believed she was actually and finally departed: and when Jesus told them she was not dead, he did not mean that her soul was not separated from her body, but that it was not to continue in a state of separation from it; which was the idea the mourners affixed to the word death. His words, it must be observed, were spoken to those who were preparing for her interment, and performing the is raised from the dead. 26 And 2 the fame hereof went A. M. 4035. A. D. 31. abroad into all that land. 27 And when Jesus departed thence, two 2 Or, this fame. sat up, just like a person who, being called, awakes out of a soft sleep. Luke says, Her spirit came again; an expression which implies that she was really dead, and that the soul exists separately after the body dies; a truth very necessary to be asserted in those days, when it was denied by many. Withal, her flesh, her colour, and her strength returning in the twinkling of an eye, she was not in the weak, funeral rites belonging to it, and therefore only inti-languishing condition of one who, being worn out mate that she was not so dead that they needed to make these preparations. He therefore expresses her state by saying that she slept, using the word in a sense somewhat analogous to that which the Jews put upon it when, in speaking of a person's death, they call it sleep, to intimate their belief in his existence and happiness in the other world, together with their hope of his future resurrection to a new life. On this occasion, the phrase was made use of with singular propriety to insinuate that, notwithstanding the maid was really dead, she should not long continue so. Jesus was going to raise her from the dead, and would do it with as much ease as they with a disease, had given up the ghost; for she arose and walked, Mark v. 42, being of the age of twelve years. She was not even in the languishing condition of those who come to life after having fainted away, but was in a state of confirmed good health: for it appears she was hungry, and therefore Jesus commanded to give her meat, Luke viii. 55. And her parents, seeing her flesh, and colour, and strength, and appetite returned thus suddenly with her life, were unmeasurably astonished at the miracle, verse 56, as well they might. He charged them, however, that they should tell no man what was done, an injunction which could not mean that her awaked one that was asleep. And they laughed him || parents were to keep the miracle a secret, which to scorn-Luke adds, knowing that she was dead; for they had seen all the marks and proofs of death about her. And yet, if they had given themselves was impossible to be done; for as the whole family, their friends, and all the people collected together to mourn, were witnesses of her death, so her resto time to consider, they might have understood that || ration to life could not be hid from them, nor from he spake in this manner to intimate that he was going to raise her from the dead; and the rather, as he had been sent for by her parents to heal her miraculously. But his words were ambiguous, and the mourners naturally took them in the wrong sense. Thus, while Jesus predicted the miracle, to show that it did not happen by accident, he, at the same time, delivered himself in such terms as modestly to avoid the reputation that might have accrued to him from so stupendous a work. Verses 25, 26. When the people were put forth Namely, the mourners, who, having expressed the dispositions mentioned above, were not worthy to behold the miracle; he went in-Namely, into the chamber where the corpse was lying, accompanied by none but the three disciples above mentioned, and the father and mother of the damsel, they being of all persons the most proper witnesses of the miracle, which in reality suffered nothing by the absence of the rest. For, as they were all sensible that the child was dead, they could not but be certain of the miracle when they saw her alive again, though they might not know to whom the honour of her resurrection was due. And took her by the hand-As if he had been going to awake her out of sleep: and, with a gentle voice, but such as the persons in the chamber could easily hear, he said, Talitha cumi, which is, Damsel, arise. See Mark. And the maid arose-In an instant she revived and any that had communication with them. But he meant, that they should not officiously blaze it abroad, nor even indulge the inclination which they might feel to speak of a matter so astonishing. The reason was, the miracle spake sufficiently for itself. Accordingly Matthew here tells us, The fame of it went abroad into all that land-Words which imply not only that the report of it was spread throughout that country, and that it was much spoken of, which, all circumstances considered, it could not fail to be, but that the truth of it was inquired into by many, and that upon inquiry the reality of the miracle was universally acknowledged; and, as this is the proper meaning of the observation concerning this or any other of our Lord's miracles, (namely, that the fame of them went abroad,) so the evangelists, by thus openly and frequently appealing to the notoriety of the facts, have given us all the assurance possible of the reality of the miracles which they have recorded. See Macknight. It may not be improper to observe here that Christ raised three dead persons to life: this child, the widow's son, and Lazarus; one newly departed, another on the bier, the third smelling in the grave: to show us that no degree of death is so desperate as to be past his help. Verses 27-30. And when Jesus departed thenceNamely, from the ruler's house; two blind men, who probably had heard of his being there, and Two blind men receive sight. ST. MATTHEW. A dumb devil is cast out. A. M. 4035. blind men followed him, crying, and || straitly charged them, saying, See A. Μ. 4035 A. D. 31. saying, “Thou son of David, have mercy on us. A. D. 31. that no man know it. 31 But they, when they were departed, 28 And when he was come into the house, spread abroad his fame in all that country. the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith 322 As they went out, behold, they brougl t to unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? him a dumb man possessed with a devil. They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 33 And when the devil was cast out, the 29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, Ac- dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, cording to your faith, be it unto you. saying, It was never so seen in Israel. 30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus || 34 But the Pharisees said, a He casteth out u Chap. xv. 22; xx. 30, 31; Mark x. 47, 48; Luke xviii. 38, 39. * Chap. viii. 4; xii. 16; xvii. 9; Luke v. 14. waited for his coming out; followed him-As he went through the streets, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us-The title which they here give him, shows that they believed him to be the Messiah; for, at this time, it was not only universally understood that the Messiah would be a descendant of David, but son of David was one of the names then ascribed to him by the Jews; see chap. xii. 23; and xxii. 42-45. As these men were blind, they could have no evidence of Christ's miracles from their senses. They believed them, therefore, on the testimony of others who had seen them. Viewed in this light, their persuasion of Christ's power to cure them was an exercise of faith | highly commendable in them, and which reflected | great honour upon Jesus, as on the one hand it showed their sincerity and freedom from the prejudices which blinded the minds of the generality of the Jews; and, on the other, the truth and notoriety of his miracles. It was, therefore, for the glory of God and for the edification of others, that the strength of their faith should be discovered. This was done by their persevering to importune him to sight, that they could not forbear speaking of it wherever they came; by which means his fame was spread abroad in all that country. It had been expressly foretold by the prophet, that the Messiah should open the eyes of the blind; (see Psa. cxlvi. 8; Isa. xxxv. 5; xlii. 7;) and this is the first instance recorded by the evangelists in which Jesus proved himself to be the Messiah, by fulfilling those predictions. Verses 32-34. As they went out-Namely, the men that had been blind; behold, they brought to him a dumb man-Whose dumbness was owing to his being possessed with a devil. From the circum stance of this demoniac's being dumb, Erasmus conjectures that he was also deprived of the use of his reason. If so, being insensible of his own misery, he had as little inclination as ability to apply for a cure. He could not even make his misery known by signs, and therefore needed to be brought to the Saviour by others. And when the devil was cast out-Namely, by the powerful word of Jesus; the dumb spake-Readily, distinctly, rationally, and fluently. And the multitude marvelled-Were aston have mercy upon them, notwithstanding he seemed || ished both at the greatness of the miracle and at the instantaneous manner in which it was wrought, as also at the many other miracles which they had just seen performed. Saying, It was never so seen in Israel-Not even in Israel, where so many wonders have been seen. "This reflection was perfectly just; for no one of the prophets, that we read of in the Old Testament, appears to have wrought so many beneficial miracles in his whole life, as our Lord did in this one afternoon."-- ernoon."--Doddridge. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils--Not being able to deny facts that were so notorious, in order to prevent the at the first to refuse them, and by the answer which they returned to his question concerning their faith. Then-When their faith was thus sufficiently manifested, he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you-And immediately on his speaking these words, their eyes were opened. Such is the mighty power of the prayer of faith, and such is the honour wherewith Christ often crowns it! And Jesus straitly charged them, &c. - "The word || ενεβριμησατο, thus translated, is rendered by Phavorinus, to charge, to command, to appoint with authority: by Hesychius, to command, or charge with a threat. It signifies a rational, not a passionate ear-effect which they saw them likely to produce on the nestness and vehemence."-Hammond. Christ's command of silence, says Baxter, (namely, concerning the miracle,) "was partly to give us an example of avoiding ostentation and hypocrisy, and to be content with the approbation of God alone." Of other reasons why he forbade his miracles to be || gician, who cast out devils by the help of Beelze people, (namely, to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah,) being moved with the bitterest spite against him, they impudently, and contrary to al. reason and common sense, affirmed that instead of being the Christ, or a prophet, he was a vile ma divulged, see note on chap. viii. 4. These men, bub, their prince. A calumny this which the Pharisees frequently uttered, but which our Lord fully confuted, as the reader will see in the notes on chap. Christ teaches in the synagogues. CHAPTER IX. He exhorts his disciples to prayer. A. M. 4035. devils, through the prince of the || he was moved with compassion on A. M. 4035. A. D. 31. devils. 35b And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness, and every disease, among the people. A. D. 31. them, because they fainted, and were 36dBut when he saw the multitudes, harvest. b Mark vi. 6; Luke xiii. 22. - Chap. iv. 23. d Mark vi. 34.3 Or, were tired and lay down. Verses 35, 36. Jesus went about all the cities, teaching in their synagogues--See on chap. iv. 23. When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion--Having come from heaven to earth to seek and save lost sinners, he was affected to see such multitudes desirous of instruction, and yet destitute of it, and in danger of perishing without it, being either deserted or misled by their spiritual guides, and living in ignorance of the things which it most concerned them to know, and in a state of guilt and depravity. Because they fainted-The original e Num. xxvii. 17; 1 Kings xxii. 17; Ezek. xxiv. 5; Zech. x. 2. f Luke x. 2; John iv. 35.5 2 Thess. iii. 1. which indeed was never wanting to them at any time, for he always cherished the tenderest affection toward his countrymen; but it flowed particularly on this occasion, when he considered that they were in great distress for want of spiritual food." And therefore being deeply touched with a feeling of their miserable condition, he resolved to provide some remedy for it; which, as the evangelist here states, he proceeded to do immediately, directing his disciples to intercede with God to send forth labourers into his harvest, and immediately after expression, εκλελυμενοι, denotes here a kind of faint-ward appointing and sending those labourers. ness, or weakness, which is caused by hunger and Verses 37, 38. Then saith he to his disciples--To weariness. Perhaps the expression may refer part-quicken their devotion and zeal, The harvestly to the fatigue of their frequent journeys in fol-Namely, of souls to be gathered in, is plenteouslowing Christ from place to place; for many of The multitudes that followed Jesus, and expressed them came, not only from the several parts of Gali- so earnest a desire of receiving his instructions, lee, but also from Judea and Idumea, from beyond || gave him occasion of making this reflection. He Jordan, and the borders of Tyre and Zidon. Faintness of soul, however, is undoubtedly intended here, rather than of body. And were scattered abroad-Gr. εῤῥιμμενοι, an expression which, according to Elsner, means exposed to continual danger, as sheep having no shepherd. And yet this people had many teachers; they had scribes in every city, and the compared Judea and the neighbouring countries to fields covered with ripe corn, where nothing was wanting but reapers. See John iv. 35: and L'Enfant. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvestWhose peculiar work and office it is, and who alone is able to do it; that he will send forth labourers into his harvest-The word εκβαλῃ properly means priests, whose lips should have dispensed know-to thrust out, plainly implying the exercise of some ledge, and at whose mouth the people should have degree of force. For it is an employ not pleasing sought the law, (Mal. ii. 7,) were to be found in all to flesh and blood; so full of reproach, labour, danparts of the land. But they had no teachers who || ger, and temptation of every kind, that nature may cared for their souls; and none who were able, if well be averse to it. Those who never felt this, they had been willing, to have given them such in-never yet knew what it is to be labourers in Christ's struction as they needed. They had no pastors after God's own heart. "The teachers just mentioned," says Macknight, were blind, perverse, lazy guides, who every day discovered their ignorance and wickedness more and more. They either neglected the office of teaching altogether, or they filled the people's minds with high notions of ritualers, and to pray God to send forth more labourers harvest. He sends them forth, when he calls them by his Spirit, furnishes them with grace and gifts for the work, and makes a way for them to be employed therein. "Christ's example here," says Baxter, "teacheth preachers to compassionate a willing multitude, when they want sufficient teachobservances and traditions, to the utter disparage- when there are too few; and not to give over lament of moral duties, which in a manner they tram-bouring themselves without being utterly disabled, pled under foot; so that instead of serving God, they served their own glory, their gain, and their belly. Wherefore, any appearance of religion which though men forbid them. Some parishes in London have each about seventy thousand souls, some sixty thousand, some thirty thousand; and all the they had, was wholly feigned and hypocritical; in-city and county, and much more, have but one somuch that they rather did hurt by it than were of real service to the interests of [piety and] virtue. Besides, the common people, being distracted by the disagreeing factions of the Pharisees and Sadducees, knew not what to choose or refuse. The case therefore called loudly for the compassion of Jesus, bishop, and the curates or preachers cannot be heard [each] by above three thousand at once, or thereabouts." But how much greater is the population of London with its environs, and of the whole country, at the present day, than it was in Mr. Baxter's time! Christ calls the twelve disciples, ST. MATTHEW. who are sent to preach the gospel. CHAPTER X. In this chapter we have, (1,) An account of our Lord's calling and commissioning his twelve disciples, (who arc here named,) to co-operate with him in teaching and working miracles, 1-4. (2) The instructions he gives them with respect to the objects of their ministry, and their mode of preaching and proceeding, 5-15. (3,) He predicts the opposition and persecutions they should meet with, and directs them how to behave in the midst of such trials, 16-25. (4) Exhorts them not i fear, and encourages them with assurances of protection, aid, and a future reward of their labours; 26-39. (5,) Ηε promises peculiar blessings to such as should receive and assist his servants in their work, 40-42. A. M. 4035. AND when he had called unto || 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas A. M. 403. A. D. 31. 1 him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus; a Mark iii. 13, 14; vi. 7; Luke vi. 13; ix. 1.-1 Or, over. b John i. 42. Luke vi. 15; Acts i. 13. -d John xiii. 26. e Chap. iv. 15.- 2 Kings xvii. 24, John iv. 9, 20. NOTES ON CHAPTER X. || || d A. D. 31. Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of f the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 & But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, * The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: 1 freely ye have received, freely give. 5 Chap. xv. 24; Acts xiii. 46. h Isa. liii. 6; Jer. 1. 6, 17; Ezra xxxiv. 5, 6, 16; 1 Pet. ii. 25. Luke ix. 2.- Chap. iii. 2; iv. 17; Luke x. 9.-1 Acts viii. 18, 20. the place of his birth, a town of the tribe of Ephraim, near the city of Samaria. Verse 1. And when he had called his twelve dis-n ciples-From the evangelist's naming them the twelve, it appears that he considered them as elected before this, though he has given no account of it in his gospel. The number seems to have relation to the twelve patriarchs and the twelve tribes of Israel. He gave them power against unclean spirits--Evil spirits are called unclean, because they are wicked, and delight in wickedness; which is the only pollution of a spiritual being. And to heal all manner of sickness, &c.-By this power of working miracles the apostles, though men of low Verses 5, 6. These twelve Jesus sent forth-Namely, to preach the gospel and to work miracles; exercising therein his supreme authority over his Church. And commanded, Go not into the way of the Gentiles-That is, into their country. Their commission was thus confined now, because the calling of the Gentiles was deferred till after the more plentiful effusion of the Holy Ghost on the day of pentecost. And into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not-In travelling through Palestine the apostles would often have occasion to go into degree and illiterate, were enabled to draw the at- || Samaria; but they were not to enter the cities there tention of their countrymen, and to gain credit to the before unheard-of doctrine which they were to preach; and by our Lord's giving them this power he gave a striking proof of his Deity, for who but God can communicate any such power to man? of with a design to preach. It is true, in the beginning of his ministry, our Lord himself preached to the Samaritans with great success, John iv. 41, 42; and therefore, had he sent his apostles among them, numbers, in all probability, would have been induced to believe; but the inveterate enmity which the Jews bore to the Samaritans made the conversion of the latter improper at this time, as it would have laid a great stumbling-block in the way of the conversion of the Jews: as preaching now to the Gentiles would also have done. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel-He calls the Jews lost sheep, because, as he had told his disciples, chap. ix. 36, they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd, and so were in danger of perishing. See Isa. xlix. Verses 2-4. The first, Simon-The first who was called to a constant attendance on Christ: although Andrew had seen him before Simon, John i. 41. James the son of Zebedee-The fisherman, and John his brother-The beloved disciple; who were also called at the same time with the two former, as || they were fishing at the sea of Galilee, Mark i. 19. The word Ιακωβος, which we translate James, is the || same name with that of the patriarch; but immemorial custom has appropriated, in our language, the name James to the two apostles, and Jacob to the patriarch. Lebbeus, who was also called Judas, Verses 7, 8. And as ye go, preach-Κηρυσσετε, or Jude, the brother of James. Simon the Canaan- || proclaim, namely, with ardour and zeal, as becomes ite-So called, it seems, because he was a native of my heralds. The word is derived from κηρυξ, a heCana. And Judas, named Iscariot, from Iscarioth, ||rald. "Probably," says Doddridge, "they were to Christ commissions and instructs CHAPTER X. his disciples to preach his word. Α. Μ. 4035. 9 m Provide neither gold, nor sil- || 11 P And into whatsoever city or A. M. 4035. A. D. 31. ver, nor brass in your purses ; 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet 3 staves: (° for the workman is worthy of his meat.) m1 Sam. ix. 7; Mark vi. 8; Luke ix. 3; x.4; xxii. 35. 2 Or, Get. Mark vi. 8. A. D. 31. town ye shall enter, inquire who in it 3 Gr. a staff. Luke x. 7; 1 Cor. ix. 7, &c.; 1 Tim. v. 18. make this proclamation with a loud voice, as they passed through the streets of the towns they went to, as Jonah delivered his message to Nineveh." mode them in travelling. He probably also ordered them to go out thus unfurnished, partly that they might be inured, in his own lifetime, to bear the The kingdom of heaven is at hand-Ηγγικεν, hath || hardships they would be exposed to afterward, when approached. Publish everywhere the glad tidings of the approach of the Messiah's kingdom, promised by the prophets. Properly speaking, the kingdom of heaven, or gospel kingdom, did not begin till the Jewish dispensation was abolished, and therefore the apostles, in our Lord's time, and even our Lord himself, preached the approach only, and not the actual existence of that kingdom. But though the apostles were directed to preach the approach of || this kingdom, they did not yet fully understand its discharging the apostolical office; and partly that their faith in the providence of God might be confirmed. For it must have afforded them great comfort ever after, to reflect on the singular care that was taken of them while out on their first mission, wholly unprepared to execute such an undertaking. Accordingly this was the use which Christ himself directed them to make of it, Luke xxii. 35. It may not be improper to observe here, that the word ζωναις, here rendered purses, properly means girdles: be nature, that it was not to be a temporal, but a spirit-cause the people in the East had a custom of carryual kingdom, consisting in the dominion of truth ing their money in a kind of fob-pocket, or fold, and grace, of righteousness, peace, and joy within || made in the duplicate of their girdles. The word men. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, &c. -Perform all these miraculous cures in confirmation of your mission, to prove to men the certain truth and unspeakable importance of your message. Freely ye have received-All things; in particular the power of working miracles: freely give-Exert that power wherever you come, and that in a manner honourable to yourselves and me: scorn the thought of making any gain of those for whom these works of mercy and power are performed. That this clause relates to the miraculous cures which the apostles were empowered to perform, and not to the stated offices of the apostolical function, is evident from Luke x. || 7, where our Lord, in giving a like commission to the seventy, bid them eat and drink what was set before them, "because the labourer was worthy of his hire." Nay, in this very charge, no sooner did he order the apostles to give freely, than he forbade them to provide gold, &c., because the labourer, says he, is worthy of his meat, plainly insinuating that while they were preaching the gospel, they had a right to a maintenance from those who enjoyed the benefit of their labours, and should in the course of || the divine providence be supplied with all things necessary. τηρα, rendered scrip, was a sort of large bag, in which shepherds and those who journeyed carried their provisions. Thus the bag into which David put the smooth stones wherewith he smote Goliah, is called both a scrip and a shepherd's bag. Our Lord, in saying, Neither two coats nor shoes, means that they were only to take one coat and one pair of shoes, that is, only the articles of raiment which they were wearing. "In the account which Mark gives of the repetition of these instructions, immediately before the disciples took their journey, he says, they were permitted to be shod with sandals; (αλλ' υποδεδεμένες σανδαλια, vi. 9.) The sandal was a piece of strong leather or wood fastened to the sole of the foot with strings, which they tied round the foot and ankle; but the shoe was a kind of short boot, that covered the foot and part of the leg, and was a more delicate piece of dress than the sandal." - Macknight. Nor yet staves-Though in the margin we read, Gr. a staff, which is the common reading, many manuscripts and versions have ραβδες, staves, which some think reconciles this place with Luke ix. 3; and removes the seeming contradiction from Mark vi. 8, where we read, Take nothing save a staff only; that is, as they explain it, he that had a staff might take it to walk with: but none of them were to take any sort of rod or staff besides, wherewith to defend themselves, because, being the servants of the Lord, they were to be defended by his power as well as supported by his bounty. But the more probable solution of the difficulty seems to be, any one of them that had a staff in his hand, might take it: but as for those who were walking without staves, they were not to provide them. Verses 9, 10. Provide neither gold-As if he said, Though I forbid you to take money for the miraculous cures which you shall perform, I do not mean that you should beforehand lay up money for your support during your journey. You are not even to provide the clothes and shoes which you may have occasion for before you return; because you shall be supplied with whatever you need by those to whom you preach the gospel. Our Lord forbade his disciples to provide beforehand such things as might be necessary during their journey, because | they would be an encumbrance and would incom- || with him, that is, who is of a VOL. I. (7) Verses 11-13. Into whatsoever city, &c., ye shall enter, inquire who is worthy-That you should abide 97 character, and a |