ternal washings, you do nothing more than if you only washed the outside of the cup or dish, while there was nothing but filth within *; but, if ye would be really holy and religious, be careful, in the first place, to be exact and conscientious in the performance of those duties, which are of moral and eternal obligation; and ye need be less solicitous about outward and ritual observances, which do not really make a man clean or unclean, holy or unholy, in the sight of God.

Our Saviour goes on to inveigh most pointedly, and by name, against the Pharisees; and, at length, joins the Scribes with them in His 66 woes." Then "one of the lawyers" cavils and complains; and He turns this reproof upon them, that they made light of the commandments of God at their own pleasure, but would never diminish the least tittle of the injunctions they required from their scholars; that in removing or taking away any part of the Divine Law, they were ready to employ both hands; but, in the remedy of their textual expositions of the Law, and their own constitutions upon them, they would not move them with one of their fingers. These Lawyers were they who undertook to instruct the people in their duty according to the Law of Moses. They had "the key of knowledge," but could Bishop Mann.

' Dr. Lightfoot.

Dr. S. Clarke.

neither use it aright, nor allow others to instruct the people in what was right. By the key of knowledge is here meant the interpretation and understanding of the Scriptures; and by taking away the key of knowledge, that they had, as it were, hidden it out of the way, neither using it themselves, nor suffering others to make use of it. By this metaphor, allusion is made to the custom among the Jews in the admission of their Doctors, which was done by delivering to them a key, and a table-book'.

SECT. LXXXIII.-Christ denounceth Hypocrisy and Faithlessness in His Disciples.-Luke xii. 1-12.

WHILST Jesus was thus contending with the Pharisees, with whom He had sat at meat, so great was the eagerness of the people to hear His instructions, that an immense company,

“an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another,"-had assembled together without the houses. To gratify their wishes, He gives a solemn charge to His disciples before them all, that they might not be misled or discouraged by the opponents with whom He had been contending. Our Lord commands them, when they are teaching others, to conceal none of the things in which they were instructed, whether acceptable to men or not, but with courage and constancy to proclaim His doctrine; and that what they had 7 Archbishop Tillotson.

8 Dr. Robinson.

hitherto learned and discoursed "in darkness," that is, privately among themselves, they should proclaim "in the light," that is, openly to all the world. He commands them to subdue the slavish fear of mortal men, which they are too apt to entertain, by opposing to it a stronger and a juster fear,-a fear of that all-seeing and Almighty Being, from whose presence we cannot flee, and from whose power not even the grave can shelter us; who can even make death to us, not the end, but the beginning of woe'. He forbids them even to meditate beforehand what to say, when brought before their "synagogues, magistrates, and powers;" for that, although in ordinary cases men are left to the due use and improvement of their natural powers, they, being engaged on an extraordinary mission from God, would receive His Holy Spirit, and be enabled to defend their cause against all opposition 2.

SECT. LXXXIV.-The Parable of the Rich Man and his Barns.-Luke xii. 13-59.

66

HAVING finished this address to His disciples, Jesus takes occasion, from an appeal made to Him by one of the company," to warn His followers to "take heed and beware of covetousness." Set not your hearts on riches, says our Lord, as a principal source of happiness; for they are so far from being really such, that, 2 Bishop Mann.

9

Bishop Pearce.

1 Dr. Jortin.

U

on the contrary, the true enjoyment and comfort of life does not at all depend on a man's having many and great possessions. For the illustration of this truth, He addressed to them a very striking parable. A person is described as receiving a vast augmentation of wealth by the fertility of his ground; and, intent on making the most of his substance, he proposed to erect more capacious granaries, in which to secure his store; and flattered himself that he had a prospect of affluence and sensual indulgence for many years. Here is simply the description of a person whose affections are set on earthly things; he does not defraud, he does not withdraw his inheritance from another ; his goods were increased in the most lawful, nay, almost meritorious, manner;-" his ground brought forth plentifully," probably in consequence of his industry and sagacity. It was not, therefore, the possession of wealth, but the use that he made of it, which is held out for censure by our Lord. He never entertains the thought, What shall I do to express my gratitude towards the Source of all this good? "What shall I render unto the Lord for all the mercies vouchsafed unto me?" His thoughts are all upon his own enjoyments of them; yet there is no mention of excess, and no mention of any thing which the world would condemn.

3 Dr. S. Clarke.

Such a person, indeed, (and there are multitudes of such,) would almost contend, that their position in life required this at their hands ; that, for this purpose, wealth was given them; and he would be praised by many as an excellent member of society,-as one who spent his fortune wisely and liberally. The purport of the parable is then to correct this popular delusion; to show that, independently of the folly of being anxious about the treasures of this life, which can never protect us against its accidents or casualties, excepting under the good providence and care of our heavenly Father: the fatal deceit is, to be unmindful of the duties which the good things of this world impose ;the relief of the poor, the usefulness in our generation, and the service of God; that is, to neglect to provide for that eternal state, to which God can in a moment summon us, in the midst of all our present happiness and promised pleasure, and all our contrivances, which may thus perish in a moment". In this point all the circumstances of the parable meet; the rich man is represented as flowing in plenty: this plenty makes him forget God, and vainly imagine that he had a security in his own hands against all the calamities of life. His riches made him promise himself many happy days and years; but God reproves him for his folly, Bishop Mann and Dr. S. Clarke.

4

Archbishop Sumner.

5