JUDGE

rows

out anticipating any. Do not sorcome thickly and quickly enough without conjuring them up from the vasty deep" of the unknown Future? Let none but the Divine Hand draw that curtain which hangs before us. Consider the numerous, beautiful, and convincing reasons why we should rely calmly on Providence. "The irreconcilable nature of worldly solicitude and Christian piety; the past goodness of God; the care which he takes of the lower animals; the beauty with which he clothes the spontaneous productions of nature; the unprofitableness and impiety of anxiety; the infinite perfections and paternal character of the Supreme Being; the gain of godliness in this world; and the sufficiency of present evils without adding to their number by anticipation." "If we know these things, happy are we if we do them."

CHAP. VII.

1. Parallel with this chapter is Luke vi. 37-49.

A variety of different topics are handled, more or less connected together; yet none of the expressions are to be interpreted too literally. But their effect on the mind is greater than that of any literal expression. By his figurative mode of speaking Christ shows in the clearest manner what dispositions we should cultivate, and this tendency once communicated leads to all right conduct, without particular directions."-Judge not. Condemn not. The above rule applies here.

Jesus is not to be taken literally in this declaration. He did not prohibit judicial sentences, or the making up and expressing of opinions in relation to the conduct and character of our fellow-men, within proper limitations. But the passing of rash and rigorous judgments, and indulging in a censorious, malicious temper, met his condemnation. He suggests, as a motive to check them, that such dispositions expose one to similar treatment at the hands of others. Rom. ii. 1. xiv. 4. James iv. 11. ii. 13. Allusion is made probably to the censoriousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, which was abundantly exhibited towards Jesus himself, and towards his followers.

2. It is difficult to maintain charity, kindness, and toleration towards our fellows; as the strongest motive therefore to such virtues, our treatment of others is made the gauge of others' treatment of us; and this principle reaches even to the bar of heaven, according to Jesus. Mat. vi. 14, 15. v. 7.-With what judgment, &c. This was a Jewish proverb. Jesus quoted many such expressions in common use, in order to avail himself of every proper means to make his views intelligible, and stamp them upon the hearts of his auditors.-Mete. Measure. It is a philosophical fact that like dispositions produce like; kindness draws forth kindness; cruelty provokes cruelty. Others are generally to us what we are to them. Mark iv. 24. 3. Beholdest. Pointest out censoriously.-Mote. Any minute par

ticle of matter. As the comparison is here made between this and a beam or a log of wood,-by a strong figure of speech,-it would be better to translate mote, splinter or sliver. This saying is also found in various forms in the rabbinical writings. Uncharitableness detects the foibles of others, and passes by its own vices. But love forgets others' offences, whilst intent upon its own, and exclaims with Paul, "I am the chief of sinners."

4. How. With what face, or with what propriety, can you criticise and condemn an offending brother, when you are yourself guilty of things far worse? In this and the last verse a second reason is advanced, why we should not judge others: viz., our inability to do it justly on account of our own sins. Brother. Jesus and his Apostles call mankind by this endearing appellation. In the eye of the Gospel, mankind compose one vast brotherhood, and family of God.

5. Hypocrite. Uncharitable, uncandid man. One who overlooks his own larger sins, in searching out his neighbor's smaller ones, is guilty of a species of hypocrisy. If we first clear our own moral vision of its mists and impurities, we shall then see our brother's character in a truer light, be more charitable to him, and more competent to show him the way of penitence, reformation and spiritual life.

6. Holy. That which was offered in sacrifice to God.-Dogs

swine. These were unclean animals according to the law of Moses. To call a man a dog was, and is, in oriental nations, one of the strongest epithets of contempt. The Jews applied it to the Gentiles; the Turks apply it to Christians. These words are here used as descriptive of two classes of men. One is sour, malignant, and abusive; ready not only to reject the teachings of the Gospel, but to rend in pieces the teacher. Phil. iii. 2. The other class is gross, sensual, and corrupt; who trample the truth under their feet with a bestial indifference and disdain.-Pearls. A precious substance found in a shell-fish resembling an oyster. They were obtained from the Arabian and Indian seas. The precepts of wisdom are often compared to them. Job xxviii. 18. Similar symbolical sayings are found in Jewish and Classic authors. The connection of this verse with the preceding is not perfectly clear. Some suppose that, a wholly new topic is introduced. But the better view is this: that, as our Master had cautioned them against censorious judgments, he here points out, lest all liberty of forming an opinion of others' conduct might seem to be taken away, another extreme to be avoided; that of dealing with all men indiscriminately. The emphasis is then upon dogs and swine. Some men are so gross and violent as not to be mistaken. Give not your reproofs, your instructions, promiscuously,

else you might fall into the mistake of one who should cast the holy sacrifice before ravenous dogs, and pearls under the feet of swine. The lesson is one therefore respecting a charitable discrimination of character, and an adaptation of instructions to the wants and conditions of mankind.

7. Prayer is necessary to the formation of such a bland, but discriminating spirit as has just been recommended. We must drink at the fountain of Divine Love to imbue ourselves with the same sentiment. Ask-seek-knock. Three different forms to inculcate the same general idea, and make it more emphatic. The successive terms express increased earnest ness. The idea is, that in our prayers we should be urgent, persevering, and engaged, and then we shall be heard and answered. Luke xi. 5-8. xviii. 1-8.

8. In temporal affairs those who wish for any thing ask or seek for it, and as a general rule they obtain what they want. So in spiritual concerns, if we pray aright, our requests are granted. But it is of course implied that we ask in a proper spirit, sincerely, humbly, and devoutly. And also that we ask what is consistent with God's will to bestow, and best adapted to our good on the whole to receive. The prayer of filial faith and submission, which sums up all by saying, "Not my will, but thine be done," is never breathed in vain.

9. Luke xi. 11-13. What force and beauty in this mode of reasoning! It has been observed that the word man is emphatic here. Who of you men? Which of a fallible race of creatures could treat their offspring with such hard-heartedness as to give a stone for bread? How much less would the Divine Parent be guilty of such unnatural treatment!-Whom. Should be who, grammatically.

10. Luke, in xi. 12, adds yet another illustration: "Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion ?" Such metaphors were com

mon.

11. Being evil. The imperfection of earthly parents is contrasted with the perfection of our Heavenly Father. Parents may be selfish, unfeeling, partial, fickle, or passionate, but God is absolute, unchangeable, wise, and kind. Is. xlix. 15.

Good gifts. In the parallel place in Luke xi. 13, the expression is, the Holy Spirit. This is an intimation that the best things we can ask, or God bestow, are spiritual blessings. The Holy Spirit, as used in the New Testament, often signifies miraculous powers and influences. Though these are not shed abroad now, as they were upon Jesus and his Apostles, yet the natural workings of the Holy Spirit of God upon us are a proper subject of prayer. What touching persuasives our Master addresses to us to be constant and persevering in our devotions to supplicate for spirit

ual blessings, and to resign ourselves trustfully into the arms of a Father, so mighty and so good, who, though he denies us the exact things we ask, will grant us what we really need!

12. Luke vi. 31. He had been alluding to the kindness of parents to their children. But he now says, Let what is right be done to all men. In all circumstances, everywhere, to every person, do as you would reasonably desire to be done by. The sense is, not that our wishes, however unjust, should be the measure of our conduct towards others; but that we should act to others as we might properly wish them to conduct towards us. Rightly construed, the precept is of universal obligation and application. It is an abridgment of social duty. The common iron rule is, to do to others as others do to us. But this golden one of our Saviour is more noble-to do to others as we would that others should do to us. It is said to be a rule found extensively in classic and rabbinical writings, Tobit iv, 15: "Do that to no man which thou hatest." And the idea is so consonant to truth and justice that almost all languages contain it. We can better learn our duty in this way, because we see more clearly what is just and right, when we reflect what others owe to us, than by asking what we owe to them. By changing places, our judgments are rectified. It has been well said, "that this law is what the balance wheel is to machinery. It would prevent all irregularity of movement in the moral world, as that does in the steam engine. It would destroy

avarice, envy, false conduct, treachery, unkindness, slander, theft, adultery, and murder."-This is the law and the prophets. This is not to be cut to the quick, as interpreters say, not to be taken too literally. Similar phrases occur in Rom. xiii. 810. Gal. v. 14. 1 Tim. i. 5. The same language was used by our Lord, Mat. xxii. 37-40. Love to God and man is the substance of law, prophets, and, we may add, Gospel. And where one prevails in its vigor, the other can hardly be wanting; so that, in a free sense, either love to man, or love to God, might be called the fulfilling of the law, and the sum of the prophets. It is related in the Jewish Talmud, that a Pagan came to Hillel, a great Rabbi, and offered to become a proselyte, provided he would teach him the whole law while he stood on one foot. The Rabbi took him at his word, and made him a proselyte by saying "Do not to another what is odious to thyself: this is the whole law; the rest is but explanation; go away perfect." "The ten commandments," said Luther,

66

are the measuring lines of God; they are written in our flesh and blood; the meaning of them is: What thou wouldst have done to thyself, the same thou oughtest also to do to another. God presseth upon that point, and saith: Such measure as thou metest, the same shall be measured to thee again. With this measuring line he hath marked the whole world."

13. This verse is connected with the foregoing rule of social conduct, which is hard of observance to thoughtless, sinful man. The figures of the gate and the road are

taken from the ancient cities, some of whose passages and entrances were broad and thronged, and others narrow and unfrequented. The cultivation of a true, disinterested, self-renouncing love, and its constant exercise under all circumstances, is difficult indeed. How few walk in the strait_path of love! How many hurry along the broad road of selfishness! The lesson conveyed in general is, that virtue requires choice, care, and effort. -Enter. It must be an act of choice and preference.-Strait gate. Close, narrow, difficult of entrance. Caution will be demanded to walk in it uprightly.—Broad is the way. The temptations to a thoughtless, worldly life are numerous and obvious; widely thrown open are the facilities to vice.Leadeth to destruction. But the course is a dangerous one, and will lead to the most fatal consequences. -Many go in thereat. Yet, strange and sad to say, it is the very way multitudes are flocking, and it will require resolution not to be borne away into the heedless crowd, yielding to the seduction of their example. But we must not follow a multitude to do evil.

14. Because strait is the gate. The reading of Griesbach is-How strait is the gate! This exclamation more energetically expresses the difficulty of the way of virtue. -Leadeth unto life. Conducts to that goodness which is the life and happiness of the soul, in this and all future states of being.-Find it. It is said of the broad way, many go in thereat. They do not

have to seek after it. But this way is something to be found, to be sought after; it does not come of itself. Holiness, piety, benevolence, are not the result of chance, but of choice. The two verses have been paraphrased thus:-"Aim at entering in at the strait gate: though there be a gate that is wide, and the way to it is broad, and many are travelling along it; yet it leads to perdition; therefore take it not. And though there be a gate that is strait, and the way to it narrow, and few are they that travel thereto, yet take it, for it leads to life and eternal happiness."

15. The gate is narrow and difficult; beware therefore of false guides.-False prophets. The term prophet is used with considerable latitude of signification in the Scriptures, meaning sometimes simply a teacher of religion. That such teachers and false pretenders would arise, Christ and his disciples predicted, Mat. xxiv. 11, 24; and described, Acts xx. 29. Rom. xvi. 18. 2 Peter ii. 1, 3. 1 John iv. 1. If any character of distinguished excellence in any pursuit or art arise, there is usually a school of imitators and sciolists who spring up after him. In this respect religion holds an analogy with other things. -Sheep's clothing. In the garb of innocence, and fair appearance; not literally a dress of sheepskins, though some have supposed that reference was made to the dress of the prophets, but in the aspect of goodness and meekness. Heb. xi. 37.-But inwardly ravening wolves. A wolf in sheep's clothing is a