who is first dragged to punishment; but when God selects a few out of a
   large number to be punished, he holds out in their person a threatening
   that he will take vengeance on the remainder, in order that all may be
   alarmed."

   Having spoken of the Samaritans, he now approaches more closely to the
   Jews themselves. Eighteen men had at that time been killed by the fall
   of a tower in Jerusalem. He declares that those men were not more
   wicked than others, but that their death was held out to all as a
   ground of alarm; for if in them God gave a display of his judgment, no
   more would others, though they might be spared for a time, escape his
   hand. Christ does not, however, forbid believers to consider
   attentively the judgments of God, but enjoins them to observe this
   order, to begin with their own sins. They will thus obtain the highest
   advantage; for they will avert God's chastisements by voluntary
   repentance. To the same purpose is the warning which Paul gives,

   Let no man deceive you with vain words; for on account of these things
   the wrath of God cometh against the rebellious,
   (Ephesians 5:6.)

   6. He spoke also this parable. The substance of it is, that many are
   endured for a time who deserve to be cut off; but that they gain
   nothing by the delay, if they persist in their obstinacy. The wicked
   flattery, by which hypocrites are hardened, and become more obstinate,
   arises from this cause, that they do not think of their sins till they
   are compelled; and, therefore, so long as God winks at these, and
   delays his chastisements, they imagine that he is well satisfied with
   them. Thus they indulge themselves more freely, as if, to use the words
   of Isaiah, (28:15,) they had made a covenant with death, and were in
   friendship with the grave. And this is the reason why Paul denounces
   them in such earnestness of language for

   treasuring up to themselves the wrath of God against the last day,
   (Romans 2:5.)

   It is well known that trees are sometimes preserved, not because their
   owners find them to be useful and productive, but because the careful
   and industrious husbandman makes every possible trial and experiment
   before he determines to remove them out of the field or vineyard. This
   teaches us that, when the Lord does not immediately take vengeance on
   the reprobate, but delays to punish them, there are the best reasons
   for his forbearance. Such considerations serve to restrain human
   rashness, that no man may dare to murmur against the supreme Judge of
   all, if He does not always execute his judgments in one uniform manner.
   A comparison is here drawn between the owner and the vine-dresser: not
   that God's ministers go beyond him in gentleness and forbearance, but
   because the Lord not only prolongs the life of sinners, but likewise
   cultivates them in a variety of ways, that they may yield better fruit.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [275] "Eussent offense plus que tous les habitans de Ierusalem;" --
   "had offended more than all the inhabitants of Jerusalem."

   [276] "A quel propos aussi empesche-t-il la terre?" -- "for what end
   does it even cumber the ground?"

   [277] "Que s'il fait fruict, bien:' sinon tu le couperas ci-apres;" --
   "and if it bears fruit, well:' if not, thou shalt cut it down
   afterwards."

   [278] "Dont nous avons a penser quelle punition et damnation nous
   sentirons;"-- "by which we are led to consider what punishment and
   condemnation we shall receive."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 13:10-17

   Luke 13:10-17

   10. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
   11. And, lo, a woman who had a spirit of infirmity during eighteen
   years, and was bent down, and was altogether unable to lift up her
   head. [279] 12. Whom when Jesus saw, he called her to him, and said to
   her, Woman, thou art delivered from thine infirmity. 13. And he laid
   his hands on her, and immediately she stood upright, and glorified God.
   14. And the ruler of the synagogue answering, being offended because
   Christ had performed a cure on the Sabbath, said to the multitude,
   There are six days on which we ought to work: on them therefore come,
   and you shall be cured, and not on the Sabbath-day. 15. And the Lord
   answering said to her, Doth not each of you, on the Sabbath, loose his
   ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16. And
   must not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, eighteen
   years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath-day? 17. And while he
   was saying these things, all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the
   people rejoiced on account of all the glorious actions which were done
   by him.


   I have resolved to place in immediate connection some events which are
   detailed by Luke alone, without a direct reference to dates; for on
   that point, as we have formerly mentioned, the Evangelists did not care
   much about exactness. We shall afterwards find a more suitable time for
   returning to the Harmony of the Three Evangelists.

   11. And, lo, a woman Here is related a miracle performed on a woman who
   was cured, and the offense which the malignity of the Jews led them to
   take up, because our Lord had cured her on a Sabbath-day Luke says that
   the woman was held by a spirit of infirmity, so that her body was bent
   by the contraction of her nerves. As the nature of the disease is no
   farther described, it is probable that it was not one of an ordinary
   kind, or which was understood by physicians; and, therefore, he calls
   it a spirit of infirmity. We know that diseases of an unusual and
   extraordinary kind are, for the most part, inflicted on men through the
   agency of the devil; and this gave the more striking display of the
   divine power of Christ, which triumphed over Satan. Not that Satan
   rules over men according to his pleasure, but only so far as God grants
   to him permission to injure them. Besides, as the Lord, from whom alone
   all our blessings flow, makes his glory to shine with peculiar
   brightness in those blessings which are more remarkable, and of rare
   occurrence; so, on the other hand, it is his will that the power and
   tyranny of Satan should be chiefly regarded in extraordinary
   chastisements, though his agency is likewise employed in those more
   gentle applications of the rod, which we experience from day to day.

   12. Woman, thou art delivered In this miracle, as well as in others,
   Christ exhibited a proof both of his power and of his grace; for in
   this manner he testified that he had come for the purpose of granting
   relief to the wretched. His power is expressed in these words, Woman,
   thou art delivered; for he authoritatively declares that deliverance
   was at his own disposal, and employs, at the same time, the outward
   sign, the use of which we have explained on a former occasion.

   13. And glorified God. As to the people glorifying God, it is mentioned
   in order to inform us, that this was distinctly perceived to be a
   heavenly blessing. It was not some doubtful work which allowed room for
   argument on either side, but one which afforded ample and undoubted
   grounds for praising God. This discovers more strongly the malignity of
   the ruler of the synagogue

   14. There are six days. This reprover does not venture to pass censure
   openly on Christ, but points the venom of his dislike to another
   quarter, and indirectly condemns Christ in the person of the multitude.
   What an astonishing display of furious malice! Six days, he tells them,
   were set apart for labor; but how incorrectly and foolishly does he
   define that work, which is not permitted but on six days! Why does he
   not likewise forbid them to enter the synagogue, lest they should
   violate the Sabbath? Why does he not order them to refrain from all the
   exercises of godliness? But granting that men are restrained from
   following their own employments on the Sabbath-day, how unreasonable is
   it that the grace of God should be limited in that manner!

   On them, therefore, come and you shall be cured. He bids them come on
   the other days to seek a cure, as if the power of God lay asleep on
   Sabbath, and were not rather exerted chiefly on that day for the
   salvation of his people. What purpose is to be served by the holy
   assemblies, except to give an opportunity to believers for entreating
   the Divine assistance? That ungodly hypocrite talks as if the lawful
   observation of the Sabbath interrupted the course of God's favors,
   hindered men from calling upon him, and took away from them all feeling
   of his kindness.

   15. Doth not every one of you? etc Such a combination of malice and
   stupidity might easily have been exposed in many ways, but Christ
   satisfied himself with this single argument. If it be lawful on the
   Sabbath, to perform the offices of humanity to cattle, it is ridiculous
   to imagine that the due observance of it will prevent assistance from
   being granted to the children of God. The words of Christ present a
   twofold comparison: that of the cattle with the daughter of Abraham,
   and that of the halter by which the ass or the ox is tied to its stall
   with the chains of Satan, by which he holds men bound to their
   destruction. "You," says he, "who are so scrupulous about observing the
   Sabbath, venture to loose oxen and asses, and lead them away to
   watering. And why may not I be permitted to perform a similar office of
   kindness to the elect people of God; especially when the necessity is
   more urgent, when some one is to be delivered from the snares of
   Satan?"

   Now though the wicked reprover was struck dumb with shame, yet we
   perceive that Christ never performed any work, however illustrious,
   which wicked men did not seize as an occasion for slander. Nor need we
   wonder that Satan labored, with incessant zeal and exertions, to
   subvert the glory of Christ; for he is constantly employed in spreading
   his clouds, in order to darken the holy actions of believers.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [279] "Laquelle estoit courbe, et ne pouvoit aucunement se dresser;"--
   "who was bent down, and was quite unable to stand upright."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 13:31-33

   Luke 13:31-33

   31. The same day some of the Pharisees came, saying to him, Depart, and
   go hence: for Herod intends to kill thee. 32. And he said to them, Go,
   tell that fox, Lo, I cast out devils, and I perform cures today and
   tomorrow, and the third day I am completed. [280] 33. But yet I must
   walk today and tomorrow, and the following day; for it is not a usual
   occurrence that a prophet perish anywhere else than in Jerusalem. [281]



   It deserves our attention, that Christ gives the designation, daughter
   of Abraham, to one whose body had been enslaved by Satan during
   eighteen years. She was so called, not only in reference to her
   lineage, as all the Jews without exception gloried in this title, but
   because she was one of the true and actual members of the Church. Here
   we perceive also what Paul tells us, that some are

   delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit
   may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus,
   (1 Corinthians 5:5.)

   And the length of time points out to us that, though the Lord does not
   immediately relieve our distresses, yet we ought not to despair.

   It is difficult to ascertain the precise time when this happened,
   farther than that Christ was at that time residing in Galilee, as
   during the whole period of his public calling he remained longer there
   than in any other place. Certain persons, wishing to be considered as
   his friends, advise him that, if he wishes to be in safety, he should
   go beyond the boundaries of Herod's jurisdiction. In what manner those
   who gave that advice were affected towards him we have no means of
   knowing; but I am strongly inclined to conjecture, that they attempted
   to drive him to some other place, because they saw that the greater
   part of the people in that place were attached to Christ, so that the
   Gospel was generally received. We must observe who those advisers were.
   Luke says that they were some of the Pharisees Now we know that that
   sect was not so favorable to Christ as to make it probable that those
   men were anxious about his life. What then? Their design was, to awaken
   in him such fears as would drive him to some place of concealment; for
   they expected that, in a short time, his authority would decline, and
   that his whole doctrine would vanish away. But we must also direct our
   attention to the first originator and contriver of this scheme, Satan;
   for, as he endeavored at that time to interrupt the progress of the
   Gospel, by terrifying the Son of God, so he constantly invents and
   hatches up new grounds of alarm, to strike the ministers of Christ with
   dismay, and to constrain them to turn aside.

   32. Go, tell that fox It is certain, that the person here spoken of is
   Herod Antipas. Though he had throughout the character of a fox, and was
   as remarkable for servility as for cunning, I do not think that the
   term, fox, is intended to refer generally to the cunning of his whole
   life, but rather to the insidious methods by which he labored to
   undermine the doctrine of the Gospel, when he did not venture to attack
   it openly. Christ tells him that, with all his craftiness, he will gain
   nothing by his schemes. "Whatever artifices he may devise," says
   Christ, "today and tomorrow I will discharge the office which God has
   enjoined upon me; and when I shall have reached the end of my course, I
   shall then be offered in sacrifice." That we may perceive more clearly
   the meaning of the words, Christ acknowledges, in the former part of
   his message, that on the third day--that is, within a very short
   time--he must die; and in this way shows, that he could not be deterred
   from his duty by any fear of death, to which he advanced boldly, with
   fixed purpose of mind.

   33. It does not usually happen, etc. He next adds, that it is an idle
   bugbear, which is held out by false and hypocritical advisers; because
   there is no danger of death anywhere else than at Jerusalem. In this
   second clause he sharply attacks the Pharisees. "Is it you, who -- I
   foresee -- will be my executioners, that advise me to beware of Herod?"
   The reproof extends, indeed, much farther; for he says, not only that
   preparations had been made for his own death in Jerusalem, but that it
   might be said to have been, for a long period, a den of robbers, in
   which almost all the prophets had been murdered. Many had, no doubt,
   been slain in other places, and particularly at the time when that
   cruel fury, [282] Jezebel, (1 Kings 19:2,) raged against them; but
   because in no other place had the prophets, at any time, been fiercely
   tormented, Christ justly brings this reproach against the ungodly
   inhabitants of the holy city.

   It usually happened that the prophets were slain there; because not
   only was it the source of all the ungodliness which spread over the
   whole of Judea, but it was also the field on which God trained his
   prophets. [283] We know that the more brightly the light of doctrine
   shines, so as to press more closely on wicked men, they are driven to a
   greater pitch of madness. What a dreadful example was it, that a place
   which had been chosen to be the sanctuary of divine worship, and the
   residence of the Law and of heavenly wisdom, should be polluted not by
   one or another murder,, but by a regular butchery of the prophets! It
   undoubtedly shows how obstinate is the rebellion of the world in
   rejecting sound doctrine.

   The exclamation which immediately follows in Luke, (13:34,) appears to
   be connected in such a manner, as if Christ had taken occasion from the
   present occurrence to inveigh, at this time, against Jerusalem But for
   my own part, I rather think, that Luke, having said that Jerusalem had
   been formerly stained by the blood of the prophets, nay, had been,
   through an uninterrupted succession of many ages, the slaughter-place,
   where the prophets were cruelly and wickedly put to death, immediately
   inserts, according to his custom, a statement which harmonized with
   that discourse. We have seen, on former occasions, that it is by no
   means unusual with him to introduce into one place a collection of
   Christ's sayings, which were uttered at various times.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [280] "Et au troisieme iour ie pren fin;" -- "and on the third day I
   conclude."

   [281] "Car il n'advient point qu'aucun Prophete meure hors de
   Ierusalem;" -- "for it does not happen that any Prophet dies out of
   Jerusalem."

   [282] "Cette cruelle diablesse;" -- "that cruel female devil."

   [283] "Auquel Dieu a voulu que ses Prophetes ayent soustenu de grans
   combats et rudes alarmes;" -- "on which God determined that his
   Prophets should sustain powerful combats and fierce alarms."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 11:37-41

   Luke 11:37-41

   37. And while he was speaking, a certain Pharisee requested him to dine
   with him; and he entered and sat down at table. 38. And when the
   Pharisee saw it, he wondered that he had not first washed before
   dinner. 39. And the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees cleanse the
   outside of the cup and of the plate; and what is within you is full of
   cruelty and wickedness. 40. Fools, did not he who made what is without
   make also what is within? 41. But out of what you have [284] give alms;
   and, lo, all things are clean to you.



   This narrative agrees in some respects, but not entirely, with the
   doctrine laid down by Matthew, (10:1-20,) that Christ, in order to
   correct the superstition of the people, and particularly of the
   scribes, intentionally disregarded outward ceremonies of human
   invention, which the Jews were too solicitous to observe. God had
   prescribed in his Law certain kinds of washings, that by means of them
   he might train his people usefully to the consideration of true purity.
   The Jews, not satisfied with this moderate portion had added many other
   washings, and more especially, that no person should partake of food
   till he had been washed with the water of purification, as Mark relates
   more minutely, (12:3,4,) and as is also evident from John, (2:6.) This
   fault was accompanied by wicked confidence; for they cared little about
   the spiritual worship of God, and thought that they had perfectly
   discharged their duty, when the figure was substituted in the place of
   God. Christ is fully aware that his neglect of this ceremony will give
   offense, but he declines to observe it, in order to show that God sets
   very little value on outward cleanness, but demands the spiritual
   righteousness of the heart.

   39. Now you Pharisees Christ does not here charge the Pharisees, as in
   Matthew, (15:1-20,) and Mark, (12:2-13,) with serving God in an
   improper manner by human inventions, and breaking the law of God for
   the sake of their traditions; but merely glances at their hypocrisy, in
   having no desire of purity except before the eyes of men, as if they
   had not to deal with God. Now this reproof applies to all hypocrites,
   even to those who believe that righteousness consists in ceremonies
   appointed by God. Christ includes more than if he had said, that it is
   in vain to serve God by the commandments of men, (Mark 7:7;) for he
   condemns generally the error of worshipping God by ceremonies, and not
   spiritually, by faith and a pure affection of the heart.

   On this point the prophets had always contended earnestly with the
   Jews; but, as the minds of men are strongly inclined to hypocrisy, they
   proudly and obstinately adhered to the conviction, that God is pleased
   with external worship, even when it is not accompanied by faith. But in
   the time of Christ, they had sunk to such depth of folly, that they
   made religion to consist entirely in absolute trifles. Accordingly, he
   directs his accusation against the Pharisees, for being extremely
   careful to wash cups, and cherishing within their hearts the most
   abominable filth of cruelty and wickedness He charges them with folly
   on this ground, that God, who created that which is within the man, his
   soul, as truly as the body, cannot be satisfied with a mere external
   appearance. The chief reason why men are deceived is, that they do not
   consider that they have to deal with God, or, they transform Him
   according to the vanity of their senses, as if there were no difference
   between Him and a mortal man.

   41. But out of what you have, give alms. Christ, according to his
   custom, withdraws the Pharisees from ceremonies to charity, declaring
   that it is not water, but liberality, [285] that cleanses both men and
   food. By these words he does not disparage the grace of God, or reject
   the ceremonies of the Law as vain and useless; but addresses his
   discourse to those who feel confident that God will be amused by mere
   signs. "It is the lawful use alone," he says, "that sanctifies food.
   But food is rightly and properly used by those who supply from their
   abundance the necessities of the poor. It would therefore be better to
   give alms out of what you have, than to be careful about washing hands
   and cups, and to neglect the poor."

   The inference which the Papists draw from these words, that alms are
   satisfactions, by which we are cleansed from our sins, is too absurd to
   require a lengthened refutation. Christ does not here inform us by what
   price we must purchase the forgiveness of sins, but says that those
   persons eat their bread with cleanness, who bestow a part of it on the
   poor. I understand the words, ta enonta, to mean "the present supply,"
   [286] and not, as Erasmus and the old translator render them, "what
   remains over." [287]

   The reproofs which immediately follow may be reserved, with greater
   propriety, for another occasion. I do not think it probable that
   Christ, while sitting at table, indulged in this continuous strain of
   invective against scribes and Pharisees, but that Luke has introduced
   here what was spoken at another time; for the Evangelists, as we have
   frequently mentioned, paid little attention to the order of dates.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [284] "Des choses presentes, ou, de ce que vous avez;" --"of present
   things, or, of what you have."

   [285] "Mais que c'est une prompte affection de faire bien a ceux qui
   sont en necessite;" -- "but that it is an active disposition to do good
   to those who are in want."

   [286] "Les presentes choses, comme aussi ie l'ay traduit au texte;" --
   "the present things, as also I have translated it in the text."

   [287] It seems quite as natural to suppose, with other interpreters,
   that ta enonta answers to to esothen in the 39th and 40th verses Plen
   (kata) ta enonta will thus be equivalent to plen (kata) to esothen (tou
   poteriou) dote eleemosunen, but as to what is within the cup give alms
   out of it. The next, clause commences with kai, followed by an ellipsis
   of (kata), to exothen (tou poteriou) me merimnesete, and give
   yourselves no concern about what is outside of the cup; for, lo, all
   things are clean to you. --Ed.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 14:1-6

   Luke 14:1-6

   1. And it happened that he entered into the house of a certain ruler of
   the Pharisees on a Sabbath, to take food, and they watched him. 2. And,
   lo, a certain man who had a dropsy was before him, 3. And Jesus
   answering said to the lawyers [288] and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful
   to cure on the Sabbath? 4. But they were silent; and he took and cured
   him, and sent him away. 5. And he answering to them said, Which of you
   shall have an ass or an ox that shall fall into a pit, and will not
   immediately pull him out on the Sabbath-day? 6. And they could not
   answer him to these things.



   This narrative contains nothing more than a miracle which Christ
   performed, in order to correct the superstitious observance of the
   Sabbath. For he did not, intend, as some imagine, absolutely to abolish
   the Sabbath, but only to point out, that neither the works of God, nor
   the duties of charity, violate the holy rest which is enjoined by the
   law. Whether or not those very persons had purposely brought the
   dropsical man to that place cannot be known with certainty. He
   unquestionably could not be present at the table by accident, nor break
   into a private dwelling without the permission and consent of the
   owner. It is therefore probable, that he was placed there with the
   concealed design of tempting Christ, which, on their part, was as
   foolish an action as it was wicked; for they had already known by
   experience what Christ was accustomed to do, whenever a similar
   occasion presented itself.

   3. Is it lawful to cure on Sabbath? The meaning of this question is,
   ought the curing of a man to be reckoned among the works which violate
   the Sabbath? If they had said that the observance of the Sabbath is
   violated in this way, the reply was obvious, that it is a work of God.
   Now the law of the Sabbath goes no farther, than that men shall rest
   from their own works. Christ first puts the question to them, and he
   does so for the purpose of guarding against offense. It would not have
   been necessary for him to pacify them, if they had not been instigated
   by hardened malice. Not that he always laid himself under this
   restriction; for in many cases he did what had been enjoined on him by
   the Father, without attending to the offense that might arise from it.
   But he intended to show by this example, that he did not
   inconsiderately perform miracles on Sabbath, because he was prepared to
   assign a reason for what he did. They, on the other hand, make it
   evident by their silence, that their desire of finding fault is
   stronger than their zeal for the law; and therefore Christ treats with
   utter indifference their opinion about his action, because it was
   evident that they intentionally sought out an occasion of offense.

   5. Which of you shall have an ox or an ass? Though they did not deserve
   that Christ should take pains to remove the offense, yet he shows that
   he did nothing inconsistent with the observance of the Sabbath. And
   this he undoubtedly does, not so much with the view of instructing
   them, as of protecting himself against their slanders; for he knew that
   they were too much blinded by virulent hatred to yield submissively, to
   argument, but wished to triumph over their malice, by compelling them
   through shame to be silent. If we are at liberty to relieve brute
   animals on Sabbath, it would be unreasonable that we should not perform
   a similar office of kindness to man, who is formed after the image of
   God.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [288] "Aux Docteurs de la Loy;" -- "to the Doctors of the Law."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 14:7-14

   Luke 14:7-14

   7. And he spoke a parable to those who were invited, observing how they
   chose the first seats, saying to them: 8. When thou shalt be invited by
   any one to a marriage, do not sit at table in the first seat, lest
   perhaps a more honorable person than thyself be invited by him, 9. And
   he who invited thee and him come and say to thee, Give place to this
   man, and thou begin then with shame to occupy the lowest place. 10. But
   on the contrary, when thou shalt be invited, go, and sit at table in
   the lowest place, that when he who hath invited thee shall come, he may
   say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have honor in
   presence of those who sit at table with thee. 11. For every one that
   exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall
   be exalted. 12. And he said to him by whom he had been invited, When
   thou makest a dinner or supper, invite not thy friends, nor thy
   brethren, nor thy relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also in
   their turn invite thee, and a recompense be made thee. 13. But when
   thou makest a banquet, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the
   blind. 14. And thou shalt be blessed, because they cannot recompense
   thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the
   righteous.



   7. And he spoke a parable to those who were invited. We know to what an
   extent ambition prevailed among the Pharisees and all the scribes.
   While they desired to exercise a haughty dominion over all other men,
   the superiority among themselves was likewise an object of emulation.
   It is constantly the case with men who are desirous of empty applause,
   that they cherish envy towards each other, every one endeavoring to
   draw to himself what others imagine to be due to them. Thus the
   Pharisees and scribes, while they were all equally disposed, in
   presence of the people, to glory in the title of holy order, are now
   disputing among themselves about the degree of honor, because every one
   claims for himself the highest place.

   This ambition of theirs Christ exposes to ridicule by an appropriate
   parable. If any one sitting at another man's table were to occupy the
   highest place, and were afterwards compelled to give way to a more
   honorable person, it would not be without shame and dishonor that he
   was ordered by the master of the feast to take a different place. But
   the same thing must happen to all who proudly give themselves out as
   superior to others; for God will bring upon them disgrace and contempt.
   It must be observed, that Christ is not now speaking of outward and
   civil modesty; for we often see that the haughtiest men excel in this
   respect, and civilly, as the phrase is, profess great modesty. But by a
   comparison taken from men, he describes what we ought to be inwardly
   before God. "Were it to happen that a guest should foolishly take
   possession of the highest place, and should, on that account, be put
   down to the lowest, he would be so completely overpowered with shame as
   to wish that he had never gone higher. Lest the same thing should
   happen to you, that God would punish your arrogance with the deepest
   disgrace, resolve, of your own accord, to be humble and modest."

   11. For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled. This clause
   makes it evident that ambition was the subject of which Christ was
   speaking; for he does not state what usually happens in the ordinary
   life of men, but declares that God will be their Judge, who resisteth
   the proud, and humbleth their haughtiness, but giveth grace to the
   humble, (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Psalm 138:6.) Scripture is full of
   similar testimonies, that God is an enemy to all who desire to exalt
   themselves, as all who claim for themselves any merit must of necessity
   make war with Him. It is a manifestation of pride to boast of the gifts
   of God, as if there were any excellence in ourselves, that would exalt
   us on the ground of our own merit. Humility, on the other hand, must be
   not only an unfeigned abasement, but a real annihilation of ourselves,
   proceeding from a thorough knowledge of our own weakness, the entire
   absence of lofty pretensions, and a conviction that whatever excellence
   we possess comes from the grace of God alone.

   12. When thou makest a dinner. Those who think that this is an absolute
   condemnation of entertainments given by relatives and friends to each
   other, take away a part of civility from among men. It were not only
   unfeeling, but barbarous, to exclude relatives from the hospitable
   table, and to class them only with strangers. Christ did not intend to
   dissuade us from every thing courteous, but merely to show, that acts
   of civility, which are customary among men, are no proof whatever of
   charity. To perform any act, in the hope of a reward, to rich men, from
   whom we expect a similar return, is not generosity, but a system of
   commercial exchange; and, in like manner, kind offices, rendered from
   mercenary views, are of no account in the sight of God, and do not
   deserve to be ascribed to charity. If I entertain at supper my
   relatives or rich friends, the act of civility ought not in itself to
   be condemned, but, as a proof of charity, it will have no value
   whatever; for we frequently see that persons who are extremely selfish
   grudge no expense or luxury in treating their friends. What then? You
   may spread a table for the rich, but, at the same time, you must not
   neglect the poor; you may feast with your friends and relatives, but
   you must not shut out strangers, if they shall happen to be poor, and
   if you shall have the means of relieving their wants. In a word, the
   meaning of the passage is, that those who are kind to relatives and
   friends, but are niggardly towards the poor, are entitled to no
   commend-ation; because they do not exercise charity, but consult only
   their own gain or ambition.

   Christ addresses, in a particular manner, the person who had invited
   him; because he perceived that he was too much addicted to pomp and
   luxury, and was so desirous to obtain the applause and favor of the
   rich, that he cared very little about the poor. Accordingly, in the
   person of one man, this reproof is directed against all those who spend
   their wealth in ambitious display, or who bargain for mutual
   compensation, but leave nothing over for the poor, as if they were
   afraid that whatever is gratuitously bestowed would be lost.

   14. And thou shalt be blessed. Christ pronounces those to be blessed
   who exercise liberality without any expectation of earthly reward; for
   they manifestly look to God. Those who constantly keep in view their
   own advantage, or who are driven by the gale of popularity, have no
   right to expect a reward from God.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:15-24

   Matthew 22:1-14

   Luke 14:15-24

   1. And Jesus answering, spoke again by parables, and said, 2. The
   kingdom of heaven is like a human king who made a marriage for his son,
   3. And sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the
   marriage, and they refused to come. 4. Again he sent out other
   servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, Lo, I have prepared my
   dinner, my oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come
   to the marriage. 5. But they treated it with indifference, and went
   away, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise: 6. And the rest
   took his servants, and abused and killed them. 7. But when the king
   heard it, he was angry, and sent his soldiers, and slew these
   murderers, and burnt up their city. 8. Then he said to his servants,
   The marriage is indeed ready, but those who were invited were not
   worthy. 9. Go then to the highways, and whomsoever you shall find
   invite to the marriage. 10. And his servants went out to the roads, and
   collected all that they found, both bad and good, so that the
   marriage-apartment was filled with guests. 11. And the king, having
   come in to see the guests, when he saw there a man not wearing the
   wedding garment, 12. Said to him, Friend, how camest thou hither, not
   having the wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13. Then said the
   king to his attendants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer
   darkness: weeping and gnashing of teeth will be there. 14. For many are
   called, but few are chosen.


   15. And when one of those who sat at table with him heard these things,
   he said to him, Blessed is he that eateth [289] bread in the kingdom of
   God. 16. But he said to him, A certain man had prepared a great supper,
   and had invited many. 17. And he sent his servant at the hour of supper
   to say to those who were invited, Come; for all things are now ready.
   18. And they all began together [290] to excuse themselves. 19. The
   first said to him, I have purchased an estate, and I must go and see
   it: I beseech thee hold me excused. 20. And another said, I have
   married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21. And the servant
   returned, and brought back these things to his master. Then the master
   of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the
   streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the
   maimed, and the lame, and the blind. 22. And the servant said, Sir, it
   is done as thou hast commanded, and still there is room. 23. And the
   master said to the servant, Go out to the roads and hedges, and compel
   them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24. For I say to you,
   That none of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.



   Matthew 22:1. And Jesus answering. Though Matthew relates this parable
   among other discourses which were delivered by Christ about the time of
   the last Passover, yet as he does not specify any particular time, and
   as Luke expressly affirms that Christ delivered this discourse while he
   sat at table in the house of a Pharisee, I have thought it better to
   follow this order. The design which Matthew had in view was, to point
   out the reasons why the scribes were excited to the highest pitch of
   fury; and therefore he properly placed it in the midst of those
   discourses which were hateful to them, and interwove it with those
   discourses, without attending to the order of time. But we must attend
   to Luke's narrative, who says that, when one of those who sat at table
   with him said, Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of God,
   Christ took occasion from it to upbraid the Jews with ingratitude. It
   is by no means probable, that the guest and friend of a Pharisee broke
   out into this exclamation from any sincere feeling of piety. Still, I
   do not look upon it as having been spoken in derision; but, as persons
   who have a moderate knowledge of the faith, and are not openly wicked,
   are in the habit of indulging, amidst their cups, in idle talk about
   eternal life, I think that this man threw out a remark about future
   blessedness, in order to draw out some observation in return from
   Christ. And his words make it manifest, that he had nothing in view
   beyond what was gross and earthly; for he did not employ the phrase,
   eat bread, as a metaphor for enjoy eternal life, but appears to have
   dreamed of I know not what state, filled with prosperity and abundance
   of all things. The meaning is, Blessed shall they be who shall eat the
   bread of God, [291] after that he has collected his children into his
   kingdom.

   2. The kingdom of heaven is like a human king As it was long ago said
   by a Spartan, that the Athenians knew what was right, but did not
   choose to practice it; so Christ now brings it as a reproach against
   the Jews, that they gave utterance to beautiful expressions about the
   kingdom of God, but, when God kindly and gently invited them, they
   rejected his grace with disdain. There is no room to doubt that the
   discourse is expressly levelled against the Jews, as will more plainly
   appear a little afterwards.

   Matthew and Luke differ in this respect, that Matthew details many
   circumstances, while Luke states the matter summarily, and in a general
   manner. Thus, Matthew says that a king made a marriage for his son:
   Luke only mentions a great supper The former speaks of many servants,
   while the latter refers to no more than one servant; the former
   describes many messages, the latter mentions one only; the former says
   that some of the servants were abused or slain, the latter speaks only
   of their being treated with contempt. Lastly, the former relates that a
   man was cast out, who had gone in to the marriage without a wedding
   garment, of which Luke makes no mention. But we have formerly pointed
   out a similar distinction, that Matthew, in explaining the same thing,
   is more copious, and enters into fuller details. There is a remarkable
   agreement between them on the main points of the parable.

   God bestowed on the Jews distinguished honor, by providing for them, as
   it were, a hospitable table; but they despised the honor which had been
   conferred upon them. The marriage of the king's son is explained by
   many commentators to mean, that Christ is the end of the Law, (Romans
   10:4.) and that God had no other design in his covenant, than to make
   him the Governor of his people, and to unite the Church to him by the
   sacred bond of a spiritual marriage. I have no objection to that view.
   But when he says, that the servants were sent to call those who were
   invited, these words are intended to point out a double favor which the
   Jews had received from God; first, in being preferred to other nations;
   and, secondly, in having their adoption made known to them by the
   prophets. The allusion is to a practice customary among men, that those
   who intended to make a marriage drew up a list of the persons whom they
   intended to have as guests, and afterwards sent invitations to them by
   their servants. In like manner, God elected the Jews in preference to
   others, as if they had been his familiar friends, and afterwards called
   them by the prophets to partake of the promised redemption, which was,
   as it were, to feast at a marriage It is true that those who were first
   invited did not live till the coming of Christ; but we know that all
   received an offer of the same salvation, of which they were deprived by
   their ingratitude and malice; for from the commencement, God's
   invitation was impiously despised by that people. [292]

   4. Again he sent other servants. He speaks as if it had been the same
   persons who were invited, for it was one body of the people. The
   meaning is, that when the happy and joyful day of redemption drew near,
   they were warned to be ready; for they had been long ago informed as to
   the time. But now Christ told them that, at the very hour, fresh
   messengers were sent to entreat them to come with haste; for the first
   invitation which he mentions includes all the former prophecies, down
   to the publication of the Gospel. For a long period, they exercised
   cruelty on the prophets; but their fury grew as the time advanced, and
   at length spent all its force on Christ and the apostles. For this
   reason, he charges the ancient people with nothing more than contempt
   and pride, but says, that the servants who had been last sent, and who
   arrived at the hour of supper, were abused or slain. That people
   arrived at the highest pitch of their crimes, when their haughty
   rejection of his grace was followed by the madness of cruelty. And yet
   he does not charge all of them equally with crime; for even at the
   latest call, which was given by the Gospel, the grace of God was in
   part ridiculed by careless despisers, and in part was furiously
   rejected by hypocrites. And thus it usually happens, that ungodly men
   break out into fiercer rage against God, in proportion to the
   earnestness with which he invites them to salvation.

   We must now consider that part of doctrine which is conveyed both by
   Matthew and by Luke. One went to his field, and another to his
   merchandise; or, as Luke expresses it, one pleaded that he had married
   a wife; another that he had purchased a field; and another that he had
   bought five yoke of oxen. By these words Christ pronounces the Jews to
   have been so entirely devoted to the world and to earthly things, that
   no man found leisure to approach to God; for the cares of this world,
   when we become entangled by them, are so many impediments in our way to
   keep us back from the kingdom of God. It is truly base and shameful,
   that men who were created for a heavenly life, should be under the
   influence of such brutish stupidity, as to be entirely carried away
   after transitory things. But this disease is universally prevalent; so
   that hardly one person in a hundred can be found, who prefers the
   kingdom of God to fading riches, or to any other kind of advantages.
   Though all are not infected with the same disease, every man is led
   away by his desires; in consequence of which, all are wandering in
   various directions.

   Besides, it deserves our attention, that ungodly men hold out fair
   pretences for rejecting the grace of God; as if their indolence might
   be excused, because they are entirely occupied with the affairs of the
   present life, and care little about a heavenly inheritance. But we see
   how Christ takes from us all such excuses, that no man may imagine it
   to be of any advantage for him to plead that he is detained by
   engagements of an earthly nature. On the contrary, men commit a double
   fault, when they allow themselves to be retarded by those things which
   are in themselves lawful, and which ought rather to have aided their
   progress. For why does God allow us the conveniences of the present
   life, but in order to draw us to himself? And yet so far is it from
   being true, that all have earnest desires towards heaven, in proportion
   as they are assisted by acts of the Divine kindness, that even holy
   marriage, and fields, and other riches, are so many snares to bind
   every man more closely to the earth.

   7. But when the king heard it. This punishment is mentioned by Matthew
   alone; for Luke makes no mention of any outrage committed on the
   servants. Both concur in stating, that those who did not come at the
   appointed time were shut out, and deprived of the honor of being
   present at the banquet. But this doctrine applies equally to us; for
   the same destruction which Christ denounces against the Jews awaits all
   the ungodly, who violently oppose the ministers of the Gospel. Those
   who are so entirely occupied with earthly cares, as to set no value on
   the divine invitation, will at length perish miserably in famine and
   want; and therefore, whenever God calls us, let us be prepared and
   ready to follow.

   9. Go therefore to the highways. Having shown that they are unworthy of
   the grace of God who disdainfully reject it when offered to them, he
   now says that their place is supplied by others, by the mean and
   despised common people. And here is described the calling of the
   Gentiles, which is to excite the Jews to jealousy, as we have it in the
   Song of Moses;

   They have provoked me by those who are not gods, and I will provoke
   them by that which is not a people, and by a foolish nation will I
   enrage them,
   (Deuteronomy 32:21.)

   Having been first elected, they imagined that the grace of God was
   bound to them, as if God could not want them; and how haughtily they
   despised all others is well known. Thus by way of admission, he
   compares the Gentiles to the poor, the blind, and the lame. He says
   that they are called from the cross-roads, and from the streets, as
   strangers and unknown persons; but yet declares that they will occupy
   that place which friends and domestics had treated with indifference.
   What the prophets had obscurely foretold about creating a new church is
   now plainly expressed. This dishonor was the completion of the divine
   vengeance on the Jews, when God

   cut them off, and ingrafted wild branches into
   the stock of the olive-tree, (Romans 11:17;)

   when he threw them off, and received the polluted and filthy Gentiles
   into his house. But if at that time he spared not the natural branches,
   (Romans 11:21,) the same punishment will this day be inflicted on us,
   if we do not answer to his call. The supper which had been prepared for
   us will not be lost, but God will invite other guests.

   Luke 14:23. Compel them to come in. This expression means, that the
   master of the house would give orders to make use, as it were, of
   violence for compelling the attendance of the poor, and to leave out
   none of the lowest dregs of the people. By these words Christ declares
   that he would rake together all the offscourings of the world, rather
   than he would ever admit such ungrateful persons to his table. The
   allusion appears to be to the manner in which the Gospel invites us;
   for the grace of God is not merely offered to us, but doctrine is
   accompanied by exhortations fitted to arouse our minds. This is a
   display of the astonishing goodness of God, who, after freely inviting
   us, and perceiving that we give ourselves up to sleep, addresses our
   slothfulness by earnest entreaties, and not only arouses us by
   exhortations, but even compels us by threatenings to draw near to him.
   At the same time, I do not disapprove of the use which Augustine
   frequently made of this passage against the Donatists, to prove that
   godly princes may lawfully issue edicts, for compelling obstinate and
   rebellious persons to worship the true God, and to maintain the unity
   of the faith; for, though faith is voluntary, yet we see that such
   methods are useful for subduing the obstinacy of those who will not
   yield until they are compelled.

   Matthew 22:11. And the king, having come in to see the guests. Here
   Christ does not reproach the Jews with having wickedly despised the
   grace and calling of God; but gives early warning to those who would be
   placed in their room, not to pollute with their filth the holy
   marriage, when God shall bestow upon them admission to his table.
   Hitherto he has taught that the Jews, on account of their ungodly and
   disdainful conduct, would be deprived of the peculiar honor and
   privilege which they had enjoyed; and that from among the irreligious
   and abhorred Gentiles would men be called to occupy their place. But
   now he threatens that, out of this very number, those who bring
   reproach upon the Church will be expelled; for God invites all
   indiscriminately by the Gospel, and thus many unholy and abominable
   persons creep in, who, though for a time they are admitted along with
   others, yet, when God reviews the guests, will be thrown out and
   dragged to punishment. The general truth conveyed is, that not all who
   have once entered the Church will become partakers of everlasting life,
   but only those who are found to wear the dress which befits the
   heavenly palace.

   As to the wedding garment, is it faith, or is it a holy life? This is a
   useless controversy; for faith cannot be separated from good works, nor
   do good works proceed from any other source than from faith. But Christ
   intended only to state, that the Lord calls us on the express condition
   of our being renewed by the Spirit after his image; and that, in order
   to our remaining permanently in his house, we must put off the old man
   with his pollutions, (Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:22,) and lead a new
   life, that the garment may correspond to so honorable a calling. But a
   question arises, how comes it that a beggar is punished so severely for
   not bringing a wedding garment; as if it were unusual to see the
   wretched people, who beg their bread on the public roads, wearing
   tattered and ugly clothes? I reply, the question is not as to the
   manner in which the garment is to be procured; for whomsoever the Lord
   invites he at the same time supplies with clothing, and in all of us is
   fulfilled what Ezekiel says, (16:6-14,) that God finds nothing in us
   but wretchedness, and nakedness, and abominable filth, but adorns us
   with magnificent attire. We know also, that there is no other way in
   which we are formed anew after the image of God, but by putting on
   Christ, (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27.) It is not, therefore, the
   declaration of Christ, that the sentence of casting them into outer
   darkness will be executed on wretched men who did not bring a costly
   garment taken from their own wardrobe, but on those who shall be found
   in their pollution, when God shall come to make a scrutiny of his
   guests.

   14. For many are called, but few are chosen. The object of the parable
   is pointed out by the conclusion, that few are chosen, though many are
   called; from which we infer, that we ought not to attempt an ingenious
   explanation of every minute clause. But lately, Christ did not threaten
   that the greater part would be thrown out, but mentioned one man only;
   and now we learn from him, that out of a large number few will be
   retained. And certainly, though in the present day a more numerous body
   of men is collected into the Church by the Gospel than was formerly
   collected by the Law, it is but a small portion of them whose faith is
   evinced by newness of life. Let us not flatter ourselves with the empty
   title of faith, but let every man seriously examine himself, that at
   the final review he may be pronounced to be one of the lawful guests;
   for, as Paul reminds us, that the vessels in the Lord's house are not
   all of the same kind, so

   let every one that calleth on the name of the Lord
   depart from iniquity, (2 Timothy 2:19,20.)

   I enter no farther, at present, into the question about the eternal
   election of God; for the words of Christ mean nothing more than this,
   that the external profession of faith is not a sufficient proof that
   God will acknowledge as his people all who appear to have accepted of
   his invitation. [293]
     __________________________________________________________________

   [289] "Bien-hereux sera celuy qui mangera;" -- "blessed shall he be who
   shall eat."

   [290] "D'un accord;" -- "with one accord."

   [291] "Qui seront nourris de Dieu;"-- "who shall be fed by God."

   [292] "Ce peuple-la a vileinement et meschamment mesprise l'honneur
   auquel Dieu le convioit;" -- "that people basely and wickedly despised
   the honor to which God invited them."

   [293] "Tous ceux qui semblent s'estre rangez sous son enseigne;" --
   "all those who appear to have ranked themselves under his banner."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 16:1-15

   Luke 16:1-15

   1. And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who
   had a steward, and he was accused to him that he was wasting his
   estate. 2. And he called him, and said to him, What is this that I hear
   of thee? render an account of thy stewardship, for thou shalt no longer
   have it in thy power to be steward. 3. And the steward said within
   himself, What shall I do, since my master taketh from me my
   stewardship? I cannot dig, and am ashamed to beg. 4. I know what I
   shall do, that, when I shall be dismissed from the stewardship, they
   may receive me [294] into their houses. 5. Having therefore sent for
   each of his master's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou
   to my master? 6. And he said, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to
   him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. [295]
   7. Then he said to another, And how much owest thou? Who said, A
   hundred measures of barley. He saith to him, Take thy bill, and write
   eighty. 8. And the master commended the unjust steward, because he had
   acted prudently; for the children of this world are more prudent in
   their generation than the children of light. 9. And I say to you, Make
   to yourselves friends of the unjust mammon, that, when you shall fail,
   they may receive you into eternal habitations. 10. He that is faithful
   in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust
   in that which is least is unjust also in much. 11. If therefore you
   have not been faithful in the unjust mammon, who shall entrust to you
   what is true? [296] 12. And if you have not been faithful in what
   belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? -- (A little
   after.) 14. And the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these
   things, and they ridiculed him. 15. And he said to them, It is you
   that, justify yourselves in the sight of men: but God knoweth your
   hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in
   the sight of God.



   The leading object of this parable is, to show that we ought to deal
   kindly and generously with our neighbors; that, when we come to the
   judgment seat of God, we may reap the fruit of our liberality. Though
   the parable appears to be harsh and far-fetched, yet the conclusion
   makes it evident, that the design of Christ was nothing else than what
   I have stated. And hence we see, that to inquire with great exactness
   into every minute part of a parable is an absurd mode of
   philosophizing. Christ does not advise us to purchase by large
   donations the forgiveness of fraud, and of extortion, and of wasteful
   expenditure, and of the other crimes associated with unfaithful
   administration. But as all the blessings which God confers upon us are
   committed by Him to our administration, our Lord now lays down a method
   of procedure, which will protect us against being treated with rigor,
   when we come to render our account.

   They who imagine that alms are a sufficient compensation for sensuality
   and debauchery, do not sufficiently consider, that the first injunction
   given us is, to live in sobriety and temperance; and that the next is,
   that the streams which flow to us come from a pure fountain. It is
   certain that no man is so frugal, as not sometimes to waste the
   property which has been entrusted to him; and that even those who
   practice the most rigid economy are not entirely free from the charge
   of unfaithful stewardship. Add to this, that there are so many ways of
   abusing the gifts of God, that some incur guilt in one way, and some in
   another. I do not even deny, that the very consciousness of our own
   faulty stewardship ought to be felt by us as an additional excitement
   to kind actions.

   But we ought to have quite another object in view, than to escape the
   judgment of God by paying a price for our redemption; and that object
   is, first, that seasonable and well-judged liberality may have the
   effect of restraining and moderating unnecessary expenses; and,
   secondly, that our kindness to our brethren may draw down upon us the
   mercy of God. It is very far from being the intention of Christ to
   point out to his disciples a way of escape, when the heavenly Judge
   shall require them to give their account; but he warns them to lose no
   time in guarding against the punishment which will await their cruelty,
   if they are found to have swallowed up the gifts of God, and to have
   paid no attention to acts of beneficence. [297] We must always attend
   to this maxim, that

   with what measure a man measures, it shall be recompensed to him again,
   (Matthew 7:2.)

   8. And the master commended the unjust steward Here it is obvious that
   if we were to attempt to find a meaning for every minute circumstance,
   we would act absurdly. To make donations out of what belongs to another
   man, is an action which is very far from deserving applause; and who
   would patiently endure that an unprincipled villain should rob him of
   his property, and give it away according to his own fancy? It were
   indeed the grossest stupidity, if that man who beheld a portion of his
   substance taken away, should commend the person who stole the remainder
   of it and bestowed it on others. But Christ only meant what he adds a
   little afterwards, that ungodly and worldly men are more industrious
   and skillful in conducting the affairs of this fading life, than the
   children of God are anxious to obtain the heavenly and eternal life, or
   careful to make it the subject of their study and meditation.

   By this comparison he charges us with highly criminal indifference, in
   not providing for the future, with at least as much earnestness as
   ungodly men display by attending to their own interests in this world.
   How disgraceful is it that the children of light, whom God enlightens
   by his Spirit and word, should slumber and neglect the hope of eternal
   blessedness held out to them, while worldly men are so eagerly bent on
   their own accommodations, and so provident and sagacious! Hence we
   infer, that our Lord does not intend to compare the wisdom of the
   Spirit to the wisdom of the flesh, (which could not have been done
   without pouring contempt on God himself,) but only to arouse believers
   to consider more attentively what belongs to the future life, and not
   to shut their eyes against the light of the Gospel, when they perceive
   that even the blind, amidst their darkness, see more clearly. And,
   indeed, the children of light ought to be more powerfully excited, when
   they behold the children of this world making provision against a
   distant period, for a life which is fading, and which passes in a
   moment.

   9. Make to yourselves friends. As in the words which were last
   considered Christ did not enjoin us to offer sacrifices to God out of
   the fruits of extortion, so now he does not mean that we ought to
   search for defenders or advocates, who will throw around us the shield
   of their protection; but teaches us that by acts of charity we obtain
   favor with God, who has promised, that to the merciful he will show
   himself merciful, (Psalm 18:25.) It is highly foolish and absurd to
   infer from this passage, that the prayers or approbation of the dead
   are of service to us: for, on that supposition, all that is bestowed on
   unworthy persons would be thrown away; but the depravity of men does
   not prevent the Lord from placing on his records all that we have
   expended on the poor. The Lord looks not to the persons, but to the
   work itself, so that our liberality, though it may happen to be
   exercised towards ungrateful men, will be of avail to us in the sight
   of God. But then he appears to intimate that eternal life depends on
   our merits. I reply: it is sufficiently plain from the context that he
   speaks after the manner of men. One who possesses extensive influence
   or wealth, if he procure friends during his prosperity, has persons who
   will support him when he is visited by adversity. In like manner, our
   kindness to the poor will be a seasonable relief to us; for whatever
   any man may have generously bestowed on his neighbors the Lord
   acknowledges as if it had been done to himself.

   When you fail. By this word he expresses the time of death, and reminds
   us that the time of our administration will be short, lest the
   confident expectation of a longer continuance of life should make us
   take a firmer grasp. The greater part are sunk in slumber through their
   wealth; many squander what they have on superfluities; while the
   niggardliness of others keeps it back, and deprives both themselves and
   others of the benefit. Whence comes all this, but because they are led
   astray by an unfounded expectation of long life, and give themselves up
   to every kind of indulgence?

   Of the mammon of unrighteousness. By giving this name to riches, he
   intends to render them an object of our suspicion, because for the most
   part they involve their possessors in unrighteousness Though in
   themselves they are not evil, yet as it rarely happens that they are
   obtained without deceit, or violence, or some other unlawful expedient,
   or that the enjoyment of them is unaccompanied by pride, or luxury, or
   some other wicked disposition, Christ justly represents them as worthy
   of our suspicion; just as on another occasion he called them thorns,
   (Matthew 13:7,22.) It would appear that a contrast, though not
   expressed, is intended to be supplied, to this effect; that riches,
   which otherwise, in consequence of wicked abuse, polluted their
   possessors, and are almost in every ease allurements of sin, ought to
   be directed to a contrary object, to be the means of procuring favor
   for us. Let us also remember what I have formerly stated, that God does
   not demand sacrifice to be made from booty unjustly acquired, as if he
   were the partner of thieves, and that it is rather a warning given to
   believers to keep themselves free from unrighteousness

   10. He who is faithful in that which is least. Those maxims are
   proverbs taken from ordinary practice and experience, and it is quite
   enough if they are generally true. It will sometimes happen, no doubt,
   that a deceiver, who had disregarded a small gain, shall display his
   wickedness in a matter of importance. Nay, many persons, by affecting
   honesty in trifling matters, are only in pursuit of an enormous gain;
   [298] as that author [299] says: "Fraud establishes confidence in
   itself in small matters, that, when a fit opportunity shall arrive, it
   may deceive with vast advantage." And yet the statement of Christ is
   not inaccurate; for in proverbs, as I have mentioned, we attend only to
   what usually happens.

   Christ, therefore, exhorts his disciples to act faithfully in small
   matters, in order to prepare themselves for the exercise of fidelity in
   matters of the highest importance. He next applies this doctrine to the
   proper stewardship of spiritual graces, which the world, indeed, does
   not estimate according to their value, but which far surpass, beyond
   all question, the fading riches of this world. Those persons, he tells
   us, who act improperly and unfaithfully in things of small value, such
   as the transitory riches of the world, do not deserve that God should
   entrust to them the inestimable treasure of the Gospel, and of similar
   gifts. There is, therefore, in these words an implied threatening, that
   there is reason to fear lest, on account of our abuse of an earthly
   stewardship, we fail to obtain heavenly gifts. In this sense, what is
   true is contrasted with riches, as what is solid and lasting is
   contrasted with what is shadowy and fading. [300]

   12. And if you have not been faithful in what belongs to another. By
   the expression, what belongs to another, he means what is not within
   man; for God does not bestow riches upon us on condition that we shall
   be attached to them, but makes us stewards of them in such a manner,
   that they may not bind us with their chains. And, indeed, it is
   impossible that our minds should be free and disengaged for dwelling in
   heaven, if we did not look upon every thing that is in the world as
   belonging to another

   Who shall entrust to you what is your own? Spiritual riches, on the
   other hand, which relate to a future life, are pronounced by him to be
   our own, because the enjoyment of them is everlasting. But now he
   employs a different comparison. There is no reason, he tells us, to
   expect that we shall make a proper and moderate use of our own
   property, if we have acted improperly or unfaithfully in what belonged
   to another. Men usually care less about abusing, and allow themselves
   greater liberty in squandering, their own property, because they are
   not afraid that any person will find fault with them; but when a thing
   has been entrusted to them either in charge or in loan, and of which
   they must afterwards render an account, they are more cautious and more
   timid.

   We thus ascertain Christ's meaning to be, that they who are bad
   stewards of earthly blessings would not be faithful guardians of
   spiritual gifts. He next introduces a sentence: You cannot serve God
   and mammon; which I have explained at Matthew 6:24. There the reader
   will find an explanation of the word Mammon [301]

   14. And the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things. They
   who imagine that Christ was ridiculed by the Pharisees, because he
   chose to employ a plain and familiar style, and made no use of swelling
   words, [302] do not sufficiently comprehend what Luke means. Haughty
   and disdainful men, I do acknowledge, view the doctrine of the Gospel
   with contempt; but Luke expressly declares the reason why Christ was
   the object of their derision to have been, that they were covetous
   Entertaining a firm and deep-seated conviction that the rich are happy,
   and that there is nothing better for men than to increase their wealth
   by every possible method, and earnestly to guard whatever they have
   acquired, they reject as foolish paradoxes [303] all the sayings of
   Christ which had a contrary tendency. And, certainly, any one that
   speaks of despising riches, or bestowing alms on the poor, is regarded
   by the covetous as a madman. Horace's words on this subject are well
   known: [304] "The people hiss at me, but I am well satisfied with
   myself." [305] But if, even when they are condemned by universal
   opinion, they continue to flatter themselves, how much more will they
   ridicule as a fable that philosophy of Christ which is far removed from
   the ordinary belief?

   Some other pretense, I have no doubt, was held out by the Pharisees for
   ridiculing and evading a doctrine which opposed their vice. But we must
   attend to the motive by which they were actuated; for it is a disease
   which almost always prevails in the world, that the greater part of men
   affect to despise whatever does not fall in with their corrupt morals.
   Hence the ridicule, and jest, and merriment, with which the word of God
   is frequently assailed; for every man fights in defense of his own
   vices, and all imagine that their witticisms will serve for a cloud to
   screen their criminality.

   15. It is you that justify yourselves before men. We see that Christ
   does not give way to their disdainful conduct, but constantly maintains
   the authority of his doctrine in opposition to their mockery; and it is
   the duty of all the ministers of the Gospel to pursue the same course,
   by meeting ungodly despisers with the dreadful judgment of God. He
   declares that the hypocrisy, with which they deceive the eyes of men,
   will be of no avail to them at the judgment-seat of God. They were
   unwilling to have it thought that their mockery was intended as a
   defense of their covetousness. But Christ affirms that this venom
   breaks out from a concealed ulcer; just as if one were to tell the
   mitred prelates of our own day, that their hostility to the Gospel
   arises from the severity with which it attacks their hidden vices.

   But God knoweth your hearts. He says that they reckon it enough if they
   appear to be good in the eyes of men, and if they can boast of a
   pretended sanctity; but that God, who knoweth the hearts, is well
   acquainted with the vices which they conceal from the view of the
   world. And here we must attend to the distinction between the judgments
   of God and the judgments of men; for men bestow approbation on outward
   appearances, but at the judgment-seat of God nothing is approved but an
   upright heart. There is added a striking observation:

   What is highly esteemed by men is abomination in the sight of God. Not
   that God rejects those virtues, the approbation of which He hath
   engraved on the hearts of men; but that God detests whatever men are
   disposed, of their own accord, to applaud. Hence it is evident in what
   light we ought to view all pretended acts of worship which the world
   contrives according to its own fancy. How much soever they may please
   their inventors, Christ pronounces that they are not only vain and
   worthless, but are even detestable.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [294] "Que quelques uns' me recoyvent;" -- "that some persons' may
   receive me."

   [295] "Et en escri cinquante;" -- "and write fifty of them."

   [296] "Du vray 'thresor' qui s'en fiera en vous?" -- "who shall entrust
   to you the true (treasure?)"

   [297] "S'il est trouve qu'ils n'ayent en aucun soin d'exercer charite
   envers leurs prochains, et n'ayent pense qu'a despendre en tout exces
   et a leur plaisir, les biens de Dieu;" -- "if it is found that they
   have given themselves no concern about exercising charity to their
   neighbors, and have thought only of spending in every excess, and at
   their own pleasure, the gifts of God."

   [298] "Et mesmes plusieurs sont contens d'user de simplicite et
   fidelite en de petites choses, a fin d'attraper puis apres un grand
   profit tout d'un coup;" -- "and many are even willing to practice
   honesty and fidelity in small matters, in order afterwards to seize all
   at once on a large profit."

   [299] Livy.

   [300] "D'une chose caduque, et qui n'est qu'une ombre;" -- "with a
   fading thing, and which is only a shadow."

   [301] "Et la aussi on trouvera la signification de ce mot Mammona,
   lequel est ici mis, et que nous avons traduit Richesses " -- "And there
   will also be found the meaning of the word Mammon, which is used here,
   and which we have translated Riches."--In an earlier portion of this
   Commentary, to which our author refers, (Harmony, vol. 1 [13]p. 337,)
   no direct or formal explanation of the word Mammon is to be found; but
   a careful reader of the expository remarks on Matthew 6:24 will easily
   perceive that Calvin understands riches to be one of the two masters
   spoken of in that passage. An indirect definition of the term is
   afforded by his French version of the text, both in Matth. 6:24, and in
   Luke 16:13, "Vous ne pouvez servir a Dieu et aux richesses;" -- "you
   cannot serve God and riches."

   [302] "En affectant des termes exquis, et bien remplissans la
   bouehe;"-- "by affecting nicely chosen words, and that fill the mouth
   well."

   [303] "Comme choses absurdes, et contre l'opinion commune;" -- "as
   absurd statements, and opposed to the common belief."

   [304] "Horace, Poete Latin, dit parlant en la personne d'un
   avaricieux;" -- "Horace, a Latin Poet, says, speaking in the person of
   a covetous man."

   [305] "Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo."-- Sat. 1. 1:66.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 16:19-31

   Luke 16:19-31

   19. There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine
   linen, [306] and feasted sumptuously every day: 20. And there was a
   certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores,
   21. And desiring to be fed from the crumbs which fell from the rich
   man's table: and even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22. And it
   happened that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into
   Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23. And,
   lifting up his eyes in hell, when he was in torments, he seeth Abraham
   afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24. And he, crying out, said,
   Father Abraham, have compassion on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip
   of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this
   flame. 25. And Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime
   receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus likewise evil things: but now
   he enjoys comfort, and thou art tormented. 26. And besides all these
   things, a vast gulf lieth between us and you; so that they who wish to
   pass hence to you cannot, nor can they pass to us thence. 27. And he
   said, I beseech thee, therefore, father, to send him to my father's
   house: 28. For I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest
   they also come into this place of torment. 29. Abraham saith to him,
   They have Moses and the prophets: let them hear them. 30. But he said,
   Nay, father Abraham; but if one went to them from the dead, they will
   repent. 31. And he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the
   prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.



   Though Luke introduces some things between them, there can be no doubt
   that this example was intended by Christ to confirm the discourse which
   we have last examined. He points out what condition awaits those [307]
   who neglect the care of the poor, and indulge in all manner of
   gluttony; who give themselves up to drunkenness and other pleasures,
   and allow their neighbors to pine with hunger; nay, who cruelly kill
   with famine those whom they ought to have relieved, when the means of
   doing so were in their power. Some look upon it as a simple parable;
   but, as the name Lazarus occurs in it, I rather consider it to be the
   narrative of an actual fact. But that is of little consequence,
   provided that the reader comprehends the doctrine which it contains.

   19. There was a certain rich man He is, first of all, described as
   clothed in purple and fine linen, and enjoying every day splendor and
   luxury. This denotes a life spent amidst delicacies, and superfluity,
   and pomp. Not that all elegance and ornaments of dress are in
   themselves displeasing to God, or that all the care bestowed on
   preparing victuals ought to be condemned; but because it seldom happens
   that such things are kept in moderation. He who has a liking for fine
   dress will constantly increase his luxury by fresh additions; and it is
   scarcely possible that he who indulges in sumptuous and well garnished
   tables shall avoid falling into intemperance. But the chief accusation
   brought against this man is his cruelty in suffering Lazarus, poor and
   full of sores, to lie out of doors at his gate.

   These two clauses Christ has exhibited in contrast. The rich man,
   devoted to the pleasures of the table and to display, swallowed up,
   like an unsatiable gulf, his enormous wealth, but remained unmoved by
   the poverty and distresses of Lazarus, and knowingly and willingly
   suffered him to pine away with hunger, cold, and the offensive smell of
   his sores. In this manner Ezekiel (16:49) accuses Sodom of not
   stretching out her hand to the poor amidst fullness of bread and wine.
   The fine linen, which is a peculiarly delicate fabric, is well-known to
   have been used by the inhabitants of eastern countries for elegance and
   splendor; a fashion which the Popish priests have imitated in what they
   call their surplices.

   21. And even the dogs came. It was quite enough to prove the hardened
   cruelty of the rich man, that the sight of wretchedness like this did
   not move him to compassion. Had there been a drop of humanity in him,
   he ought at least to have ordered a supply from his kitchen for the
   unhappy man. But the crowning exhibition of his wicked, and savage, and
   worse than brutal disposition was, that he did not learn pity even from
   the dogs There can be no doubt that those dogs were guided by the
   secret purpose of God, to condemn that man by their example. Christ
   certainly produces them here as witnesses to convict him of unfeeling
   and detestable cruelty. What could be more monstrous than to see the
   dogs taking charge of a man, to whom his neighbor is paying no
   attention; and, what is more, to see the very crumbs of bread refused
   to a man perishing of hunger, while the dogs are giving him the service
   of their tongues for the purpose of healing his sores? When strangers,
   or even brute animals, supply our place, by performing an office which
   ought rather to have been discharged by ourselves, let us conclude that
   they are so many witnesses and judges appointed by God, to make our
   criminality the more manifest.

   22. And it happened that the beggar died. Christ here points out the
   vast change which death effected in the condition of the two men. Death
   was no doubt common to both; but to be after death carried by angels
   into Abraham's bosom was a happiness more desirable than all the
   kingdoms of the world. On the other hand, to be sentenced to
   everlasting torments is a dreadful thing, for avoiding which a hundred
   lives, if it were possible, ought to be employed. In the person of
   Lazarus there is held out to us a striking proof that we ought not to
   pronounce men to be accursed by God, because they drag out, in
   incessant pain, a life which is full of distresses. In him the grace of
   God was so entirely hidden, and buried by the deformity and shame of
   the cross, that to the eye of the flesh nothing presented itself except
   the curse; and yet we see that in a body which was loathsome and full
   of rottenness there was lodged a soul unspeakably precious, which is
   carried by angels to a blessed life. It was no loss to him that he was
   forsaken, and despised, and destitute of every human comfort, when
   heavenly spirits deign to accompany him on his removal from the prison
   of the flesh.

   And the rich man also died, and was buried. In the rich man we see, as
   in a bright mirror, how undesirable is that temporal happiness which
   ends in everlasting destruction. It deserves our attention, that Christ
   expressly mentions the burial of the rich man, but says nothing of what
   was done to Lazarus. Not that his dead body was exposed to wild beasts,
   or lay in the open air, but because it was thrown carelessly, and
   without the slightest attention, into a ditch; for it may naturally be
   inferred from the corresponding clause, that no more attention was paid
   to him when he was dead than when he was alive. The rich man, on the
   other hand, buried magnificently according to his wealth, still retains
   some remnant of his former pride. [308] In this respect, we see ungodly
   men striving, as it were, against nature, by affecting a pompous and
   splendid funeral for the sake of preserving their superiority after
   death; but their souls in hell attest the folly and mockery of this
   ambition.

   And Lazarus was carried by angels. When he says that Lazarus was
   carried, it is a figure of speech by which a part is taken for the
   whole; for the soul being the nobler part of man, properly takes the
   name of the whole man. [309] This office is, not without reason,
   assigned by Christ to angels, who, we are aware, have been appointed to
   be ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14) to believers, that they may
   devote their care and labor to their salvation.

   Into Abraham's bosom. To detail the variety of speculations about
   Abraham's bosom, in which many commentators of Scripture have indulged,
   is unnecessary, and, in my opinion, would serve no good purpose. It is
   quite enough that we receive what readers well acquainted with
   Scripture will acknowledge to be the natural meaning. As Abraham is
   called the father of believers, because to him was committed the
   covenant of eternal life, that he might first preserve it faithfully
   for his own children, and afterwards transmit it to all nations, and as
   all who are heirs of the same promise are called his children; so those
   who receive along with him the fruit of the same faith are said, after
   death, to be collected into his bosom. The metaphor is taken from a
   father [310] , in whose bosom, as it were, the children meet, when they
   all return home in the evening from the labors of the day. The children
   of God are scattered during their pilgrimage in this world; but as, in
   their present course, they follow the faith of their father Abraham, so
   they are received at death into that blessed rest, in which he awaits
   their arrival. It is not necessary to suppose that reference is made
   here to any one place; but the assemblage of which I have spoken is
   described, for the purpose of assuring believers, that they have not
   been fruitlessly employed in fighting for the faith under the banner of
   Abraham, for they enjoy the same habitation in heaven.

   It will perhaps be asked, Is the same condition reserved after death
   for the godly of our own day, or did Christ, when he rose, open his
   bosom to admit Abraham himself, as well as all the godly? I reply
   briefly: As the grace of God is more clearly revealed to us in the
   Gospel, and as Christ himself, the Sun of Righteousness, (Malachi 4:2,)
   has brought to us that salvation, which the fathers were formerly
   permitted to behold at a distance and under dark shadows, so there
   cannot be a doubt that believers, when they die, make a nearer approach
   to the enjoyment of the heavenly life. Still, it must be understood,
   that the glory of immortality is delayed till the last day of
   redemption. So far as relates to the word bosom, that quiet harbor at
   which believers arrive after the navigation of the present life, may be
   called either Abraham's bosom or Christ's bosom; but, as we have
   advanced farther than the fathers did under the Law, this distinction
   will be more properly expressed by saying, that the members of Christ
   are associated with their Head; and thus there will be an end of the
   metaphor about Abraham's bosom, as the brightness of the sun, when he
   is risen, makes all the stars to disappear. From the mode of expression
   which Christ has here employed, we may, in the meantime, draw the
   inference, that the fathers under the Law embraced by faith, while they
   lived, that inheritance of the heavenly life into which they were
   admitted at death.

   23. And, lifting up, his eyes in hell. Though Christ is relating a
   history, yet he describes spiritual things under figures, which he knew
   to be adapted to our senses. Souls have neither fingers nor eyes, and
   are not liable to thirst, nor do they hold such conversations among
   themselves as are here described to have taken place between Abraham
   and the rich man; but our Lord has here drawn a picture, which
   represents the condition of the life to come according to the measure
   of our capacity. The general truth conveyed is, that believing souls,
   when they have left their bodies, lead a joyful and blessed life out of
   this world, and that for the reprobate there are prepared dreadful
   torments, which can no more be conceived by our minds than the
   boundless glory of the heavens. As it is only in a small measure--only
   so far as we are enlightened by the Spirit of God--that we taste by
   hope the glory promised to us, which far exceeds all our senses, let it
   be reckoned enough that the inconceivable vengeance of God, which
   awaits the ungodly, is communicated to us in an obscure manner, so far
   as is necessary to strike terror into our minds.

   On these subjects the words of Christ give us slender information, and
   in a manner which is fitted to restrain curiosity. The wicked are
   described as fearfully tormented by the misery which they feel; as
   desiring some relief, but cut off from hope, and thus experiencing a
   double torment; and as having their anguish increased by being
   compelled to remember their crimes, and to compare the present
   blessedness of believers with their own miserable and lost condition.
   In connection with this a conversation is related, as if persons who
   have no intercourse with each other were supposed to talk together.
   When the rich man says, Father Abraham, this expresses an additional
   torment, that he perceives, when it is too late, that he is cut off
   from the number of the children of Abraham

   25. Son, remember. The word son appears to be used ironically, as a
   sharp and piercing reproof to the rich man, who falsely boasted in his
   lifetime that he was one of the sons of Abraham. It seems as if pain
   inflicted by a hot iron wounded his mind, when his hypocrisy and false
   confidence are placed before his eyes. When it is said that he is
   tormented in hell, because he had received his good things in his
   lifetime, we must not understand the meaning to be, that eternal
   destruction awaits all who have enjoyed prosperity in the world. On the
   contrary, as Augustine has judiciously observed, poor Lazarus was
   carried into the bosom of rich Abraham, to inform us, that riches do
   not shut against any man the gate of the kingdom of heaven, but that it
   is open alike to all who have either made a sober use of riches, or
   patiently endured the want of them. All that is meant is, that the rich
   man, who yielded to the allurements of the present life, abandoned
   himself entirely to earthly enjoyments, and despised God and His
   kingdom, now suffers the punishment of his own neglect.

   Receivedst THY good things. The pronoun thy is emphatic, as if Abraham
   had said: Thou wast created for an immortal life, and the Law of God
   raised time on high to the contemplation of the heavenly life; but
   thou, forgetting so exalted a condition, didst choose to resemble a sow
   or a dog, and thou therefore receivest a reward which befits brutal
   pleasures. But now he enjoys comfort When it is said of Lazarus, on the
   other hand, that he enjoys comfort, because he had suffered many
   distresses in the world, it would be idle to apply this to all whose
   condition is wretched; because their afflictions, in many cases, are so
   far from having been of service to them, that they ought rather to
   bring upon them severer punishment. But Lazarus is commended for
   patient endurance of the cross, which always springs from faith and a
   genuine fear of God; for he who obstinately resists his sufferings, and
   whose ferocity remains unsubdued, has no claim to be rewarded for
   patience, by receiving from God comfort in exchange for the cross.

   To sum up the whole, they who have patiently endured the burden of the
   cross laid upon them, and have not been rebellious against the yoke and
   chastisements of God, but, amidst uninterrupted sufferings, have
   cherished the hope of a better life, have a rest laid up for them in
   heaven, when the period of their warfare shall be terminated. On the
   contrary, wicked despisers of God, who are wholly engrossed in the
   pleasures of the flesh, and who by a sort of mental intoxication, drown
   every feeling of piety, will experience, immediately after death, such
   torments as will efface their empty enjoyments. It must also be
   recollected, that this comfort, which the sons of God enjoy, lies in
   this, that they perceive a crown of glory prepared for them, and rest
   in the joyful expectation of it; as, on the other hand, the wicked are
   tormented by the apprehension of the future judgment, which they see
   coming upon them.

   26. A vast gulf lieth. These words describe the permanency of the
   future state, and denote, that the boundaries which separate the
   reprobate from the elect can never be broken through. And thus we are
   reminded to return early to the path, while there is yet time, lest we
   rush headlong into that abyss, from which it will be impossible to
   rise. The words must not be strictly interpreted, when it is said, that
   no one is permitted to pass who would wish to descend from heaven to
   hell; for it is certain, that none of the righteous entertain any such
   desire.

   27. I beseech thee, father. To bring the narrative into more full
   accordance with our modes of thinking, he describes the rich man as
   wishing that his brothers, who were still alive, should be warned by
   Lazarus. Here the Papists exercise their ingenuity very foolishly, by
   attempting to prove that the dead feel solicitude about the living. Any
   thing more ridiculous than this sophistry cannot be conceived; for with
   equal plausibility I might undertake to prove, that believing souls are
   not satisfied with the place assigned to them, and are actuated by a
   desire of removing from it to hell, were it not that they are prevented
   by a vast gulf. If no man holds such extravagant views, the Papists are
   not entitled to congratulate themselves on the other supposition. It is
   not my intention, however, to debate the point, or to defend either one
   side or another; but I thought it right to advert, in passing, to the
   futility of the arguments on which they rest their belief that the dead
   intercede with God on our behalf. I now return to the plain and natural
   meaning of this passage.

   29. They have Moses and the prophets. In the persons of the rich man
   and Abraham Christ reminds us, that we have received an undoubted rule
   of life, and that therefore we have no right to expect that the dead
   will rise to instruct and persuade us. Moses and the prophets were
   appointed to instruct, while they lived, the men of their own age; but
   it was with the design, that the same advantage should be derived by
   posterity from their writings. As it is the will of God that we should
   receive instructions, in this manner, about a holy life, there is no
   reason why the dead should assure us of the rewards and punishments of
   the future state; nor is there any excuse for the indifference of those
   who shelter themselves under the pretext, that they do not know what is
   going on beyond this world. Among irreligious men, we are aware, is
   frequently heard this wicked saying, or rather this grunting of hogs,
   that it is foolish in men to distress themselves with fears about a
   matter of uncertainty, since no one has ever returned to bring us
   tidings about hell.

   With the view of counteracting every enchantment of Satan of this
   description, Christ draws their attention to the Law and the Prophets,
   agreeably to that passage in the writings of Moses:

   It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to
   heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither
   is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the
   sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But
   the word is very nigh unto thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart,
   that thou shouldest do it,
   (Deuteronomy 30:12-14.)

   They who ridicule as fabulous what Scripture testifies as to the future
   judgment, will one day feel how shocking is the wickedness of giving
   the lie to the holy oracles of God. From such lethargy Christ arouses
   his followers, that they may not be deceived by the hope of escaping
   punishment, and thus fail to improve the time allowed for repentance.

   Abraham's reply amounts to this: By Moses and the prophets God had
   sufficiently made known to his people the doctrine of salvation, and
   nothing remains for us but that it obtain the assent of all. So
   thoroughly infected is the mind of man with a depraved curiosity, that
   the greater part of men are always gaping after new revelations. Now as
   nothing is more displeasing to God than when men are so eager to go
   beyond due bounds, he forbids them to inquire at magicians and
   soothsayers respecting the truth, and to consult pretended oracles
   after the manner of the Gentiles; and in order to restrain that itching
   curiosity, he promises, at the same time, that he will give prophets,
   from whom the people may learn whatever is necessary to be known for
   salvation, (Deuteronomy 18:9,15.) But if the prophets were sent for the
   express purpose; that God might keep his people under the guidance of
   his word, he who is not satisfied with this method of instruction is
   not actuated by a desire to learn, but tickled by ungodly wantonness;
   and therefore God complains that He is insulted, when He alone is not
   heard from the living to the dead, (Isaiah 8:19.)

   The division of the word of God, which Abraham makes, into the Law and
   the Prophets, refers to the time of the Old Testament. Now that the
   more ample explanation of the Gospel has been added, there is still
   less excuse for our wickedness, if our dislike of that doctrine hurries
   us in every possible direction, and, in a word, if we do not permit
   ourselves to be regulated by the word of God. Hence too we infer how
   solid is the faith of Papists about purgatory and such fooleries, when
   it rests on nothing but phantoms. [311]

   30. Nay, father Abraham. This is a personification, as we have said,
   which expresses rather the feelings of the living than the anxiety of
   the dead. The doctrine of the Law is little esteemed by the world, the
   Prophets are neglected, and no man submits to hear God speaking in his
   own manner. Some would desire that angels should descend from heaven;
   others, that the dead should come out of their graves; others, that new
   miracles should be performed every day to sanction what they hear; and
   others, that voices should be heard from the sky. [312] But if God were
   pleased to comply with all their foolish wishes, it would be of no
   advantage to them; for God has included in his word all that is
   necessary to be known, and the authority of this word has been attested
   and proved by authentic seals. Besides, faith does not depend on
   miracles, or any extraordinary sign, but is the peculiar gift of the
   Spirit, and is produced by means of the word. Lastly, it is the
   prerogative of God to draw us to himself, and he is pleased to work
   effectually through his own word. There is not the slightest reason,
   therefore, to expect that those means, which withdraw us from obedience
   to the word, will be of any service to us. I freely acknowledge, that
   there is nothing to which the flesh is more strongly inclined than to
   listen to vain revelations; and we see how eagerly those men, to whom
   the whole of Scripture is an object of dislike, throw themselves into
   the snares of Satan. Hence have arisen necromancy and other delusions,
   which the world not only receives with avidity, but runs after with
   furious rage. But all that is here affirmed by Christ is, that even the
   dead could not reform, [313] or bring to a sound mind, those who are
   deaf and obstinate against the instructions of the law.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [306] "De pourpre et de soye;" -- "in purple and silk."

   [307] "Quelle sera hors de ce monde la condition de ceux;" -- "what
   will be out of this world the condition of those."

   [308] "De l'orgueil de sa vie passee;" -- "of the pride of his past
   life."

   [309] "A bon droict on dit simplement, L'homme, encore que cela ne
   convient qu'a l'ame;" -- "we properly say simply Man, though it applies
   only to the soul."

   [310] "D'un pere terrien;" -- "from an earthly father."

   [311] "Veu qu'elle n'est appuyee et fondee qu'en des apparitions et
   vaines imaginations d'aucuns cerveaux esventez;" -- "since it rests and
   is founded only on apparitions and vain imaginations of certain giddy
   brains."

   [312] "Les autres, que Dieu parlast a eux du ciel en personne;"--
   "others, that God would speak to them from heaven in person."

   [313] "Ne s'amenderont point, mesmes quand les morts viendroyent parler
   a eux, et les advertir;" -- "will not reform, even though the dead
   should come to talk to them and warn them."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 17:7-10

   Luke 17:7-10

   7. But which of you that hath a servant ploughing or feeding, when he
   hath returned from the field, will immediately say to him, Come [314]
   and sit down at table? 8. And doth not rather say to him, Prepare
   supper for me, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and
   drunk, and, after that, eat and drink thou. [315] 9. Doth he thank that
   servant, [316] because he did the things which were commanded him? I
   suppose not. 10. So likewise, when you shall have done those things
   which were commanded you, do you say, We are unprofitable servants: we
   have done what we were bound to do.


   The object of this parable is to show that God claims all that belongs
   to us as his property, and possesses an entire control over our persons
   and services; and, therefore, that all the zeal that may be manifested
   by us in discharging our duty does not lay him under obligation to us
   by any sort of merit; for, as we are his property, so he on his part
   can owe us nothing. [317] He adduces the comparison of a servant, who,
   after having spent the day in severe toil, returns home in the evening,
   and continues his labors till his master is pleased to relieve him.
   [318] Christ speaks not of such servants as we have in the present day,
   who work for hire, but of the slaves that lived in ancient times, whose
   condition in society was such, that they gained nothing for themselves,
   but all that belonged to them--their toil, and application, and
   industry, even to their very blood--was the property of their masters.
   Christ now shows that a bond of servitude not less rigorous binds and
   obliges us to serve God; from which he infers, that we have no means of
   laying Him under obligations to us.

   It is an argument drawn from the less to the greater; for if a mortal
   man is permitted to hold such power over another man, as to enjoin upon
   him uninterrupted services by night and by day, and yet contract no
   sort of mutual obligation, as if he were that man's debtor, how much
   more shall God have a right to demand the services of our whole life,
   to the utmost extent that our ability allows, and yet be in no degree
   indebted to us? We see then that all are held guilty of wicked
   arrogance who imagine that they deserve any thing from God, or that he
   is bound to them in any way. And yet no crime is more generally
   practiced than this kind of arrogance; for there is no man that would
   not willingly call God to account, and hence the notion of merits has
   prevailed in almost every age.

   But we must attend more closely to the statement made by Christ, that
   we render nothing to God beyond what he has a right to claim, but are
   so strongly bound to his service, that we owe him every thing that lies
   in our power. It consists of two clauses. First, our life, even to the
   very end of our course, belongs entirely to God; so that, if a person
   were to spend a part of it in obedience to God, he would have no right
   to bargain that he should rest for the remainder of the time; as a
   considerable number of men, after serving as soldiers for ten years,
   would gladly apply for a discharge. Then follows the second clause, on
   which we have already touched, that God is not bound to pay us hire for
   any of our services. Let each of us remember, that he has been created
   by God for the purpose of laboring, and of being vigorously employed in
   his work; and that not only for a limited time, but till death itself,
   and, what is more, that he shall not only live, but die, to God,
   (Romans 14:8.)

   With respect to merit, we must remove the difficulty by which many are
   perplexed; for Scripture so frequently promises a reward to our works,
   that they think it allows them some merit. The reply is easy. A reward
   is promised, not as a debt, but from the mere good pleasure of God. It
   is a great mistake to suppose that there is a mutual relation between
   Reward and Merit; for it is by his own undeserved favor, and not by the
   value of our works, that God is induced to reward them. By the
   engagements of the Law [319] , I readily acknowledge, God is bound to
   men, if they were to discharge fully all that is required from them;
   but still, as this is a voluntary obligation, it remains a fixed
   principle, that man can demand nothing from God, as if he had merited
   any thing. And thus the arrogance of the flesh falls to the ground;
   for, granting that any man fulfilled the Law, he cannot plead that he
   has any claims on God, having done no more than he was bound to do.
   When he says that we are unprofitable servants, his meaning is, that
   God receives from us nothing beyond what is justly due but only
   collects the lawful revenues of his dominion.

   There are two principles, therefore, that must be maintained: first,
   that God naturally owes us nothing, and that all the services which we
   render to him are not worth a single straw; secondly, that, according
   to the engagements of the Law, a reward is attached to works, not on
   account of their value, but because God is graciously pleased to become
   our debtor. [320] It would evince intolerable ingratitude, if on such a
   ground any person should indulge in proud vaunting. The kindness and
   liberality which God exercises towards us are so far from giving us a
   right to swell with foolish confidence, that we are only laid under
   deeper obligations to Him. Whenever we meet with the word reward, or
   whenever it occurs to our recollection, let us look upon this as the
   crowning act of the goodness of God to us, that, though we are
   completely in his debt, he condescends to enter into a bargain with us.
   So much the more detestable is the invention of the Sophists, who have
   had the effrontery to forge a kind of merit, which professes to be
   founded on a just claim. [321] The word merit, taken by itself, was
   sufficiently profane and inconsistent with the standard of piety; but
   to intoxicate men with diabolical pride, as if they could merit any
   thing by a just claim, is far worse.

   10. We have done what we were bound to do. That is, "we have brought
   nothing of our own, but have only done what we were bound by the law to
   do " Christ speaks here of an entire observance of the law, which is
   nowhere to be found; for the most perfect of all men is still at a
   great distance from that righteousness which the law demands. The
   present question is not, Are we justified by works? but, Is the
   observance of the law meritorious of any reward from God? This latter
   question is answered in the negative; for God holds us for his slaves,
   and therefore reckons all that can proceed from us to be his just
   right. Nay, though it were true, that a reward is due to the observance
   of the law in respect of merit, it will not therefore follow that any
   man is justified by the merits of works; for we all fail: and not only
   is our obedience imperfect, but there is not a single part of it that
   corresponds exactly to the judgment of God.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [314] "Avance-toy incontinent;" -- "come forward immediately."

   [315] "Et apres cela tu mangeras et boiras;" -- "and after that thou
   shalt eat and drink."

   [316] "Scait-il gre a ce serviteur-la?" -- "does he feel obliged to
   that servant?"

   [317] "Il ne pent pas estre nostre deteur;" -- "he cannot be our
   debtor."

   [318] "Iusqu'a ce qu'il se soit acquitte au bon plaisir du maistre; et
   qu'on luy dise, C'est assez;" -- "till he is discharged at the good
   pleasure of the master; and till he is told, It is enough."

   [319] "Selon les conventions contenus en la Loy;" -- "according to the
   engagements contained in the Law."

   [320] "Mais en telle sorte que Dieu se rend volontairement deteur, sans
   qu'il y soit tenu;" -- "but in such a manner that God voluntarily
   becomes our debtor, though he is under no obligation to do so."

   [321] "Et d'antant plus est detestable la sophisterie des Theologiens
   Scho- lastiques, ou Sorbonnistes, lesquels ont ose forger leur merite,
   qu'ils appellent De condigno;" -- "And so much the more detestable is
   the sophistry of the Scholastic Theologians, or Sorbonnists, (see
   [14]p. 142, n. 2, of this volume,) who have dared to forge their merit,
   which they call De condigno." The reader will find not only the general
   doctrine of merit, but this particular aspect of it, fully treated by
   our Author in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III. ch.
   15:
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 18:1-8

   Luke 18:1-8

   1. And he spake also a parable to them, that they ought always to pray,
   and not to grow weary: 2. Saying, There was a judge in a city, who
   neither feared God, nor regarded man. 3. And there was a widow in that
   city, who came to him, saying, Do me justice on my adversary. 4. And he
   refused for some time, [322] but afterwards said within himself, Though
   I neither fear God, nor regard man, 5. Yet because this widow is
   troublesome to me, [323] I will do her justice, lest by coming
   perpetually she weary me out. [324] 6. And the Lord said, Hear what the
   unjust judge saith. 7. And will not God avenge his elect, who cry to
   him night and day, even though he forbear with respect to them? [325]
   8. I tell you that he will speedily avenge them. But when the Son of
   man shall come, will he find faith on the earth? [326]


   We know that perseverance in prayer is a rare and difficult attainment;
   and it is a manifestation of our unbelief that, when our first prayers
   are not successful, we immediately throw away not only hope, but all
   the ardor of prayer. But it is an undoubted evidence of our Faith, if
   we are disappointed of our wish, and yet do not lose courage. Most
   properly, therefore, does Christ recommend to his disciples to
   persevere in praying.

   The parable which he employs, though apparently harsh, was admirably
   fitted to instruct his disciples, that they ought to be importunate in
   their prayers to God the Father, till they at length draw from him what
   He would otherwise appear to be unwilling to give. Not that by our
   prayers we gain a victory over God, and bend him slowly and reluctantly
   to compassion, but because the actual facts do not all at once make it
   evident that he graciously listens to our prayers. In the parable
   Christ describes to us a widow, who obtained what she wanted from an
   unjust and cruel judge, because she did not cease to make earnest
   demands. The leading truth conveyed is, that God does not all at once
   grant assistance to his people, because he chooses to be, as it were,
   wearied out by prayers; and that, however wretched and despicable may
   be the condition of those who pray to him, yet if they do not desist
   from the uninterrupted exercise of prayer, he will at length regard
   them and relieve their necessities.

   The parties between whom the comparison is drawn are, indeed, by no
   means equal; for there is a wide difference between a wicked and cruel
   man and God, who is naturally inclined to mercy. But Christ intended to
   assure believers that they have no reason to fear lest their
   persevering entreaties to the Father of mercy should be refused, since
   by importunate supplication they prevail on men who are given to
   cruelty. The wicked and iron-hearted judge could not avoid yielding at
   length, though reluctantly, to the earnest solicitations of the widow:
   how then shall the prayers of believers, when perseveringly maintained,
   be without effect? If exhaustion and weakness are felt by us when we
   give way after a slight exertion, or if the ardor of prayer languishes
   because God appears to lend a deaf ear, let us rest assured of our
   ultimate success, though it may not be immediately apparent.
   Entertaining this conviction, let us contend against our impatience, so
   that the long delay may not induce us to discontinue our prayers.

   7. And shall not God avenge his elect? That judge, whom Christ has
   described to us as altogether desperate, as not only hardened against
   the contemplation of God, but so entirely devoid of shame, that he had
   no anxiety about his reputation, at length opened his eyes to the
   distresses of the widow We have no reason to doubt that believers will
   derive, at least, equal advantage from their prayers, provided they do
   not cease to plead earnestly with God. Yet it must be observed that,
   while Christ applies the parable to his subject, he does not make God
   to resemble a wicked and cruel judge, but points out a very different
   reason why those who believe in him are kept long in suspense, and why
   he does not actually and at once stretch out his hand to them: it is
   because he forbears If at any time God winks at the injuries done to us
   longer than we would wish, let us know that this is done with a
   fatherly intention--to train us to patience. A temporary overlooking of
   crimes is very different from allowing them to remain for ever
   unpunished. The promise which he makes, that God will speedily avenge
   them, must be referred to his providence; for our hasty tempers and
   carnal apprehension lead us to conclude that he does not come quickly
   enough to grant relief. But if we could penetrate into his design, we
   would learn that his assistance is always ready and seasonable, as the
   case demands, and is not delayed for a single moment, but comes at the
   exact time.

   But it is asked, How does Christ instruct his disciples to seek
   vengeance, while he exhorts them on another occasion, pray for those
   who injure and persecute you, (Matthew 5:44.) I reply: what Christ says
   here about vengeance does not at all interfere with his former
   doctrine. God declares that he will avenge believers, not for the
   purpose of giving a loose rein to their carnal affections, but in order
   to convince them that their salvation is dear and precious in his
   sight, and in this manner to induce them to rely on his protection. If,
   laying aside hatred, pure and free from every wicked desire of revenge,
   and influenced by proper and well-regulated dispositions, they implore
   divine assistance, it will be a lawful and holy wish, and God himself
   will listen to it. But as nothing is more difficult than to divest
   ourselves of sinful affections, if we would offer pure and sincere
   prayers, we must ask the Lord to guide and direct our hearts by his
   Spirit. Then shall we lawfully call on God to be our avenger, and he
   will answer our prayers.

   8. When the Son of man shall come. By these words Christ informs us
   that there will be no reason to wonder if men shall afterwards sink
   under their calamities: it will be because they neglect the true
   remedy. He intended to obviate an offense which we are daily apt to
   take, when we see all things in shameful confusion. Treachery, cruelty,
   imposture, deceit, and violence, abound on every hand; there is no
   regard to justice, and no shame; the poor groan under their oppressors;
   the innocent are abused or insulted; while God appears to be asleep in
   heaven. This is the reason why the flesh imagines that the government
   of fortune is blind. But Christ here reminds us that men are justly
   deprived of heavenly aid, on which they have neither knowledge nor
   inclination to place reliance. They who do nothing but murmur against
   the Lord in their hearts, and who allow no place for his providence,
   cannot reasonably expect that the Lord will assist them.

   Shall he find faith on the earth? Christ expressly foretells that, from
   his ascension to heaven till his return, unbelievers will abound;
   meaning by these words that, if the Redeemer does not so speedily
   appear, the blame of the delay will attach to men, because there will
   be almost none to look for him. Would that we did not behold so
   manifest a fulfillment of this prediction! But experience proves that
   though the world is oppressed and overwhelmed by a huge mass of
   calamities, there are few indeed in whom the least spark of faith can
   be discerned. Others understand the word faith to denote uprightness,
   but the former meaning is more agreeable to the context.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [322] "Et par un temps il n'en voulut rien faire;" -- "and for a time
   he would do nothing in it."

   [323] "Pourtant que ceste vefue me donne fascherie;" --"because this
   widow gives me annoyance."

   [324] "Et me rompe la teste.".

   [325] "Combien qu'il il differe de se courroucer pour eux; ou, et
   aura-il patience quant a eux?" -- "Though he delay to be offended on
   their account; or, and will he have patience in reference to them?"

   [326] "Pensez-vous qu'il trouve foy en terre?" -- "Do you think that he
   will find faith on the earth?"
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 18:9-14

   Luke 18:9-14

   9. And he spoke also this parable to some who trusted in themselves
   that they were righteous, and despised others: 10. Two men went up into
   the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
   11. The Pharisee standing [327] prayed these things within himself:
   God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust,
   adulterous, or even as this publican. 12. I fast twice in the week, I
   give tithes of all that I possess. 13. And the publican standing at a
   distance, did not even wish to raise his eyes towards heaven, but smote
   upon his breast, saying, Lord, be reconciled to me a sinner. 14. I say
   to you, this man went down into his house justified rather than the
   other; for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he
   that humbleth himself shall be exalted.



   Christ now gives directions about another virtue, which is necessary to
   acceptable prayer. Believers must not come into the presence of God but
   with humility and abasement. No disease is more dangerous than
   arrogance; and yet all have it so deeply fixed in the marrow of their
   bones, that it can scarcely be removed or extirpated by any remedy. It
   is no doubt strange that men should be so mad as to venture to raise
   their crests against God, and to plead their own merits before him.
   Though men are carried away by their ambition, yet when we come into
   the presence of God, all presumption ought to be laid aside; and yet
   every man thinks that he has sufficiently humbled himself, if he only
   presents a hypocritical prayer for forgiveness. Hence we infer that
   this warning which our Lord gives was far from being unnecessary.

   There are two faults at which Christ glances, and which he intended to
   condemn, -- wicked confidence in ourselves, and the pride of despising
   brethren, the one of which springs out of the other. It is impossible
   that he who deceives himself with vain confidence should not lift
   himself up above his brethren. Nor is it wonderful that it should be
   so; for how should that man not despise his equals, who vaunts against
   God himself? Every man that is puffed up with self-confidence carries
   on open war with God, to whom we cannot be reconciled in any other way
   than by denial of ourselves; that is, by laying aside all confidence in
   our own virtue and righteousness, and relying on his mercy alone.

   10. Two men went up. Christ makes a comparison between the two men,
   both of whom, by going up to pray, seem to manifest the same ardor of
   piety, while yet they are exceedingly unlike. The Pharisee, possessing
   outward sanctity, approaches to God with a commendation which he
   pronounces on his whole life, and as if he had an undoubted right to
   offer the sacrifice of praise. The publican, on the other hand, as if
   he had been some outcast, and knew that he was unworthy to approach,
   presents himself with trembling and with humble confession. Christ
   affirms that the Pharisee was rejected, and that the prayers of the
   publican were acceptable to God. The reasons why the Pharisee was
   rejected are stated to be these two: he trusted in himself that he was
   righteous, and despised others

   11. God, I thank thee. And yet he is not blamed for boasting of the
   strength of his free-will, but for trusting that God was reconciled to
   him by the merits of his works. For this thanksgiving, which is
   presented exclusively in his own name, does not at all imply that he
   boasted of his own virtue, as if he had obtained righteousness from
   himself, or merited any thing by his own industry. On the contrary, he
   ascribes it to the grace of God that he is righteous. Now though his
   thanksgiving to God implies an acknowledgment, that all the good works
   which he possessed were purely the gift of God, yet as he places
   reliance on works, and prefers himself to others, himself and his
   prayer are alike rejected. Hence we infer that men are not truly and
   properly humbled, though they are convinced that they can do nothing,
   unless they likewise distrust the merits of works, and learn to place
   their salvation in the undeserved goodness of God, so as to rest upon
   it all their confidence.

   This is a remarkable passage; for some think it enough if they take
   from man the glory of good works, so far as they are the gifts of the
   Holy Spirit; and accordingly they admit that we are justified freely,
   because God finds in us no righteousness but what he bestowed. But
   Christ goes farther, not only ascribing to the grace of the Spirit the
   power of acting aright, but stripping us of all confidence in works;
   for the Pharisee is not blamed on the ground of claiming for himself
   what belongs to God, but because he trusts to his works, that God will
   be reconciled to him, because he deserves it. Let us therefore know
   that, though a man may ascribe to God the praise of works, yet if he
   imagines the righteousness of those works to be the cause of his
   salvation, or rests upon it, he is condemned for wicked arrogance. And
   observe, that he is not charged with the vainglorious ambition of those
   who indulge in boasting before men, while they are inwardly conscious
   of their own wickedness, but is charged with concealed hypocrisy; for
   he is not said to have been the herald of his own praises, but to have
   prayed silently within himself. Though he did not proclaim aloud the
   honor of his own righteousness, his internal pride was abominable in
   the sight of God. His boasting consists of two parts: first, he acquits
   himself of that guilt in which all men are involved; and, secondly, he
   brings forward his virtues. He asserts that he is not as other men,
   because he is not chargeable with crimes which everywhere prevail in
   the world.

   12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. This
   is equivalent to saying that he performed more than the law required;
   just as the Popish monks talk loftily of their works of supererogation,
   as if they found no great difficulty in fulfilling the law of God. It
   must be admitted that each of us, according to the measure of the
   virtues which God has bestowed upon him, is the more strongly bound to
   thank the Author of them; and that it is an exercise of holy meditation
   for each of us to ponder on the benefits which he has received, so as
   not to bury in ingratitude the kindness of God. But there are two
   things here that must be observed: we must not swell with confidence,
   as if we had satisfied God; and, next, we must not look down with
   disdainful contempt upon our brethren. In both respects the Pharisee
   erred; for, by falsely claiming righteousness for himself, he left
   nothing to the mercy of God; and, next, he despised all others in
   comparison of himself. And, indeed, that thanksgiving would not have
   been disapproved by Christ, if it had not labored under these two
   defects; [328] but as the proud hypocrite, by winking at his sins, met
   the justice of God with a pretense of complete and perfect
   righteousness, his wicked and detestable hardihood could not but make
   him fall. For the only hope of the godly, so long as they labor under
   the weakness of the flesh, is, after acknowledging what is good in
   them, [329] to betake themselves to the mercy of God alone, and to rest
   their salvation on prayer for forgiveness. [330]

   But it may be asked, how did this man, who was blinded by wicked pride,
   maintain such sanctity of life; for such integrity proceeds only from
   the Spirit of God, who, we are certain, does not reign in hypocrites? I
   reply: he trusted only to outward appearance, as if the hidden and
   inward uncleanness of the heart would not be taken into the account.
   Though he was full of wicked desires within, yet as he looks only at
   the appearance, he boldly maintains his innocence.

   Our Lord does not, indeed, accuse him of vanity, in falsely claiming
   for himself what he does not possess; but it ought to be believed that
   no man is pure from extortion, injustice, uncleanness, and other vices,
   unless he is governed by the Spirit of God.

   The word Sabbath (sabbaton) denotes in this passage, as in many others,
   a week But God never enjoined in the Law that his servants should fast
   every week; so that this fasting and the tithes were voluntary
   exercises beyond the prescriptions of the Law. [331]

   13. The publican standing at a distance. Here Christ did not intend to
   lay down a general rule, as if it were necessary, whenever we pray, to
   cast down our eyes to the ground. He merely describes the tokens of
   humility, which alone he recommends to his disciples. Now humility lies
   in not refusing to acknowledge our sins, but condemning ourselves, and
   thus anticipating the judgment of God; and, with the view of being
   reconciled to God, in making an honest confession of guilt. Such, too,
   is the cause of that shame which always accompanies repentance; for
   Christ insists chiefly on this point, that the publican sincerely
   acknowledged himself to be miserable and lost, and fled to the mercy of
   God. Though he is a sinner, he trusts to a free pardon, and hopes that
   God will be gracious to him. In a word, in order to obtain favor, he
   owns that he does not deserve it. And, certainly, since it is the
   forgiveness of sins that alone reconciles God to us, [332] we must
   begin with this, if we desire that he would accept our prayers. He who
   acknowledges that he is guilty and convicted, and then proceeds to
   implore pardon, disavows all confidence in works; and Christ's object
   was to show that God will not be gracious to any but those who betake
   themselves with trembling to his mercy alone. [333]

   14. This man went down justified. The comparison is not exact; for
   Christ does not merely assign to the publican a certain degree of
   superiority, as if righteousness had belonged alike to both, but means
   that the publican was accepted by God, while the Pharisee was totally
   rejected. And this passage shows plainly what is the strict meaning of
   the word justified: it means, to stand before God as if we were
   righteous. For it is not said that the publican was justified, because
   he suddenly acquired some new quality, but that he obtained grace,
   because his guilt was blotted out, and his sins were washed away. Hence
   it follows, that righteousness consists in the forgiveness of sins. As
   the virtues of the Pharisee were defiled and polluted by unfounded
   confidence, so that his integrity, which deserved commendation before
   the world, was of no value in the sight of God; so the publican,
   relying on no merits of works, obtained righteousness solely by
   imploring pardon, [334] because he had no other ground of hope than the
   pure mercy of God.

   But it may be thought absurd, that all should be reduced to the same
   level, since the purity of saints is widely different from that of the
   publican I reply: whatever proficiency any man may have made in the
   worship of God and in true holiness, yet if he consider how far he is
   still deficient, there is no other form of prayer which he can properly
   use than to begin with the acknowledgment of guilt; for though some are
   more, and others less, yet all are universally guilty. We cannot doubt,
   therefore, that Christ now lays down a rule for all to this effect,
   that God will not be pacified towards us, unless we distrust works, and
   pray that we may be freely reconciled. And, indeed, the Papists are
   compelled to acknowledge this in part, but immediately afterwards they
   debase this doctrine by a wicked invention. They admit that all need
   the remedy of forgiveness, because no man is perfect; but they first
   intoxicate wretched men with reliance on what they call imperfect
   righteousness, and next add satisfactions, in order to blot out their
   guilt. But our faith needs no other support than this, that God has
   accepted us, not because we deserved it, but because he does not impute
   our sins.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [327] "Le Pharisien se tenant l'a;" -- "the Pharisee standing there."

   [328] "Si ces deux vices n'y estoyent, qui gastent tout;" -- "if those
   two faults had not been in it, which spoil the whole."

   [329] "Apres avoir recognu le bien qui est en eux par la grace de
   Dieu;" -- "after having acknowledged the good that is in them by the
   grace of God."

   [330] "Et mettre leur salut en la confession de leurs pechez, et
   remission d'iceux;" -- "and to place their salvation in the confession
   of their sins, and forgiveness of them."

   [331] "Estoyent des exercises volontaires, et inventez a plaisir;" --
   "were voluntary exercises, and invented at pleasure."

   [332] "Qui nous rende agreables a Dieu;" -- "which renders us
   acceptable to God."

   [333] "Qui tremblans a cause d'un vray sentiment de leur pechez,
   recourront a sa seule misericorde;" --"who, trembling on account of a
   true conviction of their sins, shall have recourse to his mercy alone."

   [334] "Seulement en confessant sa faute, et demandant pardon;"--
   "solely by confessing his faults and asking pardon."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Luke 17:11-21

   Luke 17:11-21

   11. And it happened, while he was going to Jerusalem, that he passed
   through the midst of Samaria and of Galilee. 12. And as he was entering
   into a certain village, there met him ten men, lepers, who stood at a
   distance; 13. And, lifting up their voice, said, Jesus, Master, take
   pity on us. 14. When he saw them, he said, Go, show yourselves to the
   priests. And it happened that, while they were going, they were
   cleansed. 15. And one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, turned
   back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16. And fell on his face [335]
   at his feet, thanking him: and he was a Samaritan. 17. And Jesus
   answering said, Were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18. None
   are found that have returned to give glory to God except this stranger.
   19. And he saith to him, Arise, go, thy faith hath saved thee. [336]
   20. And being interrogated by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God
   would come, he replied to them and said, The kingdom of God will not
   come with observation; [337] 21. For they shall not say, Lo, he is
   here! or, Lo, he is there! for, lo, the kingdom of God is within you.


   As, on a former occasion, Matthew and the other two Evangelists
   (Matthew 8:1; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12) related that a leper had been
   cleansed by Christ, so Luke mentions that the same miracle of healing
   was performed on ten lepers The object of this narrative, however, is
   different; for it describes the base and incredible ingratitude of the
   Jewish nation, to prevent us from wondering that so many of Christ's
   favors had been suppressed, and so many of his wonderful works buried,
   among them. One circumstance, too, is added, which greatly heightens
   the infamy of their crime. Our Lord had cured nine Jews: yet not one of
   them returned thanks, but, with the view of obliterating the
   remembrance of their disease, they privately stole away. One man
   only--a Samaritan--acknowledged his obligation to Christ. There is,
   therefore, on the one hand, a display of Christ's divine power; and, on
   the other hand, a reproof of the impiety of the Jews, in consequence of
   which so remarkable a miracle as this received scarcely any attention.

   13. Jesus, Master [338] It is evident that all of them possessed some
   measure of faith, not only because they implore Christ's assistance,
   but because they honor him with the title of Master That they made use
   of that expression sincerely, and not in hypocrisy, may be inferred
   from their ready obedience; for, although they perceive that the filthy
   scab still remains in their flesh, yet as soon as they are commanded to
   show themselves to the priests, they do not refuse to obey. Add to this
   that, but for the influence of faith, they would never have set out to
   show themselves to the priests; for it would have been absurd to
   present themselves to the judges of leprosy, for the purpose of
   attesting that they had been cleansed, if the promise of Christ had
   been regarded by them as of no more value than a mere inspection of the
   disease. They bear a visible leprosy in their flesh; and yet, trusting
   to Christ's word alone, they have no scruple about declaring that they
   are clean. It cannot therefore be denied, that some seed of faith had
   been implanted in their hearts. Now though it is certain that they were
   not regenerated by the Spirit of adoption, yet there is no absurdity in
   supposing that they had some beginnings of piety. There is the greater
   reason to fear that sparks of faith, which make their appearance in us,
   may be extinguished; for, although lively faith, which has its roots
   deeply fixed by the Spirit of regeneration, never dies, yet we have
   seen formerly that many conceive a temporary faith, which immediately
   disappears. Above all, it is too common a disease that, when we are
   urged by strong necessity, and when the Lord himself prompts us by a
   secret movement of the Spirit, we seek God, but, when we have obtained
   our wishes, ungrateful forgetfulness swallows up that feeling of piety.
   Thus poverty and hunger beget faith, but abundance kills it.

   14. Show yourselves to the priests This reply was equivalent to saying,
   "You are clean;" for we know that the discernment of leprosy belonged
   to the priests, who were enjoined in the law to distinguish between the
   clean and the unclean, (Leviticus 14:2.) Thus Christ preserves their
   right entire, and appeals to them as witnesses for approving of the
   miracle which he had wrought; and we have accordingly said, that pious
   and devout sentiments concerning Christ must have been entertained by
   those men who were instantly led, by his bare word, to entertain the
   hope of a cure.

   On this passage the Papists absurdly build their auricular confession.
   The lepers, I admit, were sent by Christ to the priests; but it was not
   for the purpose of vomiting out their sins into their ears. On the
   contrary, they were sent to offer a sacrifice, as the Law had enjoined.
   They were not sent to cleanse themselves, as the Papists imagine that
   cleanness is produced by confession, but to show to the priests that
   they were already clean. It is an additional proof of the folly of the
   Papists, that they do not consider what a foul stain of infamy they
   throw on their confession; for, according to their reasoning, it will
   be quite enough if, out of the whole troop of those who have gone to
   the priests, a tenth part only shall return to Christ, and all the rest
   shall wickedly revolt. They cannot plead this passage in behalf of
   their confession, without giving us liberty to throw back upon them
   this advantage which it yields, that none return from the priests to
   give glory to God. But, not to dwell on these fooleries, we have
   ascertained the reason why the priests were mentioned.

   It happened that, while they were going, they were cleansed. Here was
   displayed the divine power of Christ and of his words, and there was
   also a proof of the high estimation in which God holds the obedience of
   faith; for the great suddenness of the cure arose from the confident
   hope which induced them to undertake the journey, without hesitation,
   at the command of Christ. But if that transitory faith--which wanted a
   living root, and produced nothing more than the blade--was honored by
   God with a remarkable effect, how much more valuable is the reward that
   awaits our faith, if it is sincerely and permanently fixed on God?
   Though the nine lepers derived no advantage to salvation from the cure
   of the flesh, but only obtained a temporary gift by means of a fleeting
   and transitory faith, yet this figure points out to us the great
   efficacy which will attend true faith.

   15. And one of them, etc. It is uncertain if he returned when they were
   halfway, and Luke's words appear to imply this; but I think it more
   probable, that it was not till he had heard the decision of the priests
   that he returned to give thanks. He must have obtained permission from
   the priests to return to the ordinary intercourse of life; and he had
   no right to neglect the command of Christ, and to defraud the temple of
   God of a sacrifice. Some will perhaps be better pleased with a
   different conjecture, that as soon as he saw that he was cleansed, and
   before he applied to the priests for a testimony, he was seized with a
   devout and holy zeal, and returned to the Author of the cure, so as to
   commence his sacrifice with thanksgiving. The words of Christ contain
   an expostulation with the whole nation; for it is by way of reproach
   that he draws a comparison between one stranger and many Jews, because
   it was customary with them to swallow up God's favors without any
   feeling of piety. And this was the reason why Christ gained hardly any
   reputation among them by miracles so numerous and so splendid. Let us
   learn that this complaint is brought generally against all of us, if we
   do not at least repay the divine favors by the duty of gratitude.

   19. Thy faith hath saved thee. The word save is restricted by some
   commentators to the cleanness of the flesh. [339] But if this be the
   case, since Christ commends the lively faith of this Samaritan, it may
   be asked, how were the other nine saved? for all of them without
   exception obtained the same cure. [340] We must therefore arrive at the
   conclusion, that Christ has here pronounced a different estimate of the
   gift of God from that which is usually pronounced by ungodly men;
   namely, that it was a token or pledge of God's fatherly love. The nine
   lepers were cured; but as they wickedly efface the remembrance of the
   grace of God, the cure itself is debased and contaminated by their
   ingratitude, so that they do not derive from it the advantage which
   they ought. It is faith alone that sanctifies the gifts of God to us,
   so that they become pure, and, united to the lawful use of them,
   contribute to our salvation. Lastly, by this word Christ has informed
   us in what manner we lawfully enjoy divine favors. Hence we infer, that
   he included the eternal salvation of the soul along with the temporal
   gift. The Samaritan was saved by his faith How? Certainly not because
   he was cured of leprosy, (for this was likewise obtained by the rest,)
   but because he was admitted into the number of the children of God, and
   received from His hand a pledge of fatherly kindness.

   20. And being interrogated by the Pharisees This question was
   undoubtedly put in mockery; for, since Christ was continually speaking
   of the kingdom of God as at hand, while no change was taking place in
   the outward condition of the Jews, wicked and malicious persons looked
   upon this as a plausible excuse for harassing him. As if all that
   Christ said about the kingdom of God were idle talk and mere trifling,
   they put a sarcastic question to him, "When shall that kingdom come?"
   If any one shall consider this question to have been put on account of
   the grossness of their own views, rather than for the sake of jeering,
   I have no objection.

   The kingdom of God will not come with observation. My opinion is, that
   Christ now disregards those dogs, and accommodates this reply to the
   disciples; just as on many other occasions, when he was provoked by
   wicked men, and seized the opportunity of giving instruction. In this
   manner God disappoints their malice, while the truth, which is
   maintained in opposition to their sophistry, is the more fully
   displayed.

   The word observation is here employed by Christ to denote extraordinary
   splendor; [341] and he declares, that the kingdom of God will not make
   its appearance at a distance, or attended by pompous display. He means,
   that they are greatly mistaken who seek with the eyes of the flesh the
   kingdom of God, which is in no respect carnal or earthly, for it is
   nothing else than the inward and spiritual renewal of the soul. From
   the nature of the kingdom itself he shows that they are altogether in
   the wrong, who look around here or there, in order to observe visible
   marks. "That restoration of the Church," he tells us, "which God has
   promised, must be looked for within; for, by quickening his elect into
   a heavenly newness of life, he establishes his kingdom within them."
   And thus he indirectly reproves the stupidity of the Pharisees, because
   they aimed at nothing but what was earthly and fading. It must be
   observed, however, that Christ speaks only of the beginnings of the
   kingdom of God; for we now begin to be formed anew by the Spirit after
   the image of God, in order that our entire renovation, and that of the
   whole world, may afterwards follow in due time.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [335] "Et se ietta en terre sur sa face;" -- "and threw himself on the
   ground on his face."

   [336] "Ta foy t'a guairi, ou, sauve;" -- "thy faith hath healed, or,
   saved thee."

   [337] "Le regne de Dieu ne viendra point a veue d'oeil, ou, avec
   apparence;" -- "the kingdom of God will not come visibly, or,
   maniifestly."

   [338] "Iesus, nostre Maistre;" -- "Jesus,our Master."

   [339] "Le mot dont a ici use l'Evangeliste est celuy mesme que quasi
   par tout on tourne, Sauver." -- "The word which the Evangelist has here
   employed (sesoke) is the same word which is almost always rendered
   save."

   [340] "Une mesme guairison corporelle;" -- "the same bodily cure."

   [341] "La ou nous avons traduit, a veue d'oeil, le Grec a mot a mot
   avec observation; c'est a dire, avec quelque grande apparence, en sorte
   qu'un chacun y puisse prendre garde." -- "Where we have rendered,
   visibly, the Greek literally runs, with observation; that is to say,
   with some great display, so that every person may take notice of it."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6

   Matthew 13:53-58

   Mark 6:1-6

   53. And it happened, when Jesus had concluded these discourses, [342]
   that he departed thence. 54. And when he was come into his own country,
   he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed, and said,
   Whence hath this man this wisdom and these miracles? 55. Is not this
   the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers
   James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56. And his sisters, do not
   they all live amongst us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
   57. And they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is
   not destitute of honor, except in his own country and in his own house.
   58. And he did not perform many miracles there on account of their
   unbelief.


   1. And he departed thence, and came into his own country, and his
   disciples followed him. 2. And when it was Sabbath, he began to teach
   in the synagogue, and many hearing were amazed, saying, Whence hath
   this man these things? [343] And what is the wisdom that hath been
   given to him, so that such miracles are done by his hands? 3. Is not
   this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses,
   and Judas, and Simon? Are not his sisters also here with us? And they
   were offended at him. 4. And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not
   devoid of honor, [344] except in his own country, and among his
   relatives, and in his own family. 5. And he could not perform any
   miracle there, except that he cured a few sick persons by laying his
   hands on them. 6. And he wondered at their unbelief, and walked about
   through the surrounding villages teaching.


   Matthew 13:53. When Jesus had concluded. Matthew does not mean, that
   immediately after delivering these discourses, he came into his own
   country; for it is evident from Mark, that some interval of time
   elapsed. But the meaning is, that after having taught for some time in
   Judea, he returned again to the Galileans, but did not receive from
   them kind treatment. A narrative which Luke gives (4:22) is nearly
   similar, but is not the same. Nor ought we to wonder that Christ's
   countrymen, when they perceived that his family was mean and despised,
   and that he had been poorly educated, were at first so much offended as
   to murmur at his doctrine, and afterwards persevered in the same malice
   to such an extent, that they did not cease to slander him, when he
   chose to discharge the office of a prophet amongst them. This second
   rejection of Christ shows that the space of time which had intervened
   had not effected a reformation on the inhabitants of Nazareth, but that
   the same contempt was constantly thrown as an obstacle in the way, to
   prevent them from hearing Christ. [345]

   54. So that they were amazed. They are struck with amazement at the
   novelty of the occurrence, that Christ, who had not learned letters,
   but had been employed from youth to manhood in a mechanical occupation,
   is so eminent a teacher, and is filled with divine wisdom. In this
   miracle they ought to have perceived the hand of God; but their
   ingratitude made them cover themselves with darkness. [346] They are
   compelled to admire him, whether they will or not; and yet they treat
   him with contempt. And what is this but to reject a prophet whom God
   has taught, because he has not been educated by men? They cut their
   throat by means of their own acknowledgment, when they render so
   honorable a testimony to the doctrine of Christ, which after all has no
   influence on them, because it does not take its origin, in the usual
   way, from the earth. Why do they not rather lift their eyes to heaven,
   and learn that what exceeds human reason must have come from God?

   Besides, the miracles, which were added to the doctrine, ought to have
   affected them the more powerfully, or at least to have aroused them
   from their excessive carelessness and stupidity to glorify God; for
   certainly, when God adopts unwonted methods of procedure, so much the
   more clearly does he display the power of his hand. And yet this was
   the very reason why the inhabitants of Nazareth maliciously drew a veil
   over their eyes. We see, then, that it is not mere ignorance that
   hinders men, but that, of their own accord, they search after grounds
   of offense, to prevent them from following the path to which God
   invites. We ought rather to argue in the opposite way, that, when human
   means fail, the power of God is clearly revealed to us, and ought to
   receive undivided praise.

   55. Is not this the carpenter's son? It was, we are aware, by the
   wonderful purpose of God, that Christ remained in private life till he
   was thirty years of age. Most improperly and unjustly, therefore, were
   the inhabitants of Nazareth offended on this account; for they ought
   rather to have received him with reverence, as one who had suddenly
   come down from heaven. They see God working in Christ, and
   intentionally turn away their eyes from this sight, to behold Joseph,
   and Mary, and all his relatives; thus interposing a veil to shut out
   the clearest light. The word brothers, we have formerly mentioned, is
   employed, agreeably to the Hebrew idiom, to denote any relatives
   whatever; and, accordingly, Helvidius displayed excessive ignorance in
   concluding that Mary must have had many sons, because Christ's brothers
   are sometimes mentioned. [347]

   57. A prophet is not devoid of honor. I have explained this statement
   at considerable length, where it occurs in the Gospel of John, [348]
   (4:44.) It may, no doubt, be a general proverb, that those who are
   distinguished by eminent gifts are nowhere held in less estimation than
   in their own country; and this manifests the ingratitude of men, who,
   in proportion to the greater familiarity with which God exhibits
   himself to them, are the more bold to reject him in the influences of
   his Spirit. I readily agree, however, with Chrysostom, who thinks that
   this proverb was applied in a peculiar manner to the Jews. But what was
   usually spoken against the whole nation, Christ now asserts with
   special reference to his Galilean countrymen; for nowhere did he
   receive less honor than on his native soil. There were good grounds for
   the charge which he brings against them, that, instead of being the
   first to accept the grace offered to them, as they ought to have been,
   they drive him to a distance from them; for it is truly extraordinary
   that a prophet of God, whom others warmly receive as a newly-arrived
   stranger, should be despised in the place where he was born.

   58. And he did not perform many miracles in that place. Mark states it
   more emphatically, that he could not perform any miracle. But they are
   perfectly agreed as to the substance of what is said, that it was the
   impiety of Christ's countrymen that closed the door against the
   performance of a greater number of miracles among them. He had already
   given them some taste of his power; but they willingly stupify
   themselves, so as to have no relish for it. Accordingly, Augustine
   justly compares faith to the open mouth of a vessel, while he speaks of
   faith as resembling a stopper, by which the vessel is closed, so as not
   to receive the liquor [349] which God pours into it. And undoubtedly
   this is the case; for when the Lord perceives that his power is not
   accepted by us, he at length withdraws it; and yet we complain that we
   are deprived of his aid, which our unbelief rejects and drives far from
   us.

   When Mark declares that Christ could not perform any miracles, he
   represents the aggravated guilt of those by whom his goodness was
   prevented; for certainly unbelievers, as far as lies in their power,
   bind up the hands of God by their obstinacy; not that God is overcome,
   as if he were an inferior, but because they do not permit him to
   display his power. We must observe, however, what Mark adds, that some
   sick people, notwithstanding, were cured; for hence we infer, that the
   goodness of Christ strove with their malice, and triumphed over every
   obstacle. [350] We have experience of the same thing daily with respect
   to God; for, though he justly and reluctantly restrains his power,
   because the entrance to us is shut against him, yet we see that he
   opens up a path for himself where none exists, and ceases not to bestow
   favors upon us. What an amazing contest, that while we are endeavoring
   by every possible method to hinder the grace of God from coming to us,
   it rises victorious, and displays its efficacy in spite of all our
   exertions!
     __________________________________________________________________

   [342] "Quand Iesus ent acheve ces similitudes-ci;" -- "when Jesus had
   concluded these parables."

   [343] "D'ou vienent ces choses a cestuy-ci?" -- "Whence comes these
   things to this man?"

   [344] "Un prophete n'est deshonore;" -- "a prophet is not dishonored."

   [345] "A fin de n'approcher de luy, et de ne recevoir sa doctrine;" --
   "that they might not approach to him, and might not receive his
   doctrine."

   [346] "Mais par leur ingratitude ils se sont eblouis l'entendement, a
   fin de ne faire leur profit de ce qu'ils voyoyent devant leurs yeux;"
   -- "but by their ingratitude their understanding was dazzled, so that
   they did not derive advantage from what they saw before their eyes."

   [347] Jerome replied to Helvidius in a work entitled, Contra Helvidium
   de Beatoe Marioe Virginitate CAVIN has formerly alluded to the
   controversy between these two authors, (Harmony, vol. 1. [15]p. 107.)
   -- Ed.

   [348] Our Author's Preface to his Commentary on John's Gospel is dated
   1st January 1553; while the Preface to the Harmony is dated 1st August
   1555. This accounts for the former being always referred to as an
   earlier work. -- Ed.

   [349] "La bonne liqueur;" -- "the good liquor."

   [350] "En sorte que quelques empeschemens qu'ils ayent scen y mettre,
   encore est--elle venue au dessus, et s'est monstree en quelque
   maniere." --"So that, whatever obstacles they might be able to throw in
   the way, still it rose above them, and was in some measure displayed."
     __________________________________________________________________

   Matthew 14:1-2; Mark 6:14-16; Luke 9:7-9

   Matthew 14:1-2

   Mark 6:14-16

   Luke 9:7-9

   1. At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2. And
   said to his servants, This is John the Baptist: he is raised from the
   dead, and therefore miracles work in him.


   14. And king Herod heard of him, (for his name had become celebrated,)
   and said, John, who baptized, hath risen from the dead, and therefore
   miracles are performed by him. 15. Others said, It is Elijah; and
   others said, It is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. 16. But when
   Herod heard that, he said, It is John whom I beheaded, he hath rasen
   from the dead.


   7. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him, and was
   perplexed, because it was said by some that Christ had risen from the
   dead; 8. And by some, that Elijah had appeared; and by others, that one
   of the ancient prophets had risen again. 9. And Herod said, John have I
   beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things? And he desired to
   see him.


   The reason why the Evangelists relate this occurrence is, to inform us
   that the name of Christ was universally celebrated, and, therefore, the
   Jews could not be excused on the plea of ignorance. Many might
   otherwise have been perplexed by this question, "How came it that,
   while Christ dwelt on the earth, Judea remained in a profound sleep, as
   if he had withdrawn into some corner, and had displayed to none his
   divine power?" The Evangelists accordingly state, that the report
   concerning him was everywhere spread abroad, and penetrated even into
   the court of Herod.

   2. And said to his servants. From the words of Luke it may be inferred,
   that Herod did not of his own accord adopt this conjecture, but that it
   was suggested to him by a report which was current among the people.
   And, indeed, I have no doubt that the hatred which they bore to the
   tyrant, and their detestation of so shocking a murder, gave rise, as is
   commonly the ease, to those rumors. It was a superstition deeply
   rooted, as we have formerly mentioned, in the minds of men, that the
   dead return to life in a different person. Nearly akin to this is the
   opinion which they now adopt, that Herod, when he cruelly put to death
   the holy man, was far from obtaining what he expected; because he had
   suddenly risen from the dead by the miraculous power of God, and would
   oppose and attack his enemies with greater severity than ever.

   Mark and Luke, however, show that men spoke variously on this subject:
   some thought that he was Elijah, and others that he was one of the
   prophets, or that he was so eminently endued with the gifts of the
   Spirit, that he might be compared to the prophets. The reason why they
   thought that he might be Elijah, rather than any other prophet, has
   been already stated. Malachi having predicted (4:5,6) that Elijah would
   come to gather the scattered Church, they misunderstood that prediction
   as relating to the person of Elijah, instead of being a simple
   comparison to the following effect: "That the coming of Messiah may not
   be unknown, and that the people may not remain ignorant of the grace of
   redemption, there will be an Elijah to go before, like him who of old
   raised up that which was fallen, and the worship of God which had been
   overthrown. He will go before, by a remarkable power of the Spirit, to
   proclaim the great and dreadful day of the Lord." The Jews, with their
   usual grossness of interpretation, had applied this to Elijah the
   Tishbite, (1 Kings 17:1,) as if he were to appear again and discharge
   the office of a prophet. Others again conjecture, either that some one
   of the ancient prophets had risen, or that he was some great man, who
   approached to them in excellence.

   It was astonishing that, amidst the diversity of views which were
   suggested, the true interpretation did not occur to any one; more
   especially as the state of matters at that very time directed them to
   Christ. God had promised to them a Redeemer, who would relieve them
   when they were distressed and in despair. The extremity of affliction
   into which they had been plunged was a loud call for divine assistance.
   The Redeemer is at hand, who had been so clearly pointed out by the
   preaching of John, and who himself testifies respecting his office.
   They are compelled to acknowledge that some divine power belongs to
   him, and yet they fall into their own fancies, and change him into the
   persons of other men. It is thus that the world is wont, in base
   ingratitude, to obliterate the remembrance of the favors which God has
   bestowed.

   With respect to Herod himself, as I hinted, little ago, the conjecture
   that John had risen did not at first occur to himself; but as bad
   consciences are wont to tremble and hesitate, and turn with every wind,
   he readily believed what he dreaded. With such blind terrors God
   frequently alarms wicked men; so that, after all the pains they take to
   harden themselves, and to escape agitation, their internal executioner
   gives them no rest, but chastises them with severity.

   And therefore miracles work in him. We naturally wonder what reasoning
   could have led them to this