Christ discourses with the Pharisees in the temple. 215 SECT. clvi. these great commandments would require; so as to seek our own particular interests no farther than they may be subservient to, or at least consistent with, the good of the whole? Do we make all Ver. those allowances for others which we expect or desire they should 31 make for us?-Surely we must own we are far from having yet attained, or from being already perfect. (Phil. iii. 12.)—But if 33 this be not in the main the prevailing and governing temper of our minds, in vain are our burnt-offerings and our sacrifices; in vain are all the solemnities of public worship, or the forms of domestic and secret devotion; and by all our most pathetic expressions of duty to God, and friendship to men, we do but add one degree of guilt to another. Let us then most earnestly entreat that God would have mercy upon us, and by his Holy Spirit write these laws in our hearts. On these subjects let scribes instructed to the kingdom of heaven 32 insist, lest they be condemned by this expositor of the Jewish law And let those whose notions are thus wisely regulated, take heed, lest, while they seem near to the kingdom of God, by resting in 34 mere notions, they come short of it, and sink into a ruin aggravated by their near approach to the confines of salvation and glory. Mat. As for that question of Christ with which the Pharisees were xxii. perplexed, the gospel has given us a key to it. Well might David, 41--43 in spirit, call him Lord, who according to the flesh was to descend from his loins for before David or Abraham was, he is. (John viii. 58.) Let us adore this mysterious union of the Divine and human natures in the person of our glorious Emmanuel; and be very careful that we do not oppose him, if we would not be found fighters against God. Already is he exalted at the right hand of 44 the Father: let his friends rejoice in his dignity and glory, and with pleasure wait the day of his complete triumph, when all his enemies shall be put under his feet, and even the last of them be swallowed up in victory. (1 Cor. xv. 25, 54.) SECT. CLVII. Christ discourses with the Pharisees in the temple, repeating the charges and cautions which he had formerly advanced at the house of one of that sect. Mat. XXIII. 1-22. Mark XII. 38-40. Luke XX. 45, to the end. MAT. XXIII. 1. THEN spake Jesus [in his doctrine], [LUKE, in the audi ence of all the people, MAT. XXIII. 1. clvii. THEN Jesus, in the progress of his doctrine SECT. and discourse, spake to his disciples in the audience of all the people who were present, and unto took occasion (as he had done formerly, Luke XXIII. 1 xi. 39, & seq. sect. cx) to expose and caution them Mat. 216 Christ warns them against the scribes and Pharisees; clvii. Mat. his disciples,] LUKE XX. 45.] 38. 2 Saying, The scribes 3 All therefore, SECT them against the pride and hypocrisy of the unto scribes and Pharisees, Saying openly and [MARK XII. freely to them, The scribes and the Pharisees sit XXIII.2 in the chair of Moses, and are the public and the Pharisees sit 3 teachers and expounders of his law: All there- in Moses' seat: fore whatsoever they shall charge you to observe whatsoever they bid in virtue of that law, pay a becoming deference you observe, that oband regard to, and be ready to observe and do serve and do; but do not ye after their accordingly; but practise not by any means ac- works: for they say, cording to their works: for they say well in many and do not. instances, but do not themselves practise according to what they teach. Mark XII. 38 Mat. MARK XII.-38.Beware of the scribes: [LUKE XX. 46-] MAT. XXIII. 4. I therefore repeat it again, Beware of imitating the hypocrisy, and following the example, XXIII.4 of the scribes; For by virtue of the traditions which in conjunction with the Pharisees they For they bind heavy burdens, and grievous have added to the law, they bind together griev- to be borne, and lay ous and insupportable burdens, and without the them on men's shoulleast remorse lay them on men's shoulders, urging ders; but they themthem by the heaviest penalties to conform to all them with one of their their injunctions; but they dispense with [them- fingers. selves] in the neglect of many of them, and will not so much as move them with a finger of theirs. (Compare Luke xi. 46, sect. cx.) selves will not move 5 And even when they do conform in other in- 5 But all their works stances to their own rules, it is generally from they do for to be seen a bad principle; for there is none of all their broad their phylacte a Sit in the chair of Moses.] Some think here is an allusion to those pulpits which Ezra made for the expounders of the law (Neh. viii. 4.) and which were afterwards continued in the synagogue, from whence the rabbies delivered their discourses sitting. It is probably called Moses' chair, because it was that from whence the books of Moses were read and explained; so that he seemed to dictate from thence. It is strange that Lightfoot (Hor. Heb. in loc.) and Gussatus, should explain this of a legislative authority; since the scribes and Pharisees, as such, had no peculiar authority of that kind. b In virtue of that law.] If this limitation be not supposed, this passage will be inconsistent with all those in which he condemns the doctrines of the scribes and Pharisees. Had he meant (as Orobio, and some Popish writers have unaccountably pretended) to assert their infallibility, and to require an absolute submission to their dictates, he must have condemned himself, as it was known he was rejected by them. See Limborch. Collat. Amic. p. 58, 114. c Beware of the scribes.] The word works of men: they make ries, scribe in general signifies any one conversant about books and writings; and is sometimes put for a civil officer, whose business probably resembled that of a Secretary of state (2 Sam. viii. 17. 1 Kings iv. 3. 2 Kings xix. 2.) at other times it is used at large for a man of learning and ability (1 Chron. xxvii. 32. Jer. xxxvi. 26 Ezra vii. 6. Mat. xxiii. 34. 1 Cor. i. 20.) But as biblical learning was most esteemed among the Jews, the word in the New Testament seems to be chiefly appropriated to those that applied themselves to the study of the law (perhaps including those whose business it was to transcribe it.) Of these the public professors, who read lectures upon it, were called doctors, or lawyers; and, probably, they who were invested with some public offices in the sanhedrim, or other courts, scribes of the people (Mat ii. 4.)-But that the scribes, as Trigland labours to prove (de Secta Kæreor. p. 68) were karaites, or textuaries, who rejected those truditions which the Pharisees inculcated, seems, from this text especially, utterly improbable. Our Lord commonly joins them with the Pharisees, and probably most of them were of that sect. They ments. Who minded the shew more than the substance of religion. 217 ries, and enlarge the works but what they chiefly do with a design to SECT. borders of their gar- be viewed and taken notice of by men, as examples clvii. of extraordinary piety. For this purpose, in par- Mat. ticular, they make their phylacteries remarkably xxIII.5 broad, that it may be thought they write more of the law on those scrolls of parchment than others do, or desire to be more frequently reminded of Divine things by the size of them; and, for the same reason likewise, they make the fringes and tassels, which the law requires them to wear on the borders of their garments, as large as may be, that they may seem peculiarly desirous to remember the Divine commandments whenever they look upon them. (Compare Numb. xv. 38-40.) LUKE XX.-46.Which desire to walk XII-39,-] XXIII.6 These are the self-conceited and vain glorious Luke in long robes; [MARK men, who affect to walk in long garments, that XX. 46 they may appear with an air of distinguished MAT. XXIII. 6. gravity and stateliness; And love the uppermost Mat. And love the upper- places at feasts, where guests of the first quality most rooms at feasts, and the [LUKE, high- are used to sit; and are ambitious to secure the est] seats in the syna- highest seats even in the very synagogues, where they should meet to prostrate themselves in the Divine presence with the lowest abasement of 7 And [salutations] soul: And, on the same principle of vain-glory 7 in the markets, and to and ostentation, they desire to receive salutations in the markets, and other places of common concourse (compare Luke xi. 43. sect. cx.) and to be called by men, Rabbi, rabbi'; a title of honour gogues, [MARK XII. 39. LUKE XX.-46.] be called of men, Rabbi, They make their phylacteries remarkably broad.] I doubt not but most of my readers very well know that the Jews (understanding Exod. xiii. 9, 16. and Deut. vi. 8. xi. 18. which commanded them to bind the law on their heads, and to let it be as frontlets between their eyes, in a literal sense) used to wear little scrolls of parchment, on which those passages were written, bound to their foreheads and wrists. It is generally supposed they were called phylacteries in Greek, as being looked upon as a kind of amulet to keep them from danger. See Serrar. Tribar. p. 38; and Drus. de tribus sectis, p. 263, 266. e The highest seats in the synagogues.] The doctors had seats by themselves, with their backs towards the pulpit in which the law was read, and their faces towards the people. These were accounted the most honourable; and therefore these ambitious scribes and Pharisees contended for them. See Reland. Antiq. Heb. p. 61; Vitring, de Synag. Vet. p. 191, & seq; and Wolf. in loc. To be called by men, Rabbi, rabbi.] Many learned men have observed that an extravagant notion of respect went along with this title, which was derived from More passages to this purpose g Ye 213 civil. Mat. He openly reproves them for their pride. -38. LUKE XX.46.-] 8 But be not ye SECT. honour which they are fond of having repeated bi, rabbi. [MARK XII. in every sentence, and almost at every word. But as for you, my disciples, be not you called XXIII.8 Rabbi, nor value yourselves on the name, if it should ever happen to be given you; for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and ye are all bre- brethren. threns, and as such should treat each other with called Rabbi: for one Christ, and all ye are is your Master, even earth for one is your 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 9 a loving freedom and familiarity. And call 9 And call no man not [any one] on earth your father, nor be fond your father upon the of receiving this title from men, who may be Father which is in ready to speak of themselves as but children in heaven. comparison of you, and implicitly to follow all your dictates; for one is your Father, and that of the whole family, [even] he who dwells in the highest heaven, and before whom all the most distinguished honours of the children of men disappear, as less than nothing and vanity. 10 Neither be ye called masters and guides; for one is your great Master and Instructor, [even] Christ, whose dictates you are ever to receive, and in whose name and authority alone you are to teach 11 others. But, on the contrary, he that is, and would appear in the eyes of God to be, the greatest greatest among you, among you, shall be most eminent for condescension and humility, and will be ready to wait on the rest, and to behave himself on all occasions as your servant. (Compare Mat. xx. 26, 12 27. p. 135) And what I have often told you will assuredly be found to be a certain truth, That whosoever shall attempt in an ambitious way to exalt himself, shall sooner or later, by one method or another, be abased; and whosoever, on the other hand, shall humble himself, shall be exalted to the highest honour *. 13 Then Jesus, turning from his disciples, to Ye are all brethren.] It is observable, that not one word is said of Peter's authority over the rest, either here, or on the application made by Zebedee's children; though had such an authority been intended, nothing could have been more natural, or necessary, than to have mentioned and adjusted it. Compare note g on Mat. xx. 26. p. 135. h Call not [any one] on earth your father.] The Pharisees, no doubt, had this title given them; and Bishop Wilkins observes, that it is a title which assuming priests of all religions have greatly affected. whom 11 But he that is shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased; and he that shall be exalted. shall humble himself, 13 But wo unto you scribes the very same words (here, and in ver. 8.) Our Lord knew how requisite it would be to attend to it, and how ready even bis ministers would be to forget it. k Whosoever shall exalt himself, &c.] Christ scems by the frequent repetition of this maxim to intimate that he intended it, not ouly for those who were to be teachers of others, but for all his disciples without exception. And it is well worthy of our observation that no one sentence of our Lord's is so frequently repeated as this; which occurs at least ten times in the evangelists. Compare Mat. xviii. 4. xx. 26, 27. xxiii. 10, 11. Mark ix. 35. x. 43, 44. Luke xiv. 11, xviii, 14. xxii. 26. and John xiii. 14. 1 Hypocrites.] up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suf fer ve them that are entering to go in. And exhorts his disciples to humility. 219 scribes and Pharisees, whom he had hitherto been speaking, addressed SECT. hypocrites! for ye shut himself boldly to those crafty enemies who stood clvii. around him, waiting for nothing but an oppor- Mat. tunity of mischief, and said, Wo unto you, ye xxIII. scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for by the 13 prejudices you are so zealous to propagate among the people, you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, and do all you can to prevent their regarding it for you neither go in yourselves, nor permit them that are awakened to a desire of entering, to go in; and thus you make yourselves in some degree chargeable with their destruction as well as with your own, by the false notions you instil into their minds, and the prejudices you raise against me and my doctrine. (Compare Luke xi. 52, sect. cx.) 14 Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye de. vour widows houses, and for a preten e shall Wo unto you, ye scribes and Pharisees, hypo- 14 crites, that impose upon men by specious forms of devotion! but these forms cannot impose upon God, nor prevent his vengeance from falling therefore years heavy upon you: for, by your cruel extortions ceive the greater dam- you devour the houses of widows and orphans, nation. [MARK XII. whose helpless circumstances, if you had any re40. LUKE XX. 47.] mains of humanity and generosity, might rather engage you to protect and vindicate them; and it is only for a pretence to cover these crying immoralities, that you make such long and seemingly earnest prayers, hoping thereby to engage the esteem and confidence of others, that you may have the greater opportunity to injure and defraud them: but this complicated wickedness shall cost you dear; for therefore shall you receive greater and more dreadful damnation, than if you had never prayed at all, nor made any pretences to religion. 15 Wo unto you, hypocrites! for ye lyte, and when he is of Wo unto you, ye scribes and Pharisees, hypo-15 scribes and Pharisees, crites as you are! for with indefatigable industry compass sea and land you do, as it were, compass the sea and the land to make one prose- to make one proselyte to your own particular sect made, ye make him and party; and when he is become [so], you two-fold more the child ten make him even doubly more a child of hell of hell than yourselves. than you yourselves are; while, in order to approve the sincerity of his conversion to you, he is obliged to vie with you in all the excesses of your superstition and bigotry. Wo natural custom of the ancients, acted a m Who |