42

Left Hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels:

Note the contrast between what is said of 'Everlasting Fire,' in this verse, and what is stated in verse 34 concerning the Kingdom.' That Kingdom was prepared before the foundation of the World not so, the pains of Hell. The misery of any of His creatures formed no part of God's design in Creation. But Man's Happiness, on the contrary, was designed from the beginning: inherit,' it is said, (that is, take as your right), 'the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World.' 'Everlasting Fire,' though it is the portion of the disobedient, was' prepared' only 'for the Devil and his angels.'

for I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no 43 drink I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not.

:

Take notice, (for it is very striking,) what was the character of the heavy sin of those on the left: -not acts of cruelty, or deeds of lust: not disobedience, or dishonesty: not evil speaking, or covetousness: no great crime, in a word, or open

vice. It consisted altogether in omissions and neglects. Lazarus had hungered, and they had See St. Matth. v. 5, and the note there. Compare Rom. viii. 16, 17.

given him no meat. Their 'lamps' had gone out. They had buried their 'Talent' in the Earth,— had hid their 'Pound' in a napkin. They had led selfish lives. They were unprofitable Servants.

"It is to be observed how, in this description our LORD dwells expressly and minutely on each particular by itself: He was hungry,-thirsty,a stranger,-naked,-sick,-and in prison. Perhaps this implies that great particularity of the Judgment, which is elsewhere signified by the intimation that 'even a cup of cold water given for His sake, shall not lose its reward';' and that 'GoD shall bring every work into Judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil";' and that for every idle word, men shall give account in the Day of Judgment"."

Then shall they also answer Him, saying, 44 LORD, when saw we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?

"The Righteous, in their answer", dwelt on each particular; in respect of each, finding themselves wanting. Whereas the unrighteous, in their reply, pass over all these neglected duties in a more summary self-confident way."

Self-confidence, indeed, constitutes a remarkable feature in the character of all those whom

St. Matth. x. 42. quoting St. Matth. xii. 36. • Williams.

z Eccles. xii. 14.

a Williams,

b See above, verses 37, 38, 39.

45

GOD rejects. Samson, after his broken vow, says 'I will go out as at other times before... And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him? 'Blessed be thou of the LORD,' says Saul to Samuel, after his act of disobedience: "I have performed the commandment of the LORD? Gehazi, after his villainy, went in, and stood before his master f 'Have we not prophesied in Thy Name?' is the inquiry of them 'that work iniquity,' in the Sermon on the Mounts. The unprofitable servant in the Parable of the Pounds' comes forward without fear1. The Pharisee hesitates not to set himself above the Publicani. guest unprovided with a wedding-garment, takes his place at the Supper without concern. “On the contrary, they who are accepted of CHRIST, are full of misgiving, and scarce believe their own acceptance, in the greatness of their surprise and sense of unworthiness1."

I

The

Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily

say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. And these shall go away into Everlasting punishment but the righteous into Life Eternal.

Concerning the Eternity of future Rewards and Punishments, see the notes on St. Mark ix. 48.

d Judges xvi. 20.
St. Matth. vii. 22.
iSt. Luke xviii. 11.

e 1 Sam. xv. 13. f 2 Kings v. 25.

h St. Luke xix. 20. * St. Matth. xxii. 11, 12. 1 Williams.

A

PLAIN COMMENTARY

ON THE TWENTY-SIXTH CHAPTER OF

St. Matthew's Gospel.

1 The rulers conspire against CHRIST. 6 The woman anointeth His head. 14 Judas selleth Him. 17 CHRIST eateth the Passover: 26 instituteth His Holy Supper: 36 prayeth in the Garden: 47 and being betrayed with a kiss, 57 is carried to Caiaphas, 69 and denied of Peter.

Ir will be remembered that the xxivth chapter was occupied by our LORD's prophecy concerning the Destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the World: the xxyth, by His Parables of the wise and foolish Virgins,' and of 'the Talents;' together with a picture of the Son of Man sitting 'upon the Throne of His Glory.' Our SAVIOUR who has hitherto been exhibited as our Great Prophet and Teacher, is now about to reveal Himself as our Great High Priest.

XXVI. AND it came to pass, when JESUS 1 had finished all these sayings, He said unto His Disciples, Ye know that after two days 2 is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.

'Ye know,'-for He had forewarned them. But by the form of His present address, He directs

See St. Matth. xx. 17 to 19.

their attention to that fulfilment of the Law which

b

was to take place in His person. St. Paul expresses this in three words,-CHRIST our Passover ... It is not needful in this place to enter into any account of the Paschal ceremony: but it is right to observe how plain a type was the Paschal victim of 'the LAMB of GOD, which taketh away the sin of the World". Not only did the manner of roasting the Lamb represent the affixing of a man to the cross; but the very command concerning the Passover foretold the manner of CHRIST'S Death: for the direction not to break a bone thereof, having reference to Him, clearly implied that the SAVIOUR of the World should suffer that death to which the breaking of the bones belonged; and that, according to the constant custom in Judæa, was Crucifixion.

The words of our LORD in ver. 2, are therefore none other than a great Prophecy ;-where delivered, we know not; but most probably at Bethany, whither He certainly proceeded after the sayings with which the preceding chapter concluded. Take notice how the predictions which our SAVIOUR delivered concerning His own approaching Death and Passion increase in clearness as the event approaches, until He actually

b 1 Cor. v. 7.

See Exod. xii. 1 to 27 and 43 to 49: Deut. xvi. 1 to 8. d St. John i. 29. e Exod. xii. 46. f From Bp. Pearson. Examine the following texts: St. Matth. xvi. 21: xvii. 22, 23: St. Mark x. 33, 34,-where see the note.