The system of the Pharisees A. D. 27. a A. D. 27. A. M. 4031. John, saying, Why do we and the unto an old garment, for that which A. M. 4051. An. Olymp. Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples is put in to fill it up taketh from An. Olymp. fast not? the garment, and the rent is made worse. CCI. 3. 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bride-groom is with them? but the days will come, when the bride-groom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. CCI. 3. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are 16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth preserved. Mark 2. 18, &c. Luke 5. 53, &c. & 18. 12. b John S. 29. Acts 13. 2, 3. & 14. 23. 1 Cor. 7. 5.— Or, raw, or unwrought cloth. Verse 10. No man putteth a piece of new cloth] Oudus de επιβαλλει επίβλημα ράκους αγναφου επι ιματιω παλαίω. No man putteth a patch of unscoured cloth upon an old garment. This is the most literal translation I can give of this verse, to convey its meaning to those who cannot consult the original. Paxos ayvaçov is that cloth which has not been scoured, or which has not passed under the hand of the fuller, who is called yvaeus in Greek: and a signifies a piece put on, or what we commonly term a patch. It-taketh from the garment] Instead of closing up the rent, it makes a larger, by tearing away with it the whole breadth of the cloth, over which it was laid; algu yag to Tλngwμa autou- -it taketh its fulness or whole breadth from the garment; this I am persuaded is the meaning of the original, well expressed by the Latin, or Itala of the c. BEZE, Tollit enim plenitudo ejus de vestimento. "It takes away its fulness from the garment." Verse 15. Can the children of the bride-chamber] Nuuwvos. HOURS; and this absurdity continues in some Christian Or, vuμqov, bride-groom, as the Cod. Beza and several Versions || churches to the present day. For more on fasting, see chap. have it. These persons were the companions of the bride- || vi. 16. groom, who accompanied him to the house of his father-inlaw when he went to bring the bride to his own home. The marriage-feast, among the Jews, lasted seven days; but the new married woman was considered to be a bride for thirty days. Marriage feasts were times of extraordinary festivity, and even of riot, among several people of the East. When the bride-groom shall be taken from them, &c.] There was only one annual fast observed in the primitive church, called by our ancestors, lenczen-pærren, the spring fast; and by us, LENT: by the Greeks Toσaxon, and by the Latins, Quadrigessima. This fast is pretended to be kept by many in the present day, in commemoration of our Lord's forty days fast in the wilderness; but it does not appear that, in the purest ages of the primitive church, genuine Christians ever pretended that their quadrigessimal fast was kept for the above purpose. Their fast was kept merely to commemorate the time during which Jesus Christ lay under the power of death; which was about FORTY HOURS: and it was in this sense they understood the words of this text: the days will come, &c. with them, the bride-groom meant Christ; the time in which he was taken away, his crucifixion, death, and the time he lay in the grave. Suppose him dying about 12 o'clock on what is called Friday, and that he rose about four on the morning of his own day (St. John says, Early, while it was yet dark, chap. xx. 1.) the interim makes forty hours, which was the true primitive Lent, or quadrigessimal fast. It is true that many in the primitive church were not agreed on this subject, as Socrates in his Church History, book v. chap. 22, says, "Some thought they should fast one day; others two; others more."--Different churches also were divided concerning the length of the time; some keeping it three, others five, and others seven weeks: and the historian himself is puzzled to know why they all agreed in calling these fasts, differing so much in their duration, by the name of Quadrigessima, or forty days fast: the plain obvious reason appears to me to have been simply this: They put DAYS in the place of Verse 17. New wine into old bottles] It is still the custom, in the eastern countries, to make their bottles of goat-skins ; if these happened to be old, and new wine were put into them, the violence of the fermentation must necessarily burst them, and therefore newly made bottles were employed for the purpose of putting that wine in, which had not yet gone through its state of fermentation. The Institutes of Christ, and those of the Pharisees, could never be brought to accord: an attempt to combine the two systems, would be as absurd as it would be destructive. The old covenant made way for the new, which was its completion and its end: but with that old covenant, the new cannot be incorporated. Christian prudence requires that the weak, and newly converted, should be managed with care and tenderness. To impose such duties and mortifications as are not absolutely necessary to salvation, before God has properly prepared the heart by his grace for them, is a conduct as absurd and ruinous as putting a piece of raw unscoured cloth on an old garment; it is, in a word, requiring the person to do the work of a man, while as yet he is but a little child. Preachers of the gospel, and especially those who are instruments in God's hand, of many conversions, have need of much heavenly wisdom, that they may know to watch over, guide, and advise those who are brought to a sense of their sin and danger. How many auspicious beginnings have been ruined by men's proceeding too hastily, endeavouring to make their own designs take place, and to have the honour of that success themselves, which is due only to God. Verse 18. A certain ruler] There were two officers in the synagogue, nɔɔɔn jin chazan ha-ceneseth, the bishop or overseer of the congregation; and 778 rosh hu-ceneseth, the head or ruler of the congregation. The Chazan takes the book of the Law, and gives it to Rosh or ruler; and he appoints who shall read the different sections, &c. Jairus, who is the person intended here, was in this latter sense, the ruler or governor of one of the synagogues, probably at CaperSee Mark v. 22. Luke viii. 41. My daughter is even now dead] Or, my daughter was just How dying; azTI ETEλUTNJE, or, is by this time dead: i. e. as Mr. Wakefield properly observes, She was so ill when I left home, that she must be dead by this time. This turn of the expression reconciles the account given here, with that in Mark and Luke. Michaelis conjectures, that in the Hebrew original, the words must have stood thus, nn nny âtah matah; which without the points, may signify either She is dead, or She is dying. To be successful in our applications to God by prayer, four things are requisite, and this ruler teaches us what they are. First, A man should place himself in the presence of God-he came unto him. || vants of God, through which, heavenly influences were conveyed to the bodies and souls of men. This rite is still used in certain Churches; but as there is no Holy Ghost communicated by it, some suppose it may be as well omitted. But why is this? Is it not because there is an unfaithfulness in the person who lays on hands, or an unfitness in him on whom they are laid? Let the rite be restored to its primitive simplicity, and God will own it as he formerly did. But however this may be, where is the man or number of men who have authority to abrogate a rite of God's own appointment? In the appointment of men to the sacred ministry it should never be omitted: even in these degenerate days, it may still serve as a sign of the necessity of the gifts and graces of that Holy Spirit, without which no man can fulfil the work of the ministry, or be the instrument of saving the souls of them that hear him. When the inventions of men are put in the place of the ordinances of God, the true Church of Christ is in great danger. Verse 19. Jesus arose, and followed him] Our blessed Lord could have acted as well at a distance, as present; but he goes to the place, to teach his ministers not to spare either their steps or their pains when the salvation of a soul is in question. Let them not think it sufficient to pray for the sick in their closets; but let them go to their bed-sides, that they may instruct and comfort them. He can have little unction in private, who does not also give himself up to public duties. Verse 20. A woman which was diseased with an issue of blood] Tum aipojjovca. Mulier sanguinis profluvio laborans. Significatur hoc loco, fluxus muliebris, in SANIS, menstruus; in HAC, perpetuus. It would be easy to explain the nature and properties of the disease here mentioned; but when it is said, that prudence forbids it, the intimation itself may Secondly, He should humble himself sincerely before God be thought sufficiently explanatory of the disorder in ques-he fell down before him-at his feet. Mark v. 22. Thirdly, He should lay open his wants with a holy earnestness—he besought him greatly. Mark v. 23. Fourthly, He should have unbounded confidence in the power and goodness of Christ that his request shall be granted-put thy hand upon her, and she shall live. He who comes in this way, to God for salvation, is sure to be heard. Imposition of hands was a rite anciently used by the ser tion. There are some remarkable circumstances relative to this case, mentioned by St. Mark, chap. v. 25, &c. which shall be properly noticed in the notes on that place. The hem of his garment] The ny tsitsith, or fringes, which the Jews were commanded to wear on their garments. See Num. xv. 38. and the note there. Verse 21. She said within herself, If I may but touch his garment] Her disorder was of that delicate nature, that N An. Olymp. comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made CCI. 3. с raised from the dead. house, and saw the minstrels and the A. M.4031. people making a noise, A.D. 27. An. Olymp. CCI. 3. 24 He said unto them, "Give place: whole from that hour. b a Luke 7. 50. & 8. 48. & 17. 19. & 18. 42. Mark 5. 38. Luke 8. 51. modesty forbad her to make any public acknowledgment of it: and therefore she endeavoured to transact the whole business in private. Besides, the touch of such a person, was reputed unclean. By faith in Christ Jesus, little things are often rendered efficacious to our salvation. What more simple than a morsel of bread, and a few drops of wine, in the Lord's Supper! and yet, they who receive them by faith in the sacrifice they represent, are made partakers of the blessings purchased by the crucified body, and spilt blood of the Lord Jesus! See 2 Chron. $5. 25.-d Acts 20. 10. bards and croteries prepared the caoinan. The chief bard of the head chorus, began by singing the first stanza in a low doleful tone; which was softly accompanied by the harp. At the conclusion, the foot semichorus began the lamentation or ULLALOO, from the final note of the preceding stanza, in which they were answered by the head semichorus; then both united in one general chorus. The chorus of the first stanza being ended, the chief bard of the foot semichorus sung the second stanza, the strain of which was taken from the concluding note of the preceding Verse 22. Daughter, be of good comfort] Oxzou buyar, chorus, which ended, the head semichorus began the GOL, take courage, daughter. See on ver. 2. The reason of this or lamentation, in which they were answered by that of the kind speech was, Jesus finding that virtue had proceeded foot, and then, as before, both united in the general full from him, made enquiry who had touched him. The woman chorus. Thus alternately were the song and choruses perfinding that she could not be hid, came fearing and trembling || (Mark v. 33.) and confessed the truth: to dispel these fears and to comfort her mind, Jesus said, Daughter, take courage. Thy faith hath made thee whole.] H MIOTIS GOU CECWXE σ, This thy faith hath saved thee; i. e. thy faith in my power, has interested that power in thy behalf, so that thou art saved from thy disorder, and from all its consequences. See on Luke viii. 46. formed during the night. I have seen a number of women, sometimes fourteen, twenty-four, or more, accompany the deceased from his late house to the grave-yard, divided into two parties on each side the corpse, singing the ULLALOO alternately, all the way. That drinking, in what is called the wake, or watching with the body of the deceased, is practised, and often carried to a shameless excess, needs little proof. This kind of intemperance proceeded to such great lengths among the Jews; that the Sanhedrin were obliged to make a decree, to restrain the drinking to ten cups each. I mention these things more particularly, because I have often observed that the customs of the aboriginal Irish bear a very striking resemblance to those of the ancient Jews; and other Asiatic nations. The application of these obser vations I leave to others. Verse 23. Saw the minstrels and the people making a noise] Auλntas pipers; Anglo-saxon hpirtlepar, the whistlers; Gothic haurngans haurngandans, the horn blowers blowing with their horns. Nearly the same as the pipublasara, pipe blowers, of the Islandic, for among all those nations funeral lamentations, accompanied with such rude instruments, were made at the death of relatives. That pipes were in use among the Jews, in times of calamity or death, is evident from Jer. It was a custom with the Greeks to make a great noise xlviii. 36. And among the Greeks and Romans, as well as with brazen vesscis; and the Romans made a general outcry, among the Jews, persons were hired on purpose to follow the called conclamatio, hoping either to stop the soul which was funeral procession with lamentations. See Jer. ix. 17—21. now taking its flight, or to awaken the person, if only in a Amos v. 16. Even the poorest among the Jews were re- state of torpor. This they did for eight days together, callquired to have two pipers, and one mourning woman. Ating the person incessantly by his name; at the expiration of these funeral solemnities it was usual with them to drink which term the phrase, conclamatum est—all is over-there is considerably; even ten cups of wine cach, where it could no hope-was used. See the words used in this sense by be got. See Lightfoot. This custom is observed among the Terence, EUN. 1. 347. In all probability this was the (9native Irish to this day, in what is called their CAOINAN. Bousov) the making a violent outcry, mentioned here by the The body of the deceased dressed in grave-clothes, and or- Evangelist. How often, on the death of relatives, do men namented with flowers, is placed on some eminent place; incumber and perplex themselves with vain, worldly and the relations and caoiners range themselves in two divisions, tumultuous ceremonies, instead of making profitable reflecone at the head, and the other at the feet of the corpse. An- tions on death! ciently, where the deceased was a great personage, the Verse 24. The maid is not dead, but sleepeth.] That is, she is not dead so as to continue under the power of death; but incontestably acknowledged as coming from this stock. Matt. shall be raised from it as a person is from natural sleep. They laughed him to scorn.] Kartychwy autov, they ridiculed him; from xara intensive, and yɛhaw I laugh-they grinned a ghastly smile, expressive of the contempt they felt for his person and knowledge. People of the world generally laugh at those truths which they neither comprehend nor love, and deride those who publish them; but a faithful minister of God (copying the example of Christ) keeps on his way, and does the work of his Lord and Master. xii. 23. Have mercy on us.] That man has already a measure of heavenly fight, who knows that he has no merit; that his cry should be a cry for mercy; that he must be fervent, and that in praying he must follow Jesus Christ as the true Messiah, the son of David expected from heaven. Verse 28. When he was come into the house] That is, the house of Peter, at Capernaum, where he ordinarily lodged. Believe ye that I am able to do this?] Without faith Jesus does nothing to men's souls now, no more than he did to their bodies in the days of his flesh. They said unto him, Yea, Lord.] In our blindness we should have, 1st. A lively faith in the almighty grace of Christ. 2dly. A fervent, incessant cry for the communication of this grace. 3dly. A proper view of his incarnation, because it is through his union with our nature, and by his sufferings and death, we are to expect salvation. Verse 25. He took her by the hand, and the maid arose.] The fountain of life thus communicating its vital energy to the dead body. Where death has already taken place, no power but that of the great God can restore to life; in such a case, vain is the help of man. So the soul that is dead in trespasses and sins, that is, sentenced to death because of transgression; and is thus dead in law, can only be restored to spiritual life by the mighty power of the Lord Jesus; because He alone has made the atonement, and Hɛ alone can pardon transgression. If the spiritually dead person be utterly unconcerned about the state and fate of his soul, let auto, from , and Beques to roar or storm with anger; converted relative either bring him to Christ by leading him to hear the unadulterated Gospel of the kingdom; or bring Christ to him by fervent, faithful, and persevering prayer. Verse 26. And the fame hereof went abroad] In this business Jesus himself scarcely appears, but the work effected by his sovereign power, is fully manifested; to teach us that it is the business of a successful preacher of the gospel to conccal himself as much as possible, that God alone may have the glory of his own grace. This is a proper miracle, and a full exemplification of the unlimited power of Christ. Verse 27. Son of David] This was the same as if they had called him Messiah. Two things here are worthy of remark: 1st. That it was a generally received opinion at this time in Judea, that the Messiah should be son of David. (John vii. 47.) 2dly. That Jesus Christ was generally and Verse 29. According to your faith] See on chap. viii. 13. he charged them on pain of his displeasure, not to make it as yet public. See the reasons, chap. viii. 4. Verse 31. But they-spread abroad his fame] They should have held their peace; for to obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Sam. xv. 22. but man must always be wiser than God. However, it may be profitable to remark, 1st. That honour pursues those who fly from it. 2dly. He who is thoroughly sensible of God's mercy, cannot long contain his acknowledgments. 3dly. That God in general requires that what a man has received for his own salvation, shall become subservient to that of others--Let your light so shine, &c. God chuses to help man by man, that all may be firmly knit together in brotherly love. Verse 32. A dumb man possessed with a devil.] Some dæmons rendered the persons they possessed paralytic, some The dumb A.M. 4031. A. D. N. CCI. 3. 33 And when the devil was cast villages, teaching in their synagogues, An. Olymp. out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. b A.M. 4031. A D. 27. CCI. S. and preaching the gospel of the king- An. Olymp. dom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 35 And Jesus went about all the cities and sheep having no shepherd. Ch. 12. 24. Mark 3. 22. Luke 11. 15.- Mark 6 6. Luke 13. 22. ch. 4. 23. blind, others dumb, &c. It was the interest of Satan to hide his influences under the appearance of natural disorders. A man who does not acknowledge his sin to God, who prays not for salvation, who returns no praises for the mercies he is continually receiving, may well be said to be possessed with a dumb dæmon. Verse 33. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake] The very miracle which was now wrought, was to be the demonstrative proof of the Messiah's being manifested in the flesh. See Isai. xxxv. 5, 6. It was never so seen in Israel.] The greatest of the prophets has never been able to do such miracles as these. This was the remark of the people: and thus we find, that the poor and the simple were more ready to acknowledge the hand of God, than the rich and the learned. Many miracles had been wrought in the course of this one day, and this excited their surprise. Verse 34. He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.] This verse is wanting in both the Greek and Latin of the C. Beza, in another copy of the Itala, and in Hilary and Juvencus. But see on chap. xii. 24. It is a consummate piece of malice to attribute the works of God to the devil. Envy cannot suffer the approbation which is given to the excellencies of others. Those whose hearts are possessed by this vice, speak the very language of the devil. Calumny is but a little distance from envy. Though all persons may not have as much enty as the Pharisees; yet they should fear having some degree of it, as all have the principle from which it proceeds, viz. sin. Verse 35. Jesus went about all the cities and villages] Of Galilee. See on chap. iv. 23, 24. A real minister of Jesus Christ, after his example, is neither detained in one place by a comfortable provision made by some; nor discouraged from pursuing his work by the calumny and persecution of others. It is proper to remark, that wherever Christ comes, the proofs of his presence evidently appear: he works none but salutary and beneficial miracles, because his ministry is a ministry of salvation. about fifty MSS. several of them of the first antiquity and authority; by the Complutensian, and by Bengel; by both the Syriac, both the Arabic, both the Persic; the Ethiopic, Gothic, Saxon, and all the Itala, except four. Griesbach has left it out of the text. Verse 36. Moved with compassion] Eσhayxon, from onλayxvor, a bowel. The Jews esteemed the bowels to be the seat of sympathy and the tender passions, and so applied the organ to the sense. Ehayxoμa signifies, says Mintert, "to be moved with pity from the very inmost bowels. It is an emphatic word, signifying a vehement affection of commiseration, by which the bowels, and especially the heart, is moved." Both this verb and the noun seem to be derived from was, to draw; the whole intestinal canal, in the peristaltic motion of the bowels, being drawn, affected, and agitated with the sight of a distressed or miserable object. Pity increases this motion of the bowels, and produces considerable pain: hence hayxor, to have the bowels moved, signifies to feel pity or compassion, at seeing the miseries of others. They fainted] Instead of Extλuros, fainted, all the best. MSS. Versions, and Fathers, read μɛvos, grieved, and. melancholy. Kypke says oxua properly signifies, to pluck off the hair, as persons do in extreme sorrow or distress.. The margin says, They were tired, and lay down. And were scattered abroad] Eggievo, thrown down, or, all along. They were utterly neglected as to the interests of their souls, and rejected by the proud and disdainful PhariThis people (xhoc, this mob) that knoweth not the Law,. is accursed, John vii. 49. Thus, those execrable men spoke of the souls that God had made, and of whom they should. have been the instructors. sees. Those teachers in name, have left their successors behind. them; but as in the days of Christ, so now, God has in his, inercy rescued the flock out of the hands of those who only fed upon their flesh, and clothed themselves with their wool. The days in which a man was obliged to give his property to what was called THE Church, for the salvation Among the people.] Εν τω λεω. This clause is omitted by of his soul, Christ being left out of the question, are, thank |