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COMMENTARY
ON A
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS,
MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE.
VOL. II.
THE CALVIN TRANSLATION SOCIETY,
INSTITUTED IN MAY M.DCCC.XLIII.
FOR THE PUBLICATION OF TRANSLATIONS OF THE WORKS OF
JOHN CALVIN.
COMMENTARY r . %, A
U- ^<F^ H
ON A
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS,
MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE.
BY JOHN CALVIN.
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN, AND COLLATED WITH
THE AUTHOR S FRENCH VERSION,
BY THE REV. WILLIAM PRINGLE.
VOLUME SECOND. /
V
EDINBURGH :
PRINTED FOR THE CALVIN TRANSLATION SOCIETY.
M.DCCC.XLV.
at Stationer^
THE EDINBURGH PRINTING COMPANY,
12, South St David Street.
COMMENTARY
ON A
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
MARK. LUKE,
VI. 12. And they departed, and preach- IX. And they departed,
ed 1 that men should repent. 13. Aoid and went round about
they cast out many devils, and anointed through the villages 2 preach-
with oil many diseased persons, and healed ing the Gospel, and healing
them. everywhere.
Mark VI. 12. And they departed, and preached. Matthew
silently passes over what the Apostles did. Mark and Luke
relate that they proceeded to execute the commission which
they had received; and from their statements it appears
more clearly, that the office which Christ at that time be
stowed upon them, as I have formerly mentioned, was tem
porary, and indeed lasted but a few days. They tell us that
the Apostles went through the cities and villages : and they
unquestionably returned in a short time to their Master, as
we shall find to be stated in another passage.
The only matter that requires exposition here is the fact
related by Mark, that they anointed with oil many diseased
1 " Eux done estans partis prescherent j" " they then having set out,
preached."
2 " Eux done estans partis alloyent de village en village a 1 entour;"
"they then having set out, went from village to village roundabout."
6 COMMENTAEY ON A
persons. Christ having conferred on them the power of
healing, it is asked, why did they apply oil? Some learned
persons suppose that it was a sort of medicine; and I
acknowledge that in these countries the use of oil was very
common. But nothing is more unreasonable than to imagine,
that the Apostles employed ordinary and natural remedies,
which would have the effect of obscuring the miracles of
Christ. They were not instructed by our Lord in the art
and science of healing, but, on the contrary, were enjoined
to perform miracles which would arouse all Judea. I
think, therefore, that this anointing was a visible token of
spiritual grace, by which the healing that was administered
by them was declared to proceed from the secret power of
God ; for under the Law oil was employed to represent the
grace of the Spirit. The absurdity of an attempt to imitate
the Apostles, by making the anointing of the sick a per
petual ordinance of the Church, appears from the fact, that
Christ bestowed on the Apostles the gift of healing, not as
an inheritance which they should hand down to posterity,
but as a temporary seal of the doctrine of the Gospel. In
our own day, the ignorance of the Papists is exceedingly
ridiculous in maintaining that their nasty unction, 1 by which
they hurry to the grave persons who are fast dying, is a
Sacrament.
MATTHEW. LUKE.
XL 1. And it happened that when VII. 18. And the disciples of
Jesus had made an end of command- John informed him of all these
ing his twelve disciples, 2 he departed things; 19. And John called to
thence to teach and to preach in him two of his disc ; ples, and sent
their cities. 2. Now when John had them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he
heard in the prison the works of who was to come, or do we look
Christ, he sent two of his disciples, for another ? (Shortly afterwards.}
3. And said to him, Art thou he who 21. And in the same hour he
was to come, or do we look for an- cured many of diseases and plagues,
other ? 4. And Jesus answering said and evil spirits, and to many who
to them, Go and relate to John were blind he gave sight. 22. And
1 The allusion is to extreme unction, (or last anointing,} which is one of
the Seven Sacraments recognized by the Church of Rome. Ed.
^ 2 " Quand lesus eut acheve de donner mandemens a ses douze dis
ciples ;" " when Jesus had finished giving injunctions to his twelve
disciples."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 7
MATTHEW. LUKE.
those things which you hear and see. he answering said to them, Go and
5. The blind receive their sight, and relate to John those things which you
the lame walk; the lepers are cleans- have heard and seen, that the blind
ed, and the deaf hear ; the dead are see, the lame walk, the lepers are
raised up, and the poor receive the cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead
message of the Gospel. 1 6. And rise again, to the poor the Gospel is
blessed is he who shall not be of- preached. 23. And blessed is he
fended at me. who shall not be offended at me. 2
Matthew XI. 1. And it happened that when Jesus had
made an end. In this passage Matthew means nothing
more than that Christ did not desist from the exercise of
his office, while the Apostles were labouring in another
direction. As soon, therefore, as he sent them away, with
the necessary instructions, to perambulate Judea, he per
formed the duties of a teacher in Galilee. The word com
manding, which Matthew employs, is emphatic ; for he
means that they did not receive a commission to do what
they pleased, but were restricted and enjoined as to the
statements which they should make, and the manner in
which they should conduct themselves.
2. Now when John had heard. The Evangelists do not
mean that John was excited by the miracles to acknowledge
Christ at that time as Mediator ; but, perceiving that Christ
had acquired great reputation, and concluding that this was
a fit and seasonable time for putting to the test his own
declaration concerning him, he sent to him his disciples.
The opinion entertained by some, that he sent them partly
on his own account, is exceedingly foolish ; as if he had not
been fully convinced, or obtained distinct information, that
Jesus is the Christ. Equally absurd is the speculation of
those who imagine that the Baptist was near death, and
therefore inquired what message he should carry, from
Christ s mouth as it were, to the deceased fathers. It is
1 " Et 1 Evangile est annonce aux poures ; " " and the Gospel is
preached to the poor."
2 " Qui ne sera point scandalize, ou offense, en moy;" "who shall not
be scandalized, or offended, at me."
8 COMMENTARY ON A
very evident that the holy herald of Christ, perceiving that
he was not far from the end of his journey, and that his
disciples, though he had bestowed great pains in instructing
them, still remained in a state of hesitation, resorted to this
last expedient for curing their weakness. He had faithfully
laboured, as I have said, that his disciples should embrace
Christ without delay. His continued entreaties had pro
duced so little effect, that he had good reason for dreading
that, after his death, they would entirely fall away ; and
therefore he earnestly attempted to arouse them from their
sloth by sending them to Christ. Besides, the pastors of
the Church are here reminded of their duty. They ought
not to endeavour to bind and attach disciples to themselves,
but to direct them to Christ, who is the only Teacher.
From the beginning, John had openly avowed that he was
not the bridegroom, (John iii. 39.) As the faithful friend of
the bridegroom, he presents the bride chaste and uncontami-
nated to Christ, who alone is the bridegroom of the Church.
Paul tells us that he kept the same object in view, (2 Cor.
xi. 2,) and the example of both is held out for imitation to
all the ministers of the Gospel.
3. Art thou he who was to come 9 John takes for granted
what the disciples had known from their childhood ; for it
was the first lesson of religion, and common among all the
Jews, that Christ was to come, bringing salvation and perfect
happiness. On this point, accordingly, he does not raise a
doubt, but only inquires if Jesus be thafpromised Redeemer ;
for, having been persuaded of the redemption promised in
the Law and the Prophets, they were bound to receive it
when exhibited in the person of Christ. He adds, Do we
look for another? By this expression, he indirectly glances at
their sloth, which allowed them, after having been distinctly
informed, to remain so long in doubt and hesitation. At the
same time, he shows what is the nature and power of faith.
Resting on the truth of God, it does not gaze on all sides,
does not vary, but is satisfied with Christ alone, and will not
be turned to another.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 9
4. Go and relate to John. As John had assumed for the
time a new character, so Christ enjoins them to carry to him
that message, which more properly ought to have been
addressed to his disciples. He gives an indirect reply, and
for two reasons : first, because it was better that the thing
should speak for itself; and, secondly, because he thus
afforded to his herald a larger subject of instruction. Nor
does he merely supply him with bare and rough materials in
the miracles, but adapts the miracles to his purpose by quota
tions from the Prophets. He notices more particularly one
passage from the 35th, and another from the 61st, chapter
of Isaiah, for the purpose of informing John s disciples, that
what the Prophets declared respecting the reign of Christ
was accomplished and fulfilled. The former passage contains
a description of Christ s reign, under which God promises
that he will be so kind and gracious as to grant relief and
assistance for every kind of disease. He speaks, no doubt^
of spiritual deliverance from all diseases and remedies ; but
under outward symbols, as has been already mentioned,
Christ shows that he came as a spiritual physician to cure
souls. The disciples would consequently go away without
any hesitation, having obtained a reply which was clear and
free from all ambiguity.
The latter passage resembles the former in this respect.
It shows that the treasures of the grace of God would be
exhibited to the world in Christ, and declares that Christ is
expressly set apart for the poor and afflicted. This passage
is purposely quoted by Christ, partly to teach all his followers
the first lesson of humility, and partly to remove the offence
which the flesh and sense might be apt to raise against his
despicable flock. We are by nature proud, and scarcely
anything is much valued by us, if it is not attended by a
great degree of outward show. But the Church of Christ is
composed of poor men, and nothing could be farther removed
from dazzling or imposing ornament. Hence many are led
to despise the Gospel, because it is not embraced by many
persons of eminent station and exalted ^rank. How perverse
and unjust that opinion is, Christ shows from the very nature
10 COMMENTARY ON A
of the Gospel, since it was designed only for the poor and
despised. Hence it follows, that it is no new occurrence, or
one that ought to disturb our minds, if the Gospel is despised
by all the great, who, puffed up with their wealth, have no
room to spare for the grace of God. Nay, if it is rejected by
the greater part of men, there is no reason to wonder ; for
there is scarcely one person in a hundred who does not swell
with wicked confidence. As Christ here guards his Gospel
against contempt, he likewise reminds us who they are that
are qualified to appreciate the grace of salvation which it offers
to them ; and in this manner, kindly inviting wretched sinners
to the hope of salvation, raises them to full confidence.
5. The poor receive the message of the Gospel. By the poor
are undoubtedly meant those whose condition is wretched
and despicable, and who are held in no estimation. How
ever mean any person may be, his poverty is so far from
being a ground of despair, that it ought rather to animate
him with courage to seek Christ. But let us remember that
none are accounted poor but those who are reaUy such, or, in
other words, who lie low and overwhelmed by a conviction of
their poverty.
6. And blessed is he who shall not be offended in me. By
this concluding statement Christ intended to remind them,
that he who would adhere firmly and stedfastly to the faith
of the Gospel must encounter offences, which will tend to
interrupt the progress of faith. This is said by way of antici
pation, to fortify us against offences ; for we shall never want
reasons for rejecting it, until our rninds are raised above every
offence. The first lesson, therefore, to be learned is, that
we must contend with offences, if we would continue in the
faith of Christ ; for Christ himself is justly denominated a
rock of offence and stone of stumbling, by which many fall,
(1 Pet. ii. 8.) This happens, no doubt, through our own
fault, but that very fault is remedied, when he pronounces
those to be blessed who shall not be offended in him ; from
which too we infer, that unbelievers have no excuse, though
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
11
they plead the existence of innumerable offences. For what
hinders them from coming to Christ ? Or what drives them
to revolt from Christ ? It is because he appears with his
cross, disfigured and despised, and exposed to the reproaches
of the world ; because he calls us to share in his afflictions ;
because his glory and majesty, being spiritual, are despised
by the world ; and in a word, because his doctrine is totally
at variance with our senses. Again, it is because, through
the stratagems of Satan, many disturbances arise, with the
view of slandering and rendering hateful the name of Christ
and the Gospel; and because every one, as if on purpose,
rears up a mass of offences, being instigated by not less
malignity than zeal to withdraw from Christ. 1
MATTHEW.
XI. 7. And as they were departing,
Jesus began to say to the multitudes
concerning John, What went you out
into the wilderness to see ? A reed,
which is shaken by the wind ? 8. But
what went you out to see ? A man
clothed in soft raiment ? 2 Lo, they
who wear soft clothing are in the
houses of kings. 9. But what went
you out to see ? A Prophet ? Yea, I
say to you, and higher than a Prophet.
10. For this is he of whom it is written,
Lo, I send my messenger before thy
face, who will prepare the way before
thee. 11. Verily, 1 say to you, Among
those who are born of women, there
hath not arisen a greater than John
the Baptist : yet he who is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12. And from the days of John the
Baptist to this day, the kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent take it by force. 13. For all
the Prophets and the Law itself pro-
LUKE.
VII. 24. And when the mes
sengers of John had departed, he
began to say to the multitudes
concerning John, What went you
out into the wilderness to see ? A
reed, which is shaken by the wind?
25. But what went you out to
see ? A man clothed with soft
garments ? 3 Lo, they that live in
magnificent attire, and in delica
cies, are in the courts of kings.
26. But what went you out to see?
A Prophet ? Yea, I say to you,
and more than a Prophet. 27. It
is he of whom it is written, Lo, I
send my messenger 4 before my
face, who will prepare the way
before thee. 28. For I say to you,
Among those who are born of
women, there is not a greater Pro
phet than John the Baptist ; yet
he that is least in the kingdom of
God is greater than he.
1 u Pource que tous non seulement sont bien aises de se retirer de
Christ, mais aussi tachent malicieusement d entrouver les moyens ;"
" because not only are all strongly disposed to withdraw from Christ, but
they even endeavour maliciously to discover the means of doing so."
2 " Un homme vestu de precieux vestemens? " A man clothed with
costly garments ?
3 u Vestu de precieux vestemens ?" " clothed with costly garments ?"
4 " Mon messager, ou, Ancje ;" " my messenger, or, Angel."
12 COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW. LUKE.
phesied until John. 14. And if you XVI. 16. The Law and the Pro -
are willing to receive it, 1 he is Elijah, phets (were) till John : since that
who was to come. 15. He that hath time the kingdom of God is preach -
ears to hear, let him hear. ed, and all press violently into it.
Matthew XI. 7. And while they were departing. Christ
praises John before the people, in order that they may state
from recollection what they have heard from him, and may
give credit to his testimony. For his name was widely cele
brated, and men spoke of him in lofty terms : but his doctrine
was held in less estimation, and there were even few that
waited on his ministrations. Christ reminds them, that those
who went out to see him in the wilderness lost their pains, if
they did not devoutly apply their minds and faculties to his
doctrine. The meaning of the words, you went out into the
wilderness^ is this : " Your journey would have been an act
of foolish and ridiculous levity, if you had not a fixed object
in view. But it was neither worldly splendour nor any sort
of amusement 2 that you were in quest of: your design was,
to hear the voice of God from the mouth of the Prophet. If
therefore you would reap advantage from your undertaking,
it is necessary that what he spoke should remain fixed in
your memory."
8. Clothed with soft garments. Those who think that Christ
here condemns the* extravagance of a court are mistaken.
There are many other passages in which luxury of dress, and
excessive attention to outward appearance, are censured. But
this passage simply means, that there was nothing in the
wilderness to attract the people from every quarter ; that
every thing there was rude and unpolished, and fitted only
to inspire disgust ; and that such elegance of dress as delights
the eyes is rather to be looked for in the courts of kin^s. 3
1 " Si vous le voulez recevoir, ozt, et si vous voulez recevoir mon dire ;"
" if you are willing to receive it, or, and if you are willing to receive my
saying."
2 u Ni autre passe-temps et amusement vain ;" " nor other pastime
nor vain amusement."
3 " Que pour voir de beaux vestemens et autres choses agencees bien
proprement il faut plustost aller es Cours des Rois ;" " that in order to
see fine dresses, and other things very neatly arranged, we must rather go
to the courts of kings."
IIABMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 13
11. Verily I say to you. These words not only maintain
the authority of John, but elevate his doctrine above the
ancient prophets, that the people may keep in view the right
end of his ministry ; for they mistook the design of his
mission, and, in consequence of this, derived almost no advan
tage from his discourses. Accordingly, Christ extols and
places him above the rank of the prophets, and gives the
people to understand that he had received a special and more
excellent commission. When he elsewhere says respecting
himself that he was not a Prophet, (John i. 21,) this is not
inconsistent with the designation here bestowed upon him by
Christ. He was, no doubt, a Prophet, like others whom God
had appointed in his Church to be expounders of the Law,
and messengers of his will ; but he was more excellent than the
Prophets in this respect, that he did not, like them, make
known redemption at a distance and obscurely under shadows,
but proclaimed that the time of redemption was now manifest
and at hand. Such too is the import of Malachi s prediction,
(iii. 1,) which is immediately added, that the pre-eminence of
John consisted in his being the herald and forerunner of
Christ ; ] for although the ancient Prophets spoke of his
kingdom, they were not, like John, placed before his face, to
point him out as present. As to the other parts of the
passage, the reader may consult what has been said on the
first chapter of Luke s Gospel. 2
There hath not arisen. Our Lord proceeds farther, and
declares that the ministers of the Gospel will be as far supe
rior to John as John was superior to the Prophets. Those
who think that Christ draws a comparison between himself
and John have fallen into a strange blunder ; for nothing is
said here about personal rank, but commendation is bestowed
on the pre-eminence of office. This appears more clearly
from the words employed by Luke, there is not a greater
Prophet ; for they expressly restrict his eminence to the office
of teaching. In a word, this magnificent eulogium is be-
1 "Pource qu il est le Heraut marcliant devant Christ pour luy faire
honneur ;" "because he is the Herald marching before Christ to do him
honour."
1 Harmony, vol. i. p. 20.
14 COMMENTARY ON A
stowed on John, that the Jews may observe more attentively
the commission which he bore. Again, the teachers who
were afterwards to follow are placed above him, to show the
surpassing majesty of the Gospel above the Law, and above
that preaching which came between them. Now, as Christ
intended to prepare the Jews for receiving the Gospel, we
ought also, in the present day, to be aroused to listen with
reverence to Christ speaking to us from the lofty throne of
his heavenly glory ; lest he take revenge for our contempt of
him by that fearful curse which he pronounces on unbelievers
by Malachi in the same passage.
The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God denote the
new condition of the Church, as in other passages which have
already occurred ; for it was promised that at the coming of
Christ all things would be restored. He that is least in the
kingdom. The Greek word pixgoregos, which I have rendered
least, is in the comparative degree, and signifies less ; but the
meaning is more clearly brought out, that all the ministers of
the Gospel are included. Many of them undoubtedly have
received a small portion of faith, and are therefore greatly
inferior to John ; but this does not prevent their preaching
from being superior to his, because it holds out Christ as
having rendered complete and eternal satisfaction by his one
sacrifice, as the conqueror of death and the Lord of life, and
because it withdraws the vail, and elevates believers to the
heavenly sanctuary.
12. Since the days of John. I have no doubt that Christ
speaks honourably of the majesty of the Gospel on this
ground, that many sought after it with warm affection ; for
as God had raised up John to be the herald of the kingdom
of his Son, so the Spirit infused such efficacy into his doctrine,
that it entered deeply into the hearts of men and kindled
that zeal. It appears, therefore, that the Gospel, which comes
forward in a manner so sudden and extraordinary, 1 and
1 u Laquelle tant soudainement galgne Ics coeurs des homines d une
fa9on non accoustumee, et y cause des mouvemens merveilleux ;" " which
so suddenly gains the hearts of men in an unusual manner, and excites in
them wonderful emotions."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 1 5
awakens powerful emotions, must have proceeded from God.
But in the second clause is added this restriction, that the
violent take it by force. The greater part of men were no
more excited than if the Prophets had never uttered a word
about Christ, or if John had never appeared as his witness ;
and therefore Christ reminds them, that the violence, of
which he had spoken, existed only in men of a particular
class. The meaning therefore is, A vast assembly of men is
now collected, as if men were rushing violently forward to
seize the kingdom of God; for, aroused by the voice of one
man, they come together in crowds, and receive, not only
with eagerness, but with vehement impetuosity, the grace
which is offered to them. Although very many are asleep,
and are no more affected than if John in the wilderness were
acting a play which had no reference to them, yet many
flock to him with ardent zeal. The tendency of our Lord s
statement is to show, that those who pass by in a con
temptuous manner, and as it were with closed eyes, the
power of God, which manifestly appears both in the teacher
and in the hearers, are inexcusable. Let us also learn from
these words, what is the true nature and operation of faith.
It leads men not only to give a cold and indifferent assent
when God speaks, but to cherish warm affection towards
Him, and to rush forward as it were with a violent struggle.
Luke XVI. 6. The Law and the Prophets were till John.
Our Lord had said that the earnestness of the people was a
prelude to those things which the Prophets had foretold as to
the future renovation of the Church. He now compares the
ministry of John to the Law and the Prophets. " It is not
wonderful," he tells us, " that God should now act so power
fully on the minds of men ; for he is not, as formerly, seen
at a distance under dark shadows, but appears openly and
at hand for the establishment of his kingdom." Hence it
follows, that those who obstinately reject John s doctrine
are less excusable than those who despised the Law and the
Prophets.
Matthew XI. 13. All the Prophets and the Law itself
16 COMMENTARY ON A
PROPHESIED. The word prophesied is emphatic ; for the Law
and the Prophets did not present God before the eyes of
men, but represented him under figures and shadows as
absent. The comparison, we now perceive, is intended to
show, that it is highly criminal in men to remain indifferent,
when they have obtained a manifestation of the presence of
God, who held his ancient people in suspense by predictions.
Christ does not class John with the ministers of the Gospel,
though he formerly assigned to him an intermediate station
between them and the Prophets. But there is no inconsis
tency here : for although John s preaching was a part of the
Gospel, it was little more than a first lesson.
14. And if you are willing to receive it. He now explains
more clearly in what manner John began to preach the king
dom of God. It was in the character of that Elijah, who
was to be sent before the face of God, (Mai. iv. 5.) Our
Lord s meaning therefore is, that the great and dreadful day
of the Lord, which Malachi described, is now beheld by the
Jews, when Elijah, who was there promised, discharges his
office as a herald. Again, by this exception, if you are will
ing to receive it, he glances at their hardened obstinacy, in
maliciously shutting their eyes against the clearest light.
But will he cease to be Elijah, if he shall not be received ?
Christ does not mean that John s official character 1 depends
on their approbation ; but having declared that he is Elijah,
he charges them with carelessness and ingratitude, if he does
not obtain that respect to which he is entitled.
15. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. We know
that it is customary with Christ to introduce this sentence,
whenever he treats of subjects which are highly important,
and which deserve no ordinary attention. 2 He reminds us,
at the same time, of the reason why the mysteries of which
he speaks are not received by all. It is because many of
1 " L estat et la commission de lean;" "John s rank and com
mission."
* " Et qui ne doit pas estre escoutee par acquit ;" "and which ought
not to be listened to in an indifferent manner."
HARMONY OP THE EVANGELISTS. 17
his hearers are deaf, or at least have their ears closed. But
now, as every man is hindered not only by his own unbelief,
but by the mutual influence which men exercise on each
other, Christ here exhorts the elect of God, whose ears have
been pierced, to consider attentively this remarkable secret
of God, and not to remain deaf with unbelievers.
MATTHEW. LUKE.
XI. 16. But to what shall VII. 29. And all the people hearing, and
I compare this generation ? the publicans, justified God, having been
It is like children, who sit in baptized with the baptism of John. 2 30.
the market-place, and call But the Pharisees and Lawyers 3 despised 4
out to their companions, the counsel of God in themselves, 5 having
17. And say, We have not been baptized by him. 31. And the
played on the flute to you, Lord said, To what then shall I compare
and you have not danced ; the men of this generation ? and to what
we have sung mournful are they like? 32. They are like children
airs to you, and you have sitting in the market-place, and calling out
not lamented. 18. For to each other, and saying, We have played
John came neither eating on the flute to you , and you have not danced ;
nor drinking, and they say, we have sung mournful airs to you, and you
He hath a devil. 19. The have not wept. 33. For John the Baptist
Son of man came eating came neither eating bread nor drinking
and drinking, and they say, wine, and you say, He hath a devil. 34. The
Lo, a man who is a glutton Son of man came eating and drinking, and
and a wine-bibber, 1 a friend you say, Lo, a man gluttonous and a wine-
to publicans and sinners ; bibber, a friend to publicans and sinners. 6
and Wisdom is justified by 35. And Wisdom is justified by all her
her children. children.
Luke VII. 29. And all the people hearing. This part is
left out by Matthew, though it throws no small light on the
connection of the words ; for it was this circumstance which
gave rise to Christ s expostulation, when he perceived that
the scribes persisted so obstinately in despising God. The
substance of this passage is, that the common people and the
1 " Gourmand et yvrongne ;" " a glutton and a drunkard."
^ 2 " Et tout le peuple qui oyoit cela, et les Peagers qui estoyent bap-
tizez du baptesme de lean, iustifierent Dieu." " And all the people who
heard that, and the publicans who were baptized with the baptism of
John, justified God."
3 u Les Docteurs de la Loy ;" " the Doctors of the Law."
4 " Reietterent le conseil de Dieu ;" " rejected the counsel of God."
5 "En eux-mesmes, ow, a rencontre d eux-mesmes ;" " in themselves,
or, against themselves."
6 " Ami des Peagers et gens du mauvaise vie ; " " a friend of publicans
and persons of wicked life."
VOL. IT. B
18 COMMEIs T TARY OX A
publicans gave glory to God ; while the Scribes, flattering
themselves with confidence in their own knowledge, cared
little for what Christ said. At first sight, this tends only to
obscure, and even to disfigure, the glory of the Gospel, that
Christ could not gather disciples to himself, except from the
dregs and offscourings of the people ; while he was rejected
by those who had any reputation for holiness or learning.
But the Lord intended, from the beginning, to hold out this
example, that neither the men of that age, nor even pos
terity, might judge of the Gospel by the approbation of
men ; for we are all by nature inclined to this vice. And
yet nothing is more unreasonable than to submit the truth
of God to the judgment of men, whose acuteness and
sagacity amounts to nothing more than mere vanity. Ac
cordingly, as Paul says, " God hath chosen that part which
is weak and foolish in the eyes of the world, that he may
cast down from its height whatever appears to be mighty
and wise," (1 Cor. i. 27.) Our duty is to prefer this foolish
ness of God, to use Paul s expression, (1 Cor. i. 25,) to all
the display of human wisdom.
Justified God. This is a very remarkable expression.
Those who respectfully embrace the Son of God, and assent
to the doctrine which he has brought, are said to ascribe
righteousness to God. We need not therefore wonder, if
the Holy Spirit everywhere honours faith with remarkable
commendations, assigns to it the highest rank in the worship
of God, and declares that it is a very acceptable service.
For what duty can be deemed more sacred than to vindicate
God s righteousness ? The word justify applies generally, no
doubt, to every thing connected with the praises of God, and
conveys the idea, that God is beheld with approbation, and
crowned with glory, by the people who embrace that doctrine
of which He is the author. Now, since frith justifies God, it
is impossible, on the other hand, but that unbelief must be
blasphemy against him, and a disdainful withholding of that
praise which is due to his name. This expression also teaches
us, that men are never brought into complete subjection to
the faith until, disregarding the flesh and sense, they con
clude that every thing which comes from God is just and
IIABMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 19
holy, and do not permit themselves to murmur against his
word or his works.
Having been baptized with the baptism of John. Luke means
that the fruits of the baptism which they had received were
then beginning to appear ; for it was a useful preparation to
them for receiving the doctrine of Christ. It was already an
evidence of their piety that they presented themselves to be
baptized. Our Lord now leads them forward from that
slender instruction to a higher degree of progress, as the
scribes, in despising the baptism of John, shut against them
selves, through their pride, the gate of faith. If, therefore,
we desire to rise to full perfection, let us first guard against
despising the very least of God s invitations, 1 and be pre
pared in humility to commence with small and elementary
instructions. Secondly, let us endeavour that, if our faith
shall have a feeble beginning, it may regularly and gradually
increase.
30. Despised the counsel of God within themselves. The
counsel of God is mentioned by way of respect, as contrasted
with the wicked pride of the scribes ; for the term counsel
carries along with it a dignity, which protects the doctrine
of God against the contempt of men. Literally, Luke says,
that they despised AGAINST THEMSELVES : and indeed I do
not disapprove of the meaning which is preferred by some,
that the scribes were rebellious to their own destruction. But
as Luke s narrative is simple, and as the preposition g/ is
often used in the sense of Jv, I have chosen rather to translate
it, within themselves ; as meaning, that although they did not
openly and expressly contradict, yet as they inwardly swelled
with hidden pride, they despised within themselves.
31. To what shall I compare ? He does not include all the
men of his age, but speaks particularly of the scribes and
their followers. He charges them with this reproach, that
while the Lord endeavoured, by various methods, to draw
1 " Gardens premierement de mespriser un seul moyen par Icquel Dieu
nous convie ;" "let us first guard against despising a single method by
which God invites us."
20 COMMENTARY ON A
them to himself, they repelled his grace with incorrigible
obstinacy. He employs a comparison, which was probably
taken from a common amusement of children ; for there is
probability in the conjecture, that the children divided them
selves into two bands, and sang in that manner. And,
indeed, I think that, in order to abase the pride of the scribes,
Christ intentionally borrowed from children the materials of
his reproof: thus declaring that, however distinguished they
were, nothing more was necessary to condemn them than a
song which children were wont to sing in the market-place
for their amusement.
33. For John the Baptist came. Leading an austere life,
he thundered out repentance and severe reproofs, and sung,
as it were, a plaintive song ; while the Lord endeavoured, by
a cheerful and sprightly song, to draw them more gently to
the Father. Neither of those methods had any success, and
what reason could be assigned except their hardened obsti
nacy ? This passage also shows us, why so wide a difference
existed, as to outward life, between Christ and the Baptist,
though both had the same object in view. Our Lord in
tended, by this diversity, and by assuming as it were a variety
of characters, to convict unbelievers more fully ; since, while
he yielded and accommodated himself to their manners, he did
not bend them to himself. But if the men of that age are
deprived of every excuse for repelling, with inveterate malice,
a twofold invitation which God had given them, we too are
held guilty in their persons ; for God leaves not untried any
sort of pleasing melody, or of plaintive and harsh music, to
draw us to himself, and yet we remain hard as stones. They
called John a demoniac, just as persons of unsound mind, or
whose brain is disturbed, are usually called madmen.
34. The Son of man came. To eat and drink means here
nothing more than to live in the customary way ; as Christ
says that John came neither eating nor drinking, because he
confined himself to a peculiar diet, and even abstained from
ordinary food. This is more fully expressed by the words of
Luke, neither eating bread nor drinking wine. Those who
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 21
think that the highest perfection consists in outward austerity
of life, and who pronounce it to be an angelical life when a
person is abstemious, 1 or mortifies himself by fasting, ought
to attend to this passage. On this principle John would rank
higher than the Son of God ; but, on the contrary, we ought
to maintain, that bodily exercise prqfiteth little, but godliness is
profitable to all things, (I Tim. iv. 8.) And yet we must not
make this a pretence for giving a loose rein to the flesh, by
indulging in luxuries and effeminacy : only we must beware
of superstition, lest foolish men, imagining that perfection
lies in matters of a purely elementary nature, neglect the
spiritual worship of God. Besides, while Christ accommo
dated himself to the usages of ordinary life, he maintained a
sobriety truly divine, and did not encourage the excesses of
others by his dissimulation or by his example.
35. And Wisdom is justified. This passage is variously ex
plained by commentators. Some maintain that Wisdom was
acquitted by the Jews, because, conscious of guilt, and judges
of their own unbelief, they were compelled to acknowledge,
that the doctrine which they rejected was good and holy.
By the children of Wisdom they understand the Jews who
boasted of that title. Others think that it was spoken in
irony : " It is in this manner that you approve of the Wisdom
of God, of which you boast that you are the children?" But
as the Greek preposition aero 2 does not properly relate to an
agent, some explain it, that Wisdom is acquitted by her child
ren, and is no longer under obligation to them, in the same
manner as when an inheritance is transferred to another.
Thus Paul says, that Christ ic as justified (dtdixaiurai) from sin,
(Rom. vi. 7,) because the curse of sin had no longer any
power over him.
Some interpret it more harshly, and with greater excess of
freedom, to mean that Wisdom is estranged from her children.
But granting that this were the import of the Greek preposi-
1
Quand un homme ne boira point de vin ;" " when a person will
drink no wine."
2 " Le mot Grec que nous avons rendu par DC ;" " the Greek word
which we have translated fry."
22 COMMENTARY ON A
tion, I look upon the other meaning as more appropriate, that
Wisdom, however wickedly she may be slandered by her own
sons, loses nothing of her worth or rank, but remains unim
paired. The Jews, and particularly the scribes, gave them
selves out as children of the Wisdom of God ; and yet, when
they trod their mother under their feet, they not only flattered
themselves amidst such heinous sacrilege, but desired that
Christ should fall by their decision. Christ maintains, on
the contrary, that, however wicked and depraved her children
may be, Wisdom remains entire, and that the malice of those
who wickedly and malignantly slander her takes nothing from
her authority.
I have not yet brought forward that meaning which appears
to my own mind the most appropriate and natural. First,
the words of Christ contain an implied contrast between true
children and bastards, who hold but an empty title without
the reality ; and they amount to this : " Let those who
haughtily boast of being the children of Wisdom proceed in
their obstinacy : she will, notwithstanding, retain the praise
and support of her own children. Accordingly, Luke adds a
term of universality, by all her children ; which means, that
the reluctance of the scribes will not prevent all the elect of
God from remaining stedfast in the faith of the Gospel. With
respect to the Greek word TO, it undoubtedly has sometimes
the same meaning as u*ro. Not to mention other instances,
there is a passage in Luke s Gospel, (xvii. 25,) where Christ
says, that he must suffer many things, xal airodoxi/AacQiivai avb
Ttjg yiv&g raurq$, and be rejected BY this generation. Every
body will admit, that the form of expression is the same as
in the corresponding clause. 1 Besides, Chrysostom, whose
native language was Greek, passes over this matter, as if
there were no room for debate. Not only is this meaning
more appropriate, but it corresponds to a former clause, in
which it was said, that God VMS justified by the people, (v. 29.)
Although many apostates may revolt from the Church of
1 * On void bien que Ik ce mot De se rapporte k la personne qui fait, et
non pas a celuy qui souffre ;" " It is very evident that the word By relates
to the person that acts, and not to him who suffers."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 23
God, yet, among all the elect, who truly belong to the flock,
the faith of the Gospel will always remain uninjured.
LUKE.
X. 1. And after these things the Lord appointed other seventy also,
and sent them by two and two before his face into every city and place,
to which he was to come. 2. He said therefore to them, The harvest is
indeed abundant, but the labourers are few : pray ye, therefore, the Lord of
the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. 3. Go : behold, I send
you as lambs among wolves. 4. Carry neither purse, nor bag, nor shoes,
and salute no man by the way. 5. Into whatsoever house you shall enter,
first say, Peace be to this house. 6. And if the son of peace be there,
your peace will remain upon it : but if not, it will return to you. 7. And
remain in the same house, eating and drinking those things which shall be
given by them ; l for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from
house to house. 8. And into whatsoever city you shall enter, and they
shall receive you, eat those things which are set before you : 9. And cure
the diseased who are in it, and say to them, The kingdom of God is nigh
to you. 10. And into whatsoever city you shall enter, and they shall not
receive you, go out into its streets, and say, 11. Even the dust, which
has cleaved to us from your city, we wipe off against you : yet know this,
that the kingdom of God is nigh to you. 12. I say to you, That in that
day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that city.
Luke X. 1. And after these things the Lord appointed.
That the Apostles had returned to Christ before these seventy
were substituted in their room, may be inferred from many
circumstances. The twelve, therefore, were sent to awaken
in the Jews the hope of an approaching salvation. After
their return, as it was necessary that higher expectation
should be excited, others were sent in greater numbers, as
secondary heralds, to spread universally in every place the
report of Christ s coming. Strictly speaking, they received
no commission, but were only sent by Christ as heralds, to
prepare the minds of the people for receiving his doctrine.
As to the number seventy, he appears to have followed that
order to which the people had already been long accustomed.
"We must bear in mind what has been already said about the
twelve Apostles, 2 that as this was the number of the tribes
when the people were in a nourishing condition, so an equal
number of apostles or patriarchs was chosen, to reassemble
1 " Mangeans et beuvans de ce qui sera mis devant vous ;" " eating
and drinking of what shall be set before you."
3 Harmony, vol. i. p. 438.
24 COMMENTARY ON A
the members of the lacerated body, that the restoration of
the Church might thus be complete.
There was a similar reason for these seventy. We know
that Moses, finding himself insufficient for the burden, took
seventy judges to be associated with him in governing the
people, (Ex. xviii. 22 ; xxiv. 1.) But when the Jews returned
from the Babylonish captivity, they had a council or gwtdgiov
which was corrupted into Sanedrin 1 consisting of seventy-
two judges. As usually happens with such numbers, when
they spoke of the council, they called them only the seventy
judges ; and Philo assures us, that they were chosen out of
the posterity of David, that there might be some remaining
authority in the royal line. After various calamities, this
was the finishing stroke, when Herod abolished that council,
and thus deprived the people of a legitimate share in the
government. Now as the return from Babylon prefigured a
true and complete redemption, the reason why our Lord
chooses seventy heralds of his coming appears to be, to hold
out the restoration of their fallen state ; and as the people
were to be united under one head, he does not give them
authority as judges, but only commands them to go before
him, that he may possess the sole power. And sent them by
two and two. He appears to have done so on account of
their weakness. There was reason to fear, that individually
they would not have the boldness necessary for the vigorous
discharge of their office ; and therefore, that they may en
courage one another, they are sent by two and two.
2. The harvest is indeed abundant. I have explained this
passage under the ninth chapter of Matthew ; 2 but it was
proper to insert it again in this place, because it is related for
a different purpose. In order to stimulate his disciples the
more powerfully to apply with diligence to their work, he
declares that the harvest is abundant : and hence it follows,
that their labour will not be fruitless, but that they will find,
1 " Lequel les Grecs nomment Synedrion, et eux 1 appeloyent par une
prononciation corrompue Sanedrin ;" " which the Greeks denominate
Synedrion, and which they, by a corrupt pronunciation, called
2 Harmony, vol. i. p. 421.
Sanedrin .
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 25
in abundance, opportunities of employment, and means of use
fulness. He afterwards reminds them of dangers, contests,
and annoyances, and bids them go and prepare themselves
for traversing with speed the whole of Judea. 1 In short, he
repeats the same injunctions which he had given to the
Apostles ; and, therefore, it would serve no good purpose to
trouble the reader here with many words, since a full exposi
tion of all these matters may be found in the passage already
quoted. We may notice briefly, however, the meaning of
that expression, salute no man by the way. It indicates extreme
haste, when, on meeting a person in the way, we pass on
without speaking to him, lest he should detain us even for a
short time. Thus, when Elisha sent his servant to the
Shunamite woman, he charged him not to salute any person
whom he met : if thou meet any man, salute him not ; and if
any salute thee-, answer not again, (2 Kings iv. 31.) Christ
does not intend that his disciples shall be so unkind 2 as not
to deign to salute persons whom they meet, but bids them
hasten forward, so as to pass by every thing that would detain
them.
7. Eating and drinking those things which they shall give you.
This is another circumstance expressly mentioned by Luke.
By these words Christ not only enjoins them to be satisfied
with ordinary and plain food, but allows them to eat at
another man s table. Their plain and natural meaning is :
"you will be at liberty to live at the expense of others, so long
as you shall be on this journey ; for it is proper that those
for whose benefit you labour should supply you with food."
Some think that they were intended to remove scruples of
conscience, that the disciples might not find fault with any
kind of food. 3 But nothing of this kind was intended, and
1 " Et leur commando (Taller alaigrement et en diligence, a fin que
bien tost ils ayent fait une course par tout le pays de ludee ;" " and
commands them to go with alacrity and diligence, that they may soon
have performed a circuit through the whole country of Judea."
2 " Si inhumains et mal-gracieux ;" u so barbarous and uncivil."
3 "A fin que les disciples ne facent conscience d aucune sorte de
viande ;" " in order that the disciples may not make conscience of any
kind of food."
26 COMMENTARY ON A
it was not even his object to enjoin frugality, but merely to
permit them to accept of a reward, by living, during this
commission, at the expense of those by whom they were
entertained.
MATTHEW. LUKE.
XI. 20. Then he began to upbraid the X. 13. Woe to thee, Cho-
cities, in which most of his mighty works razin ! woe to thee, Bethsaida !
were done, because they had not repented for if the mighty works,
of crimes : 21. Woe to thee, Chorazin ! woe which have been done in you,
to thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, had been done in Tyre and
which have been done in you, had been Sidon, they would long ago
done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have have repented, sitting in
repented of their crimes long ago in sack- sackcloth and ashes. 14.
cloth and ashes. 22. But I say to you, It But it will be more tolerable
will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon 1 for Tyre and Sidon in the
in the day of judgment than for you. 23. judgment than for you. 3 15.
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted And thou, Capernaum, which
even to heaven, shall be cast down even to art exalted even to heaven,
hell ; for if the mighty works, which have shall be cast down even to
been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, hell. 16. He that heareth
it would have remained until this day. you heareth me ; and he that
24. But I say to you, That it will be more despiseth you despiseth me ;
tolerable for the land of Sodom 2 in the and he that despiseth me de-
day of judgment than for thee. spiseth him that sent me.
Matthew XI. 20. Then he began to upbraid. Luke states
the time when, and the reason why, Christ uttered such
invectives against those cities. It was while he was sending
the disciples away into various parts of Judea, to proclaim,
as they passed along, that the kingdom of God was at hand.
Eeflecting on the ingratitude of those among whom he had
long discharged the office of a prophet, and performed many
wonderful works, without any good result, he broke out into
these words, announcing that the time was now come, when
he should depart to other cities, having learned, by experience,
that the inhabitants of the country adjoining that lake, among
whom he had begun to preach the Gospel and perform
1 " Que Tyr et Sidon seront plus doucement traittez ;" " that Tyre
and Sidon will be treated more gently.."
2 " Que ceux de Sodome seront traittez plus doucement ;" " that those
of Sodom will be treated more gently."
3 " Pourtant Tyr et Sidon seront plus doucement traittez au lugement
que vous ;" " therefore Tyre and Sidon will be more gently treated in
the Judgment than you."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 27
miracles, were full of obstinacy and of desperate malice. But
he says nothing about the doctrine, and reproaches them
that his miracles had not led them to repent. 1 The object
which our Lord had in view, in exhibiting those manifesta
tions of his power, undoubtedly was to invite men to himself;
but as all are by nature averse to him, it is necessary to
begin with repentance. Chorazin and Bethsaida are well
known to have been cities which were situated on the lake of
Gennesareth.
21. If those mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon.
As Tyre and Sidon, in consequence of their proximity, were
at that time abhorred for their ungodliness, pride, debauchery,
and other vices, Christ employs this comparison for the ex
press purpose of making a deeper and more painful impres
sion on his Jewish countrymen. There was not one of them
who did not look upon the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon
as abominable despisers of God. It is, therefore, no small
heightening of his curse, when Christ says, that there would
have been more hope of reformation from those places in
which there was no religion, than is to be seen in Judea itself.
Lest any should raise thorny questions 2 about the secret
decrees of God, we must remember, that this discourse of our
Lord is accommodated to the ordinary capacity of the human
mind. 3 Comparing the citizens of Bethsaida, and their neigh
bours, with the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, he reasons, not
of what God foresaw would be done either by the one or by
the other, but of what both parties would have done, so far
as could be judged from the facts. The exceedingly corrupt
morals and unrestrained debauchery of those cities might
be ascribed to ignorance ; for there the voice of God had
never been heard, nor had miracles been performed, to warn
1 " Que par les miracles ils n ont point esmeus pour se converter a
repentance; 1 "that by the miracles they were not moved to be con
verted to repentance."
2 " Des questions curieuses et difficiles ;" " curious and difficult ques
tions."
3 " A la capacite et apprehension commune dc 1 entendement humain ;"
u to the ordinary capacity and apprehension of the human under
standing."
28 COMMENTARY ON A
them to repent. But in the cities of Galilee, which Christ
upbraids, there was a display of very hardened obstinacy in
despising miracles, of which they had seen a vast number
without reaping any advantage. In short, the words of
Christ convey nothing more than that the inhabitants of
Chorazin and Bethsaida go beyond those of Tyre and Sidon
in malice and incurable contempt of God.
And yet we have no right to contend with God, for hav
ing passed by others of whom better hopes might have been
entertained, and displaying his power before some who were
extremely wicked and altogether desperate. Those on
whom he does not bestow his mercy are justly appointed to
perdition. If he withhold his word from some, and allow
them to perish, while, in order to render others more inex
cusable, he entreats and exhorts them, in a variety of ways,
to repentance, who shall charge him, on this account, with
injustice? Let us, therefore, aware of our own weakness,
learn to contemplate this height and depth 1 with reverence ;
for it is intolerable fretfulness and pride that is manifested
by those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the righte
ousness of God, except so far as it comes within the reach
of their senses, and who disdainfully reject those mysteries,
which it was their duty to adore, simply because the reason
of them is not fully evident.
If the mighty works had been done. We have said that
these words inform us concerning the right use of miracles,
though they likewise include doctrine ; for Christ did not
remain silent, 2 while he was holding out to their view the
power of the Father; but, on the contrary, miracles were
added to the Gospel, that they might attend to what was
spoken by Christ.
In sackcloth and ashes. Repentance is here described by
outward signs, the use of which was at that time common
in the Church of God : not that Christ attaches importance
to that matter, but because he accommodates himself to the
1 a Ceste hautesse et profondeur des iugemens de Dieu ;" " this height
and depth of the judgments of God."
2 "N a pas eu cependant sa bouche close ;" " did not in the meantime
keep his mouth shut."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 29
capacity of the common people. We know that believers
are not only required to exercise repentance for a few days,
but to cherish it incessantly till death. But there is no
necessity, in the present day, for being clothed with sackcloth,
and sprinkled with ashes ; and, therefore, there is not always
occasion for that outward profession of repentance, but only
when, after some aggravated revolt, men turn to God.
Sackcloth and ashes are, no doubt, indications of guilt, for
the purpose of turning away the wrath of the Judge ; * and
therefore relate strictly to the beginning of conversion.
But as men testify by this ceremony their sorrow and grief,
it must be preceded by hatred of sin, fear of God, and
mortification of the flesh, according to the words of Joel,
(ii. 13,) Rend your hearts and not your garments. We now
see the reason why sackcloth and ashes are mentioned by
Christ along with repentance, when he speaks of Tyre and
Sidon, to the inhabitants of which the Gospel could not have
been preached, without condemning their past life, leaving
nothing for them, but to betake themselves to the wretched
apparel of criminals for the sake of humbly beseeching par
don. Such, too, is the reference of the word sitting, which is
employed by Luke, SITTING in sackcloth and ashes; for it
denotes " lying prostrate on the ground," a posture adapted
to express the grief of wretched persons, as is evident from
many passages of the Prophets.
23. And thou, Capernaum. He expressly addresses the
city of Capernaum, in which he had resided so constantly,
that many supposed it to be his native place. It was indeed
an inestimable honour, that the Son of God, when about to
commence his reign and priesthood, had chosen Capernaum
for the seat of his palace and sanctuary. And yet it was as
deeply plunged in its filth, as if there had never been poured
upon it a drop of Divine grace. On this account, Christ
declares, that the punishment awaiting it will be the more
dreadful, in proportion to the higher favours which it had
received from God. It deserves our earnest attention in
1 "A fin d adoucir le luge, et destourner son iuste courroux ;" u in
order to pacify the Judge, and to turn away his just wrath."
30 COMMENTARY ON A
this passage, that the profanation of the gifts of God, as it
involves sacrilege, will never pass unpunished ; and that the
more eminent any one is, he will be punished with the
greater severity, if he shall basely pollute the gifts which
God has bestowed upon him; and above all, an awful
vengeance awaits us, if, after having received the spiritual
gifts of Christ, we treat him and his Gospel with contempt.
If they had been done in Sodom. We have already hinted,
that Christ speaks after the manner of men, and does not
bring forth, as from the heavenly sanctuary, 1 what God
foresaw would happen if he had sent a Prophet to the
inhabitants of Sodom. But if quarrelsome persons are not
satisfied with this answer, every ground of objection is
removed by this single consideration, that although God
had a remedy in his power for saving the inhabitants of
Sodom } yet in destroying them he was a just avenger. 2
Luke X. 16. He that heareth you heareth me. It is a
mistake to suppose that this passage is a repetition of what
we formerly met with in the Gospel of Matthew, (x. 40,)
he that receiveth you receiveth me. 3 Then, Christ was speaking
of persons, but now, of doctrine. The former receiving had a
reference to offices of kindness ; but now he recommends
faith, which receives God in his Word. The general mean
ing is, that the godliness of men is ascertained by the obedi
ence of faith; 4 and that those who reject the Gospel, though
they may boast of being the most eminent of the worshippers
of God, give evidence that they wickedly despise him.
We must now attend to the design of Christ. As a con
siderable portion of the world foolishly estimates the Gospel
1 " II ne vent point ici amener le conseil secret de Dieu ;" " he does
not intent? here to exhibit the secret purpose of God."
8 " Que toutesfois, en les destruisant et damnant, il n a rien fait qui
empesche qu il ne soit tousiours recognue iuste en sa punition et sa ven
geance ;" " that notwithstanding, in destroying and condemning them,
He has done nothing to prevent Him from being always acknowledged to
be righteous in His punishment and in His vengeance."
3 Harmony, vol. i. p. 475.
4 " Que la crainte de Dieu qui est es homines, se monstre par 1 obeis-
sance de la foy ;" " that the fear of God which is in men is manifested
by the obedience of faith."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 31
according to the rank of men, and despises it because it is
professed by persons of mean and despicable condition, our
Lord here contradicts so perverse a judgment. Again,
almost all are so proud, that they do not willingly submit to
their equals, or to those whom they look down upon as inferior
to them. God has determined, on the other hand, to govern
his Church by the ministry of men, and indeed frequently
selects the ministers of the Word from among the lowest
dregs of the people. It was, therefore, necessary to support
the majesty of the Gospel, that it might not appear to be
degraded by proceeding from the lips of men.
This is a remarkable commendation 1 of the outward
ministry, when Christ declares, that whatever honour and
respect is rendered to the preaching of men, provided that
the preaching be faithful, God acknowledges as done to
Himself. In two points of view, this recommendation is
useful. Nothing ought to be a stronger encouragement to
us to embrace the doctrine of the Gospel, than to learn that
this is the highest worship of God, and a sacrifice of the
sweetest odour, to hear him speaking by human lips, and to
yield subjection to his word, which is brought to us by
men, in the same manner as if he were descending from
heaven or making known his will to us by angels. Again,
our confidence is established, and all doubt is removed, when
we learn, that the testimony of our salvation, when delivered
to us by men whom God has sent, is not less worthy of
credit, than if His voice resounded from heaven. To deter
us, on the other hand, from despising the Gospel, he adds a
severe threatening :
He that despiseth you despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me
despiseth him that sent me. Those who disdain to listen to
ministers, however mean and contemptible they may be,
offer an insult, not to men only, but to Christ himself, and to
God the Father. While a magnificent eulogium is here
pronounced on the rank of pastors, who honestly and faith
fully discharge their office, it is absurd in the Pope and his
1 " C est done tine louange ct recommendation singuliere;" "it is
then a singular praise and recommendation."
32 COMMENTARY ON A
clergy to take this as a pretence for cloaking their tyranny.
Assuredly, Christ does not speak in such a manner, as to
surrender into the hands of men the power which the Father
has given him, but only to protect his Gospel against con
tempt. Hence it follows, that he does not transfer to the
persons of men the honour which is due to himself, but only
maintains that it cannot be separated from his Word. If
the Pope wishes to be received, let him bring forward the
doctrine by which he may be recognized as a minister of
Christ ; but so long as he continues to be what he now is, a
mortal enemy of Christ, and destitute of all resemblance to
the Apostles, let him cease to deck himself with borrowed
feathers.
LUKE.
X. 17. And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the
devils are subject to us in thy name. 1 18. And he said to them, I beheld
Satan falling from heaven like lightning. 19. Lo, I give you power to
tread on serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy, and
nothing shall hurt you. 20. Nevertheless, rejoice not in this, that the
spirits are subject to you ; but rejoice, because your names are written in
heaven.
17. And the seventy returned. It is evident, that the faith
of the seventy disciples in the words of Christ had not been
full and complete, when they returned, exulting over it as a
thing new and unexpected, that they had cast out devils by
the power of Christ. Nay, they had received this power
accompanied by a command. At the same time, I have no
doubt that, when they departed, they were convinced that
nothing which the Master had said to them would fail of its
accomplishment ; but afterwards, when the matter proceeded
to an extent which surpassed their expectations, they
were astonished at the sight. 2 And this is frequently the
case with believers, that they receive from the word but a
slight perception of the Divine power, and are afterwards
excited to admiration by actual experience. What was the
1 " Par ton Norn ;" by thy Name."
2 "Ds furent esmerveillez et esbahis de voir cela advenir;" "they
were astonished and overwhelmed at seeing that happen."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 33
nature of that joy will more clearly appear from Christ s
reply.
18. 1 beheld Satan. From one instance Christ leads them
to the whole class ; for he commanded his Gospel to be
published for the very purpose of overturning Satan s king
dom. 1 So then, while the disciples rested solely on that
demonstration which they had obtained from experience,
Christ reminds them, that the power and efficacy of their
doctrine extends farther, and that its tendency is to extirpate
the tyranny which Satan exercises over the whole human
race. We have now ascertained the meaning of the words.
When Christ commanded that his Gospel should be preached,
he did not at all attempt a matter of doubtful result, but
foresaw the approaching ruin of Satan. 2 Now, since the Son
of God cannot be deceived, and this exercise of his foresight
relates to the whole course of the Gospel, we have no reason
to doubt, that whenever he raises up faithful teachers, he
will crown their labour with prosperous success.
Hence we infer, that our deliverance from the bondage of
Satan is effected in no other way than through the Gospel ;
and that those only make actual proficiency in the Gospel,
in whom Satan loses his power, so that sin is destroyed, and
they begin to live to the righteousness of God. We ought
also to attend to the comparison which he employs, that the
thunder of the Gospel makes Satan fall like lightning ; for it
expresses the divine and astonishing power of the doctrine,
which throws down, in a manner so sudden and violent, the
prince of the world armed with such abundant forces. It
expresses also the wretched condition of men, on whose heads
fall the darts of Satan, who rules in the air, and holds the
world in subjection under his feet, till Christ appear as a
Deliverer.
1 "A ceste fin de renverser et destruire ;" "for the very purpose of
overthrowing and destroying."
2 " Christ n a point entreprins, ou essaye une chose a 1 aventure, et de
laquelle Tissue fust incertaine : mais a veu que la ruine de Satan s en en-
suyvroit ;" " Christ did not undertake or attempt a thing at random,
and the result of which was uncertain j but saw that the ruin of Satan
would follow from it.
VOL. IT. C
34 COMMENTARY ON A
19. Lo, I give you power. This is said by way of admis
sion. Christ does not affirm that the gift of Avhich they
now boast is not illustrious, but reminds them, that they
ought to keep their eye chiefly on something loftier still, and
not remain satisfied with outward miracles. Pie does not
altogether condemn their joy, as if it were groundless, but
shows it to be faulty in this respect, that they were immode
rately delighted with a temporal favour, and did not elevate
their minds higher. To this disease even the godly are almost
all liable. Though the goodness of God is received by them
with gratitude, yet the acts of the Divine kindness do not
assist them, as they ought to do, by becoming ladders for
ascending to heaven. This makes it necessary that the Lord
should, as it were, stretch out his hand to raise them up,
that they may not rest satisfied with the earth, but may
aspire to heavenly renovation. The power of the enemy is the
name given by him to every kind of annoyance ; for all that
is hostile to us is wielded against us by Satan. I do not
mean that every thing which tends to injure men is placed
at his disposal; but that, being armed with the curse of
God, he endeavours to turn to our destruction all his chastise
ments, and seizes them as weapons for the purpose of wound-
20. Your names are written. As it was the design of Christ
to withdraw his disciples from a transitory joy, that they
might glory in eternal life, he leads them to its origin and
source, which is, that they were chosen by God and adopted
as his children. He might indeed have commanded them to
rejoice that they had been regenerated by the Spirit of God,
(Titus iii. 5,) and become new creatures in Christ, (2 Cor.
v. 17;) that they had been enlightened (Eph. i. 18) in the
hope of salvation, and had received the earnest of the inherit
ance^ (Eph. i. 14.) But he intended to point out, that the
source from which all these benefits had flowed was the
free election of God, that they might not claim any thing
for themselves. Keasons for praising God are no doubt fur
nished by those acts of his kindness which we feel within us ;
but eternal election, which is without us, shows more clearly
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 35
that our salvation rests on the pure goodness 1 of God. The
metaphorical expression, your names are written in heaven,
means, that they were acknowledged by God as His children
and heirs, as if they had been inscribed in a register. 2
MATTHEW. LUKE.
XI. 25. At that time Jesus answering X. 21. In the same hour
said, I acknowledge to thee, 3 O Father, Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and
Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast said, I acknowledge to thee, 6
hid these things from the wise and prudent, O Father, Lord of heaven
and hast revealed them to little children, and earth, that thou hast hid
26. Undoubtedly, O Father, such was thy these things from the wise
good pleasure. 4 27. All things have been and prudent, and hast re-
delivered to me by my Father ; and none vealed them to little child-
knoweth the Son but the Father, and none ren : certainly, O Father, it
knoweth the Father but the Son, and he is because such was thy good
to whom the Son has chosen to reveal him. 5 pleasure. 22. All things have
28. Come to me, all that labour and are been delivered to me by my
burdened, and I will relieve you. 29. Take Father, and none knoweth
my yoke upon you, and learn of me, that I who the Son is but the Father,
am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall and who the Father is but the
find rest in your souls. 30. For my yoke Son, and he to whom the Son
[s easy, and my burden is light. shall choose to reveal him.
Matthew XI. 25. Jesus answering. Though the Hebrew
verb, answer, (PDJ?j) is frequently employed even in the com
mencement of a discourse, yet in this passage I consider it
to be emphatic ; for it was from the present occurrence that
Christ took occasion to speak. This is more fully confirmed
by the words of Luke, that in the same hour Jesus rejoiced in
spirit. Whence came that rejoicing ? Was it not because the
Church, composed of poor and despised persons, was viewed
by him as not less precious and valuable than if all the
nobility and high rank in the world had lent to it their
brilliancy? Let it be observed, also, that the discourse is
1 " La pure et simple bonte ;" " the pure and simple goodness."
2 u Comme s lls estoyent escrits en une rolle, ou enregistrez en quelque
livre ;" " as if they were written in a roll, or registered in some book."
3 u le te ren graces ;" " I give thee thanks."
4 "II est ainsi, Pere, pourtant qi
pourtant que ton bon plaisir a este tel ;" " it is
so, O Father, because thy good pleasure was such."
5 u Le Fils le veut reveler, ou, donner a coynoistre ;" " the Son chooses
to reveal him, or, to make him known"
G " le te ren graces ;" u I give thee thanks."
3G COMMENTARY ON A
addressed to the Father, and consequently is marked by
greater energy than if he had spoken to his disciples. It was
on their behalf, no doubt, and for their sake, that he gave
thanks to the Father, that they might not be displeased with
the low and mean aspect of his Church.
We are constantly looking for splendour; and nothing
appears to us more incongruous, than that the heavenly
kingdom of the Son of God, whose glory is so magnificently
celebrated by the prophets, should consist of the dregs and
offscourings of the common people. And truly it is a wonder
ful purpose of God, that though he has the whole world at
his command, he chooses rather to select a peculiar people
to himself from among the contemptible vulgar, than from
the nobility, whose high rank would have been a greater
ornament to the name of Christ. But here Christ withdraws
his disciples from a proud and haughty imagination, that they
may not venture to despise that mean and obscure condition
of his Church, in which he delights and rejoices. To restrain
more fully that curiosity which is constantly springing up in
the minds of men, he rises above the world, and contemplates
the secret decrees of God, that he may lead others to unite
with him in admiring them. And certainly, though this
appointment of God contradicts our senses, we discover not
only blind arrogance, but excessive madness, if we murmur
against it, while Christ our Head adores it with reverence.
I ackrioivledge to thee, O Father. 1 By these words he de
clares his acquiescence in that decree of the Father, which is
so greatly at variance with human senses. There is an
implied contrast between this praise, which he ascribes to
the Father, and the malicious slanders, or even the impudent
barkings, of the world. We must now T inquire in what respect
he glorifies the Father. It is because, while he was Lord of
the whole w r orld, he preferred children and ignorant persons to
the wise. It has no small weight, as connected with this
subject, that he calls the Father Lord of heaven and earth;
for in this manner he declares that it is a distinction which
1 " le te ren graces, que tu as cache ;" " I thank thee, that thou hast
concealed."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 37
depends entirely on the will of God, 1 that the wise remain
blind, while the ignorant and unlearned receive the mysteries
of the Gospel. There are many other passages of a similar
nature, in which God points out to us, that those who arrive
at salvation have been freely chosen by him, because he is
the Creator and Governor of the world, and all nations are
his.
This expression implies two things. First, that all do not
obey the Gospel arises from no want of power on the part of
God, who could easily have brought all the creatures into
subjection to his government. Secondly, that some arrive at
faith, while others remain hardened and obstinate, is accom
plished by his free election ; for, drawing some, and passing
by others, he alone makes a distinction among men, whose
condition by nature is alike. 2 In choosing little children
rather than the wise^ he has a regard to his glory ; for the
flesh is too apt to rise, and if able and learned men had led
the way, it would soon have come to be the general con
viction, that men obtain faith by their skill, or industry, or
learning. In no other way can the mercy of God be so fully
known as it ought to be, than by making such a choice, from
which it is evident, that whatever men bring from them
selves is nothing ; and therefore human wisdom is justly
thrown down, that it may not obscure the praise of divine
grace.
But it is asked, whom does Christ denominate wise ? And
whom does he denominate little children ? For experience
plainly shows, that not all the ignorant and unlearned on the
one hand are enlightened to believe, and that not all the
wise or learned are left in their blindness. It follows, that
those are called wise and prudent, who, swelled with diabolical
pride, cannot endure to hear Christ speaking to them from
above. And yet it does not always happen that God repro
bates those who have a higher opinion of themselves than
1 " Qu il n y a quo le bon plaisir et vouloir de Dieu qui solt cause do
ceste diversite ;" u that it is only the good pleasure and will of God that
is the cause of this diversity."
2 u Desquels tous la condition est semblable de nature ;" " of all of
whom the condition by nature is alike."
68 COMMENTARY (Xtf A
they ought to have ; as we learn from the instance of Paul,
whose fierceness Christ subdued. If we come down to the
ignorant multitude, the majority of whom display envenomed
malice, we perceive that they are left to their destruction
equally with the nobles and great men. I do acknowledge,
that all unbelievers swell with a wicked confidence in them
selves, whether their pride be nourished by their wisdom, or
by a reputation for integrity, or by honours, or by riches.
But I consider that Christ here includes all who are eminent
for abilities and learning, without charging them with any
fault ; as, on the other hand, he does not represent it to be
an exceUence in any one that he is a little child. True,
humble persons have Christ for their master, and the first
lesson of faith is, Let no man presume on his wisdom. But
Christ does not speak here as to voluntary childhood. He
magnifies the grace of the Father on this ground, that he
does not disdain to descend even to the lowest and most
abominable, that he may raise up the poor out of filth.
But here a question arises. As prudence is a gift of God,
how comes it that it hinders us from perceiving the bright
ness of God, which shines in the Gospel ? We ought, indeed,
to remember what I have already said, that unbelievers cor
rupt all the prudence which they possess, and that men of
distinguished abilities are often hindered in this respect, that
they cannot submit to be taught. But with respect to the
present passage I reply : Though the sagacity of the prudent
does not stand in their way, they may notwithstanding be
deprived of the light of the Gospel. Since the condition of
all is the same or alike, why may not God take this or that
person according to his pleasure ? The reason why he passes
by the wise and the great is declared by Paul to be, that God
hath chosen the weak and foolish things of the world to confound
the glory of the flesh, (1 Cor. i. 27.)
Herice also we infer, that the statement made by Christ is
not universal, when he says, that the mysteries of the Gospel
are hidden from the wise. If out of five wise men four reject
the Gospel and one embraces it, and if, out of an equal
number of unlearned persons, two or three become disciples
of Christ, this statement is fulfilled. This is also confirmed
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 39
by that passage in Paul s writings, which I lately quoted ;
for he does not exclude from the kingdom of God all the
wise, and noble, and mighty, but only declares that it does not
contain many of them.
The question is now solved. Prudence is not condemned
as far as it is a gift of God, but Christ merely declares that
it has no influence in procuring faith. On the other hand,
he does not recommend ignorance, as if it rendered men
acceptable to God, but affirms that it does not hinder mercy
from enlightening ignorant and unlearned men with heavenly
wisdom. It now remains to explain what is meant by
revealing and hiding. That Christ does not speak of the
outward preaching may be inferred with certainty from this
circumstance, that he presented himself as a Teacher to all
without distinction, and enjoined his Apostles to do the
same. The meaning therefore is, that no man can obtain
faith by his own acuteness, but only by the secret illumina
tion of the Spirit ,
26. Undoubtedly, O Father. This expression removes
every pretence for that licentiousness of inquiry, to which
we are continually excited. There is nothing which we yield
to God with greater difficulty, than that his will shall be
regarded by us as the highest reason and justice. 1 He fre
quently repeats, that his judgments are a deep abyss, (Ps.
xxxvi. 6 ;) but we plunge with headlong violence into that
depth, 2 and if there is any thing that does not please us, we
gnash our teeth, or murmur against him, and many even
break out into open blasphemies. On the contrary, our
Lord lays down to us this rule, that whatever God has
determined must be regarded by us as right. 3 This is sober
wisdom, to acquiesce in the good pleasure of God as alone
equal to a thousand arguments. 4 Christ might indeed have
Pour la derniere et souveraine raison, ct pour iustice parfaitc ;"-
that all
that God has determined is good and right.
4 " Et cela est estre sage a sobriete, d acquiescer au seul bon plaisir de
Dieu, et nous y arrester paisiblement, plus que s il y avoit dix mille raisons
" Tour la derniere et souveraine raison, et pour mstice partaite
" for the last and supreme reason, and for perfect justice."
2 " Pour sonder ce qui y est ;" " to sound what is in it."
3 " Que tout ce que Dieu a determine est bon et droict ;" "tha
j_V _ A. /""i 1 1 ,l^j ",-.^,-1 !~ *. -, ~ A /] ,"U "
40 COMMENTARY OX A
brought forward the causes of that distinction, if there were
any ; but he is satisfied with the good pleasure of God, and
inquires no farther why he calls to salvation little children
rather than others, and composes his kingdom out of an
obscure flock. 1 Hence it is evident, that men direct their
fury against Christ, when, on learning that some are freely
chosen, and others are reprobated, by the will of God, they
storm because they find it unpleasant to yield to God. 2
27. All things have been delivered to me. The connection
of this sentence with the preceding one is not correctly un
derstood by those commentators who think that Christ
intends nothing more than to strengthen the confidence of
his disciples for preaching the Gospel. My opinion is, that
Christ spoke these words for another reason, and with
another object in view. Having formerly asserted that the
Church proceeds from the secret source of God s free elec
tion, he now shows in what manner the grace of salvation
comes to men. Many persons, as soon as they learn that
none are heirs of eternal life but those whom God chose
before the foundation of the world, (Eph. i. 4,) begin to in
quire anxiously how they may be assured of God s secret
purpose, and thus plunge into a labyrinth, from which they
will find no escape. Christ enjoins them to come direct to
himself, in order to obtain certainty of salvation. The
meaning therefore is, that life is exhibited to us in Christ
himself, and that no man will partake of it who does not
enter by the gate of faith. We now see that he connects
faith with the eternal predestination of God, two things
which men foolishly and wickedly hold to be inconsistent
with each other. Though our salvation was always hidden
with God, yet Christ is the channel through which it flows
devant nos yeux ;" " and this is to be wise to sobriety, to acquiesce in
the good pleasure of God, and to rest calmly upon it, more than if there
were ten thousand arguments before our eyes,"
1 " D une troupe de gens incognus, et de petite estime ;" " from a
flock of persons unknown and little esteemed."
2 " Yienent incontinent a tempester, pource quil leur fasche que Dieu
ait le dernier mot ;" " come immediately to storm, because it gives them
uneasiness that God should have the last word."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 41
to us, and we receive it by faith, that it may be secure and
ratified in our hearts. We are not at liberty then to turn
away from Christ, unless we choose to reject the salvation
which he offers to us.
None knoweth the Son. He says this, that we may not be
guided by the judgment of men, and thus form an erroneous
estimate of his majesty. The meaning therefore is, that if
we wish to know what is the character of Christ, w T e must
abide by the testimony of the Father, who alone can truly
and certainly inform us what authority he hath bestowed
upon him. And, indeed, by imagining him to be what our
mind, according to its capacity, conceives of him, we deprive
him of a great part of his excellence, so that we cannot
know him aiight but from the voice of the Father. That
voice alone would undoubtedly be insufficient without the
guidance of the Spirit ; for the power of Christ is too deep
and hidden to be attained by men, until they have been
enlightened by the Father. We must understand him to
mean, not that the Father knoweth for himself, but that He
knoweth for us to reveal him to us.
But the sentence appears to be incomplete, for the two
clauses do not correspond to each other. Of the Son it is
said, that none knoweth the Father except himself, and he to
whom he shall he pleased to reveal him. Of the Father nothing
more is said than this, that He alone knoweth the Son.
Nothing is said about revelation. I reply, that it w r as
unnecessary to repeat what he had already said ; for what
else is contained in the previous thanksgiving, than that the
Father hath revealed the Son to those w r ho approve of him ?
When it is now added that He alone knoweth the Son, it
appears to be the assigning of a reason ; for this thought
might have occurred, What necessity w r as there that the Son,
who had openly exhibited himself to the view of men, should
be revealed by the Father? We now perceive the reason
why it was said, that none knoweth the Son but the Father
only. It now remains that we attend to the latter clause :
None knoweth the Father except the Son, and he to whom the
Son shall be pleased to reveal him. This is a different kind of
knowledge from the former ; for the Son is said to know the
42 COMMENTARY ON A
Father, not because he reveals Him by his Spirit, but because,
being the lively image of Him, he represents Him visibly in
his own person. At the same time, I do not exclude the
Spirit, but explain the revelation here mentioned as referring
to the manner of communicating information. This agrees
most completely with the context ; for Christ confirms what
he had formerly said, that all things had been delivered to him
by his Father, by informing us that the fulness of the Godhead
dwelleth in him, (Col. ii. 9.) The passage may be thus
summed up : * First, it is the gift of the Father, that the
Son is known, because by his Spirit he opens the eyes of our
mind to discern the glory of Christ, which otherwise would
have been hidden from us. Secondly, the Father, who
dwells in inaccessible light, and is in himself incomprehen
sible, is revealed to us by the Son, because he is the lively
image of Him, so that it is in vain to seek for Him else
where. 2
28. Come to me all that labour. He now kindly invites to
himself those whom he acknowledges to be fit for becoming
his disciples. Though he is ready to reveal the Father to
all, yet the greater part are careless about coming to him,
because they are not affected by a conviction of their neces
sities. Hypocrites give themselves no concern about Christ,
because they are intoxicated with their own righteousness,
and neither hunger nor thirst (Matth. v. 6) for his grace.
Those who are devoted to the w^orld set no value on a
heavenly life. It would be in vain, therefore, for Christ to
invite either of these classes, and therefore he turns to the
wretched and afflicted. He speaks of them as labouring, or
groaning under a burden, and does not mean generally those
who are oppressed with grief and vexations, but those who
are overwhelmed by their sins, who are filled with alarm at
the wrath of God, and are ready to sink under so weighty a
burden. There are various methods, indeed, by which God
1 " Tout ce passage revient a ces deux points ;" "the whole of this
passage amounts to these two points."
2 " En sorte que c est temps perdu de le chercher ailleurs ;" " so that
it is lost time to seek him elsewhere."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 43
humbles his elect ; but as the greater part of those who are
loaded with afflictions still remain obstinate and rebellious,
Christ means by persons labouring and burdened, those whose
consciences are distressed by their exposure to eternal death,
and who are inwardly so pressed down by their miseries
that they faint ; for this very fainting prepares them for
receiving his grace. He tells us that the reason why most
men despise his grace is, that they are not sensible of their
poverty; but that there is no reason why their pride or
folly should keep back afflicted souls that long for relief.
Let us therefore bid adieu to all who, entangled by the
snares of Satan, either are persuaded that they possess a
righteousness out of Christ, or imagine that they are happy
in this world. Let our miseries drive us to seek Christ ;
and as he admits none to the enjoyment of his rest but those
who sink under the burden, let us learn, that there is no
venom more deadly than that slothfulness which is produced
in us, either by earthly happiness, or by a false and deceitful
opinion of our own righteousness and virtue. Let each of
us labour earnestly to arouse himself, first, by vigorously
shaking off the luxuries of the world ; and, secondly, by laying
aside every false confidence. Now though this preparation
for coming to Christ makes them as dead men, 1 yet it ought
to be observed, that it is the gift of the Holy Spirit, because
it is the commencement of repentance, to which no man
aspires in his own strength. Christ did not intend to show
what man can do of himself, but only to inform us what
must be the feelings of those who come to him.
They who limit the burden and the labour to ceremonies
of the Law, take a very narrow view of Christ s meaning.
I do acknowledge, that the Law was intolerably burden
some, and overwhelmed the souls of worshippers ; but we
must bear in mind what I have said, that Christ stretches
out his hand to all the afflicted, and thus lays down a dis-
1 "Combien que ceste preparation a recevoir la grace de Christ despou-
ille desia entierement les hommes, et monstre qu ils sont dutout vuides de
vertu;" "though this preparation for receiving the grace of Christ
already strips men entirely, and shows that they are wholly devoid of
virtue."
44 COMMENTARY ON A
tinction between his disciples and those who despise the
Gospel. But we must attend to the universality of the
expression ; for Christ included all, without exception, who
labour and are burdened, that no man may shut the gate
against himself by wicked doubts. 1 And yet all such per
sons are few in number ; for, among the innumerable multi
tude of those that perish, few are aware that they are
perishing. The relief which he promises consists in the
free pardon of sins, which alone gives us peace.
29. Take my yoke upon you. Many persons, we perceive,
abuse the grace of Christ by turning it into an indulgence
of the flesh; and therefore Christ, after promising joyful
rest to wretchedly distressed consciences, reminds them, at
the same time, that he is their Deliverer on condition of their
submitting to his yoke. He does not, he tells us, absolve
men from their sins in such a manner, that, restored to the
favour of God, they may sin with greater freedom, but that,
raised up by his grace, they may also take his yoke upon them,
and that, being free in spirit, they may restrain the licen
tiousness of their flesh. And hence we obtain a definition
of that rest of which he had spoken. It is not at all in
tended to exempt the disciples of Christ from the warfare of
the flesh, that they may enjoy themselves at their ease, but
to train them under the burden of discipline, and keep them
under the yoke.
Learn of me. It is a mistake, I think, to suppose that
Christ here assures us of his meekness, lest his disciples,
under the influence of that fear which is usually experienced
in approaching persons of distinction, should remain at a
distance from him on account of his Divine glory. It is
rather his design to form us to the imitation of himself,
because the obstinacy of the flesh leads us to shrink from
his yoke as harsh and uneasy. Shortly afterwards, he adds,
(ver. 30,) my yoke is easy. But how shall any man be brought
willingly and gently to bend his neck, unless, by putting on
1 " Par une desfiance et fa$on perverse de douter;" "by a distrust
and wicked manner of doubting."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
meekness, he be conformed to Christ ? That this is the
meaning of the words is plain ; for Christ, after exhorting
his disciples to bear his yoke, and desirous to prevent them
from being deterred by its difficulty, immediately adds,
Learn of me ; thus declaring that, when his example shall
have accustomed us to meekness and humility, we shall no
longer feel his yoke to be troublesome. To the same pur
pose he adds, / will relieve you. So long as the flesh kicks,
we rebel ; and those who refuse the yoke of Christ, and
endeavour to appease God in any other manner, distress and
waste themselves in vain. In this manner, we see the
Papists wretchedly torturing themselves, and silently en
during the dreadful tyranny under which they groan, that
they may not bow to the yoke of Christ.
MATTHEW.
XII. 1. At that time
Jesus was passing through
the corn -fields on the
Sabbath; 1 and his dis
ciples were hungry, and
began to pluck the ears
of corn, and to eat. 2.
But when the Pharisees
saw it, they said to him,
Lo, thy disciples do what
it is not lawful to do on
the Sabbath. 3. But he
said to them, Have you
not read what David did,
when he was hungry, and
those who were with him?
4. How he entered into
the house of God, and
ate the shew-bread, which
it was not lawful for him
to eat, nor for those who
were with him, but for the
priests alone ? 5. Or have
you not read in the Law,
that on the Sabbath the
priests in the temple pro
fane the temple, and are free
from blame? 2 6. ButI say to
MARK.
II. 23. And it hap
pened, that he was
passing through the
corn-fields, and his
disciples began to
pluck the ears of
corn as they went
along. 24. And
the Pharisees said
to him, Lo, why do
they on the Sabbath
what is not lawful?
25. And he said to
them, Have you not
read what David did,
when he had need,
and was hungry, and
those who were with
hint? 26. How he
entered into the house
of God in the
time of Abiathar,
the high-priest, and
ate the shew-bread,
which it is not law
ful to eat but for
the priests, and gave
also 3 to those who
LUKE.
VI. 1. And it hap
pened that, on the
second-first Sab
bath, he was passing
through the corn
fields ; and his dis
ciples were plucking
ears of corn, and
were eating, rubbing
them in their hands.
2. And some of the
Pharisees said to
them, Why do you
do what it is not
lawful to do on the
Sabbath? 3. And
Jesus answering saith
to them, Have you
not read even this
which David did
when he was hungry,
and those who were
with him ? 4. How
he entered into the
house of God, and
took the shew-bread,
and ate it, and gave
also to those who
1 " Un iour du Sabbath ;" "on a Sabbath-day."
2 " Et n en sont point reprehensibles ; " "and are not blameable
for it."
8 " Et en donna aussi ;" " and gave of it also."
46
COMMENTARY OX A
MATTHEW.
you, That one greater than
the temple is in this place.
7. But if you knew what
that is, I choose mercy,
and not sacrifice, you
would not have condemn
ed the innocent. 8. For
the Son of man is Lord
even of the Sabbath.
MARK.
were with him ? 27.
And he said to them,
The Sabbath was
made for man, and
not man for the Sab
bath. 28. There
fore the Son of man
is Lord even of the
Sabbath.
LUKE.
were with him,
which it is not
lawful to eat but
only for the priests ?
5. And he said
to them, The Son
of man is Lord
even of the Sab
bath.
Matthew XII. 1. Jesus was walking on the Sabbath. It was
the design of the Evangelists, in this history, to show partly
what a malicious disposition the Pharisees had, and partly
how superstitiously they were attached to outward and slight
matters, so as to make holiness to consist in them entirely.
They blame the disciples of Christ for plucking the ears of
corn on the Sabbath, during their journey, when they were
pressed with hunger, as if, by so doing, they were violating
the Sabbath. The keeping of the Sabbath was, indeed, a
holy thing, but not such a manner of keeping it as they
imagined, so that one could scarcely move a finger without
making the conscience to tremble. 1 It was hypocrisy, there
fore, that made them so exact in trifling matters, while they
spared themselves in gross superstitions ; as Christ elsewhere
upbraids them with paying tithe of mint and anise, and neglect
ing the important matters of the Law, (Mat. xxiii. 23.) It is
the invariable practice of hypocrites to allow themselves
liberty in matters of the greatest consequence, and to pay
close attention to ceremonial observances. Another reason
why they demand that outward rites should be more rigor
ously observed is, that they wish to make their duty toward
God to consist only in carnal worship. But it was malevo
lence and envy, still more than superstition, that led them to
this act of censure ; for towards others they would not have
been equally stern. It is proper for us to observe the feelings
by which they were animated, lest any one should be dis
tressed by the fact, that the very Doctors of the Law were
so hostile to Christ.
1 " Avec tremblement et incertitude de conscience ;" u with trembling
and uncertainty of conscience."
IIAEMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 47
Luke VI. 1. On the second-first Sabbath. It is beyond all
question that this Sabbath belonged to some one of the
festival-days which the Law enjoined to be observed once
every year. Some have thought that there were two festival-
days in immediate succession ; but as the Jews had arranged
their festival-days after the Babylonish captivity so that one
day always intervened between them, that opinion is set
aside. Others maintain with greater probability, that it w T as
the last day of the solemnity, which was as numerously
attended as the first. I am more inclined to favour those
who understand by it the second festivity in the year ; and
this agrees exceedingly well with the name given to it, the
second-first Sabbath, because, among the great Sabbaths which
AY ere annually observed, it was the second in the order of
time. Now the first w^as the Passover, and it is therefore
probable that this was the feast of first-fruits, (Ex. xxiii.
15, 16.)
Mark II. 24. Why do they on the Sabbath what is not law
ful ? The Pharisees do not blame the disciples of Christ for
plucking ears of corn from a field that was not their own,
but for violating the Sabbath; as if there had been a pre
cept to this effect, that famishing men ought rather to
die than to satisfy their hunger. Now the only reason for
keeping the Sabbath was, that the people, by sanctifying
themselves to God, might be employed in true and spiritual
worship ; and next, that, being free from all worldly occupa
tions, they might be more at liberty to attend the holy
assemblies. The law r ful observation of it, therefore, must
have a reference to this object; for the Law ought to be
interpreted according to the design of the Legislator. But
this shows clearly the malicious and implacable nature of
superstition, and particularly the proud and cruel dispositions
of hypocrites, when ambition is joined to hatred of the person.
It was not the mere affec aition of pretended holiness, as I
have said, that made the Pharisees so stern and rigorous ; but
as they expressly wished to carp at every thing that Christ
said or did, they could not do otherwise than put a wrong
meaning in cases where there was nothing to blame, as usually
48 COMMENTARY ON A
happens with prejudiced interpreters. The accusation was
brought according to Matthew and Mark against our
Lord, and according to Luke against his disciples. But
there is no inconsistency here ; for the disciples were in all
probability so harassed, that the charge was directed chiefly
against the Master himself. It is even possible that the
Pharisees first wrangled with the disciples, and afterwards
with Christ, and that, in the rage of their malice, they
blamed him for remaining silent, and permitting his disciples
to break the Sabbath.
Matthew XII. 3. Have you not read what David did?
Christ employs five arguments to refute their calumny. First,
he apologizes for his disciples by pleading the example ot
David, (1 Sam. xxi. 6.) While David was fleeing from the
rage of Saul, he applied for provisions to the high-priest
Ahimelech ; and there being no ordinary food at hand, he
succeeded in obtaining a part of the holy bread. If David s
necessity excused him, the same argument ought to be
admitted in the case of others. Hence it follows, that the
ceremonies of the Law are not violated where there is no
infringement of godliness. 1 Now Christ takes for granted,
that David was free from blame, because the Holy Spirit
bestows commendation on the priest who allowed him to
partake of the holy bread. When he says, that it was not
lawful to eat that bread but for the priests alone, w r e must
understand him to refer to the ordinary law : they shall eat
those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and
to sanctify them ; but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because
they are holy, (Ex. xxix. 33.) If David had attempted to do
what was contrary to law, it would have been in vain for
Christ to plead his example ; for what had been prohibited
for a particular end no necessity could make lawful.
5. That on the Sabbaths the priests profane the Sabbath.
This is the second argument by which Christ proves that the
violation of the Sabbath, of which the Pharisees complained,
1 " Quand on ne derogue rien a la reverence deue a Dieu ;" " when
nothing is taken away from the reverence that is due to God."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS, 49
was free from fill blame ; because on the Sabbaths it is lawful
to slay beasts for sacrifice, to circumcise infants, and to do
other things relating to the worship of God. Hence it fol
lows, that the duties of piety are in no degree inconsistent
with each other. 1 But if the temple sanctifies manual opera
tions connected with sacrifices, and with the whole of the
outward service, the holiness of the true and spiritual temple
has greater efficacy, in exempting its worshippers from all
blame, while they are discharging the duties of godliness. 2
Now the object which the disciples had in view was, to pre
sent to God souls which were consecrated by the Gospel.
Matthew alone glances at this argument. When Christ
says, that the priests PROFANE the Sabbath, the expression is
not strictly accurate, and is accommodated to his hearers ; for
when the Law enjoins men to abstain from their employ
ments, it does not forbid them to perform the services of
religion. But Christ admits that to be true which might
appear to be so in the eye of ignorant persons, 3 and rests
satisfied with proving, that the labours performed in the
temple are not offensive to God.
7. But if you knew. This Third argument is also men
tioned by Matthew alone. Christ conveys an indirect reproof
to the Pharisees, for not considering why ceremonies were
appointed, and to what object they are directed. This has
been a common fault in almost every age ; and therefore the
prophet Hosea (vi. 6) exclaims against the men of his own
age for being too much attached to ceremonies, and caring
little about the duties of kindness. But God declares aloud,
that he sets a higher value on mercy than on sacrifice, em
ploying the word mercy, by a figure of speech, for offices of
1 " Que les exercices de piete ne sont point contraires les uns aux
autres, mais s accordent bien ensemble ;" " that the exercises of godli
ness are not opposed to each other, but agree well together."
2 " Quand ils s employent a oeuvres qui tendent a Phonneur de Dieu ;"
" when they are employed in works which tend to the honour of God."
3 " Ainsi Christ accorde estre vray, ce qui ne Test pas de faict, mais qni
pourroit sembler 1 estre en apparence a gens qui ne scavent pas bien
iuger et discerner les choses ;" " thus Christ admits that to be true
which is not so in reality, but which might appear to be so to persons who
do not know how to judge and distinguish matters properly."
VOL. II. D
50 COMMENTARY ON A
kindness, as sacrifices include the outward service of the Law.
This statement Christ applies to his own time, and charges
the Pharisees with wickedly torturing the Law of God out
of its true meaning, with disregarding the second table, and
being entirely occupied with ceremonies.
But a question arises : Why does God declare that he is
indifferent about ceremonies, when he strictly enjoined in his
Law that they should be observed ? The answer is easy.
External rites are of no value in themselves, and are demanded
by God in so far only as they are directed to their proper
object. Besides, God does not absolutely reject them, but,
by a comparison with deeds of kindness, pronounces that they
are inferior to the latter in actual value. Nor is it incon
sistent with this to say, that in the perfection of righteousness
the highest rank belongs to the worship of God, and the
duties which men owe to each other occupy the second rank.
For, though piety is justly reckoned to be as much superior
to charity as God is higher than men, yet as believers, by
practising justice towards each other, prove that their service
of God is sincere, it is not without reason that this subject
is brought under the notice of hypocrites, who imitate piety
by outward signs, and yet pervert it by confining their labo
rious efforts to the carnal worship alone. 1 From the testimony
of the Prophet, Christ justly infers that no blame attaches to
his disciples ; for while God trained his people in the rudi
ments of the Law, it was far from being his design to kill
wretched men with famine.
8. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath. Some
connect this sentence with a preceding statement, that one
greater than the temple is in this place, (ver. 6 ;) but I look upon
them as different. In the former case, Christ, by an allusion
to the temple, affirmed that whatever was connected with his
personal holiness was not a transgression of the Law ; but
now, he declares that he has received authority to exempt
1 " Et cependant neantmoins la renversent et falsifient, s arrestans au
seul service charnel, auquel ils prenent grande peine;" "and yet
nevertheless overthrow and falsify it, confining themselves to the carnal
service alone, on which they bestow great pains."
IIAIIMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
51
his followers from the necessity of observing the Sabbath.
The Son of man, (he says,) in the exercise of his authority,
can relax the Sabbath in the same manner as other legal
ceremonies. And certainly out of Christ the bondage of
the Law is wretched, from which he alone delivers those on
whom he bestows the free Spirit of adoption, 1 (Rom. viii. 15.)
Mark II. 27. The Sabbath was made for man. This
Fifth argument is related by Mark alone. The general
meaning is, that those persons judge amiss who turn to
man s destruction, 2 the Sabbath which God appointed for
his benefit. The Pharisees saw the disciples of Christ
employed in a holy work; they saw them worn out with
the fatigue of the journey, and partly with want of food ;
and yet are offended that, when they are hungry, they take
a few grains of corn for the support of their wearied bodies.
Is not this a foolish attempt to overturn the purpose of God,
when they demand to the injury of men that observation of
the Sabbath which he intended to be advantageous ? But
they are mistaken, I think, who suppose that in this passage
the Sabbath is entirely abolished ; for Christ simply informs
us what is the proper use of it. Though he asserted, a little
before, that he is Lord of the Sabbath, yet the full time for
its abolition 3 was not yet come, because the veil of the temple
was not yet rent, (Matth. xxvii. 51.)
MATTHEW.
XII. 9. And having
departed thence, he
came into their sy
nagogue : 10. And,
lo, there was a man
having a withered
hand, and they asked
him, saying, Is it law
ful to heal on the
Sabbaths? that they
MARK.
III. 1. And he en
tered again into the
synagogue, and there
was a man there
having a withered
hand. 2. And they
watched him, if he
would heal that man
on the Sabbath, that
they might accuse him.
LUKE.
VI. 6. And it happened
also on another Sabbath,
that he entered into the
synagogue, and taught ;
and there was a man
there whose right hand
was withered. 7. And the
scribes and Pharisees
watched him, if he would
heal on the Sabbath, that
! " Ausquels il donne 1 Esprit d adoption, qui est 1 Esprit de la liberte ;"
" to whom he gives the Spirit of adoption, which is the Spirit of liberty."
2 " Lesquels convertissent au dommage et a la ruine de I liomme :"
" who turn to the injury and to the ruin of man."
3 "La vraye saison et le temps opportun de 1 abolissement d iceluy ;"
" the true season and appropriate time for the abolition of it."
52
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
might accuse him.
11. But he said to
them, What man
shall there be among
you who shall have
one sheep, and if it
fall on the Sabbath
into a ditch, will not
lay hold on it, and
lift it out? 12. How
much more then is a
man better than a
sheep? Therefore it
is lawful to do well
on the Sabbaths.
13. Then he saith to
the man, Stretch out
thy hand. And he
stretched it out, and
it was restored to
soundness like the
other.
MARK.
3. And he said to
the man having the
withered hand, Rise
up in the midst. 4.
And he saith to them,
Whether is it lawful
on the Sabbath to do
good or to do evil?
to save life or to kill ?
But they were silent.
5. And when he had
looked round upon
them with indigna
tion, grieving on ac
count of the blindness
of their heart, he
saith to the man,
Stretch out thy hand ;
and he stretched it
out, and his hand was
restored to soundness
like the other.
LUKE.
they might find an oppor
tunity of accusing him.
8. But he knew their
thoughts, and said to the
man that had the withered
hand, Rise up, and stand
in the midst. And he rose
up and stood. 9. Jesus
therefore saith to them,
I will ask you, Whether
is it lawful on the Sab
baths to do good or to do
evil ? to save life or to
destroy it? 10. And
when he had looked
round about upon them
all, he said to the man,
Stretch out thy hand.
And he did so : and his
hand was restored sound
like the other.
Matthew XII. 9. And having departed thence. This nar
rative and that which immediately precedes it have the
same object; which is to show, that the scribes watched
with a malicious eye for the purpose of turning into slander
every thing that Christ did, and consequently that we need
not wonder if men, whose minds were so depraved, were his
implacable enemies. We see also, that it is usual with
hypocrites to pursue what is nothing more than a shadow of
the righteousness of the Law, and as the common saying is, to
stickle more about the form than about the substance. First,
then, let us learn from this passage to keep our minds pure,
and free from every wicked disposition, when we are about to
form a decision on any question ; for if hatred, or pride, or
any thing of that description, reign within us, we will not only
do injury to men, but will insult God himself, and turn light
into darkness. No man, who was free from malice, woidd
have refused to acknowledge that it was a Divine work,
which those good teachers do not scruple to condemn. 1
Whence comes such fury, but because all their senses are
1 "N ont point de honte de condamner ;" "are not ashamed to
condemn."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 53
affected by a wicked hatred of Christ, so that they are blind
amidst the full brightness of the sun ? We learn also, that
we ought to beware lest, by attaching undue importance to
ceremonial observances, we allow other things to be neglected,
which are of far higher value in the sight of God, and which
Christ in another passage calls the more important matters of
the Law, (Matth. xxiii. 23.) For so strongly are we in
clined to outward rites, that we shall never preserve mode
ration in this respect, unless we constantly remember, that
whatever is enjoined respecting the worship of God is, in
the first place, spiritual ; and, secondly, ought to be regulated
by the rule which Christ has laid down to us in this passage.
10. They asked him, saying. Mark and Luke say only
that they watched what our Lord would do ; but Matthew
states more clearly that they also attacked him by words. It
is probable, that some others had been previously cured on
Sabbath-days ; and hence they take occasion to ask if he
believes it to be lawful for him to do again what he had
formerly done. They ought to have considered whether it
was a work of God, or of man, to restore a withered hand by
a mere touch, or by a single word. When God appointed
the Sabbath, he did not lay down a law for himself, or im
pose upon himself any restraint from performing operations
on the Sabbath, when he saw it to be proper, in the same
manner as on other days. It was excessive folly, therefore,
to call this in question, and thus to prescribe rules for God
himself, and to restrain the freedom of his operations.
11. What man shall there be among you who shall have a
sheep? Christ again points out w r hat is the true way of
keeping the Sabbath ; and, at the same time, reproves them
for slander, in bringing as a charge against him what was a
universal custom. For if any man s sheep had fallen into a
ditch, no person would have hindered it from being taken
out : but in proportion as a man is of more value than a sheep,
so much the more are we at liberty to assist him. It is plain,
therefore, that if any man should relieve the necessity of
brethren, he did not, in any degree, violate the rest which
54 COMMENTARY ON A
the Lord has enjoined. Mark and Luke take no notice of
this comparison, but only state that Christ inquired, Is it
lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil ?
He who takes away the life of a man is held to be a crimi
nal ; and there is little difference between manslaughter and
the conduct of him who does not concern himself about
relieving a person in distress. So then Christ indirectly
charges them with endeavouring, under the pretence of a
holy act, to compel him to do evil; for sin is committed, as
we have already said, not only by him who does any thing
contrary to the Law, but also by him who neglects his duty.
Hence also we perceive, that Christ did not always employ
the same arguments in refuting this slander ; for he does not
reason here about his divinity as he does in the case men
tioned by John, (v. 18.) Nor was there any necessity for
doing so; since the Pharisees were completely refuted by
this single defence, that nothing could be more unreasonable
than to pronounce a man, who imitated God, to be a trans
gressor of the Sabbath.
Luke XII. 8. But he knew their thoughts. If Matthew
states the truth, they had openly declared by their language
what was in their minds ; and therefore Christ replies not to
their secret thoughts, but to express words. But both may
be true, that they spoke plainly, and yet that Christ dis
cerned their secret thoughts ; for they did not openly avow
their designs, and Matthew himself tells us that their question
was intended to take Christ by surprise ; and, consequently,
Luke means nothing more than that Christ was aware of
their insidious designs, though not expressed in words.
Mark HI. 5. And when he had looked around upon them
with indignation. To convince us that this was a just and
holy anger, Mark explains the reason of it to be, that he was
grieved on account of the blindness of their hearts. First, then,
Christ is grieved, because men who have been instructed in the
Law of God are so grossly blind; but as it was malice that
blinded them, his grief is accompanied by indignation. This
is the true moderation of zeal, to be distressed about the
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
55
destruction of wicked men, and, at the same time, to be filled
with wrath at their ungodliness. Again, as this passage
assures us, that Christ was not free from human passions, we
infer from it, that the passions themselves are not sinful, pro
vided there be no excess. In consequence of the corruption
of our nature, we do not preserve moderation ; and our anger,
even when it rests on proper grounds, is never free from sin.
With Christ the case was different ; for not only did his
nature retain its original purity, but he was a perfect pattern
of righteousness. We ought therefore to implore from hea
ven the Spirit of God to correct our excesses.
MATTHEW.
XII. 14. Then thePhari-
sees went out, and took
counsel against him, how
they might destroy him. 1
15. But when Jesus knew
this, he withdrew from that
place ; and great multi
tudes followed him, and he
cured them all. 16. And
he threatened them, 2 that
they should not make him
known : 17. That it might be
fulfilled which was spoken
by Isaiah the Prophet, who
says, 18. Lo, my servant,
whom I have chosen, my
beloved, in whom my soul
is well pleased : I will put
my Spirit upon him, and he
shall proclaim judgment to
the Gentiles. 19. He shall
not strive, nor cry, nor shall
any man hear his voice in
the streets. 20. The bruised
reed he will not break, and
the smoking flax he will not
quench, till he send forth
judgment into victory. 21.
And in his name the Gen
tiles will trust.
MAKK.
III. 6. And the Pharisees
went out, and immediately took
counsel with the Herodians
against him, to destroy him.
7. And Jesus withdrew with
his disciples to the sea, and a
vast multitude followed him
from Galilee, and from Judea,
8. And from Jerusalem, and
from Idumea, and from beyond
Jordan ; and a great multitude
(of men) who dwelt around Tyre
and Sidon, who, when they had
heard what he was doing, came
to him. 9. And he commanded
his disciples, that a small ship
should wait upon him on ac
count of the multitude, that
they might not press upon
him. 10. For he had cured
many ; so that as many as were
afflicted pressed upon him to
touch him. 11. And unclean
spirits, when they saw him,
fell down before him, and
cried out, saying, Thou art
the Son of God. 12. And he
vehemently threatened them
that they should not make him
known.
LUKE.
VI. 11.
And they
were fill
ed with
madness,
and talk
ed with
each
other
what they
should do
to Jesus.
Matthew XII. 14. Then the Pharisees took counsel. How
1 " Comment ils le mettroyent k mort ;" " how they should put him
to death."
2 " Et aveques menaces leur defendit ;" " and with threatenings pro
hibited them."
56 COMMENTARY ON A
obstinate is the rage which drives the wicked to oppose God !
Even after having been convinced, they pour out their venom
more and more. It is truly monstrous and shocking, that
the most distinguished teachers of the Law, who were en
trusted with the government of the Church, are engaged, like
robbers, in contriving murder. But this must happen, when
ever the malice of men reaches such a height, that they wish
to destroy every thing that is opposed to their fancy, even
though it may be from God.
The circumstance of Christ s making his escape by flight
must not be ascribed to fear ; for he did not become more
courageous by the lapse of time, but was endued with the
same fortitude of the Spirit at the time when he fled, as
when, at a later period, he voluntarily presented himself to die.
And this was a part of that emptying of himself which Paul
mentions, (Phil. ii. 7,) that when he could easily have pro
tected his life by a miracle, he chose rather to submit to our
weakness by taking flight. The only reason why he delayed
to die was, that the seasonable time, which had been ap
pointed by the Father, was not yet come, (John vii. 30 ; viii.
20.) And yet it is manifest, that he was preserved by
heavenly power rather than by flight ; for it would not have
been difficult for his enemies to find out the place to which
he had retired, and so far was he from shrouding himself in
darkness, that he carried a great company along with him, and
rendered that place illustrious by his miracles. He withdrew
from their presence for the sole purpose of not aggravating
their rage.
Mark III. 6. The Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians.
Now they regarded the Herodians with the fiercest hatred ; for
their eagerness to be considered the guardians and protectors
of public liberty made it necessary for them to make an open
profession of mortal hatred to the ministers of that tyrant.
And yet this aversion is counteracted by their hatred and
fury against Christ, 1 which makes them not only enter into a
1 " Toutesfois la haine enragee qu ils ont centre Christ, surmonte toutes
leurs autres meschantes affections ;" "and yet the enraged hatred which
they have against Christ rises above all their other wicked dispositions."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 57
conspiracy with foreigners, but insinuate themselves into the
good graces of those with whom, on other occasions, they
would have shrunk from intercourse. While ungodliness
hurries men in various directions, and drives them to different
courses, it engages them, with one consent, in a contest with
God. No hostilities prevent them from giving their hand to
each other for opposing the truth of God.
16. And he threatened them. The expression used by Mark
conveys, in a still more pointed manner, that he restrained
the unclean spirits* who w T ere exclaiming, Thou art the Son of
God. We have formerly explained the reason why he did
not choose to have such witnesses. 2 And yet there is no
room to doubt, that divine power extorted from the devils
this confession ; but having made it evident that they were
subject to his dominion, Christ properly rejected their testi
mony. But Matthew goes farther, and states, that Christ
discharged them from spreading the fame of the miracles
which he was performing. Not that he wished that fame to
be wholly repressed, (as we have pointed out on other occa
sions, 3 ) but to allow it to strike root, that it might bring forth
abundant fruit at the proper season. We know that Christ
did not perform miracles for the purpose of amusement, but
had a distinct object in view, which w r as to prove that he
was the Son of God, and the appointed Redeemer of the
world. But he was manifested gradually, and by regular
steps, and was not revealed in his true character " until the
time appointed by the Father," (Gal. iv. 2.) At the same
time, it deserves our attention, that when wicked men do their
utmost to extinguish the glory of God, they are so far from
gaining their wish, that, on the contrary, God turns their
rebellious designs in an opposite direction. Though Christ with
drew from a populous district, yet in this very concealment 4
1 " A scavoir qu il mena9oit et faisoit taire les esprits immondes ;"
"namely? that he threatened and silenced the unclean spirits."
2 Harmony, vol. i. p. 246.
3 Harmony, vol. i. pp. 374, 418.
4 u Toutesfois mesmes en ceste cachete, (par maniere de dire ;") " yet
even in this hiding place, (so to speak.")
58 COMMENTARY ON A
his glory continues to shine, and even bursts forth magni
ficently into its full splendour.
17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken. Matthew
does not mean that this prediction was entirely fulfilled by
Christ s prohibiting loud and general reports to be circulated
respecting his power, 1 but that this was an exhibition of that
mildness which Isaiah describes in the person of the Messiah.
Those wonderful works which Christ performed in presence
of a few, and which he did not wish to be announced in
pompous terms, were fitted to shake heaven and earthy (Heb.
xii. 26.) It was, therefore, no ordinary proof, how widely
he was removed from the pomp and ostentation of the world.
But it will be proper for us to examine more closely the
design of Matthew. By this circumstance he intended to
show, tliat the glory of Christ s divinity ought not to be the
less admired, because it appeared under a vail of infirmity.
This is unquestionably the very object to which the Holy
Spirit directed the eyes of the prophet. The flesh is con
stantly longing for outward display, and to guard believers
against seeking any thing of this description in the Messiah,
the Spirit of God declared that he would be totally different
from earthly kings, who, in order to draw admiration upon
themselves, produce great noises wherever they go, and fill
cities and towns with commotion. 2 We now perceive how
appropriately Matthew applies the prediction of the prophet
to the case in hand. God appointed for his Son a low and
mean appearance, and that ignorant persons may not take
offence at an aspect which has no attraction, and is fitted to
awaken contempt, both the prophet and Matthew come for
ward to declare, that it is not by accident, but in consequence
of a decree of Heaven, that he assumes such a character. 3
Hence it follows, that deep blame attaches to all who despise
1 " Les miracles et signes qu il faisoit par sa vertu Divine ;" " the
miracles and signs which he performed by his Divine power."
2 "Us font faire de grans bruits: il semble que les villes et citez doyvent
tourner ce que dessus dessous, tant y a grande esmotion ;" " they cause
great noises to be made ; and so great is the commotion, that it would
seem as if towns and cities were to be turned upside down."
3 " Quand Christ vient au monde sans pompe exterieure ;" u when
Christ comes into the world without external pomp."
IIA11MONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 59
Christ, because his outward condition does not correspond
to the wishes of the flesh. We are not at liberty to ima
gine to ourselves a Christ that corresponds to our fancy, but
ought simply to embrace him as he is offered by the Father.
He who is offended by the low condition of Christ, which
God declares to be agreeable to his will, is unworthy of sal
vation. I now come to examine the words of the prophet,
(Isa. xlii. 1.)
18. Lo, my servant, whom I have chosen. To fix our atten
tion more closely on his will, God points out by the finger,
as it were, the person whom he is about to send ; and this is
the design of the exclamation, Lo ! A similar reason may be
assigned for the epithets that follow, when God calls him his
servant, his elect in ivhom his soul is well pleased. For whence
comes it, that men venture to measure Christ by their own
sense, but because they do not consider that their redemp
tion depends exclusively on the grace of God ? When God
offers to us an invaluable treasure, it is excessive and wicked
presumption to regulate our estimation of it by the disdain
ful views of our flesh. He is called a servant, not as if he
were of the ordinary rank, but by way of eminence, and as
the person to whom God has committed the charge and office
of redeeming his Church. As no man taketh this honour to
himself, but he who is called of God (Heb. v. 6) is justly
entitled to this rank, God declares that he who comes for
ward in this character was elected by his decree. 1 Hence it
follows, that men are not at liberty to reject him ; because,
by doing so, they would be guilty of contempt and rebellion
against God. And, indeed, it were the height of absurdity
that our choice or our pride should set aside that calling of
God which ought to be regarded as sacred and inviolable.
My beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. There
is a still wider import in this statement, which God next
makes by the prophet, that the delight of his soul dwells in
1 " Dieu prononce que par son ordonnance il a eleu celuy qu on verra
venir ayant les marques qu ilmet la ;" " God declares that, by his decree,
he hath elected him who will be seen coming, attended by the marks
which he there describes."
60 COMMENTARY ON A
Christ ; for though the calling of each of us proceeds from
the free favour of God as its only source, yet in Christ there
is this remarkable peculiarity, that in his person God the
Father embraces in his love the whole Church. As we are
all by nature enemies of God, his love will never come to
us till it first begin with the Head ; which we have seen on
a former occasion, and will see again under another passage,
(Matt. xvii. 5.)
He will proclaim judgment to the Gentiles. The prophet
gives a brief description of Christ s office, when he foretells
that he ivill proclaim judgment to the Gentiles. By the word
judgment the Jews understand a government which is cor
rectly and properly arranged, in which order and justice pre
vail. The design of the prophet is to inform us, that a person
will come who will restore justice that had fallen, who will
be the governor not of one nation only, but will also bring
under subjection to God the Gentiles, among whom dreadful
confusion formerly prevailed. And this is the import of the
word bring forth, which the prophet employs ; for it was the
office of Christ to spread throughout the whole world the
kingdom of God, which was at that time confined to the
corner of Judea ; J as it is said in another passage, The Lord
will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Zion, (Psa. ex. 2.)
/ will put my Spirit upon him. This explains the manner
in which judgment shall be brought forth. It is no doubt true,
that there never was any portion whatever of righteousness
in the world that did not proceed from the Spirit of God,
and that was not maintained by his heavenly power ; as none
of the kings of the earth can frame or defend good order,
except so far as he shall be assisted by the same Spirit. But
in bringing forth judgment Christ is greatly superior to all
others, for he has received the Spirit from the Father, that
he may pour it out on all his people ; for not only does he
by word or writing prescribe what is proper, but inwardly
forms the hearts of men, by the grace of his Spirit, to pre
serve the rule of righteousness.
1 u Qui estoit pour lors commc enclos en un anglet an pays de Tudee ;"
" which was then shut up, as it were in a corner, in the country of
Judea."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 61
19. He will not striae. The general meaning is, that the
coming of Christ will not be attended by noise, will have
nothing of royal splendour and magnificence. He presently
adds, that this will turn to the advantage of men, by induc
ing them to love that mildness which the world everywhere
despises. And certainly it is an astonishing display of the
folly of men, that their sentiments with regard to Christ are
less respectful, because he mildly and voluntarily accommo
dates himself to their capacity. Were Christ to appear in
his glory, what else could be expected, but that it would
altogether swallow us up ? What wickedness then is it to be
less willing to receive him, when on our account he descends
from his elevation ?
That the gentleness of Christ may awaken reverence in
believers, Isaiah reminds them how advantageous, and even
how necessary that gentleness must be. Each of us is con
scious of his own weakness ; and therefore we ought to con
sider of what importance it is that Christ should treat us
with kindness. I speak not of unbelievers, who are entirely
destitute of all the graces of the Spirit ; but with respect to
those whom God has already called, are they not like a half-
broken reed and a smoking lamp, till God kindle them to full
brightness, and supply them with perfect strength ? When
Christ is thus pleased to condescend to our weakness, let his
unspeakable goodness be embraced by us with joy. Mean
while, let none natter himself in his vices, but let each of
us labour to make greater proficiency, that we may not be
tossed about (Eph. iv. 14) through our whole life, or bend, like
reeds, to the slightest gale. Let us grow to the stature of
perfect men, that we may remain firm against the diversified
attacks of Satan, that our faith may not only emit slight
sparks encompassed by thick smoke, but may send out bright
rays.
The example of Christ instructs all his ministers in what
manner they ought to conduct themselves. But as there are
some who falsely and absurdly maintain that mildness ought
to be exercised indiscriminately towards all, we must attend
to the distinction which the prophet expressly makes between
weak and wicked persons. Those who are too stubborn need
62 COMMENTARY ON A
to have their hardness beaten violently with a hammer ; and
those who endeavour to spread darkness in every direction,
or who act as torches to kindle conflagrations, must have
their smoke dispelled and their flame extinguished. While
the faithful ministers of the Word ought to endeavour to
spare the weak, and thus to cherish and increase that portion
of the grace of God, however small, which they possess, they
must also exercise prudent caution, lest they encourage the
obstinate malice of those who have no resemblance to the
smoking lamp or bruised reed.
20. Till he send out judgment into victory. The words of the
prophet are a little different, he will bring forth the judgment
unto truth. But the term employed by Matthew is very
emphatic, and is intended to inform us, that justice is not
established in the world without a great struggle and exer
tion. The devil throws all possible difficulties in the way,
which cannot be removed without violent opposition. This
is confirmed by the word victory, for victory is not obtained
in any other way than by fighting.
21. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Instead of
these words the prophet has, The isles shall wait for his law.
But though Matthew has changed the words, the meaning
is the same, that the grace of Christ will be shared by the
Gentiles.
MATTHEW.
XII. 22. Then was
brought to him one who
was tormented by a devil,
blind and dumb ; and he
cured him, so that the
blind and dumb person
both spoke and saw. 23.
And all the multitudes
were astonished, and said,
MARK.
HI. 20. And they come
into the house, and im
mediately a multitude
assembled, so that they
could not even eat bread. 1
21. And when those who
were related to him heard
it, they went out to lay
hands on him ; 2 for they
LUKE.
XI. 14. And he
was casting out
a devil, and it
was dumb. 3 And
when he had cast
out the devil,
the dumb per
son spoke, and
the multitudes
1 "Us ne pouvoyent pas mesme prendre leur repas;" "they could
not even take their meal."
2 "Us sortirent pour le saisir ;" " they went out to seize him."
3 " Un diable qui estoit niuet ;" " a devil which was dumb."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 63
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
Is not this the son of said, He is gone niad. 1 22. wondered. 2 15.
David ? 24. But when And the Scribes, who had And some of them
the Pharisees heard it, come down from Jerusa- said, By Beelze-
they said, This man doth lem, said, He hath Beel- bub, the prince
not cast out devils but zebub, and by the prince of the devils, he
by Beelzebub prince of of the devils he casteth casteth out devils. 3
the devils. out devils.
Mark III. 20. And they come into the house. Mark un
doubtedly takes in a somewhat extended period of time,
when he passes from the miracles to that wicked conspiracy
which the relatives of Christ formed with each other, to bind
him as if he had been a madman. Matthew and Luke men
tion not more than a single miracle, as having given to the
Pharisees an opportunity of slander ; but as all the three
agree in this last clause which is contained in Mark s nar
rative, I have thought it proper to insert it here.
It is wonderful that such wickedness should have been
found among the relatives of Christ, who ought to have been
the first to aid him in advancing the kingdom of God. When
they see that he has already obtained some reputation, their
ambition leads them to desire that he should be admired in
Jerusalem ; for they exhort him to go up to that city, that he
may show himself more openly, (John vii. 3, 4.) But now
that they perceive him to be hated on one side by the
rulers, exposed on another to numerous slanders, and even
despised by the great body of the people to prevent any
injury, or envy, or dishonour, from arising to the whole
family, they form the design of laying hands on him, and
binding him at home, as if he had been a person who
laboured under mental derangement ; and, as appears from
the words of the Evangelist, such was their actual belief.
Hence we learn, first, how great is the blindness of the
human mind, in forming such perverse judgments about the
1 " Car ils disoyent qu il estoit hors du sens ;" " for they said that he
was out of his senses."
2 " Dont les troupes s emerveillerent ;" "at which the multitudes
wondered."
* " C est par Beel-zebub, prince des diables, qu il iette hors les diables ; "
" it is by Beelzebub, prince of the devils, that he casteth out devils."
64 COMMENTARY ON A
glory of God when openly displayed. Certainly, in all that
Christ said and did, the power of the Holy Spirit shone
magnificently; and if others had not clearly perceived it,
how could it be unknown to his relatives, who were inti
mately acquainted with him ? But because Christ s manner
of acting does not please the world, and is so far from gain
ing its good graces that it exposes him to the resentments of
many, they give out that he is deranged. Let us learn, in the
second place, that the light of faith does not proceed from
flesh and blood, but from heavenly grace, that no man may
glory in any thing else than in the regeneration of the Spirit ;
as Paul tells us, If any man wishes to be considered to be in
Christ, let him be a new creature, (2 Cor. v. 17.)
Matthew XII. 22. Then was brought to him. Luke ex
plains from the effect, that the devil by which the man was
possessed was dumb; but Matthew says, that a twofold
plague had been inflicted on the man. Many persons, no
doubt, are blind and deaf on account of natural defects ; but
it is evident, that this man had become blind, and had been
deprived of the use of speech, though there was no defect in
his optical nerves, 1 or in the proportion of his tongue. We
need not wonder that so much liberty should be allowed to
Satan in injuring the bodily senses, when God justly permits
him to corrupt or pervert all the faculties of the soul.
23. And all the people were astonished. Hence we infer,
that there was a visible display of the power of God, which
drew upon him the admiration of the great body of the
people, who were not at all actuated by any wicked disposi
tion. For how came it that all admired, but because the
fact compelled them to do so ? And certainly there is not
one of us, who does not see in this narrative, as in a mirror,
an unwonted power of God : and hence it follows, that a
diabolical venom must have seized the minds of the scribes,
who were not ashamed to slander so remarkable a work of
1 " Aux nerfs appelez Optiques, qui sont les conduits de la veue ;"
"in what are called the Optical nerves, which are the conductors of
vision.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 65
God. But we must attend to the result of the miracle.
Moved with admiration, those who saw it ask each other, Is
not Jesus the Christ ? Acknowledging the power of God,
they are led, as it were by the hand, to faith. Not that
they suddenly profited as much as they ought to have done,
(for they speak doubtfully ;) but yet it is no small profi
ciency to be aroused to consider more attentively the glory
of Christ. Some look upon this as a full affirmation, but the
words convey no such meaning ; and the fact itself shows,
that an unexpected occurrence had struck them forcibly, and
that they did not form a decided opinion, but only that it
occurred to them that he might be the Christ.
24. But when the Pharisees heard it. The scribes cannot
withhold the acknowledgment of a fact so open and mani
fest, and yet they maliciously carp 1 at what Christ did by
Divine power. Not only do they obscure the praise of the
miracle, but endeavour to turn it into a reproach, as if it
were performed by magical enchantment ; and that work,
which could not be ascribed to a man, is alleged by them to
have the devil for its author. Of the word Beelzebub I have
spoken under the Tenth Chapter, 2 and of the prince of the
devils I have said a little under the Ninth Chapter. 3 The
opinion expressed by the scribes, that there is a prince among
wicked spirits, did not arise from a mistake of the common
1 " Us ne laissent pas toutesfois de ronger, comme par despit et d un
vouloir malicieux;" "and yet they do not fail to carp as with spite,
and with a wicked disposition."
2 Harmony, vol. i. p. 459.
3 Harmony, vol. i. p. 419. The reader must have observed that,
when our Author has explained a phrase or illustrated a fact, he seldom
repeats what he had said, but refers to the earlier portions of his work, in
which the information may be found. It is not improbable that this may
have been his leading motive for adopting the plan of a Harmony, instead
of writing a separate Commentary on each Gospel. He had made some
observations on Matth. ix. 34, But the Pharisees said, He casteth out
devils % the prince of the devils; and takes for granted, that the terms
which occur in that passage require no farther elucidation. But it would
appear to have escaped his recollection that, on the occasion alluded to,
he satisfied himself with general remarks on the "wicked slander" of the
Pharisees, and took no notice of the phrase, prince of the devils. The
deficiency is partly supplied by an explanation which he now makes.
Ed.
VOL. IF. E
66
COMMENTARY ON A
people, or from supposition, but from a conviction enter
tained among the godly, that the reprobate have a head,
in the same manner as Christ is the Head of the Church.
MATTHEW.
XII. 25. But as Jesus
knew their thoughts, he
said to them, 1 Every king
dom divided against it
self shall be laid waste ;
and every city or house
divided against itself shall
not stand. 26. And if
Satan casteth out Satan,
he is divided against him
self, and how then shall
his kingdom stand ? 27.
And if I, by the assistance
of Beelzebub, cast out
devils, by whose assist
ance do your children
cast them out? therefore
they shall judge concern
ing you. a 28. But if by
the Spirit of God I cast
out devils, then the king
dom of God has come to
you. 29. Otherwise, how
can a man enter into the
house of a strong man,
and pillage his property,
unless he first bind the
strong man, and then he
will pillage his house ?
30. He that is not with
me is against me ; and he
that gathereth not with
me scattcreth. 31. There
fore I say to you, All sin
and blasphemy 3 shall be
MAKK.
III. 23. And
having called them
to him, he spoke
in parables, How
can Satan cast out
Satan? 24. And
if a kingdom be
divided against it
self, that kingdom
cannot stand. 25.
And if a house
be divided against
itself, that house
cannot stand. 26.
And if Satan hath
risen up against
himself, and is
divided, he cannot
stand, but hath
an end. 4 27. No
man can enter
into the house
of a strong man,
and pillage his
property, unless
he first bind the
strong man, and
then he will pil
lage his house.
28. Verily I say
to you, All sins
shall be forgiven
to the sons of
men, and blas
phemies with
LUKE.
XI. 16. And others
tempting him sought fro in
him a sign from heaven.
17. But as he knew their
thoughts, 5 he said to
them, Every kingdom
divided against itself is
laid waste, and a house
against a house falleth. 6
18. But if Satan also is
divided against himself,
how shall his kingdom
stand ? for you say that
by Beelzebub I cast out
devils. 19. But if I cast
out devils by Beelzebub,
by whom do your child
ren cast them out? there
fore they shall be your
judges. 20. But if I
cast out devils by the
finger of God, truly has
the kingdom of God
come to you. 21. When
a strong man armed
keepeth his palace, his
property is at peace ; 22.
But when a stronger than
he cometh upon him,
and overcometh him, he
taketh from him all his
armour, in which he
trusted, and divideth his
spoils. 23. He that is
not with me is against
1 "Mais lesus, cognoissant leurs pensees, leur dit;" "but Jesus,
knowing their thoughts, said to them."
2 " Parquoy iceux seront vos iuges ;" " therefore they shall be your
judges."
3 "Toute sorte de peche et blaspheme;" " every description of sin
and blasphemy."
4 " Ains il prend fin ;" " and so he comes to an end."
5 " Mais luy cognoissant leurs pensees ; " " but he knowing their
thoughts."
6 " Et toute maison divisee centre soy-mesme dechet;" "and
every house divided against itself falleth."
HARMONY OP THE EVANGELISTS.
67
MATTHEW.
forgiven to men ; but the
blasphemy against the
Spirit shall not be for
given to men. 32. And
whosoever shall speak a
word against the Son of
man, it shall be forgiven
him ; but he who shall
speak against the Holy
Spirit, it shall not be for
given him, neither in the
present life nor in the
future.
MARK.
which they shall
blaspheme : 29.
But he who shall
speak blasphemy
against the Holy
Spirit hath no for
giveness to eter
nity, 1 but is ex
posed to eternal
judgment. 30. For
they said, He
hath an unclean
spirit. 2
LUKE.
me, and he that gather -
eth not with me scatter -
eth.
XII. 10. And whoso
ever speaketh a word
against the Son of man,
it shall be forgiven
him ; but he who shall
blaspheme against the
Holy Spirit, it shall not
be forgiven him.
Matthew XII. 25. But as Jesus knew their thoughts.
Though Christ knew sufficiently well, and had often learned
by experience, that the scribes, in the exercise of their
malice, 3 were in the habit of putting an unfavourable con
struction on every thing that he did, yet Matthew and
Luke, I have no doubt, mean that Christ was a discerner
of their hearts. 4 And indeed it is probable, that they spoke
so openly against Christ, that their calumnies reached his
ears ; but Christ knew by his Divine Spirit the dispositions
which led them to slander him. For it frequently happens
that erroneous judgments are formed by men who do not
intentionally, after all, oppose what is right, but err through
ignorance ; who do not cherish a hidden and concealed
venom, but whose rashness carries them headlong. 5 The
meaning therefore is, that Christ reproved them with the
greater severity, because he was a witness and judge of their
inward malice.
Every kingdom divided against itself. In refuting the
calumny alleged against him, he first quotes a common
1 "N aura point de remission eternellement ; " "will have no for
giveness eternally."
2 " II a 1 esprit immonde ;" " he hath the unclean spirit."
3 u C omine c estoyent gens tout pleins d un malin vouloir ; " " as they
were people entirely full of a wicked disposition."
4 " Que Christ a cognu ce qui estoit cache dedans leur cceurs;"
" that Christ knew what was concealed within their hearts."
5 " Mais se laissent trop aisement transporter d une temerite ne voyans
pas le mal qu ils font ;" "but allow themselves too easily to be carried
away by rashness, not perceiving the evil that they do."
68 COMMENTARY ON A
proverb. This refutation may appear to be not quite satisfac
tory. We know what subtle methods Satan sometimes
employs, presenting all the while an appearance of discord,
in order to entrap the minds of men by superstitions. Thus,
for example, the exorcisms of Popery are nothing else than
feats of dexterity, in which Satan pretends to fight with
himself. But no suspicion of this nature fell on Christ ; for
he cast out devils in such a manner, as to restore to God
the men in whom they dwelt sound and whole. Whenever
Satan enters into a collusion with himself, he pretends to be
vanquished, and yet it is himself that triumphs. But Christ
attacked Satan in open combat, threw him down, and left
him nothing remaining. He did not lay him low in one
respect, that he might give him greater stability in another,
but stripped him completely of all his armour. Christ there
fore reasons justly, that there is no community of interest
between him and Satan, because that father of cunning 1
keeps one object in view, the preservation of his kingdom.
But perhaps it will be objected, that the devils are often
hurried along, by giddiness and blind madness, to destroy
themselves. The answer is easy. The words of Christ
mean nothing more than that it was absurd in the scribes to
maintain, that the devil, who endeavours by every method
to make men his slaves, should, of his own accord, destroy the
power which he possessed over them. Besides, it ought to
be remembered, that common proverbs were employed by
Christ in such a manner, as to be merely probable conjec
tures, and not solid arguments ; and that, when he speaks of
what is known and well attested, he finds it easier to reach
the conscience of his adversaries. 2 Everybody knew that
Christ had driven Satan from his possession, and nothing was
plainer than that all his miracles tended to this object ; and
hence it was easy to conclude, that his power, which was so
much opposed to Satan, was divine.
1 " Ce pere de toute finesse et malice ;" " that father of all dexterity
and malice."
2 "Ilneva pas chercher fort loin les choses pour poindre les con
sciences de ses adversaires ;" u he does not go far to seek things fitted
to affect the consciences of his adversaries."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 69
27. By whom do your children cast them out? He charges
them with passing an unjust and malicious decision, because
in the same case they did not decide in a similar manner, but
as they were affected towards the persons. Now this in
equality shows, that their prevailing motive was not a regard
to what is just and right, but blind love or hatred ; and that
it was even an evidence of wicked self-love (piXaurfag) and
envy, to condemn in Christ what they praised in their own
children. By your children some understand the children of
the whole nation ; and some think that the Apostles are so
called, because they were acknowledged to be children, while
Christ was treated as if he had been a foreigner. 1 Others
refer it to the ancient Prophets. I have no doubt that he
means the Exorcists, who were at that time generally em
ployed among the Jews, as is evident from the Acts of the
Apostles, (xix. 19.) There is reason to believe, that no
greater kindness would be exercised in judging of the disciples
of Christ than of their Master ; and to apply these words to
the dead is a forced construction, when they manifestly denote
a comparison of the present time.
There was indeed no statute of the Law for having
Exorcists among the Jews ; but we know that God, in order
to maintain their fidelity to his covenant, and their purity of
worship, often testified his presence among them by a variety
of miracles. It is even possible that there were persons who
cast out devils by calling on the name of the Lord ; and the
people, having experienced such a display of the power of
God, rashly concluded that it was an ordinary office. 2 The
Papists afterwards, resolving not to occupy a lower rank,
imitated them by creating Exorcists ; and in this way were
apes of apes. Besides, it was not necessary that Christ
should approve of those exorcisms, in order to point out the
malice of those who wished to have them regarded as sacred,
and as authorized by the name of God ; for the objection was,
as we say, of a personal nature. 3
1 " Et cependant les scribes tenoyent Christ pour estranger ;" " and
yet the scribes held Christ to be a foreigner."
2 " Le peuple en a fait un office ordinaire sans regarder comment ;"
u the people made it to be an ordinary office, without considering in what
manner."
3 " Car I objection s addrcssc a la personne, coinmc on dit, et non pas
70 COMMENTARY ON A
Therefore they shall judge concerning you. These words
are not to be taken literally, but the meaning is : " We need
not go far to seek your condemnation. You attribute to
Beelzebub the miracles which I have performed, and you
praise the same things in your own children. You have at
home what is sufficient to condemn you." But if any one
prefer to understand them differently, as reproaching them
with the grace of God, which was sometimes exhibited through
the Exorcists, I do not greatly object to that view. Though
they were greatly degenerated, yet the Lord was pleased
not to leave them altogether without evidences of his power,
that there might be some testimony to authorize the priest
hood in general, and the service of the temple ; for it
was of the highest importance that there should be evident
marks to distinguish them from the superstitions of the
Gentiles. I look upon the former view, however, as the
natural one.
28. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God. Luke
says, if I cast out devils by THE FINGER of God; employing
the word Finger metaphorically instead of the Spirit. As
God works, and exerts his power, by his Spirit, it is with
propriety that the word- Finger is applied to him. And this
mode of expression was common among the Jews, as Moses
relates that Pharaoh s magicians said, This is the finger of God.
Now Christ infers from what he has already stated, that the
scribes prove themselves to be ungrateful to God, by being
unwilling that He should reign among them. Hitherto, he
replied to their idle calumny ; but now, he treats them as
convicted persons, and charges them not to make ungodly
opposition to the kingdom of God. He does not confine
himself to a single miracle, but takes occasion from it to
discourse on the object of his coming, reminds them that they
ought not merely to look at one remarkable fact, but at a far
a la chose : c est a dire, Christ ne regarde point ce qu a la verite il falloit
dire de ces Exorcistes, mais ce qu en pensoyeiit les scribes;" "for the
objection is addressed to the person, as we say, and not to the thing : that
is to say, Christ does not consider what in truth ought to be said of these
Exorcists, but what the Jews thought of them."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 71
more important truth, that it was the will of God, by reveal
ing His Messiah, to raise up their salvation which was fallen,
and to restore his kingdom among them. Thus we see that
Christ complains of their ingratitude, in madly rejecting from
the midst of them the inestimable grace of God. The king
dom of God hath come to you. The word come is emphatic,
and implies that, without any request from them, God appears
as their Redeemer, while they do everything that is in their
power to drive him away, and, when he is present and pre
pared for their salvation, refuse to give him a place.
29. How can any one enter into the house of a strong man ?
Though the Evangelists differ a little as to words, there is a
perfect agreement among them as to the substance of this
discourse. Christ is pursuing the subject, on which he had
lately touched, about the kingdom of God, and declares it to
be necessary that Satan be violently driven out, in order
that God may establish his kingdom among men. What he
now states is nothing else than a confirmation of the pre
ceding statement. But to ascertain more fully the intention
of Christ, we must call to our recollection that analogy which
Matthew (viii. 17) traces between the visible and the spiritual
favours which Christ bestows. 1 Every benefit which the
bodies of men received from Christ was intended to have a
reference to their souls. Thus, in rescuing the bodily senses
of men from the tyranny of the devil, he proclaimed that the
Father had sent him as a Deliverer, to destroy his spiritual
tyranny over their souls.
I now return to his w r ords. He maintains that a strong
and powerful tyrant cannot be deprived of his dominion, till
he is stripped of his armour ; for if he is not met by a force
superior to his own, he will never yield of his own accord.
Why is this asserted ? First, we know that the devil is every
where called the prince of the world. Now the tyranny which
he exercises is defended on every side by strong ramparts.
His snares for entrapping men are beyond all calculation ;
nay, men are already his slaves, and so firmly bound by a
1 Harmony, vol. i. p. 251.
72 COMMENTARY ON A
variety of fetters, that they rather cherish the slavery, to
whieh they are devoted, than make any aspirations after
freedom. There are also innumerable evils which he inflicts
upon them, by which he holds them in wretched oppression
under his feet. In short, there is nothing to prevent him
from tyrannizing over the world without control. Not that
he can do anything without the permission of the Creator,
but because Adam, having withdrawn from the dominion of
God, has subjected all his posterity to this foreign sway.
Now though it is contrary to nature that the devil reigns,
and though it is by a just punishment of God, on account of
sin, that men are subjected to his tyranny, yet he remains
in quiet possession of his kingdom, and may insult us at his
pleasure, till a stronger than he shall rise up against him.
But this stronger person is not to be found on earth, for men
have not sufficient power to relieve themselves ; and there
fore it was promised that a Redeemer would come from
heaven. Now this kind of redemption Christ shows to be
necessary, in order to wrench from the devil, by main force,
what he will never quit till he is compelled. By these words
he informs us, that it is in vain for men to expect deliver
ance, till Satan has been subdued by a violent struggle. 1
He expressly accuses the scribes of ignorance, in not
understanding the principles of the kingdom of God. But
this reproof applies almost equally to all, for all are
chargeable with the same folly. There is no man who does
not loudly boast that he desires the kingdom of God ; and
yet we do not permit Christ to fight boldly, as the occasion
requires, in order to rescue us from the po wer of our tyrant ;
just as if a sick man were to entreat the aid of a physician,
and then to refuse every remedy. We now see the reason
why Christ introduced this parable. It was to show, that
the scribes were hostile to the kingdom of God, the begin
nings of which they maliciously resisted. Let us also learn
that, as we are all subject to the tyranny of Satan, there is no
1 " Que c est folie aux hommes d attendre deliverance, si Satan n est
premierement mis has en choquant a bon escient centre luy ;" " that it
is folly in men to expect deliverance, if Satan is not first put down by
encountering him in <rood earnest."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 73
other way in which he commences his reign within us, than
when he, rescues us, by the powerful and victorious arm of
Christ, from that wretched and accursed bondage.
30. He that is not ivith me. There are two ways of
explaining this passage. Some suppose that it is an argu
ment drawn from contraries, and that Christ s meaning is :
" I cannot reign till the devil is overthrown ; for the object
of all his attempts is, to scatter whatever I gather. And
certainly we see abundant evidence of the earnestness with
which that enemy labours to destroy the kingdom of Christ.
But I rather agree in opinion with those who explain it to
denote, that the scribes are declared to be, in two respects,
opposed to the kingdom of God, because they intentionally
hinder its progress. "It was your duty to assist me, and
to give me your hand in establishing the kingdom of God ;
for whoever does not assist is, in some measure, opposed to
me, or, at least, deserves to be reckoned among enemies.
What then shall be said of you, whose furious rage drives
you into avowed opposition ?" ]
And he that gathereth not with me scattereth. The truth of
this is abundantly manifest from what has been already said ;
for so strong is our propensity to evil, that the justice of God
can have no place but in those who apply to it in good
earnest. This doctrine has a still more extensive bearing
o/
and implies that they are umvorthy to be considered as
belonging to the flock of Christ, who do not apply to it all
the means that are in their power ; because their indolence
tends to retard and ruin the kingdom of God, which all of
us are called to advance.
31. Therefore I say to you. This inference ought not to
be confined to the clause immediately preceding, but depends
on the whole discourse. Having proved that the scribes
could not blame him for casting out devils, without opposing
the kingdom of God, he at length concludes that it is no
light or ordinary offence, but an atrocious crime, knowingly
1 " A batailler ouvertement centre Dieu ;" " to fight openly against
God."
74 COMMENTARY ON A
and willingly to pour contempt on the Spirit of God. We
have already said, that Christ did not pronounce this deci
sion on the mere words which they uttered, but on their
base and wicked thought.
All sin and blasphemy. As our Lord declares blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost to be more heinous than all other
sins, it is of importance to inquire what is the meaning of
that term. Those who define it to be impenitence 1 - may be
refuted without any difficulty; for it would have been in
vain and to no purpose for Christ to say, that it is not for
given in the present life. Besides, the word blasphemy cannot
be extended indiscriminately to every sort of crimes ; but
from the comparison which Christ makes, we shah 1 easily
obtain the true definition. Why is it said that he who
blasphemes against the Spirit is a more heinous sinner than he
who blasphemes against Christ? Is it because the majesty of
the Spirit is greater, that a crime committed against him
must be punished with greater severity ? Certainly that is
not the reason ; for as the fulness of the Godhead (Col. ii. 9)
shines in Christ, he who pours contempt upon him overturns
and destroys, as far as it lies in his power, the whole glory
of God. Now in what manner shall Christ be separated
from his Spirit, so that those who treat the Spirit with con
tempt offer no injury or insult to Christ ?
Already we begin to perceive, that the reason why bias-
phemy against the Spirit exceeds other sins, is not that the
Spirit is higher than Christ, but that those who rebel, after
that the power of God has been revealed, cannot be excused
on the plea of ignorance. Besides, it must be observed,
that what is here said about blasphemy does not refer merely
to the essence of the Spirit, but to the grace which lie has
bestowed upon us. Those w r ho are destitute of the light of
the Spirit, however much they may detract from the glory of
the Spirit, will not be held guilty of this crime. 2 We do not
1 " Quant a ceux qui disent que c est un endurcissement jusqu a la
mort ;" "as to those who say that it is hardened obstinacy even to death."
2 "Ne seront pas toutesfois tenus coulpables de ce grand crime duquel
il est ici parle ;" " will not, on that account, be held guilty of the great
crime here spoken of."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 75
maintain, that those persons are said to pour contempt on
the Spirit of God, who oppose his grace and power by hard
ened malice; and farther we maintain, that this kind of
sacrilege is committed only when we knowingly endeavour
to extinguish the Spirit who dwells in us.
The reason why contempt is said to be poured on the
Spirit, rather than on the Son or the Father, is this. By
detracting from the grace and power of God, we make a
direct attack on the Spirit, from whom they proceed, and in
whom they are revealed to us. Shall any unbeliever curse
God ? It is as if a blind man were dashing against a wall.
But no man curses the Spirit who is not enlightened by him,
and conscious of ungodly rebellion against him ; for it is not
a superfluous distinction, that all other blasphemies shall be
forgiven, except that one blasphemy which is directed against
the Spirit. If a man shall simply blaspheme against God,
he is not declared to be beyond the hope of pardon ; but of
those who have offered outrage to the Spirit, it is said that
God will never forgive them. Why is this, but because
those only are blasphemers against the Spirit, who slander
his gifts and power, contrary to the conviction of their own
mind ? Such also is the import of the reason assigned by
Mark for the extreme severity of Christ s threatening
against the Pharisees ; because they had said that he had the
unclean spirit ; for in this manner they purposely and ma
liciously turned light into darkness ; and, indeed, it is in the
manner of the giants, 1 as the phrase is, to make war against
God.
But here a question arises. Do men proceed to such a
pitch of madness as not to hesitate, knowingly and wilfully,
to rush against God ? for this appears to be monstrous and
incredible. I reply : Such audacity does indeed proceed
from mad blindness, in w T hich, at the same time, malice and
virulent rage predominate. Nor is it without reason that
Paul says, that though he was a blasphemer, he obtained
1 " Et ccla c est desfier Dicu, et luy faire la giicrre, comme les Geans
des Poetes, ainsi que porte Ic provcrbe Latin ;" " and that is to defy
God, and make war with him, like the Giants of the Poets, as the Latin
proverb bears."
76 COMMENTARY ON A
pardon, because he had done it ignorantly in his unbelief, (1
Tim. i. 13 ;) for this term draws a distinction between his
sin and voluntary rebellion. This passage refutes also the
error of those who imagine that every sin which is volun
tary, or which is committed in opposition to the conscience,
is unpardonable. On the contrary, Paul expressly limits
that sin to the First Table of the Law ; l and our Lord not
less plainly applies the word blasphemy to a single descrip
tion of sin, and at the same time shows, that it is of a kind
which is directly opposed to the glory of God. 2
From all that has been said, we may conclude that those
persons sin and blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, who mali
ciously turn to his dishonour the perfections of God, which
have been revealed to him by the Spirit, in which His glory
ought to be celebrated, and who, with Satan, their leader,
are avowed enemies of the glory of God. We need not then
wonder, if for such sacrilege there is no hope of pardon ; for
they must be desperate who turn the only medicine of salva
tion into a deadly venom. Some consider this to be too
harsh, and betake themselves to the childish expedient, that
it is said to be unpardonable, because the pardon of it is rare
and difficult to be obtained. But the words of Christ are too
precise to admit of so silly an evasion. It is excessively foolish
to argue that God wiU be cruel if he never pardon a sin, the
atrocity of which ought to excite in us astonishment and
horror. 3 Those who reason in that manner do not sufficient
ly consider what a monstrous crime it is, not only to profane
intentionally the sacred name of God, but to spit in his face
when he shines evidently before us. It shows equal igno
rance to object, that it would be absurd if even repentance
could not obtain pardon ; for blasphemy against the Spirit is a
token of reprobation, and hence it follows, that whoever have
1 u Restraint nommement a la Premiere Table de la Loy ce peche con-
tre 1 Esprit ;" " expressly limits to the First Table of the Law this sin
against the Spirit."
2 " Que c est un peche qui battaille directement contre la gloire de
Dieu ;" " that it is a sin which fights directly against the glory of God."
3 u Veu que 1 horreur d iceluy nous devroit a tous faire dresser les
cheveux en la teste ;" u since the horror at it ought to have such an
effect on all of us, as to make the hair stand on our head."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 77
fallen into it, have been delivered over to a reprobate mind, (Rom.
i. 28.) As we maintain, that he who has been truly regene
rated by the Spirit cannot possibly fall into so horrid a crime,
so, on the other hand, we must believe that those who have
fallen into it never rise again ; nay, that in this manner God
punishes contempt of his grace, by hardening the hearts of
the reprobate, so that they never have any desire towards
repentance.
32. Neither in the present life. What these w T ords mean,
Mark briefly explains by saying, that those who have spoken
against the Spirit are exposed to eternal judgment. Every day
we ask from God the forgiveness of sins, and every day he
reconciles us to Him ; and, finally, at death, he takes away
all our sins, and declares that he is gracious to us. The fruit
of this mercy will appear at the last day. The meaning
therefore is : " There is no reason to expect that those who
shall have blasphemed against the Spirit will obtain pardon in
this life, or will be acquitted in the last judgment."
With regard to the inference drawn by the Papists, that
the sins of men are forgiven after death, there is no difficulty
in refuting their slander. First, they act foolishly in tortur
ing the expression,/tor life, to mean an intermediate period,
while any one may perceive that it denotes " the last judg
ment." But it is likewise a proof of their dishonesty ; for the
objection which they sophistically urge is inconsistent with
their own doctrine. Who knows not their distinction, that
sins are freely pardoned in respect of guilt, but that punish
ment and satisfaction are demanded ? This is an acknowledg
ment, that there is no hope of salvation to any one whose
guilt is not pardoned before death. To the dead, therefore,
there remains no forgiveness, except as regards punishment ;
and surely they will not venture to deny that the subject of
this discourse is guilt. Let them now go and light their fire
of purgatory with these cold materials, if ice can kindle a
flame. 1
1 " Yoire s il est possible de tant souffler la glace, qu on la face flam-
ber ;" " that is, if it be possible to blow upon the ice in such a manner
as to produce a flame."
78 COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
XII. 33. Either make the tree good, and its fruit good : or make the
tree bad, and its fruit bad ; for the tree is known by the fruit. 34. Off
spring of vipers, how can you speak what is good, when you are bad ? for
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35. A good man,
out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth what is good, and a
bad man, out of the bad treasure, bringeth forth what is evil. 36. But
I say to you, That men will give account, at the day of judgment, for every
idle word which they shall have spoken. 37. For by thy words thou
shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
33. Either make the tree good. It might look like absurd
ity, that men should be allowed a choice of being either
good or bad ; but if we consider what sort of persons Christ
is addressing, the difficulty will be speedily resolved. We
know what opinion was generally entertained about the Pha
risees ; for their pretended sanctity had so blinded the minds
of the common people, that no one ventured to pass sentence
on their vices. 1 Wishing to remove this mask, Christ desires
them to be either good or bad; or, in other words, declares
that nothing is more inconsistent with honesty than hypocrisy,
and that it is in vain for men to boast of pretensions to
righteousness who are not sincere and upright. 2 So then he
puts nothing at their disposal, and withdraws no restraint
from them, but only reminds them that their empty profes
sions will avail them nothing so long as they are double,
because they must be either good or bad.
From the expression, make the free, some foolishly infer,
that it is in every man s power to regulate his own life and
conduct. It is a rhetorical mode of speaking, by which
Christ points out the scribes, dispels so to speak the smoke
of their hypocrisy, and recalls them to pure and genuine
uprightness. He afterwards explains the way and manner in
which they may show that they are good or bad trees ; which
is by yielding good or bad fruit : so that there is no ambi
guity in the meaning. The life of the scribes was not ren
dered infamous among men by gross vices. Pride, ambition,
1 " Que nul n osoit parler de leurs vices, et les condamner;" "that
none dared to speak of their vices, or to condemn them."
2 " Lesquels ne vont point rondement, et n ont une affection droite ;"
" who do not go straight forward, and have not an upright disposition."
HARMONY OP THE EVANGELISTS. 79
and envy, displayed their venom in the slanders which they
uttered ; but as that venom was not perceived by ignorant
people, Christ brings the concealed evil from its lurking-
place, and drags it forth to light.
But perhaps it will be objected that, in consequence of the
corruption of our nature, it is impossible to find any man who
is altogether upright, and free from every vice. The answer
is ready. Christ does not demand absolute and entire per
fection, but only a sincere and unfeigned disposition, which
the Pharisees whom he addresses were far from possessing.
As Scripture applies the terms, bad and wicked, to those who
are completely given up to Satan, so the sincere worshippers
of God, though they are encompassed by the infirmity of
their flesh and by many sins, and groan under the burden,
are called good. This arises from the undeserved kindness of
God, who bestows so honourable a designation on those who
aim at goodness.
34. Offspring of vipers. The similarity between the tree
and the fruit is here applied by Christ to nothing more than
speech, because this afforded an opportunity of detecting
the inward and concealed malice of the scribes ; and that is
the reason why he dwells so much on this one kind of sin.
It is because their falsehood and slanders betrayed what was
not so visible in the rest of their life, that Christ attacks
them with such severity. " There is no reason to wonder,"
he says, " that you vomit out wicked words ; for your heart
is full of malice." Nor are we to suppose that he ought to
have treated them with greater gentleness, because some
might regard this reproof as excessively severe. There are
other sins, no doubt, that call for harsh reproofs ; but when
hypocritical persons pervert what is right, or put a false
colouring on what is sinful, such wickedness renders it neces
sary that God should thunder against it in a more terrible
manner than against other sins.
Now the design of Christ, suggested by the present
occurrence, was to condemn the wicked sophistry which
turns light into darkness. This passage shows how highly
valuable in the sight of the Lord truth is, since he maintains
80 COMMENTARY ON A
and defends it with such rigour. Would that this were
earnestly considered by those persons, whose ingenuity is
too ready to be employed in defending any cause, and whose
venal tongue disguises impostures ! In a particular manner,
Christ waxes wroth against those whom ambition, or envy,
or some other fraudulent design, prompts to slander, even
when there is nothing that their conscience condemns.
Against the Pharisees, too, as his custom was, Christ used
greater harshness, because they were so captivated by an
unfounded conviction of their righteousness, that an ordi
nary warning had no effect upon them. And till hypocrites
are sharply pierced, 1 all that is said to them is treated with
scorn and contempt.
How can you speak what is good ? We have formerly
hinted, that proverbial sayings ought not to be rigidly inter
preted as an invariable rule, for they state nothing more
than the ordinary fact. Sometimes, no doubt, a cruel man
will deceive the simple by honied flatteries, a cunning man
will cheat under the garb of simplicity, and a man of very
wicked thoughts will breathe almost angelical -purity of
language. 2 But the ordinary practice demonstrates the
truth of what Christ here says, that out of the abundance of
the heart the mouth speaketh ; agreeably to the old proverb,
which declared the tongue to be the index of the mind. 3
And, indeed, whatever hidden and crooked recesses may
exist in the heart of man, and whatever may be the amazing
contrivances by which every man conceals his vices, yet the
Lord extorts from each of them some kind of confession, so
that they discover by the tongue their natural disposition
and hidden feelings. We must also observe the purpose
for which Christ employs those parables ; for he reproaches
the Pharisees with having manifested by words the malice
which they had inwardly conceived. Besides, knowing them
1 " lusques a ce qu ils sentent qu on le poigne a bon escient;" "till
they feel that they are pierced in good earnest."
2 u II semblera, a 1 ouir parler, qu il ait ime purete Angelique ;" " to
hear him speak, you would imagine that he has the purity of an Angel."
3 " Comme aussi le proverbe ancien portoit, Que la langue est le
charactere ou pourtrait du coenr ;" " as also the old proverb bore, That
the tongue is the type or portrait of the heart."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 8 1
to be sworn enemies, he takes occasion from a single calumny
to expose their whole life, and to destroy their credit with
the people, which gave them too great influence in deceiving
and in doing mischief. Though good speeches do not always
proceed from the inmost heart, but originate (as the phrase
is) on the tip of the tongue, yet it is an invariable truth,
that bad speeches are indications of a bad heart.
36. Of every idle word. This is an argument from the
less to the greater ; for if every idle icord is to be called in
question, how would God spare the open blasphemies and
sacrilegious insolence of those who bark against his glory ? L
An idle word means one that is useless, or that yields no
edification or advantage. Many look upon this as too
severe ; 2 but if we consider the purpose for which our
tongues were made, we will acknowledge, that those men
are justly held guilty who unthinkingly devote them to
trifling fooleries, and prostitute them to such a purpose. It
is no light fault to abuse, for frivolous purposes, the time,
which Paul enjoins us to be careful to redeem, (Eph. v. 16 ;
Col. iv. 5.)
Now since no man is so cautious in speech, or maintains
such a wise restraint upon himself, as never to allow some
idle words to escape him, there remains for all of us absolute
despair, if the Lord should treat us with rigour. But as
the confident hope of our salvation rests on the assurance
that God will not enter into judgment with us, (Ps. cxliii. 2,)
but will bury in gracious forgetfulness the sins which de
serve innumerable deaths, 3 we entertain no doubt that, when
he removes the condemnation of our whole life, he will
likewise pardon the guilt of idle talking. When the judg
ment of God is mentioned in Scripture, it does not in any
way set aside the forgiveness of sins. And yet let no man
indulge himself, but let every man earnestly endeavour to
1 " Qui abbayent centre sa gloire, comme chiens mastins;" "who
bark against his glory, like mastiff-dogs."
2 " Ceci semble a plusieurs estre trop extreme et rigoureux ;" "this
appears to many to be too extreme and rigorous."
3 " Qui mentent dix mille n.orts ;" " which deserve ten thousand
deaths."
VOL. ii. r
82 COMMENTARY OX A
bridle his tongue, (James i. 20.) First, let us speak of the
sacred mysteries of God with the utmost reverence and
sobriety; secondly, let us abstain from talkativeness, buf
foonery, and vain jests, and much more from slanderous
attacks ; and, lastly, let us endeavour to have our speech
seasoned with salty (Col. iv. 6.)
37. By thy words thou shalt be justified. This was a com
mon proverb, which he applied to the present subject ; for I
have no doubt that this was a saying which the people had
frequently in their mouths, that " every man is condemned
or acquitted by his own acknowledgment." But Christ turns
it to a meaning somewhat different, that a wicked speech,
being the indication of concealed malice, is enough to con
demn a man. The attempt which the Papists make to torture
this passage, so as to set aside the righteousness of faith, is
childish. A man is justified by his words, not because his
speech is the ground of his justification, (for we obtain by
faith the favour of God, so that he reckons us to be righteous
persons;) but because pure speech 1 absolves us in such a
manner, that we are not condemned as wicked persons by
our tongue. Is it not absurd to infer from this, that men
deserve a single drop of righteousness in the sight of God ?
On the contrary, this passage upholds our doctrine ; for,
although Christ does not here treat of the ground of our
justification, yet the contrast between the two words points
out the meaning of the word justify. The Papists reckon it
absurd in us to say, that a man is justified by faith, because
they explain the word justified to mean, that he becomes, and
is, actually righteous ; while we understand it to mean, that
he is accounted righteous, and is acquitted before the tribunal
of God, as is evident from numerous passages of Scripture.
And is not the same thing confirmed by Christ, when he
draws a contrast bet ween justified and condemned?
1 ^ La parole pure, droite, et honneste ;" " pure, upright, and be
coming speech."
IIAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 83
MATTHEW. LUKE.
XII. 43. But when the unclean XI. 24. When the unclean
spirit hath gone out of a man, he spirit hath gone out of a man, he
walketh through dry places, seeking walketh through dry places, seok-
rest, and findeth it not. 44. Then he ing rest ; and not finding it, he
saith, I will return to my house, whence saith, I will return to my house,
I came out ; and coming, he findeth whence I came out. 25. And
it empty, and swept, and embellished, when he is come, he findeth it
45. Then he goeth away, and taketh swept and embellished. 26. Then
with him seven other spirits more he goeth, and taketh with him
wicked than himself; and entering, seven other spirits more wicked
he dwelleth there : and the last state than himself; and entering, they
of that man is worse than the first. 1 So dwell there : and the last state-
shall it be also to this wicked genera- of that man is worse than the
tion. first.
43. But when the unclean spirit hath gone out. He speaks
of scribes and hypocrites of a similar character, who, despising
the grace of God, enter into a conspiracy with the devil.
Against such persons he pronounces that punishment which
their ingratitude deserves. To make his doctrine more
extensively useful, he points out, in a general manner, the
condemnation that awaits those who, despising the grace
offered to them, again open the door to the devil. But
as almost every particle has great weight, there are some
points that must be noticed in their order, before we come
to treat the substance of the parable.
What Christ says about the going out of the devil is in
tended to magnify the power and efficacy of the grace of
God. Whenever God draws near to us, and, above all,
when he approaches us in the person of his Son, the design
is, to rescue us from the tyranny of the devil, and to receive
us into his favour. This had been openly declared by Christ
in the miracle which he had lately performed. As it is the
peculiar office of Christ to banish wicked spirits, that they
may no longer reign over men, the devil is justly said to go
out of those men to whom Christ exhibits himself as a Re
deemer. Though the presence of Christ is not efficacious to
all, because unbelievers render it useless to them, yet he
intended to point out why he visits us, what is implied in
his coming, and how it is regarded by wicked spirits ; for in
1 " La fin de cest homme est pire que le commencement ;" " the end
of that man is worse than the b
84 COMMENTARY ON A
every case in which Christ operates on men, the devils are
drawn into a contest with him, and sink beneath his power.
Let us, therefore, hold it to be a settled point, that the devil
is cast out of us, whenever Christ shines upon us, and dis
plays his grace towards us by some manifestation.
Secondly, the wretched condition of the whole human race
is here described to us ; for it follows that the devil has a resi
dence within man, since he is driven from it by the Son of
God. Now what is here said relates not to one individual
or to another, but to the whole posterity of Adam. And
this is the glory of our nature, that the devil has his seat
within us, and inhabits both the body and the soul. So much
the more illustrious is the display of the mercy of God, when
we, who were the loathsome dens of the devil, are made
temples to Himself, and consecrated for a habitation of His
Spirit.
Thirdly, we have here a description of Satan s nature.
He never ceases to do us injury, but is continually busy, and
moves from one place to another. In a word, he directs all his
efforts to accomplish our destruction ; and above all, when he
has been vanquished and put to flight by Christ, it only tends
more to whet his rage and keenness to do us injury. 1 Before
Christ makes us partakers of his energy, it seems as if it were
in sport and amusement that this enemy reigns over us; 2
but when he has been driven out, he conceives resentment at
having lost his prey, collects new forces, and arouses all his
senses to attack us anew.
He walketh through dry places. This is a metaphorical ex
pression, and denotes that to dwell out of men is to him a
wretched banishment, and resembles a barren wilderness. Such,
too, is the import of the phrase, seeking rest, so long as he
dwells out of men ; for then he is displeased and tormented,
and ceases not to labour by one means or by another, till
he recover what he has lost. 3 Let us, therefore, learn that,
1 u II aiguise tant plus son appetit enrage de nous mal-faire;" "so
much the more does it whet his enraged appetite to do us injury."
2 " Ce mal-heureux ennemi nous manie tout a son aise, et regne en
nous comme en se iouant ;" u this unhappy foe governs us altogether at
his ease, and reigns over us, as it were, in sport."
3 " lusques a ce qu il retrouve la proye qu on luy a ostee d entre
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 85
as soon as Christ calls us, a sharper and fiercer contest is
prepared for us. Though he meditates the destruction of all,
and though the words of Peter apply to all without exception,
that he goeth about as a roaring lion, and seeketli whom he may
devour, (1 Pet. v. 8,) yet we are plainly taught by these
words of Christ, that Satan views with deeper hatred, and
attacks with greater fierceness and rage, those who have been
rescued from his snares. Such an admonition, however,
ought not to inspire us with terror, but to arouse us to keep
diligent watch, and to put on the spiritual armour, that we
may make a brave resistance.
44. Hefindeih it empty. Christ is unquestionably describ
ing those who, being destitute of the Spirit of God, are pre
pared for receiving the devil ; for believers, in whom the
Spirit of God efficaciously dwells, are fortified on all sides, so
that no opening is left for Satan. The metaphor of a house
swept and embellished is taken from men who find pleasure in
the cleanness and neatness of their apartments ; for to Satan
no sight is beautiful but deformity itself, and no smell is
sweet but filth and nastiness. The meaning therefore is,
that Satan never finds a more appropriate habitation within
us, than when, having parted with Christ, we receive Satan
as a guest. 1 His highest delight is in that emptiness by which
the neglect of divine grace is followed. 2
45. He taketh with him seven other spirits. The number
seven is here used indefinitely, as in many other passages.
By these words Christ shows that if we fall from his grace,
our subjection to Satan is doubled, so that he treats us with
mains ;" " till lie recover the prey that has been snatched out of his
hands."
1 " Quo quand, laissans Christ, et nous esloignans de luy, nous attirons
cest hoste a nous ;" " that when leaving Christ, and withdrawing from
him, we entice this guest."
2 " Ce qu il aime done le plus, et ou il prend un souverain plaisir, c est
ceste place vuide qui se fait quand Fhomme ne tient conte de la grace de
Dieu, et est nonchalant d en bien user ;" " that which he loves most, and
in which he takes a supreme pleasure, is the emptiness which is produced,
when man sets no value on the grace of God, and is indifferent about
making a good use of it."
86
COMMENTARY ON A
oreater cruelty than before, and that this is the just punish
ment of our slothfulness. 1 Let us not then suppose that the
devil has been vanquished by a single combat, because he has
once gone out of us. On the contrary, let us remember that,
as his lodgment within us was of old standing, ever since
we were born, he has knowledge and experience of all the
approaches by which he may reach us ; and that, if there be
no open and direct entrance, he has dexterity enough to creep
in by small holes or winding crevices. 2 We must, therefore,
endeavour that Christ, holding his reign within us, may block
up all the entrances of his adversary. Whatever may be the
fierceness or violence of Satan s attacks, they ought not to
intimidate the sons of God, whom the invincible power of the
Holy Spirit preserves in safety. We know that the punish
ment which is here threatened is addressed to none but those
who despise the grace of God, and who, by extinguishing the
light of faith, and banishing the desire of godliness, 3 become
profane.
MATTHEW.
XII. 46. And while
he was still talking
to the multitudes, lo,
his mother and his
brethren stood with
out, desiring to speak
to him. 47. And
one said to him, Lo,
thy mother and thy
brethren stand with
out, desiring to speak
tothee. 48. But he
MARK.
III. 31. And his
mother and brethren
came, and standing
without, sent to him
to call him. 4 32.
And the multitude
was sitting around
him, and they say
to him, Lo, thy
mother and thy
brethren without
seek thee. 33. And
LUKE.
XL 27. And it happened
while he was saying these
things, a certain woman
from among the multitude,
raising her voice, said to
him, Blessed is the womb
that bore thee, and the
breasts which thou hast
sucked. 28. But he said,
Nay, rather, blessed are
they that hear the word of
God, and keep it.
1 " En sorte qu il nous tient le pied sur la gorge plus estroitement que
devant : et qu en cela nous recevons une iuste recompense et punition de
nostre nonchalance ;" " so that he holds his foot upon our throat more
straitly than before ; and that in this we have a just reward of our in
difference."
2 " Et s il n y peut entrer de front et apertement, il est assez fin pour
s y fourrer secrctemcnt par dessous terre, ou par quelque fente a coste ;"
" and if he cannot enter it in front and openly, he is cunning enough to
dig into it secretly below ground, or by some chink in the side."
" Et effa<?ans Tumour de la crainte de Dieu ;" "and effacing the
love of the fear of God."
4 "Et estans dehors envoyerent quelques uns vers luy rour 1 appeler;"
u and being without, sent some persons to him to call him."
IIAIIMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
87
MATTHEW.
answering said to
him who had told
him, Who is my
mother, or who are
my brethren ? 49.
And stretching out
his hand toward his
disciples, he said, Lo,
my mother and my
brethren. 50. For
whosoever shall do
the will of my Fa
ther who is in heaven,
he is my brother, and
sister, and mother.
MARK.
he answered, say
ing to them, Who
is my mother and
my brethren ? 34.
And when he had
looked all around
on the disciples
sitting around him,
he said, Lo, my
mother and my
brethren. 35. For
he who shall do
the will of God is
my brother, and my
sister, and mother.
LUKE.
VIII. 19. And his mother
and his brethren came to
him, and could not reach
him on account of the
crowd. 20. And it was
related and told him, Thy
mother and thy brethren
stand without, desiring to
see thee. 21. Who answer
ing said to them, My
mother and my brethren
are those who hear the
word of God, and do it. 1
Luke XI. 27. Blessed is the womb. By this eulogium the
woman intended to magnify the excellence of Christ ; for she
had no reference to Mary, 2 whom, perhaps, she had never
seen. And yet it tends in a high degree to illustrate the
glory of Christ, that she pronounces the womb that bore him
to be noble and blessed. Nor was the blessing inappropri
ate, but in strict accordance with the manner of Scripture ;
for we know that offspring, and particularly when endued
with distinguished virtues, is declared to be a remarkable
gift of God, preferable to all others. It cannot even be de
nied that God conferred the highest honour on Mary, by
choosing and appointing her to be the mother of his Son.
And yet Christ s reply is so far from assenting to this female
voice, that it contains an indirect reproof.
Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God.
We see that Christ treats almost as a matter of indifference
that point on which the woman had set a high value. And
undoubtedly what she supposed to be Mary s highest honour
was far inferior to the other favours which she had received ;
for it was of vastly greater importance to be regenerated by
the Spirit of God than to conceive Christ, according to the
1 "Mais luy respondant leur dit, Ceux-la sont ma mere et mes frercs,
qui oyent la parole de Dieu, et la mettent en effect ;" u but he answering
said to them, Those are my mother and my brethren, who hear the word
of God, and put it in practice."
2 " II ne faut pas penser qu elle eust regard a Marie ;" "we must not
suppose that she had reference to Mary."
88 COMMENTARY ON A
flesh, in her womb ; to have Christ living spiritually within
her than to suckle him with her breasts. In a word, the
highest happiness and glory of the holy Virgin consisted in
her being a member of his Son, so that the heavenly Father
reckoned her in the number of new creatures.
In my opinion, however, it was for another reason, and
with a view to another object, that Christ now corrected
the saying of the woman. It was because men are com
monly chargeable with neglecting even those gifts of God, on
which they gaze with astonishment, and bestow the highest
praise. This woman, in applauding Christ, had left out what
was of the very highest consequence, that in him salvation
is exhibited to all ; and, therefore, it was a feeble commen
dation, that made no mention of his grace and power, which
is extended to all. Christ justly claims for himself another
kind of praise, not that his mother alone is reckoned blessed,
but that he brings to us all perfect and eternal happiness.
We never form a just estimate of the excellence of Christ,
till we consider for what purpose he was given to us by the
Father, and perceive the benefits which he has brought to
us, so that we who are wretched in ourselves may become
happy in him. But why does he say nothing about himself,
and mention only the word of God ? It is because in this
way he opens to us all his treasures ; for without the word he
has no intercourse with us, nor we with him. Communicat
ing himself to us by the word, he rightly and properly calls
us to hear and keep it, that by faith he may become ours.
We now see the difference between Christ s reply and the
woman s commendation ; for the blessedness, which she had
limited to his own relatives, is a favour which he offers freely
to all. He shows that we ought to entertain no ordinary
esteem for him, because he has all the treasures of life, blessed
ness, and glory, hidden in him, (Col. ii. 3,) which he dispenses
by the word, that they may be communicated to those who
embrace the word by faith ; for God s free adoption of us,
which we obtain by faith, is the key to the kingdom of
heaven. The connection between the two things must also be
observed. We must first hear, and then keep ; for as faith
cometh by hearing, (Rom. x. 17,) it is in this way that the
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 89
spiritual life must be commenced. Now as the simple hear
ing is like a transitory looking into a mirror, 1 as James says,
(i. 23,) he likewise adds, the keeping of the word, which means
the effectual reception of it, when it strikes its roots deep
into our hearts, and yields its fruit. The forgetful hearer,
whose ears alone are struck by the outward doctrine, gains
no advantage. On the other hand, they who boast that they
are satisfied with the secret inspiration, and on this ground
disregard the outward preaching, shut themselves out from
the heavenly life. What the Son of God hath joined let not
men, with wicked rashness, put asunder, (Matth. xix. 6.) The
Papists discover amazing stupidity by singing, in honour of
Mary, those very words by which their superstition is express
ly condemned, and who, in giving thanks, detach the woman s
saying, and leave out the correction. 2 But it was proper
that such a universal stupefaction should come upon those
who intentionally profane, at their pleasure, the sacred word
of God.
Luke VIII. 19. And his mother and his brethren came to
him. There is an apparent discrepancy here between Luke
and the other two Evangelists ; for, according to their arrange
ment of the narrative, they represent Christ s mother and
cousins as having come, while he was discoursing about the
unclean spirit, while he refers to a different occasion, and
mentions only the woman s exclamation, which we have just
now explained. But we know that the Evangelists were
not very exact as to the order of dates, or even in detailing
minutely every thing that Christ did or said, so that the
difficulty is soon removed. Luke does not state at what
precise time Christ s mother came to him ; but what the
other two Evangelists relate before the parable of the sower
1 " Autant que 1 ouye simple est commc quand on regarde en un
mirroir, et que la memoire s en escoule incontinent;" "since the simple
hearing is as when we look into a mirror, and the remembrance of it
immediately passes away."
2 u Et en leurs graces apres le repas, ils prenent le dire de la femme,
laissans la correction quiestoit le principal ;" " and in their thanksgivings
after a meal, they employ the woman s saying, leaving out the correction,
which was the most important matter."
90 COMMENTARY ON A
he introduces after it. The account which he gives of the
exclamation of the woman from among the multitude bears
some resemblance to this narrative ; for inconsiderate zeal
may have led her to exalt to the highest pitch what she
imagined that Christ had unduly lowered.
All the three Evangelists agree in stating, that while
Christ was discoursing in the midst of a crowd of people, his
mother and brethren came to him. The reason must have been
either that they were anxious about him, or that they were
desirous of instruction ; for it is not without some good rea
son that they endeavour to approach him, and it is not pro
bable that those who accompanied the holy mother were
unbelievers. Ambrose and Chrysostom accuse Mary of am
bition, but without any probability. What necessity is there
for such a conjecture, when the testimony of the Spirit every
where bestows commendation on her distinguished piety and
modesty ? The warmth of natural affection may have carried
them beyond the bounds of propriety : this I do not deny,
but I have no doubt that they were led by pious zeal to seek
his society. Matthew relates that the message respecting
their arrival was brought by one individual : Mark and Luke
say that he was informed by many persons. But there is no
inconsistency here ; for the message which his mother sent
to call him would be communicated, as usually happens, from
one hand to another, till at length it reached him.
Matthew XII. 48. Who is my mother ? These words
\vere unquestionably intended to reprove Mary s eagerness,
and she certainly acted improperly in attempting to interrupt
the progress of his discourse. 1 At the same time, by dis
paraging the relationship of flesh and blood, our Lord
teaches a very useful doctrine; for he admits all his dis
ciples and all believers to the same honourable rank, as if
they were his nearest relatives, or rather he places them in
the room of his mother and brethren. Now this statement is
closely connected with the office of Christ ; for he tells us
1 " Et de faict, c estoit mal aviso a elle de vouloir ainsi rompre son
propos, lors qu il enseignoit ;" " and in fact, it was foolish in her to wish
to break off his discourse in this manner, while he was teaching."
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 9 L
that he has been given, not to a small number of individuals,
but to all the godly, who are united in one body with him
by faith. He tells us also, that there is no tie of relation
ship more sacred than spiritual relationship, because AVC
ought not to think of him according to the flesh, but accord
ing to the power of his Spirit which he has received from
the Father to renew men, so that those who are by nature
the polluted and accursed seed of Abraham begin to be
by grace the holy and heavenly sons of God. In like
manner, Paul affirms that to know Christ after the flesh
is not to know him properly, (2 Cor. v. 16,) because we
ought rather to consider that renovation of the world, which
far exceeds human power, and which takes place when he
forms us anew by his Spirit to the image of God. To sum
up the whole, this passage, first, teaches us to behold Christ
with the eyes of faith ; and, secondly, it informs us, that
every one who is regenerated by the Spirit, and gives him
self up entirely to God for true justification, is thus admitted
to the closest union with Christ, and becomes one with him.
50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is
in heaven. When he says that they do the will of his Father,
he does not mean that they fulfil, in a perfect manner, the
whole righteousness of the law ; for in that sense the name
brother, which is here given by him to his disciples, would
not apply to any man. 1 But his design is, to bestow the
highest commendation on faith, which is the source and
origin of holy obedience, and at the same time covers the
defects and sins of the flesh, that they may not be imputed.
This, says Christ in a well-known passage, is the will of my
Father, that whosoever seetJi the Son, and believeth in him, may
not perish, but have eternal life, (John vi. 40.) Although
these words seem to imply that Christ has no regard to the
ties of blood, yet we know that in reality he paid the strict
est attention to human order, 2 and discharged his lawful
1 " N~e conviendroit k homme vivant ;" " would not apply to any man
living."
2 " Qu & la verite il a observe et entretenu en toute sainctete Pordre
qui est entre les homines ;" " that in reality he observed and maintained,
with all holiness, the order which exists among men."
92
COMMENTARY ON A
duties towards relatives ; but points out that, in comparison
of spiritual relationship, no regard, or very little, is due to the
relationship of the flesh. Let us therefore attend to this
comparison, so as to perform all that nature can justly claim,
and, at the same time, not to be too strongly attached to flesh
and blood. Again, as Christ bestows on the disciples of his
Gospel the inestimable honour of being reckoned as his
brethren, we must be held guilty of the basest ingratitude,
if we do not disregard all the desires of the flesh, and direct
every effort towards this object.
MATTHEW.
XII. 38. Then some of the
scribes and Pharisees asked him,
saying, Master, we desire to see a
sign from thee. 39. But he answer
ing said to them, A wicked and
adulterous generation seeketh a
sign, 1 and a sign shall not be given
to it, except the sign of Jonah the
prophet. 40. For as Jonah was in
the belly of the whale three days
and three nights, so will the Son of
man be three days and three nights
in the heart of the earth. 41. The
men of Nineveh will rise in judgment
with this generation, and will con
demn it : for they repented at the
preaching of Jonah; and, lo, a greater
than Jonah is here. 2 42. The queen
of the south will rise in judgment
with this generation, and will con
demn it : for she came from the ends
of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon ; and, lo, a greater than
Solomon is here. 3
LUKE.
XI. 16. And others tempting
sought from him a sign from hea
ven. (A little after,) 29. And
while the multitudes were crowding
together, he began to say, This is a
wicked generation : it seeketh a
sign, and a sign shall not be given
to it, except the sign of Jonah the
prophet. 30. For as Jonah was
a sign to the Ninevites, so shall the
Son of man be also to this nation.
31. The queen of the south will rise
in judgment with the men of this
nation, and will condemn them :
for she came from the ends of the
earth to hear the wisdom of Solo
mon ; and, lo, a greater than Solo
mon is here. 32. The men of
Nineveh will rise in judgment with
this nation, and will condemn it :
for they were brought to repent
ance by the preaching of Jonah ;
and, lo, a greater than Jonah is
here.
Luke XI. 16. And others tempting sought from him a sign.
Something similar to this is afterwards related by Matthew,
(xvi. 4,) and by Mark, (viii. 11, 12.) Hence it is evident,
1 " Ausquels il respondit, et lour dit, La nation meschante et adultere
(on, bastarde) requiert un signe ;" " to whom he answered, and said to
them, The wicked and adulterous (or, bastard) nation demandeth a sign."
2 u Et voyci, il y a ici plus que lonas 5" "and, lo, there is here a
greater than Jonah."
3 " Et voyci, il y a ici plus que Salomon ;" "and, lo, there is here a
greater than Solomon."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 93
that Christ repeatedly attacked them on this subject, so that
there was no end to the wickedness of those men who had
once resolved 1 to oppose the truth. There can be no doubt
that they ask a sign, in order to plead, as a plausible pre
tence for their unbelief, that Christ s calling has not been
duly attested. They do not express such submissiveness as
to be prepared to yield to two or three miracles, and still
less to be satisfied with a single miracle ; but as I hinted a
little before, they apologize for not believing the Gospel on
this pretence, that Christ shows no sign of it from heaven. 2
He had already performed miracles before their eyes suffi
ciently numerous and manifest ; but as if these were not
enough for the confirmation of doctrine, they wish to have
something exhibited from heaven, by which God will, as it
were, make a visible appearance. They call him Master,
according to custom ; for such w r as the appellation given at
that time to all scribes and expounders of the law. But
they do not acknowledge him to be a prophet of God, till he
produce a testimony from heaven. The meaning therefore
is : " Since thou professest to be a teacher and Master, if
thou desirest that we should be thy disciples, let God
declare from heaven that He is the Author of thy teaching,
and let Him confirm thy calling by a miracle."
Matthew XII. 39. A wicked generation. He does not
merely charge that age with malice, but pronounces the
Jews or at least the scribes, and those who resembled
them to be a wicked nation; thus declaring that they laboured
under a hereditary disease of obstinacy. The word yeved
sometimes denotes an age, and sometimes a people or nation.
He calls them adulterous, that is, spurious or illegitimate, 3
because they were degenerated from the holy fathers ; as
the prophets reproach the men of their age with being
1 " Qui une fois s estoyent endurcis ;" "who had once become hard
ened."
2 " Que Christ ne leur monstre aucun signe d enhaut qui soit pour
seeler ceste doctrine ;" u that Christ shows them no sign from above that
is sufficient to seal this doctrine."
:J " II en tend qu ils sont enfans bastars ;" "he means that they are
bastard children."
94 COMMENTARY OX A
not the descendants of Abraham, but the ungodly seed of
Canaan.
Seeks a sign. This leads to the inquiry, Does Christ
address them with such harshness of language, because they
wished to have a sign given them ? for on other occasions
God manifests that He is not so much displeased on this
account. Gideon asks a sign, (Judges vi. 17,) and God is not
angry, but grants his request ; and though Gideon becomes
importunate and asks another sign, yet God condescends
to his weakness. Hezekiah does not ask a sign, and it is
offered to him, though unsolicited, (Isa. xxxviii. 7, 8.) Ahaz
is severely blamed for refusing to ask a sign, as the prophet
had enjoined him to do, (Isa. vii. 11.) It is not solely,
therefore, because they ask a sign, that Christ makes this
attack upon the scribes, but because they are ungrateful
to God, wickedly despise so many of his wonderful works,
and try to find a subterfuge for not obeying his word.
What a display was this, I do not say of indifference, but of
malice, in shutting their eyes against so many signs ! There
was, therefore, no proper ground for this annoyance ; and
they had no other object in view than to appear to have
a good reason for rejecting Christ. Paul condemns their
posterity for the same crime, when he says that the Jews
require a sign, (1 Cor. i. 22.)
A sign shall not be given to it. They had already been con
victed by various miracles, and Christ does not abstain from
exerting his power among them, for the purpose of render
ing them inexcusable, but only means that one sign would
stand for all, because they were unworthy of having their
ungodly desire granted. " Let them rest satisfied," says
he, a with this sign, that as Jonah, brought up from the
bottom of the sea, preached to the Ninevites, so they will
hear the voice of a prophet risen from the dead." The most
of commentators, I am aware, display greater ingenuity in
expounding this passage ; but as the resemblance between
Christ and Jonah does not hold at every point, we must
inquire in what respect Christ compares himself to Jonah.
For my own part, leaving the speculations of other men, I
think that Christ intends to mark out that single point of
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 95
resemblance which I have already hinted, that he will be
their prophet after that he is risen from the dead. " You
despise," he says, " the Son of God, who has come down to
you from heaven : but I am yet to die, and to rise from the
grave, and to speak to you after my resurrection, as Jonah
came from the bottom of the sea to Nineveh." In this man
ner our Lord cuts off every pretence for their wicked de
mands, by threatening that he will be their Prophet after
his resurrection, since they do not receive him while clothed
with mortal flesh.
Luke XI. 30. As Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites. He
declares that he will be a sign to them, as Jonah was to the
inhabitants of Nineveh. But the word sign is not taken in
its ordinary sense, as pointing out something, but as denot
ing what is widely removed from the ordinary course of
nature. In this sense Jonah s mission was miraculous, when
he was brought out of the belly of the fish, as if from the
grave, to call the Ninevites to repentance. Three days and
three nights. This is in accordance with a well-known figure
of speech. 1 As the night is an appendage to the day, or
rather, as the day consists of two parts, light and darkness,
he expresses a day by a day and a night, and where there
was half a day, he puts down a whole day.
Matthew XII. 41. The men of Nineveh will rise in judg
ment. Having spoken of the Ninevites, Christ takes occasion
to show that the scribes and others, by whom his doctrine is
rejected, are worse than the Ninevites were. " Ungodly
men," he says, " who never had heard a word of the true
God, repented at the voice of an unknown and foreign per
son who came to them; while this country, which is the sanc
tuary of heavenly doctrine, hears not the Son of God, and
the promised Redeemer." Here lies the contrast which is
implied in the comparison. We know who the Ninevites
1 " Quant aux trois nuits, il y a ici (comme on scait bien) une figure
que les Grecs et Latins appellant Synecdoche ;" " as to the three nights,
there is here (as is well known) a figure which the Greek and Latin writers
call Synecdoche."
96 COMMENTARY ON A
were, men altogether unaccustomed to hear prophets, and
destitute of the true doctrine. Jonah had no rank to secure
their respect, but was likely to be rejected as a foreigner.
The Jews, on the other hand, boasted that among them the
Word of God had its seat and habitation. If they had
beheld Christ with pure eyes, 1 they must have acknow
ledged, not only that he was a teacher sent from heaven,
but that he was the Messiah, and the promised Author of
Salvation. But if that nation was convicted of desperate
ungodliness, for despising Christ while he spoke to them on
earth, we are worse than all the unbelievers that ever ex
isted, if the Son of God, now that he inhabits his sanctuary
in heaven, and addresses us with a heavenly voice, does not
bring us to obey him. Whether the men of Nineveh were
truly and perfectly turned to God I judge it unnecessary to
inquire. It is enough for the present purpose that they
were so deeply affected by the teaching of Jonah, as to have
their minds directed to repentance.
42. The queen of the south. As Ethiopia lies in a south
erly direction from Judea, I willingly concur with Josephus
and other writers, who assert that she was the queen of
Ethiopia. In sacred history she is called the queen of Sheba,
(2 Chron. ix. 1.) We must not suppose this Sheba to be the
country of Saba, which rather lay toward the east, but a
town situated in Meroe, an island on the Nile, which was the
metropolis of the kingdom. Here, too, we must attend to
the points of contrast. A woman who had not been at all
educated in the school of God, was induced, by the desire of
instruction, to come from a distant region to Solomon, an
earthly king ; while the Jews, who had been instructed in
the divine law, reject their highest and only teacher, the
Prince of all the prophets. The word condemn relates not to
the persons, but to the fact itself, and the example which it
yields.
1 u D un ceil pur, et sans mauvaise affection ;" " with a pure eye, and
without evil disposition.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
97
MATTHEW.
XIII. 1. And on the
same day Jesus went out of
the house, and sat down
near the sea. 2. And great
multitudes were gathered
to him, so that he entered
into a ship, and sat down,
and the whole multitude
was standing on the shore.
3. And he said many things
to them by parables, saying,
Lo, one who was sowing
went out to sow. 4. And
while he was sowing, some
seeds fell near the road, and
the birds came and de
voured them. 5. And some
fell on stony places, where
they had not much earth,
and immediately they sprang
up, because they had not
depth of earth. 6. But
when the sun rose, they
were burnt up, and because
they had not a root, they
withered away. 7. Others
again fell on thorns, and
the thorns grew up, and
choked them. 8. And
others fell on good soil, and
yielded fruit : some a hun
dred-fold, some sixty-fold,
some thirty-fold. 9. He
that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. 10. And the
disciples approaching said
to him, Why dost thou
speak to them by parables ?
11. But he answering, said
to them, To you it is given
to know the mysteries 1 of
the kingdom of heaven, but
to them it is not given. 12.
For whosoever hath, it shall
be given to him, and he
shall be rendered more
wealthy ; 2 and whosoever
MARK.
IV. 1. And again
he began to teach
near the sea, and a
great multitude was
gathered to him, so
that, entering into a
ship, he sat on the
sea, and the whole
multitude was near
the sea on land. 2.
And he taught them
many things by par
ables, and said to
them in his doctrine :
3. Hear, lo, a sower
went out to sow.
4. And it happened
while he was sowing,
some fell close to the
road ; and the fowls
of heaven came and
ate them up. 5.
And some fell on
stony places, where
it had not much
earth, and immedi
ately it sprang up,
because it had not
depth of earth. 6.
And when the sun
had risen, it was
scorched ; and be
cause it had not
a root, it withered.
7. And some fell
among thorns ; and
the thorns grew, and
choked it, and it
did not yield fruit.
8. And some fell on
good soil, and yield
ed fruit springing up
and growing, and
produced some thir
ty, and some sixty,
and some a hun
dred. 9. And he
LUKE.
VIII. 1. And it hap
pened afterwards, and
he was travelling
through each city and
village, 3 preaching
and proclaiming the
glad tidings of the
kingdom of God ; and
the twelve were with
him, 2. And likewise
some women, who
had been cured of
evil spirits and dis
eases, Mary, who is
called Magdalene, out
of whom had gone
seven devils, 3. And
Joanna, the wife of
Clmza, Herod s stew
ard, and Susanna, and
many others, who
assisted him out of
their property 4,
And while a very
great multitude was
assembling, and while
they were crowding
to him out of each
city, he said by a par
able : 5. One who
sowed went out to
sow his seed, and
while he was sowing,
some fell near the
road, and was trodden
down, and the fowls
of heaven ate it up.
6. And some fell on
a rock, and when it
was sprung up, it
withered, because it
had not moisture. 7.
And some fell among
thorns, and the thorns
springing up along
with it, choked it.
8. And some fell on a
1 " De cognoistre les secrets ;" " to know the secrets."
2 " Et en aura tant plus ;" " and he shall have so much the more
of it."
3 " II alloit de ville en ville, et de village en village ;" " he was going
from town to town, and from village to village."
VOL. II. G
98
COMMENTARY OX A
MATTHEW.
hath not, even that
which he hath shall be
taken from him. 13. For
this reason I speak to
them in parables, be
cause seeing, they do
not see, and hearing,
they do not hear nor
understand. 14. And
in them is fulfilled the
prophecy of Isaiah,
which saith, With the
ears you shall hear, and
shall not understand,
and seeing, you shall see,
and shall not perceive.
15. For the heart of
this people hath become
gross, and with their
ears they have heard
heavily, and their eyes
they have shut, lest at
any time they should
see with their eyes, and
hear with their ears,
and understand with
the heart, and be con
verted, and I should
heal them. 16. But
your eyes are blessed,
for they see; and your
ears, for they hear.
17. Yerily, I say to
you, That many pro
phets and righteous men
have desired to see the
things which you see,
and have not seen
them, and to hear the
things which you hear,
and have not heard
them.
MARK.
said to them, He that
hath ears to hear, let
him hear. 10. And
when he began to be
alone, those who were
around him, with the
twelve, asked him
about the parable.
11. And he said to
them, To you it is
given to know the
mystery 1 of the king
dom of God, but to
those who are with
out all things are
done by parables :
12. That seeing,
they may see and
may not perceive,
and hearing, they
may hear and may
not understand, lest
at any time they may
be converted, and
their sins may be
forgiven them. (J.
little after,) 24. And
he said to them,
Observe what you
hear : with what mea
sure you measure,
the same admeasure
ment shall be made
to you, and it shall
be added to you who
shall hear. 25. For
to him who hath it
shall be given ; and
he that hath not,
even that which he
hath shall be taken
away from him.
LUKE.
good soil, and, spring
ing up, produced fruit
a hundred-fold. Say
ing these things, he
exclaimed, He that
hath ears to hear, let
him hear. 9. And his
disciples asked him,
saying, What was this
parable? 2 10. But he
said, To you it is given
to know the mysteries 3
of the kingdom of God,
but to the rest by
parables ; that seeing,
they may not see, and
hearing, they may not
understand. (A little
after,) 18. Consider
then how you hear.
For whosoever hath, it
shall be given to him ;
and whosoever hath
not, even that which he
thinketh that he hath
shall be taken from him.
X. 23. And turning
to his disciples, he said
to them privately,
Blessed are the eyes
that see the things
which you see. 24.
For I say to you, That
many prophets and
kings have desired to
see the things which
you see, and have not
seen them ; and to
hear the things which
you hear, and have
not heard them.
What I have here introduced from Luke belongs, perhaps,
to another time ; but I saw no necessity for separating what
De cognoistre le secret ;" " to know the secret."
t 2 |* Et ses disciples 1 interroguerent, dema, dans quelle estoit ceste
similitude ;" " and his disciples interrogated him, asking what was this
parable."
3 " De cognoistre les secrets ;" " to know the secrets."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 99
he has placed in immediate connection. First, he says that
the twelve apostles preached the kingdom of God along with
Christ ; from which we infer that, though the ordinary office
of teaching had not yet been committed to them, they con
stantly attended as heralds to procure an audience for their
Master ; and, therefore, though they held an inferior rank,
they are said to have been Christ s assistants. Next, he adds,
that among those who accompanied Christ were certain ivomen,
wlw had been cured of evil spirits and diseases, such as Mary
Magdalene, who had been tormented by seven devils. To be
associated with such persons might be thought dishonourable ;
for what could be more unworthy of the Son of God than to
lead about with him women who were marked with infamy ?
But this enables us more clearly to perceive that the crimes
with which we were loaded before we believed, are so far from
diminishing the glory of Christ, that they tend rather to raise
it to a higher pitch. And, certainly, it is not said, that the
Church which he elected was found by him to be without
spot and blemish, but that he cleansed it with his blood, and
made it pure and fair.
The wretched and disgraceful condition of those women,
now that they had been delivered from it, redounded greatly
to the glory of Christ, by holding out public manifestations
of his power and grace. At the same time, Luke applauds
their gratitude in following their Deliverer, and disregarding
the ridicule of the world. 1 Beyond all question, they were
pointed at with the finger on every side, and the presence of
Christ served for a platform to exhibit them ; but they do
not refuse to have their own shame made generally known,
provided that the grace of Christ be not concealed. On the
contrary, they willingly endure to be humbled, in order to
become a mirror, by which he may be illustriously displayed.
In Mary, the boundless goodness of Christ was displayed
in an astonishing manner. A woman, who had been possessed
by seven devils, and might be said to have been the meanest
1 " D autant qu elles ont suyvi leur Liberateur, nonobstant 1 ignomime
du mondc qu il leur faloit cndurer en ce faisant ;" "because they fol
lowed their Deliverer, notwithstanding the ignominy of the world which
they must endure by so doing."
100 COMMENTARY ON A
slave of Satan, was not merely honoured to be his disciple,
but admitted to enjoy his society. Luke adds the surname
Magdalene, to distinguish her from the sister of Martha, and
other persons of the name of Mary, who are mentioned in
other passages, (John xi. 1 ; xix. 25.)
Luke VIII. 3. Joanna, the wife of Chuza. It is uncertain
whether or not Luke intended his statement to be applied to
those women in the same manner as to Mary. To me it ap
pears probable that she is placed first in order, as a person
in whom Christ had given a signal display of his power ; and
that the wife of Chuza, and Susanna, matrons of respectability
and of spotless reputation, are mentioned afterwards, because
they had only been cured of ordinary diseases. Those ma
trons being wealthy and of high rank, it reflects higher com
mendation on their pious zeal, that they supply Christ s
expenses out of their own property, and, not satisfied with so
doing, leave the care of their household affairs, and choose to
follow him, attended by reproach and many other inconveni
ences, through various and uncertain habitations, instead of
living quietly and at ease in their own houses. It is even
possible, that Chuza, Herod s steward, being too like his mas
ter, was strongly opposed to what his wife did in this matter,
but that the pious woman overcame this opposition by the
ardour and constancy of her zeal.
Matthew XIII. 2. And great multitudes were gathered to
gether to him. It is not without good reason that the Evan
gelists begin with informing us that a vast multitude had
assembled, and that when Christ beheld them, he was led
to compare his doctrine to seed. That multitude had been
collected from various places : all were held in suspense ; all
were alike eager to hear, but not equally desirous to receive
instruction. The design of the parable was to inform them,
that the seed of doctrine, which is scattered far and wide, is
not everywhere productive ; because it does not always find a
fertile and well cultivated soil. Christ declared that he was
there in the capacity of a husbandman, who was going out
to sow seed, but that many of his hearers resembled an uncul-
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 101
tivated and parched soil, while others resembled a thorny
soil ; so that the labour and the very seed were thrown away.
I forbear to make any farther inquiry into the meaning of
the parable, till we come to the explanation of it ; which, as
we shall find, is shortly afterwards given by our Lord. It
may only be necessary, for the present, to remind the reader,
that if those who ran from distant places to Christ, like
hungry persons, are compared to an unproductive and barren
soil, we need not wonder if, in our own day, the Gospel does
not yield fruit in many, of whom some are lazy and sluggish,
others hear with indifference, and others are scarcely drawn
even to hear.
9. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. These words
were intended partly to show, that all were not endued with
true understanding to comprehend what he said, and partly
to arouse his disciples to consider attentively that doctrine
which is not readily and easily understood by all. Indeed,
he makes a distinction among the hearers, by pronouncing
some to have ears, and others to be deaf. If it is next in
quired, how it comes to pass that the former have ears, Scrip
ture testifies in other passages, that it is the Lord who pierces
the ears, (Psalm xl. 7,) and that no man obtains or accom
plishes this by his own industry.
10. The disciples approaching said to him. From the words
of Matthew it is evident, that the disciples did not merely
look to themselves, but wished also to consult the benefit of
others. Being unable to comprehend the parable, they con
cluded that it would be as little understood by the people ;
and, therefore, they complain that Christ employed language
from which his hearers could derive no profit. Now though
parables are generally found to illustrate the subject of which
they treat, yet the uninterrupted course of a metaphor may
lead to obscurity. 1 So then Christ, in delivering this parable,
1 "Si est-ce toutesfois qu elles sont obscures et enveloppces, quand on
continue tousiours la metaphore sans rien y entremesler ;" " yet they
are obscure and involved, when the metaphor is constantly pursued, with
out any thing being intermingled with it."
102 COMMENTARY ON A
intended to wrap up, in an allegory, what he might have said
more plainly and fully, without a figure. 1 But now that
the exposition is added, the figurative discourse has greater
energy and force than if it had been simple : by which is
meant, that it is not only fitted to produce a more powerful
impression on the mind, but is also more clear. So highly
important is the manner in which any thing is said. 2
11. To you it is given to know the mysteries 2 of the kingdom of
heaven. From this reply of Christ we learn, that the doctrine
of salvation is proclaimed by God to men for various pur
poses ; for Christ declares that he intentionally spoke obscure
ly, in order that his discourse might be a riddle to many, and
might only strike their ears with a confused and doubtful
sound. It will perhaps be objected, that this is inconsistent
with that prophecy, / have not spoken in secret, nor in a dark
corner : I said not in vain to the seed of Jacob, Seek me, (Isa.
xlv. 19 ;) or with the commendations which David pronounces
on the Law, that it is a lamp to the feet, and that it giveth
wisdom to little children (Ps. cxix. 105, 130.) But the answ r er
is easy : the word of God, in its own nature, is always bright, 4
but its light is choked by the darkness of men. Though
the Law was concealed, as it were, by a kind of veil, yet the
truth of God shone brightly in it, if the eyes of many had
not been blinded. With respect to the Gospel, Paul affirms
with truth, that it is hidden to none but to the reprobate,
and to those who are devoted to destruction, whose minds
Satan hath blinded, (2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.) Besides, it ought to be
understood, that the power of enlightening which David
mentions, and the familiar manner of teaching which Isaiah
predicts, refer exclusively to the elect people.
Still it remains a fixed principle, that the word of God is
1 " En usant de termes communs ;" " by using ordinary terms."
2 " Voyla comme il y a bicn a regarder comment on couche ou on
deduit un propos ;" " this shows us the great attention that is due to the
manner in which a discourse is expressed or conveyed."
3 " De cognoistre les secrets ;" u to know the secrets."
4 " La parole de Dieu de sa nature est tousiours pieine de lumiere et
clairte ;" " the word of God in its own nature is always full of light and
brightness. 1
IIAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 103
not obscure, except so far as the world darkens it by its own
blindness. And yet the Lord conceals its mysteries, so that
the perception of them may not reach the reprobate. 1 There
are two ways in which he deprives them of the light of his
doctrine. Sometimes he states, in a dark manner, what
might be more clearly expressed ; and sometimes he explains
his mind fully, without ambiguity and without metaphor, but
strikes their senses with dulness and their minds with stupi
dity, so that they are blind amidst bright sunshine.
Such is the import of those dreadful threatenings, in which
Isaiah forewarns, that he will be to the people a barbarian,
speaking in a foreign and unknown language ; that the pro
phetical visions will be to the learned a shut and sealed book,
in which they cannot read ; and that when the book shall be
opened, all will be unlearned, and will remain in amazement,
through inability to read, (Isa. xxviii. 11; xxix. 11.) Now
since Christ has purposely dispensed his doctrine in such a
manner, that it might be profitable only to a small number,
being firmly seated in their minds, and might hold others in
suspense and perplexity, it follows that, by divine appoint
ment, the doctrine of salvation is not proclaimed to all for the
same end, but is so regulated by his wonderful purpose, that
it is not less a savour of death to death to the reprobate than
a life-giving savour to the elect, (2 Cor. ii. 15, 16.) And
that no one may dare to murmur, Paul declares, in that pass
age, that whatever may be the effect of the Gospel, its
savour, though deadly, is always a sweet savour to God.
To ascertain fully the meaning of the present passage, we
must examine more closely the design of Christ, the reason
why, and the purpose for which, these words were spoken.
First, the comparison is undoubtedly intended by Christ to
exhibit the magnitude of the grace bestowed on his disciples,
in having specially received what was not given indiscrimi
nately to all. If it is asked, why this privilege was peculiar
1 " Cependant neantmoins il ne laisse point (Testae vray, que le Seig
neur tient ses secrets cacliez, a fin que le goust et la fruition d iceux ne
parviene aux reprouvez ;" " yet, nevertheless, it does not cease to be true,
that the Lord keeps its secrets hidden, in order that the relish and enjoy
ment of them may not reach the reprobate."
104 COMMENTARY ON A
to the apostles, 1 the reason certainly will not be found in them
selves, and Christ, by declaring that it was given to them,
excludes all merit. 2 Christ declares that there are certain
and elect men, on whom God specially bestows this honour
of revealing to them his secrets, and that others are deprived
of this grace. No other reason will be found for this distinc
tion, except that God calls to himself those whom he has
gratuitously elected.
12. For whosoever hath, it. shall be given to him. Christ
pursues the subject which I have just mentioned ; for he
reminds his disciples how kindly God acts towards them,
that they may more highly prize his grace, and may acknow
ledge themselves to be under deeper obligations to his kind
ness. The same words he afterwards repeats, but in a differ
ent sense, (Matt. xxv. 29 ;) for on that occasion the discourse
relates to the lawful use of gifts. 3 But here he simply teaches,
that more is given to the apostles than to the generality of
men, because the heavenly Father is pleased to display in
perfection his kindness towards them. He does not forsake the
work of his own hand, (Ps. cxxxviii. 8.) Those whom he has
once begun to form are continually polished more and more,
till they are at length brought to the highest perfection. The
multiplied favours which are continually flowing from him to
us, and the joyful progress which we make, spring from God s
contemplation of his own liberality, which prompts him to an
uninterrupted course of bounty. And as his riches are inex
haustible, 4 so he is never wearied with enriching his children.
Whenever he advances us to a higher degree, let us remem
ber that every increase of the favours which we daily receive
from him flows from this source, that it is his purpose to
1 " Si on demande d ou venoit un tel privilege et honneur aux Apostres
plustost aux autres ;" u if it is asked, whence came such a privilege and
honour to the Apostles rather than to the others."
<J " Exclud toute merite de sa part ;" " excludes all merit on their
part."
2 " Car la le propos sera touchant le droict et legitime usage des dons
de Dieu ;" " for there the discourse will relate to the right and lawful
use of the gifts of God."
4 " Et comme ses richesses sont infinies, et ne se peuvent espuiser ;"
" and as his riches are infinite, and cannot be exhausted."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 105
complete the work of our salvation already commenced. On
the other hand, Christ declares that the reprobate are conti
nually proceeding from bad to worse, till, at length exhausted,
they waste away in their own poverty.
And he that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken
from him. This may appear to be a harsh expression ; but
instead of saying, that what the ungodly have not is taken from
them, Luke softens the harshness and removes the ambiguity
by a slight change of the words : and whosever hath not, even
that which he thinketh that he hath shall be taken from him.
And indeed it frequently happens, that the reprobate are
endued with eminent gifts, and appear to resemble the
children of God : but there is nothing of real value about
them ; for their mind is destitute of piety, and has only the
glitter of an empty show. Matthew is therefore justified in
saying that they have nothing ; for what they have is of no
value in the sight of God, and has no permanency within.
Equally appropriate is the statement of Luke, that the gifts,
with which they have been endued, are corrupted by them,
so that they shine only in the eyes of men, but have nothing
more than splendour and empty display. Hence, also, let us
learn to aim at progress throughout our whole life ; for God
grants to us the taste of his heavenly doctrine on the express
condition, that we feed on it abundantly from day to day, till
we come to be fully satiated with it.
The manner in which Mark introduces this sentence has
some appearance of confusion. Consider, says our Lord, what
you hear ; and then, if they make due progress, he holds out
the expectation of more plentiful grace : it shall be added to
you that hear. Lastly, follows the clause which agrees with
the words of Matthew, but is inserted in the middle of a
sentence which I expounded under the seventh chapter of
Matthew ; x for it is not probable that they are here placed
in their proper order. The Evangelists, as we have remarked
on former occasions, were not very exact in arranging Christ s
discourses, but frequently throw together a variety of say
ings uttered by him. Luke mixes this sentence with other
1 Harmony, vol. i. p. 3 15.
106 COMMENTARY ON A
discourses of Christ spoken at different times, and likewise
points out a different purpose for which Christ used these
words. It was that they might be attentive to his doctrine,
and not permit the seed of life to pass away unimproved,
which ought to be cordially received, and take root in their
minds. " Beware." he says, " lest what has been given be
taken away from you, if it yield no fruit."
13. For this reason I speak by parables. He says that he
speaks to the multitude in an obscure manner, because they
are not partakers of the true light. And yet, while he
declares that a veil is spread over the blind, that they may
remain in their darkness, he does not ascribe the blame of
this to themselves, but takes occasion to commend more
highly the grace bestowed on the Apostles, because it is not
equally communicated to all. He assigns no cause for it,
except the secret purpose of God ; for which, as we shall
afterwards see more fully, there is a good reason, though it
has been concealed from us. It is not the only design of
a parable to state, in an obscure manner, what God is not
pleased to reveal clearly ; but we have said that the parable
now under our consideration was delivered by Christ, in order
that the form of an allegory might present a doubtful riddle.
14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. He
confirms his statement by a prediction of Isaiah, that it is
far from being a new thing, if many persons derive no ad
vantage from the word of God, which was formerly ap
pointed to the ancient people, for the purpose of inducing
greater blindness. This passage of the Prophet is quoted, in
a variety of ways, in the New Testament. Paul quotes it
(Acts xxviii. 26) to charge the Jews with obstinate malice,
and says that they were blinded by the light of the Gos
pel, because they were bitter and rebellious against God.
There he points out the immediate cause, which appeared
in the men themselves. But in the Epistle to the Romans
(xi. 7) he draws the distinction from a deeper and more
hidden source ; for he tells us, that the remnant was saved
according to the election of grace, and that the rest were blinded,
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 107
according as it is written. The contrast must there be ob
served ; for if it is the election of God, and an undeserved
election, which alone saves any remnant of the people, it
follows that all others perish by a hidden, though just, judg
ment of God. Who are the rest, whom Paul contrasts with
the elect remnant, but those on whom God has not bestowed
a special salvation ?
Similar reasoning may be applied to the passage in John,
(xii. 38 ;) for he says that many believed not, because no man
believes, except he to whom God reveals his arm, and im
mediately adds, that they could not believe, because it is again
written, Blind the heart of this people. Such, too, is the object
which Christ has in view, when he ascribes it to the secret
purpose of God, that the truth of the Gospel is not revealed
indiscriminately to all, but is exhibited at a distance under
obscure forms, so as to have no other effect than to over
spread the minds of the people with grosser darkness. 1 In
all cases, I admit, those whom God blinds will be found to
deserve this condemnation ; but as the immediate cause is
not always obvious in the persons of men, let it be held as a
fixed principle, that God enlightens to salvation, and that by
a peculiar gift, those whom He has freely chosen ; and that
all the reprobate are deprived of the light of life, whether
God withholds his word from them, or keeps their eyes and
ears closed, that they do not hear or see.
Hearing, you shall hear. We now perceive the manner in
which Christ applies the prediction of the prophet to the pre
sent occasion. He does not quote the prophet s words, nor
was it necessary; for Christ reckoned it enough to show, that
it was no new or uncommon occurrence, if many were hard
ened by the word of God. The words of the prophet were,
Go, blind their minds, and harden their hearts, (Isa. vi. 10.)
Matthew ascribes this to the hearers, that they may endure the
blame of their own blindness and hardness ; for the one can
not be separated from the other. All who have been given
over to a reprobate mind (Rom. i. 28) do voluntarily, and from
1 " En sorte quo c estolt tousiours pour esblouir do plus en plus Ics
yeux de 1 entendemcnt du peuple ;" "so that it was ahva} r s to dazzle
more and more the eyes of the understanding of the people."
108 COMMENTARY ON A
inward malice, blind and harden themselves. Nor can it be
otherwise, wherever the Spirit of God does not reign, by whom
the elect alone are governed. Let us, therefore, attend to this
connection, that all whom God does not enlighten with the
Spirit of adoption are men of unsound mind ; and that, while
they are more and more blinded by the word of God, the
blame rests wholly on themselves, because this blindness is
voluntary. Again, the ministers of the word ought to seek
consolation from this passage, if the success of their labours
does not always correspond to their wish. Many are so far
from profiting by their instruction, that they are rendered
worse by it. What has befallen them was experienced by a
Prophet, 1 to whom they are not superior. It were, indeed,
to be wished, that they should bring all under subjection to
God ; and they ought to labour and strive for that end. But
let them not wonder if that judgment, which God anciently
displayed through the ministration of the Prophet, is like
wise fulfilled at the present day. At the same time, we
ought to be extremely careful, that the fruit of the Gospel
be not lost through our negligence.
Mark IV. 12. That seeing^ they may see^ and not perceive.
Here it may suffice to state briefly what has already been
fully explained, that the doctrine is not, strictly speaking, or
by itself, or in its own nature, but by accident, the cause of
blindness. When persons of a weak sight come out into
sunshine, their eyes become dimmer than before, and that
defect is in no way attributed to the sun, but to their eyes.
In like manner, when the word of God blinds and hardens
the reprobate, as this takes place through their own de
pravity, it belongs truly and naturally to themselves, but is
accidental, as respects the word.
Lest at any time they should be converted. This clause
points out the advantage that is gained by seeing and under
standing. It is, that men, having been converted to God,
are restored to his favour, and, being reconciled to him,
enjoy prosperity and happiness. The true end for which
1 " II leur advient ce que le Prophete Isaie a experiment^ ;" " it
happens to them what the Prophet Isaiah experienced."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 109
God desires that his word should be preached is, to recon
cile men to himself by renewing their minds and hearts.
With respect to the reprobate, on the other hand, Isaiah
here declares that the stony hardness remains in them, so
that they do not obtain mercy, and that the Avord fails to
produce its effect upon them, so as to soften their minds to
repentance.
Matthew XIII. 15. Lest I should heal them. In the
word healing, Matthew, as well as the Prophet, includes de
liverance from every evil ; for a people afflicted by the hand
of God is metaphorically compared by them to a sick man.
They say that healing is bestowed, 1 when the Lord releases
from punishment. But as this healing depends on the par
don of sins, Mark describes appropriately and justly its
cause and source, lest they should be converted, and their sins
should be forgiven them. For whence comes the mitigation
of chastisements, but because God has been reconciled to us,
and makes us the objects of his blessing? Sometimes, no
doubt, after removing our guilt, he continues to punish us,
either with the view of humbling us the more, or of making
us more cautious for the future. And yet, not only does he
show evidences of his favour by restoring us to life and
health ; but as punishments usually terminate when the
guilt is removed, healing and forgiveness are properly intro
duced together. It must not, however, be concluded, that
repentance is the cause of pardon, as if God received into
his favour converted men, because they deserved it; 2 for
conversion itself is a mark of God s free favour. Nothing
more is expressed than such an order and connection, that
God does not forgive the sins of any but those who are dis
satisfied with themselves.
1 " Us disent qu il guarit, etremet en sante ;" " they say that he heals,
and restores to health."
2 " II ne faut pas conclurre par cela que la repentance, ou conversion,
soit cause de nous faire avoir remission et pardon de nos pechez ; comme
si Dieu prenoit a merci ceux qui se convertissent, pource qu ils en sont
dignes, et le meritent ;" " we must not therefore conclude, that repent
ance, or conversion, is the cause of making us have forgiveness and pardon
of our sins ; as if God exercised mercy towards those who are converted,
because they are worthy of it, and deserve it."
110 COMMENTARY ON A
Matthew XIII. 16. But blessed are your eyes. Luke
appears to represent this statement as having been spoken at
another time ; but this is easily explained, for in that pass
age he throws together a variety of our Lord s sayings,
without attending to the order of dates. We shall, therefore,
follow the text of Matthew, who explains more clearly the
circumstances from which Christ took occasion to utter
these words. Having formerly reminded them of the extra
ordinary favour which they had received, in being separated
by our Lord from the common people, and familiarly ad
mitted to the mysteries of his kingdom, he now magnifies
that grace by another comparison, which is, that they excel
ancient Prophets and holy Kings. This is a far loftier dis
tinction than to be preferred to an unbelieving multitude.
Christ does not mean any kind of hearing, or the mere be
holding of the flesh, but pronounces their eyes to be blessed,
because they perceive in him a glory which is worthy of the
only-begotten Son of God, so as to acknowledge him as the
Redeemer ; because they perceive shining in him the lively
image of God, by which they obtain salvation and perfect
happiness ; and because in them is fulfilled what had been
spoken by the Prophets, that those who have been truly and
perfectly taught by the Lord (Isa. liv. 13) do not need to
learn every man from his neighbour, (Jer. xxxi. 34.)
This furnishes a reply to an objection that might be drawn
from another saying of Christ, that blessed are they who have
not seen, and yet have believed, (John xx. 29;) for there he
describes that kind of seeing which Thomas desired in con
sequence of his gross apprehension. 1 But that seeing, of
which Christ now speaks, has been enjoyed by believers in
every age in common with the Apostles. We do not see
Christ, and yet we see him; we do not hear Christ, and
yet we hear him : for in the Gospel we behold him, as Paul
says, face to face, so as to be transformed into his image, (2 Cor.
iii. 18 ;) and the perfection of wisdom, righteousness, and
life, which was formerly exhibited in him, shines there con
tinually.
"Selon son apprehension carnale et grossiere;" " according to his
carnal and gross apprehension."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
Ill
Luke X. 24. Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see.
The condition of the Church, at the present day, is justly
pronounced to be preferable to that of the holy fathers, who
lived under the Law ; because to them was exhibited, under
shadows and figures only, what is now openly manifested in
the shining face of Christ. The vail of the temple being rent,
(Matth. xxvii. 51,) we enter by faith into the heavenly
sanctuary, and are freely permitted to approach to God.
Although the fathers were satisfied with their lot, and en
joyed a blessed peace in their own minds, yet this did not pre
vent their desires from extending farther. Thus, Abraham
saw the day of Christ afar off, and rejoiced, (John viii. 56,)
and yet longed to enjoy a nearer view, but did not obtain
his wish. Simeon spoke the sentiments of all, 1 when he
said, Now thou sendest thy servant away in peace, (Luke ii.
29.) And indeed it was impossible that, under the burden
of that curse by which the human race is crushed, they
should be otherwise than altogether inflamed with the
desire of a promised deliverance. 2 Let us therefore learn,
that they breathed after Christ, like hungry persons, and
yet possessed a serene faith ; so that they did not murmur
against God, but kept their minds in patient expectation till
the full time of revelation.
MATTHEW.
XIII. 18. Hear there
fore the parable of the
sower. 19. When any
one heareth the word
of the kingdom, and un-
derstandeth not, that
wicked one cometh, and
taketh away what was
sown in the heart. This
is he who received seed
near the road. 20. But
MARK.
IV. 13. And he said
to them, Know you not
this parable? and how
shall you know all par
ables ? 14. The sower is
he that soweth the word.
15. And there are some
that (receive the seed)
near the road, in whom
the word is sown ; and
when they have heard,
LUKE.
VIII. 11. Now
the parable is this :
The seed is the
word of God. 12.
And they that (re
ceived the seed)
near the road are
those who hear :
afterwards cometh
the devil, and
taketh the word
1 " Simeon disoit selon 1 affection de tons les Peres ;" " Simeon spoke
according to the feeling of all the Fathers."
2 " Et de faict, il ne se pouvoit faire que ces bons personnages ne
fussent tous ravis, et comme enflambez d un grand desir de la delivrance
promise." " And indeed it was impossible that those good men should
not be altogether transported, and as it were inflamed with a great desire
of the promised deliverance."
112
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
he that received the
seed thrown into stony
places, is he that hear
eth the word, and
immediately receiveth
it with joy : 21. But
hath not root in him
self, but is of short
duration: when afflic
tion or persecution
ariseth on account of
the word, immediately
he is offended. 22.
And he that received
the seed among thorns
is he that heareth the
word, and the care of
this life, and the de-
ceitfulness of riches,
choke the word, and
it becometh unfruit
ful. 23. But he who
receiveth seed into a
good soil is he that
heareth the word and
understandeth it, and
who afterwards yield-
eth and produceth
fruit, 1 some a hun
dred-fold, some sixty-
fold, and some thirty-
fold.
MARK.
immediately Satan cometh,
and taketh away the word
which was sown in their
hearts. 16. And in like
manner there are others
who receive the seed into
stony places, who, when
they have heard the word,
immediately receive it with
joy ; 17. And have not
root in themselves, but are
of short duration : after
wards, when affliction or per
secution ariseth on account
of the word, immediately
they are offended. 18. And
there are others who receive
the seed among thorns :
these are they that hear the
word, 19. And the anxieties
of this life, and the deceit-
fulness of riches, and the
desires of other things,
entering in, choke the word,
and it is rendered unfruit
ful. 20. There are others
who have received the seed
into a good soil, who hear
the word, and receive it,
and bear fruit, some thirty,
some sixty, some a hun
dred.
LUKE.
out of their heart,
that they may not
believe and be
saved. 13. For
they that are on
the rock are those
who, when they
have heard, re
ceive the word
with joy : but these
have not roots,
who for a time be
lieve, and in the
time of temptation
fall away. 14. And
what fell among
thorns are those
who have heard,
and, going away,
are choked by the
anxieties, and
riches, and plea
sures of life, and do
not yield fruit. 15.
And what fell into
a good soil are
those who, with a
food and upright
eart, hearing the
word, keep it, and
yield fruit with
patience.
According to Matthew and Luke, Christ explains the
parable to his disciples simply, and unaccompanied by a re
proof; but according to Mark, he indirectly blames them
for being slow of apprehension, because those who were to
be the teachers of all did not run before others. 2 The gene
ral truth conveyed is, that the doctrine of the Gospel, when
it is scattered like seed, 3 is not everywhere fruitful ; because
1 " Celuy qui oit la Parole, et Pentend, a scavoir celuy qui porte et
produit fruict ;" " he who heareth the word, and understandeth it, that
is he who beareth and produceth fruit."
2 " Ne passent autrement les autres pour leur monstrer le chemin ;"
" did not go beyond others to show them the road."
3 " Estant espandue 90, et Ik comme le ble qu on iette en terre ;"
" being scattered here and there, like the corn which is thrown into the
earth."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 113
it does not always meet with a fertile and well cultivated
soil. He enumerates four kinds of hearers : the first of which
do not receive the seed; l the second appear, indeed, to receive
it, 2 but in such a manner that it does not take deep root ; in
the third, the corn is choked; 3 and so there remains a
fourth part, which produces fruit. Not that one hearer
only out of four, or ten out of forty, embrace the doctrine,
and yield fruit ; for Christ did not intend here to fix down
an exact number, or to arrange the persons, of whom he
speaks, in equal divisions ; and, indeed, where the word is
sown, the produce of faith is not always alike, but is some
times more abundant, and at other times more scanty. He
only intended to warn us, that, in many persons, the seed of
life is lost on account of various defects, in consequence of
which it is either destroyed immediately, or it withers, or it
gradually degenerates. That we may derive the greater
advantage from this warning, we ought to bear in mind,
that he makes no mention of despisers who openly reject
the word of God, but describes those only in \vhom there is
some appearance of docility. But if the greater part of such
men perish, what shall become of the rest of the world, by
whom the doctrine of salvation is openly rejected ? I now
come down to each class.
Matthew XIII. 19. When any one heareth the word of
the kingdom, and understandeth it not. He mentions, in the
first place, the barren and uncultivated, who do not receive
the seed within, because there is no preparation in their
hearts. Such persons he compares to a stiff and dry soil,
like what we find on a public road, which is trodden down,
and becomes hard, like a pavement. I wish that we had not
occasion to see so many of this class at the present day, who
come forward to hear, but remain in a state of amazement,
1 " Desquels les premiers ne retienent pas la semence en leurs coeurs
pour germer ;" " the first of which do not retain the seed in their hearts
so as to spring up."
2 " Les seconds semblent bien 1 avoir gardee iusques a venir k germer ; "
" the second appear to have kept it till it came to spring up."
3 " Aux troisiemes, le ble estant en herbe est estouile ;" " in the third,
the corn, while yet in the blade, is choked."
VOL. II. H
114 COMMENTARY ON A
and acquire no relish for the word, and in the end differ little
from blocks or stones. Need we wonder that they utterly
vanish away ?
That which was sown in their heart. This expression, which
Christ employs, is not strictly accurate, and yet it is not with
out meaning ; for the wickedness and depravity of men do
not make the word to lose its own nature, or to cease to have
the character of seed. This must be carefully observed, that
we may not suppose the favours of God to cease to be what
they are, though the good eifect of them does not reach us.
With respect to God, the word is sown in the hearts^ but it is
far from being true, that the hearts of all receive with meek
ness what is planted in them, as James (i. 21) exhorts us to
receive the word. So then the Gospel is always a fruitful seed
as to its power, but not as to its produce. 1
Luke adds, that the devil 2 taketh away the seed out of their
hearty that they may not believe and be saved. Hence we infer
that, as hungry birds are wont to do at the time of sowing,
this enemy of our salvation, as soon as the doctrine is deliv
ered, watches and rushes forth to seize it, before it acquires
moisture and springs up. It is no ordinary praise of the
word, when it is pronounced to be the cause of our salvation.
20. But he that received the seed thrown into stony places.
This class differs from the former ; for temporary faith, being
a sort of vegetation of the seed, 3 promises at first some fruit ;
but their hearts are not so properly and thoroughly subdued,
as to have the softness necessary for their continued nourish
ment. 4 We see too many of this class in our own day, who
eagerly embrace the Gospel, and shortly afterwards fall off;
for they have not the lively affection that is necessary to give
them firmness and perseverance. Let every one then examine
1 " Mais non pas a ce qui s accomplit es hommes ;" u but not as to
what is accomplished in men."
" Le mauvais ;" "the wicked one."
3 " La foy temporelle, qui est comme le germe de la semence ;"
"temporary faith, which is as it were the germ of the seed."
4 " Mais les coeurs ne sont point tellement cultivez et preparez, qu ils
ayant une douceur pour nourrir et entretenir ce qui est commence ;"
" but the hearts are not so cultivated and prepared, as to have a softness
for nourishing and supporting what is begun."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 115
himself thoroughly, that the alacrity which gives out a bright
flame may not quickly go out, as the saying is, like a fire of
tow ; l for if the word does not fully penetrate the whole heart,
and strike its roots deep, faith will want the supply of mois
ture that is necessary for perseverance. Great commenda
tion is due, no doubt, to that promptitude, which receives
the word of God with joy, and without delay, as soon as it
is published ; but let us learn, that nothing has been done,
till faith acquires true firmness, that it may not wither in
the first blade.
21. When affliction or persecution ariseth on account of the
word. By way of example, Christ says that such persons are
made uneasy by the offence of the cross. And certainly, as
the heat of the sun discovers the barrenness of the soil, so
persecution and the cross lay open the vanity of those, who
are slightly influenced by I know not what desire, but are not
actually moved by earnest feelings of piety. Such persons,
according to Matthew and Mark, are temporary? not only
because, having professed, for a time, that they are the disciples
of Christ, they afterwards fall away through temptation, but
because they imagine that they have true faith. According
to Luke, Christ says that they believe for a time; because
that honour which, they render to the Gospel resembles faith. 3
At the same time we ought to learn, that they are not truly
regenerated by the incorruptible seed, which never fadeth, as
Peter tells us, (1 Pet. i. 4;) for he says that these words of
Isaiah, The word of God endureth for ever, (Isa. xl. 8 ; 1 Pet.
i. 25,) are fulfilled in the hearts of believers, in whom the truth
of God, once fixed, never passes away, but retains its vigour
to the end. Still, those persons who take delight in the word
of God, and cherish some reverence for it, do in some manner
1 " De peur que ceste ardeur et alaigrete qui est de grand monstre
pour le commencement, ne s en aille bien tost en fumee comme un feu
d estouppes, ainsi que porte le proverbe commun ;" " lest that ardour
and alacrity, which makes a great show at the beginning, may soon vanish
into smoke, like a fire of tow, as the common proverb goes."
2 " Temporels, c est a dire, de petite duree ;" " temporary, that is to
say, of short duration."
* 3 u Ilcssemble aucuncment a la foy ;" " somewhat resembles faith."
116 COMMENTARY ON A
believe ; for they are widely different from unbelievers, who
give no credit to God when he speaks, or who reject his word.
In a word, let us learn that none are partakers of true faith,
except those who are sealed with the Spirit of adoption,
and who sincerely call on God as their Father ; and as that
Spirit is never extinguished, so it is impossible that the faith,
which he has once engraven on the hearts of the godly, shall
pass away or be destroyed.
22. And he who received the seed among thorns. He places
in the third class, those who would have been disposed to
receive the seed within, if they had not permitted other things
to corrupt and render it degenerate. Christ compares to
thorns the pleasures of this life, or wicked desires, and covet-
ousnessj and the other anxieties of the flesh. Matthew
mentions only the care of this life, along with covetousness,
but the meaning is the same ; for under that term he includes
the allurements of pleasures, which Luke mentions, and every
kind of desire. As corn, which otherwise might have been
productive, no sooner rises into the stalk than it is choked
by thorns and other matters injurious to its growth ; so the
sinful affections of the flesh prevail over the hearts of men,
and overcome faith, and thus destroy the force of the heaven
ly doctrine, before it has reached maturity.
Now though sinful desires exert their power on the hearts
of men, before the word of the Lord springs up into the blade,
yet, at first, their influence is not perceived, and it is only
when the corn has grown up, and given promise of fruit, that
they gradually make their appearance. Each of us ought to
endeavour to tear the thorns out of his heart, if we do not
choose that the word of God should be choked; for there is
not one of us whose heart is not filled with a vast quantity,
and, as I may say, a thick forest, of thorns. And, indeed, we
perceive how few there are that reach maturity ; for there is
scarcely one individual out of ten that labours, I do not say
to root out, but even to cut down the thorns. Nay more,
the very number of the thorns, which is so prodigious that it
ought to shake off our sloth, is the reason w r hy most people
give themselves no trouble about them.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 117
The deceitfulness of riches. Christ employs this phrase to
denote covetousness. He expressly says, that riches are
imposing or deceitful, in order that men may be more desir
ous to guard against falling into their snares. Let us remem
ber that the affections of our flesh, the number and variety
of which are incalculable, are so many injurious influences to
corrupt the seed of life.
23. But he that received the seed into a good soil. None are
compared by Christ to a good and fertile soil, but those in
whom the word of God not only strikes its roots deep and
solid, but overcomes every obstacle that would prevent it
from yielding fruit. Is it objected that it is impossible to
find any one who is pure and free from thorns ? It is easy
to reply, that Christ does not now speak of the perfection of
faith, but only points out those in whom the word of God
yields fruit. Though the produce may not be great, yet
every one who does not fall off from the sincere worship of
God is reckoned a good and fertile soil. We ought to labour,
no doubt, to pull out the thorns ; but as our utmost exer
tion will never succeed so well, but that there will always be
some remaining behind, let each of us endeavour, at least, to
deaden them, that they may not hinder the fruit of the word.
This statement is confirmed by what immediately follows,
when Christ informs us that all do not yield fruit in an equal
degree.
Some a hundred-fold, and some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold.
Though the fertility of that soil, which yields a thirty-fold pro
duce, is small, compared with that which yields a hundred-fold,
yet we perceive that our Lord classes together all kinds of
soil which do not entirely disappoint the labours and expecta
tion of the husbandman. 1 Hence too we learn, that we have
no right to despise those who occupy a lower degree of excel
lence ; for the master of the house himself, though he gives
to one the preference above another on account of more
abundant produce, yet bestows the general designation, good,
even on inferior soils. Those three gradations are absurdly
1 "Esquelles le laboureur ne perd pas du tout sa peine ;" "in which
the husbandman does not entirely lose his trouble."
118 COMMENTARY ON A
tortured by Jerome, to denote virgins, widows, and married
persons ; as if that produce which the Lord demands from us
belonged to celibacy alone, and as if the piety of married
persons did not, in many cases, yield more abundantly every
fruit of virtue. It must also be observed, in passing, that
what Christ says about a hundred-fold produce is not hyper
bolical ; for such was at that time the fertility of some coun
tries, as we learn from many historians, who give their report
as eye-witnesses.
MATTHEW.
XIIT. 24. He put forth to them another parable, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is compared to a man sowing good seed in his field. 25. But
while men were asleep, his enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat,
and went away. 26. And when the blade sprang up, and yielded fruit,
then appeared also the tares. 27. And the servants of the household
approaching, said to him, Lord, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field ?
Whence then hath it tares ? x 28. And he said to them, An enemy 2 hath
done this. And his servants said to him, Is it thy will then that we go away
and gather them ? 29. But he said, No ; lest, while you are gathering the
tares, you root out along with them the wheat also. 30. Allow both to
grow together till the harvest ; and at the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them ;
but collect the wheat into my barn. (A little after.} 36. Then Jesus
sent the multitude away, and came into the house, and his disciples ap
proached him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.
37. But he answering, said to them, He that soweth the good seed is the
Son of man. 38. And the field is the world. The good seed is the children
of the kingdom ; but the tares are the children of that wicked one. 39. And
the enemy that soweth them is the devil ; the harvest is the end of the
world, and the reapers are the angels. 40. So then as the tares are
gathered, and are burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world.
41. The Son of man will send his angels, and will gather out of his king
dom all stumbling-blocks, and those who commit iniquity. 42. And they
will cast them into a furnace of fire : there shall be lamentation and gnash
ing of teeth. 43. Then the righteous will shine as the sun in the kingdom
of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
In order to reap the advantage of this parable, it is neces
sary to ascertain the object which Christ had in view. Some
think that, to guard a mixed multitude against satisfying
themselves with an outward profession of the Gospel, 3 he told
1 " D ou vient done qu il y a de 1 yvroye?" " Whence comes it then
that there are tares?"
2 " L homme ennemi, (ow, quelque ennemi ;)" "the enemy, (or, some
enemy.)
3 u Pour retircr le commun populaire d une folle presomption, h, cause
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 119
them, that in his own field bad seed is often mixed with the
good, but that a day is coming, when the tares shall be sepa
rated from the wheat. 1 They accordingly connect this par
able with the one immediately preceding, as if the design of
both had been the same. For my own part, I take a different
view. He speaks of a separation, in order to prevent the minds
of the godly from giving way to uneasiness or despondency,
when they perceive a confused mixture of the good along
Avith the bad. Although Christ has cleansed the Church with
his own blood, that it may be without spot or blemish, yet
hitherto he suffers it to be polluted by many stains. I speak
not of the remaining infirmities of the flesh, to which every
believer is liable, even after that he has been renewed by the
Holy Spirit. But as soon as Christ has gathered a small
flock for himself, many hypocrites mingle with it, persons of
immoral lives creep in, nay, many wicked men insinuate them
selves ; in consequence of which, numerous stains pollute that
holy assembly, which Christ has separated for himself. Many
persons, too, look upon it as exceedingly absurd, that ungodly,
or profane, or unprincipled men should be cherished within
the bosom of the Church. Add to this, that very many,
under the pretence of zeal, are excessively displeased, when
every thing is not conducted to their wish, and, because abso
lute purity is nowhere to be found, withdraw from the Church
in a disorderly manner, or subvert and destroy it by unrea
sonable severity.
In my opinion, the design of the parable is simply this :
So long as the pilgrimage of the Church in this world con
tinues, bad men and hypocrites will mingle in it with those
who are good and upright, that the children of God may be
armed with patience, and, in the midst of offences which are
fitted to disturb them, may preserve unbroken stedfastness
of faith. It is an appropriate comparison, when the Lord
calls the Church hisjfa/d, for believers are the seed of it ; and
qu en apparence externe ils faisoyent quelque profession de 1 Evangile;"
"to withdraw the common people from a foolish presumption, because
in outward appearance they made some profession of the Gospel."
1 " Qu on separcra 1 yvroye d avec le bon ble ;" " when the tares shall
be separated from the good corn."
120 COMMENTARY ON A
though Christ afterwards adds that the field is the world, yet
he undoubtedly intended to apply this designation, in a pecu
liar manner, to the Church, about which he had commenced
the discourse. But as he was about to drive his plough
through every country of the world, so as to cultivate fields,
and scatter the seed of life, throughout the whole world, he
has employed a synecdoche, to make the world denote what more
strictly belonged only to a part of it.
We must now inquire what he means by the wheat, and
what by the tares. These terms cannot be explained as refer
ring to doctrine, as if the meaning had been that, when the
Gospel is sown, it is immediately corrupted and adulterated
by wicked inventions ; for Christ would never have forbidden
them to labour strenuously to purge out that kind of corrup
tion. With respect to morals, those faults of men which can
not be corrected must be endured ; but we are not at liberty
to extend such a toleration to wicked errors, which corrupt
the purity of faith. 1 Besides, Christ removes all doubt, by
saying expressly, that the tares are the children of the wicked
one. And yet it must also be remarked, that this cannot be
understood simply of the persons of men, as if by creation
God sowed good men and the devil sowed bad men. I advert
to this, because the present passage has been abused by the
Manicheans, for the purpose of lending support to their
notion of two principles. But we know that whatever sin
exists, either in the devil or in men, is nothing else than the
corruption of the whole nature. As it is not by creation that
God makes his elect, who have been tainted with original sin,
to become a good seed, but by regenerating them through
the grace of his Spirit ; so wicked men are not created by
the devil, but, having been created by God, are corrupted by
the devil, and thrown into the Lord s field, in order to cor
rupt the pure seed.
37. He that soweth the good seed. He had formerly said
" Mais c est autre chose de la doctrine : car il ne faut iamais endurer
les erreurs meschantes qui corrompent la purete de la foy ;" "but it is
quite otherwise with doctrine ; for we must never tol^ate the wicked
errors which corrupt the purity of faith."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 121
that the kingdom of heaven resembles a man sowing. The mode
of expression is unusual, but plainly means, that the same
thing happens with the preaching of the Gospel as usually
takes place in the sowing of fields ; the tares grow up along
with the wheat. One peculiarity, however, is pointed out by
him, when he says that the sowing of tares in the field was
effected by the trick of an enemy. This is intended to in
form us that, when many wicked men are mingled with be
lievers, this is no accidental or natural occurrence, as if they
were the same seed, but that we must learn to charge the
blame of this evil on the devil. Not that, by condemning
him, men are acquitted of guilt ; but, in the first place, that
no blame whatever may be laid on God on account of this
fault which arose from the agency of another ; and, secondly,
that we may not be surprised to find tares frequently grow
ing in the Lord s field, since Satan is always on the watch to
do mischief. Again, when Christ says, not that the ministers
of the word sow, but that he alone sows, this is not without
meaning ; for though this cannot be supposed to be restricted
to his person, yet as he makes use of our exertions, and em
ploys us as his instruments, for cultivating his field, so that
He alone acts by us and in us, he justly claims for himself
what is, in some respects, common to his ministers. Let us,
therefore, remember, that the Gospel is preached, not only by
Christ s command, but by his authority and direction ; in
short, that we are only his hand, and that He alone is the
Author of the work.
39. The harvest is the end of the world. This is, no doubt,
a very distressing consideration, that the Church is bur
dened with the reprobate to the very end of the world; but
Christ enjoins on us to exercise patience till that time, that
we may not deceive ourselves with a vain hope. Pastors
ought to labour strenuously to purify the Church ; and all the
godly, so far as their respective callings enable them, ought
to lend assistance in this matter ; but when all shall have
devoted their united exertions to the general advantage, they
will not succeed in such a manner as to purify the Church
entirely from every defilement. Let us therefore hold, that
122 COMMENTARY ON A
nothing was farther from the design of Christ than to encour
age pollution by lending countenance to it. All that he in
tended was, to exhort those who believed in him not to lose
courage, because they are under the necessity of retaining
wicked men among them ; and, next, to restrain and mode
rate the zeal of those who fancy that they are not at liberty
to join in a society with any but pure angels. 1
This passage has been most improperly abused by the
Anabaptists, and by others like them, 2 to take from the
Church the power of the sword. But it is easy to refute
them ; for since they approve of excommunication, which cuts
off, at least for a time, the bad and reprobate, why may not
godly magistrates, when necessity calls for it, use the sword
against wicked men ? They reply that, when the punishment
is not capital, 3 there is room allowed for repentance ; as if
the thief on the cross (Luke xxiii. 42) did not find the means
of salvation. I shall satisfy myself with replying, that Christ
does not now speak of the office of pastors or of magistrates,
but removes the offence which is apt to disturb weak minds,
when they perceive that the Church is composed not only of
the elect, but of the polluted dregs of society.
T/ie reapers are the angels. This term must be viewed in
reference to the present subject. In another passage, the
Apostles are called reapers, as compared with the Prophets,
because they have entered into their labours,, (John iv. 38,)
and it is enjoined on ah 1 the ministers of the word, that they
should bring forth fruit, and that their fruit should remain,
(John xv. 16.) Such also is the import of that statement,
that the fields are white, and are in want of reapers, (John iv.
35 ;) and again, that the harvest is abundant, but the labourers
are few, (Matth. ix. 37.) But here the comparison is ap
plied in a different manner ; for those who occupy a place
1 " Qui ne pensent point qu il soit bon de s adioindre a la compagnie
des fideles, sin on que tout y soit pur comme entre les Anges ;" " who do
not think that it is proper to join themselves to the society of believers,
unless every thing in it be as pure as among the Angels."
2 " Et semblables reveurs ;" " and similar dreamers."
3 " Quand la peine n est pas a mort (comme est I excommunication ;) "
" when the punishment, as in the case of excommunication, is not to
death."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 123
in the Church are said to be planted in the Lord s field.
Nor is this inconsistent with what is said elsewhere, that
Christ, as soon as he comes forth with his Gospel, hath a
winnowing-fan in his hand, and will thoroughly cleanse his
thrashing-floor, (Matth. iii. 12.) These words describe the
commencement of that cleansing, which, this passage de
clares, will not take place before the last day, because not
till then will it be fully completed. Christ will put the last
hand to the cleansing of the Church by means of angels, but
he now begins to do the work by means of pious teachers.
He assigns this office to angels, because they w r ill not remain
idle spectators before his tribunal, 1 but will hold themselves
in readiness to execute his commands. It follows, that
those who proceed, with undue haste, to root out whatever
displeases them, prevent, as far as lies in their power, the
sentence of Christ, deprive angels of their office, and rashly
take that office on themselves.
41. They shall gather out of his kingdom all stumbling-
blocks. The words that folloAV, and those who commit iniquity,
are added for the sake of exposition ; for it is not intended
to point out two different things, but to state, that then will
be the full and seasonable time, when all things shall be
restored to regular order, and when the wicked shall be
removed, who are now stumbling-Mocks. They are so called,
because not only are their own lives wicked, but they under
mine the faith of many, retard others in the right course,
draw some entirely aside, and drive others headlong. We
ought to draw from this a useful admonition, not to become
indolent and careless on account of our being surrounded by
so many stumbling-blocks, but to be zealous and active in
guarding against them. It reproves also the effeminacy of
those who are so delicate, that the smallest possible stum
bling-blocks make them turn back. 2 It is difficult, I admit,
not to stumble frequently, and even sometimes to fall, when
stumbling-blocks without number lie across our path. But our
1 " Devant le siege Judicial de sa maieste ;" "before the judgment-
seat of his majesty."
2 " Us tournent incontinent bride ;" " they immediately wheel about."
124 COMMENTARY ON A
minds ought to be fortified with confidence ; for the Son of
God, who commands his followers to walk in the midst of
stumbling-blocks, will unquestionably give us strength to
overcome them all. He pronounces likewise an awful
punishment against any hypocrites and reprobate persons,
who now appear to be the most distinguished citizens of the
Church.
42. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire. This is a
metaphorical expression ; for, as the infinite glory which is
laid up for the sons of God so far exceeds all our senses,
that we cannot find words to express it, so the punishment
which awaits the reprobate is incomprehensible, and is
therefore shadowed out according to the measure of our
capacity. From ignorance of this, the Sophists have tor
tured themselves, to no purpose, by fruitless disputes, as we
have already hinted on a former occasion. 1 Some commen
tators, I am aware, carry their ingenious inquiries into every
minute phrase ; but as there is reason to fear that sub
tleties, which rest on no solid grounds, may lead us into idle
fooleries, I choose to philosophise more sparingly, and to
rest satisfied with the plain and natural meaning. If we
put a question to those who are so delighted with matters of
curiosity, how it comes about that, while Christ is asleep,
and unacquainted with the affair, the devil sows tares among
the good seed, they will have nothing to reply; but while
I desire to exercise caution, I have endeavoured to leave out
nothing that is useful and necessary to be known.
43. Then will the righteous shine. What a remarkable
consolation ! The sons of God, who now lie covered with
dust, or are held in no estimation, or even are loaded with
reproaches, will then shine in full brightness, as when the sky
is serene, and every cloud has been dispelled. The adverb
then (TOTS) is emphatic ; for it contains an implied contrast
between their present state and the ultimate restoration, by
the expectation of which Christ animates those who believe
1 Harmony, vol. i, p. 200.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 125
in him. The meaning therefore is, Though many wicked
men now hold a high rank in the Church, yet that blessed
day is assuredly to be expected, when the Son of God shall
raise his followers on high, and remove every thing that now
tends to dim or conceal their brightness. It is no doubt
true, that the future glory is promised to none but those in
whom the image of God already shines, and who are trans
formed into it by continued advances of glory. But as the
life of the godly is now hidden, and as their salvation is
invisible, because it consists in hope, Christ properly directs
the attention of believers to heaven, where they will find the
glory that is promised to them.
In order to make a deeper impression on his hearers, our
Lord unquestionably refers here to a passage in Daniel,
(xii. 3,) And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of
the firmament. " The Prophet," he seems to say, " when he
predicts a future brightness, intimates also that there is a
temporary obscurity : and so, if we admit the prediction, we
ought to endure patiently that mixture which, for a time,
classes the elect of God with the reprobate." By comparing
this glory to the sun, he does not determine that it will be
alike in all. As Christ now distributes his gifts variously 1
among believers, in like manner will he crown these gifts at
the last day. But we must recollect what I have said, that
the restoration, which is delayed till the last coming of
Christ, is compared with the cloudy state of the world. 2
The kingdom of the Father, as the inheritance of the
godly, is contrasted with the earth, to remind them that
here they are pilgrims, and therefore ought to look upwards
towards heaven. In another passage, the kingdom of God
is said to be within us, (Luke xvii. 21,) but we shall not
obtain the full enjoyment of it till God be all in all, (1 Cor.
xv. 28.)
1 " Diversement, aux uns plus, aux autres moins ;" " variously, to
some more, to others less."
2 u Avec 1 estat present du monde, qui est comme tout obscurci de
brouillars ;" " with the present state of the world, which is entirely, so
to speak, obscured by mists."
12G
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
XIII. 31. He de
livered another par
able to them, saying,
The kingdom of hea
ven is like a grain of
mustard, which a man
took and sowed in his
field : 32. Which in
deed is the least of all
seeds : but when it is
grown up, it is the
largest among herbs, 1
and becometh a tree,
so that the fowls of
heaven come and make
their nests among its
branches. 33. He spake
another parable to
them : The kingdom of
heaven is like leaven,
which a woman took
and hid among three
measures of meal, till
the whole was leaven
ed. 34. All these
things Jesus spoke in
parables to the multi
tudes, and without a
parable he spoke no
thing to them. 35.
That it might be ful
filled which was spoken
by the prophet, who
saith, I will open my
mouth in parables ; I
will utter things which
have been hidden from
the foundation of the
world.
MARK.
IV. 26. And he said, The
kingdom of God is as if a man
should cast seed into the
ground, 27. And sleep, and
rise by night and day, and the
corn should spring and grow
up, while he knoweth not how.
28. For the earth yieldeth
fruit of itself, first the blade,
then the ear, and then the full
corn in the ear. 29. And
when the fruit is matured,
he immediately applieth the
sickle, because the harvest is
at hand. 30. And he said,
To what shall we say that the
kingdom of God is like ? or
with what comparison shall
we compare it? 31. As a
grain of mustard, which,
when it is sown in the earth,
is smaller than all the seeds
which are in the earth ;
32. And when it is sown,
it springs up, and is larger
than all herbs, 2 and putteth
forth great branches, so that
the fowls of heaven can
make their nests under its
shadow. 33. And by such
parables he spake the word
to them, as they were able
to bear it : 34. But with
out a parable he did not
speak to them, but he ex
plained all things to his
disciples when they were
apart.
LUKE.
xm. is.
Therefore he
said, To what is
the kingdom of
God like? and
to what shall
I compare it ?
19. It is like
a grain of mus
tard, which a
man took and
cast into his
garden, and it
grew, and be
came alarge tree,
and the fowls of
the air made their
nests among its
branches. 20.
And again he
said, To what
shall I com
pare the king
dom of God?
It is like lea
ven, which a wo
man took and
hid in three
measures of
meal, till the
whole was lea
vened. 22. And
he went through
the cities and
villages, teach
ing and journey
ing towards Jeru
salem.
By these parables Christ encourages his disciples not to
be offended and turn back on account of the mean begin
nings of the Gospel. We see how haughtily profane men
despise the Gospel, and even turn it into ridicule, because
the ministers by whom it is preached are men of slender
reputation and of low rank ; because it is not instantly re-
1 " II est plus grand que les autres herbes ;" "it is larger than the
other herbs."
2 " Que toute autre herbe ;" " than every other herb."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 127
ceived with applause by the whole world ; and because the
few disciples whom it does obtain are, for the most part,
men of 110 weight or consideration, and belong to the com
mon people. This leads weak minds to despair of its suc
cess, which they are apt to estimate from the manner of its
commencement. On the contrary, the Lord opens his
reign with a feeble and despicable commencement, for the
express purpose, that his power may be more fully illustrated
by its unexpected progress. 1
The kingdom of God is compared to a grain of mustard,
which is the smallest among the seeds, but grows to such a
height that it becomes a shrub, in which the birds build their
nests. It is likewise compared to leaven, which, though it
may be small in amount, spreads its influence in such a man
ner, as to impart its bitterness to a large quantity of meal. 2
If the aspect of Christ s kingdom be despicable in the eyes
of the flesh, let us learn to raise our minds to the boundless
and incalculable power of God, which at once created all
things out of nothing, and every day raises up things that
are not, (1 Cor. i. 28,) in a manner which exceeds the
capacity of the human senses. Let us leave to proud men
their disdainful laugh, till the Lord, at an unexpected hour,
shall strike them with amazement. Meanwhile, let us not
despond, but rise by faith against the pride of the world,
till the Lord give us that astonishing display of his power, 3
of which he speaks in this passage.
The word leaven is sometimes taken in a bad sense, as
when Christ warns them to beware of the leaven of the Phari
sees and of the Sadducees, (Matth. xvi. 11 ;) and when Paul
says, that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, (1 Cor.
v. 6.) But here the term must be understood simply as
applying to the present subject. As to the meaning of the
1 " A fin que sa puissance soit tant mieux cognue, quand on verra les
avancemens qu on n avoit iamais attendus ;" u in order that his power
may be so much the better known, when the progress, which had not been
anticipated, shall be seen."
2 " Qu il fait aigrir et lever une grande quantite de paste;" " that it
embitters and causes to rise a large quantity of paste."
3 " luqucs a ce que le Seigneur nous face sentir 1 effect de cette vertu
incomprehensible ;" " till the Lord make us feel the effect of that incom
prehensible power."
128 COMMENTARY ON A
phrase, the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of heaven, we
have spoken on former occasions.
Mark IV. 26. So is the kingdom of God. Though this
comparison has the same object with the two immediately
preceding, yet Christ appears to direct his discourse pur
posely to the ministers of the word, that they may not grow
indifferent about the discharge of their duty, because the fruit
of their labour does not immediately appear. He holds out for
their imitation the example of husbandmen, who throw seed
into the ground with the expectation of reaping, and do not
torment themselves with uneasiness and anxiety, but go to
bed and rise again ; or, in other words, pursue their ordinary
and daily toil, till the corn arrive at maturity in due season.
In like manner, though the seed of the word be concealed
and choked for a time, Christ enjoins pious teachers to be of
good courage, and not to allow their alacrity to be slackened
through distrust.
Matthew XIII. 34. All these things Jesus spoke in parables.
Though Mark expressly says, that Christ spoke the word to
them as they were able to bear it, yet I think it probable that
he continued to employ parables, not so much for the pur
pose of instruction, as to keep the attention of his hearers
awake till a more convenient time. For why did he explain
them familiarly to his disciples when they were apart ? Was
it because they were more slow of apprehension than the
great body of the people ? No ; but because he wished to
convey to them privately a knowledge of his meaning, and
to allow others to remain in a state of suspense, till a fitter
opportunity should arrive. These were only a sort of intro
duction to the Gospel, the full brightness and publication of
which was delayed till the proper time.
There is an apparent contradiction between this statement
of Matthew and the prediction of Isaiah, which was quoted
a little before. But this is easily removed ; for, though he
withdrew the light of doctrine from the reprobate, yet this
did not prevent him from accommodating himself to their
capacity, so as to render them inexcusable. He therefore
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 129
adopted a method of teaching which was proper and suitable
to hearers, whom he knew to be not yet sufficiently prepared
to receive instruction,
35. That it might be fulfilled. Matthew does not mean,
that the psalm, which he quotes, is a prediction which relates
peculiarly to Christ, but that, as the majesty of the Spirit
was displayed in the discourse of the Prophet, in the same
manner was his power manifested in the discourse of Christ.
The Prophet, when he is about to speak of God s covenant,
by which he adopted the seed of Abraham, of the benefits
which he continued to bestow upon his people, and of the
whole government of the Church, introduces his subject in
lofty terms, / will open my mouth in parables, (Ps. Ixxviii.
2 :) that is, " I will not speak of trifling matters, but will
handle with becoming gravity subjects of the highest im
portance." When he adds, / will utter dark sayings, the
meaning is the same ; such repetitions being very frequent
in the Psalms. The Hebrew word tDv^tt (Meshalim)
signifies comparisons ; and it came afterwards to be applied
to " weighty sentences," because comparisons generally im
part beauty and energy to a discourse. The word JllTl"!
(Chidoth) sometimes denotes "riddles," and at other times,
" short sayings."
Now though Matthew seems to allude to the word parable,
he undoubtedly means, that Christ spoke figuratively, in
order that his very style, being more brilliant than ordinary
discourse, might carry more weight and dignity. In short,
he says that what is contained in the psalm was fulfilled ;
because the use of allegories and figures tended to show,
that Christ was treating of the hidden mysteries of God,
and to prevent his doctrine from being despised. Hence,
too, we infer, that there was no inconsistency in the various
objects which Christ had in view, when he spoke to the
people in a dark manner. Though he intended to conceal
from the reprobate what he was saying, yet he laboured to
make them feel, even in the midst of their amazement, that
there was something heavenly and divine in his language. 1
1 " Car combien qu il voulust parlor en tellc sorte que les reprouvez
n y cntendisscnt rien, il a toutesfois tellement modere son style, qu en leur
VOL. II. I
130 COMMENTAEY ON A
Luke XIII. 22. Journeying towards Jerusalem. It is un
certain whether Luke speaks only of one journey, or means
that, while Christ walked throughout Judea, and visited each
part of it for the purpose of teaching, he was wont to go up
to Jerusalem at the festivals. The former clause, certainly,
appears to describe that course of life which Christ invariably
pursued, from the time that he began to discharge the office
which had been committed to him by the Father. To make
the latter clause agree with this, the meaning will be, that,
when the festivals were at hand, he attended, along with
others, 1 the holy assemblies.
MATTHEW.
XIII. 44. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hid in a
field, which when found a man hideth, 2 and for the joy which he hath on
account of it, goeth away, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that
field. 45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant, seeking
beautiful pearls, 8 46. Who, having found one valuable pearl, went away,
and sold all that he possessed, and bought it. 47. Again, the kingdom
of heaven is like a net cast into the sea, and collecting of every kind, 4
48. Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat clown, and col
lected the good into vessels, but cast away the bad. 5 49. So shall it be
at the end of the world : the Angels will come, and will separate the bad
from the midst of the righteous, 50. And will cast them into a furnace of
fire : there shall be lamentation and gnashing of teeth. 51. Jesus saith
to them, Have you understood all these things ? They say to him, Yes,
Lord. 52. But he said to them, Therefore every scribe instructed in
reference to the kingdom of heaven 6 is like a householder, who bringeth
forth out of his treasure things new and old.
The first two of these parables are intended to instruct
stupidite ils ont senti que son parler avoit quelque vertu celeste et Divine ;"
" for, though he intended to speak in such a manner, that the reprobate
might understand nothing of it, yet he so regulated his style that, amidst
their stupidity, they felt that his manner of speaking had some Divine and
heavenly power."
1 " Sa coustume estoit de se trouver ;" "his custom was to be
present."
2 " Que quelqu un a trouve et cache ;" "which some one hath found
and hidden."
3 " Qui cherche de bonnes perles ;" " who seeks good pearls."
4 "De toutes sortes de choses ;" " of all sorts of things."
5 " Lequel estant plein, les pescheurs le tirent en haut sur la rive :
et estant assis mettent le bon a part en leurs vaisseaux, et iettent hors ce
qui ne vaut rien ;" "which being full, the fishers draw it upwards on
the bank ; and sitting down, put the good aside in their vessels, and throw
away what is worth nothing."
6 " Quant au royaume des cieux ;" " as to the kingdom of heaven."
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 131
believers to prefer the kingdom of heaven to the whole world,
and therefore to deny themselves and all the desires of the
flesh, that nothing may prevent them from obtaining so
valuable a possession. We are greatly in need of such a
warning ; for we are so captivated by the allurements of the
Avorld, that eternal life fades from our view ; l and in conse
quence of our carnality, the spiritual graces of God are far
from being held by us in the estimation which they deserve.
Justly, therefore, does Christ speak in such lofty terms of
the excellence of eternal life, that we ought not to feel
uneasiness at relinquishing, on account of it, whatever we
reckon in other respects to be valuable.
"First, he says, that the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden
treasure. We commonly set a high value on what is visible,
and therefore the new and spiritual life, which is held out to
us in the Gospel, is little esteemed by us, because it is hid
den, and lies in hope. There is the highest appropriateness
in comparing it to a treasure, the value of which is in no
degree diminished, though it may be buried in the earth, and
withdrawn from the eyes of men. These words teach us,
that we ought not to estimate the riches of the grace of God
according to the views of our flesh, or according to their
outward display, but in the same manner as a treasure,
though it be Jiidden, is preferred to a vain appearance of
wealth. The same instruction is conveyed by the other
parable. One pearl, though it be small, is so highly valued,
that a skilful merchant does not hesitate to sell houses and
lands in order to purchase it. The excellence of the heavenly
life is not perceived, indeed, by the sense of the flesh ; and
yet we do not esteem it according to its real worth, unless
we are prepared to deny, on account of it, all that glitters in
our eyes.
We now perceive the leading object of both parables. It
is to inform us, that none are qualified for receiving the
grace of the Gospel but those who disregard all other
desires, and devote all their exertions, and all their faculties,
to obtain it. It deserves our attention, also, that Christ
1 " Que nous venons a oublier la vie eternelle ;" " that we come to
forget eternal life."
132 COMMENTARY ON A
does not pronounce the hidden treasure, or the pearl, to be so
highly valued by all. The treasure is ascertained to be
valuable, after that it has been found and known ; and it is
the skilful merchant that forms such an opinion about the
pearl. 1 These words denote the knowledge of faith. " The
heavenly kingdom," Christ tells us, " is commonly held as
of no account, because men are incapable of relishing it, and
do not perceive the inestimable value of that treasure which
the Lord offers to us in the Gospel."
But it is asked, is it necessary that we abandon every
other possession, in order that we may enjoy eternal life ? I
answer briefly. The natural meaning of the words is, that
the Gospel does not receive from us the respect which it
deserves, unless we prefer it to all the riches, pleasures,
honours, and advantages of the world, and to such an extent,
that we are satisfied with the spiritual blessings which it
promises, and throw aside every thing that would keep us
from enjoying them; for those who aspire to heaven must
be disengaged from every thing that would retard their
progress. Christ exhorts those who believe in him to deny
those things only w T hich are injurious to godliness ; and, at
the same time, permits them to use and enjoy God s tempo
ral favours, as if they did not use them.
46. And bought it. By the word buy Christ does not
mean, that men bring any price, with which they may pur
chase for themselves the heavenly life ; for we know on what
condition the Lord invites believers in the book of Isaiah,
(Iv. 1,) Come and buy wine and milk without money and with
out price. But though the heavenly life, and every thing
that belongs to it, is the free gift of God, yet we are said to
buy it, when we cheerfully relinquish the desires of the flesh,
that nothing may prevent us from obtaining it ; as Paul
says, that he reckoned all things to be loss and dung, that he
might gain Christ, (Phil. iii. 8.)
47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net. No new
1 " C est le bon marchand qui fait telle estime de l&perle ;" " it is the
gccd merchant who sets so high a A^alue on the pearl" 1
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 133
instruction is here given by Christ ; but what he formerly,
taught is confirmed by another parable, that the Church of
God, so long as it exists in the world, is a mixture of the
good with the bad, and is never free from stains and pollu
tions. And yet the design of this parable is perhaps different.
It may be that Christ intends not only to remove the offence
which perplexes many weak minds, because they do not find
in the world all the purity that might be desired, but like
wise to employ the influence of fear and modesty, in restrain
ing his disciples from delighting themselves with the empty
title, or mere profession, of faith. For my own part, I cheer
fully adopt both views. Christ informs us, that a mixture
of the good and the bad must be patiently endured till the
end of the world ; because, till that time, a true and perfect
restoration of the Church will not take place. Again, he
w r arns us, that it is not enough, and what is more that it
is of little consequence to us, to be gathered into the fold,
unless we are his true and chosen sheep. To this effect is
the saying of Paul, The Lord knowetk who are his ; and let
every one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from
iniquity, (2 Tim. ii. 19.)
The preaching of the Gospel is justly compared to a net
sunk beneath the water, to inform us that the present state
of the Church is confused. Our God is the God of order, and
not of confusion, (1 Cor. xiv. 33,) and, therefore, recommends
to us discipline ; but he permits hypocrites to remain for a
time among believers, till the last day, w r hen he will bring his
kingdom ta a state of perfection. So far as lies in our power,
let us endeavour to correct vices, and let us exercise severity
in removing pollutions ; but the Church will not be free from
every spot and blemish, until Christ shall have separated the
sheep from the goats, (Matth. xxv. 32.)
51. Have you understood all these things ? We must keep
in recollection what we have formerly seen, that all the par
ables of Christ were explained in private. And now the Lord,
after having taught them in this kind and familiar manner,
warns them at the same time, that his object, in taking so
much pains to instruct them, was not merely that they might
134 COMMENTARY ON A
be well informed, 1 but that they might communicate to others
what they had received. In this way he whets and excites
their minds more and more to desire instruction. He says
that teachers are like householders, who are not only careful
about their own food, but have a store laid up for the nour
ishment of others; and who do not live at ease as to the passing
day, but make provision for a future and distant period. The
meaning, therefore, is, that the teachers of the Church ought
to be prepared by long study for giving to the people, as out
of a storehouse, 2 a variety of instruction concerning the word
of God, as the necessity of the case may require. Many of
the ancient expositors understand by things new and old the
Law and the Gospel ; but this appears to me to be forced.
I understand them simply to mean a varied and manifold
distribution, wisely and properly adapted to the capacity of
every individual.
LUKE.
VII. 36. And one of the Pharisees requested him to take food with
him ; and he entered into the house of the Pharisee, and sat down at
table. 37. And, lo, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, when she
knew that he sat at table in the house of the Pharisee, brought an alabaster
box of ointment : 3 38. And sitting at his feet behind him, and weeping,
she began to wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of
her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment. 4 39. And
the Pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, said, speaking within himself,
If this man were a Prophet, he would certainly know who and what sort
of woman this is that toucheth him ; for she is a sinner. 5 40. And Jesus
answering, said to him, Simon, I have something to say to thee. And he
said, Master, say on. 41. A certain creditor had two debtors : one owed
five hundred pence, and another fifty. 42. And when they had nothing
to pay, he forgave them both. Tell me then, which of them will love him
more ? 43. Simon answering said, I suppose that it will be he to whom
he forgave more. And he said to him, Thou hast decided aright. 44. And
1 " Qu ils gardent ceste cognoissance pour eux-mesmes seulement ;"
u that they may keep that knowledge for themselves only."
2 " Comme nous voyons que le pere de famille tire de son cellier ou
grenier toutes sortes de provisions;" " as we see that the master of a
family draws from his cellar or granary all kinds of provisions."
3 " Or voyci il y avoit une femme de la ville qui avoit este de mauvaise
vie, laquelle ay ant cognu qu il estoit assis k table en la maison du Phari-
sien, apporta une boiste d ongnement ;" " but, lo, there was a woman of
the city who was of wicked life, who, having learned that he sat at table
in the house of the Pharisee, brought a box of ointment."
4 " Et les frottoit d ongnement ;" " and rubbed them with ointment."
5 " Car elle est de mauvaise vie ;" "for she is of wicked life."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 135
LUKE.
turning to the woman, he said to Simon, Seest thou this woman ? I
entered into thy house, thou gavest not water for my feet ; but she hath
moistened my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45. Thou gavest me not a kiss ; but she, since the time that I entered,
hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 47. For which reason I say to thee, Her
many sins are forgiven, for she hath loved much ; but he to whom less is
forgiven loveth less. 48. And he said to her, Thy sins are forgiven thee.
49. And those who sat at table with him began to say within themselves,
Who is this that even forgiveth sins ? 50. And he said to the woman, Thy
faith hath saved thee ; go in peace.
36. And one of the Pharisees requested him. This narra
tive shows the captious disposition, not only to take, but to
seek out, offences, which was manifested by those who did
not know the office of Christ. A Pharisee invites Christ ;
from which we infer, that he was not one of those who furi
ously and violently opposed, nor of those who haughtily de
spised his doctrine. But whatever might be his mildness, he
is presently offended when he sees Christ bestow a gracious
reception on a woman who, in his opinion, ought not to have
been permitted to approach or to converse with him ; and,
accordingly, disowns him as a prophet, because he does not
acknowledge him to be the Mediator, whose peculiar office it
was to bring miserable sinners into a state of reconciliation
with God. It was something, no doubt, to bestow on Christ
the honour due to a prophet; but he ought also to have
inquired for what purpose he was sent, what he brought,
and what commission he had received from the Father.
Overlooking the grace of reconciliation, which was the main
feature to be looked for in Christ, the Pharisee concluded
that he was not a prophet. And,, certainly, had it not been
that through the grace of Christ this woman had obtained
the forgiveness of her sins, and a new righteousness, she ought
to have been rejected.
Simon s mistake lies only in this : Not considering that
Christ came to save what was lost, he rashly concludes that
Christ does not distinguish between the worthy and the un
worthy. That we may not share in this dislike, let us learn,
first, that Christ was given as a Deliverer to miserable and
136 COMMENTARY ON A
lost men, 1 and to restore them from death to life. Secondly,
let every man examine himself and his life, and then we will
not wonder that others are admitted along with us, for no one
will dare to place himself above others. It is hypocrisy alone
that leads men to be careless about themselves, 2 and haughti
ly to despise others.
37. A woman who was a sinner. The words stand literally
as I have translated them, (ync, %v a/o-agrwXog.) Erasmus has
chosen to take the pluperfect tense, who HAD BEEN a sinner?
lest any one should suppose that at that time she still was
a sinner. But by so doing, he departed from the natural
meaning ; for Luke intended to express the place which the
woman held in society, and the opinion universally enter
tained res pecting her. Though her sudden conversion had ren
dered her a different person in the sight of God from what she
had previously been, yet among men the disgrace attaching
to her former life had not yet been effaced. She was, there
fore, in the general estimation of men a sinner, that is, a
woman of wicked and infamous life ; and this led Simon to
conclude, though erroneously, that Christ had not the Spirit
of discernment, since he was unacquainted with that infamy
which was generally known. 4
40. And Jesus answering said. By this reply Christ shows
how egregiously Simon was mistaken. Exposing to public
view his silent and concealed thought, he proves himself to
possess something more excellent than what belonged to the
Prophets ; for he does not reply to his words, but refutes the
sentiment which he kept hidden within his breast. Nor was
it only on Simon s account that this was done, but in order
to assure every one of us, that we have no reason to fear lest
1 " Que Christ a este donne pour liberateur au genre humain, miser
able et perdu ;" " that Christ was given as a deliverer to the human race,
miserable and lost."
2 " Qui fait que les hommes se me cognoissent ;" u which makes men
forget themselves."
3 Quce fuer at peccatrix.
4 ^ Veu^qu il ne cognoist .point I infamiexle la vie de ceste femme qui
estoit notoirc a un chacun ;" " since he does not Icnow the infamy of the
life of this woman, which was notorious to every one."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 137
any sinner be rejected by him, who not only gives them kind
and friendly invitations, but is prepared with equal liberality,
and as we might say with outstretched arms, to receive
them all.
41. A certain creditor had two debtors. The scope of this
parable is to demonstrate, that Simon is wrong in con
demning the woman who is acquitted by the heavenly judge.
He proves that she is righteous, not because she pleased God,
but because her sins were forgiven ; for otherwise her case
would not correspond to the parable, in which Christ ex
pressly states, that the creditor freely forgave the debtors ivho
icere not able to pay. We cannot avoid wondering, therefore,
that the greater part of commentators have fallen into so gross
a blunder as to imagine that this woman, by her tears, and
her anointing, and her kissing his feet , deserved the pardon of
her sins. The argument which Christ employs was taken,
not from the cause, but from the effect ; for, until a favour has
been received, it cannot awaken gratitude, 1 and the cause of
reciprocal love is here declared to be a free forgiveness. In
a word, Christ argues from the fruits or effects that follow it,
that this woman has been reconciled to God.
44. And turning to the woman. The Lord appears to com
pare Simon with the woman, in such a manner as to make
him chargeable with nothing more than light offences. But
this is spoken only in the way of concession* " Suppose now,
Simon," he says, " that the guilt from which God discharges
thee was light, 2 and that this woman has been guilty of many
and very heinous offences. Yet you see how she proves by the
effect that she has obtained pardon. For what mean those
profuse tears, those frequent kisses of the feet, that precious
ointment ? What mean they but to acknowledge, that she
had been weighed down by an enormous burden of condem-
1 " Veu que le remerciinent presuppose tousiours qu on ait avant receu
quelque bien }"- " since gratitude always presupposes that some favour
has been received."
jj "Mettons le cas, Simon, que le fardeau des pechez, desquels Dieu t a
descharge fust petit ;" " let us put the case, Simon, that the burden of
the sins^ from which God has discharged thee, was small."
138 COMMENTARY ON A
nation ? And now she regards the mercy of God with a
fervour of love proportioned to her conviction that her neces
sity had been great."
From the words of Christ, therefore, we are not at liberty
to infer, that Simon had been a debtor to a small amount,
or that he was absolved from guilt. 1 It is more probable that,
as he was a blind hypocrite, he was still plunged in the filth
of his sins. But Christ insists on this single point, that, how
ever wicked the woman may have been, she gave undoubted
proofs of her righteousness, by leaving no kind ofrduty undone
to testify her gratitude, and by acknowledging, in every pos
sible way, her vast obligations to God. At the same time,
Christ reminds Simon, that he has no right to flatter himself,
as if he were free from all blame ; for that he too needed
mercy ; and that if even he does not obtain the favour of God
without pardon, he ought to look upon this woman s gifts,
whatever might have been her former sins, as evidences of
repentance and gratitude.
We must attend to the points of contrast, in which the
woman is preferred to Simon. SHE moistened his feet with
tears , and wiped them with the hairs of her head ; while he did
not even order water to be given, according to custom. SHE
did not cease to kiss his feet, while he did not deign to receive
Christ with the kiss of hospitality. 2 She poured precious
ointment on his feet , while he did not even anoint his head with
oil. But why did our Lord, who was a model of frugality
and economy, permit the expense of the ointment f It was
because, in this way, the wretched sinner testified that she
owed all to him. He had no desire of such luxuries, was not
gratified by the sweet odour, and did not approve of gaudy
dress. But he looked only at her extraordinary zeal to testify
her repentance, which is also held out to us by Luke as an
example ; for her sorrow, which is the commencement of re
pentance, was proved by her tears. By placing herself at
1 u Et s il avoit este absous de la condamnation qu il avoit encourue ;"
" and if he had been absolved from the condemnation which he had in
curred."
2 " En lieu que 1 autre n a pas mesme daigne le baiser par une fa9on
commune de civilite ;" u whereas the other did not even deign to kiss him,
according to an ordinary custom of civility."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 139
Christ s feet behind him, and there lying on the ground, she
discovered her modesty and humility. By the ointment^ she
declared that she offered, as a sacrifice to Christ, herself and all
that she possessed. Every one of these things it is our duty
to imitate ; but the pouring of the ointment was an extraordi
nary act, which it would be improper to consider as a rule. 1
47. Her many sins are forgiven. Some interpret the verb
differently, may her many sins be forgiven, and bring out the
following meaning : " As this woman evinces by remarkable
actions, that she is full of ardent love to Christ, it would
be improper for the Church to act harshly and severely to
wards her ; but, on the contrary, she ought to be treated with
gentleness, whatever may have been the aggravations of her
offences." But as apiwi/ra/ is used, in accordance with the
Athic dialect, for aps/ira/, we must dispense with that subtlety
of exposition which is disapproved by the context ; for a
little after, Christ uses the same words in his address to the
woman, where the imperative mood would not apply. Here,
too, is added a corresponding clause, that he to ivkom less is
forgiven loveth less.
The verb, which is in the present tense, must, no doubt, be
resolved into a preterite. 2 From the eager desire which she
had manifested to discharge all the duties of piety, Christ
infers that, although this woman might have been guilty of
many sins, the mercy of God was so abundant towards her,
that she ought no longer to be regarded as a sinner. Again,
loving is not here said to be the cause of pardon, 3 but a sub
sequent manifestation, as I have formerly mentioned; for the
1 " A este un acte special et extraordinaire, duquel si on vouloit faire
une reigle generale, ce seroit un abus ;" u was a special and extraordi
nary act, of which, if we wished to make a general rule, it would be a
mistake."
2 " Combien qu il faut resoudre le verbe du temps present en un temps
passe : comme quand il dit, Ses pecJiez luy sont pardonnez : il faut entendre,
Ont este pardonnez ;" " though the verb must be resolved from the pre
sent tense into a past tense : as when he says, Her sins are forgiven, we
must understand it to mean, Have been forgiven"
8 " II n est pas dit ici que la dilection ou amour des hommes envers
Dieu soit la cause de la remission des pechez ;" " it is not here said that
the loving, or the love of men towards God, is the cause of the forgiveness
of sins."
140 COMMENTARY ON A
meaning of the words is this : " They who perceive the
display of deep piety in the woman form an erroneous judg
ment, if they do not conclude that God is already reconciled
to her ;" so that the free pardon of sins comes first in order.
Christ does not inquire at what price men may purchase the
favour of God, but argues that God has already forgiven this
wretched sinner, and that, therefore, a mortal man ought not
to treat her with severity.
48. Thy sins are forgiven. It may be asked, why does
Christ now promise to her the pardon which she had obtained,
and of which she had been assured ? Some reply that these
words were uttered, not so much on her own account, as for
the sake of others. For my o wn part, I have no doubt that
it was chiefly on her own account ; and this appears more
clearly from the words that follow. Nor ought we to won
der, that the voice of Christ again pronounces an absolution
of the woman, who had already tasted his grace, and who
was even convinced that he was her only refuge of salvation.
Thus, at the present day, faith is previously necessary, when
we pray that the Lord would forgive our sins ; and yet this
is not a useless or superfluous prayer, but the object of it is,
that the heavenly Judge may more and more seal his mercy
on our hearts, and in this manner may give us peace. Though
this woman had brought with her a confident reliance on that
grace which she had obtained, yet this promise was not super
fluous, but contributed greatly to the confirmation of her
faith.
49. And those who sat at table with him began to say within
themselves. Hence we again learn, that ignorance of Christ s
office constantly leads men to conceive new grounds of offence.
The root of the evil is, that no one examines his own wretched
condition, which undoubtedly would arouse every man to
seek a remedy. There is no reason to wonder that- hypocrites,
who slumber amidst their vices, 1 should murmur at it as a
thing new and unexpected, when Christ forgives sins.
1 " Qui se plaisent, et flattent en, leurs vices ;- u who please and flatter
themselves amidst their vices."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 141
50. Thy faith hath saved thee. To repress those murmur-
ings/ and, at the same time, to confirm the woman, Christ
commends her faith. Let others grumble as they may, but
do thou adhere stedfastly to that faith which has brought thee
an undoubted salvation. 2 At the same time, Christ claims
for himself the authority which had been given to him by the
Father ; for, as he possesses the power of healing, to him
faith is properly directed. And this intimates that the wo
man was not led by rashness or mistake to come to him, but
that, through the guidance of the Spirit, she had preserved
the straight road of faith. Hence it follows, that we cannot
believe in any other than the Son of God, without consider
ing that person to have the disposal of life and death. If the
true reason for believing in Christ be, that God hath given
him authority to forgive sins, whenever faith is rendered to
another, that honour which is due to Christ must of necessity
be taken from him. This saying refutes also the error of
those who imagine that the forgiveness of sins is purchased
by charity ; for Christ lays down a quite different method,
which is, that we embrace by faith the offered mercy. The
last clause, Go in peace, denotes that inestimable fruit of faith
which is so frequently commended in Scripture. It brings
peace and joy to the consciences, and prevents them from
being driven hither and thither by uneasiness and alarm.
LUKE.
X. 38. And it happened, while they were travelling, that he entered
into a certain village ; and a certain woman, called Martha, received him
into her house. 39. And she had a sister called Mary, who also, sitting
at the feet of Jesus, heard his word. 40. And Martha was cumbered
about much serving ; who stood, and said, Lord, hast thou no care that
my sister hath left me to serve alone ? bid her therefore assist me.
41. And Jesus answering said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious
and distressed about many things. 42. But one thing is necessary : Mary
hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her.
38. And it happened that he entered into a certain village,
1 " Pour reprimer les murmures de ces gens ;" " to repress the mur-
murings of those people."
2 " Qui t a apporte certitude de ealut ;" "which has brought thee
cei tainty of salvation."
142 COMMENTARY ON A
This narrative shows, that Christ, wherever he came, did
not devote himself to his private concerns, or consult his
own ease or comfort ; but that the single object which he
kept in view was, to do good to others, and to discharge
the office which had been committed to him by the Father.
Luke relates that, having been hospitably received by
Martha, as soon as he entered the house, he began to teach
and exhort. As this passage has been basely distorted into
the commendation of what is called a Contemplative life, we
must inquire into its true meaning, from which it will ap
pear, that nothing was farther from the design of Christ,
than to encourage his disciples to indulge in indolence, or in
useless speculations. It is, no doubt, an old error, 1 that
those who withdraw from business, and devote themselves
entirely to a contemplative, lead an Angelical life. For the
absurdities which the Sorbonnists 2 utter on this subject they
appear to have been indebted to Aristotle, who places the
highest good, and ultimate end, of human life in contempla
tion, which, according to him, is the enjoyment of virtue.
When some men were driven by ambition to withdraw from the
ordinary intercourse of life, or when peevish men gave them
selves up to solitude and indolence, the resolution to adopt
1 U I1 est vray que ceste erreur n est pas d auiourd huy, mais est bien
ancien ;" " it is true that this error is not of to-day, but is very old."
2 Some readers may happen to ask, Who were the Sorbonnists, or, as
they are often called, the Doctors of the Sorbonne ? In reply, I take the
liberty of extracting from a volume, which I gave to the world a few
years ago, a few remarks on this subject. u The College of the Sorbonne,
in Paris, takes its name from Robert de Sorbonne, who founded it in the
middle of the thirteenth century. Its reputation for theological learning,
philosophy, classical literature, and all that formerly constituted a liberal
education, was deservedly high. In the Doctors of the Sorbonne the
Reformation found powerful adversaries. The very name of this Uni
versity, to which the greatest scholars in Europe were accustomed to pay
deference, would be regarded by the multitude with blind veneration. If
such men as Calvin, Beza, Melancthon, and Luther, were prepared by
talents and acquirements of the first order to brave the terrors of that
name, they must have frequently lamented its influence on many of their
hearers. Yet our author meets undaunted this formidable array, and
enters the field with the full assurance of victory. Despising, as we natu
rally do, the weak superstitions and absurd tenets held by the Church of
Rome, we are apt to underrate our obligations to the early champions of
the Reformed faith, who encountered with success those veteran warriors,
and contended earnestly (Jude, ver. 3) for the faith which was once delivered
to the saints." (Biblical Cabinet, vol. xxx. p. 140.) Ed,
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 143
that course was followed by such pride, that they imagined
themselves to be like the angels, because they did nothing ;
for they entertained as great a contempt for active life, as if
it had kept them back from heaven. On the contrary, we
know that men were created for the express purpose of
being employed in labour of various kinds, and that no
sacrifice is more pleasing to God, than when every man
applies diligently to his own calling, and endeavours to live
in such a manner as to contribute to the general advantage. 1
How absurdly they have perverted the words of Christ to
support their own contrivance, will appear manifest when we
have ascertained the natural meaning. Luke says that Mary
sat at the feet of Jesus. Does he mean that she did nothing
else throughout her whole life ? On the contrary, the Lord
enjoins his followers to make such a distribution of their
time, that he who desires to make proficiency in the school
of Christ shall not always be an idle hearer, but shall put in
practice what he has learned ; for there is a time to hear,
and a time to act. 2 It is, therefore, a foolish attempt of the
monks to take hold of this passage, as if Christ were draw
ing a comparison between a contemplative and an active life,
while Christ simply informs us for what end, and in what
manner, he wishes to be received.
Though the hospitality of Martha deserved commendation,
and is commended, yet there were two faults in it which
are pointed out by Christ. The first is, that Martha carried
her activity beyond proper bounds ; for Christ would rather
have chosen to be entertained in a frugal manner, and at
moderate expense, than that the holy woman should have
submitted to so much toil. The second fault was, that
Martha, by distracting her attention, and undertaking more
labour than was necessary, deprived herself of the advantage
of Christ s visit. The excess is pointed out by Luke, when
he speaks of much serving; for Christ was satisfied with
1 " Met pcine cle vivre en sorte qu il apporte quelque profit a la societe
commune des hommes ;" u endeavours to live so as to yield some advan
tage to the general society of men."
2 " Car il y a temps d ouir, et temps defaire, et de mettre la main a la
besongne ;" " for there is a time to hear, and a time to act, and to put
the hand to the work."
144 COMMENTARY ON A
little. It was just as if one were to give a magnificent
reception to a prophet, and yet not to care about hearing
him, but, on the contrary, to make so great and unnecessary
preparations as to bury all the instruction. But the true
way of receiving prophets is, to accept the advantage which
God presents and offers to us through their agency.
We now see that the kind attention of Martha, though it
deserved praise, was not without its blemishes. There was
this additional evil, that Martha was so delighted with her
own bustling operations, as to despise her sister s pious
eagerness to receive instruction. 1 This example warns us,
that, in doing what is right, we must take care not to think
more highly of ourselves than of others.
42. But one thing is necessary. Some give a very meagre
interpretation of these words, as if they meant that one sort
of dish is enough. 2 Others make ingenious inquiries, but be
side the purpose, about Unity. 3 But Christ had quite another
design, which was, that whatever believers may undertake
to do, and in whatever employments they may engage, there
is one object to which every thing ought to be referred. In
a word, we do but wander to no purpose, if we do not
direct all our actions to a fixed object. The hospitality of
Martha was faulty in this respect, that she neglected the
main business, and devoted herself entirely to household
affairs. And yet Christ does not mean that every thing
else, with the exception of this one thing, is of no importance,
but that we must pay a proper attention to order, lest what
is accessory as the phrase is become our chief concern.
Mary hath chosen the good part. There is no comparison
here, as unskilful and mistaken interpreters dream. Christ
1 " En la conduite du banquet, et bruit de mesnage ;" " in the pre
paration of the entertainment, and the noise of household affairs."
2 " Comme si Christ entendoit qu il y a assez d un mets, ou d une sorte
de viande ;" " as if Christ meant that one dish, or one sort of food, is
enough.
3 u De Monade." " Les autres plus subtilement, mais mal k propos,
traittans ici de 1 unite : comme si par ce mot de Un, lesus Christ eust
voulu exclurre tout nombre ;" u others more ingeniously, but inappro
priately, treating here of unity : as if, by the word One, Jesus Christ in
tended to exclude all diversity of employment."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 145
only declares, that Mary is engaged in a holy and profitable
employment, in which she ought not to be disturbed. "You
would have a good right," he says, " to blame your sister, if
she indulged in ease, or gave herself up to trifling occupa
tions, or aimed at something unsuitable to her station, and
left to you the whole charge of the household affairs. But
now, when she is properly and usefully employed in hearing,
it would be an act of injustice to withdraw her from it ; for
an opportunity so favourable is not always in her power."
There are some, indeed, who give a different interpretation
to the latter clause, which shall not be taken away from her,
as if Christ intended to say, that Mary hath chosen the good
party because the fruit of heavenly doctrine can never perish.
For my own part, I have no objection to that opinion, but
have followed the view which appeared to me to be more
in accordance with Christ s design. 1
LUKE.
XII. 13. And one out of the multitude said to him, Master, bid my
brother divide the inheritance with me. 14. And he said to him, Man,
who made me a judge or a divider over you ? 15. And he said to them,
Take heed and beware of covetousness ; for the life of any man does not
consist in the abundance of those things which he possesseth. 2 16. And
he spoke a parable to them, saying, The field of a certain rich man
yielded an abundant produce. 17. And he thought within himself, saying,
What shall I do ? for I have no place in which I can collect my fruits.
18. And he said, I will do this : I will pull down my barns, and will build
larger ones, and there I will collect all my fruits and my goods. 19. And
I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for many years :
take thine ease, eat, drink, and enjoy thyself. 3 20. But God said to him,
Fool, this night they shall demand thy soul from thee ; 4 and as to the
1 CALVIN appears to interpret the words, which shall not be talcen from
Tier, not as a doctrinal statement, but as a command, or, at least, as mark
ing out the line of conduct which ought to be pursued by Martha and
others towards Mary. The good part, or, as he explains it, " the holy
and profitable employment," shall not be taken from her. " She ought
not to be disturbed," and " it would be an act of injustice to withdraw her
from it." Ed.
2 " Car encore que les biens abondent a quelqu un, si n a-il pas vie
par les biens ;" " for though a man may abound in wealth, yet he has
not life by his wealth."
3 " Et fay grand chcre ;" " and make great cheer."
4 " En ceste nuict ton ame te sera ostee, OM, on te redemandera ton
ame;" u this night thy soul shall be taken from thee, or, thy soul shall be
asked again from thee."
VOL. II. K
146 COMMENTARY ON A
LUKE.
things which thou hast provided, to whom shall they go? 21. So is he
that layeth up for himself, 1 and is not rich toward God.
13. Bid my brother divide. Our Lord, when requested to
undertake the office of dividing an inheritance, refuses to do
so. Now as this tended to promote brotherly harmony, and
as Christ s office was, not only to reconcile men to God, but
to bring them into a state of agreement with one another,
what hindered him from settling the dispute between the two
brothers? 2 Therjs appear to have been chiefly two reasons
why he declined the office of a judge. First, as the Jews
imagined that the Messiah would have an earthly kingdom, 3
he wished to guard against doing any thing that might
countenance this error. If they had seen him divide inherit
ances^ the report of that proceeding would immediately have
been circulated. Many would have been led to expect a
carnal redemption, which they too ardently desired ; and
wicked men would have loudly declared, that he was effect
ing a revolution in the state, and overturning the Roman
Empire. Nothing could be more appropriate, therefore,
than this reply, by which all would be informed, that the
kingdom of Christ is spiritual. Let us learn from this to
regulate our conduct by prudence, and to undertake nothing
which may admit of an unfavourable construction.
Secondly, our Lord intended to draw a distinction be
tween the political kingdoms of this world and the govern
ment of his Church ; for he had been appointed by the
Father to be a Teacher, who should divide asunder, by the
sword of the word, the thoughts and feelings, and penetrate into
the souls .of men, (Heb. iv. 12,) but was not a magistrate to
divide inheritances. This condemns the robbery of the Pope
1 " Ainsi est celuy qui thesaurize (pu, a fait grand amas de biens) pour
soy ;" " so is he that hoards up (or, has formed a great heap of goods)
for himself."
2 " On pourroit demander qui a empesche qu il ne se soit entremis
d oster toute occasion de debat entre deux freres ?" " It might be asked,
what hindered him from undertaking to remove all ground of quarrel be
tween two brothers ?"
3 " Que le Messias regneroit a la fa9on des princes terriens ;" " that
the Messiah would reign in the manner of earthly princes."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 147
and his clergy, who, while they give themselves out to be
pastors of the Church, have dared to usurp an earthly and
secular jurisdiction, which is inconsistent with their office ;
for what is in itself lawful may be improper in certain
persons.
There was also, in my opinion, a third reason of great
weight. Christ saw that this man was neglecting doctrine,
and was looking only to his private concerns. This is too
common a disease. Many who profess the Gospel do not
scruple to make use of it as a false pretence for advancing
their private interests, and to plead the authority of Christ
as an apology for their gains. From the exhortation, 1 which
is immediately added, we may readily draw this inference ;
for if that man had not availed himself of the Gospel as a
pretext for his own emolument, Christ would not have
taken occasion to give this warning against covetousness.
The context, therefore, makes it sufficiently evident, that
this was a pretended disciple, whose mind was entirely
occupied with lands or money.
It is highly absurd in the Anabaptists to infer from this
reply, that no Christian man has a right to divide inherit
ances, to take a part in legal decisions, or to discharge any
public office. Christ does not argue from the nature of the
thing itself, but from his own calling. Having been ap
pointed by the Father for a different purpose, he declares
that he is not a judge, because he has received no such com
mand. Let us hold by this rule, that every one keep within
the limits of the calling which God has given him.
15. Take heed and beware of covetousness. Christ first
guards his followers against covetousness, and next, in order
to cure their minds entirely of this disease, he declares, that
our life consisteth not in abundance. These words point out
the inward fountain and source, from which flows the mad
1 " En considerant la circonstance de 1 exhortation qui est ici adioustee,
il est aise a iuger que cestuy-ci estoit mene d une tclle affection perverse ;"
" by considering the circumstance of the exhortation which is here
added, it may easily be inferred that this man was under the influence of
such a wicked disposition."
148 COMMENTARY ON A
eagerness for gain. It is because the general belief is, that
a man is happy in proportion as he possesses much, and that
the happiness of life is produced by riches. Hence arise
those immoderate desires, which, like a fiery furnace, send
forth their flames, and yet cease not to burn within. If we
were convinced that riches, and any kind of abundance, are
evils of the present life, which the Lord bestows upon us
with his own hand, and the use of which is accompanied by
his blessing, this single consideration would have a powerful
influence in restraining all wicked desires ; and this is what
believers have come to learn from their own experience. 1
For whence comes it, that they moderate their wishes, and
depend on God alone, but because they do not look upon
their life as necessarily connected with abundance, or de
pendent upon it, but rely on the providence of God, who
alone upholds us by his power, and supplies us with what
ever is necessary ?
16. And he spoke a parable to them. This parable pre
sents to us, as in a mirror, a lively portrait of this sentiment,
that men do not live by their abundance. Since the life even of
the richest men is taken away in a moment, what avails it
that they have accumulated great wealth ? All acknowledge
it to be true, so that Christ says nothing here but what is
perfectly common, and what every man has constantly in his
mouth. But Avhere is the man that honestly believes it ?
Do not all, on the contrary, regulate their life, and arrange
their schemes and employments in such a manner as to with
draw to the greatest distance from God, making their life to
rest on a present abundance of good things ? It is therefore
necessary that all should immediately arouse themselves, lest,
by imagining their happiness to consist in riches, they entangle
themselves in the snares of covetousness.
This parable shows us, first, that the present life is short
and transitory. Secondly, it points out to us, that riches are
of no avail for prolonging life. We must add a third, which
is not expressed, but may easily be inferred from the other
1 " Ce que les fideles experimentent ton les iours en eux-mesmes estre
vray ;" " which believers every day experience in themselves to be true."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 149
two ; that it is a most excellent remedy for believers, to ask
from the Lord their daily bread, and to rely on his providence
alone, whether they are rich or poor.
17. What shall I do? Wicked men are driven to perplex
ity in their deliberations, because they do not know how any
thing is to be lawfully used ; x and, next, because they are in
toxicated with a foolish confidence which makes them forget
themselves. Thus we find that this rich man lengthens out
his expectation of life in proportion to his large income, and
drives far away from him the remembrance of death. And
yet this pride is accompanied by distrust ; for those men,
when they have had their fill, are still agitated by insatiable
desire, like this rich man, who enlarges his barns, as if his
belly, which had been filled with his former barns, had not
got enough. At the same time, Christ does not expressly
condemn this man for acting the part of a careful householder
in storing up his produce, but because his ravenous desire,
like a deep whirlpool, swallows up and devours many barns ;
from which it follows that he does not comprehend the pro
per use of an abundant produce.
19. Take thine ease, eat, drink, enjoy thyself. When he ex
horts himself to eat and drink, he no longer remembers that
he is a man, but swells into pride by relying on his abund
ance. We daily perceive striking instances of this disdain
ful conduct 2 in irreligious men, who hold up the mass of their
riches, as if it were nothing less than a brazen rampart against
death. When he says, Eat, my soul, and enjoy thyself, there is
an emphatic meaning in this Hebrew idiom; 3 for he addresses
himself in such a manner as to imply, that he has all that is
necessary for gratifying all his senses and all his desires.
1 " Pource qu ils ne scavent point quel est le droit et Icgitime usage des
creatures de Dieu ;" " because they know not what is the proper and
lawful use of the creatures of God."
2 " D une telle mecognoissance et fierte ;" " of such ingratitude and
pride.
3 " En ceste locution Ilebraique il y a une vehemence et proprie
plus que les mots n emportent de prime face ;" " in that Hebrew form
of expression there is greater force and propriety than the words at first
sight bear."
150 COMMENTARY ON A
20. Fool, this night they will demand thy soul from thee.
The word soul carries an allusion. Formerly, the rich man
addressed his soul as the seat of all the affections : but now, he
speaks of the life itself, or the vital spirit. The words, they
will demand, (a-ra/roDtf/v,) though in the plural number, are
used indefinitely, and mean nothing more than that the life of
the rich man, which he imagined to be in his own power, was
at the disposal of another. I advert to this, because some
take occasion from them to make unfounded speculations
about angels. The design of Christ is simply to show that
the life of men, which they imagine to be strongly protected
by the fortress of their riches, is every moment 1 taken away.
The rich man is thus convicted of folly, in not knowing that
his life depended on another.
21. So is he that layeth up for himself. As the two clauses
are evidently contrasted, the one must be taken into account
for the exposition of the other. Let us ascertain, therefore,
what is meant by being rich in God, or, " towards God," or,
" with respect to God." Those who are tolerably acquainted
Avith the Scriptures know that the preposition e!s not unfre-
quently takes the sense of h. But whether it be understood
in the one sense or in the other, is of little consequence ; for
the meaning comes to this, that they are rich according to God,
who do not trust to earthly things, but depend solely on his
providence. It matters not whether they are in abundance
or in want, provided that both classes present their sincere
prayers to the Lord for their daily bread. The correspond
ing phrase, layeth up for himself, conveys the idea that this
man paid no attention to the blessing of God, but anxiously
heaped up an immense store, so that his confidence was shut
up in his darns. 2 Hence we may easily conclude that the
parable was intended to show, that vain are the deliberations
and foolish attempts of those who, trusting to the abundance
1 " Que d heure en heure la vie est ostee aux homines ;" "that from
hour to hour the life of man is taken away."
* " En sorte que la fiance de 1 homme est en ses greniers, ou en ses
cotfres ; -" so that the confidence of the man is in his granaries, or in
his chests."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 151
of their wealth, do not rely on God alone, and are not satis
fied with their own share, or prepared for whatever may be
fall them; 1 and, finally, that such persons will suffer the
penalty of their own folly.
LUKE.
XIII. 1. And at that time some were present, who told him of the
Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2. And
Jesus answering said to them, Do you imagine that these Galileans were
sinners beyond all the Galileans, because they suffered such things ? 3. I
tell you, no ; but unless you repent, you will all perish in like manner.
4. Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloah fell and slew them, do
you imagine that they were debtors beyond all men that dwell in Jeru
salem ? 2 5.1 tell you, no ; but unless you repent, you shall all perish in
like manner. 6. And he spake this parable : A certain man had a fig-
tree planted in his vineyard, and came seeking fruit on it, and did not find
it. 7. And he said to the vine-dresser, Lo, there are three years that I
come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none : cut it down ; why
does it even occupy the ground ? 3 8. But he answering, said to him, Lord,
let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it : 9. And if
it bear fruit : 4 but if not, afterwards thou shalt cut it down.
2. Do you imagine? fyc. This passage is highly useful, were
it for no other reason than that this disease is almost natural
to us, to be too rigorous and severe in judging of others, and
too much disposed to flatter our own faults. The conse
quence is, that we not only censure with excessive severity
the offences of our brethren ; but whenever they meet with any
calamity, we condemn them as wicked and reprobate persons.
On the other hand, every man that is not sorely pressed by
the hand of God slumbers at ease in the midst of his sins, as
if God were favourable and reconciled to him. This involves
a double fault ; for when God chastises any one before our
eyes, he warns us of his judgments, that each of us may ex
amine himself, and consider what he deserves. If he spares
us for a time, we are so far from having a right to take such
1 " Estans prests a recevoir ce qu il plaira a Dieu leur envoyer ;"
" being prepared to receive what God may be pleased to send to them."
2 " Eussent offense plus que tous les habitans de lerusalem ;" "had
offended more than all the inhabitants of Jerusalem."
3 "A quel propos aussi empesche-t-il la terre ?" " for what end does
it even cumber the ground ?"
4 " Que s il fait fruict, bien : sinon tu le couperas ci-apres ;" " and
if it bears fruit, well : if not, thou shalt cut it down afterwards."
152 COMMENTARY ON A
kindness and forbearance as an opportunity for slumber, that
we ought to regard it as an invitation to repentance.
To correct the false and cruel judgment which we are ac
customed to pass on wretched sufferers, and, at the same time,
to shake off the indulgence which every man cherishes towards
himself, he shows, first, that those who are treated with sever
ity are not the most wicked of all men ; because God admin
isters his judgments in such a manner, that some are instant
ly seized and punished, and others are permitted to remain
long in the enjoyment of ease and luxury, Secondly, he de
clares that all the calamities which happen in the world are
so many demonstrations of the wrath of God ; and hence we
learn what an awful destruction awaits us, 1 if we do not avert
it.
The immediate occasion for this exhortation was, that some
told him that Pilate had mingled human blood with sacrifices, in
order that so shocking an event might bring sacrifices into
abhorrence. As it is probable that this outrage was com
mitted on the Samaritans, who had departed from the pure
service of the Law, the Jews would easily and readily be
disposed to condemn the Samaritans, and by so doing to ap
plaud themselves. But our Lord applies it to a different
purpose. As that whole nation was hated and detested by
them on account of ungodliness, he puts the question, " Do
you imagine that those wretched persons, who have been put
to death by Pilate, were worse than others ? You are per
fectly aware, that that country is full of ungodly men, and that
many who deserved the same punishment are still alive. He
is a blind and wicked judge who decides as to the sins of all
men by the punishments which they now endure. It is not
always the most wicked man who is first dragged to punish
ment ; but when God selects a few out of a large number to
be punished, he holds out in their person a threatening that
he will take vengeance on the remainder, in order that all
may be alarmed."
Having spoken of the Samaritans, he now approaches more
1 " Dont nous avons a penser quelle punition et damnation nous sen-
tirons ;" " by which we are led to consider what punishment and con
demnation we shall receive."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 153
closely to the Jews themselves. Eighteen men had at that
time been killed by the fall of a tower in Jerusalem. He de
clares that those men were not more wicked than others, but
that their death was held out to all as a ground of alarm ;
for if in them God gave a display of his judgment, no more
would others, though they might be spared for a time, escape
his hand. Christ does not, however, forbid believers to con
sider attentively the judgments of God, but enjoins them to
observe this order, to begin with their own sins. They will
thus obtain the highest advantage ; for they will avert God s
chastisements by voluntary repentance. To the same pur
pose is the warning which Paul gives, Let no man deceive you
with vain words ; for on account of these things the wrath of
God comcth against the rebellious, (Eph. v. 6.)
6. He spoke also this parable. The substance of it is, that
many are endured for a time who deserve to be cut off; but
that they gain nothing by the delay, if they persist in their
obstinacy. The wicked flattery, by which hypocrites are
hardened, and become more obstinate, arises from this cause,
that they do not think of their sins till they are compelled ;
and, therefore, so long as God winks at these, and delays his
chastisements, they imagine that he is well satisfied with
them. Thus they indulge themselves more freely, as if, to use
the words of Isaiah, (xxviii. 15,) they had made a covenant
with death, and were in friendship with the grave. And this is
the reason why Paul denounces them in such earnestness of
language for treasuring up to themselves the wrath of God against
the last day, (Rom. ii. 5.) It is well known that trees are
sometimes preserved, not because their owners find them to
be useful and productive, but because the careful and indus
trious husbandman makes every possible trial and experiment
before he determines to remove them out of the field or vine
yard. This teaches us that, when the Lord does not imme
diately take vengeance on the reprobate, but delays to punish
them, there are the best reasons for his forbearance. Such
considerations serve to restrain human rashness, that no man
may dare to murmur against the supreme Judge of all, if He
does not always execute his judgments in one uniform man-
154 COMMENTARY ON A
ner. A comparison is here drawn between the owner and the
vine-dresser: not that God s ministers go beyond him in gen
tleness and forbearance, but because the Lord not only pro
longs the life of sinners, but likewise cultivates them in a
variety of ways, that they may yield better fruit.
LUKE.
XIII. 10. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sab
bath. 11. And, lo, a woman who had a spirit of infirmity during eighteen
years, and was bent down, and was altogether unable to lift up her head. 1
12. Whom when Jesus saw, he called her to him, and said to her, Woman,
thou art delivered from thine infirmity. 13. And he laid his hands on
her, and immediately she stood upright, and glorified God. 14. And the
ruler of the synagogue answering, being offended because Christ had
performed a cure on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, There are six
days on which we ought to work : on them therefore come, and you shall
be cured, and not on the Sabbath-day. 15. And the Lord answering
said to her, Doth not each of you, on the Sabbath, loose his ox or his ass
from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16. And must not this
daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, eighteen years, be
loosed from this bond on the Sabbath-day ? 17. And while he was saying
these things, all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced
on account of all the glorious actions which were done by him.
I have resolved to place in immediate connection some
events which are detailed by Luke alone, without a direct
reference to dates ; for on that point, as we have formerly
mentioned, the Evangelists did not care much about exact
ness. We shall afterwards find a more suitable time for
returning to the Harmony of the Three Evangelists.
11. Andy to, a woman. Here is related a miracle performed
on a woman who was cured, and the offence which the ma
lignity of the Jews led them to take up, because our Lord had
cured her on a Sabbath-day. Luke says that the woman was
held by a spirit of infirmity, so that her body was bent by the
contraction of her nerves. As the nature of the disease is no
farther described, it is probable that it was not one of an ordi
nary kind, or which was understood by physicians ; and,
therefore, he calls it a spirit of infirmity. We know that dis
eases of an unusual and extraordinary kind are, for the most
1 " Laquelle estoit courbe, et ne pouvoit aucunement se dresser ;"
"who was bent down, and was quite unable to stand upright."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 155
part, inflicted on men through the agency of the devil ; and
this gave the more striking display of the divine power of
Christ, which triumphed over Satan. Not that Satan rules
over men according to his pleasure, but only so far as God
grants to him permission to injure them. Besides, as the
Lord, from whom alone ah 1 our blessings flow, makes his glory
to shine Avith peculiar brightness in those blessings which are
more remarkable, and of rare occurrence ; so, on the other
hand, it is his will that the power and tyranny of Satan should
be chiefly regarded in extraordinary chastisements, though
his agency is likewise employed in those more gentle applica
tions of the rod, which we experience from day to day.
12. Woman, thou art delivered. In this miracle, as well as
in others, Christ exhibited a proof both of his power and of
his grace ; for in this manner he testified that he had come
for the purpose of granting relief to the wretched. His power
is expressed in these words, Woman, thou art delivered; for
he authoritatively declares that deliverance was at his own
disposal, and employs, at the same time, the outward sign, the
use of which we have explained on a former occasion.
13. And glorified God. As to the people glorifying God,
it is mentioned in order to inform us, that this was distinctly
perceived to be a heavenly blessing. It was not some doubt
ful work which allowed room for argument on either side, but
one which afforded ample and undoubted grounds for praising
God. This discovers more strongly the malignity of the
ruler of the synagogue.
14. There are six days. This reprover does not venture
to pass censure openly on Christ, but points the venom of
his dislike to another quarter, and indirectly condemns
Christ in the person of the multitude. What an astonishing
display of furious malice ! Six days, he tells them, were set
apart for labour ; but how incorrectly and foolishly does he
define that work, which is not permitted but on six days!
Why does he not likewise forbid them to enter the syna
gogue, lest they should violate the Sabbath ? Why does he
156 COMMENTARY ON A
not order them to refrain from all the exercises of godliness ?
But granting that men are restrained from following their
own employments on the Sabbath-day, how unreasonable is
it that the grace of God should be limited in that manner !
On them, therefore, come and you shall be cured. He bids
them come on the other days to seek a cure, as if the power
of God lay asleep on Sabbath, and were not rather exerted
chiefly on that day for the salvation of his people. What
purpose is to be served by the holy assemblies, except to
give an opportunity to believers for entreating the Divine
assistance? That ungodly hypocrite talks as if the lawful
observation of the Sabbath interrupted the course of God s
favours, hindered men from calling upon him, and took away
from them all feeling of his kindness.
15. Doth not every one of you ? 8?c. Such a combination
of malice and stupidity might easily have been exposed in
many ways, but Christ satisfied himself with this single
argument. If it be lawful on the Sabbath to perform the
offices of humanity to cattle, it is ridiculous to imagine that
the due observance of it will prevent assistance from being
granted to the children of God. The words of Christ pre
sent a twofold comparison : that of the cattle with the
daughter of Abraham, and that of the halter by which the
ass or the ox is tied to its stall with the chains of Satan, by
which he holds men bound to their destruction. "You,"
says he, " who are so scrupulous about observing the Sab
bath, venture to loose oxen and asses, and lead them away to
watering. And why may not I be permitted to perform a
similar office of kindness to the elect people of God ; espe
cially when the necessity is more urgent, when some one is
to be delivered from the snares of Satan ?"
Now though the wicked reprover was struck dumb with
shame, yet we perceive that Christ never performed any
work, however illustrious, which wicked men did not seize
as an occasion for slander. Nor need we wonder that Satan
laboured, with incessant zeal and exertions, to subvert the
glory of Christ ; for he is constantly -employed in spreading
his clouds, in order to darken the holy actions of believers.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 157
It deserves our attention, that Christ gives the designation,
daughter of Abraham, to one whose body had been enslaved
by Satan during eighteen years. She was so called, not only
in reference to her lineage, as all the Jews without excep
tion gloried in this title, but because she was one of the
true and actual members of the Church. Here we perceive
also what Paul tells us, that some are delivered to Satan for
the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the
day of the Lord Jesus, (1 Cor. v. 5.) And the length of
time points out to us that, though the Lord does not im
mediately relieve our distresses, yet we ought not to despair.
LUKE.
XIII. 31. The same day some of the Pharisees came, saying to him,
Depart, and go hence : for Herod intends to kill thee. 32. And he said
to them, Go, tell that fox, Lo, I cast out devils, and I perform cures to
day and to-morrow, and the third day I am completed. 33. But yet I
must walk to-day and to-morrow, and the following day ; for it is not a
usual occurrence that a prophet perish anywhere else than in Jerusalem. 2
It is difficult to ascertain the precise time when this hap
pened, farther than that Christ was at that time residing in
Galilee, as during the whole period of his public calling he
remained longer there than in any other place. Certain
persons, wishing to be considered as his friends, advise him
that, if he wishes to be in safety, he should go beyond the
boundaries of Herod s jurisdiction. In what manner those
who gave that advice were affected towards him we have no
means of knowing ; but I am strongly inclined to conjecture,
that they attempted to drive him to some other place, because
they saw that the greater part of the people in that place
were attached to Christ, so that the Gospel was generally re
ceived. We must observe who those advisers were. Luke
says that they were some of the Pharisees. Now we know
that that sect was not so favourable to Christ as to make it
probable that those men were anxious about his life. What
then ? Their design was, to awaken in him such fears as would
1 " Et au troisieme iour ie pren fin ;" " and on the third day I con
clude."
2 " Car il n advient point qu aucun Prophete meure hors de lerusalcm ;"
" for it does not happen that any Prophet dies out of Jerusalem."
158 COMMENTARY ON A
drive him to some place of concealment ; for they expected
that, in a short time, his authority would decline, and that his
whole doctrine would vanish away. But we must also direct
our attention to the first originator and contriver of this
scheme, Satan ; for, as he endeavoured at that time to inter
rupt the progress of the Gospel, by terrifying the Son of
God, so he constantly invents and hatches up new grounds
of alarm, to strike the ministers of Christ with dismay, and
to constrain them to turn aside.
32. Go, tell that fox. It is certain, that the person here
spoken of is Herod Antipas. Though he had throughout the
character of a fox, and was as remarkable for servility as for
cunning, I do not think that the term, fox, is intended to
refer generally to the cunning of his whole life, but rather to
the insidious methods by which he laboured to undermine the
doctrine of the Gospel, when he did not venture to attack it
openly. Christ tells him that, with all his craftiness, he will
gain nothing by his schemes. " Whatever artifices he may
devise," says Christ, " to-day and to-morrow I will discharge
the office which God has enjoined upon me ; and when I shall
have reached the end of my course, I shall then be offered in
sacrifice." That we may perceive more clearly the meaning
of the words, Christ acknowledges, in the former part of his
message, that on the third day that is, within a very short
time he must die ; and in this way shows, that he could not
be deterred from his duty by any fear of death, to which he
advanced boldly, w T ith fixed purpose of mind.
33. It does not usually happen, fyc. He next adds, that it
is an idle bugbear, which is held out by false and hypocritical
advisers ; because there is no danger of death anyivhere else
than at Jerusalem. In this second clause he sharply attacks
the Pharisees. " Is it you, who I foresee wih 1 be my execu
tioners, that advise me to beware of Herod f" The reproof
extends, indeed, much farther ; for he says, not only that
preparations had been made for his own death in Jerusalem,
but that it might be said to have been, for a long period, a
den of robbers, in which almost all the prophets had been
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 159
murdered. Many had, no doubt, been slain in other places,
and particularly at the time when that cruel fury, 1 Jezebel,
(1 Kings xix. 2,) raged against them ; but because in no
other place had the prophets, at any time, been fiercely tor
mented, Christ justly brings this reproach against the ungodly
inhabitants of the holy city.
It usually happened that the prophets were slain there ;
because not only was it the source of all the ungodliness
which spread over the whole of Judea, but it was also the
field on which God trained his prophets. 2 We know that the
more brightly the light of doctrine shines, so as to press more
closely on wicked men, they are driven to a greater pitch of
madness. What a dreadful example was it, that a place
which had been chosen to be the sanctuary of divine wor
ship, and the residence of the Law and of heavenly wisdom,
should be polluted not by one or another murder, but by a
regular butchery of the prophets ! It undoubtedly shows how
obstinate is the rebellion of the world in rejecting sound
doctrine.
The exclamation which immediately follows in Luke, (xiii.
34,) appears to be connected in such a manner, as if Christ
had taken occasion from the present occurrence to inveigh, at
this time, against Jerusalem. But for my own part, I rather
think, that Luke, having said that Jerusalem had been form
erly stained by the blood of the prophets, nay, had been,
through an uninterrupted succession of many ages, the
slaughter-place, where the prophets were cruelly and wick
edly put to death, immediately inserts, according to his
custom, a statement which harmonized with that discourse.
We have seen, on former occasions, that it is by no means
unusual with him to introduce into one place a collection of
Christ s sayings, which were uttered at various times.
1 " Cette cruelle diablesse ;" " that cruel female devil."
2 " Auquel Dieu a voulu que ses Prophetes ayent soustenu do grans
combats et rudes alarmes ;" u on which God determined that his Pro
phets should sustain powerful combats and fierce alarms."
1GO COMMENTARY ON A
LUKE.
XI. 37. And while he was speaking, a certain Pharisee requested him
to dine with him ; and he entered and sat down at table. 38. And when
the Pharisee saw it, he wondered that he had not first washed before
dinner. 39. And the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees cleanse the
outside of the cup and of the plate ; and what is within you is full of
cruelty and wickedness. 40. Fools, did not he who made what is without
make also what is within ? 41. But out of what you have 1 give alms ; and,
lo, all things are clean to you.
This narrative agrees in some respects, but not entirely,
with the doctrine laid down by Matthew, (xv. 1 20,) that
Christ, in order to correct the superstition of the people, and
particularly of the scribes, intentionally disregarded outward
ceremonies of human invention, Avhich the Jews were too
solicitous to observe. God had prescribed in his Law certain
kinds of washings, that by means of them he might train his
people usefully to the consideration of true purity. The
Jews, not satisfied with this moderate portion, had added
many other washings, and more especially, that no person
should partake of food till he had been washed with the
water of purification, as Mark relates more minutely, (vii.
3, 4,) and as is also evident from John, (ii. 6.) This fault
was accompanied by wicked confidence ; for they cared little
about the spiritual worship of God, and thought that they
had perfectly discharged their duty, when the figure was sub
stituted in the place of God. Christ is fully aware that his
neglect of this ceremony will give offence, but he declines to
observe it, in order to show that God sets very little value
on outward cleanness, but demands the spiritual righteous
ness of the heart.
39. Now you Pharisees. Christ does not here charge the
Pharisees, as in Matthew, (xv. 1 20,) and Mark, (vii. 2 13,)
with serving God in an improper manner by human inven
tions, and breaking the law of God for the sake of their
traditions ; but merely glances at their hypocrisy, in having
no desire of purity except before the eyes of men, as if they
had not to deal with God. Now this reproof applies to all
1 " Des choses presentes, ow, de ce que vous avez;" " of present things,
or, of what you have."
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 161
hypocrites, even to those who believe that righteousness con
sists in ceremonies appointed by God. Christ includes more
than if he had said, that it is in vain to serve God by the com
mandments of men, (Mark vii. 7 ;) for he condemns generally
the error of worshipping God by ceremonies, and not spiritu
ally, by faith and a pure affection of the heart.
On this point the prophets had always contended earnestly
with the Jews ; but, as the minds of men are strongly in
clined to hypocrisy, they proudly and obstinately adhered to
the conviction, that God is pleased with external worship,
even when it is not accompanied by faith. But in the time
of Christ, they had sunk to such depth of folly, that they
made religion to consist entirely in absolute trifles. Accord
ingly, he directs his accusation against the Pharisees, for
being extremely careful to wash cups, and cherishing within
their hearts the most abominable filth of cruelty and wickedness.
He charges them with folly on this ground, that God, who
created that ivliich is within the man, his soul, as truly as the
body, cannot be satisfied with a mere external appearance.
The chief reason why men are deceived is, that they do not
consider that they have to deal with God, or, they transform
Him according to the vanity of their senses, as if there were
no difference between Him and a mortal man.
41. But out of what you have., give alms, Christ, according
to his custom, withdraws the Pharisees from ceremonies to
charity, declaring that it is not water, but liberality, 1 that
cleanses both men and food. By these words he does not
disparage the grace of God, or reject the ceremonies of the
Law as vain and useless ; but addresses his discourse to those
who feel confident that God will be amused by mere signs.
" It is the lawful use alone," he says, " that sanctifies food.
But food is rightly and properly used by those who supply
from their abundance the necessities of the poor. It would
therefore be better to give alms out of what you have, than to be
careful about washing hands and cups, and to neglect the poor."
1 "Mais que c est une prompte affection de faire bien a. ceux qui sont
en necessite ;" " but that it is an active disposition to do good to those
Avho are in want."
VOL. II. L
162 COMMENTARY OK A
The inference which the Papists draw from these words,
that alms are satisfactions, by which we are cleansed from
our sins, is too absurd to require a lengthened refutation.
Christ does not here inform us by what price we must pur
chase the forgiveness of sins, but says that those persons eat
their bread with cleanness, who bestow a part of it on the
poor. I understand the words, ra svovra, to mean " the pre
sent supply," 1 and not, as Erasmus and the old translator
render them, " what remains over." 2
The reproofs which immediately follow may be reserved,
with greater propriety, for another occasion. I do not think
it probable that Christ, while sitting at table, indulged in this
continuous strain of invective against scribes and Pharisees,
but that Luke has introduced here what was spoken at
another time ; for the Evangelists, as we have frequently
mentioned, paid little attention to the order of dates.
LUKE.
XIV. 1. And it happened that he entered into the house of a certain
ruler of the Pharisees on a Sabbath, to take food, and they watched him.
2. And, lo, a certain man who had a dropsy was before him, 3. And Jesus
answering said to the lawyers 3 and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to cure
on the Sabbath ? 4. But they were silent ; and he took and cured him,
and sent him away. 5. And he answering to them said, Which of you
shall have an ass or an ox that shall fall into a pit, and will not immedi
ately pull him out on the Sabbath-day ? 6. And they could not answer
him to these things.
This narrative contains nothing more than a miracle which
Christ performed, in order to correct the superstitious obser
vance of the Sabbath. For he did not intend, as some
imagine, absolutely to abolish the Sabbath, but only to point
1 " Les presentes choses, comme aussi ie 1 ay traduit au texte ;" " the
present things, as also I have translated it in the text."
2 It seems quite as natural to suppose, with other interpreters, that TO,
Ivovrct, answers to TO taudtu in the 39th and 40th verses. IIA^ (y.u,ta?) ret
ivovTot, ^OTS iKtypoavvw will thus be equivalent to Tc hvtv (xctrei,) TO eaud tv
(TOV yroTYigiov) ^6re shtwftoavvYiv, but as to what is within the cup give alms
out of it. The next clause commences with x.a.1, followed by an ellipsis of
(xotTa) TO l^u&tv (rov iroTYi^iov) [tvi ftegiftvt)ffY)Tg, and give yourselves no
concern about what is outside of the cup ; for, lo, all things are clean to
you. Ed.
3 " Aux Docteurs de la Loy ;" u to the Doctors of the Law."
HARMONY Or THE EVANGELISTS. 163
out, that neither the works of God, nor the duties of charity,
violate the holy rest which is enjoined by the law. Whether
or not those very persons had purposely brought the dropsical
man to that place cannot be known with certainty. He
unquestionably could not be present at the table by accident,
nor break into a private dwelling without the permission and
consent of the owner. It is therefore probable, that he was
placed there with the concealed design of tempting Christ,
which, on their part, was as foolish an action as it was wicked ;
for they had already known by experience what Christ was
accustomed to do, whenever a similar occasion presented
itself.
3. Is it lawful to cure on Sabbath ? The meaning of this
question is, ought the curing of a man to be reckoned among
the works which violate the Sabbath? If they had said that the
observance of the Sabbath is violated in this way, the reply
was obvious, that it is a work of God. Now the law of the
Sabbath goes no farther, than thatmen _shajJLrgt_from their \
own works. Christ first puts the question to them, and he
does so for the purpose of guarding against offence. It would
not have been necessary for him to pacify them, if they had
not been instigated by hardened malice. Not that he always
laid himself under this restriction ; for in many cases he did
what had been enjoined on him by the Father, without
attending to the offence that might arise from it. But he
intended to show by this example, that he did not incon
siderately perform miracles on Sabbath, because he was pre
pared to assign a reason for what he did. They, on the
other hand, make it evident by their silence, that their desire
of finding fault is stronger than their zeal for the law ; and
therefore Christ treats with utter indifference their opinion
about his action, because it was evident that they intentionally
sought out an occasion of offence.
5. Which of you shall have an ox or an ass? Though they
did not deserve that Christ should take pains to remove the
offence, yet he shows that he did nothing inconsistent with
the observance of the Sabbath. And this he undoubtedly
1(54 COMMENTARY ON A
does, not so much with the view of instructing them, as of
protecting himself against their slanders ; for he knew that
they were too much blinded by virulent hatred to yield sub
missively to argument, but wished to triumph over their
malice, by compelling them through shame to be silent. If
we are at liberty to relieve brute animals on Sabbath, it
would be unreasonable that we should not perform a similar
office of kindness to man, who is formed after the image of
God.
LUKE.
XIV. 7. And he spoke a parable to those who were invited, observing
how they chose the first seats, saying to them : 8. When thou shalt be
invited by any one to a marriage, do not sit at table in the first seat, lest
perhaps a more honourable person than thyself be invited by him, 9. And
he who invited thee and him come and say to thee, Give place to this man,
and thou begin then with shame to occupy the lowest place. 10. But on
the contrary, when thou shalt be invited, go, and sit at table in the lowest
place, that when he who hath invited thee shall come, he may say to thee,
Friend, go up higher : then shalt thou have honour in presence of those
who sit at table with thee. 11. For every one that exalteth himself shall
be humbled, and he that humbleth himself ?hall be exalted. 12. And he
said to him by whom he had been invited, When thou makest a dinner or
supper, invite not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy relatives, nor rich
neighbours, lest they also in their turn invite thee, and a recompense be
made thee. 13. But when thou makest a banquet, invite the poor, the
maimed, the lame, the blind. 14. And thou shalt be blessed, because they
cannot recompense thee ; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrec
tion of the righteous.
7. And he spoke a parable to those ivho were invited. We know
to what an extent ambition prevailed among the Pharisees
and all the scribes. While they desired to exercise a haughty
dominion over all other men, the superiority among them
selves was likewise an object of emulation. It is constantly
the case with men who are desirous of empty applause, that
they cherish envy towards each other, every one endeavour
ing to draw to himself what others imagine to be due to them.
Thus the Pharisees and scribes, while they were all equally
disposed, in presence of the people, to glory in the title of a
holy order, are now disputing among themselves about the
degree of honour, because every one claims for himself the
highest place.
This ambition of theirs Christ exposes to ridicule by an
appropriate parable. If any one sitting at another man s
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 165
table were to occupy the highest place, and were afterwards
compelled to give way to a more honourable person, it would
not be without shame and dishonour that he was ordered by
the master of the feast to take a different place. But the
same thing must happen to all who proudly give themselves
out as superior to others ; for God will bring upon them dis
grace and contempt. It must be observed, that Christ is not
now speaking of outward and civil modesty ; for we often see
that the haughtiest men excel in this respect, and civilly, as
the phrase is, profess great modesty. But by a comparison
taken from men, he describes what we ought to be inwardly
before God. " Were it to happen that a guest should foolishly
take possession of the highest place, and should, on that ac
count, be put down to the lowest, he would be so completely
overpowered with shame as to wish that he had never gone
higher. Lest the same thing should happen to you, that God
would punish your arrogance with the deepest disgrace,
resolve, of your own accord, to be humble and modest."
11. For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled. This
clause makes it evident that ambition was the subject of which
Christ was speaking; for he does not state what usually happens
in the ordinary life of men, but declares that God will be their
Judge, who resisteth the proud, and humbleth their haughti
ness, but qiveth groge to the humble, (James iv. 6; 1 Peter
v. 5 ; Ps. cxxxviii. G.) Scripture is full of similar testimo
nies, that God is an enemy to all who desire to exalt them
selves, as all who claim for themselves any merit must of ne
cessity make war with Him. It is a manifestation of pride
to boast of the gifts of God, as if there were any excellence
in ourselves, that would exalt us on the ground of our own
merit. Humility, on the other hand, must be not only an
unfeigned abasement, but a real annihilation of ourselves, pro
ceeding from a thorough knowledge of our own weakness, the
entire absence of lofty pretensions, and a conviction that
whatever excellence we possess comes from the grace of God
alone.
12. When thou ma/testa dinner. Those who think that this
166 COMMENTARY ON A
is an absolute condemnation of entertainments given by rela
tives and friends to each other, take away a part of civility
from among men. It were not only unfeeling, but barbarous, to
exclude relatives from the hospitable table, and to class them
only with strangers. Christ did not intend to dissuade us
from every thing courteous, but merely to show, that acts of
civility, which are customary among men, are no proof what
ever of charity. To perform any act, in the hope of a reward,
to rich men, from whom we expect a similar return, is not
generosity, but a system of commercial exchange ; and, in like
manner, kind offices, rendered from mercenary views, are of no
account in the sight of God, and do not deserve to be ascribed
to charity. If I entertain at supper my relatives or rich friends,
the act of civility ought not in itself to be condemned, but,
as a proof of charity, it will have no value whatever ; for
we frequently see that persons who are extremely selfish
grudge no expense or luxury in treating their friends. What
then ? You may spread a table for the rich, but, at the same
time, you must not neglect the poor ; you may feast with
your friends and relatives, but you must not shut out strangers,
if they shall happen to be poor, and if you shall have the
means of relieving their wants. In a word, the meaning of
the passage is, that those who are kind to relatives and friends,
but are niggardly towards the poor, are entitled to no com
mendation ; because they do not exercise charity, but consult
only their own gain or ambition.
Christ addresses, in a particular manner, the person who
had invited him ; because he perceived that he was too much
addicted to pomp and luxury, and was so desirous to obtain
the applause and favour of the rich, that he cared very little
about the poor. Accordingly, in the person of one man, this
reproof is directed against all those who spend their wealth in
ambitious display, or who bargain for mutual compensation,
but leave nothing over for the poor, as if they were afraid
that whatever is gratuitously bestowed would be lost.
14. And thou shalt be blessed. Christ pronounces those to
be blessed who exercise liberality without any expectation of
earthly reward ; for they manifestly look to God. Those
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
167
who constantly keep in view their own advantage, or who are
driven by the gale of popularity, have no right to expect a
reward from God.
MATTHEW.
XXII. 1. And Jesus answering,
spoke again by parables, and said, 2.
The kingdom of heaven is like a human
king who made a marriage for his son,
3. And sent out his servants to call
those who were invited to the marriage,
and they refused to come. 4. Again
he sent out other servants, saying, Tell
those who are invited, Lo, I have pre
pared my dinner, my oxen and fat-
lings are killed, and all things are
ready : come to the marriage. 5. But
they treated it with indifference, and
went away, one to his farm, and an
other to his merchandise : 6. And the
rest took his servants, and abused and
killed them. 7. But when the king
heard it, he was angry, and sent his sol
diers, and slew these murderers, and
burnt up their city. 8. Then he said
to his servants, The marriage is indeed
ready, but those who were invited were
not worthy. 9. Go then to the high
ways, and whomsoever you shall find
invite to the marriage. 10. And his
servants went out to the road,-:, and
collected all that they found, both bad
and good, so that the marriage-apart
ment was filled with guests. 11. And
the king, having come in to see the
guests, when he saw there a man
not wearing the wedding-garment, 12.
Said to him, Friend, how earnest thou
hither, not having the wedding-gar
ment ? And he was speechless, 13.
Then said the king to his attendants,
Bind him hand and foot, and cast him
into outer darkness : weeping and
gnashing of teeth will be there. 14.
For many are called, but few are chosen.
LUKE.
XIV. 15. And when one of
those who sat at table with him
heard these things, he said to
him, Blessed is he that eateth 1
bread in the kingdom of God.
16. But he said to him, A cer
tain man had prepared a great
supper, and had invited man} .
17. And he sent his servant at
the hour of supper to say to
those who were invited, Come ;
for all things are now ready.
18. And they all began to
gether 2 to excuse themselves.
19. The first said to him, I
have purchased an estate, and
I must go and see it : I beseech
thee hold me excused. 20.
And another said, I have mar
ried a wife, and therefore I can
not come. 21. And the ser
vant returned, and brought
back these things to his master.
Then the master of the house,
being angry, said to his ser
vant, Go out quickly into the
streets and lanes of the city,
and bring in hither the poor,
and the maimed, and the lame,
and the blind. 22. And the
servant said, Sir, it is done as
thou hast commanded, and still
there is room. 23. And the
master said to the servant, Go
out to the roads and hedges, and
compel them to come in, that
my house may be filled. 24.
For I say to you, That none of
those men who were invited
shall taste of my supper.
Matthew XXII. 1. And Jesus answering. Though Matthew
relates this parable among other discourses which were de-
1 " Bien-hereux sera celuy qui mangcra;" " blessed shall he be who
t^hall eat."
. 2 " D un accord ;" u with one accord."
168 COMMENTARY ON A
livered by Christ about the time of the last Passover, yet as
he does not specify any particular time, and as Luke ex
pressly affirms that Christ delivered this discourse while he
sat at table in the house of a Pharisee, I have thought it
better to follow this order. The design which Matthew had
in view was, to point out the reasons why the scribes were
excited to the highest pitch of fury ; and therefore he pro
perly placed it in the midst of those discourses which were
hateful to them, and interwove it with those discourses,
without attending to the order of time. But we must at
tend to Lukes narrative, who says that, vihen one of those
who sat at table with him said, Blessed is he that eateth bread
in the kingdom of God, Christ took occasion from it to up
braid the Jews with ingratitude. It is by no means pro
bable, that the guest and friend of a Pharisee broke out into
this exclamation from any sincere feeling of piety. Still, I
do not look upon it as having been spoken in derision ; but,
as persons who have a moderate knowledge of the faith, and
are not openly wicked, are in the habit of indulging, amidst
their cups, in idle talk about eternal life, I think that this
man threw out a remark about future blessedness, in order
to draw out some observation in return from Christ. And
his words make it manifest, that he had nothing in view
beyond what was gross and earthly ; for he did not employ
the phrase, eat bread, as a metaphor for enjoy eternal life, but
appears to have dreamed of I know not what state, filled
with prosperity and abundance of all things. The meaning
is, Blessed shall they be who shall eat the bread of God, 1 after
that he has collected his children into his kingdom.
2. The kingdom of heaven is like a human king. As it was
long ago said by a Spartan, that the Athenians knew what was
right, but did not choose to practise it ; so Christ now brings
it as a reproach against the Jews, that they gave utterance
to beautiful expressions about the kingdom of God, but, when
God kindly and gently invited them, they rejected his grace
with disdain. There is no room to doubt that the discourse
1 " Qui seron t nourris tie Dicu ;" who shall be fed by God."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 1 69
is expressly levelled against the Jews, as will more plainly
appear a little afterwards.
Matthew and Luke differ in this respect, that Matthew
details many circumstances, while Luke states the matter
summarily, and in a general manner. Thus, Matthew says
that a king made a marriage for his son : Luke only mentions
a great supper. The former speaks of many servants, while
the latter refers to no more than one servant; the former
describes many messages, the latter mentions one only ; the
former says that some of the servants were abused or slain,
the latter speaks only of their being treated with contempt.
Lastly, the former relates that a man was cast out, who had
gone in to the marriage without a wedding-garment, of which
Luke makes no mention. But we have formerly pointed
out a similar distinction, that Matthew, in explaining the
same thing, is more copious, and enters into fuller details.
There is a remarkable agreement between them on the main
points of the parable.
God bestowed on the Jews distinguished honour, by pro
viding for them, as it were, a hospitable table ; but they de
spised the honour which had been conferred upon them. The
marriage of the king s son is explained by many commentators
to mean, that Christ is the end of the, Law, (Rom. x. 4,) and
that God had no other design in his covenant, than to make
him the Governor of his people, and to unite the Church to
him by the sacred bond of a spiritual marriage. I have no
objection to that view. But when he says, that the servants
were sent to call those who were invited, these words are in
tended to point out a double favour which the Jews had
received from God ; first, in being preferred to other nations ;
and, secondly, in having their adoption made known to them
by the prophets. The allusion is to a practice customary
among men, that those who intended to make a marriage
drew up a list of the persons whom they intended to have as
guests, and afterwards sent invitations to them by their
servants. In like manner, God elected the Jews in prefer
ence to others, as if they had been his familiar friends, and
afterwards called them by the prophets to partake of the
promised redemption, which was, as it were, to feast at a
170 COMMENTARY ON A
marriage. It is true that those who were first invited did
not live till the coming of Christ ; but we know that all
received an offer of the same salvation, of which they were
deprived by their ingratitude and malice; for from the
commencement, God s invitation was impiously despised by
that people. 1
4. Again he sent other servants. He speaks as if it had
been the same persons who were invited, for it was one body
of the people. The meaning is, that when the happy and
joyful day of redemption drew near, they were warned to be
ready ; for they had been long ago informed as to the time.
But now Christ told them that, at the very hour, fresh mes
sengers were sent to entreat them to come with haste ; for
the first invitation which he mentions includes all the for
mer prophecies, down to the publication of the Gospel.
For a long period, they exercised cruelty on the prophets ;
but their fury grew as the time advanced, and at length
spent all its force on Christ and the apostles. For this
reason, he charges the ancient people with nothing more
than contempt and pride, but says, that the servants who
had been last sent, and who arrived at the hour of supper,
were abused or slain. That people arrived at the highest
pitch of their crimes, when their haughty rejection of his
grace was followed by the madness of cruelty. And yet he
does not charge all of them equally with crime ; for even at
the latest call, which was given by the Gospel, the grace of
God was in part ridiculed by careless despisers, and in part
was furiously rejected by hypocrites. And thus it usually
happens, that ungodly men break out into fiercer rage against
God, in proportion to the earnestness with which he invites
them to salvation.
We must now consider that part of doctrine which is con
veyed both by Matthew and by Luke. One went to his field,
and another to his merchandise ; or, as Luke expresses it, one
1 " Ce peuple-la a vileinement et mescliamment mesprise 1 honneur
auquel Dieu le convioit;" "that people basely and wickedly despised
the honour to which God invited them."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 171
pleaded that he had married a wife; another that he had
purchased afield; and another that he had bought five yoke
of oxen. By these words Christ pronounces the Jews to
have been so entirely devoted to the world and to earthly
things, that no man found leisure to approach to God ; for
the cares of this world, when we become entangled by them,
are so many impediments in our way to keep us back from
the kingdom of God. It is truly base and shameful, that
men who were created for a heavenly life, should be under
the influence of such brutish stupidity, as to be entirely car
ried away after transitory things. But this disease is uni
versally prevalent ; so that hardly one person in a hundred
can be found, who prefers the kingdom of God to fading
riches, or to any other kind of advantages. Though all are
not infected with the same disease, every man is led away
by his desires ; in consequence of which, all are wandering
in various directions.
Besides, it deserves our attention, that ungodly men hold
out fair pretences for rejecting the grace of God; as if their
indolence might be excused, because they are entirely occu
pied with the affairs of the present life, and care little about
a heavenly inheritance. But we see how Christ takes from
us all such excuses, that no man may imagine it to be of any
advantage for him to plead that he is detained by engage
ments of an earthly nature. On the contrary, men commit
a double fault, when they allow themselves to be retarded by
those things which are in themselves lawful, and which
ought rather to have aided their progress. For why does
God allow us the conveniences of the present life, but in
order to draw us to himself? And yet so far is it from
being true, that all have earnest desires towards heaven, in
proportion as they are assisted by acts of the Divine kind
ness, that even holy marriage, and fields, and other riches,
are so many snares to bind every man more closely to the
earth.
7. But when the king heard it. This punishment is men
tioned by Matthew alone ; for Luke makes no mention of
172 COMMENTARY ON A
any outrage committed on the servants. Both concur in
stating, that those who did not come at the appointed time
were shut out, and deprived of the honour of being present
at the banquet. But this doctrine applies equally to us ;
for the same destruction which Christ denounces against the
Jews awaits all the ungodly, who violently oppose the minis
ters of the Gospel. Those who are so entirely occupied
with earthly cares, as to set no value on the divine invita
tion, will at length perish miserably in famine and want ;
and therefore, whenever God calls us, let us be prepared
and ready to follow.
9. Go therefore to the highways. Having shown that they
are unworthy of the grace of God who disdainfully reject it
when offered to them, he now says that their place is sup
plied by others, by the mean and despised common people.
And here is described the calling of the Gentiles, which is to
excite the Jews to jealousy, as we have it in the Song of
Moses ; They have provoked me by those who are not gods, and
I will provoke them by that which is not a people, and by a fool
ish nation will I enrage them, (Deut. xxxii. 21.) Having been
first elected, they imagined that the grace of God was bound
to them, as if God could not want them ; and how haughtily
they despised all others is well known. Thus by way of ad
mission, he compares the Gentiles to the poor, the blind, and
the lame. He says that they are called from the cross-roads,
and from the streets, as strangers and unknown persons ; but
yet declares that they will occupy that place which friends and
domestics had treated with indifference. What the prophets
had obscurely foretold about creating a new church is now
plainly expressed. This dishonour was the completion of the
divine vengeance on the Jews, when God cut them off, and
ingrafted wild branches into tlie stock of the olive-tree, (Rom. xi.
17 ;) when he threw them off, and received the polluted and
filthy Gentiles into his house. But if at that time he spared
not the natural branches, (Rom. xi. 21,) the same punishment
will this day be inflicted on us, if we do not answer to his
call. The supper which had been prepared for us will not
be lost, but God will invite other guests.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 173
Luke XIV. 23. Compel them to come in. This expression
means, that the master of the house would give orders to make
use, as it were, of violence for compelling the attendance of
the poor, and to leave out none of the lowest dregs of the
people. By these words Christ declares that he would rake
together all the offscourings of the world, rather than he
would ever admit such ungrateful persons to his table. The
allusion appears to be to the manner in which the Gospel in
vites us ; for the grace of God is not merely offered to us,
but doctrine is accompanied by exhortations fitted to arouse
our minds. This is a display of the astonishing goodness of
God, who, after freely inviting us, and perceiving that we
give ourselves up to sleep, addresses our slothfulness by ear
nest entreaties, and not only arouses us by exhortations, but
even compels us by threatenings to draw near to him. At
the same time, I do not disapprove of the use which Augus
tine frequently made of this passage against the Donatists,
to prove that godly princes may lawfully issue edicts, for
compelling obstinate and rebellious persons to worship the
true God, and to maintain the unity of the faith ; for, though
faith is voluntary, yet we see that such methods are useful
for subduing the obstinacy of those who will not yield until
they are compelled.
Matthew XXII. 11. And the king, having come in to see the
guests. Here Christ does not reproach the Jews with hav
ing wickedly despised the grace and calling of God ; but
gives early warning to those who would be placed in their
room, not to pollute with their filth the holy marriage, when
God shall bestow upon them admission to his table. Hither
to he has taught that the Jews, on account of their ungodly
and disdainful conduct, would be deprived of the peculiar
honour and privilege which they had enjoyed ; and that from
among the irreligious and abhorred Gentiles would men be
called to occupy their place. But now he threatens that, out
of this very number, those who bring reproach upon the
Church will be expelled ; for God invites all indiscriminately
by the Gospel, and thus many unholy and abominable per
sons creep in, who, though for a time they are admitted along
174 COMMENTARY OX A
with others, yet, when God reviews the guests, will be thrown
out and dragged to punishment. The general truth conveyed
is, that not all who have once entered the Church will become
partakers of everlasting life, but only those who are found
to wear the dress which befits the heavenly palace.
As to the wedding-garment, is it faith, or is it a holy life ?
This is a useless controversy ; for faith cannot be separated
from good works, nor do good works proceed from any other
source than from faith. But Christ intended only to state,
that the Lord calls us on the express condition of our being
renewed by the Spirit after his image ; and that, in order to
our remaining permanently in his house, we must put off the
old man with his pollutions, (Col. iii. 9 ; Eph. iv. 22,) and lead
a new life, that the garment may correspond to so honourable
a calling. But a question arises, how comes it that a beggar
is punished so severely for not bringing a wedding-garment;
as if it were unusual to see the wretched people, who beg
their bread on the public roads, wearing tattered and ugly
clothes ? I reply, the question is not as to the manner in
which the garment is to be procured ; for whomsoever the
Lord invites he at the same time supplies with clothing, and
in all of us is fulfilled what Ezekiel says, (xvi. 6-14,) that
God finds nothing in us but wretchedness, and nakedness, and
abominable filth, but adorns us with magnificent attire. We
know also, that there is no other way in which we are formed
anew after the image of God, butby putting on Christ, (Rom.
xiii. 14 ; Gal. iii. 27.) It is not, therefore, the declaration
of Christ, that the sentence of casting them into outer darkness
will be executed on wretched men who did not bring a costly
garment taken from their own wardrobe, but on those who
shall be found in their pollution, when God shall come to
make a scrutiny of his guests.
14. For many are called, but few are chosen. The object of
the parable is pointed out by the conclusion, that few are
chosen, though many are called ; from which we infer, that we
ought not to attempt an ingenious explanation of every
minute clause. But lately, Christ did not threaten that the
greater part would be thrown out, but mentioned one man
IIARMOXY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 175
only ; and now we learn from him, that out of a large num
ber few will be retained. And certainly, though in the
present day a more numerous body of men is collected into
the Church by the Gospel than was formerly collected by
the Law, it is but a small portion of them whose faith is
evinced by newness of life. Let us not flatter ourselves with
the empty title of faith, but let every man seriously examine
himself, that at the final review he may be pronounced to be
one of the lawful guests ; for, as Paul reminds us, that the
vessels in the Lord s house are not all of the same kind, so let
every one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from
iniquity, (2 Tim. ii. 19, 20.) I enter no farther, at present,
into the question about the eternal election of God ; for the
words of Christ mean nothing more than this, that the exter
nal profession of faith is not a sufficient proof that God will
acknowledge as his people all who appear to have accepted
of his invitation. 1
LUKE.
XVI. 1. And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man
who had a steward, and he was accused to him that he was wasting his
estate. 2. And he called him, and said to him, What is this that I hear
of thee ? render an account of thy stewardship, for thou shalt no longer
have it in thy power to be steward. 3. And the steward said within
himself, What shall I do, since my master taketh from me my stewardship ?
I cannot dig, and am ashamed to beg. 4. I know what 1 shall do, that,
when I shall be dismissed from the stewardship, they may receive me 2
into their houses. 5. Having therefore sent for each of his master s
debtors, he said to the first, How much owestthou to my master? 6. And
he said, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Take thy bill, and
sit down quickly, and write fifty. 3 7. Then he said to another, And how
much owest thou ? Who said, A hundred measures of barley. He saith
to him. Take thy bill, and write eighty. 8. And the master commended
the unjust steward, because he had acted prudently ; for the children of
this world are more prudent in their generation than the children of light.
9. And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the unjust mammon,
that, when you shall fail, they may receive you into eternal habitations.
10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much ; and
he that is unjust in that which is least is unjust also in much. 11. If
therefore you have not been faithful in the unjust mammon, who shall
1 " Tous ceux qui semblent s estre rangez sous son enseigne ;" " all
those who appear to have ranked themselves under his banner."
2 " Que quelques uns me recoyvent ;" " that some persons may
receive me."
3 "Et en escri cinquante ;" " and write fifty of them."
176 COMMENTARY ON A
LUKE.
entrust to you what is true ? l 12. And if you have not been faithful in
what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own ? (A little
after. ) 14. And the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things,
and they ridiculed him. 15. And he said to them, It is you that justify
yourselves in the sight of men : but God knoweth your hearts ; for that
which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
The leading object of this parable is, to show that we
ought to deal kindly and generously with our neighbours ;
that, when we come to the judgment-seat of God, we may
reap the fruit of our liberality. Though the parable appears
to be harsh and far-fetched, yet the conclusion makes it
evident, that the design of Christ was nothing else than what
I have stated. And hence we see, that to inquire with great
exactness into every minute part of a parable is an absurd
mode of philosophizing. Christ does not advise us to purchase
by large donations the forgiveness of fraud, and of extortion,
and of wasteful expenditure, and of the other crimes associated
with unfaithful administration. But as all the blessings
which God confers upon us are committed by Him to our
administration, our Lord now lays down a method of pro
cedure, which will protect us against being treated with
rigour, when we come to render our account.
They who imagine that alms are a sufficient compensation
for sensuality and debauchery, do not sufficiently consider,
that the first injunction given us is, to live in sobriety and
temperance; and that the next is, that the streams which
flow to us come from a pure fountain. It is certain that no
man is so frugal, as not sometimes to waste the property
which has been entrusted to him ; and that even those who
practise the most rigid economy are not entirely free from
the charge of unfaithful stewardship. Add to this, that
there are so many ways of abusing the gifts of God, that
some incur guilt in one way, and some in another. I do not
even deny, that the very consciousness of our own faulty
stewardship ought to be felt by us as an additional excitement
to kind actions.
1 " Du vray thresor qui s en fiera en vous?" " who shall entrust to
you the true (treasure ?)"
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 177
But we ought to have quite another object in view, than
to escape the judgment of God by paying a price for our
redemption ; and that object is, first, that seasonable and
well-judged liberality may have the effect of restraining and
moderating unnecessary expenses ; and, secondly, that our
kindness to our brethren may draw down upon us the mercy
of God. It is very far from being the intention of Christ to
point out to his disciples a way of escape, when the heavenly
Judge shall require them to give their account ; but he warns
them to lose no time in guarding against the punishment
which will await their cruelty, if they are found to have swal
lowed up the gifts of God, and to have paid no attention to
acts of beneficence. 1 We must always attend to this maxim,
that with what measure a man measures, it shall be recompensed
to him again, (Matth. vii. 2.)
8. And the master commended tlie unjust steward. Here it is
obvious that if we were to attempt to find a meaning for
every minute circumstance, we would act absurdly. To make
donations out of what belongs to another man, is an action
which is very far from deserving applause ; and who would
patiently endure that an unprincipled villain should rob him
of his property, and give it away according to his own fancy ?
It were indeed the grossest stupidity, if that man who be
held a portion of his substance taken away, should commend
the person who stole the remainder of it and bestowed it on
others. But Christ only meant what he adds a little after
wards, that ungodly and worldly men are more industrious
and skilful in conducting the affairs of this fading life, than
the children of God are anxious to obtain the heavenly and
eternal life, or careful to make it the subject of their study
and meditation.
By this comparison lie charges us with highly criminal in
difference, in not providing for the future, with at least as
1 " S il est trouvc qu ils n ayent en aucun soin d exercer charite envers
leurs prochains, et n ayent pense qu a despendre en tout exces et a leur
plaisir, les biens de Dieu ;" " if it is found that they have given them
selves no concern about exercising charity to their neighbours, and have
thought only of spending in every excess, and at their own pleasure, the
gifts of God."
VOL. II. M
178 COMMENTARY ON A
much earnestness as ungodly men display by attending to
their own interests in this world. How disgraceful is it that
the children of light, whom God enlightens by his Spirit and
word, should slumber and neglect the hope of eternal blessed
ness held out to them, while worldly men are so eagerly bent
on their own accommodations, and so provident and saga
cious ! Hence we infer, that our Lord does not intend to
compare the wisdom of the Spirit to the wisdom of the flesh,
(which could not have been done without pouring contempt
on God himself,) but only to arouse believers to consider
more attentively what belongs to the future life, and not to
shut their eyes against the light of the Gospel, when they
perceive that even the blind, amidst their darkness, see more
clearly. And, indeed, the cldldren of light ought to be more
powerfully excited, when they behold the children of this
world making provision against a distant period, for a life
which is fading, and which passes in a moment.
L
9. Make to yourselves friends. As in the words which were
last considered Christ did not enjoin us to offer sacrifices to
God out of the fruits of extortion, so now he does not mean
that we ought to search for defenders or advocates, who will
throw around us the shield of their protection ; but teaches
us that by acts of charity we obtain favour with God, who
has promised, that to the merciful he will show himself mer
ciful, (Psal. xviii. 25.) It is highly foolish and absurd to
infer from this passage, that the prayers or approbation of the
dead are of service to us : for, on that supposition, all that is
bestowed on unworthy persons w r ould be thrown away ; but
the depravity of men does not prevent the Lord from placing
on his records all that we have expended on the poor. The
Lord looks not to the persons, but to the work itself, so that
our liberality, though it may happen to be exercised towards
ungrateful men, will be of avail to us in the sight of God.
But then he appears to intimate that eternal life depends on
our merits. I reply : it is sufficiently plain from the context
that he speaks after the manner of men. One who possesses
extensive influence or wealth, if he procure friends during his
prosperity, has persons who will support him when he is
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 179
visited by adversity. In like manner, our kindness to the
poor will be a seasonable relief to us ; for whatever any man
may have generously bestowed on his neighbours the Lord
acknowledges as if it had been done to himself.
When you fail. By this word he expresses the time of
death, and reminds us that the time of our administration
will be short, lest the confident expectation of a longer con
tinuance of life should make us take a firmer grasp. The
greater part are sunk in slumber through their wealth ; many
squander what they have on superfluities ; while the niggard
liness of others keeps it back, and deprives both themselves
and others of the benefit. Whence comes all this, but because
they are led astray by an unfounded expectation of long life,
and give themselves up to every kind of indulgence ?
Of the mammon of unrighteousness. By giving this name
to riches, he intends to render them an object of our suspicion,
because for the most part they involve their possessors in un
righteousness. Though in themselves they are not evil, yet as
it rarely happens that they are obtained without deceit, or
violence, or some other unlawful expedient, or that the en
joyment of them is unaccompanied by pride, or luxury, or
some other wicked disposition, Christ justly represents them
as worthy of our suspicion ; just as on another occasion he
called them thorns, (Matth. xiii. 7, 22.) It would appear
that a contrast, though not expressed, is intended to be sup
plied, to this effect ; that riches, which otherwise, in conse
quence of wicked abuse, polluted their possessors, and are
almost in every case allurements of sin, ought to be directed
to a contrary object, to be the means of procuring favour for
us. Let us also remember what I have formerly stated, that
God does not demand sacrifice to be made from booty unjust
ly acquired, as if he were the partner of thieves, and that it
is rather a warning given to believers to keep themselves free
from unrighteousness.
10. He who is faithful in that which is least. Those maxims
are proverbs taken from ordinary practice and experience, and
it is quite enough if they are generally true. It will sometimes
happen, no doubt, that a deceiver, who had disregarded a
180 COMMENTARY OX A
small gain, shall display his wickedness in a matter of import
ance. Nay, many persons, by affecting honesty in trifling
matters, are only in pursuit of an enormous gain ; J as that
author 2 says: "Fraud establishes confidence in itself in
small matters, that, when a fit opportunity shall arrive, it may
deceive with vast advantage." And yet the statement of
Christ is not inaccurate ; for in proverbs, as I have mentioned,
we attend only to w r hat usually happens.
Christ, therefore, exhorts his disciples to act faithfully in
small matters, in order to prepare themselves for the exercise
of fidelity in matters of the highest importance. He next ap
plies this doctrine to the proper stewardship of spiritual graces,
which the world, indeed, does not estimate according to their
value, but which far surpass, beyond all question, the fading
riches of this world. Those persons, he tells us, who act im
properly and unfaithfully in things of small value, such as
the transitory riches of the world, do not deserve that God
should entrust to them the inestimable treasure of the Gos
pel, and of similar gifts. There is, therefore, in these words
an implied threatening, that there is reason to fear lest, on ac
count of our abuse of an earthly stewardship, we fail to obtain
heavenly gifts. In this sense, what is true is contrasted with
riches, as what is solid and lasting is contrasted with what is
shadowy and fading. 3
12. And if you have not been faithful in what belongs to an
other. By the expression, what belongs to another, he means
what is not within man ; for God does not bestow riches upon
us on condition that we 5 shall be attached to them, but makes
us stewards of them in such a manner, that they may not
bind us with their chains. And, indeed, it is impossible
that our minds should be free and disengaged for dwelling
1 "
Et mesmes plusieurs sont contens cTuser de simplicite et fidelite
en de petites choses, a fin d attraper puis apres un grand profit tout
d un coup ;" " and many are even willing to practise honesty and fide
lity in small matters, in order afterwards to seize all at once on a large
profit."
3 " D une chose caduque, et qui n est qu une ombre ;" " with a fading
thing, and which is only a shadow."
HAKAiONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 181
in heaven, if we did not look upon every thing that is in
the world as belonging to another.
Who shall entrust to you ivliat is your own ? Spiritual riches,
on the other hand, which relate to a future life, are pro
nounced by him to be our own, because the enjoyment of them
is everlasting. But now he employs a different comparison.
There is no reason, he tells us, to expect that we shall make a
proper and moderate use of our own property, if w r e have
acted improperly or unfaithfully in what belonged to another.
Men usually care less about abusing, and allow themselves
greater liberty in squandering, their own property, because
they are not afraid that any person will find fault with them ;
but when a thing has been entrusted to them either in charge
or in loan, and .of which they must afterwards render an ac
count, they are more cautious and more timid.
We thus ascertain Christ s meaning to be, that they who
are bad stewards of earthly blessings would not be faithful
guardians of spiritual gifts. He next introduces a sentence :
You cannot serve God and mammon ; which I have explained
at Matth. vi. 24. There the reader will find an explanation
of the word Mammon. 1
14. And the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these
things. They who imagine that Christ was ridiculed by the
Pharisees, because he chose to employ a plain and familiar
style, and made no use of swelling words, 2 do not sufficiently
comprehend what Luke means. Haughty and disdainful
men, I do acknowledge, view the doctrine of the Gospel with
1 " Et la aussi on trouvera la signification dc ce mot Mammona, lequel
cst ici mis, et que nous avons traduit Richesses."" " And there will also be
found the meaning of the word Mammon, which is used here, and which
we have translated Riches. 1 In an earlier portion of this Commentary, to
which our author refers, (Harmony, vol. i. p. 337,) no direct or formal ex
planation of the word Mammon is to be found ; but a careful reader of the
expository remarks on Matthew vi. 24 will easily perceive that CALVIN
understands riches to be one of the two masters spoken of in that passage.
An indirect definition of the term is afforded by his French version of the
text, both in Matth. vi. 24, and in Luke xvi. 13 : " Vous ne pouvez ser-
vir a Dieu et aux richesses ;" " you cannot serve God and riches.
2 " En affectant des termes exquis, et bien remplissans la bouche ;"
" by affecting nicely chosen words, and that fill the mouth well."
182 COMMENTARY ON A
contempt; but Luke expressly declares the reason why-
Christ was the object of their derision to have been, that they
were covetous. Entertaining a firm and deep-seated convic
tion that the rich are happy, and that there is nothing better
for men than to increase their wealth by every possible me
thod, and earnestly to guard whatever they have acquired,
they reject as foolish paradoxes 1 all the sayings of Christ
which had a contrary tendency. And, certainly, any one
that speaks of despising riches, or bestowing alms on the
poor, is regarded by the covetous as a madman. Horace s
words on this subject are well known : 2 " The people hiss at
me, but I am well satisfied with myself." 3 But if, even when
they are condemned by universal opinion, they continue to
flatter themselves, how much more will they ridicule as a
fable that philosophy of Christ which is far removed from the
ordinary belief?
Some other pretence, I have no doubt, was held out by
the Pharisees for ridiculing and evading a doctrine which
opposed their vice. But we must attend to the motive by
which they were actuated ; for it is a disease which almost
always prevails in the w r orld, that the greater part of men
affect to despise whatever does not fall in with their corrupt
morals. Hence the ridicule, and jest, and merriment, with
which the word of God is frequently assailed ; for every
man fights in defence of his own vices, and all imagine that
their witticisms will serve for a cloud to screen their crimi
nality.
15. It is you that justify yourselves before men. We see
that Christ does not give way to their disdainful conduct,
but constantly maintains the authority of his doctrine in
opposition to their mockery ; and it is the duty of all the
ministers of the Gospel to pursue the same course, by meet
ing ungodly despisers with the dreadful judgment of God.
1 " Comme choses absurdes, et centre 1 opinion commune ;" " as absurd
statements, and opposed to the common belief."
2 " Horace, Poete Latin, dit parlant en la personne d un avaricieux ;"
" Horace, a Latin Poet, says, speaking in the person of a covetous man."
3 " Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo." Sat. I. i. 66.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 183
He declares that the hypocrisy, with which they deceive the
eyes of men, will be of no avail to them at the judgment-
seat of God. They were unwilling to have it thought that
their mockery was intended as a defence of their covetousness.
But Christ affirms that this venom breaks out from a con
cealed ulcer ; just as if one were to tell the mitred prelates
of our own day, that their hostility to the Gospel arises
from the severity with which it attacks their hidden vices.
But God hnoweth your hearts. He says that they reckon
it enough if they appear to be good in the eyes of men, and
if they can boast of a pretended sanctity ; but that God, who
knoweth the hearts, is well acquainted with the vices which
they conceal from the view of the world, And here we
must attend to the distinction between the judgments of
God and the judgments of men ; for men bestow approba
tion on outward appearances, but at the judgment-seat of
God nothing is approved but an upright heart. There is
added a striking observation :
What is highly esteemed by men is abomination in the sight
of God. Not that God rejects those virtues, the approba
tion of which He hath engraved on the hearts of men ; but
that God detests whatever men are disposed, of their own
accord, to applaud. Hence it is evident in what light we
ought to view all pretended acts of worship which the
world contrives according to its own fancy. How much so
ever they may please their inventors, Christ pronounces that
they are not only vain and worthless, but are even destest-
able.
LUKE.
XVI. 19. There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and
fine linen, 1 and feasted sumptuously every day : 20. And there was a
certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores, 21.
And desiring to be fed from the crumbs which fell from the rich man s
table : and even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22. And it hap
pened that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham s
bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried ; 23. And, lifting up his
eyes in hell, when he was in torments, he seeth Abraham afar off, and
Lazarus in his bosom. 24. And he, crying out, said, Father Abraham,
have compassion on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in
1 " De pourpre et de soye ;" " in purple and silk."
184 COMMENTARY ON A
LUKE.
water, and cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in this flame. 25. And
Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things, and Lazarus likewise evil things : but now he enjoys com
fort, and thou art tormented. 26. And besides all these things, a vast
gulf lieth between us and you ; so that they who wish to pass hence to
you cannot, nor can they pass to us thence. 27. And he said, I beseech
thee, therefore, father, to send him to my father s house : 28. For I
have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come into
this place of torment. 29. Abraham saith to him, They have Moses and
the prophets : let them hear them. 30. But he said, Nay, father Abra
ham ; but if one went to them from the dead, they will repent. 31. And
he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.
Though Luke introduces some things between them, there
can be no doubt that this example was intended by Christ
to confirm the discourse which we have last examined. He
points out what condition awaits those 1 who neglect the
care of the poor, and indulge in all manner of gluttony ; who
give themselves up to drunkenness and other pleasures, and
allow their neighbours to pine with hunger ; nay, who cruelly
kill with famine those whom they ought to have relieved,
when the means of doing so w r ere in their power. Some
look upon it as a simple parable ; but, as the name Lazarus
occurs in it, I rather consider it to be the narrative of an
actual fact. But that is of little consequence, provided that
the reader comprehends the doctrine which it contains.
19. There ivas a certain rich man. He is, first of all,
described as clothed in purple and fine linen, and enjoying
every day splendour and luxury. This denotes a life spent
amidst delicacies, and superfluity, and pomp. Not that
all elegance and ornaments of dress are in themselves dis-
. pleasing to God, or that all the care bestowed on preparing
victuals ought to be condemned ; but because it seldom hap
pens that such things are kept in moderation. He who has
a liking for fine dress will constantly increase his luxury by
fresh additions ; and it is scarcely possible that he who in
dulges in sumptuous and well garnished tables shall avoid
1 "Quelle sera hors de ce monde la condition de ceux ;" "what will
be out of this world the condition of those."
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 185
falling into intemperance. But the chief accusation brought
against this man is his cruelty in suffering Lazarus, poor
and full of sores, to lie out of doors at his gate,.
These tAvo clauses Christ has exhibited in contrast. The
rich man, devoted to the pleasures of the table and to dis
play, swallowed up, like an unsatiable gulf, his enormous
wealth, but remained unmoved by the poverty and distresses
of Lazarus, and knowingly and willingly suffered him to
pine away with hunger, cold, and the offensive smell of his
sores. In this manner Ezekiel (xvi. 49) accuses Sodom of
not stretching out her hand to the poor amidst fulness of
bread and wine. Thejine linen, which is a peculiarly delicate
fabric, is well-known to have been used by the inhabitants
of eastern countries for elegance and splendour; a fashion
which the Popish priests have imitated in what they call
their surplices.
21. And even the dogs came. It was quite enough to prove
the hardened cruelty of the rich man, that the sight of wretch
edness like this did not move him to compassion. Had there
been a drop of humanity in him, he ought at least to have
ordered a supply from his kitchen for the unhappy man.
But the crowning exhibition of his wicked, and savage, and
worse than brutal disposition was, that he did not learn pity
even from the dogs. There can be no doubt that those dogs
were guided by the secret purpose of God, to condemn that
man by their example. Christ certainly produces them here
as witnesses to convict him of unfeeling and detestable
cruelty. What could be more monstrous than to see tJie dogs
taking charge of a man, to whom his neighbour is paying no
attention ; and, what is more, to see the very crumbs of bread
refused to a man perishing of hunger, while the dogs are giv
ing him the service of their tongues for the purpose of healing
his sores ? When strangers, or even brute animals, supply
our place, by performing an office which ought rather to
have been discharged by ourselves, let us conclude that they
are so many witnesses and judges appointed by God, to make
our criminality the more manifest.
186 COMMENTARY ON A
22. And it happened that the beggar died. Christ here points
out the vast change which death effected in the condition of
the two men. Death was no doubt common to both ; but to be
after death carried by angels into Abraham s bosom was a hap
piness more desirable than all the kingdoms of the world.
On the other hand, to be sentenced to everlasting torments is
a dreadful thing, for avoiding which a hundred lives, if it were
possible, ought to be employed. In the person of Lazarus
there is held out to us a striking proof that we ought not to
pronounce men to be accursed by God, because they drag
out, in incessant pain, a life which is full of distresses. In
him the grace of God was so entirely hidden, and buried by
the deformity and shame of the cross, that to the eye of the
flesh nothing presented itself except the curse ; and yet we
see that in a body which was loathsome and full of rottenness
there was lodged a soul unspeakably precious, which is carried
by angels to a blessed life. It was no loss to him that he was
forsaken, and despised, and destitute of every human comfort,
when heavenly spirits deign to accompany him on his removal
from the prison of the flesh.
And the rich man also died, and was buried. In the rich man
we see, as in a bright mirror, how undesirable is that tempo
ral happiness which ends in everlasting destruction. It de
serves our attention, that Christ expressly mentions the burial
of the rich man, but says nothing of what was done to Laza
rus. Not that his dead body was exposed to wild beasts, or
lay in the open air, but because it was thrown carelessly, and
without the slightest attention, into a ditch ; for it may natu
rally be inferred from the corresponding clause, that no more
attention was paid to him when he was dead than when he
was alive. The rich man, on the other hand, buried magni
ficently according to his wealth, still retains some remnant of
his former pride. 1 In this respect, we see ungodly men striv
ing, as it were, against nature, by affecting a pompous and
splendid funeral for the sake of preserving their superiority
after death ; but their souls in hell attest the folly and mock
ery of this ambition.
1 " DC 1 orgueil de sa vie passee ;" " of the pride of his past life."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 187
And Lazarus was carried by angels. When he says that
Lazarus was carried, it is a figure of speech by which a part
is taken for the whole ; for the soul being the nobler part of
man, properly takes the name of the whole man. 1 This office
is, not without reason, assigned by Christ to angels, who, we
are aware, have been appointed to be ministering spirits (Heb.
i. 14) to believers, that they may devote their care and labour
to their salvation.
Into Abraham^ bosom. To detail the variety of specula
tions about Abrahams bosom, in which many commentators of
Scripture have indulged, is unnecessary, and, in my opinion,
would serve no good purpose. It is quite enough that we
receive what readers well acquainted with Scripture will
acknowledge to be the natural meaning. As Abraham is
called the father of believers, because to him was committed
the covenant of eternal life, that he might first preserve it
faithfully for his own children, and afterwards transmit it to
all nations, and as all who are heirs of the same promise are
called his children ; so those who receive along with him the
fruit of the same faith are said, after death, to be collected
into his bosom. The metaphor is taken from a father, 2 in
whose bosom, as it were, the children meet, when they all return
home in the evening from the labours of the day. The
children of God are scattered during their pilgrimage in this
world ; but as, in their present course, they follow the faith
of their father Abraham, so they are received at death into
that blessed rest, in which he awaits their arrival. It is not
necessary to suppose that reference is made here to any one
place ; but the assemblage of which I have spoken is de
scribed, for the purpose of assuring believers, that they have
not been fruitlessly employed in fighting for the faith under
the banner of Abraham, for they enjoy the same habitation
in heaven.
It will perhaps be asked, Is the same condition reserved
after death for the godly of our own day, or did Christ, when
1 "A bon droict on dit simplement, L homme, encore que cela ne con-
vient qu a 1 ame ;" "we properly say simply Man, though it applies only
to the soul."
2 " D un pere terrien ;" " from an earthly father."
188 COMMENT AKY ON A
he rose, open his bosom to admit Abraham himself, as well as
all the godly ? I reply briefly : As the grace of God is more
clearly revealed to us in the Gospel, and as Christ himself,
the Sun of Righteousness, (Mai. iv. 2,) has brought to us
that salvation, which the fathers were formerly permitted to
behold at a distance and under dark shadows, so there can
not be a doubt that believers, when they die, make a nearer
approach to the enjoyment of the heavenly life. Still, it
must be understood, that the glory of immortality is delayed
till the last day of redemption. So far as relates to the word
bosom, that quiet harbour at which believers arrive after the
navigation of the present life, may be called either Abraham s
bosom or Christ s bosom ; but, as we have advanced farther
than the fathers did under the Law, this distinction will be
more properly expressed by saying, that the members of
Christ are associated with their Head ; and thus there will
be an end of the metaphor about Abraham s bosom, as the
brightness of the sun, when he is risen, makes all the stars to
disappear. From the mode of expression which Christ has
here employed, w r e may, in the meantime, draw the inference,
that the fathers under the Law embraced by faith, while they
lived, that inheritance of the heavenly life into which they
were admitted at death.
23. And, lifting up his eyes in hell. Though Christ is re
lating a history, yet he describes spiritual things under figures,
which he knew to be adapted to our senses. Souls have
neither fingers nor eyes, and are not liable to thirst, nor do
they hold such conversations among themselves as are here
described to have taken place between Abraham and the rich
man ; but our Lord has here drawn a picture, which repre
sents the condition of the life to come according to the
measure of our capacity. The general truth conveyed is,
that believing souls, when they have left their bodies, lead a
joyful and blessed life out of this world, and that for the
reprobate there are prepared dreadful torments, which can no
more be conceived by our minds than the boundless glory of
the heavens. As it is only in a small measure only so far
as we are enlightened by the Spirit of God that we taste
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 189
by hope the glory promised to us, which far exceeds all our
senses, let it be reckoned enough that the inconceivable
vengeance of God, which awaits the ungodly, is communi
cated to us in an obscure manner, so far as is necessary to
strike terror into our minds.
On these subjects the words of Christ give us slender
information, and in a manner which is fitted to restrain
curiosity. The wicked are described as fearfully tormented
by the misery which they feel ; as desiring some relief, but
cut off from hope, and thus experiencing a double torment ;
and as having their anguish increased by being compelled to
remember their crimes, and to compare the present blessed
ness of believers with their own miserable and lost condition.
In connection with this a conversation is related, as if persons
who have no intercourse with each other were supposed to
talk together. When the rich man says, Father Abraham,
this expresses an additional torment, that he perceives, when
it is too late, that he is cut off from the number of the children
of Abraham.
25. Son , remember. The word son appears to be used
ironically, as a sharp and piercing reproof to the rick man,
who falsely boasted in his lifetime that he was one of the
sons of Abraham. It seems as if pain inflicted by a hot iron
wounded his mind, when his hypocrisy and false confidence
are placed before his eyes. When it is said that he is tor
mented in hell, because he had received his good things in his
lifetime, we must not understand the meaning to be, that
eternal destruction awaits all who have enjoyed prosperity in
the world. On the contrary, as Augustine has judiciously
observed, poor Lazarus was carried into the bosom of rich
Abraham, to inform us, that riches do not shut against any
man the gate of the kingdom of heaven, but that it is open
alike to all who have either made a sober use of riches, or
patiently endured the want of them. All that is meant is,
that the rich man, who yielded to the allurements of the pre
sent life, abandoned himself entirely to earthly enjoyments,
and despised God and His kingdom, now suffers the punish
ment of his own neglect.
190 COMMENTARY ON A
Receivedst THY good things. The pronoun thy is emphatic,
as if Abraham had said : Thou wast created for an immortal
life, and the Law of God raised thee on high to the contem
plation of the heavenly life ; but thou, forgetting so exalted
a condition, didst choose to resemble a sow or a dog, and
thou therefore receivest a reward which befits brutal plea
sures. But now he enjoys comfort. When it is said of Lazarus,
on the other hand, that he enjoys comfort, because he had
suffered many distresses in the world, it would be idle to
apply this to all whose condition is wretched ; because their
v afflictions, in many cases, are so far from having been of
service to them, that they ought rather to bring upon them
severer punishment. But Lazarus is commended for patient
endurance of the cross, which always springs from faith and
a genuine fear of God ; for he who obstinately resists his
sufferings, and whose ferocity remains unsubdued, has no
claim to be rewarded for patience, by receiving from God
comfort in exchange for the cross.
To sum up the whole, they who have patiently endured
the burden of the cross laid upon them, and have not been
rebellious against the yoke and chastisements of God, but,
amidst uninterrupted sufferings, have cherished the hope of
a better life, have a rest laid up for them in heaven, when the
period of their warfare shall be terminated. On the contrary,
wicked despisers of God, who are wholly engrossed in the
pleasures of the flesh, and who, by a sort of mental intoxica
tion, drown every feeling of piety, will experience, immediately
after death, such torments as will efface their empty enjoy
ments. It must also be recollected, that this comfort, which
the sons of God enjoy, lies in this, that they perceive a crown
of glory prepared for them, and rest in the joyful expectation
of it ; as, on the other hand, the wicked are tormented by
the apprehension of the future judgment, which they see
coming upon them.
26. A vast gulf lieth. These words describe the per
manency of the future state, and denote, that the boundaries
which separate the reprobate from the elect can never be
broken through. And thus we are reminded to return early
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 191
to the path, while there is yet time, lest we rush headlong
into that abyss, from which it will be impossible to rise. The
words must not be strictly interpreted, when it is said, that
no one is permitted to pass who would wish to descend from
heaven to hell ; for it is certain, that none of the righteous
entertain any such desire.
27. / beseech thee, father. To bring the narrative into
more full accordance with our modes of thinking, he describes
the rich man as wishing that his brothers, who were still alive,
should be warned by Lazarus. Here the Papists exercise
their ingenuity very foolishly, by attempting to prove that
the dead feel solicitude about the living. Any thing more
ridiculous than this sophistry cannot be conceived ; for with
equal plausibility I might undertake to prove, that believing
souls are not satisfied with the place assigned to them, and
are actuated by a desire of removing from it to hell, were it
not that they are prevented by a vast gulf. If no man holds
such extravagant views, the Papists are not entitled to con
gratulate themselves on the other supposition. It is not my
intention, however, to debate the point, or to defend either
one side or another; but I thought it right to advert, in
passing, to the futility of the arguments on which they rest
their belief that the dead intercede with God on our behalf.
I now return to the plain and natural meaning of this passage.
29. They have Moses and the prophets. In the persons of
the rich man and Abraham Christ reminds us, that we have
received an undoubted rule of life, and that therefore we have
no right to expect that the dead will rise to instruct and
persuade us. Moses and the prophets were appointed to in
struct, while they lived, the men of their own age ; but it
was with the design, that the same advantage should be
derived by posterity from their writings. As it is the will
of God that we should receive instructions, in this manner,
about a holy life, there is no reason why the dead should
assure us of the rewards and punishments of the future state ;
nor is there any excuse for the indifference of those who
shelter themselves under the pretext, that they do not know
192 COMMENTARY ON A
what is going on beyond this world. Among irreligious men,
we are aware, is frequently heard this wicked saying, or
rather this grunting of hogs, that it is foolish in men to dis
tress themselves with fears about a matter of uncertainty,
since no one has ever returned to bring us tidings about hell.
With the view of counteracting every enchantment of
Satan of this description, Christ draws their attention to the
Law and the Prophets, agreeably to that passage in the
writings of Moses : It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say,
Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we
may hear it, and do it ? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou
shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it
unto us, that we may hear it, and do it ? But the word is very
nigh unto thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou
shouldest do it, (Deut. xxx. 12-14.) They who ridicule as
fabulous what Scripture testifies as to the future judgment,
will one day feel how shocking is the wickedness of giving
the lie to the holy oracles of God. From such lethargy
Christ arouses his followers, that they may not be deceived
by the hope of escaping punishment, and thus fail to improve
the time allowed for repentance.
Abraham s reply amounts to this : By Moses and the pro
phets God had sufficiently made known to his people the
doctrine of salvation, and nothing remains for us but that it
obtain the assent of all. So thoroughly infected is the mind
of man with a depraved curiosity, that the greater part of
men are always gaping after new revelations. Now as no
thing is more displeasing to God than when men are so eager
to go beyond due bounds, he forbids them to inquire at
magicians and soothsayers respecting the truth, and to con
sult pretended oracles after the manner of the Gentiles ; and
in order to restrain that itching curiosity, he promises, at
the same time, that he will give prophets, from whom the
people may learn whatever is necessary to be known for
salvation, (Deut. xviii. 9, 15.) But if the prophets were sent
for the express purpose, that God might keep his people
under the guidance of his word, he who is not satisfied with
this method of instruction is not actuated by a desire to learn,
but tickled by ungodly wantonness ; and therefore God com-
HARMONY OP THE EVANGELISTS. 193
plains that He is insulted, when He alone is not heard from
the living to the dead, (Isa. viii. 19.)
The division of the word of God, which Abraham makes,
into the Law and the Prophets, refers to the time of the Old
Testament. Now that the more ample explanation of the
Gospel has been added, there is still less excuse for our
wickedness, if our dislike of that doctrine hurries us in every
possible direction, and, in a word, if we do not permit our
selves to be regulated by the word of God. Hence too we
infer how solid is the faith of Papists about purgatory and
such fooleries, when it rests on nothing but phantoms. 1
30. Nay, father Abraham. This is a personification, as we
have said, which expresses rather the feelings of the living
than the anxiety of the dead. The doctrine of the Law is
little esteemed by the world, the Prophets are neglected, and
no man submits to hear God speaking in his own manner.
Some would desire that angels should descend from heaven ;
others, that the dead should come out of their graves ; others,
that new miracles should be performed every day to sanction
what they hear ; and others, that voices should be heard from
the sky. 2 But if God were pleased to comply with all their
foolish wishes, it would be of no advantage to them ; for God
has included in his word all that is necessary to be known,
and the authority of this word has been attested and proved
by authentic seals. Besides, faith does not depend on mir
acles, or any extraordinary sign, but is the peculiar gift of
the Spirit, and is produced by means of the word. Lastly, it
is the prerogative of God to draw us to himself, and he is
pleased to work effectually through his own word. There is
not the slightest reason, therefore, to expect that those means,
which withdraw us from obedience to the word, will be of
any service to us. I freely acknowledge, that there is no
thing to which the flesh is more strongly inclined than to
1 " Veu qu elle n est appuyee et fondee qu en des apparitions et vaines
imaginations d aucuns cerveaux esventez ;" " since it rests and is founded
only on apparitions and vain imaginations of certain giddy brains."
2 " Les autres, que Dieu parlast a eux du ciel enpersonne ;" " others,
that God would speak to them from heaven in person."
VOL. II. N
194 COMMENTARY ON A
listen to vain revelations ; and we see how eagerly those
men, to whom the whole of Scripture is an object of dislike,
throw themselves into the snares of Satan. Hence have
arisen necromancy and other delusions, which the world not
only receives with avidity, but runs after with furious rage.
But all that is here affirmed by Christ is, that even the dead
could not reform, 1 or bring to a sound mind, those who are
deaf and obstinate against the instructions of the law.
LUKE.
XVII. 7. But which of you that hath a servant ploughing or feeding,
when he hath returned from the field, will immediately say to him, Come, 2
and sit down at table? 8. And doth not rather say to him, Prepare sup
per for me, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunk,
and, after that, eat and drink thou. 3 9. Doth he thank that servant, 4
because he did the things which were commanded him ? I suppose not.
10. So likewise, when you shall have done those things which were com
manded you, do you say, We are unprofitable servants : we have done
what we were bound to do.
The object of this parable is to show that God claims all
that belongs to us as his property, and possesses an entire
control over our persons and services ; and, therefore, that
all the zeal that may be manifested by us in discharging our
duty does not lay him under obligation to us by any sort of
merit ; for, as we are his property, so he on his part can owe
us nothing. 5 He adduces the comparison of a servant, who,
after having spent the day in severe toil, returns home in the
evening, and continues his labours till his master is pleased to
relieve him. 6 Christ speaks not of such servants as we have
in the present day, who work for hire, but of the slaves that
lived in ancient times, whose condition in society was such,
that they gained nothing for themselves, but all that belong-
1 " Ne s amenderont point, mesmes quand les morts viendroyent parler
a eux, et les advertir ;" " will not reform, even though the dead should
come to talk to them and warn them."
2 " Avance-toy incontinent ;" u come forward immediately."
3 "Et apres cela tu mangeras et boiras ;" " and after that thou shalt
eat and drink."
4 " S9ait-il gre a ce serviteur-la ? " "does he feel obliged to that ser
vant?"
" II ne peut pas estre nostre deteur ;" " he cannot be our debtor."
6 " lusqu a ce qu il se soit acquitte au bon plaisir du maistre ; et
qu on luy dise, C est assez ;" " till he is discharged at the good pleasure
of the master ; and till he is told, It is enough."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 195
ed to them their toil, and application, and industry, even to
their very blood was the property of their masters. Christ
now shows that a bond of servitude not less rigorous binds
and obliges us to serve God ; from which he infers, that we
have no means of laying Him under obligations to us.
It is an argument drawn from the less to the greater ; for
if a mortal man is permitted to hold such power over another
man, as to enjoin upon him uninterrupted services by night
and by day, and yet contract no sort of mutual obligation, as
if he were that man s debtor, how much more shall God have
a right to demand the services of our whole life, to the ut
most extent that our ability allows, and yet be in no degree
indebted to us ? We see then that all are held guilty of wicked
arrogance, who imagine that they deserve any thing from
God, or that he is bound to them in any way. And yet no
crime is more generally practised than this kind of arrogance ;
for there is no man that would not willingly call God to
account, and hence the notion of merits has prevailed in
almost every age.
But we must attend more closely to the statement made
by Christ, that we render nothing to God beyond what he
has a right to claim, but are so strongly bound to his service,
that we owe him every thing that lies in our power. It con
sists of two clauses. First, our life, even to the very end of
our course, belongs entirely to God ; so that, if a person
were to spend a part of it in obedience to God, he would
have no right to bargain that he should rest for the remainder
of the time ; as a considerable number of men, after serv
ing as soldiers for ten years, would gladly apply for a dis
charge. Then follows the second clause, on which we have
already touched, that God is not bound to pay us hire for
any of our services. Let each of us remember, that he has
been created by God for the purpose of labouring, and of
being vigorously employed in his work ; and that not only
for a limited time, but till death itself, and, what is more,
that he shall not only live, but die, to God, (Rom. xiv. 8.)
With respect to merit, we must remove the difficulty by
which many are perplexed ; for Scripture so frequently pro
mises a reward to our works, that they think it allows them
196 COMMENTARY ON A
some merit. The reply is easy. A reward is promised, not
as a debt, but from the mere good-pleasure of God. It is a
great mistake to suppose that there is a mutual relation be
tween Keward and Merit ; for it is by his own undeserved
favour, and not by the value of our works, that God is induced
to reward them. By the engagements of the Law, 1 I readily
acknowledge, God is bound to men, if they were to discharge
fully all that is required from them ; but still, as this is a
voluntary obligation, it remains a fixed principle, that man
can demand nothing from God, as if he had merited any
thing. And thus the arrogance of the flesh falls to the
ground ; for, granting that any man fulfilled the Law, he
cannot plead that he has any claims on God, having done no
more than he was bound to do. When he says that we are
unprofitable servants, his meaning is, that God receives from
us nothing beyond what is justly due, but only collects the
lawful revenues of his dominion.
There are two principles, therefore, that must be maintain
ed : first, that God naturally owes us nothing, and that all
the services which we render to him are not w^orth a single
straw ; secondly, that, according to the engagements of the
Law, a reward is attached to works, not on account of their
value, but because God is graciously pleased to become our
debtor. 2 It would evince intolerable ingratitude, if on such
a ground any person should indulge in proud vaunting. The
kindness and liberality which God exercises towards us are
so far from giving us a right to swell with foolish confidence,
that we are only laid under deeper obligations to Him.
Whenever we meet with the word reward, or whenever it
occurs to our recollection, let us look upon this as the crown
ing act of the goodness of God to us, that, though we are
completely in his debt, he condescends to enter into a bar
gain with us. So much the more detestable is the invention
of the Sophists, who have had the effrontery to forge a kind
1 " Selon les conventions contenus en la Loy ;" " according to the
engagements contained in the Law."
,. " ^ a ! s en te ^ e sorte q ue -^ eu se renc * volontairement deteur, sans
qu il y soit tenu ;" " but in such a manner that God voluntarily becomes
our debtor, though he is under no obligation to do so."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 197
of merit, which professes to be founded on a just claim. 1 The
word merit, taken by itself, was sufficiently profane and in
consistent with the standard of piety ; but to intoxicate men
with diabolical pride, as if they could merit any thing by a
just claim, is far worse.
10. We have done what we were bound to do. That is, " we
have brought nothing of our own, but have only done what
we were bound by the law to do." Christ speaks here of an
entire observance of the law, which is nowhere to be found ;
for the most perfect of all men is still at a great distance from
that righteousness which the law demands. The present
question is not, Are we justified by works? but, Is the obser
vance of the law meritorious of any reward from God ? This
latter question is answered in the negative ; for God holds us
for his slaves, and therefore reckons all that can proceed from
us to be his just right. Nay, though it were true, that a
reward is due to the observance of the law in respect of
merit, it will not therefore follow that any man is justified by
the merits of works ; for we all fail : and not only is our
obedience imperfect, but there is not a single part of it that
corresponds exactly to the judgment of God.
LUKE.
XVIII. 1. And lie spake also a parable to them, that they ought always
to pray, and not to grow Aveary : 2. Saying, There was a judge in a city,
who neither feared God, nor regarded man. 3. And there was a widow
in that city, who came to him, saying, Do me justice on my adversary.
4. And he refused for some time, 2 but afterwards said within himself,
Though I neither fear God, nor regard man, 5. Yet because this widow
is troublesome to me, 3 I will do her justice, lest by coming perpetually she
1 " Et d autant plus est detestable la sophisterie des Theologiens Scho-
lastiques, ou Sorbonnistes, lesquels ont ose forger leur merit e, qu ils
appellent De condigno ;" "And so much the more detestable is the
sophistry of the Scholastic Theologians, or Sorbonnists, (see p. 142, n, 2,
of this volume,} who have dared to forge their merit, which they call De
condigno." The reader will find not only the general doctrine of merit,
but this particular aspect of it, fully treated by our Author in his Institutes
of the Christian Religion, Book III. ch. xv.
2 " Et par un temps il ii en voulut rieii faire ;" " and for a time he
would do nothing in it."
3 " Pourtant que ceste vefue me donne fascherie ;" "because this
widoAV gives me annoyance."
ju* - ^ / ~~*
COMMENTARY ON A
I Jt* 1 * -
LUKE.
weary me out. 1 6. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
7. And will not God avenge his elect, who cry to him night and day, even
though he forbear with respect to them ? 2 8. I tell you that he will speedily
avenge them. But when the Son of man shall come, will he find faith on
the earth ?3
We know that perseverance in prayer is a rare and diffi
cult attainment; and it is a manifestation of our unbelief
that, when our first prayers are not successful, we immediate
ly throw away not only hope, but all the ardour of prayer.
But it is an undoubted evidence of our faith, if we are disap
pointed of our wish, and yet do not lose courage. Most pro
perly, therefore, does Christ recommend to his disciples to
persevere in praying.
The parable which he employs, though apparently harsh,
was admirably fitted to instruct his disciples, that they ought
to be importunate in their prayers to God the Father, till
they at length draw from him what He would otherwise
appear to be unwilling to give. Not that by our prayers we
gain a victory over God, and bend him slowly and reluctantly
to compassion, but because the actual facts do not all at once
make it evident that he graciously listens to our prayers.
In the parable Christ describes to us a widow, who obtained
what she wanted from an unjust and cruel judge, because she
did not cease to make earnest demands. The leading truth
conveyed is, that God does not all at once grant assistance
to his people, because he chooses to be, as it were, wearied
out by prayers ; and that, however wretched and despicable
may be the condition of those who pray to him, yet if they
do not desist from the uninterrupted exercise of prayer, he
will at length regard them and relieve their necessities.
f~ The parties between whom the comparison is drawn are,
indeed, by no means equal ; for there is a wide difference
3 "
Et me rompe la teste."
2 " Combien cju il il differe de se courroucer pour eux ; ou, et aura-il
patience quant a eux?" "Though he delay to be offended on their
account ; or, and will he have patience in reference to them f
3 "Pensez-vous qu il trouve foy en terre?" "Do you think that he
will find faith on the earth ? "
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 199
between a wicked and cruel man and God, who is naturally
inclined to mercy. But Christ intended to assure believers
that they have no reason to fear lest their persevering en
treaties to the Father of mercy should be refused, since by
importunate supplication they prevail on men who are given
to cruelty. The wicked and iron-hearted judge could not avoid
yielding at length, though reluctantly, to the earnest solicita
tions of the widow : how then shall the prayers of believers, /"
when perseveringly maintained, be without effect? If ex
haustion and weakness are felt by us when we give way after
a slight exertion, or if the ardour of prayer languishes be
cause God appears to lend a deaf ear, let us rest assured of
our ultimate success, though it may not be immediately
apparent. Entertaining this conviction, let us contend
against our impatience, so that the long delay may not induce
us to discontinue our prayers.
7. And shall not God avenge his elect ? That judge, whom
Christ has described to us as altogether desperate, as not only
hardened against the contemplation of God, but so entirely
devoid of shame, that he had no anxiety about his reputation,
at length opened his eyes to the distresses of the widow. We
have no reason to doubt that believers will derive, at least,
equal advantage from their prayers, provided they do not
cease to plead earnestly with God. Yet it must be observed
that, while Christ applies the parable to his subject, he does
not make God to resemble a wicked and cruel judge, but
points out a very different reason why those who believe
in him are kept long in suspense, and why he does not actu-
ally and at once stretch out his hand to them : it is because
he forbears. If at any time God winks at the injuries
done to us longer than we would wish, let us know that
this is done with a fatherly intention to train us to patience.
A temporary overlooking of crimes is very different from "*
allowing them to remain for ever unpunished. The promise
which he makes, that God will speedily avenge them, must be
referred to his providence ; for our hasty tempers and carnal
apprehension lead us to conclude that he does not come
quickly enough to grant relief. But if we could penetrate
200 COMMENTARY ON A
into his design, we would learn that his assistance is always
ready and seasonable, as the case demands, and is not de
layed for a single moment, but comes at the exact time.
But it is asked, How does Christ instruct his disciples to
seek vengeance, while he exhorts them on another occasion,
pray for those who injure and persecute you? (Matth. v. 44.)
I reply : what Christ says here about vengeance does not at
all interfere with his former doctrine. God declares that he
will avenge believers, not for the purpose of giving a loose
rein to their carnal affections, but in order to convince them
that their salvation is dear and precious in his sight, and in
this manner to induce them to rely on his protection. If,
laying aside hatred, pure and free from every wicked desire
of revenge, and influenced by proper and well-regulated dis
positions, they implore divine assistance, it will be a lawful
and holy wish, and God himself will listen to it. But as
nothing is more difficult than to divest ourselves of sinful
affections, if we would offer pure and sincere prayers, we
must ask the Lord to guide and direct our hearts by his
Spirit. Then shall we lawfully call on God to be our
avenger, and he will answer our prayers.
8. When the Son of man shall come. By these words
Christ informs us that there will be no reason to wonder if
men shall afterwards sink under their calamities : it will be
because they neglect the true remedy. He intended to ob
viate an offence which we are daily apt to take, when we
see all things in shameful confusion. Treachery, cruelty,
imposture, deceit, and violence, abound on every hand ; there
is no regard to justice, and no shame ; the poor groan under
their oppressors ; the innocent are abused or insulted ; while
God appears to be asleep in heaven. This is the reason
why the flesh imagines that the government of fortune is
blind. But Christ here reminds us that men are justly
deprived of heavenly aid, on which they have neither know
ledge nor inclination to place reliance. They who do no
thing but murmur against the Lord in their hearts, and who
allow no place for his providence, cannot reasonably expect
that the Lord will assist them.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 201
Shall lie find faith on the earth ? Christ expressly fore
tells that, from his ascension to heaven till his return, unbe
lievers will abound ; meaning by these words that, if the
Redeemer does not so speedily appear, the blame of the
delay will attach to men, because there will be almost none
to look for him. Would that we did not behold so manifest
a fulfilment of this prediction ! But experience proves that
though the world is oppressed and overwhelmed by a huge
mass of calamities, there are few indeed in whom the least
spark of faith can be discerned. Others understand the
word t /*<2#/i to denote uprightness, but the former meaning is
more agreeable to the context.
LUKE.
XVITI. 9. And lie spoke also this parable to some who trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and despised others : 10. Two men
went up into the temple to pray ; the one a Pharisee, and the other a
publican. 11. The Pharisee standing 1 prayed these things within himself:
God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust,
adulterous, or even as this publican. 12. I fast twice in the week, I give
tithes of all that I possess. 13. And the publican^standing at a distance,
did not even wish to raise his eyes towards heaven, but smote upon his
breast, saying, Lord, be reconciled to me a sinner. 14. I say to you,
this man went down into his house justified rather than the other ; for
every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted.
Christ now gives directions about another virtue, which is
necessary to acceptable prayer. Believers must not come
into the presence of God but with humility and abasement.
No disease is more dangerous than arrogance ; and yet all
have it so deeply fixed in the marrow of their bones, that it
can scarcely be removed or extirpated by any remedy. It
is no doubt strange that men should be so mad as to venture
to raise their crests against God, and to plead their own
merits before him. Though men are carried away by their
ambition, yet when we come into the presence of God, all
presumption ought to be laid aside ; and yet every man
thinks that he has sufficiently humbled himself, if he only
presents a hypocritical prayer for forgiveness. Hence we
1 " Le Pharisien se tenant la;" " the Pharisee standing there."
202 COMMENTARY ON A
infer that this warning which our Lord gives was far from
being unnecessary.
There are two faults at which Christ glances, and which
he intended to condemn, wicked confidence in ourselves,
and the pride of despising brethren, the one of which springs
out of the other. It is impossible that he who deceives him
self with vain confidence should not lift himself up above his
brethren. Nor is it wonderful that it should be so ; for how
should that man not despise his equals, who vaunts against
God himself? Every man that is puffed up with self-confi
dence carries on open war with God, to whom we cannot be
reconciled in any other way than by denial of ourselves ;
that is, by laying aside all confidence in our own virtue and
righteousness, and relying on his mercy alone.
10. Two men went up. Christ makes a comparison between
the two men, both of whom, by going up to pray, seem to
manifest the same ardour of piety, while yet they are exceed
ingly unlike. Tho^ Pharisee, possessing outward sanctity,
approaches to God with a commendation which he pro
nounces on his whole life, and as if he had an undoubted right
to offer the sacrifice of praise. The publican, on the other
hand, as if he had been some outcast, and knew that he was
unworthy to approach, presents himself with trembling and
with humble confession. Christ affirms that the Pharisee was
rejected, and that the prayers of the publican were acceptable
to God. The reasons why the Pharisee was rejected are stat
ed to be these two : he trusted in himself that he ivas righteous,
and despised others.
1 1 . God, I thank thee. And yet he is not blamed for boast
ing of the strength of his free-will, but for trusting that God
was reconciled to him by the merits of his works. For this
thanksgiving, which is presented exclusively in his own name,
does not at all imply that he boasted of his own virtue, as if
he had obtained righteousness from himself, or merited any
thing by his own industry. On the contrary, he ascribes it
to the grace of God that he is righteous. Now though his
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 203
thanksgiving to God implies an acknowledgment, that all the
good works which he possessed were purely the gift of God,
yet as he places reliance on works, and prefers himself to
others, himself and his prayer are alike rejected. Hence we
infer that men are not truly and properly humbled, though
they are convinced that they can do nothing, unless they
likewise distrust the merits of works, and learn to place their
salvation in the undeserved goodness of God, so as to rest
upon it all their confidence.
This is a remarkable passage ; for some think it enough if
they take from man the glory of good works, so far as they
are the gifts of the Holy Spirit ; and accordingly they admit
that we are justified freely, because God finds in us no right
eousness but what he bestowed. But Christ goes farther,
not only ascribing to the grace of the Spirit the power of
acting aright, but stripping us of all confidence in works ;
for the Pharisee is not blamed on the ground of claiming for
himself what belongs to God, but because he trusts to his
works, that God will be reconciled to him, because he de- _
serves it. Let us therefore know that, though a man may
ascribe to God the praise of works, yet if he imagines the
righteousness of those works to be the cause of his salva
tion, or rests upon it, he is condemned for w r icked arro
gance. And observe, that he is not charged with the vain
glorious ambition of those who indulge in boasting before
men, while they are inwardly conscious of their own wicked
ness, but is charged with concealed hypocrisy ; for he is not
said to have been the herald of his own praises, but to have
prayed silently within himself. Though he did not proclaim
aloud the honour of his own righteousness, his internal pride
was abominable in the sight of God. His boasting consists
of two parts : first, he acquits himself of that guilt in which
all men are involved ; and, secondly, he brings forward his
virtues. He asserts that he is not as other men, because he is
not chargeable with crimes which everywhere prevail in the
world.
12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
This is equivalent to saying that he performed more than the
204 COMMENTARY ON A
law required ; just as the Popish monks talk loftily of their
works of supererogation, as if they found no great difficulty
in fulfilling the law of God. It must be admitted that each
of us, according to the measure of the virtues which God has
bestowed upon him, is the more strongly bound to thank the
Author of them ; and that it is an exercise of holy meditation
for each of us to ponder on the benefits which he has received,
so as not to bury in ingratitude the kindness of God. But
there are two things here that must be observed : we must
not swell with confidence, as if we had satisfied God ; and,
next, we must not look down with disdainful contempt upon
our brethren. In both respects the Pharisee erred ; for, by
falsely claiming righteousness for himself, he left nothing to
the mercy of God ; and, next, he despised all others in com
parison of himself. And, indeed, that thanksgiving would
not have been disapproved by Christ, if it had not laboured
under these two defects ; T but as the proud hypocrite, by
winking at his sins, met the justice of God with a pretence
of complete and perfect righteousness, his wicked and detest
able hardihood could not but make him fall. For the only
hope of the godly, so long as they labour under the weakness
of the flesh, is, after acknowledging what is good in them, 2
to betake themselves to the mercy of God alone, and to rest
their salvation on prayer for forgiveness. 3
But it may be asked, how did this man, who was blinded
by wicked pride, maintain such sanctity of life ; for such in
tegrity proceeds only from the Spirit of God, who, we are
certain, does not reign in hypocrites ? I reply : he trusted
only to outward appearance, as if the hidden and inward
uncleanness of the heart would not be taken into the account.
Though he was full of wicked desires within, yet as he looks
only at the appearance, he boldly maintains his innocence.
! "Si ces deux vices n y estoyent, qui gastent tout ;" " if those two
faults had not been in it, which spoil the whole."
2 " Apres avoir recognu le bien qui est en eux par la grace de Dieu ;"
" after having acknowledged the good that is in them by the grace of
God."
^ 3 " Et mettre leur salut en la confession de leurs pechez, et remission
d iccux;" " and to place their salvation in the confession of their sins,
and forgiveness of them."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 205
Our Lord does not, indeed, accuse him of vanity, in falsely
claiming for himself what he does not possess ; but it ought
to be believed that no man is pure from extortion, injustice,
uncleanness, and other vices, unless he is governed by the
Spirit of God.
The word Sabbath (o-aCCaroi/) denotes in this passage, as in
many others, a week. But God never enjoined in the Law
that his servants should fast every week; so that tins fasting
and the tithes were voluntary exercises beyond the prescrip
tions of the Law. 1
13. The publican standing at a distance. Here Christ did
not intend to lay down a general rule, as if it were necessary,
whenever we pray, to cast down our eyes to the ground. He
merely describes the tokens of humility, which alone he
recommends to his disciples. Now humility lies in not refus
ing to acknowledge our sins, but condemning ourselves, and
thus anticipating the judgment of God ; and, with the view
of being reconciled to God, in making an honest confession
of guilt. Such, too, is the cause of that shame which always
accompanies repentance ; for Christ insists chiefly on this
point, that the publican sincerely acknowledged himself to be
miserable and lost, and fled to the mercy of God. Though
he is a sinner, he trusts to a free pardon, and hopes that
God will be gracious to him. In a word, in order to obtain
favour, he owns that he does not deserve it. And, certainly,
since it is the forgiveness of sins that alone reconciles God
to us, 2 we must begin with this, if we desire that he would
accept our prayers. He who acknowledges that he is guilty
and convicted, and then proceeds to implore pardon, disavows
all confidence in works ; and Christ s object w r as to show that
God will not be gracious to any but those who betake them
selves with trembling to his mercy alone. 3
1 " Estoyent des exercises volontaires, et inventez k plaisir ;" u were
voluntary exercises, and invented at pleasure."
2 " Qui nous rende agreables a Dieu ;" " which renders us acceptable
to God."
3 " Qui tremblans a cause d un vray sentiment de leur pechez, recour-
ront h, sa seule misericorde ;" " who, trembling on account of a true con
viction of their sins, shall have recourse to his mercy alone."
206 COMMENTARY OX A
14. This man went down justified. The comparison is not
exact ; for Christ does not merely assign to the publican a
certain degree of superiority, as if righteousness had belonged
alike to both, but means that the publican was accepted by
God, while the Pharisee was totally rejected. And this
passage shows plainly what is the strict meaning of the word
justified: it means, to stand before God as if we were right
eous. For it is not said that the publican was justified, be
cause he suddenly acquired some new quality, but that he
obtained grace, because his guilt was blotted out, and his
sins were washed away. Hence it follows, that righteousness
consists in the forgiveness of sins. As the -virtues of the
Pharisee were defiled and polluted by unfounded confidence,
so that his integrity, which deserved commendation before
the world, was of no value in the sight of God ; so the pub
lican, relying on no merits of works, obtained righteousness
solely by imploring pardon, 1 because he had no other ground
of hope than the pure mercy of God.
But it may be thought absurd, that all should be reduced
to the same level, since the purity of saints is widely differ
ent from that of the publican, I reply : whatever proficiency
any man may have made in the worship of God and in true
holiness, yet if he consider how far he is still deficient, there
is no other form of prayer which he can properly use than to
begin with the acknowledgment of guilt ; for though some
are more, and others less, yet all are universally guilty. We
cannot doubt, therefore, that Christ now lays down a rule for
all to this effect, that God will not be pacified towards us,
unless we distrust works, and pray that we may be freely
reconciled. And, indeed, the Papists are compelled to acknow
ledge this in part, but immediately afterwards they debase
this doctrine by a wicked invention. They admit that all
need the remedy of forgiveness, because no man is perfect ;
but they first intoxicate wretched men with reliance on what
they call imperfect righteousness, and next add satisfactions, in
order to blot out their guilt. But our faith needs no other
1 " Seulement en confessant sa faute, et demandant pardon ;" " solely
by confessing his fault, and asking pardon."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 207
support than this, that God has accepted us, not because we
deserved it, but because he does not impute our sins.
LUKE.
XVII. 11. And it happened, while he was going to Jerusalem, that he
passed through the midst of Samaria and of Galilee. 12. And as he was
entering into a certain village, there met him ten men, lepers, who stood
at a distance ; 13. And, lifting up their voice, said, Jesus, Master, take pity
on us. 14. When he saw them, he said, Go, show yourselves to the
priests. And it happened that, while they were going, they were cleansed.
15. And one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, turned back,
glorifying God with a loud voice, 16. And fell on his face 1 at his feet,
thanking him : and he was a Samaritan. 17. Arid Jesus answering said,
Were not ten cleansed ? But where are the nine ? 18. None are found
that have returned to give glory to God except this stranger. 19. And
he saith to him, Arise, go, thy faith hath saved thee. 2 20. And being
interrogated by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God would come, he
replied to them and said, The kingdom of God will not come with obser
vation: 3 21. For they shall not say, Lo, he is here! or, Lo, he is there !
for, lo, the kingdom of God is within you.
As, on a former occasion, Matthew and the other two Evan
gelists (Matth. viii. 1 ; Mark i. 40 ; Luke v. 12) related that
a leper had been cleansed by Christ, so Luke mentions that
the same miracle of healing was performed on ten lepers. The
object of this narrative, however, is diiferent ; for it describes
the base and incredible ingratitude of the Jewish nation, to
prevent us from wondering that so many of Christ s favours
had been suppressed, and so many of his wonderful works
buried, among them. One circumstance, too, is added, which
greatly heightens the infamy of their crime. Our Lord had
cured nine Jews : yet not one of them returned thanks, but,
with the view of obliterating the remembrance of their
disease, they privately stole^away. One man only a Samari
tan acknowledged his obligation to Christ. There is, there
fore, on the one hand, a display of Christ s divine power;
and, on the other hand, a reproof of the impiety of the Jews,
in consequence of which so remarkable a miracle as this re
ceived scarcely any attention.
1 " Et se ietta en terre sur sa face ;" " and threw himself on the ground
on his face."
2 "Ta foy t a guairi, OM, sauve ;" "thy faith hath healed, or, saved
thee."
8 " Le regne de Dieu ne viendra point k veue d oeil, ow, avec appar-
ence ;" "the kingdom of God will not come visibly, or, manifestly."
208 COMMENTARY ON A
13. Jesus, Master.* It is evident that all of them possess
ed some measure of faith, not only because they implore
Christ s assistance, but because they honour him with the
title of Master. That they made use of that expression sin
cerely, and not in hypocrisy, may be inferred from their
ready obedience ; for, although they perceive that the filthy
scab still remains in their flesh, yet as soon as they are com
manded to show themselves to the priests, they do not refuse to
obey. Add to this that, but for the influence of faith, they
would never have set out to show themselves to the priests ; for
it would have been absurd to present themselves to the judges
of leprosy, for the purpose of attesting that they had been
cleansed, if the promise of Christ had been regarded by them
as of no more value than a mere inspection of the disease.
They bear a visible leprosy in their flesh ; and yet, trusting to
Christ s word alone, they have no scruple about declaring
that they are clean. It cannot therefore be denied, that
some seed of faith had been implanted in their hearts. Now
though it is certain that they were not regenerated by the
Spirit of adoption, yet there is no absurdity in supposing that
they had some beginnings of piety. There is the greater
reason to fear that sparks of faith, which make their appear
ance in us, may be extinguished ; for, although lively faith,
which has its roots deeply fixed by the Spirit of regenera
tion, never dies, yet we have seen formerly that many con
ceive a temporary faith, which immediately disappears. Above
all, it is too common a disease that, when we are urged by
strong necessity, and when the Lord himself prompts us by
a secret movement of the Spirit, jve seek God, but, when we
have obtained our wishes, ungrateful forgetfulness swallows
up that feeling of piety. Thus poverty and hunger beget
faith, but abundance kills it.
14. Show yourselves to the priests. This reply was equiva
lent to saying, " You are clean ;" for we know that the dis
cernment of leprosy belonged to the priests, who were enjoined
in the law to distinguish between the clean and the unclean,
? " lesus, nostre Maistre ;" " Jesus, our Master."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 209
(Lev. xiv. 2.) Thus Christ preserves their right entire, and
appeals to them as witnesses for approving of the miracle
which he had wrought ; and we have accordingly said, that
pious and devout sentiments concerning Christ must have
been entertained by those men who were instantly led, by his
bare word, to entertain the hope of a cure.
On this passage the Papists absurdly build their auricular
confession. The lepers, I admit, were sent by Christ to the
priests ; but it was not for the purpose of vomiting out their
sins into their ears. On the contrary, they were sent to
offer a sacrifice, as the Law had enjoined. They were not
sent to cleanse themselves, as the Papists imagine that clean
ness is produced by confession, but to slioic to the priests that
they w r ere already clean. It is an additional proof of the
folly of the Papists, that they do not consider what a foul
stain of infamy they throw on their confession ; for, accord
ing to their reasoning, it will be quite enough if, out of the
whole troop of those who have gone to tlie priests, a tenth
part only shall return to Christ, and all the rest shall wicked
ly revolt. They cannot plead this passage in behalf of their
confession, without giving us liberty to throw back upon them
this advantage which it yields, that none return from the
priests to give glory to God. But, not to dwell on these fool
eries, we have ascertained the reason why the priests were
mentioned.
It happened that, while they were, going, they were cleansed.
Here was displayed the divine power of Christ and of his
words, and there was also a proof of the high estimation in
which God holds the obedience of faith ; for the great sud
denness of the cure arose from the confident hope which
induced them to undertake the journey, without hesitation,
at the command of Christ. But if that transitory faith
which wanted a living root, and produced nothing more
than the blade was honoured by God with a remarkable
effect, how much more valuable is the reward that awaits
our faith, if it is sincerely and permanently fixed on God ?
Though the nine lepers derived no advantage to salvation
from the cure of the flesh, but only obtained a temporary
gift by means of a fleeting and transitory faith, yet this
VOL. II. O
210 COMMENTARY ON A
figure points out to us the great efficacy which will attend
true faith.
15. And one of them, fyc. It is uncertain if he returned
when they were half-way, and Luke s words appear to imply
this ; but I think it more probable, that it was not till he
had heard the decision of the priests that he returned to
give thanks. He must have obtained permission from the
priests to return to the ordinary intercourse of life; and
he had no right to neglect the command of Christ, and
to defraud the temple of God of a sacrifice. Some will
perhaps be better pleased with a different conjecture, that
as soon as he saw that he was cleansed, and before he
applied to the priests for a testimony, he was seized with
a devout and holy zeal, and returned to the Author of
the cure, so as to commence his sacrifice wdth thanksgiv
ing. The words of Christ contain an expostulation with
the whole nation ; for it is by way of reproach that he
draws a comparison between one stranger and many Jews,
because it was customary with them to swallow up God s
favours wdthout any feeling of piety. And this was the
reason why Christ gained hardly any reputation among
them by miracles so numerous and so splendid. Let us
learn that this complaint is brought generally against all of
us, if we do not at least repay the divine favours by the
duty of gratitude.
19. Thy faith hath saved thee. The word save is restricted
by some commentators to the cleanness of the flesh. 1 But
if this be the case, since Christ commends the lively faith of
this Samaritan, it may be asked, how were the other nine
saved ? for all of them without exception obtained the same
cure. 2 We must therefore arrive at the conclusion, that
Christ has here pronounced a different estimate of the gift of
God from that which is usually pronounced by ungodly men ;
" Le mot dont a ici use 1 Evangeliste est celuy mesme que quasi par
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS, 211
namely, that it was a token or pledge of God s fatherly love.
The nine lepers were cured; but as they wickedly efface the
remembrance of the grace of God, the cure itself is debased
and contaminated by their ingratitude, so that they do not
derive from it the advantage which they ought. It is faith
alone that sanctifies the gifts of God to us, so that they
become pure, and, united to the lawful use of them, contri
bute to our salvation. Lastly, by this word Christ has in
formed us in what manner we lawfully enjoy divine favours.
Hence we infer, that he included the eternal salvation of the
soul along with the temporal gift. The Samaritan was saved
by his faith. How ? Certainly not because he Avas cured
of leprosy, (for this was likewise obtained by the rest,) but
because he was admitted into the number of the children
of God, and received from His hand a pledge of fatherly
kindness.
20. And being interrogated by the Pharisees. This question
was undoubtedly put in mockery ; for, since Christ was con
tinually speaking of the kingdom of God as at hand, while
no change was taking place in the outward condition of the
Jews, Avicked and malicious persons looked upon this as a
plausible excuse for harassing him. As if all that Christ
said about the kingdom of God were idle talk and mere
trifling, they put a sarcastic question to him, " When shall
that kingdom come?" If any one shall consider this ques
tion to have been put on account of the grossness of their
own views, rather than for the sake of jeering, I have no
objection.
The kingdom of God will not come with observation. My
opinion is, that Christ now disregards those dogs, and ac
commodates this reply to the disciples ; just as on many
other occasions, when he was provoked by wicked men, and
seized the opportunity of giving instruction. In this manner
God disappoints their malice, while the truth, which is
maintained in opposition to their sophistry, is the more fully
displayed.
The word observation is here employed by Christ to denote
212 COMMENTARY ON A
extraordinary splendour; 1 and he declares, that the king
dom of God will not make its appearance at a distance, or
attended by pompous display. He means, that they are
greatly mistaken who seek with the eyes of the flesh the
kingdom of God, which is in no respect carnal or earthly, for
it is nothing else than the inward and spiritual renewal of
the soul. From the nature of the kingdom itself he shows
that they are altogether in the wrong, who look around here
or there., in order to observe visible marks. " That restora
tion of the Church," he tells us, " which God has promised,
must be looked for within ; for, by quickening his elect into
a heavenly newness of life, he establishes his kingdom within
them" And thus he indirectly reproves the stupidity of the
Pharisees, because they aimed at nothing but what was
earthly and fading. It must be observed, however, that
Christ speaks only of the beginnings of the kingdom of
God; for we now begin to be formed anew by the Spirit
after the image of God, in order that our entire renovation,
and that of the whole world, may afterwards follow in due
time.
MATTHEW. MARK.
XIII. 53. And it happened, VI. 1. And he departed thence, and
when Jesus had concluded these came into his own country, and his dis-
discourses, 2 that he departed ciples followed him. 2. And when it
thence. 54. And when he was was Sabbath, he began to teach in the
come into his own country, he synagogue, and many hearing were
taught them in their synagogue, amazed, saying, Whence hath this man
so that they were amazed, and these things? 3 And what is the wisdom
said, Whence hath this man this that hath been given to him, so that
wisdom and these miracles ? 55. such miracles are done by his hands ?
Is not this the carpenter s son? 3. Is not this the carpenter, the son of
Is not his mother called Mary, Mary, the brother of James, and Joses,
and his brothers James, and and Judas, and Simon ? Are not his
Joses, and Simon, and Judas ? sisters also here with us ? And they
1 " La oil nous avons traduit, a veue cTaiil, le Grec a mot a mot avec
observation ; c est a dire, avec quelque grande apparence, en sorte qu un
chacun y puisse prendre garde." " Where we have rendered, visibly, the
Greek literally runs, wuh observation ; that is to say, with some great
display, so that every person may take notice of it."
2 " Quand lesus cut acheve ees similitudes-ci ;" "when Jesus had
concluded these parables."
3 "D ou vienent ces choses a cestuy-ci? "Whence comes these
things to this man ?"
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 213
MATTHEW. MARK.
56. And his sisters, do not they were offended at him. 4. And Jesus
all live amongst us? Whence said to them, A prophet is not de-
then hath this man all these void of honour, 1 except in his own
things ? 57. And they were of- country, and among his relatives,
fended at him. But Jesus said to and in his own family. 5. And he
them, A prophet is not destitute could not perform any miracle there,
of honour, except in his own except that he cured a few sick per-
country and in his own house, sons by laying his hands on them.
58. And he did not perform many 6. And he wondered at their unbe-
miracles there on account of their lief, and walked about through the
unbelief. surrounding villages teaching.
Matthew xiii. 53. When Jesus had concluded. Matthew
does not mean, that immediately after delivering these
discourses, he came into his own country ; for it is evident
from Mark, that some interval of time elapsed. But the
meaning is, that after having taught for some time in Judea,
he returned again to the Galileans, but did not receive from
them kind treatment. A narrative which Luke gives (iv.
22) is nearly similar, but is not the same. Nor ought we to
wonder that Christ s countrymen, when they perceived that
his family was mean and despised, and that he had been
poorly educated, were at first so much offended as to murmur
at his doctrine, and afterwards persevered in the same malice
to such an extent, that they did not cease to slander him,
when he chose to discharge the office of a prophet amongst
them. This second rejection of Christ shows that the space
of time which had intervened had not effected a reformation
on the inhabitants of Nazareth, but that the same contempt
was constantly thrown as an obstacle in the way, to prevent
them from hearing Christ. 2
54. So that they were amazed. They are struck with
amazement at the novelty of the occurrence, that Christ, who
had not learned letters, but had been employed from youth
to manhood in a mechanical occupation, is so eminent a
teacher, and is filled with divine wisdom. In this miracle
they ought to have perceived the hand of God ; but their
1 u Un prophete n est deshonore ;" u a prophet is not dishonoured."
2 " A fin de n approcher de luy, et de ne recevoir sa doctrine ;" " that
they might not approach to him, and might not receive his doctrine."
214 COMMENTARY ON A
ingratitude made them cover themselves with darkness. 1
They are compelled to admire him, whether they will or not ;
and yet they treat him with contempt. And what is this
but to reject a prophet whom God has taught, because he
has not been educated by men ? They cut their throat by
means of their own acknowledgment, when they render so
honourable a testimony to the doctrine of Christ, which after
all has no influence on them, because it does not take its
origin, in the usual way, from the earth. Why do they not
rather lift their eyes to heaven, and learn that what exceeds
human reason must have come from God ?
Besides, the miracles, which were added to the doctrine,
ought to have affected them the more powerfully, or at least
to have aroused them from their excessive carelessness and
stupidity to glorify God ; for certainly, when God adopts
unwonted methods of procedure, so much the more clearly
does he display the power of his hand. And yet this was
the very reason why the inhabitants of Nazareth maliciously
drew a veil over their eyes. We see, then, that it is not
mere ignorance that hinders men, but that, of their own
accord, they search after grounds of offence, to prevent them
from following the path to which God invites. We ought
rather to argue in the opposite way, that, when human means
fail, the power of God is clearly revealed to us, and ought to
receive undivided praise.
55. Is not this the carpenter s son ? It was, we are aware,
by the wonderful purpose of God, that Christ remained in
private life till he was thirty years of age. Most improperly
and unjustly, therefore, were the inhabitants of Nazareth
offended on this account ; for they ought rather to have
received him with reverence, as one who had suddenly come
down from heaven. They see God working in Christ, and
intentionally turn away their eyes from this sight, to behold
Joseph, and Mary, and all his relatives ; thus interposing a
1 " Mais par leur ingratitude ils se sont eblouis 1 entendement, k fin de
ne faire leur profit de ce qu ils voyoyent devant leurs yeux ;" " but by
their ingratitude their understanding was dazzled, so that they did not
derive advantage from what they saw before their eyes."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 215
veil to shut out the clearest light. The word brothers, we have
formerly mentioned, is employed, agreeably to the Hebrew
idiom, to denote any relatives whatever; and, accordingly,
Helvidius displayed excessive ignorance in concluding that
Mary must have had many sons, because Christ s brothers are
sometimes mentioned. 1
57. A prophet is not devoid of honour. I have explained
this statement at considerable length, where it occurs in the
Gospel of John, 2 (iv. 44.) It may, no doubt, be a general
proverb, that those who are distinguished by eminent gifts
are nowhere held in less estimation than in their own country;
arid this manifests the ingratitude of men, who, in proportion
to the greater familiarity with which God exhibits himself to
them, are the more bold to reject him in the influences of his
Spirit. I readily agree, however, with Chrysostom, who
thinks that this proverb was applied in a peculiar manner to
the Jews. But what was usually spoken against the whole
nation, Christ now asserts with special reference to his
Galilean countrymen ; for nowhere did he receive less honour
than on his native soil. There were good grounds for the
charge which he brings against them, that, instead of being
the first to accept the grace offered to them, as they ought
to have been, they drive him to a distance from them ; for it
is truly extraordinary that a prophet of God, whom others
warmly receive as a newly-arrived stranger, should be despised
in the place where he w T as born.
58. And he did not perform many miracles in that place.
Mark states it more emphatically, that he could not perform
any miracle. But they are perfectly agreed as to the sub
stance of what is said, that it was the impiety of Christ s
countrymen that closed the door against the performance of
1 Jerome replied to Hebndius in a work entitled, Contra Helvidium de
Beatce, Marice Virginitate. CALVIN has former!}^ alluded to the contro
versy between these two authors, (Harmony, vol. i. p. 107.) Ed.
2 Our Author s Preface to his Commentary on John s Gospel is dated
1st January 1553 ; while the Preface to the Harmony is dated 1st August
1555. This accounts for the former being always referred to as an earlier
work. Ed.
216 COMMENTARY ON A
a greater number of miracles among them. He had already
given them some taste of his power; but they willingly
stupify themselves, so as to have no relish for it. Accord
ingly, Augustine justly compares faith to the open mouth of
a vessel, while he speaks of faith as resembling a stopper, by
which the vessel is closed, so as not to receive the liquor 1
which God pours into it. And undoubtedly this is the case ;
for when the Lord perceives that his power is not accepted
by us, he at length withdraws it ; and yet we complain that
we are deprived of his aid, which our unbelief rejects and
drives far from us.
When Mark declares that Christ could not perform any
miracles, he represents the aggravated guilt of those by whom
his goodness was prevented ; for certainly unbelievers, as far
as lies in their power, bind up the hands of God by their
obstinacy; not that God is overcome, as if he were an
inferior, but because they do not permit him to display his
power. We must observe, however, what Mark adds, that
some sick people, notwithstanding, were cured; for hence we
infer, that the goodness of Christ strove with their malice,
and triumphed over every obstacle. 2 We have experience of
the same thing daily with respect to God; for, though he
justly and reluctantly restrains his power, because the
entrance to us is shut against him, yet we see that he opens
up a path for himself where none exists, and ceases not to
bestow favours upon us. What an amazing contest, that
while we are endeavouring by every possible method to
hinder the grace of God from coming to us, it rises victorious,
and displays its efficacy in spite of all our exertions !
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
XIV. 1. At VI. 14. And king Herod IX. 7. Now Herod the
that time, He- heard of him, (for his name tetrarch heard of all that was
rod the tetrarch had become celebrated,) done by him, and was per-
heard of the and said, John, who bap- plexed, because it was said
fame of Jesus, tized, hath risen from the by some that Christ had
1 " La bonne liqueur ;" " the good liquor."
2 "En sorte que quelques empeschemens qu ils ayent seen y mettre,
encore est elle venue au dessus, et s est monstree en quelque maniere."
- u So that, whatever obstacles they might be able to throw in the way,
still it rose above them, and was in some measure displayed."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
217
MATTHEW.
2. And said to
his servants,
This is John
the Baptist : he
is raised from
the dead, and
therefore mira
cles work in
him.
MARK.
dead, and therefore mira
cles are performed by him.
15. Others said, It is
Elijah ; and others said,
It is a prophet, or as one
of the prophets. 16. But
when Herod heard that, he
said, It is John whom I
beheaded, he hath risen
from the dead.
LUKE.
risen from the dead ; 8. And
by some, that Elijah had
appeared ; and by others,
that one of the ancient
prophets had risen again.
9. And Herod said, John
have I beheaded, but who
is this of whom I hear such
things ? And he desired to
see him.
The reason why the Evangelists relate this occurrence is,
to inform us that the name of Christ was universally cele
brated, and, therefore, the Jews could not be excused on the
plea of ignorance. Many might otherwise have been per
plexed by this question, " How came it that, while Christ
dwelt on the earth, Judea remained in a profound sleep, as
if he had withdrawn into some corner, and had displayed to
none his divine power ?" The Evangelists accordingly state,
that the report concerning him was everywhere spread abroad,
and penetrated even into the court of Herod.
2. And said to his servants. From the words of Luke it
may be inferred, that Herod did not of his own accord adopt
this conjecture, but that it was suggested to him by a report
which was current among the people. And, indeed, I have
no doubt that the hatred which they bore to the tyrant, and
their detestation of so shocking a murder, gave rise, as is
commonly the case, to those rumours. It was a superstition
deeply rooted, as we have formerly mentioned, in the minds
of men, that the dead return to life in a different person.
Nearly akin to this is the opinion which they now adopt,
that Herod, when he cruelly put to death the holy man, was
far from obtaining what he expected ; because he had suddenly
risen from the dead by the miraculous power of God, and
w r ould oppose and attack his enemies with greater severity
than ever.
Mark and Luke, however, show that men spoke variously
on this subject : some thought that he was Elijah, and others
that he was one of the prophets, or that he was so eminently
endued with the gifts of the Spirit, that he might be com-
213 COMMENTARY ON A
pared to the prophets. The reason why they thought that he
might be Elijah, rather than any other prophet, has been
already stated. Malachi having predicted (iv. 5, 6) that
Elijah would come to gather the scattered Church, they mis
understood that prediction as relating to the person of Elijah,
instead of being a simple comparison to the following effect :
" That the coming of Messiah may not be unknown, and that
the people may not remain ignorant of the grace of redemption,
there will be an Elijah to go before, like him who of old
raised up that which was fallen, and the worship of God
which had been overthrown. He will go before, by a remark
able power of the Spirit, to proclaim the great and dreadful
day of the Lordr The Jews, with their usual grossness of
interpretation, had applied this to Elijah the Tishbite, (1 Kings
xvii. 1,) as if he were to appear again and discharge the office
of a prophet. Others again conjecture, either that some one
of the ancient prophets had risen, or that he was some great
man, who approached to them in excellence.
It was astonishing that, amidst the diversity of views
which were suggested, the true interpretation did not occur
to any one ; more especially as the state of matters at that
very time directed them to Christ. God had promised to
them a Redeemer, who would relieve them when they were
distressed and in despair. The extremity of affliction into
which they had been plunged was a loud call for divine
assistance. The Eedeemer is at hand, who had been so clearly
pointed out by the preaching of John, and who himself testi
fies respecting his office. They are compelled to acknowledge
that some divine power belongs to him, and yet they fall into
their own fancies, and change him into the persons of other
men. It is thus that the world is wont, in base ingratitude,
to obliterate the remembrance of the favours which God has
bestowed.
With respect to Herod himself, as I hinted a little ago,
the conjecture that John had risen did not at first occur to
himself; but as bad consciences are wont to tremble and
hesitate, and turn with every wind, he readily believed what
he dreaded. With such blind terrors God frequently alarms
wicked men ; so that, after all the pains they take to harden
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
219
themselves, and to escape agitation, their internal executioner
gives them no rest, but chastises them with severity.
And therefore miracles work in him. We naturally wonder
what reasoning could have led them to this conclusion. John
had performed no miracle during the whole course of his
preaching. There appears to be no probability, therefore, in
the conjecture, that it was John whom they saw performing
extraordinary miracles. But they imagine that miracles are
now performed by him for the first time, in order to prove
his resurrection, and to show that the holy prophet of God
had been wickedly put to death by Herod, and now came
forward with a visible and divine protection, that no man
might afterwards venture to assail him. They think that
miracles work (svsoyotaiv) in him ; that is, are powerfully
displayed, so as to give him greater authority, and make it
evident that the Lord is with him.
MATTHEWS
XIV. 3. For Herod had
seized John, and bound
him, and put him in prison,
on account of Herodias, the
wife of his brother Philip.
4. For John said to him,
It is not lawful for thee to
have her. 5. And though
he wished to put him to
death, he feared the multi
tude, because they account
ed him a prophet. 6. But
when Herod s birth-day
was kept, the daughter of
Herodias danced before the
company, and pleased He
rod. 7. And therefore he
promised with an oath, that
he would give her whatever
she would ask. 8. But she,
after having been instruct
ed by her mother, said,
Give me here in a dish the
head of John the Baptist.
9. And the king was sorry:
yet on account of the oath,
and of those who sat with
him at table, he command-
MARK.
VI. 17. For Herod himself had sent, and
seized John, and bound him in prison, on
account of Herodias, the wife of his brother
Philip, because he had married her. 18. For
John said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee
to have thy brother s wife. 19. And Herodias
lay in wait for him, and wished to kill him,
and could not. 20. For Herod dreaded
John, knowing that he was a just and holy
man, and observed him, and, having heard
him, did many things, and heard him glad
ly. 21. And when a convenient day came,
when Herod on his birth-day made a supper
to the nobles, and captains, and distinguish
ed men of Galilee ; 22. And when the
daughter of Herodias entered, and danced,
and pleased Herod and those who sat at
table with him, the king said to the girl,
Ask any thing from me, 1 and I will give it
to thee. 23. And he swore to her, What
ever thou shalt ask of me I will give to thee,
even to the half of my kingdom. 24. But
she went out and said to her mother, What
shall I ask ? And she said, The head of
John the Baptist. 25. And she went in
immediately with haste to the king, and
asked, saying, I wish that thou wouldst give
to me immediately in a dish the head of John
Demande-moy ce que tu voudras ;" " ask of me what thou wilt. 1
220 COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW. MARK.
ed that it should be given, the Baptist. 26. And the king being sorry on
10. And he sent and be- account of the oath, and of those who sat at
headed John in the prison, table with him, would not refuse her. 1 27.
11. And his head was And he immediately sent a spearman, 2 and
brought in a dish and given commanded that his head should be brought :
to the girl, and she carried and he went, and beheaded him in the prison,
it to her mother. 12. And 28. And he brought his head in a dish, and
his disciples came and car- gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her
ried away the body, and mother. 29. And when his disciples heard
buried it, and went and of this, they came and carried off his body,
told Jesus. and laid it in a tomb.
This narrative is at present omitted by Luke, because he
had explained it on a former occasion ; and for my own part,
as I am unwilling to annoy my readers by writing the same
thing twice, I shall handle this passage with greater brevity. 3
The Evangelists relate that John was seized, because he had
openly condemned Herod for carrying off Herodias, and for
his incestuous marriage with her. Josephus assigns a differ
ent reason, namely, that Herod, dreading on his own account
a change of affairs, regarded John with suspicion, (Ant. xviii.
v. 2 ;) and it is possible that this may have been the pretext
on which the tyrant excused his crime, or that such a report
may have been in circulation ; for it frequently happens that
various motives are assigned for unjust violence and cruelty.
The true state of the fact, however, is pointed out by the
Evangelists : Herod was offended at the holy man, because
he had been reproved by him.
Josephus is mistaken in supposing that Herodias was car
ried off, not from his brother Philip, but from Herod, King
of Chalcis, his uncle, (Ant. xviii. v. 4.) For not only was
the crime still recent when the Evangelists wrote, but it was
committed before the eyes of all. What is elsewhere stated
by Josephus, (Ant. xviii. iv. 6,) that Philip was a person of
amiable dispositions, emboldened Herod, I have no doubt, to
1 " Le roy estant fort marri, ne la voulut point toutesfois esconduire
ou reietter ;" " The king being very angry, did not wish, however, to
deny or refuse her."
2 " Ainsi envoya incontinent le bourreau;" " so he immediately sent
the executioner."
3 The allusion is to his exposition of Luke iii. 19, 20, which will be
found in Harmony, vol. i. p. 222. Ed.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 221
expect that an outrage committed on a mild, gentle, and
peaceable man, would pass with impunity. Another probable
conjecture may be mentioned. There is greater reason to
suppose that Herodias was married to her uncle Philip than
to her grand-uncle, her grandfather s brother, who must have
been at that time in the decrepitude of old age. Now He
rod Antipas (who is here mentioned) and Philip were not
brothers by the same mother ; for Herod was the son of
Marthaca, third wife of Herod the Great, and Philip was the
son of Cleopatra. 1
To return to the Evangelists, they tell us that John was
thrown into prison, because he had reproved Herod s crime
with greater freedom than the ferocity of the tyrant would
endure. The atrocious character of the deed was in itself
sufficiently detestable and infamous ; for not only did he keep
in his own house another man s wife, whom he had torn
away from lawful wedlock, but the person on whom he had
committed this outrage was his own brother. When, in
addition to this, he is freely reproved by John, Herod has
some reason to fear that sedition will suddenly break out.
His lust did not allow him to correct his fault ; but having
imprisoned the prophet of God, he promises to himself repose
and liberty. 2
Ignorance of history has led many persons into a fruitless
debate ; " Have I a right to marry the woman who was
formerly married to my brother ?" Though the modesty of
nature recoils from such a marriage, 3 yet John condemns the
rape still more than the incest ; for it was by violence or by
stratagem 4 that Herod had deprived his brother of his lawful
wife : and otherwise it would have been less lawful for him
1 The apparent discrepancy between Josephus and the sacred historians
is removed, as was formerly suggested, (Harmony, vol. i. p. 223, n. 1,) by
a hypothesis which appears to be generally admitted, that the name of the
person in question was Herod-Philip. Ed.
2 "II se fait accroire qu il sera en repos, et qu il pourra continuer sa
meschancete sans aucune crainte ;" " he makes himself believe that he
will be at ease, and that he will have it in his power to continue his wick
edness without any dread."
3 " Combien que I honneste naturelle condamne un tel marriage;"
" though natural decency condemns such a marriage."
" Ou par force et violence, on par quclque ruse et moyen subtil ;"-
" either by force and violence, or by some trick
trick and cunning method.
222 COMMENTARY ON A
to marry his niece than to marry his brother s widow. There
cannot be a doubt, that a crime so flagrant was universally
blamed. But others loaded Herod with their curses in his
absence. John alone comes into his presence, and reproves
him boldly to his face, if by any means he may be brought
to repentance. Hence we learn with what unshaken forti
tude the servants of God ought to be armed when they have
to do with princes ; for in almost every court hypocrisy
and servile flattery are prevalent; and the ears of princes,
having been accustomed to this smooth language, do not tole
rate any voice which reproves their vices with any severity.
But as a prophet of God ought not to overlook so shocking a
crime, John steps forward, though a disagreeable and unwel
come adviser, and, rather than fail in his duty, scruples not to
incur the frown of the tyrant, even though he knew Herod to
be so strongly held by the snares of the prostitute, that he
could scarcely be moved from his purpose.
5. And though lie wished to put him to death. There is
some appearance of contradiction between the words of Mat
thew and Mark : for the former says that Herod was desirous
to commit this shocking murder, but was restrained by the
fear of the people ; while the latter charges Herodias alone
with this cruelty. But the difficulty is soon removed. At
first Herod would have been unwilling, if a stronger necessity
had not compelled him reluctantly to do so, to put to death
the holy man ; because he regarded him with reverence,
and, indeed, was prevented by religious scruples from prac
tising such atrocious cruelty against a prophet of God ; and
that he afterwards shook off this fear of God, in consequence
of the incessant urgency of Herodias ; but that afterwards,
when infuriated by that demon he longed for the death of
the holy man, he was withheld by a new restraint, because he
dreaded on his own account a popular commotion. And here
we must attend to the words of Mark, Herodias lay in wait
for him ; ! which imply, that as Herod was not of himself suf
ficiently disposed to commit the murder, she either attempted
1 " Fferodias cherchoit occasion ;"" Herodicis sought an opportunity,"
HARMONY- OF THE EVANGELISTS. 223
to gain him over by indirect wiles, or laboured to find some
secret method of putting the holy man to death. I am more
disposed to adopt the former view, that she employed strata
gems for influencing the mind of her husband, but did not
succeed, so long as Herod was prevented by remorse of con
science from pronouncing sentence of death on the holy man.
Next followed another fear, that the business of his death
should excite the people to some insurrection. But Mark
glances only at what prevented Herod from yielding imme
diately to the entreaties of the prostitute ; for Herodias would
have wished that, as soon as John was thrown into prison,
he should be privately executed.
Herod, on the contrary, reverenced the holy man, so far
as even to comply willingly with his advices : Herod feared
John. Now the fear which is here mentioned, was not a
dread arising from a mistaken opinion, as we dread those
who have obtained some authority over us, though we reckon
them to be unworthy of the honour. But this fear was a
voluntary respect ; for Herod was convinced that he was a
holy man and a faithful servant of God, and therefore did
not dare to despise him. 1 And this deserves our attention ;
for though John knew by experience that it was, in many
respects, advantageous for him to have some share in the
good wishes of the tetrarch, 2 yet he was not afraid to of
fend him, when he could find no other way of securing that
favour, than by wickedly conniving at a known and disgrace
ful crime. He might indeed have protested that he did not
at all consult his private interests, and that he had no other
object in view than the public advantage ; for it is certain
that he requested nothing from motives of ambition, 3 but
that Herod yielded to his holy counsels, which had a refer
ence to the lawful administration of the kingdom. But as
1 "Estoit aucunement contreint en soy mesme de luy porter 1 honneur,
et ne 1 osoit pas mespriser ;" u was somewhat constrained in himself to
bear respect towards him, and did not dare to despise him."
2 " Qu il eust quelque entree en la Cour, et que le Roy 1 eust aucune
ment agreable ; " " that he should have some access to the Court, and
that the King should be somewhat favourable to him."
3 " Qu il n a rien demande au Roy pour se faire valoir, ou pour mon-
strer son credit ;" u that he asked nothing from the King to put himself
forward, or to display his influence."
224 COMMENTARY ON A
he perceives that he has no right to accept this kind of com
pensation, 1 which would procure for him some kind offices by
betraying the truth, he chooses rather to turn a friend into
an enemy than to encourage, by flattery or silence, an evil
which he is laid under the necessity of reproving with severity.
John has thus, by his example, furnished an undoubted
rule for pious teachers, not to wink at the faults of princes,
so as to purchase their favour at this price, how advantageous
soever that favour might appear to be to the public inter
ests. 2 In Herod, on the other hand, the Spirit of God
exhibits, as in a mirror, how frequently it happens that those
who do not sincerely worship God are nevertheless willing,
in some measure, to obey His commands, provided that He
will grant them some indulgence or abatement. But when
ever they are hard pressed, they throw off the yoke, and
break out not only into obstinacy, but into rage. There is
no reason, therefore, why they who comply with many sound
advices should be well satisfied with themselves, till they
have learned to yield and surrender themselves unreservedly
to God.
6. And when HerofTs birth-day ivas kept. The Evangelists
now begin to relate the stratagem by which Herodias at
length succeeded in a design which she had long meditated,
the taking away of John s life. The opportunity was
afforded to her by an annual festival, when Herod was
celebrating his birth-day. It is scarcely possible that such
magnificent preparations should not draw luxury, pride,
unbridled merriment, and other crimes, and likewise many
other evils, along with them. Not that there is any thing
wrong in the mere act of preparing an expensive banquet ; but
such is the tendency of the human mind to licentiousness,
that when the reins are loosened, they quickly go astray.
1 " Que ceste fa<?on de compensation n est point honneste, ne selon
Dieu ;" " that this kind of compensation is not honourable, nor accord
ing to God."
2 " Encore qu ils ne la cherchent point pour leur regard particulier,
mais settlement pour avoir occasion de profiter plus en d autres endroits ;"
" even though they do not seek it for their private interest, but solely
in order to have an opportunity of doing more good in other respects."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 225
The ancient custom of observing a birth-day every year as
an occasion of joy cannot in itself be disapproved ; for that
day, as often as it returns, reminds each of us to give thanks
to God, who brought us into this world, and has permitted
us, in his kindness, to spend many years in it ; next, to
bring to our recollection how improperly and uselessly the
time which God granted to us has been permitted to pass
away ; and, lastly, that we ought to commit ourselves to the
protection of the same God for the remainder of our life.
But nothing is so pure that the world shall not taint it
with its own vices. A birth-day, which ought to have been
held sacred, is profaned by the greater part of men with dis
graceful abuses ; and there is scarcely a single entertainment
at all costly that is free from wicked debauchery. First, men
drink more freely ; next, the door is opened to filthy and
immodest conversation ; and, lastly, no moderation is ob
served. This was the reason why the patriarch Job w r as in
the habit of offering sacrifices, while his sons were feasting
alternately in each other s houses, (Job i. 5.) It was be
cause he thought that, when the guests invite one another
to mirth, they are far from maintaining due moderation, and
sin in a variety of ways.
Thus it happened that Herod, intending to give a rich
entertainment to his guests, permitted his wife s daughter to
dance. Hence, too, it appears what sort of discipline existed
at his court ; for, though most people at that time thought
themselves at liberty to dance, yet for a marriageable young
woman to dance w r as a shameful display of the impudence of
the strumpet. But the unchaste Herodias had moulded her
daughter Salome to her own manners in such a manner that
she might not bring disgrace upon her. 1 And what w r as the
consequence ? The wicked murder of a holy prophet.
The heat of wine had such an influence on Herod, that, for
getting gravity and prudence, he promised to a dancing
girl, that he would give her even to the half of his kingdom.
A shameful example truly, that a drunken king not only
1 " Si elle oust mieux fallu que sa mere ;" " if she were more highly
esteemed than her mother."
VOL. II. P
226 COMMENTARY ON A
permits himself to behold with approbation a spectacle 1
which was disgraceful to his family, but holds out such a
reward ! Let us therefore learn to be careful in anticipat
ing and resisting the devil, lest he entangle us in such snares.
Mark VI. 24. And she went out t and said to her mother.
We need not wonder that Herodias attached so much
importance to John s death. 2 The conjecture thrown out
by some that she was actuated by revenge is not at all
probable. It was rather the dread of being cast off that
inflamed and tormented her; as it usually happens that,
when adulterers are visited with feelings of uneasiness, they
become ashamed of their own lust. But she hoped that
this crime would bind Herod more closely to her than ever,
if the disgrace of a pretended marriage were washed out by
the blood of the prophet. That her power might be more
secure for the future, she longed for the death of that man
whom she imagined to be her only opponent ; and this shows
us the wretched anxiety by which a bad conscience is
always tormented. John was detained in prison, and the
haughty and cruel woman might have issued orders that no
man should converse with or approach him ; and yet she has
no rest, but is oppressed with anxiety and alarm, till the pro
phet be removed out of the way. This likewise serves to
show the power of the word of God, that the voice of the
holy man, even when shut up in prison, wounds and tortures
in the keenest manner the mind of the king s wife. 3
26. And the king being sorry. His heart, as we have said,
was no longer influenced by religious sentiments ; but, fore
seeing the detestation that will be excited by such a crime,
1 "Non seulement prend plaisir k nn fol passe-temps;" "not only
takes pleasure in a foolish pastime."
2 " De ce qu Herodias a estime un grand a vantage pour elle de faire
mourir lean ;" " that Herodias reckoned it a great advantage to her to
put John to death."
3 " Ne laisse pas d espouvanter asprement, et navrer au vif le coeur de
ceste femme ;" " fails not vehemently to alarm and cut to the quick the
heart of the woman."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 227
he dreads both the loss of character and positive harm, and
consequently repents of his levity. And yet he has not the
courage to give a refusal to a dancing girl, lest he should
incur the reproach of unsteadiness ; as if it were more dis
honourable to retract a rash and foolish promise than to per
sist in a heinous crime. With the wonted vanity of kings,
he does not choose that what he has once uttered shall be
recalled, and orders that the prophet shall be instantly slain.
We infer that Herod was at that time supping in the castle
of Macherus, where, Josephus tells us, John was imprisoned,
(Ant. xviii. 5. 2.)
On account of the oath, and of those who sat at table with
him. It deserves our attention that the Evangelists state
this to be the reason of his grief; and hence we infer that,
though he had sworn a hundred times, yet if there had besn
no witness, he would not have held by his oath. No inward
feelings of religion constrained Herod to do this, but the
mere love of power drove him headlong ; for he reckoned
that he would sink in the estimation of those who were pre
sent, if he did not fulfil his engagement. Thus it frequently
happens that ungodly men fail to perform their duty, be
cause they do not look to God, but are only intent on this
object, that they may not incur the reproaches of men. 1
But though Herod had kept before his eyes the sacredness
of an oath alone, and not the dread of the opinion of men,
he committed a more heinous offence in fulfilling; a foolish
O
promise than if he had violated his oath. First, he was
deeply in fault for such haste in swearing ; for the design of
an oath is to confirm a promise in a doubtful matter. Next,
when it appeared that he could not be relieved from his
engagement without involving himself in an aggravated
crime, he had no right to implicate the sacred name of God
in such wickedness ; for what could be more at variance
with the nature of God than to lend his countenance to a
shocking murder? If a private loss is at stake, let him who
has made a rash oath suffer the punishment of his folly ; but,
1 " Et ne se soucient seulement que d eviter le blasme et la moquerie
des homines ;" " and are only anxious to avoid the censure and ridicule
of men."
228 COMMENTARY ON A
when a man has taken the name of God in vain, let him be
ware of doubling his guilt by employing this as a pretence
for committing some enormous crime. Hence it follows,
that monastic vows, which are attended by open impiety, do
not bind the conscience any more than the enchantments of
magicians ; for it is not the will of God that his sacred name
shall give support to what is sinful. But this passage
teaches us, that we ought to beware of making promises
without consideration ; and next, that lightness must not be
followed by obstinacy.
28. And gave it to the girl. It was an additional aggrava
tion of this detestable crime, that the head of the holy man
was made, after his death, a matter of sport. But in this
way the Lord sometimes gives up his people to the pride of
wicked men, till he at length makes it evident that their blood
is precious in his sight, (Ps. cxvi. 15.) Herodias is delighted
with the thought of having gained her wicked purpose, and
cruelly triumphs over her reprover; but when afterwards,
stripped of her wealth, and not only deprived of the title of
queen, but driven from her native country, and destitute of
all means of support, she dragged out a wretched life in
poverty and banishment, she presented a spectacle gratifying
to angels and to all good people. When we perceive that
the guests are compelled to pollute their eyes by beholding
this detestable exhibition, let us learn from it, that those who
sit at the tables of kings are often involved in many crimes ;
for, granting that the table is not stained by murder, every
thing partakes so largely of all sorts of wickedness, that they
who approach to it must be at least given up to debauchery.
29. His disciples came. One thing only remained to com
plete the woman s cruelty. It was, to leave the corpse of
the holy man unburied ; for there is reason to believe that,
when his disciples performed this duty, the attendants of the
tyrant had thrown out the corpse. Though the honour of
burial is of no importance to the dead, yet it is the will of
the Lord that we should observe this ceremony as a token of
the last resurrection ; and therefore God was pleased with
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
229
the carefulness which was manifested by the disciples, when
they came to commit to the tomb the body of their master.
Moreover, it was an attestation of their piety ; for in this way
they declared that the doctrine of their master continued to
have a firm hold of their hearts after his death. This con
fession was therefore worthy of praise, more especially as it
was not without danger ; for they could not do honour to a
man who had been put to death by the executioner without
exciting against themselves the rage of the tyrant.
MATTHEW.
XIV. 13. When
Jesus heard this, he
departed thence in
a ship to a desert
place apart ; and
when the multitudes
heard it, they fol
lowed him on foot
out ofthecities. 14.
And Jesus, when
leaving (the ship,)
saw a great multi
tude, and was moved
with compassion
towards them, and
healed such of them
as were diseased. 15.
And when the even
ing was drawing on,
his disciples came
to him, saying, It
is a desert place,
and the time is now
past : send the mul
titudes away, that
they may go into
the villages, and
purchase victuals
for themselves. 16.
And Jesus said to
them, It is not ne
cessary that they
MARK.
VI. 30. And the Apostles
assembled to Jesus, and re
lated to him all things, both
what they had done and what
they had taught. 1 31. And
he said to them, Come you
apart into a desert place, and
rest for a little. For there
were many who were coming
and going, so that there was
not even leisure to take food. 2
32. And he went into a desert
place by ship apart. 33. And
the multitudes saw them de
parting, and many recognized
him, and ran hither on foot
out of all the cities, and went
before them, and came to
gether to him. 3-4. And
Jesus, as he was leaving (the
ship,) saw a great multitude,
and was moved with com
passion towards them, be
cause they were as sheep not
having a shepherd, and he
began to teach them many
things. 35. And when a
great part of the day was
already past, his disciples
came to him, saying, It is a
desert place, and the day is
now far advanced. 36. Send
LUKE.
IX. 10. And the
Apostles, having
returned, 3 related
to him all that they
had done. And he
took them, and with
drew apart into a
desert place, near a
city which is called
Bethsaida. 11. And
when the multitudes
knew it, they fol
lowed him ; and he
received them, and
spoke to them about
the kingdom of God,
and healed those
who needed healing.
12. And the day
began to decline ;
and the twelve ap
proached and said
to him, Send away
the multitudes, that
they may go into
the neighbouring
towns and villages,
and procure food ;
for we are here in a
desert place. 13.
And he said to them,
Give you to them
1 "Tout ce qu ils avoyent fait et enseigne ;" " all that they had done
and taught."
2 " Tellement qu ils n avoyent pas mesmes loisir de manger;" "so
that they had not even leisure to eat."
3 " Quand les Apostres furent retournez ;" " when the Apostles were
returned."
230
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
should go away :
give you to them
something to eat.
17. And they say
to him, We have
nothing here but
five loaves and two
fishes. 18. And he
said, Bring them
hither to me. 19.
And he commanded
the multitudes to
sit down on the
grass, and, taking
the five loaves and
the two fishes, and
raising his eyes to
heaven, he blessed. 1
And when he had
broken the loaves,
he gave them to
the disciples, and
the disciples to the
multitudes. 20. And
they all ate, and
were satisfied, and
carried away what
remained of the
fragments 2 twelve
baskets full. 21.
And they who had
eaten were nearly
five thousand men,
besides women and
children.
MARK.
them away, that they may go
into the surrounding towns
and villages, and purchase
bread for themselves ; for
they have nothing to eat.
37. And he answering said to
them, Give you to them some
thing to eat. And they said
to him, Shall we go and pur
chase bread for two hundred
pence, and give them some
thing to eat? 38. And he said
to them, How many loaves
have you ? Go and see. And
when they knew, they say,
Five, and two fishes. 39. And
he commanded them to make
them all sit down, arranging
the guests on the green grass.
40. And they sat down,
arranged in hundreds and
fifties. 41. And when he had
taken the five loaves and the
two fishes, raising his eyes to
heaven, he blessed, 3 and brake
the loaves, and gave to the
disciples to set before them,
and divided the two fishes
among them all. 42. And
they all ate, and were satisfied.
43. And they carried away
twelve baskets full of the frag
ments and of the fishes. 44.
Now they who had eaten were
about five thousand men.
LUKE.
something to eat.
And they said, We
have no more than
five loaves and two
fishes ; unless we
go and buy food
for all this people.
14. Now they were
about five thou
sand men. And
he saith to his dis
ciples, Make them
sit down, fifty in
each division. 15.
And they did so,
and made them all
sit down. 16. And,
taking the five
loaves and the two
fishes, he raised his
eyes to heaven, and
blessed them, and
broke them, 4 and
gave them to the
disciples to set be
fore the multitude.
17. And they all
ate, and -were satis
fied ; and there
was carried away
what was left of the
fragments^ twelve
baskets.
Matthew XIV. 13. When Jesus heard it. John, who
relates the same narrative, does not mention the reason why
Jesus crossed over to the opposite bank, (vi. 5.) Mark and
Luke differ somewhat from Matthew ; for they describe the
occasion of the journey to have been to give some repose to
his disciples, after that they had returned from their em
bassy. But there is no contradiction here ; for it is possible
that he intended to withdraw his disciples into a desert
1 " Rendit graces ;" " gave thanks."
2 " Puis recueillerent le residu des pieces des pains;" "then gathered
what was left of the pieces of bread."
3 " Rendit graces ;" " gave thanks."
4 " Les benit, et les rompit."
IIAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 231
place, in order that he might be more at leisure to train
them for higher labours, and that, about the same time, an
additional reason arose out of the death of John. Minds )
which were still feeble might have been terrified by the
death of John, learning from the melancholy end of that /
eminent prophet what condition awaited them all. Cer- \
tainly, as it was formerly related that, when John was im
prisoned, Christ removed from Herod s territory, in order to
avoid his fury for the time, so we may now infer that Christ,
in order to keep his trembling disciples at a distance from
the flame, withdrew into a desert place.
How long the Apostles were employed in their first em
bassy it is not in our power to determine ; for the Evangel
ists, as we have formerly remarked, either did not attend to
dates, or did not observe them with great exactness. I
think it highly probable that their commission to proclaim
the kingdom of Christ was not confined to a single occasion,
but that, as opportunities were offered, they either repeated
their visit to some places, or went to others after a lapse of
time. The words, they came together to him, I look upon as
meaning that ever afterwards they were his constant attend
ants ; as if the Evangelist had said, that they did not leave
their Master so as to be individually and constantly em
ployed in the ordinary office of teaching, but that, having
discharged a temporary commission, they went back to
school to make greater advances in learning.
They followed him on foot out of the cities. Though Christ,
who foresaw all things before they happened, was in no
respect ignorant of what would take place, yet he wished, as
a man, to forewarn his disciples, that the fact might testify
the anxiety which he had about them. The vast crowd that
had assembled shows how widely his fame was spread in
every direction : and this left the Jews without excuse in
depriving themselves, by their own carelessness, of the sal
vation which was offered to them ; for even out of this great
multitude, which was inflamed by a sudden zeal to follow
Christ, it is evident from what is stated by John, (vi. 66 ;
xii. 37,) that not more than a very small number yielded a
true and steady adherence to his doctrine.
232 COMMENTARY ON A
14. He was moved with compassion towards them. The
other two Evangelists, and particularly Mark, state more
clearly the reason why this compassion (<ru/x-ra^/a) was
awakened in the mind of Christ. It was because he saw
famishing souls, whom the warmth of zeal had carried away
from their homes and led into a desert place. This scarcity
of teaching indicated a wretched state of disorder ; and ac
cordingly Mark says that Jesus was moved with compassion
towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd.
Not that, as to his Divine nature, he looked upon them all
as sheep, but that, as man, he judged according to the pre
sent aspect of the case. It was no small manifestation of
piety that they left their own homes, and flocked in crowds
to the Prophet of God, though he purposely concealed him
self from them. Besides, it ought to be remarked, that
Christ was mindful of the character which he sustained ; for
he had been commanded to discharge the duties of a public
teacher, and was therefore bound to look upon all the Jews,
for the time being, as belonging to the flock of God and to
the Church, till they withdrew from it.
So strongly was Christ moved by this feeling of compas
sion, that though, in common with his disciples, he was
fatigued and almost worn out by uninterrupted toil, he did
not spare himself. He had endeavoured to obtain some
relaxation, and that on his own account as well as for the
sake of his disciples ; but when urgent duty calls him to
additional labour, he willingly lays aside that private con
sideration, 1 and devotes himself to teaching the multitudes.
Although he has now laid aside those feelings which belonged
to him as a mortal man, yet there is no reason to doubt that
he looks down from heaven on, poor sheep that have no
shepherd, provided they ask relief of their wants. Mark
says, that he began to teach them MANY things; that is, he
spent a long time in preaching, that they might reap some
lasting advantage. Luke says, that he spoke to them concern
ing the kingdom of God, which amounts to the same thing.
1 " Mettant arriere ceste consideration particuliere de donner repos au
corps ;" " setting aside that private consideration of giving rest to the
body."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 233
Matthew makes no mention of any thing but miracles, be
cause they were of great importance in establishing Christ s
reputation ; but it may naturally be concluded that he did
not leave out doctrine, which was a matter of the highest
importance.
15. When the evening was drawing on. The disciples had now
lost their object, and they see that Christ is again absorbed in
teaching, while the multitudes are so eager to receive instruc
tion that they do not think of retiring. They therefore advise
that, for the sake of attending to their bodily wants, Christ
should send them away into the neighbouring villages. He
had purposely delayed till now the miracle which he in
tended to perform ; first, that his disciples might consider it
more attentively, and might thus derive from it greater
advantage ; and next, that the very circumstance of the time
might convince them that, though he does not prevent, and
even does not immediately supply, the wants of his people,
yet he never ceases to care for them, but has always at hand
the assistance which he affords at the very time when it is
required.
16. Give you to them something to eat. As a fuller exposi
tion of this miracle will be found at the sixth chapter of
John s Gospel, instead of troubling my readers with a repeti
tion of what I have said, I would rather send them to that
exposition ; but rather than pass over this passage entirely,
I shall offer a brief recapitulation. Hitherto Christ had
bestowed his whule attention on feeding souls, but now he
includes within his duties as a shepherd the care even of their
bodies. And in this way he confirms his own saying, that to
those who seek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, all
other things will be added, (Matth. vi. 33.) We have no right,
indeed, to expect that Christ will ahvays follow this method
of supplying the hungry and thirsty with food ; but it is
certain that he will never permit his own people to want the
necessaries of life, but will stretch out his hand from heaven,
Avhenever he shall see it to be necessary to relieve their
necessities. Those who wish to have Christ for their pro-
234 COMMENTARY ON A
vider, must first learn not to long for refined luxuries, but to
be satisfied with barley-bread.
Christ commanded that the people should sit down in
companies ; and he did so, first, that by this arrangement of
the ranks the miracle might be more manifest; secondly,
that the number of the men might be more easily ascertained,
and that, while they looked at each other, they might in their
turn bear testimony to this heavenly favour. Thirdly, per
ceiving that his disciples were anxious, he intended to make
trial of their obedience by giving them an injunction which
at first sight appeared to be absurd ; for, as no provisions
were at hand, there was reason to wonder why Christ was
making arrangements that resembled a feast. To the same
purpose is what follows, that he gave them the loaves, in order
that in their hands the astonishing increase might take place,
and that they might thus be the ministers of Christ s divine
power ; for as if it had been of small importance that they
should be eye-witnesses, Christ determined that his power
should be handled by them. 1 Two hundred pence, according
to the computation of Budreus, are worth about thirty-four
French livres ; 2 and so when the disciples speak of what is
sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little, they
calculate at the rate of a farthing for each individual. Form
ing so high an estimate of the sum of money that would be
required to purchase bread barely sufficient for procuring a
anorsel to the people, they are entitled to no small praise for
their obedience, when they implicitly comply with the com
mand of Christ, and leave the result to his disposal.
1 " Car Christ ne se contentant point de leur faire voir de leurs propres
yeux sa vertu, a voulu mesme qu elle passast par leurs mains, et qu ils la
touchassent ;" " for Christ, not satisfied with making them see his power
with their own eyes, determined even that it should pass through their
hands, and that they should touch it."
2 The value of a livre was so much affected both by time and by place,
that it is not easy to determine with exactness how it was rated by
BUD^EUS or CALVIN. Most probably, the reference is to la livre Parisis,
which was three times the value of a franc, or about two shillings and
sixpence sterling ; and thirty-four of these would amount to four pound*,
five shillings, sterling. Now reckoning the Roman denarius, or the eighth
part of an ounce of silver, to be worth sevenpence halfpenny of our own
money, une livre Parisis must have been equal to four denarii, and there
fore two hundred denarii must have been worth not thirty-four but fifty
livres Parisis, or six pounds, Jive shillings, sterling. Ed.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 235
19. He blessed. In this passage, as in many others, Mess
ing denotes thanksgiving. Now Christ has taught us, by his
example, that we cannot partake of our food with holiness
and purity, unless we express our gratitude to God, from
whose hand it comes to us. Accordingly, Paul tells us, that
every kind of food which God bestows upon us is sanctified
ly the ivord of God and prayer, (1 Tim. iv. 5 ;) by which he
means, that brutal men, who do not regard by faith the
blessing of God, and do not offer to him thanksgiving, cor
rupt and pollute by the filth of their unbelief all that is by
nature pure ; and, on the other hand, that they are corrupted
and defiled by the food which they SAvallow, because to un
believers nothing is clean. Christ has therefore laid down
for his followers the proper manner of taking food, that they
may not profane their own persons and the gifts of God by
wicked sacrilege.
Raising his eyes towards heaven. This expresses warm and
earnest supplication. Not that such an attitude is at all times
necessary when we pray, but because the Son of God did not
choose to disregard the outward forms which are fitted to aid
human weakness. It ought also to be taken into account,
that to raise the eyes upwards is an excitement well fitted to
arouse us from sloth, when our minds are too strongly fixed
on the earth.
20. And carried away what was left. The fragments that
remained after satisfying so vast a multitude of men were
more than twelve times larger in quantity than what was at
first put into their hands, and this contributed not a little to
the splendour of the miracle. In this way all came to know
that the power of Christ had not only created out of nothing
the food that was necessary for immediate use, but that, if it
should be required, there was also provision for future wants ;
and, in a word, Christ intended that, after the miracle had
been wrought, a striking proof of it should still remain, which,
after being refreshed by food, they might contemplate at
leisure.
Now though Christ does not every day multiply our bread,
or feed men without the labour of their hands or the cultiva-
236
COMMENTARY ON A
tion of their fields, the advantage of this narrative extends
even to us. If we do not perceive that it is the blessing of
God which multiplies the corn, that we may have a suffi
ciency of food, the only obstacle is, our own indolence and
ingratitude. That, after we have been supported by the
annual produce, there remains seed for the following year,
and that this could not have happened but for an increase
from heaven, each of us would easily perceive, were he not
hindered by that very depravity which blinds the eyes both
of the mind and of the flesh, so as not to see a manifest work
of God. Christ intended to declare that, as all things have
been delivered into his hands by the Father, so the food
which we eat proceeds from his grace.
MATTHEW.
XIV. 22. And immediately Jesus con
strained his disciples to embark, and to
go before him to the opposite bank, till
he had sent away the multitudes. 23.
And when he had sent away the multi
tudes, he went up into a mountain alone
to pray ; and when the evening came, he
was there alone. 24. But the ship was
now in the midst of the sea, tossed with
waves ; for the wind was contrary. 25.
And about the fourth watch of the night
Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
26. And when the disciples saw him walk
ing on the sea, they were terrified, say
ing, It .is an apparition, and cried out for
fear. 27. But immediately Jesus spoke
to them, saying, Take courage; it is I,
be not afraid. 28. And Peter replying
to him said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me
come to thee on the water. 29. And he
said, Come. And when Peter had come
down out of the ship, he walked on the
water, to go to Jesus. 30. But when he
perceived the wind to be boisterous, he
was afraid ; and when he began to sink,
he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31.
And immediately Jesus stretched out
his hand and caught him, and said to
him, O man of little faith, why didst thou
doubt ? 32. And when they had entered
into the ship, the wind ceased. 33. Then
MAKK.
VI. 45. And immediately
he constrained his disciples to
embark, and to go before him,
across the lake, to Bethsaida,
while he sent away the multi
tude. 46. And when he had
sent them away, he went into
the mountain 1 to pray. 47.
And when the evening came,
the ship was in the midst of
the sea, and he was alone on
the land. 48. And he saw
that they had difficulty in
rowing, (for the wind was con
trary to them ;) and about the
fourth watch of the night he
came to them, walking on the
sea, and intended to pass by
them. 49. But when they saw
him walking on the sea, they
thought that it was an appa
rition, and cried out ; 50. For
they all saw him, and were
alarmed. And immediately
he spoke to them, and said to
them, Take courage; it is I, be
not afraid. 51. And he went
up to them into the ship, and
the wind ceased ; and they
were greatly astonished within
themselves beyond measure,
1 " En hi montagne."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 237
MATTHEW. MARK.
they that were in the ship approached and wondered. 52. For they
and worshipped him, saying, Truly thou had not understood about the
art the Son of God. loaves ; for their heart was
blinded. 1
Matthew XIY. 22. And immediately J SUB constrained his
disciples. They must have been constrained; for they would
never, of their own accord, have left him, and gone to the
other side. No\v in this they testify their great veneration
for him, when, contrary to their own opinions, they yield to
his command and obey it. And, indeed, it had an appearance
of absurdity, that he should remain alone in a desert place,
when night was approaching. But so much the greater com
mendation is due to the submissiveness of those who set a
higher value on the authority of their heavenly teacher than
on all that could be pleaded on the other side. And, indeed,
we do not truly and perfectly obey God, unless we implicitly
follow whatever he commands, though our feelings may be
opposed to it. There is always the best reason, no doubt,
for every thing that God does ; but he often conceals it from
us for a time, in order to instruct us not to be wise in our
selves, but to depend entirely on the expression of his will.
And thus Christ constrained his disciples to cross over, in order
to train them to that rule of obedience which I have men
tioned ; though there cannot be a doubt that he intended to
prepare the way for the miracle which will immediately come
under our consideration.
23. He went up into a mountain alone. It is probable that
the Son of God, who was fully aware of the tempest that
was coming on, did not neglect the safety of his disciples in
his prayers ; and yet we naturally \vonder that he did not
rather prevent the danger than employ himself in prayer.
But in discharging all the parts of his office as Mediator, he
showed himself to be God and man, and exhibited proofs of
1 " Car ils n avoyent point entendu le faict des pains, d autant que
leur coeur estoit aveugle, on, estourdi ;" "for they had not understood
what happened as to the loaves, because their heart was blinded, or, le-
wildered."
238 COMMENTARY OX A
both natures, as opportunities occurred. Though he had all
things at his disposal, he showed himself to be a man by
praying ; and this he did not hypocritically, but manifested
sincere and human affection towards us. In this manner his
divine majesty was for a time concealed, but was afterwards
displayed at the proper time.
In going up into the mountain he consulted his convenience,
that he might have more leisure for praying when removed
from all noise. We know how easily the slightest interrup
tions destroy the ardour of prayer, or at least make it lan
guish and cool. Though Christ was in 110 danger of this
fault, yet he intended to warn us by his example, that we
ought to be exceedingly careful to avail ourselves of every
assistance for setting our minds free from all the snares of
the world, that we may look direct towards heaven. Now
in this respect solitude has a powerful influence, by dispos
ing those who engage in prayer, when God is their only wit
ness, to be more on their guard, to pour their heart into his
bosom, to be more diligent in self-examination ; and, in a
word remembering that they have to do with God to rise
above themselves. At the same time, it must be observed,
that he did not lay down a fixed rule, as if we were never
permitted to pray except in retirement ; for Paul enjoins us
to pray everywhere, lifting up clean hands, (1 Tim. ii. 8 ;) and
Christ himself sometimes prayed in presence of others, and
even instructed his disciples to assemble together for offering
social prayer. But that permission to pray in all places
does not hinder them from engaging in secret prayer at
proper seasons.
24. The ship was now in the midst of the sea. The reader
will find this narrative expounded by me at the sixth chapter
of John s Gospel, and therefore I shall treat it more briefly
here. When Christ permitted his disciples to be tossed
about in a perilous condition, for a time, by an opposing
storm, it was to fix their attention more powerfully on the
assistance which he brought to them. For the adverse wind
arose about midnight, or at least a little before it, and Christ
appears about the fourth watch, that is, three hours before
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 239
sunrise. Their arms were not more fatigued by rowing than
their faith was shaken by grievous terrors. But when they
were urged by strong necessity to desire the presence of their
Master, it showed very extraordinary stupidity to be alarmed
at his appearance as if he had been a ghost.
For this reason Mark tells us, that their heart was blinded,
and that they understood not about the loaves ; for that miracle
had given abundant evidence that Christ possessed divine
power to assist his followers, and that he was careful to assist
them, when necessity required. Justly, therefore, are they
now charged with stupidity in not immediately recollecting
that heavenly power, having beheld, on the preceding day,
so astonishing a proof of it, which ought to have been still
before their eyes. It is, no doubt, true, that their blame
worthy slowness of apprehension Avas the reason why they
were astonished ; for they had not profited, as they ought to
have done, by other and preceding miracles. But the prin
cipal charge brought against them is blindness, in allowing so
recent an exhibition to fade from their memory, or rather in
not directing their mind to the contemplation of Christ s
divinity, of which the multiplication of the loaves was a
sufficiently bright mirror.
Two things are expressed by the words of Mark ; first,
that they did not properly consider the glory of Christ, which
was exhibited in the multiplication of the loaves; and, secondly,
a reason is assigned, that their heart was blinded. This appears
to have been added, not only as an aggravation of their fault,
but as a warning to us respecting the corruption of our under
standing, that we may seek from the Lord new eyes. It
certainly was a proof as I have lately mentioned of brutal
ignorance, that they did not perceive the power of God, when
they might almost feel it with their hands ; but as the whole
human race labours under the same disease, Mark purposely
mentions blindness, in order to inform us that it is no new
thing if men have their eyes closed against the manifest works
of God, till they are enlightened from above ; as Moses also
said, The Lord hath not yet given thee a heart to understand,
(Deut. xxix. 4.) Now though the word heart more frequently
denotes the will or the seat of the affections, yet here, as in
240 COMMENTARY ON A
that passage which I have now quoted from Moses, it is put
for the understanding.
27. But immediately Jesus spake to them. As Christ is not
known to be a Deliverer till he actually makes his appear
ance, he speaks, and desires his disciples to recognize him.
That confidence, to which he exhorts them, is represented
by him as founded on his presence ; plainly implying that,
since they perceive him to be present with them, there are
abundant grounds of hope. But as terror had already over
powered their minds, he corrects that terror, lest it should
hinder or abate their confidence : not that they could all at
once lay aside fear and experience unmingled joy, but be
cause it was necessary that the fear which had seized them
should be allayed, that it might not destroy their confidence.
Although to the reprobate the voice of the Son of God is
deadly, and his presence appalling, yet the effect which they
produce on believers is here described to us as widely differ
ent. They cause inward peace and strong confidence to hold
the sway over our hearts, that we may not yield to carnal
fears. But the reason why we are disturbed by unfounded
and sudden alarms is, that our ingratitude and wickedness
prevent us from employing as shields the innumerable gifts
of God, which, if they were turned to proper account, would
give us all necessary support. Now though Christ appeared
at the proper time for rendering assistance, yet the storm
did not immediately cease, till the disciples were more fully
aroused both to desire and to expect his grace. And this
deserves our attention, as conveying the instruction, that
there are good reasons why the Lord frequently delays to
bestow that deliverance which he has ready at hand.
28. And Peter answering. The condition which he lays
down shows that his faith was not yet fully settled. If it is
thou, says he, bid me come to thee on the water. But he had
heard Christ speak. Why then does he still argue with
himself under doubt and perplexity ? While his faith is so
small and weak, a wish not well considered bursts into a
flame. He ought rather to have judged of himself accord-
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 241
ing to his capacity, and to have supplicated from Christ an
increase of faith, that by its guidance and direction he might
walk over seas and mountains. But now, without the wind s
O
of faith, he desires to fly at will ; and though the voice of
Christ has not its due weight in his heart, he desires that the
waters should be firm under his feet. And yet there is no
room to doubt that this longing sprung from a good prin
ciple ; but as it degenerates into a faulty excess, it cannot be
applauded as good.
Hence too it happens that Peter immediately begins to
smart for his rashness. Let believers, therefore, instructed
by his example, beware of excessive haste. Wherever the
Lord calls, we ought to run with alacrity ; but whoever pro
ceeds farther, will learn from the mournful result what it is
to overleap the bounds which the Lord has prescribed. Yet
it may be asked, Why does Christ comply with Peter s
wish ? for by so doing he seems to approve of it. But the
answer is obvious. In many cases God promotes our inter
ests better by refusing our requests ; but at times he yields
to us, that by experience we may be the more fully convinced
of our own folly. In this manner, it happens every day that,
by granting to those who believe in him more than is actually
needed, he trains them to modesty and sober-mindedness for
the future. Besides, this was of advantage to Peter and to
the other disciples, and it is of advantage to us at the pre
sent day. The power of Christ shone more brightly in the
person of Peter, when he admitted him as a companion, than
if he had walked alone on the waters. But Peter knows,
and the rest see plainly, that, when he does not rest with a
firm faith, and rely on the Lord, the secret power of God,
which formerly made the water solid, begins to disappear ;
and yet Christ dealt gently with him by not permitting him
to sink entirely under the waters. 1 Both of these things
happen to us ; for as Peter w r as no sooner seized with fear
than he began to sink, so the fleeting and transitory thoughts
of the flesh immediately cause us to sink in the midst of our
1 " Ne permettant qu il enfondre du tout en 1 eau, et se noye ;" " not
allowing him to sink entirely in the water, and be drowned."
VOL. II. Q
242 COMMENTARY ON A
course of employments. 1 Meanwhile, the Lord indulges our
weakness, and stretches out his hand, that the waters may
not swallow us up altogether. It must also be observed that
Peter, when he perceives the unhappy and painful conse
quences of his rashness, betakes himself to the mercy of
Christ. And we too, though enduring just punishment,
ought to betake ourselves to him, that he may have com
passion on us, and bestow the aid of which we are unworthy.
31. O man of little faith. While our Lord kindly preserves
Peter, he does not connive at Peter s fault. Such is the
object of the chastisement administered, when Peter is blamed
for the weakness of his faith. But a question arises, Does
every kind of fear give evidence of a weakness of faith ? for
Christ s words seem to imply that, where faith reigns, there
is no room for doubt. 2 I reply : Christ reproves here that
kind of doubt which was directly opposed to faith. A man
may sometimes doubt without any fault on his part ; and
that is, when the word of the Lord does not speak with
certainty on the matter. But the case was quite different
with Peter, who had received an express command from
Christ, and had already experienced his power, and yet
leaves that twofold support, and falls into foolish and wicked
fear.
33. They that were in the ship. I understand these words
to refer not only to the disciples, but to the sailors and other
passengers. So then those who had not yet declared that
he was their Master, instantly acknowledge that he is the
Son of God, and by this term render to him the honour of
the Messiah. Though at that time this lofty mystery was
not generally known, how God was to be manifested in the
flesh, (1 Tim. iii. 16,) yet as they had learned from the pro-
1 " Ainsi les vaines et folles pensees de la chair font qu a tous coups
nous defaillons au milieu des afi aires, comme si nous estions plongez en
1 eau iusques par dessus la teste ;" " so the vain and foolish thoughts of
the flesh cause us to stumble at every step in the midst of business, as if
we were plunged in the water over the head."
2 " Que Doute et Crainte ne peuvent avoir lieu ou la foy regne ;"
" that Doubt and Fear cannot have place where faith reigns."
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 243
phets, that he who was to be the Redeemer would be called
the Son of God, those who under this designation proclaim
the glory of Christ, declare their belief that he is the Christ. 1
MATTHEW. MAEK.
XIV. 34. And when they VI. 53. And when they had passed
had passed over, they came over, they came into the country of Gen-
into the country of Gen- nesareth, and landed. 54. And when
nesareth. 35. And when they had left the ship, they immediately
the men of that place had knew him. 2 55. And, running through all
recognized him, they sent mes- that country round about, they began to
sengers into all the surround- carry to him in beds those that were sick,
ing country, and brought to wheresoever they heard that he was.
him all that were diseased, 56. And to what place soever he went,
36. And besought him that into villages, or into cities, or into towns,
they might touch only the they laid the diseased in the streets, and
fringe of his robe ; and as besought him that they might touch only
many as touched were made the fringe of his robe ; and as many as
whole. touched him were healed.
Matthew XIV. 34. They came into the country of Gen-
nesareth. The Evangelists give that designation to the
country which borrowed its name from the lake, though it is
uncertain if it was not rather the name of the country that
was bestowed on the lake ; but that is a matter of little con
sequence. Our chief business is, to attend to the object
which the Evangelists have in view. It is, to show that the
glory of Christ was attested not by one or by another miracle,
but that this part of Judea was filled with innumerable proofs
of it, the report of which might easily be carried to Jerusalem
and to other towns in every direction. Hence we infer, that
singularly base and wicked must have been the ingratitude
of that nation which wickedly shut its eyes from perceiving,
and even endeavoured, as far as lay in its power, to extinguish
the brightness of the divine glory which was exhibited be
fore them. Our present business is, to perceive, amidst so
large an assemblage of miracles, the reason why Christ came,
which was, that he might offer himself as a physician to heal
1 " Declarent qu ils croyent qu il est le Christ et le Messias ;" " declare
that they believe that he is the Christ and the Messiah."
2 " (Les gens) le cognurent incontinent ;" " (the people) immediately
knew him."
244 COMMENTARY ON A
all the diseases of all men. 1 For we must bear in mind what
Matthew had formerly quoted from the Prophet Isaiah,
(liii. 4,) that in healing bodies he shadowed out something
greater, namely, that he restores our souls to health, and that
it is his peculiar office to remove spiritual diseases. 2 He is
not now an inhabitant of the earth ; but it is certain that,
now that he is in heaven, he is authorized to bestow those
favours of which he then exhibited a visible proof. Now as
we labour under every kind of diseases till he heal us, let
each of us not only present himself to him, but endeavour to
bring others who need the same remedy.
36. That they might touch the fringe. There is reason to
believe that they were under the influence of some supersti
tion, when they limited the grace of Christ to a touch of his
robe ; at least, they defrauded him of a part of his honour,
since they did not expect any efficacy 3 to be derived from
his bare word. But that he may not quench the smoking flax,
(Isa. xlii. 3,) he accommodates himself to their ignorance. Yet
there is nothing here that lends countenance to the views of
those who seek the grace of God in wood, or nails, or robes ;
while Scripture expressly declares, that we have no right to
form any conception respecting Christ but what is spiritual
and consistent with his heavenly glory. The weakness of
those who, not knowing that Christ is God, desired to make
a nearer approach to him, was endured for a time. Now
that he fills heaven and earth with the sweet savour of his
grace, we must embrace not with hands or eyes, but by
faith the salvation which he offers to us from heaven.
1 "En^guairissant toutes sortes de maladies en toutes personnes ;"
; by healing all kinds of diseases in all persons."
2 See Harmony, vol. i. p. 251.
^ Yeu qu ils n esperoyent point de sentir aucun secours de sa vertu ;"
" since they did not hope to experience any relief from his power."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
245
MATTHEW.
XV. 1. Then scribes
and Pharisees, who had
come from Jerusalem,
approach to Jesus, saying,
2. Why do thy disciples
transgress the tradition of
the elders ? for they wash
riot their hands when they
eat bread. 3. But he
answering said to them,
Why do you also trans
gress the commandment of
God on account of 1 your
tradition ? 4. For God
commanded, saying, Hon
our thy father and mother;
and, He that curseth father
or mother, dying let him
die. 5. But you say,
Whosoever shall say to his
father or mother, What
ever is a gift from me shall
profit thee ; and shall not
honour his father or his
mother. 6. Therefore you
have annulled the com
mandment of God on ac
count of your tradition,
7. Hypocrites, Isaiah hath
justly prophesied concern
ing you, saying, 8. This
people draw nigh to me with
their mouth, and honour
me with the lips ; but their
heart is far distant from
me. 9. But in vain do
they worship me, teaching
doctrines, commandments
of men.
MARK.
VII. 1. And the Pharisees, and some of
the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem,
assemble to him. 2. And when they saw
some of his disciples eat bread with common,
that is to say, with unwashen hands, they
found fault. 3. For the Pharisees, and all
the Jews, do not take food without frequently
washing their hands, holding the traditions
of the elders ; 4 . And returning from market,
they eat not till they have washed ; and many
other things are there which they have under
taken to keep, namely, the washings of cups,
and pots, and brazen vessels, and beds.
5. Then the Phai isees and scribes ask him,
saying, Why do not thy disciples walk accord
ing to the tradition of the elders, but eat
bread with unwashen hands? 6. And he
answering said to them, Well hath Isaiah
prophesied concerning you hypocrites, as it
is written, This people honour me with the
lips, but their heart is far from me. 7. But
in vain do they worship me, teaching doc
trines, commandments of men. 8. For, lay
ing aside the commandment of God, you keep
a tradition of men, the washings of pots and
cups, and many other things similar to these
you do. 9. And he said to them, Well do
you reject the commandment of God, that
you may keep your own tradition, 10. For
Moses said, Honour thy father and mother ;
and, He that curseth father or mother, dying
let him die. 11. But you say, If a man shall
say to his father or mother, Every Corban
(that is, gift) that comethfrom me shall profit
thee. 12. And you do not permit him to do
any thing more to his father or his mother.
13. Annulling the word of God by your
tradition, which you have delivered ; and
many things similar to this you do.
Matthew XY. 1. Then scribes and Pharisees. As the
fault that is here corrected is not only common but highly
dangerous, the passage is particularly worthy of our attention.
We see the extraordinary insolence that is displayed by men
as to the form and manner of worshipping God ; for they
are perpetually contriving new modes of worship, and when
any one wishes to be thought wiser than others, he displays
1 " Propter f " par vostre ordonnance ;" u by your statute."
246 COMMENTARY ON A
his ingenuity on this subject. I speak not of foreigners, but
of the very domestics of the Church, on whom God has
conferred the peculiar honour of declaring with their lips the
rule of godliness. God has laid down the manner in which
he wishes that we should worship him, and has included in
his law the perfection of holiness. Yet a vast number of men,
as if it were a light and trivial matter to obey God and to
keep what he enjoins, collect for themselves, on every hand,
many additions. Those who occupy places of authority
bring forward their inventions for this purpose, as if they
were in possession of something more perfect than the word
of the Lord. This is followed by the slow growth of tyranny ;
for, when men have once assumed to themselves the right to
issue commands, they demand a rigid adherence to their
laws, and do not allow the smallest iota to be left out, either
through contempt or through forgetfulness. The world
cannot endure lawful authority, and most violently rebels
against enduring the Lord s yoke, and yet easily and will
ingly becomes entangled in the snares of vain traditions;
nay, such bondage appears to be, in the case of many, an
object of desire. Meanwhile, the worship of God is cor
rupted, of which the first and leading principle is obedience.
The authority of men is preferred to the command of God.
Sternly, and therefore tyrannically, are the common people
compelled to give their whole attention to trifles. This
passage teaches us, first, that all modes of worship invented
by men are displeasing to God, because he chooses that he
alone shall be heard, in order to train and instruct us in true
godliness according to his own pleasure ; secondly, that
those who are not satisfied with the only law of God, and
weary themselves by attending to the traditions of men, are
uselessly employed; thirdly, that an outrage is committed
against God, when the inventions of men are so highly ex
tolled, that the majesty of his law is almost lowered, or at
least the reverence for it is abated.
Scribes who had come from Jerusalem. With what design
those scribes came to Jesus is not stated ; but I think it pro
bable that their attention was excited by his fame, and that
they came with the desire of receiving instruction, provided
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 247
that they should approve of him as a competent teacher ; l
though it is possible that they were sent to spy. However
that may be, as they had brought their haughty disdain
along with them, they are easily provoked by the slightest
offence to bite or snarl at Christ. Hence we see with what
difficulty those who are influenced by ambition and the lust
of power are brought to submit to sound doctrine. Those
especially whose attachment to ceremonies has been strength
ened by long practice cannot endure any novelty, but loudly
condemn every thing to which they have not been accus
tomed. In short, any thing more haughty or more disdain
ful than this class of men cannot be imagined.
Both Evangelists mention that they were scribes and Phari
sees ; but Matthew puts the scribes first, and Mark puts
them second. They convey the same meaning, that the
scribes belonged to various sects, but that the Pharisees were
the leaders, because they occupied an honourable station,
and at that time held the government. That the Pharisees
should be the first to take offence at disregard of the laws of
which they were authors ought not to excite surprise ; for,
as we have said, though they boasted that they were ex
pounders of the law, and though their name was derived
from that circumstance, 2 they had corrupted by their inven
tions the purity of the word of God. All the traditions
that then existed among the Jews had come out of their
workshop ; 3 and this was the reason why they displayed more
than ordinary zeal and bitterness in defending them.
2. Why do thy disciples transgress ? When we speak of
human traditions, this question has no reference to political
laws, the use and object of which are widely different from
enjoining the manner in which we ought to worship God.
But as there are various kinds of human traditions, we must
make some distinction among them. Some are manifestly
1 u En cas qu ils 1 eiissent trouvc bon maistre a leur gre ;" " provided
that they should find him to be a good master to their liking."
2 See Harmony, vol. i. p. 281.
3 " Elles avoyent este forgees en leur boutique;" "they had been
manufactured in their workshop."
248 COMMENTARY OX A
wicked, for they inculcate acts of worship which are wicked
and diametrically opposed to the word of God. Others of
them mingle profane trifles with the worship of God, and
corrupt its purity. Others, which are more plausible, and
are not chargeable with any remarkable fault, are condemned
on this ground, that they are imagined to be necessary to
the worship of God ; and thus there is a departure from
sincere obedience to God alone, and a snare is laid for the
conscience.
To this last description the present passage unquestion
ably relates ; for the ivashing of hands, on which the Phari
sees insisted, could not in itself be charged with wicked
superstition ; otherwise Christ would not have permitted the
water-pots to be used at the marriage, (John ii. 6,) if it had
not been an allowable ceremony ; but the fault lay in this,
that they did not think that God could be properly wor
shipped in any other way. It was not without a specious
pretext that the practice of washings was first introduced.
We know how rigidly the Law of God demands outward
cleanness ; not that the Lord intended that this should
occupy the whole attention of his servants, but that they
might be more careful to guard against every spiritual de
filement. But in washings the Law preserved some mode
ration. Next came teachers, who thought that they would
not be reckoned sufficiently acute, if they did not make
some appendage to the word of God; 1 and hence arose
washings of which no mention was made in the Law. The
legislators themselves did not give out that they delivered
any thing new, 2 but only that they administered cautions,
which would be of service to assist in keeping the Law of
God. But this was immediately followed by great abuse,
when ceremonies introduced by men began to be regarded
as a part of divine worship; and again, when in matters
that were free and voluntary uniformity was absolutely
1 " Sinon qu ils adioustassent a la parole de Dieu quelques repetasseries
de leur invention ;" " if they did not add to the word of God some
patches of their own invention."
u Les premiers autheurs de ces loix ne disoyent pas qu ils voulussent
commander rien de nouveau ;" "the first authors of these laws did not
say that they intended to issue any new command."
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 249
enjoined. For it was always the will of God, as we have
already said, that he should be worshipped according to the
rule laid down in his word, and therefore no addition to his
Law can be endured. Now as he permits believers to have
outward ceremonies, by means of which they may perform
the exercises of godliness, so he does not suffer them to mix
up those ceremonies with his own word, as if religion con
sisted in them. 1
For they wash not their hands. The ground of offence is
explained more fully by Mark ; but the substance of his
explanation is, that many things were practised by the
scribes, which they had voluntarily undertaken to keep.
They were secondary laws invented by the curiosity of men,
as if the plain command of God were not enough. God
commanded that those who had contracted any defilement
should wash themselves, (Lev. xi. 25, 28;) and this extended
to cups, and pots, and raiment, and other articles of house
hold furniture, (Lev. xi. 32,) that they might not touch
any thing that was polluted or unclean. But to invent
other ablutions was idle and useless. 2 They were not desti
tute of plausibility, as Paul tells us that the inventions of
men have an appearance of wisdom, (Col. ii. 23 ;) but if they
had rested in the Law of God alone, that modesty would
have been more agreeable to Him than solicitude about
small matters.
They were desirous to warn a person not to take food
while he was unclean, through want of consideration ; but
the Lord reckoned it enough to wash away those defile
ments of which they were aware. Besides, no end or limit
could.be set to such cautions ; for they could scarcely move
a finger without contracting some new spot or stain. But a
far worse abuse lay in this, that the consciences of men
Avere tormented with scruples which led them to regard
1 " Qu ellcs soyent meslees avec sa Parole, et mises en mesme rang,
cornme si quelque partie du service de Dieu gisoit en icelles;" "that
they should be mixed with his Word, and put in the same rank, as if any
part of the worship of God lay in them."
2 u C a este un amusement de gens oisifs, et qui ne S9avoyent que
faire ;" u it was an amusement of persons that were idle, and did not
know what to do."
250 COMMENTARY ON A
every person as chargeable with pollution, who did not on
every occasion wash his body with water. In persons who
belonged to a private rank they would perhaps have over
looked the neglect of this ceremony ; but as they had ex
pected from Christ and his disciples something uncommon
and extraordinary, they reckoned it unbecoming that cere
monies, which were traditions of the elders, and the practice
of which was held sacred by the scribes, should not be ob
served by the disciples of a master who undertook to reform
the existing state of things.
It is a great mistake to compare the sprinkling of the
water of purification, or, as the Papists call it, blessed water,
with the Jewish washing; for, by repeating so frequently
the one baptism, 1 Papists do all that is in their power to
efface it. Besides, this absurd sprinkling is used for exor
cising. 2 But if it were lawful in itself, and were not accom
panied by so many abuses, still we must always condemn
the urgency with which they demand it as if it were indis
pensable.
3. Why do you also transgress ? There are here two answers
that are given by Christ, the former of which is addressed,
as we say, to the person ; while the latter decides as to the
fact and the question in hand. Mark inverts that order ; for
he first represents Christ as speaking on the whole subject,
and afterwards adds the reproof w r hich is directed against
hypocrites. We shall follow the narrative of Matthew.
When the Lord, in his turn, puts the question to the scribes
why they break the Law of God on account of their tradi
tions, he does not as yet pronounce a direct acquittal of his
disciples from the crime charged against them ; but only
points out how improper and unwarrantable is this readiness
to take offence. They are displeased when the commandments
1 "Le Baptesme, qui suffit une fois receu;" "Baptism, which is
enough when once received."
2 " En apres, ceste badinerie d eau beniste est appliquee a faire exor-
cismes et coniurations, et ils croyent fermement qu elle a vertu d effacer
les pechez ;" " Besides, this foolery of blessed water is applied to exor
cising and conjuring, and they firmly believe that it has power to blot
out sins."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 251
of men are not observed with exactness ; and how much more
criminal is it to spend the whole time in observing them, to
the disregard of the law of God ? It is manifest, therefore,
that their wrath is kindled rather by ambition than by a
proper kind of zeal, when they thus prefer men to God.
When he says that they transgress the commandments of
God, the meaning of the expression is easily learned from the
context. They did not openly or professedly set aside the
law of God, so as to look upon any thing as lawful which the
law had forbidden ; but there w r as an indirect transgression of
it, for they permitted duties which God had enjoined to be
neglected with impunity. A plain and familiar instance is
adduced by Christ. The commandment of God is, that
children shall honour their parents, (Exod. xx. 12.) Now
as the sacred offerings yielded emolument to the priests, the
observance of them was so rigidly enforced, that men were
taught to regard it as a more heinous sin not to make a free
will offering than to defraud a parent of what was justly due
to him. In short, what the Law of God declared to be
voluntary was, in the estimation of the scribes, of higher
value than one of the most important of the commandments
of God. Whenever we are so eager to keep the laws of men
as to bestow less care and attention on keeping the law of
God itself, we are held as transgressing it. Shortly after
wards he says, that they had annulled the commandment of
God on account of the traditions of men ; for the scribes led the
people to entertain so strong an attachment to their own in
junctions, that they did not allow them leisure to attend to
the word of God. Again, as they reckoned those persons to
have discharged their duty well who obeyed these injunctions
to the letter, hence arose a liberty to commit sin ; for when
ever holiness is made to consist in any thing else than in ob
serving the Law of God, men are led to believe that the law
may be violated without danger.
Let any man now consider whether this wickedness does
not at present abound more among the Papists than it formerly
did among the Jews. It is not indeed denied by the Pope,
or by the whole of his filthy clergy, that we ought to obey
God ; but when we come to the point, we find that they
252 COMMENTARY ON A
consider the act of eating a morsel of flesh as nothing less
than a capital crime, while theft or fornication is regarded as
a venial fault, and thus, on account of their traditions, they
overturn the Law of God ; for it is utterly insufferable that
the enactments of men shall withdraw any part of that obe
dience which is due to God alone. Besides, the honour
which God commands to be yielded to parents extends to all
the duties of filial piety. 1 The latter clause which Christ
adds, that he who curseth father or mother deserves to be put
to death, is intended to inform us, that it is no light or un
important precept to honour parents, since the violation of it
is so severely punished. And this is no small aggravation of
the guilt of the scribes, that so severe a threatening does not
terrify them from granting an extension of liberty to those
who despised their parents.
5. Bat you say, fyc. The mode of expression is defective,
and is more fully exhibited by Mark, who adds, you suffer
them not to do anything more to their father or to their mother.
The meaning is, that the scribes were altogether wrong in
acquitting those persons who fail to perform their duties to
their parents, provided that this deficiency be supplied, on
their part, by a voluntary sacrifice, which might have been
omitted without offending God. For we must not under
stand Christ s words to bear that the scribes had forbidden
men to render all proper obedience ; 2 but they were so eager
to pursue their own gain, that children were allowed, in the
meantime, to neglect their duties to their parents.
7. Well hath Isaiah prophesied concerning you. Our Lord
now proceeds farther ; for he decides on the question in
hand, which he divides into two clauses. The first is, that
they relied on outward ceremonies alone, and set no value on
true holiness, which consists in sincere uprightness of heart ;
and the second is, that they worshipped God in a wrong
1 " Comprend tous devoirs d obeissance, secotirs, et soulagement ; "
u includes every duty of obedience, assistance, and relief."
2 u De faire aucune assistance au pere et a la mere ;" "to grant any
relief to their father or mother."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 253
way, according to their own fancy. Now though his reproof
of pretended and hypocritical holiness appears hitherto to be
restricted to persons, yet it includes the substance of this
doctrine, from which the full conclusion was, first, that the
worship of God is spiritual, and does not consist in the
sprinkling of water, or in any other ceremony ; and, secondly,
that there is no reasonable worship of God but what is
directed by the rule of his word. Although Isaiah (xxix.
13) did not prophesy for futurity alone, but had regard to
the men of his own age, yet Christ says that this prediction
relates to the Pharisees and scribes, because they resemble
those ancient hypocrites with whom the prophet had to con
tend. Christ does not quote that passage exactly as it
stands ; but the prophet expressly mentions two offences by
which the Jews provoked against themselves the divine ven
geance. With their lips only, and by an outward profession,
they made a pretence of godliness ; and, next, they turned
aside to modes of worship invented by men. First, then, it
is wicked hypocrisy, when the honour which men render to
God is only in outward appearance ; for to approach to God
with the mouthy and to honour him with the lips, would not be
in itself evil, provided that the heart went before. The sub
stance of what our Lord states on this subject is, that, since
the worship of God is spiritual, and as nothing pleases him
that is not accompanied by the inward sincerity of the heart,
they who make holiness to consist in outward display are
hypocrites.
9. But in vain do they worship me. The words of the pro
phet run literally thus : their fear toward me has been taught
ly the precept of men. But Christ has faithfully and accu
rately given the meaning, that in vain is God worshipped,
when the will of men is substituted in the room of doctrine.
By these words, all kinds of will-worship, (l^sXo^tfxg/a,) as
Paul calls it, (Coloss. ii. 23,) are plainly condemned. For,
as we have said, since God chooses to be worshipped in no
other way than according to his own appointment, he cannot
endure new modes of w r orship to be devised. As soon as
men allow themselves to wander beyond the limits of the
254
COMMENT ATIY ON A
Word of God, the more labour and anxiety they display in
worshipping him, the heavier is the condemnation which they
draw down upon themselves ; for by such inventions religion
is dishonoured.
Teaching doctrines, commandments of men. In these words
there is what is called apposition ; l for Christ declares them
to be mistaken who bring forward, in the room of doctrine,
the commandments of men, or who seek to obtain from them
the rule for worshipping God. Let it therefore be held as a
settled principle, that, since obedience is more highly esteemed
by God than sacrifices, (1 Sam. xv. 22, 23,) all kinds of wor
ship invented by men are of no estimation in his sight ; nay
more, that, as the prophet declares, they are accursed and
detestable.
MATTHEW.
XV. 10. And having called
the multitudes to him, he said
to them, Hear and understand.
11. What entereth into the
mouth polluteth not the man,
but what goeth out of the mouth
polluteth the man. 12. Then
his disciples approaching said
to him, Knowest thou that the
Pharisees were offended when
they heard that saying ? 13.
But he answering said, Every
Elant which my heavenly Father
ath not planted shall be rooted
up. 14. Let them alone : they
are blind leaders of the blind.
And if a blind man shall lead a
blind man, both will fall into
the ditch. 15. And Peter an
swering said to him, Explain to
to us that parable. 16. And
Jesus said, Are you also still
void of understanding? 17. Do
MARK. LUKE.
VII. 14. And when he had VI. 39.
called to him the whole mul- And he
titude, he said to them, Listen spoke a
to me, all of you, and under- parable
stand. 15. There is nothing to them, 2
from without a man which, Can a
entering into him, can pol- blind
lute him ; but those things man lead
which come out of a man are a blind
the things which pollute a man ?
man. 16. If any man have Will not
ears to hear, let him hear, both fall
17. And when he had en- into the
tered into the house, and ditch?
withdrawn from the multi
tude, his disciples asked him
concerning the parable. 18.
And he saith to them, Are
you also void of understand
ing ? Do you not yet under
stand that whatsoever enter
eth into a man from without
cannot pollute him ? 19. Be-
1 " C est une figure et faon de parler que les Latins nomment Appo
sition ;" " it is a figure and mode of speech which the Latins call Appo
sition." The Latin Grammarians employ the word Appositio to denote a
figure, by which two words, denoting the same thing, are put in the same
case, such as, Urbs Roma, Fluvius Sequana. In the same sense the Greek
word fflrc|4>Wf was often used. Ed.
2 " Pareillement il leur disoit une similitude;" "in like manner he
spoke to them a parable."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 255
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
you not yet understand that cause it entereth not into his
whatever entereth into the heart, but into the belly, and
mouth passeth into the belly, goeth out into the sink, pu-
and is thrown into the sink? rifying all the food? 20.
18. But those things which pro- And he said, It is what goeth
ceed out of the mouth come out of a man that polluteth
from the heart itself, and they him. 21. For from within,
pollute the man. 19. For out out of the heart of man pro
of the heart proceed wicked ceed wicked thoughts, adul-
thoughts, murders, adulteries, teries, fornications, murders,
fornications, thefts, false testi- 22. Thefts, evil desires,
monies, calumnies. 20. These frauds, deceit, wantonness,
are the things which pollute the an evil eye, calumnies, pride,
man. But to take food with foolishness : 23. All these
unwashed hands polluteth not evil things proceed from with-
the man. in, and pollute the man.
Matthew XV. 10. And having called the multitudes to him.
Here Christ turns 1 to those who are ready to receive instruc
tion, and explains more fully the truth at which he had for
merly glanced, that the kingdom of God does not consist in meat
and drink, as Paul also teaches us, (Rom. xiv. 17 ;) for, since
outward things are by nature pure, the use of them is free
and pure, and uncleanness is not contracted from the good
creatures of God. It is therefore a general statement, that
pollution does not come from without into a man, but that
the fountain is concealed within him. Xow when he says
that all the evil actions which any man performs come out of
the mouth of man, he employs a synecdoche ; 2 for he says so
by way of allusion to the subject in hand, and conveys this
instruction, that we do not draw uncleanness into our mouth
along with meat and drink, but that every kind of defilement
proceeds from ourselves.
Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended ? As the scribes
1 " Christ laissant la ces orgueilleux, se rctourne vers les dociles ;"
" Christ, leaving there these proud men, turns towards the teachable."
2 " Au reste, quand il dit que les maux qu un chacun fait precedent de
la boucJie, c est autant comme s il disoit qu ils precedent de la personne
mesme ; et c est une figure et maniere de parler qu on appelle Synecdoche,
quand on prend une partie pour le tout ;" " besides, when he says that
the evils which any man does proceed out of the mouth, it is as much as if
he said that they proceed from the person himself; and it is a figure and
way of speaking that is called Synecdoche, when a part is taken for the
whole."
256 COMMENTARY ON A
were presumptuous and rebellious, Christ did not take great
pains to pacify them, but satisfied himself with repelling their
hypocrisy and pride. The offence which they had formerly
taken up was doubled, when they perceived that not
through oversight, but seemingly on purpose Christ de
spised their washings as trifles. Now when Christ did not
hesitate to inflame still more, by keen provocation, wicked
and malicious persons, let us learn from his example, that we
ought not to be exceedingly solicitous to please every one by
what we say and do. His disciples, however as is usually
the case with ignorant and unlearned people no sooner per
ceive the result to be unfavourable, than they conclude that
Christ s reply had been unseasonable and improper. 1 For
the object of their advice was, to persuade Christ to soothe
the rage of the Pharisees by softening the harsh expression
which he had employed. 2
It almost always happens with weak persons, that they
form an unfavourable judgment about a doctrine, as soon as
they find that it is regarded with doubt or meets with opposi
tion. And certainly it were to be wished, that it should give
no offence, but receive the calm approbation of all ; but, as
the minds of many are blinded, and even their hearts are
kindled into rage, by Satan, and as many souls are held under
the benumbing influence of brutal stupidity, it is impossible
that all should relish the true doctrine of salvation. Above
all, we ought not to be surprised to behold the rage of those
who inwardly nourish the venom of malice and obstinacy.
Yet we ought to take care that, so far as may be in our
power, our manner of teaching shall give no offence ; but it
would be the height of madness to think of exercising greater
moderation than we have been taught to do by our heavenly
Master. We see how his discourse was made an occasion of
offence by wicked and obstinate men ; and we see at the
1 " Yoyans que le propos n avoit pas este bicn prins, il leur semble avis
que Christ a respondu peu autrement qu il ne faloit ;" " perceiving that
the discourse was not well taken, they conclude that Christ had replied
somewhat differently from what he ought to have done."
2 " En redressant ce qu il avoit dit un peu trop asprement, comme il
leur sembloit ;" " by correcting what he had said a little too harshly, as
they imagined."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 257
same time, how that kind of offence which arose from malignity
was treated by him with contempt.
13. Every plant. As the indifferent success of the doc
trine had wounded their weak minds, Christ intended to
remedy this evil. Now the remedy which he proposes is,
that good men ought not to be distressed, or entertain less
reverence for the doctrine, though to many it be an occasion
of death. It is a mistaken view of this passage which some
have adopted, that all the inventions of men, and every thing
that has not proceeded from the mouth of God, must be
rooted up and perish ; for it was rather to men that Christ
referred, and the meaning is, that there is no reason to
wonder if the doctrine of salvation shall prove deadly to the
reprobate, because they are always carried headlong to the
destruction to which they are doomed.
By the persons that have been planted by the hand of God
we are to understand those who, by his free adoption, have
been ingrafted into the tree of life, as Isaiah also, when speak
ing of the Church renewed by the grace of God, calls it a
branch planted by the Lord, (Isa. Ix. 21.) Now as salvation
depends solely on the election of God, the reprobate must
perish, in whatever way this may be effected ; not that they
are innocent, and free from all blame, when God destroys
them, but because, by their own malice, they turn to their
destruction all that is offered to them, however salutary it
may be. To those who willingly perish the Gospel thus
becomes, as Paul assures us, the savour of death unto death,
(2 Cor. ii. 16 ;) for, though it is offered to all for salvation,
it does not yield this fruit in any but the elect. It belongs
to a faithful and honest teacher to regulate every thing
which he brings forward by a regard to the advantage of all ;
but whenever the result is different, let us take comfort from
Christ s reply. It is beautifully expressed by the parable,
that the cause of perdition does not lie in the doctrine, but
that the reprobate who have no root in God, when the doc
trine is presented to them, throw out their hidden venom,
and thus accelerate that death to which they were already
doomed.
VOL. II. B
258 COMMENTARY ON A
Which my heavenly Father hath not planted. Hypocrites,
who appear for a time to have been planted like good trees,
are particularly described by Christ ; for Epicureans, who
are noted for open and shameful contempt of God, cannot
properly be said to resemble trees, but the description must
be intended to apply to those who have acquired celebrity by
some vain appearance of godliness. Such were the scribes,
who towered in the Church of God like the cedars in Le
banon, and whose revolt might on that account appear the
more strange. Christ might have said that it is right that
those should perish who disdainfully reject salvation ; but he
rises higher, and asserts that no man will remain stedfast,
unless his salvation be secured by the election of God. By
these words he expressly declares, that the first origin of our
salvation flows from that grace by which God elected us to
be his children before we were created.
14. Let them alone. He sets them aside as unworthy of
notice, and concludes that the offence which they take ought
not to give us much uneasiness. Hence has arisen the dis
tinction, of which we hear so much, about avoiding offences,
that we ought to beware of offending the weak, but if any
obstinate and malicious person take offence, we ought not to
be uneasy ; for, if we determined to satisfy all obstinate
people, we must bury Christ, who is the stone of offence,
(1 Pet. ii. 8.) Weak persons, who are offended through
ignorance, and afterwards return to just views, must be dis
tinguished from haughty and disdainful men who are them
selves the authors of offences. It is of importance to attend
to this distinction, in order that no one who is weak may be
distressed through our fault. But when wicked men dash
themselves through their obstinacy, let us walk on unmoved
in the midst of offences ; for he who spares not weak brethren
tramples, as it were, under foot those to whom we are com
manded to stretch out the hand. It would be idle to attend
to others, whom we cannot avoid offending, if we wish to
keep the right path ; and when, under the pretext of taking
offence, they happen to fall off and revolt from Christ, we
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 259
must let them alone, that they may not drag us along with
them. 1
They are blind leaders of the blind. Christ means that all
who allow themselves to be driven hither and thither at the
disposal of those men will miserably perish ; for, when they
stumble on a plain road, it is evident that they are wilfully
blind. Why then should any one allow himself to be directed
by them, except that he might fall into the same ditch? Now
Christ, who has risen upon us as the Sun of righteousness, (Mai.
iv. 2,) and not only points out the road to us by the torch
of his Gospel, but desires that we should keep it before us,
justly calls on his disciples to shake off that slothfulness, and
not to wander, as it were, in the dark, for the sake of grati
fying the blind. 2 Hence also we infer that all who, under
the pretence of simplicity or modesty, give themselves up to
be deceived or ensnared by errors, are without excuse.
Luke VL 39. And he spake to them a parable, Luke
relates this saying without mentioning any occurrence, but
states generally, that Christ made use of this parable ; as in
recording many of Christ s discourses he says nothing as to
the occasion on which they were delivered. It is no doubt
possible that Christ may have spoken this parable more than
once ; but, as no place more appropriate was to be found, I
have not hesitated to insert here what Luke relates without
fixing the time.
Matthew XV. 15. And Peter answering said. As the dis
ciples betray excessive ignorance, Christ justly reproves and
upbraids them for being still void of understanding, and yet
does not fail to act as their teacher. What Matthew ascribes
in a peculiar manner to Peter is related by Mark, in the
same sense, as a question put by them all ; and this is evident
1 " De peur qu ils nous tirent en perdition avec eux;" "lest they
draw us to perdition along with them."
2 "A bon droict retire ses disciples de ceste nonchalance et stupidite
de suyvre les aveugles, et pour leur faire plaisir d aller tastonnant en
tenebres comme eux ;" " properly withdraws his disciples from that
indifference and stupidity in following the blind, and for the sake of
gratifying them in groping in the dark like them."
260 COMMENTARY ON A
from Christ s reply, in which he reproves the ignorance, not
of Peter only, but of all of them alike. The general meaning
is, that men are not polluted by food, but that they have
within themselves the pollution of sins, which afterwards
shows itself in the outward actions. Is it objected that
intemperance in eating is defilement ? The solution is easy.
Christ speaks only of the proper and lawful use of those
things which God has put in our power. To eat and drink
are things in their own nature free and indifferent : if any
corruption be added, it proceeds from the man himself, and
therefore must be regarded not as external, but internal. 1
19. For out of the heart proceed wicked thoughts. Hence we
infer that the word mouth, as I have mentioned, was used by
Christ in a former verse by way of allusion to the context ;
for now he makes no mention of the mouth, but merely says
that out of the heart of man proceeds all that is sinful and
that corrupts by its pollution. Mark differs from Matthew
in this respect, that he gives a larger catalogue of sins, such
as lusts, or irregular desires. The Greek word (VXgovgg/a/) is
by some rendered covetousncss ; but I have preferred to take
it in a general acceptation. Next come fraud and intemper
ance, and those which immediately follow. Though the
mode of expression be figurative, it is enough to understand
Christ s meaning to be, that all sins proceed from the wicked
and corrupt affections of the heart. To say that an evil eye
proceeds from the heart is not strictly accurate, but it involves
nothing that is absurd or ambiguous ; for it means, that an
unholy heart pollutes the eyes by making them the ministers,
or organs, of wicked desires. And yet Christ does not speak
as if every thing that is evil in man were confined to open
sins ; but, in order to show more clearly that the heart of
man is the abode of all evils, 2 he says that the proofs and
results appear in the sins themselves.
1 " Et pourtant le vice est tousiours interieur, et ne vient point d ail-
leurs ;" u and therefore sin is always internal, and does not come from
without."
2 " Que le cceur de 1 homme est le siege et la source de tous maux ;"
" that the heart of man is the seat and the source of all evils."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
261
And pollute the man. Instead of the verb pollute, the Greek
term is /co/i/o/j make common ; as Mark, a little before, (vii. 2,)
used the phrase, xoivaTg %egff}, with COMMON hands, for with
UNCLEAN hands. 1 It is a Hebrew phrase ; 2 for, since God
had set apart the Jews on the condition that they should
separate themselves from all the pollutions of the Gentiles,
everything that was inconsistent with this holiness was called
common^ that is, profane.
MATTHEW.
XV. 21. And Jesus departing
thence withdrew into the territories
of Tyre and Sidon. 22. And, lo, a
woman of Canaan, who had corne
from those territories, cried saying,
Have compassion on me, O Lord,
thou son of David ; my daughter
is grievously afflicted by a devil.
23. But he made no reply to her,
and his disciples approaching im
plored him, saying, Send her away ;
for she crieth after us. 24. But he
answering said, I am not sent but
to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. 25. And she came and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, help
me. 26. But he answering said,
It is not seemly to take the child
ren s bread, and throw it to the
dogs. 27. But she said, Certainly,
O Lord ; yet the dogs eat of the
crumbs that fall from the table of
their masters. 28. Then Jesus
answering said to her, O woman,
great is thy faith ; be it to thee as
thou desirest. And her daughter
was cured from that time. 3
MARK.
VII. 24. And he arose and de
parted thence into the borders of
Tyre and Sidon ; and, entering into
a house, he wished that no man
should know it, but he could not be
concealed. 25. For a woman, whose
daughter had an unclean spirit, no
sooner heard of him than she came and
fell at his feet, 26. (For the woman
was a Greek, a Syrophenician by
birth,) and implored him to cast the
devil out of her daughter. 27. And
Jesus said to her, Allow the child
ren to be first satisfied ; for it is not
seemly to take the children s bread,
and throw it to the dogs. 28. But
she replied and said to him, Cer
tainly, O Lord ; for even the dogs 4
under the table eat of the children s
crumbs. 29. And he said to her,
On account of that saying go away,
the devil is gone out of thy
daughter. 30. And when she
had gone to her own house, she
found that the devil had gone
out, and her daughter lying on the
bed.
In this miracle we are informed in what manner the grace
of Christ began to flow to the G entiles ; for, though the full
1 " Les mains communes pour souillecs et non lavees ;" " common hands
for polluted and not washed. " 1
2 " C est une faon de parlor propre aux Hebrieux ;" u it is a mode of
speaking peculiar to the Hebrews."
3 "Et des ce rnesme instant sa fille fut guairie ;" " and from that very
instant her daughter was cured."
4 " Car les chiens mangent, o?<, mais aussi les chiens inangent ;" u for
the dogs eat, or, but even the dogs eat."
262 COMMENTARY ON A
time was not yet come when Christ would make himself
known to the whole world, yet he intended to give some
early manifestations of the common mercy which was at
length offered indiscriminately to Jews and Gentiles after
his resurrection. A remarkable picture of faith is presented
to us in the woman of Canaan, for the purpose of instructing
us by means of comparison, that the Jews were justly de
prived of the promised redemption, since their impiety was
so shameful.
The woman, whom Matthew describes as of Canaan, is said
by Mark to have been a Greek, and a Syrophenician by birth.
But there is no contradiction here ; for we know that it was
the prevailing custom among the Jews to call all foreign
nations Greeks, and hence that contrast between Greeks and
Jews, which occurs so frequently in the writings of Paul.
As she was a native of the territories of Tyre and Sidon, we
need not wonder that she is called a Syrophenician ; for that
country was called Syria, and formed part of Phenicia. The
Jews disdainfully gave the name of Canaanites to all the
inhabitants of that district ; and it is probable that the
majority of them were descended from the tribes of Canaan,
who, when banished from their native country, fled to a sort
of retreat in the neighbourhood. Both agree in this point,
that the woman was a native of a heathen nation, that she
had not been instructed in the doctrine of the law, and that
she came of her own accord to Christ, humbly to entreat his
aid.
Mark VII. 24. He wished that no man should know it.
We must attend to this circumstance, which is mentioned
by Mark, that when Christ came to that place, he did not
erect his banner, but endeavoured to remain concealed for a
time, in that obscure situation, like a private individual.
Mark speaks according to the ordinary perception of the
flesh ; for, although Christ by his divine Spirit foresaw what
would happen, yet so far as he was the minister and ambas
sador of the Father, he kept himself, as his human nature
might have led us to expect, within the limits of that calling
which God had given him ; and in that respect it is said
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 263
that what he wished, as many he was unable to accomplish.
Meanwhile, this occurrence, as I have said, tends powerfully
to condemn the Jews, who though they boasted that they
were the heirs of the covenant of the Lord, his peculiar
people, and a royal priesthood were blind and deaf when
Christ, with a loud voice and with the addition of miracles,
offered to them the promised redemption ; while this woman,
who had no relationship with the children of Abraham, and
to whom, at first sight, the covenant did not at all belong,
came of her own accord to Christ, without having heard
his voice or seen his miracles.
Matthew T XV. 22. Have compassion on me, O Lord.
Though this woman was an alien, and did not belong to the
Lord s flock, yet she had acquired some taste of piety; 1 for,
without some knowledge of the promises, she would not have
called Christ the Son of David. The Jews indeed had al
most entirely departed, or at least had greatly turned aside,
from the pure and sound doctrine of the Gospel ; but a
report of the promised redemption was extensively prevalent.
As the restoration of the Church depended on the reign of
David, whenever they spoke of the Messiah, it was custom
ary for them to employ the name, Son of David ; and indeed
this confession was heard from the lips of all. But when
the true faith had died out amongst them, it was an amazing
and incredible display of the goodness of God that the sweet
savour of the promises reached the neighbouring nations.
Though this woman had not been regularly educated by any
teacher, yet her faith in Christ was not a notion adopted by
her at random, but was formed out of the law and the pro
phets. It was therefore not less absurd than wicked in that
dog, Servetus, to abuse this example for the purpose of prov
ing that faith may exist without promises. I do not deny
that, in this sense, there may sometimes be a sort of implicit
faith, that is, a faith which is not accompanied by a full and
distinct knowledge of sound doctrine ; provided we also hold
that faith always springs from the word of God, and takes
1 " Quelque goust de piete et vraye religion ;" " some taste of piety
and true religion."
264 COMMENTARY ON A
its origin from true principles, and therefore is always found
in connection with some light of knowledge.
23. But he made no reply to her. In various ways the
Evangelists bestow commendation on the faith of this
woman. Here they bring before us her unshaken con
stancy ; for the silence of Christ was a sort of refusal, and
there is reason to wonder that she was not cast down by
this trial, but her continuance in prayer was a proof of her
perseverance. This appears, however, to be inconsistent
with the nature of faith and of calling upon God, as it is
described by Paul, who assures us that no man can pray
aright till he has heard the word of God. How shall they
call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? (Horn. x. 14.)
Who then will say that this woman had faith, who takes
courage from her own feelings, though Christ is silent?
But as Christ has two ways of speaking and of being silent,
it must be observed, that though he withheld at that time
the words of his mouth, yet he spoke within to the mind of
the woman, and so this secret inspiration was a substitute
for the outward preaching. Besides, her prayer arose out of
the hearing of faith, (Rom. x. 17 ;) and, therefore, though
Christ does not immediately reply, she continually hears the
sound of that doctrine 1 which she had already learned, that
Christ came as a Redeemer. In this way the Lord often
acts towards those who believe in him ; he speaks to them,
and yet is silent. Relying on the testimonies of Scripture,
where they hear him speaking, they firmly believe that he
will be gracious to them ; and yet he does not immediately
reply to their wishes and prayers, but, on the contrary,
seems as if he did not hear. We see then that the design of
Christ s silence was not to extinguish the woman s faith, but
rather to whet her zeal and inflame her ardour. But if a
small seed of doctrine in a woman of Canaan yielded such
abundant fruit, it ill becomes us to be dejected, if at any
1 " Toutesfois ceste doctrine no laisse pas tousiours de retentir en son
coeur ;" "yet that doctrine does not fail to resound continually in her
heart."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 265
time he delays and does not immediately grant a favourable
answer.
Send her away. The disciples present no request in favour
of the woman, but as they are annoyed by her importunity,
they desire that, in some way or other, she may be dis
missed. It is a childish contrivance, which the Papists have
endeavoured to support by means of this passage, that de
parted saints are allowed to plead for us ; for, granting
that this woman solicited the disciples to give her some
favour or assistance which, however, cannot be proved
from the passage still there is a wide difference between
the dead and the living. 1 It must also be observed, that the
disciples feel displeasure in listening to her, and that, if they
really intended to aid her by their advocacy, they obtain
nothing.
24. / am not sent. He informs the Apostles that his
reason for refusing the woman of Canaan arises out of his
desire to devote himself entirely to the Jews, to whom alone
he was appointed to be a minister of the grace of God. He
argues from the call and the command of the Father, that
he must not yield any assistance to strangers ; not that the
power of Christ was always confined within so narrow limits,
but because present circumstances rendered it necessary that
he should begin with the Jews, and at that time devote him
self to them in a peculiar manner. For, as I have said 2 in
expounding Matthew x. 5, the middle wall of partition (Eph.
ii. 14) was not thrown down till after Christ s resurrection,
that he might proclaim peace to the nations which were
aliens from the kingdom of God ; and therefore he prohibited
the Apostles, at that time, from scattering anywhere but in
Judea the first seed of doctrine. Justly, therefore, does he
affirm that, on this occasion, he was sent to the Jews only,
till the Gentiles also followed in the proper order.
1 " ISTeantmoins ce qui a lieu envers les vivans, 11 ne s ensuit pas qu on
le doyve pratiquer envers ceux qui sont hors de ce monde ;" u yet it
does not follow that what takes place among the living must be practised
among those Avho are out of this world."
2 See Harmony, vol. i. p. 440.
266 COMMENTARY ON A
To the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He bestows the
designation of sheep of the house of Israel not on the elect
only, but on all who were descended from the holy fathers ;
for the Lord had included all in the covenant, and was
promised indiscriminately to all as a Redeemer, as he also
revealed and offered himself to all without exception. It is
worthy of observation, that he declares himself to have been
sent to LOST sheep, as he assures us in another passage that
he came to save that which was lost, (Matth. xviii. 11.) Now
as we enjoy this favour, at the present day, in common with
the Jews, we learn what our condition is till he appear as
our Saviour.
25. And she came and worshipped him. We might be apt
to think that this woman contends with some measure of
obstinacy, as if she would extort something from Christ in
spite of him ; but there is no reason to doubt that she was
animated by the conviction W 7 hich she entertained as to the
kindness of the Messiah. When Christ expressly declared
that it did not belong to his office, she was not intimidated
by that refusal, and did not desist from her purpose. The
reason was, that she adhered firmly to that previous senti
ment of faith which I have mentioned, and admitted nothing
that was opposed to her hope. And this is the sure test of
faith, that we do not suffer that general commencement of
our salvation, which is founded on the word of God, to be in
any way torn from us.
26. It is not seemly. Christ s reply is harsher than ever,
and one would think that he intended by it to cut off all
hope ; for not only does he declare that all the grace which
he has received from the Father belongs to the Jew r s, and
must be bestowed on them, otherwise they will be defrauded
of their just rights ; but he disdainfully compares the woman
herself to a dog, thus implying that she is unworthy of being
a partaker of his grace. To make the meaning plain to us,
it must be understood that the appellation of the children s
bread is here given, not to the gifts of God of whatever
description, but only to those which were bestowed in a
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 267
peculiar manner on Abraham and his posterity. For since
the beginning of the world, the goodness of God was every
where diffused nay, filled heaven and earth so that all
mortal men felt that God was their Father. But as the
children of Abraham had been more highly honoured than
the rest of mankind, the childreri s bread is a name given to
everything that relates peculiarly to the adoption by which
the Jews alone were elected to be children. The light of the
sun, the breath of life, and the productions of the soil, were
enjoyed by the Gentiles equally with the Jews; but the
blessing which was to be expected in Christ dwelt exclusively
in the family of Abraham. To lay open without distinction
that which God had conferred as a peculiar privilege on a
single nation, was nothing short of setting aside the covenant
of God ; for in this way the Jews, who ought to have the
preference, were placed on a level with the Gentiles.
And to throw it to the dogs. By using the word throw,
Christ intimates that what is taken from the Church of God
and given to heathens is not well bestowed. But this must
be restricted to that time when it was in Judea only that
men called on God ; for, since the Gentiles were admitted to
partake of the same salvation which took place when
Christ diffused everywhere the light of his Gospel the dis
tinction was removed, and those who were formerly dogs are
now reckoned among the children. The pride of the flesh
must fall down, when we learn that by nature we are dogs.
At first, no doubt, human nature, in which the image of God
brightly shone, occupied so high a station that this oppro
brious epithet did not apply to all nations, and even to kings,
on whom God confers the honour of bearing his name. 1 But
the treachery and revolt of Adam made it proper that the
Lord should send to the stable, along with dogs, those who
through the guilt of our first parent became bastards ; more
especially when a comparison is made between the Jews,
who were exempted from the common lot, and the Gentiles,
who were banished from the kingdom of God.
Christ s meaning is more fully unfolded by Mark, who
1 This is probably an allusion to Psalm Ixxxii. 6, / have said, Ye are
gods; and all of you are CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH. Ed,
2G8 COMMENTARY OX A
gives these words, Allow the children first to be satisfied. He
tells the woman of Canaan that she acts presumptuously in
proceeding as it were, in the midst of the supper to seize on
what was on the table. 1 His chief design was, to make trial
of the woman s faith ; but he also pointed out the dreadful
vengeance that would overtake the Jews, who rejected an
inestimable benefit which was freely offered to them, and
which they refused to those who sought it with warmth and
earnestness.
27. Certainly r , Lord. The woman s reply showed that she
was not hurried along by a blind or thoughtless impulse to
offer a flat contradiction 2 to what Christ had said. As God
preferred the Jews to other nations, she does not dispute
with them the honour of adoption, and declares, that she has
no objection whatever that Christ should satisfy them accord
ing to the order which God had prescribed. She only asks
that some crumbs falling, as it were, accidentally should
come within the reach of the dogs. And at no time, certainly,
did God shut up his grace among the Jews in such a manner
as not to bestow a small taste of them on the Gentiles. No
terms could have been employed that would have described
more appropriately, or more justly, that dispensation of the
grace of God which was at that time in full operation.
28. Great is thy faith. He first applauds the woman s
faith, and next declares, that on account of her faith he grants
her prayer. The greatness of her faith appeared chiefly in
this respect, that by the aid of nothing more than a feeble
spark of doctrine, she not only recognized the actual office of
Christ, and ascribed to him heavenly power, but pursued her
course steadily through formidable opposition ; suffered her
self to be annihilated, provided that she held by her convic
tion that she would not fail to obtain Christ s assistance;
1 " De vouloir ainsi mettre la main sur la table des enfans, au milieu de
semper ;" " in wishing thus to put her hand to the children s table in the
midst of the supper."
a " Pour se rebequer et heurter directement ;" " to give a saucy and
open contradiction."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 269
and, in a word, so tempered her confidence with humility,
that, while she advanced no unfounded claim, neither did she
shut against her the fountain of the grace of Christ, by a
sense of her own un worthiness. This commendation, bestowed
on a woman who had been a heathen, 1 condemns the ingrati
tude of that nation which boasted that it was consecrated to
God.
But how can the woman be said to believe aright, who not
only receives no promise from Christ, but is driven back by
his declaration to the contrary ? On that point I have already
spoken. Though he appears to give a harsh refusal to her
prayers, yet, convinced that God w r ould grant the salvation
which he had promised through the Messiah, she ceases not
to entertain favourable hopes ; and therefore she concludes,
that the door is shut against her, not for the purpose of
excluding her altogether, but that, by a more strenuous effort
of faith, she may force her way, as it were, through the
chinks. Be it unto thee as thou desirest. This latter clause
contains a useful doctrine, that faith will obtain anything
from the Lord ; for so highly does he value it, that he is
always prepared to comply with our wishes, so far as it may
be for our advantage.
MATTHEW. MARK.
XV. 29. And Jesus de- VII. 31. And again, departing from the
parting thence, came near the territories of Tyre and Sidon, he came to
sea of Galilee, and he went the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the
up into the mountain, and sat territories of Decapolis. 32. And they
down there. 30. And great bring to him one who was deaf, and had
multitudes came to him, an impediment in his speech, and implore
bringing with them the lame, him to lay his hand on him. 33. And
the blind, the dumb, the when he had taken him aside from the
maimed, and many others, multitude, he put his fingers into his ears,
and laid them at the feet of and spat, and touched his tongue ; 34. And
Jesus ; and he cured them : looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said
31. So that the multitudes to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened,
wondered, when they per- 35. And immediately his ears were opened,
ceived the dumb to speak, and the string of his tongue was loosed,
the maimed to be whole, the and he spoke distinctly. 36. Then he en-
lame to walk, the blind to joined them not to tell it to any person ;
see ; and they glorified the but the more he enjoined them, so much
God of Israel. 32. And Jesus, the more they published it: 37. And
1 " Ceste femme, profane de nation ;" " that woman, a heathen as to
her nation."
270
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
having called his disciples to
him, said, I have compassion
on the multitude, because
they have now remained with
me three days, and have no
thing to eat ; and I do not
choose to send them away
fasting, lest they faint by the
way. 33. His disciples say
to him, Whence shall we ob
tain so many loaves in a
solitary place as to satisfy so
great a multitude ? 34. And
Jesus saith to them, How
many loaves have you ? And
they say, Seven, and a few
small fishes. 35. And he
commanded the multitudes
to sit down on the ground.
36. And he took those seven
loaves and the fishes, and
after that he had given
thanks, he broke and gave
to his disciples, and the dis
ciples to the multitude. 37.
And they all ate, and were
satisfied ; and they took up
of the fragments that were
left seven baskets full. 38.
And they who had eaten
were four thousand men, be
sides women and children.
39. And having sent away
the multitudes, he embarked,
and came to the borders of
Magdala.
MAEK.
were amazed beyond measure, saying, He
hath done all things well ; he maketh
both the deaf to hear and the dumb to
VIII. 1. In those days, when there was
a very great multitude, and they had no
thing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to
him, and said to them, 2. I am moved
with compassion towards the multitude,
because they have now remained with me
three days, and have nothing to eat.
3. And if I shall send them home fasting,
they will faint by the way ; for some of
them have come from a distance. 4. And
his disciples answered him, Whence shall
any man be able to satisfy those persons
with bread in this solitary place ? 5. And
he asked them, How many loaves have
you ? And they said, Seven. 6. And he
commanded the multitude to sit down on
the ground ; and took the seven loaves,
and, when he had given thanks, brake, and
gave to his disciples to set before them,
and they set them before the multitude.
7. And they had a few small fishes ; and
when he had blessed, he ordered these
likewise to be set before them. 8. And
they ate, and were satisfied ; and of the
fragments that remained they carried
away seven baskets full. 9. And they
that had eaten were about four thousand ;
and he sent them away. 10. And im
mediately embarking, he came with his dis
ciples to the coasts of Dalmanutha.
Matthew XV. 29. And Jesus departing thence. Though
it is unquestionably the same journey of Christ, on his re
turn from the neighbourhood of Sidon, that is related by
Matthew and by Mark, yet in some points they do not quite
agree. It is of little moment that the one says he came to
the borders of Magdala ^ and the other, that he came to the
coasts of Dalmanutha ; for the cities were adjacent, being
situated on the lake of Gennesareth, and we need not wonder
that the district which lay between them received both names. 1
1 " Est nomme maintenant de Tune, maintenant de 1 autre ville ;"
" was named sometimes from the one, and sometimes from the other
town."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 271
Decapolis was so called from its containing (btna <roXg/$) ten
cities ; and as it was contiguous to Phenicia and to that part
of Galilee which lay towards the sea, Christ must have passed
through it, when he returned from Phenicia into Galilee of
Judea. There is a greater appearance of contradiction in
another part of the narrative, where Matthew says that our
Lord cured many who laboured under various diseases, while
Mark takes no notice of any but of one deaf man. But this
difficulty need not detain us ; for Mark selected for descrip
tion a miracle which was performed during the journey, and
the report of which was no sooner circulated than it aroused
the inhabitants of every part of that country to bring many
persons to Christ to be cured. Now we know that the
Evangelists are not anxious to relate all that Christ did, and
are so far from dwelling largely on miracles, that they only
glance at a few by way of example. Besides, Mark was satis
fied with producing one instance, in which the power of
Christ is as brightly displayed as in others of the same sort
which followed shortly afterwards.
Mark VII. 32. And they bring to him one ivho was deaf.
The reason why they implored him to lay his hands upon him
may be learned from passages which we have already con
sidered ; for the laying on of hands was a solemn symbol of
consecration, 1 and by means of it, the gifts of the Holy Spirit
were also bestowed. And there is no doubt that this cere
mony was frequently used by Christ ; so that those men
requested nothing but what they knew that he had been
formerly in the habit of doing. On the present occasion,
Christ employs other symbols ; for he puts his spittle on the
tongue of the dumb man, and puts his fingers into his ears.
The laying on of hands would of itself have been sufficiently
efficacious, and even, without moving a finger, he might
have accomplished it by a single act of his will ; but it is
evident that he made abundant use of outward signs, when
they were found to be advantageous. Thus, by touching the
tongue with spittle, he intended to point out that the faculty
1 " Pour dedier et consacror les personnes ;" u for dedicating and con
secrating persons."
272 COMMENTARY ON A
of speech was communicated by himself alone ; and by putting
his finger into the ears, he showed that it belonged to his
office to pierce the ears of the deaf. There is no necessity
for having recourse to allegories ; and we find that those who
have amused themselves with ingenious discussions on this
subject, are so far from bringing forward any thing of real
value, that they tend rather to hold up the Scriptures to
ridicule. Headers of sobriety and judgment will be satisfied
with this single instruction, that we obtain from Christ, in
answer to our prayers, both speech and hearing ; for he pours
his energy into our tongues, and pierces our ears with his
fingers.
33. And when he had taken him aside from the multitude.
This was done, partly to afford to those who were ignorant,
and not yet sufficiently qualified for becoming witnesses, an
opportunity of perceiving at a distance the glory of his Divine
nature, and partly that he might have a better opportunity
of pouring out earnest prayer. When he looked up to heaven
and sighed, it was an expiession of strong feeling; and this
enables us to perceive the vehemence of his love towards
men, for whose miseries he feels so much compassion. Nor
can it be doubted, that by conveying the spittle from his own
mouth to the mouth of another, and by putting his fingers into
his ears, he intended to manifest and express the same feeling
of kindness. Yet that he has supreme power to remove all
our defects, and restore us to health, is proclaimed by him
when he simply orders the tongue and ears to be opened; for
it was not without a good reason that Mark inserted that
Chaldaic word, (Ippatfa,) Ephphatha, be opened, but to testify
the divine power of Christ. Among other fooleries with
which baptism has been debased by foolish men, the cere
mony used by our Lord is turned into a piece of buffoonery ;
and this instance shows us that there is no end to licentious
ness, when men wantonly change at their own pleasure the
mysteries of God.
36. Then he enjoined them not to tell it to any person. Many
commentators torture these injunctions to an opposite mean-
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 273
ing, as if Christ had purposely excited them to spread abroad
the fame of the miracle ; but I prefer a more natural inter
pretation which I have formerly stated, 1 that Christ only in
tended to delay the publication of it till a more proper and
convenient time. I have no doubt, therefore, that their zeal
was unseasonable, when, though enjoined to be silent, they
were in haste to speak. We need not wonder that men
unaccustomed to the doctrine of Christ are carried away by
immoderate zeal, when it is not called for. Yet w r hat they
unwisely attempted to do, was made by Christ to promote
his own glory ; for not only was the miracle made known,
but the whole of that district, in despising the Author of
heavenly gifts, was rendered inexcusable.
37. He hath done all things well. Matthew, after collect
ing many miracles, concludes by saying that the multitudes
wondered, and glorified the God of Israel ; that is, because
God, taking unusual methods of illustrating his power, had
called up the remembrance of his covenant. But the words
of Mark contain perhaps an implied contrast ; for the reports
concerning Christ were various, and the word multitude or
crowd (op/Xog) may be intended to mean that it was only
wicked and malicious persons who slandered his actions,
since all that he did was so far from exposing him to calumny
that it deserved the highest praise. But we know, and it is
what nature teaches us, that nothing is more unjust than to
make the bestowal of favours an occasion of envy and ill-will.
Matthew XV. 32. / have compassion on the multitude.
Here a miracle is related not unlike another which we have
lately explained. The only difference is, that on the former
occasion Christ satisfied Jive thousand men w T ith jive loaves
and two Jishes, while, on the present occasion, four thousand
men are fed with seven loaves and a few small Jishcs ; and that
twelve baskets were then filled with fragments, while out of
a greater abundance a smaller portion is left. Let us learn
from this, that the power of God is not restricted to means
1 Harmony, vol. i. p. 374.
VOL. II.
274 COMMENTARY ON A
or outward assistance, and that it is all one with Him
whether there be much or little, as Jonathan 1 said when
speaking of his own moderate army and the vast multitude
of enemies : there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many
or by few, (1 Sam. xiv. 6.) As the blessing of God can
make one loaf suffice as well as twenty for satisfying a great
multitude, so, if that be wanting, a hundred loaves will not
be a sufficient meal for ten men; for when the staff of bread
is broken, (Lev. xxvi. 26,) though the flour should come in
full weight from the mill, and the bread from the oven, it
will serve no purpose to stuff the belly. The three days
fasting, of which Christ speaks, must not be understood to
mean that they had eaten nothing for three days ; but that
in desert places they had few conveniences, and must have
w r anted their ordinary food. Besides, in those warm countries,
hunger is less keen than in our thick and cold atmosphere ;
and, therefore, we need not wonder that they should abstain
longer from food.
33. Whence shall ice obtain so many loaves in a solitary
place? The disciples manifest excessive stupidity in not
remembering, at least, that earlier proof of the power and
grace of Christ, which they might have applied to the case
in hand. As if they had never seen any thing of the same
sort, they forget to apply to him for relief. There is not
a day on which a similar indifference does not steal upon us ;
and we ought to be the more careful not to allow our minds
to be drawn aw r ay from the contemplation of divine benefits,
that the experience of the past may lead us to expect for
the future the same assistance which God has already on
one or more occasions bestowed upon us.
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
XVI. 1. And the Phari- VIII. 11. And XII. 54. And he
sees, together with the Sad- the Pharisees said also to the multi-
ducees, came, and tempting came, and began tudes, When you see
1 Instead of Jonathan, the French copy mentions Asa, whose words
are similar, and were uttered on a similar occasion : Lord, it is nothing
with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power,
(2 Chr. xiv. II.) Ed.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
275
MATTHEW.
desired that he would show
them a sign from heaven.
2. But he answering said to
them. About the commence
ment of the evening you say,
It will be fine weather ; for
the sky is red. 3. And in the
morning, There will be a
storm to-day ; for the sky is
red and lowring. Hypocrites,
you can judge aright of the
face of the sky ; but can you
not judge of the signs of the
times? 4. A wicked and adul
terous nation demandeth a
sign, and no sign shall be
given to it but the sign of the
prophet Jonah. And he left
them, and departed.
MARK.
LUKE.
to dispute with
a cloud rising out of
him, requesting
the west, you imme
from him a sign
diately say, A shower
from heaven,
is coming ; and so it
tempting him.
is. 55. And when
12. And he
you perceive the south
groaned in his
wind blowing, you
spirit, and said,
say that there will
Why doth this
be hot weather ; and
generation ask a
so it is. 56. Hypo
sign ? Verily, I
crites, you know how
say to you, That
to judge of the ap
no sign shall be
pearance of the sky
given to this ge
and of the earth, and
neration. 13.
how comes it that you
And he left them,
do not understand this
and returned to
time? 57. And why
the ship, and de
even of yourselves do
parted across the
you not judge what is
lake.
right ?
Matthew XVI. 1. And the Pharisees came. Mark says
that they began to dispute, from which we may conjecture that,
when they had been vanquished in argument, this was their
last resource ; as obstinate men, whenever they are reduced
to extremities, to avoid being compelled to yield to the
truth, are accustomed to introduce something which is
foreign to the subject. Though the nature of the dispute is
not expressed, yet I think it probable that they debated
about the calling of Christ, why he ventured to make any
innovation, and why he made such lofty pretensions, as if
by his coming he had fully restored the kingdom of God.
Having nothing farther to object against his doctrine, they
demand that he shall give them a sign from heaven. But it
is certain that a hundred signs would have no greater effect
than the testimonies of Scripture. Besides, many miracles
already performed had placed before their eyes the power of
Christ, and had almost enabled them to touch it with their
hands. Signs, by which Christ made himself familiarly
known, are despised by them ; and how much less will they
derive advantage from a distant and obscure sign ? Thus
the Papists of our own day, as if the doctrine of the Gospel
276 COMMENTARY ON A
had not yet been proved, demand that it be ascertained by
means of new miracles.
The Pharisees, together with the Sadducees. It deserves our
attention that, though the Sadducees and the Pharisees looked
upon each other as enemies, and not only cherished bitter
hatred, but were continually engaged in hostilities, yet they
enter into a mutual league against Christ. In like manner,
though ungodly men quarrel among themselves, their inter
nal broils never prevent them from conspiring against God,
and entering into a compact for joining their hands in per
secuting the truth.
Tempting. By this word the Evangelists mean that it
was not with honest intentions, nor from a desire of instruc
tion, but by cunning and deceit, that they demanded what
they thought that Christ would refuse, or at least what they
imagined was not in his power. Regarding him as utterly
mean and despicable, they had no other design than to
expose his weakness, and to destroy all the applause which
he had hitherto obtained among the people. In this man
ner unbelievers are said to tempt God, when they murmur at
being denied what their fancy prompted them to ask, and
charge God with want of power.
2. About the commencement of the evening. By these words
Christ reminds them that his power had been sufficiently
manifested, so that they must have recognised the time of their
visitation, (Luke xix. 44,) had they not of their own accord
shut their eyes, and refused to admit the clearest light. The
comparison which he employs is beautiful and highly appro
priate ; for, though the aspect of the sky is changeable, so that
sometimes a storm unexpectedly arises, and sometimes fair
weather springs up when it was not expected, yet the in
structions of nature are sufficient to enable men to predict
from signs whether the day will be fair or cloudy. Christ
therefore asks why they do not recognize the kingdom of
God, when it is made known by signs not less manifest;
for this proved clearly that they were excessively occupied
with earthly and transitory advantages, and cared little
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 277
about any thing that related to the heavenly and spiritual
life, and were blinded not so much by mistake as by volun
tary malice.
3. Hypocrites, you can judge. He calls them hypocrites,
because they pretend to ask that which, if it were exhibited
to them, they are resolved not to observe. The same re
proof applies nearly to the whole world; for men direct
their ingenuity, and apply their senses, to immediate advan
tage ; and therefore there is scarcely any man who is not
sufficiently well qualified in this respect, or at least who is
not tolerably acquainted with the means of gaining his
object. How comes it then that we feel no concern about
the signs by which God invites us to himself? Is it not
because every man gives himself up to willing indifference,
and extinguishes the light which is offered to him ? The
calling of Christ, and the immediate exhibition of eternal
salvation, were exhibited to the scribes both by the Law
and the Prophets, and by his own doctrine, to which miracles
were added.
There are many persons of the same description in the
present day, who plead that on intricate subjects they have
a good right to suspend their judgment, because they must
wait till the matter is fully ascertained. They go farther,
and believe that it is a mark of prudence purposely to avoid
all inquiry into the truth ; as if it were not an instance of
shameful sloth that, while they are so eagerly solicitous
about the objects of the flesh and of the earth, they neglect
the eternal salvation of their souls, and at the same time con
trive vain excuses for gross and stupid ignorance.
A very absurd inference is drawn by some ignorant persons
from this passage, that we are not at liberty to predict from
the aspect of the sky whether we shall have fair or stormy
weather. It is rather an argument which Christ founds on
the regular course of nature, that those men deserve to perish
for their ingratitude, who, while they are sufficiently acute in
matters of the present life, yet knowingly and wilfully quench
the heavenly light by their stupidity.
278 COMMENTARY ON A
Mark VIII. 12. And groaning in his spirit. By these words
Mark informs us that it occasioned grief and bitter vexation
to our Lord, when he saw those ungrateful men obstinately
resist God. And certainly all who are desirous to promote
the glory of God, and who feel concern about the salvation
of men, ought to have such feelings that nothing would in
flict on their hearts a deeper wound than to see unbelievers
purposely blocking up against themselves the way of believing,
and employing all their ingenuity in obscuring by their clouds
the brightness of the word and works of God. The words,
in his spirit, appear to me to be added emphatically, to inform
us that this groan proceeded from the deepest affection of his
heart, and that no sophist might allege that Christ resorted
to outward attitudes to express a grief which he did not
inwardly feel ; for that holy soul, which was guided by the
zeal of the Spirit, must have been moved by deep sadness at
the sight of such wicked obstinacy.
Luke XII. 57. And why even of yourselves, $c. ? Here
Christ opens up the source of the evil, and, as it were, applies
the lancet to the ulcer. He tells them that they do not
descend into their consciences, and there examine with them
selves, as in the presence of God, what is right. The reason
why hypocrites are so much disposed to make objections is,
that they throw their swelling words into the air without any
concern, and never exercise calm thought, or place themselves
at the tribunal of God, that the truth, when once ascertained,
may be fully embraced. When Luke says that this wa
spoken to the multitudes, he does not contradict the narrative
of Matthew and Mark ; for it is probable that Christ adapted
his style generally to the followers and disciples of the scribes,
and to other despisers of God who resembled them, of whom
he perceived that there were too many ; as the present com
plaint or expostulation was applicable to the whole of that
rabble.
Matthew XVI. 4. A wicked and adulterous nation. This
passage was explained 1 under Matthew xii. 38. The general
1 See page 93 of this volume.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
279
meaning is, that the Jews are never satisfied with any siyns,
but are continually tickled by a wicked desire to tempt God.
He does not call them an adulterous nation merely because
they demand some kind of sign, (for the Lord sometimes
permitted his people to do this,) but because they deliberately
provoke God ; and therefore he threatens that, after he has
risen from the dead, he will be a prophet like Jonah. So
Matthew at least says for Mark does not mention Jonah
but the meaning is the same ; for, strictly speaking, this was
intended to serve as a sign to them, that Christ, when he had
risen from the dead, would in every place cause the voice of
his Gospel to be distinctly heard.
MATTHEW.
XVI. 5. And his disciples,
when they had come to the
opposite bank, through neglect
had not taken bread. 1 6. And
Jesus said to them, Take heed
and beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees and of the Saddu-
cees. 7. But they considered
within themselves, saying, We
have not taken bread. 2 8. And
when Jesus knew this, he said
to them, Why do you think
within yourselves, O you of
little faith, that you have not
taken bread ? 9. Do you not
yet understand, and do you not
remember those five loaves,
w r hen there were five thousand
men, and how many baskets
you carried away? 10. Nor
those seven loaves, when there
were four thousand men, and
how many baskets you carried
away? 11. How comes it that
you do not understand that it
was not about bread that I told
MARK. LUKE.
VIII. 14. And they had XII. 1.
neglected to take bread, And when
and had not more than one an innu-
loaf with them in the ship, merable
15. And he charged them, multitude
saying, Take heed and be- had as-
ware of the leaven of the sembled, 3
Pharisees, and of the leaven so that
of Herod. 16. And they they trod
reasoned within themselves, one upon
saying, We have not bread. 2 another,
17. And Jesus, perceiving he began
this, said to them, Why do to say to
you reason that you have no his dis-
bread ? Do you not yet con- ciplcs,
sider or understand? Have Above all,
you your heart yet blinded? beware 4
18. Having eyes, do you not of the lea-
see? and having ears, do you ven of the
not hear ? and do you not Pharisees,
remember ? 19. When I which is
broke the five loaves among hypocrisy,
five thousand men, how many
baskets full of fragments did
you carry away ? They say to
him, Twelve. 20. And when
1 " Et quand les disciples furent venus outre, ils avoyent oublie a pren-
dre les pains ;" " and when the disciples were come across, they had
forgotten to take bread."
2 u [C est pource que] nous n avons point prins de pains;" " [it is
because] we have not taken bread."
3 " Cependant une multitude s estant assemblee a milliers ;" " mean
while, a multitude having assembled by thousands."
4 u En premier lieu, donnez-vcus garde ;" " in the first place, beware."
280 COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
you to beware of the leaven of [I broke] the seven among
the Pharisees and of the Sad- four thousand, how many
ducees? 12. Then they under- baskets of the remains of the
stood that he did not bid them fragments did you carry
beware of the leaven of bread, away ? And they said, Seven,
but of the doctrine of the 21. And he said to them,
Pharisees and of the Saddu- How is it that you do not
understand ?
Matthew XVI. 5. And when his disciples came. Here
Christ takes occasion from the circumstance that had just
occurred 1 to exhort his disciples to beware of every abuse
that makes an inroad on sincere piety. The Pharisees had
come a little before ; the Sadducees joined them ; and apart
from them stood Herod, a very wicked man, and an opponent
and corrupter of sound doctrine. In the midst of these
dangers it was very necessary to warn his disciples to be on
their guard ; for, since the human mind has a natural inclina
tion towards vanity and errors, when we are surrounded by
wicked inventions, spurious doctrines, and other plagues of
the same sort, nothing is more easy than to depart from the
true and simple purity of the word of God ; and if we once
become entangled in these things, it will never be possible
for the true religion to hold an entire sway over us. But to
make the matter more clear, let us examine closely the words
of Christ.
6. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Along with the
Pharisees Matthew mentions the Sadducees. Instead of the
latter, Mark speaks of Herod. Luke takes no notice of any
but the Pharisees, (though it is not absolutely certain that it
is the same discourse of Christ which Luke relates,) and
explains the leaven to be hypocrisy. In short, he glances
briefly at this sentence, as if there were no ambiguity in the
words. Now the metaphor of leaven, which is here applied
to false doctrine, might have been employed, at another
time, to denote the hypocrisy of life and conduct, or the same
1 " Ici Christ prenant occasion des propos precedens ;" " here Christ
taking occasion from the former discourse."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 281
words might even have been repeated a second time. But
there is no absurdity in saying, that those circumstances
which are more copiously detailed by the other two Evan
gelists, in the order in which they took place, are slightly
noticed by Luke in a manner somewhat different, and out of
their proper place or order, but without any real contradic
tion. If we choose to adopt this conjecture, hypocrisy will
denote here something different from a pretended and false
appearance of wisdom. It will denote the very source and
occasion of empty display, which, though it holds out an
imposing aspect to the eyes of men, is of no estimation in the
sight of God. For, as Jeremiah (v. 3) tells us that the eyes
of the Lord behold the truth, so they that believe in his word
are instructed to maintain true godliness in such a manner
as to cleave to righteousness with an honest and perfect
heart ; as in these words, And now, O Israel, what doth the
Lord require from thee, but that thou shouldst cleave to him with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul"? (Deut. x. 12.) On the
other hand, the traditions of men, while they set aside spirit
ual worship, wear a temporary disguise, as if God could be
imposed upon by such deceptions ; for to whatever extent
outward ceremonies may be carried, they are, in the sight of
God, nothing more than childish trifles, unless so far as they
assist us in the exercise of true piety.
We now perceive the reason why hypocrisy was viewed by
Luke as equivalent to doctrines invented by men, and why
he included under this name the leavens of men, which only
puff up, and in the sight of God contain nothing solid, and
which even draw aside the minds of men from the right study
of piety to empty and insignificant ceremonies. But it will
be better to abide by the narrative of Matthew, which is
more copious. The disciples, after having been reproved by
our Lord, came at length to understand that he had charged
them to be on their guard against certain doctrine. It was
plainly, therefore, the intention of Christ to fortify them
against prevailing abuses, by which they were attacked on
all sides. The Pharisees and Sadducees were expressly named,
because those two sects maintained at that time a tyrannical
sway in the Church, and held opinions so utterly subversive
282 COMMENTARY ON A
of the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets, that almost
nothing remained pure and entire.
But Herod did not in any way profess to teach ; and a
question arises, why does Mark class him with false teachers ?
Bsware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and OF THE LEAVEN OF
HEROD. I reply : he was half a Jew, was mean and treach
erous, and availed himself of every contrivance that was
within his reach to draw the people to his side ; for it is
customary with all apostates to contrive some mixture, for the
purpose of establishing a new religion by which the former
may be abolished. It was because he was labouring craftily
to subvert the principles of true and ancient piety, and thus
to give currency to a religion that would be exceedingly
adapted to his tyranny, or rather because he was endeavour
ing to introduce some new form of Judaism, that our Lord
most properly charged them to beware of his leaven. From
the temple of God the scribes disseminated their errors, and
the court of Herod was another workshop of Satan, in which
errors of a different kind were manufactured.
Thus in our own day we find that not only from Popish
temples, and from the dens of sophists and monks, does Anti
christ vomit out her impostures, but that there is a Theology
of the Court, which lends its aid to prop up the throne of
Antichrist, so that no stratagem is left untried. But as
Christ opposed the evils which then prevailed, and as he
aroused the minds of his followers to guard against those
which were the most dangerous, let us learn from his example
to make a prudent inquiry what are the abuses that may now
do us injury. Sooner shall water mix with fire than any man
shall succeed in reconciling the inventions of the Pope with
the Gospel. Whoever desires to become honestly a disciple
of Christ, must be careful to keep his mind pure from those
leavens ; and if he has already imbibed them, he must labour
to purify himself till none of their polluting effects remain.
There are restless men, on the other hand, who have endea
voured in various ways to corrupt sound doctrine, and, in
guarding also against such impostures, believers must main
tain a strict watch, that they may keep a perpetual Passover
with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, (1 Cor. v. 8.)
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 283
And as on every hand there now rnges an impiety like that
of Lucian, 1 a most pernicious leaven, or rather a worse than
deadly poison, let them exercise this very needful caution,
and apply to it all their senses.
8. Why do you think within yourselves, fyc. ? The disciples
again show how little they had profited by the instructions
of their Master, and by his wonderful works. What he had
said about being on their guard against the leaven is rashly
interpreted by them as if Christ intended only to withdraw
them from outward intercourse. As it was customary among
the Jews not to take food in company with irreligious men,
the disciples imagine that the Pharisees were classed with
such persons. This ignorance might perhaps have been
endured ; but they are forgetful of a favour which they lately
received, and do not consider that Christ has the remedy in
his power to hinder them from being compelled to pollute
themselves by meat and drink, and therefore he reproves
them sharply, as they deserved. And certainly it was shame
ful ingratitude that, after having seen bread created out of
nothing, and in such abundance as to satisfy many thousands
of men, and after having seen this done twice, they are now
anxious about bread, as if their Master did not always possess
the same power. From these words we infer that all who
have once or twice experienced the power of God, and dis
trust it for the future, are convicted of unbelief; for it is
faith that cherishes in our hearts the remembrance of the
1 " L impiete des Lucianistes et des Atheistes ;" " the impiety of the
Lucianists and Atheists." Lucian, a celebrated Greek writer, of the
second century of the Christian era, author of Dialogues of the Dead, is
here alluded to as the type of scoffers and Atheists. His subject naturally
led him to treat with sportive humour the solemnities of death and the
future judgment ; and the wit and elegance of his pen, had it been guided
by ordinary caution, would have been readily far too readily sustained
as an apology for the tone of his work. But in defiance of the ordinary
feelings of mankind, he attacked so fearlessly the most sacred truths, and
offended the ear of modesty by such indecent allusions, that his character
as a man has been stamped with infamy. Modern times have scarcely
produced so daring an infidel, with the exception perhaps of Voltaire, who
took no pains to conceal his intense hatred of Christianity and of good
men. Had he appeared earlier, his name might perhaps have been sub
stituted for that of Lucian, as the representative of his class. Ed.
284 COMMENTARY ON A
gifts of God, and faith must have been laid asleep, if we allow
them to be forgotten.
12. Then they understood. The word leaven is very evi
dently used by Christ as contrasted with the pure and uncor-
rupted word of God. In a former passage, (Matth. xiii. 33,)
Christ had used the word in a good sense, when he said that
the Gospel resembled leaven ; * but for the most part this
word is employed in Scripture to denote some foreign sub
stance, by which the native purity of any thing is impaired.
In this passage, the naked truth of God, and the inventions
which men contrive out of their own brain, are unquestion
ably the two things that are contrasted. The sophist must
not hope to escape by saying that this ought not to be under
stood as applicable to every kind of doctrine ; for it will be
impossible to find any doctrine but what has come from God
that deserves the name of pure and unleavened. Hence it
follows that leaven is the name given to every foreign ad
mixture ; as Paul also tells us that faith is rendered spurious,
as soon as we are drawn aside from the simplicity of Christ,
(2 Cor. xi. 3.)
It must now be apparent who are the persons of whose
doctrine our Lord charges us to beware. The ordinary
government of the Church was at that time in the hands of
the scribes and priests, among whom the Pharisees held the
highest rank. As Christ expressly charges his followers to
beware of their doctrine, it follows that all who mingle their
own inventions with the word of God, or who advance any
thing that does not belong to it, must be rejected, how hon
ourable soever may be their rank, or whatever proud titles
they may wear. Accursed and rebellious, therefore, is the
obedience of those who voluntarily submit to the inventions
and laws of the Pope.
1 See page 127 of this volume.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 285
MARK.
VIII. 22. And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring to him a blind
man, and implore him to touch him. 23. Then taking the blind man by
the hand, he led him out of the village. And when he had spat on his
eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw any thing.
24. And he looking up said, I see men ; for I perceive them walking as if
they were trees. 25. Then he again laid his hands upon his eyes, and
desired him to look ; and he was restored, so that he saw them all clearly.
26. And he sent him away to his own house, saying, Neither enter into
the village, nor tell it to any one in the village.
This miracle, which is omitted by the other two Evan
gelists, appears to have been related by Mark chiefly on
account of this circumstance, that Christ restored sight to the
blind man y not in an instant, as he was generally accustomed
to do, but in a gradual manner. He did so most probably
for the purpose of proving, in the case of this man, that he
had full liberty as to his method of proceeding, and was not
restricted to a fixed rule, so as not to resort to a variety of
methods in exercising his po\ver. On this account, he does
not all at once enlighten the eyes of the blind man, and fit
them for performing their office, but communicates to them
at first a dark and confused perception, and afterwards, by
laying on his hands a second time, enables them to see per
fectly. And so the grace of Christ, which had formerly
been poured out suddenly on others, flowed by drops, as it
were, on this man.
Mark VIII. 24. I see men. Our Lord had put the question
to the blind man for the sake of his disciples, to inform them
that the man had received something, but that hitherto no
thing more than a slight commencement of the cure had been
effected. The reply is, that he sees men, because he perceives
some persons walking who are upright like trees. By these
words he acknowledges that his sight is not yet so clear as
to distinguish men from trees, but that he has already obtained
some power of seeing, because he conjectures from the motion
that those whom he perceives to be in an erect posture are
men ; and it is in this respect that he says they are like trees.
We see then that he speaks only by conjecture when he says
that he sees men.
286
COMMENTARY OX A
26. And he sent him away to his house. Christ does not
suffer him to return to Bethsaida, where there were many
that had beheld the miracle. This is conjectured by some
to have been done, because Christ intended to punish the
inhabitants of that place by depriving them of the enjoyment
of his favour. Whatever might be the reason, it is certain
that no miracle was performed by him in order to remain
perpetually buried, but that he intended to have it concealed
along with many others, till, after having expiated by his
death the sins of the world, 1 he should ascend to the glory of
the Father.
MATTHEW.
XVI. 13. And when Jesus came
to the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he
asked his disciples, saying, Who do
men say that I the Son of man am ?
14. And they said, Some [say,] John
the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and
others,. Jeremiah, or one of the pro
phets. 15. He saith to them, But
who do you say that I am? 16.
And Simon Peter answering said,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. 17. And Jesus answer
ing said to him, Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-Jona ; 2 for flesh and
blood hath not revealed it to thee,
but my Father who is in heaven.
18. But I say to thee, That thou art
Peter, and on this rock will I build
my church ; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. 19.
And I will give to thee the keys
of the kingdom of heaven ; and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven ; and what
soever thou shalt loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.
MARK.
VIII. 27. And
Jesus departed,
and his disciples,
into the villages
of Cesarea, which
is called Phi
lippi ; and by the
way he asked his
disciples, saying
to them, Who
do men say
that I am ? 28.
And they re
plied, John the
Baptist ; and
some, Elijah ;
and others, One
of the prophets.
29. And he saith
to them, But
who do you say
that I am ? And
Peter answering
saith to him,
Thou art the
Christ.
LUKE.
IX. 18. And
it happened,
when he was
alone praying,
his disciples also
were with him,
and he asked
them, saying,
Who do the
multitudes say
that I am? 19.
And they an
swering said,
John the Bap
tist ; and others,
Elijah ; and
others, that one
of the ancient
prophets hath
risen. 20. And
he said to them,
And who do you
say that I am ?
Simon Peter an
swering said, The
Christ of God.
Matthew XVI. 13. And when Jesus came to the coasts
of Cesarea Philippi. Mark says that this conversation
took place during the journey. Luke says that it took
1 " lusques a ce qu ayant par sa mort accompli la satisfaction des
pechez du monde ;" " till having by his death rendered full satisfaction
for the sins of the world."
2 u Simon, fils de lona ;" u Simon, son of Jonah."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 287
place while he was praying, and while there were none in
company with him but his disciples. Matthew is not so
exact in mentioning the time. All the three unquestionably
relate the same narrative ; and it is possible that Christ may
have stopped at a certain place during that journey to pray,
and that afterwards he may have put the question to his
disciples. There were two towns called Cesarea, of which
the former was more celebrated, and had been anciently
called The Tower of Strata ; while the latter, which is men
tioned here, was situated at the foot of Mount Lebanon, not
far from the river Jordan. It is for the sake of distinguish
ing between these two towns that Philippi is added to the
name ; for, though it is conjectured by some to have been
built on the same spot where the town of Dan formerly
stood, yet, as it had lately been rebuilt by Philip the Tetrarch,
it was called Philippi. 1
Who do men say that I am ? This might be supposed to
mean, What was the current rumour about the Kedeemer,
who became the Son of man ? But the question is quite
different, What do men think about Jesus the Son of Mary?
Pie calls himself, according to custom, the Son of man, as
much as to say, Now that clothed in flesh I inhabit the
earth like other men, what is the opinion entertained re
specting me ? The design of Christ was, to confirm his
disciples fully in the true faith, that they might not be tossed
about amidst various reports, as we shall presently see.
14. Some [say 9 ~\ John the Baptist. This inquiry does not
relate to the open enemies of Christ, nor to ungodly scoffers,
but to the sounder and better part of the people, who might
be called the choice and flower of the Church. Those only
are mentioned by the disciples who spoke of Christ with
respect; and yet, though they aimed at the truth, not one
of them reaches that point, but all go astray in their vain
fancies. Hence we perceive how great is the weakness of
the human mind ; for not only is it unable of itself to un
derstand what is right or true, but even out of true principles
1 " On la nommoit Cesaree de Philippe ;" "it was named Cesarea of
Philip."
288 COMMENTARY ON A
it coins errors. Besides, though Christ is the only standard
of harmony and peace, by which God gathers the whole
world to himself, the greater part of men seize on this sub
ject as the occasion of prolonged strife. Among the Jews,
certainly, the unity of faith related solely to Christ ; and
yet they who formerly appeared to have some sort of agree
ment among themselves now split into a variety of sects.
We see too how one error quickly produces another; for
a preconceived opinion, which had taken a firm hold of the
minds of the common people, that souls passed from one
body to another, made them more ready to adopt this
groundless fancy. But though, at the time of Christ s com
ing, the Jews were divided in this manner, such a diversity
of opinions ought not to have hindered the godly from desir
ing to attain the pure knowledge of him. For if any man,
under such a pretence, had given himself up to sloth, and
neglected to seek Christ, we w r ould have been forced to de
clare that there was no excuse for him. Much less then
will any man escape the judgment of God who is led by the
variety of sects to entertain a dislike of Christ, or who, dis
gusted by the false opinions of men, does not deign to at
tach himself to Christ.
15. But who do you soy that I am f Here Christ distin
guishes his disciples from the rest of the crowd, to make it
more fully evident that, whatever differences may exist
among others, we at least ought not to be led aside from the
unity of faith. They who shall honestly submit to Christ,
and shall not attempt to mix with the Gospel any inventions
of their own brain, will never want the true light. But here
the greatest vigilance is necessary, that, though the whole
world may be carried away by its own inventions, believers
may continually adhere to Christ. As Satan could not rob
the Jews of the conviction which they derived from the
Law and the Prophets, that Christ would come, he changed
him into various shapes, and, as it were, cut him in pieces.
His next scheme was, to bring forward many pretended
Christs, that they might lose sight of the true Redeemer.
By similar contrivances, he continued ever afterwards either
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 289
to tear Christ in pieces, or to exhibit him under a false char
acter. Among the confused and discordant voices of the
world, let this voice of Christ perpetually sound in our ears,
which calls us away from unsettled and wavering men, that
we may not follow the multitude, and that our faith may
not be tossed about amongst the billows of contending
opinions.
16. Thou art the Christ. The confession is short, but it
embraces all that is contained in our salvation ; for the
designation Christ, or Anointed, includes both an everlasting
Kingdom and an everlasting Priesthood, to reconcile us to
God, and, by expiating our sins through his sacrifice, to ob
tain for us a perfect righteousness, and, having received us
under his protection, to uphold and supply and enrich us
with every description of blessings. Mark says only, Thou
art the Christ. Luke says, Thou art the Christ of God. But
the meaning is the same ; for the Christs (j^g/m/) of God
was the appellation anciently bestowed on kings, who had
been anointed by the divine command. 1 And this phrase
had been previously employed by Luke, (ii. 26,) when he
said that Simeon had been informed by a revelation from
heaven that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord s
Christ. For the redemption, which God manifested by the
hand of his Son, was clearly divine ; and therefore it was
necessary that he who was to be the Redeemer should come
from heaven, bearing the impress of the anointing of God.
Matthew expresses it still more clearly, Thou art the Son of
the living God; for, though Peter did not yet understand
distinctly in what way Christ was the begotten of God, he
was so fully persuaded of the dignity of Christ, that he be
lieved him to come from God, not like other men, but by
the inhabitation of the true and living Godhead in his flesh.
When the attribute living is ascribed to God, it is for the
purpose of distinguishing between Him and dead idols, who
are nothing, (1 Cor. viii. 4.)
1 See Harmony, vol. i. p. 92, n. 2 ; p. 142, n. 2.
VOL. II. T
290 COMMENTARY ON A
17. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona. As this is life
eternal, to know the only true God, and him whom he hath sent,
Jesus Christ, (John xvii. 3,) Christ justly pronounces him to
be blessed who has honestly made such a confession. This
was not spoken in a peculiar manner to Peter alone, but our
Lord s purpose was, to show in what the only happiness of
the whole world consists, That every one may approach
him with greater courage, we must first learn that all are by
nature miserable and accursed, till they find a remedy in
Christ. Next, we must add, that whoever has obtained
Christ wants nothing that is necessary to perfect happiness,
since we have no right to desire any thing better than the
eternal glory of God, of which Christ puts us in possession.
Flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee. In the person
of one man Christ reminds all that we must ask faith from
the Father, and acknowledge it to the praise of his grace ;
for the special illumination of God is here contrasted with
flesh and blood. Hence we infer, that the minds of men are
destitute of that sagacity which is necessary for perceiving
the mysteries of heavenly wisdom which are hidden in
Christ ; and even that all the senses of men are deficient in
this respect, till God opens our eyes to perceive his glory in
Christ. Let no man, therefore, in proud reliance on his own
abilities, attempt to reach it, but let us humbly suffer our
selves to be inwardly taught by the Father of Lights, (James
i. 17,) that his Spirit alone may enlighten our darkness.
And let those who have received faith, acknowledging the
blindness which was natural to them, learn to render to God
the glory that is due to Him.
18. And I say to thee. By these words Christ declares
how highly he is delighted with the confession of Peter, since
he bestows upon it so large a reward. For, though he had
already given to his disciple, Simon, the name of Peter,
(Matth. x. 2 ; John i. 42,) and had, out of his undeserved
goodness, appointed him to be an apostle, yet these gifts,
though freely bestowed, 1 are here ascribed to faith as if they
1 " Ces dons qui estoyent procedez de sa pure liberalite ;" " those
gifts which had proceeded altogether from his liberality."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 291.
had been a reward, which we not unfrequently find in Scrip
ture. Peter receives a twofold honour, the former part of
which relates to his personal advantage, and the latter to his
office as an Apostle.
Thou art Peter. By these words our Lord assures him
that it was not without a good reason that he had formerly
given him this name, because, as a living stone (1 Pet. ii. 5)
in the temple of God, he retains his stedfastness. This
extends, no doubt, to all believers, each of whom is a temple
of God, (1 Cor. vi. 19,) and who, united to each other by
faith, make together one temple, (Eph. ii. 21.) But it de
notes also the distinguished excellence of Peter above the
rest, as each in his own order receives more or less, according
to the measure of the gift of Christ, (Eph. iv. 7.)
And on this rock. Hence it is evident how the name Peter
comes to be applied both to Simon individually, and to other
believers. It is because they are founded on the faith of
Christ, and joined together, by a holy consent, into a spiritual
building, that God may dwell in the midst of them, (Ezek.
xliii. 7.) For Christ, by announcing that this would be the
common foundation of the whole Church, intended to associate
with Peter all the godly that would ever exist in the world.
" You are now," said he, " a very small number of men, and
therefore the confession which you have now made is not at
present supposed to have much weight ; but ere long a time
will arrive when that confession shall assume a lofty character,
and shall be much more widely spread." And this was
eminently fitted to excite his disciples to perseverance, that
though their faith was little known and little esteemed, yet
they had been chosen by the Lord as the first-fruits, that
out of this mean commencement there might arise a new
Church, which would prove victorious against all the machi
nations of hell.
Shall not prevail against it. The pronoun it (oturJjg) may
refer either to faith or to the Church ; but the latter meaning
is more appropriate. Against all the power of Satan the
firmness of the Church will prove to be invincible, because
the truth of God, on which the faith of the Church rests, will
ever remain unshaken. And to this statement corresponds
292 COMMENTARY ON A
that saying of John, This is the victory which overcometh the
world, your faith, (1 John v. 4.) It is a promise which emi
nently deserves our observation, that all who are united to
Christ, and acknowledge him to be Christ and Mediator, will
remain to the end safe from all danger ; for what is said of
the body of the Church belongs to each of its members,
since they are one in Christ. Yet this passage also instructs
us, that so long as the Church shall continue to be a pilgrim
on the earth, she will never enjoy rest, but will be exposed
to many attacks ; for, when it is declared that Satan will not
conquer, this implies that he will be her constant enemy.
While, therefore, we rely on this promise of Christ, feel our
selves at liberty to boast against Satan, and already triumph
by faith over all his forces ; let us learn, on the other hand,
that this promise is, as it were, the sound of a trumpet, call
ing us to be always ready and prepared for battle. By the
word gates (^uXa/) is unquestionably meant every kind of
power and of weapons of war.
19. And I will give thee the keys. Here Christ begins now
to speak of the public office, that is, of the Apostleship,
which he dignifies with a twofold title. First, he says that
the ministers of the Gospel are porters, so to speak, of the
kingdom of heaven, because they carry its keys ; and, secondly,
he adds, that they are invested with a power of binding and
loosing, which is ratified in heaven. 1 The comparison of the
keys is very properly applied to the office of teaching ; as
when Christ says (Luke xi. 52) that the scribes and Phari
sees, in like manner, have the key of the kingdom of heaven,
because they are expounders of the law. We know that
there is no other way in which the gate of life is opened to
us than by the word of God ; and hence it follows that the
key is placed, as it were, in the hands of the ministers of the
word.
Those who think that the word keys is here used in the
plural number, because the Apostles received a commission
not only to open but also to shut, have some probability on
1 " Laquelle est receue et tidvouee es cieux ;" " which is received and
acknowledged in heaven."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 293
their side ; but if any person choose to take a more simple
view of the meaning, let him enjoy his own opinion. 1 Here
a question arises, Why does the Lord promise that he will
give to Peter what he appeared to have formerly given him
by making him an Apostle? But this question has been
already answered, 2 when I said that the twelve were at first
(Matth. x. 5) nothing more than temporary preachers, 3 and
so, when they returned to Christ, they had executed their
commission ; but after that Christ had risen from the dead,
they then began to be appointed to be ordinary teachers of
the Church. It is in this sense that the honour is now be
stowed for the future.
Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth. The second metaphor,
or comparison, is intended directly to point out the forgive
ness of sins ; for Christ, in delivering us, by his Gospel, from
the condemnation of eternal death, looses the cords of the
curse by which we are held bound. The doctrine of the
Gospel is, therefore, declared to be appointed for loosing our
bonds, that, being loosed on earth by the voice and testimony
of men, we may be actually loosed in heaven. But as there
are many who not only are guilty of wickedly rejecting the
deliverance that is offered to them, but by their obstinacy
bring down on themselves a heavier judgment, the power and
authority to bind is likewise granted to the ministers of the
Gospel. It must be observed, however, that this does not
belong to the nature of the Gospel, but is accidental ; as
Paul also informs us, when, speaking of the vengeance which
he tells us that he has it in his power to execute against all
unbelievers and rebels, he immediately adds, When your
obedience shall have been fulfilled, (2 Cor. x. 6.) For were it
not that the reprobate, through their own fault, turn life into
death, the Gospel would be to all the power of God to salva
tion^ (Horn. i. 16 ;) but as many persons no sooner hear it
than their impiety openly breaks out, and provokes against
1 u Ie n y contredi point ;" " I do not contradict him in it."
2 Harmony, vol. i. p. 437.
3 u Ambassadeurs ou prcscheurs temporels ;" " temporary messengers
or preachers."
294 COMMENTARY ON A
them more and more the wrath of God, to such persons its
savour must be deadly, (2 Cor. ii. 16.)
The substance of this statement is, that Christ intended to
assure his followers of the salvation promised to them in the
Gospel, that they might expect it as firmly as if he were
himself to descend from heaven to bear testimony concerning
it ; and, on the other hand, to strike despisers with terror,
that they might not expect their mockery of the ministers of
the word to remain unpunished. Both are exceedingly
necessary ; for the inestimable treasure of life is exhibited to
us in earthen vessels, (2 Cor. iv. 7,) and had not the authority
of the doctrine been established in this manner, the faith of
it would have been, almost every moment, ready to give way. 1
The reason why the ungodly become so daring and pre
sumptuous is, that they imagine they have to deal with men.
Christ therefore declares that, by the preaching of the Gospel,
is revealed on the earth what will be the heavenly judgment
of God, and that the certainty of life or death is not to be
obtained from any other source.
This is a great honour, that w r e are God s messengers to
assure the world of its salvation. It is the highest honour
conferred on the Gospel, that it is declared to be the embassy
of mutual reconciliation between God and men, (2 Cor. v. 20.)
In a word, it is a wonderful consolation to devout minds to
know that the message of salvation brought to them by a
poor mortal man is ratified before God. Meanwhile, let the
ungodly ridicule, as they may think fit, the doctrine Avhich
is preached to them by the command of God, they will one
day learn with what truth and seriousness God threatened
them by the mouth of men. Finally, let pious teachers,
resting on this assurance, encourage themselves and others
to defend with boldness the life-giving grace of God, and yet
let them not the less boldly thunder against the hardened
despisers of their doctrine.
Hitherto I have given a plain exposition of the native
meaning of the words, so that nothing farther could have
been desired, had it not been that the Roman Antichrist,
1 "D heure en heure elle seroit revoquee en doute ;" " from hour to
hour it would be called in question."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 295
wishing to cloak his tyranny, has wickedly and dishonestly
dared to pervert the whole of this passage. The light of the
true interpretation which I have stated would be of itself
sufficient, one would think, for dispelling his darkness ; but
that pious readers may feel no uneasiness, I shall briefly
refute his disgusting calumnies. First, he alleges that Peter
is declared to be the foundation of the Church. But who
does not see that w T hat he applies to the person of a man is
said in reference to Peter s faith in Christ ? There is no
difference of meaning, I acknowledge, between the two Greek
words Hsroos (Peter) and vr srga, (petra, a stone or rock,) 1 ex
cept that the former belongs to the Attic, and the latter to
the ordinary dialect. But we are not to suppose that
Matthew had not a good reason for employing this diversity
of expression. On the contrary, the gender of the noun was
intentionally changed, to show that he was now speaking of
something different. 2 A distinction of the same sort, I have
no doubt, was pointed out by Christ in his own language ; 3
and therefore Augustine judiciously reminds the reader
that it is not rga (petra, a stone or rock) that is derived
from Hereog, (Peter,) but Tlergos (Peter) that is derived from
Tir^a, (jjetra, a stone or rock.)
But not to be tedious, as we must acknowledge the truth
and certainty of the declaration of Paul, that the Church
can have no other foundation than Christ alone, (1 Cor. iii.
11 ; Eph. ii. 20,) it can be nothing less than blasphemy and
1 " Ie confesse bien qu en la langue Grecque il n y a pas grande differ
ence entre le mot qui signifie ime pierre, et celuy qui signine un homme
nomine Pierre ;" u I readily acknowledge that, in the Greek language,
there is no great difference between the word that signifies a stone, and
that which signifies a man named Peter."
2 "Ann de monstrer qu au second lieu il parloit de quelque autrc chose
que de la personne de Pierre ;" " in order to show that, in the latter
clause, he was speaking of something totally different from the person of
Peter."
3 By CJirisfs own language is meant the Syriac a dialect of Hebrew
which is supposed to have been the vernacular language of Palestine in
the time of our Lord, and consequently to have been spoken by him and
his apostles. It is enough for our present purpose that CALVIN adopted
this hypothesis, whatever may be the result of a controversy in which the
claims of the Greek language above the Syriac, as familiarly spoken and
written in Syria at that period, have been urged -with vast learning and
ability. Ed.
296 COMMENTARY ON A
sacrilege, when the Pope has contrived another foundation.
And certainly no words can express the detestation with
which we ought to regard the tyranny of the Papal system
on this single account, that, in order to maintain it, the
foundation of the Church has been subverted, that the mouth
of hell might be opened and swallow up wretched souls.
Besides, as I have already hinted, that part does not refer to
Peter s public office, but only assigns to him a distinguished
place among the sacred stones of the temple. The com
mendations that follow relate to the Apostolic office ; and
hence we conclude that nothing is here said to Peter which
does not apply equally to the others who were his com
panions, for if the rank of apostleship was common to them
all, whatever was connected with it must also have been held
in common.
But it will be said, Christ addresses Peter alone : he does
so, because Peter alone, in the name of all, had confessed
Christ to be the Son of God, and to him alone is addressed
the discourse, which applies equally to the rest. And the
reason adduced by Cyprian and others is not to be despised,
that Christ spake to aU in the person of one man, in order
to recommend the unity of the Church. They reply, 1 that
he to whom this privilege was granted in a peculiar manner
is preferred to all others. But that is equivalent to saying
that he was more an apostle than his companions ; for the
power to bind and to loose can no more be separated from
the office of teaching and the Apostleship than light or
heat can be separated from the sun. And even granting
that something more was bestowed on Peter than on the
rest, that he might hold a distinguished place among the
Apostles, it is a foolish inference of the Papists, that he
received the primacy, and became the universal head of the
whole Church. Rank is a different thing from power, and to
be elevated to the highest place of honour among a few per
sons is a different thing from embracing the whole world
under his dominion. And in fact, Christ laid no heavier
burden 011 him than he was able to bear. He is ordered to
1 " Les Romanisques repliquent a 1 encontie ;" u the Romanists reply
on the other hand."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 297
be the porter of the kingdom of heaven ; he is ordered to
dispense the grace of God by binding and loosing ; that is, as
far as the power of a mortal man reaches. All that was given
to him, therefore, must be limited to the measure of grace
which he received for the edification of the Church ; and so
that vast dominion, which the Papists claim for him, falls to
the ground.
But though there were no strife or controversy about
Peter, 1 still this passage would not lend countenance to the
tyranny of the Pope. For no man in his senses will admit
the principle which the Papists take for granted, that what
is here granted to Peter was intended to be transmitted by
him to posterity by hereditary right ; for he does not receive
permission to give any thing to his successors. So then the
Papists make him bountiful with what is not his own. Finally,
though the uninterrupted succession were fully established,
still the Pope will gain nothing by it till he has proved him
self to be Peter s lawful successor. And how does he prove
it ? Because Peter died at Rome ; as if Rome, by the detest
able murder of the Apostle, had procured for herself the
primacy. But they allege that he was also bishop there.
How frivolous 2 that allegation is, I have made abundantly
evident in my Institutes, (Book IV. chap, vi.,) to which I
would willingly send my reader for a complete discussion of
this argument, rather than annoy or weary him by repeating
it in this place. Yet I would add a few words. Though the
Bishop of Rome had been the lawful successor of Peter, since
by his own treachery he has deprived himself of so high an
honour, all that Christ bestowed on the successors of Peter
avails him nothing. That the Pope s court resides at Rome
is sufficiently known, but no mark of a Church there can be
pointed out. As to the pastoral office, his eagerness to shun
it is equal to the ardour with which he contends for his own
dominion. Certainly, if it w r ere true that Christ has left
nothing undone to exalt the heirs of Peter, still he was not
1 "Mais mettons le cas que ce qu ils disent de Pierre soit hors de
doute ;" " but let us suppose that what they say about Peter were be
yond a doubt."
2 " Combien cela est faux et frivole ;" u how false and frivolous it is."
298
COMMENTARY ON A
so lavish as to part with his own honour to bestow it on
apostates.
MATTHEW.
XVI. 20. Then he
charged his disciples 1 not
to tell any one that he
was Jesus the Christ.
21. From that time Jesus
began to make known
to his disciples, that he
must go to Jerusalem,
and suffer many things
from the elders, and
the chief priests, and
the scribes, and be kill
ed, and be raised again
on the third day. 22.
And Peter, taking him
aside, 2 began to rebuke
him, saying, Lord, spare
thyself ; 3 this shall not
happen to thee. 23.
But he turning said to
Peter, Get thee behind
me, Satan, thou art an
offence to me ; for thou
relishest not those things
which are of God, but
those which are of men.
24. Then Jesus said to
his disciples, If any man
chooses to come after
me, let him deny him
self, and take up his
cross, and follow me.
25. For whosoever
would save his life shall
lose it ; and on the
other hand, whosoever
shall lose his life on
MARK.
VIII. 30. And he threat
ened and forbade them to
tell any one concerning
him. 4 31. And he began
to teach them, that the
Son of man must suffer
many things, and be re
jected by the elders, and
the chief priests, and the
scribes, and be killed,
and after three days rise
again. 32. And he spoke
that saying openly, and
Peter took him, and began
to rebuke him. 33. But
he turning and looking
upon his disciples, rebuked
Peter, saying, Get thee be
hind me, Satan ; for thou
relishest not the things that
are of God, but those that
are of men. 34. And when
he had called the multitude
to him along with his dis
ciples, he said to them,
Whosoever would follow
me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and
follow me. 35. For who
soever would save his life
shall lose it ; and whoso
ever shall lose his life for
my sake, and for the sake
of the gospel, shall save it.
36. For what will it profit
a man, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his
LUKE.
IX. 21. And
he threatening
charged them
not to tell this
to any one, 5 22.
Saying, The Son
of man must suf
fer many things,
and be rejected
by the elders,
and the chief
priests, and the
scribes, and rise
again on the
third day, 23.
And he said to
all, If any man
would come after
me, let him deny
himself, and take
up his cross
daily, 6 and fol
low me. 24.
For whosoever
would save his
life shall lose it ;
and whosoever
shall lose his
life on my ac
count shall save
it. 25. For
what doth it
profit a man, if
he shall gain
the whole world,
and be ruined
and lost? 26.
1 " Lors il commanda expressement a ses disciples ;" " then he ex
pressly commanded his disciples."
" L ayant prins a part ;" " having taken him aside."
! " Seigneur, aye pitie de toy ;" " Lord, have pity on thyself."
4 " Et il leur defendit avec menace qu ils ne dissent [cela] de luy a
personne ; " " and he forbade them with threatening to tell [this] con
cerning him to any one."
5 " Adonc usant de menaces il leur commanda qu ils ne le dissent a
personne ;" u Then employing threatenings, he commanded them not to
tell it to any one."
6 " De ionr en iour ;" " day by day."
HARMONY OP THE EVANGELISTS.
299
MATTHEW.
my account shall find
it. 26. For what doth
it profit a man, if he
shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own
soul ? or what shall a
man give, that, in ex
change for it, he may
redeem his soul ? 27.
For the Son of man
will come in the glory
of his Father with his
angels ; and then will
he render to every one
according to his actions.
28. Verily I say to you,
There are some stand
ing here, who will not
taste death till they
have seen the Son of
man coming in his king
dom.
MAEK.
soul? 37. Or what shall
a man give as a ransom for
his soul ? 38. For who
soever shall be ashamed of
me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful gene
ration, of him likewise will
the Son of man be ashamed,
when he shall come in the
glory of his Father with the
holy angels.
IX. 1. And he said to
them, Yerily, I say to
you, There are some among
those who stand here 1
that will not taste death,
till they have seen the
kingdom of God come with
power.
LUKE.
For whosoever
shall be asham
ed of me and of
my sayings, of
him likewise will
the Son of man
be ashamed,
when he shall
come in his own
majesty, and in
the majesty of
his Father, and
of the holy
angels. 27. And
I say to you,
There truly are
some standing
here who will not
taste death, till
they see the
kingdom of
God.2
Having given a proof of his future glory, Christ reminds
his disciples of what he must suffer, that they also may be
prepared to bear the cross ; for the time was at hand when
they must enter into the contest, to which he knew them to
be altogether unequal, if they had not been fortified by fresh
courage. And first of all, it was necessary to inform them
that Christ must commence his reign, not with gaudy display,
not with the magnificence of riches, not with the loud
applause of the world, but with an ignominious death. But
nothing was harder than to rise superior to such an offence ;
particularly if we consider the opinion which they firmly
entertained respecting their Master ; for they imagined that
he would procure for them earthly happiness. This unfounded
expectation held them in suspense, and they eagerly looked
forward to the hour when Christ w T ould suddenly reveal the
glory of his reign. So far were they from having ever
adverted to the ignominy of the cross, that they considered
1 " II y en d aucuns de ceux qui sont ici presens ;" " there are some
of those who are here present."
2 " lusqu a tant qu ils ayent veu le regne de Dieu ;" u till they have
seen the kingdom of God."
300 COMMENTARY ON A
it to be utterly unsuitable that he should be placed in any
circumstances from which he did not receive honour. 1 To
them it was a distressing occurrence that he should be rejected
bij the elders and the scribes, who held the government of the
Church ; and hence we may readily conclude that this admo
nition was highly necessary. But as the bare mention of the
cross must, of necessity, have occasioned heavy distress to
their weak minds, he presently heals the wound by saying,
that on the third day he will rise again from the dead. And
certainly, as there is nothing to be seen in the cross but the
weakness of the flesh, till we come to his resurrection, in
which the power of the Spirit shines brightly, our faith will
find no encouragement or support. In like manner, all mini
sters of the Word, who desire that their preaching may be
profitable, ought to be exceedingly careful that the glory of
his resurrection should be always exhibited by them in con
nection with the ignominy of his death.
But we naturally wonder why Christ refuses to accept as
witnesses the Apostles, whom he had already appointed to
that office ; for why were they sent but to be the heralds of
that redemption which depended on the coming of Christ ?
The answer is not difficult, if we keep in mind the explana
tions which I have given on this subject : first, that they
were not appointed teachers for the purpose of bearing full
and certain testimony to Christ, but only to procure disciples
for their Master ; that is, to induce those who were too much
the victims of sloth to become teachable and attentive ; and,
secondly, that their commission was temporary, for it ended
when Christ himself began to preach. As the time of his
death was now at hand, and as they were not yet fully pre
pared to testify their faith, but, on the contrary, were so
weak in faith, that their confession of it would have exposed
them to ridicule, the Lord enjoins them to remain silent till
others shall have acknowledged him to be the conqueror of
death, and till he shall have endued them with increased
firmness.
1 " Que rien luy peust advenir qui ne fust honorable et magnifique ;"-
" that any thing should happen to him which was not honourable and
magnificent."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 301
Matthew XVI. 22. And Peter, taking him aside, began to
rebuke him. It is a proof of the excessive zeal of Peter, that
he reproves his Master; though it would appear that the
respect he entertained for him was his reason for taking him
aside, because he did not venture to reprove him in presence
of others. Still, it was highly presumptuous in Peter to
advise our Lord to spare himself, as if he had been deficient
in prudence or self-command. But so completely are men
hurried on and driven headlong by inconsiderate zeal, that
they do not hesitate to pass judgment on God himself,
according to their own fancy. Peter views it as absurd, that
the Son of God, who was to be the Redeemer of the nation,
should be crucified by the elders, and that he who was the
Author of life should be condemned to die. He therefore
endeavours to restrain Christ from exposing himself to death.
The reasoning is plausible ; but we ought without hesitation
to yield greater deference to the opinion of Christ than to
the zeal of Peter, whatever excuse he may plead.
And here we learn what estimation in the sight of God
belongs to what are called good intentions. So deeply is pride
rooted in the hearts of men, that they think wrong is done
them, and complain, if God does not comply with every thing
that they consider to be right. With what obstinacy do we
see the Papists boasting of their devotions ! But while they
applaud themselves in this daring manner, God not only
rejects what they believe to be worthy of the highest praise,
but even pronounces a severe censure on its folly and wicked
ness. Certainly, if the feeling and judgment of the flesh be
admitted, Peter s intention was pious, or at least it looked
well. And yet Christ could not have conveyed his censure
in harsher or more disdainful language. Tell me, what is
the meaning of that stern reply ? How comes it that he who
so mildly on all occasions guarded against breaking even a
bruised reed, (Isa. xlii. 3,) thunders so dismally against a
chosen disciple ? The reason is obvious, that in the person of
one man he intended to restrain all from gratifying their own
passions. Though the lusts of the flesh, as they resemble
wild beasts, are difficult to be restrained, yet there is no
beast more furious than the wisdom of the flesh. It is on
302 COMMENTARY ON A
this account that Christ reproves it so sharply, and bruises it,
as it were, with an iron hammer, to teach us that it is only
from the word of God that we ought to be wise.
23. Get t/tee behind me, Satan. It is idle to speculate, as
some have done, about the word (6</r/Vw) behind ; as if Peter
were ordered to follow, and not to go before ; for, in a pass
age which we have already considered, Luke (iv. 8) informs
us that our Lord used those very words in repelling the
attacks of Satan, and the verb iiways (from which the Latin
word Apage is derived) signifies to withdraw* Christ there
fore throws his disciple to a distance from him, because, in
his inconsiderate zeal, he acted the part of Satan; for he
does not simply call him adversary, but gives him the name
of the devil, as an expression of the greatest abhorrence.
Thou art an offence to me ; for thou relishest not those things
which are of God, but those which are of men. We must
attend to this as the reason assigned by our Lord for sending
Peter away from him. Peter was an offence to Christ, so
long as he opposed his calling ; for, when Peter attempted
to stop the course of his Master, it was not owing to him
that he did not deprive himself and all mankind of eternal
salvation. This single word, therefore, shows with what care
we ought to avoid every thing that withdraws us from obe
dience to God. And Christ opens up the original source of
the whole evil, when he says that Peter relishes those things
which are of men. 2 Lest we and our intentions should be
sent away by our heavenly Judge to the devil, 3 let us learn
not to be too much attached to our own views, but submis
sively to embrace whatever the Lord approves. Let the
Papists now go and extol their notions to the skies. They
will one day learn, when they appear before the judgment-
1 " Le mot Grec signifie simplement se reculer et s en aller ;" "the
Greek word simply means to withdraw and go away."
2 " Que Pierre s arreste a la sagesse de 1 homme ;" " that Peter rests
satisfied with the wisdom of man."
3 " Et pourtant de peur que le luge celeste ne nous renvoye au diable
avec nos bonnes affections et intentions ;" " and then lest our heavenly
Judge should send us away to the devil with our good feelings and inten
tions."
IIAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 303
seat of God, what is the value of their boasting, which Christ
declares to be from Satan. And with regard to ourselves,
if we do not, of our own accord, resolve to shut ourselves out
from the way of salvation by deadly obstacles, let us not
desire to be wise in any other manner than from the mouth
of God.
24. Then Jesus said to his disciples. As Christ saw that
Peter had a dread of the cross., and that all the rest were
affected in the same way, he enters into a general discourse
about bearing the cross, and does not limit his address to the
twelve apostles, but lays down the same law for all the
godly. 1 We have already met with a statement nearly
similar, (Matthew x. 38. ) 2 But in that passage the apostles
were only reminded of the persecution which awaited them,
as soon as they should begin to discharge their office ; while
a general instruction is here conveyed, and the initiatory les
sons, so to speak, inculcated on all who profess to believe the
Gospel.
If any man will come after me. These words are used for
the express purpose of refuting the false views of Peter. 3
Presenting himself to every one as an example of self-denial
and of patience, he first shows that it was necessary for him
to endure what Peter reckoned to be inconsistent with his
character, and next invites every member of his body to imi
tate him. The w r ords must be explained in this manner :
" If any man would be my disciple, let him follow me by
denying himself and taking up his cross, or, let him conform
himself to my example." The meaning is, that none can be
reckoned to be the disciples of Christ unless they are true
imitators of him, and are willing to pursue the same course.
He lays do\vn a brief rule for our imitation, in order to
make us acquainted with the chief points in which he wishes
us to resemble him. It consists of two parts, self-denial and
a voluntary bearing of the cross. Let him deny himself. This
1 " A tous fideles ;" " to all believers."
2 Harmony, vol. i. p. 472.
3 " Pour refutcr 1 imagination que Pierre avoit en son cerveau ;" " to
refute the imagination which Peter had in his brain."
304 COMMENTARY ON A
self-denial is very extensive, and implies that we ought to
give up our natural inclinations, and part with all the affec
tions of the flesh, and thus give our consent to be reduced to
nothing, provided that God lives and reigns in us. We
know with what blind love men naturally regard themselves,
how much they are devoted to themselves, how highly they
estimate themselves. But if we desire to enter into the
school of Christ, we must begin with that folly to which Paul
(1 Cor. iii. 18) exhorts us, becoming fools, that we may be wise;
and next we must control and subdue all our affections.
And let him take up his cross. He lays down this injunc
tion, because, though there are common miseries to which
the life of men is indiscriminately subjected, yet as God
trains his people in a peculiar manner, in order that they may
be conformed to the image of his Son, we need not wonder that
this rule is strictly addressed to them. It may be added
that, though God lays both on good and bad men the burden
of the cross, yet unless they willingly bend their shoulders to
it, they are not said to bear the cross ; for a wild and refrac
tory horse cannot be said to admit his rider, though he car
ries him. The patience of the saints, therefore, consists in
bearing willingly the cross which has been laid on them. 1 Luke
adds the word daily let him take up his cross DAILY which
is very emphatic ; for Christ s meaning is, that there will be
no end to our warfare till we leave the world. Let it be the
uninterrupted exercise of the godly, that when many afflic
tions have run their course, they may be prepared to endure
fresh afflictions.
25. For he that would save his life shall lose it. It is a most
appropriate consolation, that they who willingly suffer death
for the sake of Christ 2 do actually obtain life ; for Mark ex
pressly states this as the motive to believers in dying -for
my sake, and for the sake of the Gospel and in the words of
Matthew the same thing must be understood. It frequently
1 "A porter la croix que Dieu leur met sur les epaules ;" " in bear
ing the cross which God lays on their shoulders."
^ " Ceux qui meurent alaigrement pour Christ ;" " those who die
cheerfully for Christ."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 305
happens that irreligious men are prompted by ambition or
despair to despise life ; and to such persons it will be no
advantage that they are courageous in meeting death. The
threatening, which is contrasted with the promise, has also
a powerful tendency to shake off carnal sloth, when he
reminds men who are desirous of the present life, that the
only advantage which they reap is, to lose life. There is a
contrast intended here between temporal and eternal death,
as we have explained under Matthew x. 39, where the reader
will find the rest of this subject. 1
26. Por what doth it profit a man ? The word soul is here
used in the strictest sense. Christ reminds them that the
soul of man was not created merely to enjoy the world for a
few days, but to obtain at length its immortality in heaven.
What carelessness and what brutal stupidity is this, that men
are so strongly attached to the world, and so much occupied
with its affairs, as not to consider why they were born, and
that God gave them an immortal soul, in order that, when
the course of the earthly life was finished, they might live
eternally in heaven ! And, indeed, it is universally acknow
ledged, that the soul is of higher value than all the riches and
enjoyments of the world ; but yet men are so blinded by
carnal views, that they knowingly and wilfully abandon their
souls to destruction. That the world may not fascinate us
by its allurements, let us remember the surpassing worth of
our soul ; for if this be seriously considered, it will easily
dispel the vain imaginations of earthly happiness.
27. For the Son of man will come. That the doctrine
which has just been laid down may more deeply affect our
minds, Christ places before our eyes the future judgment ;
for if we w r ould perceive the worthlessness of this fading life,
we must be deeply affected by the view of the heavenly life.
So tardy and sluggish is our mind, that it needs to be aided
by looking towards heaven. Christ summons believers to his
judgment-seat, to lead them to reflect at all times that they
1 Harmony, vol. i. p. 472.
VOL. II. U
306 COMMENT ART ON A
lived for no other object than to long after that blessed
redemption, which will be revealed at the proper time. The
admonition is intended to inform us, that they do not strive
in vain who set a higher value on the confession of faith than
on their own life. " Place your lives fearlessly," says he, li in
my hand, and under my protection ; for I will at length
appear as your avenger, and will fully restore you, though for
the time you may seem to have perished."
In the glory of the Father , with his angels. These are men
tioned to guard his disciples against judging of his kingdom
from present appearances ; for hitherto he was unknown and
despised, being concealed under the form and condition of a
servant. He assures them that it will be far otherwise w r hen
he shall appear as the Judge of the world. As to the remain
ing part of the passage in Mark and Luke, the reader will
find it explained under the tenth chapter of Matthew. 1
And then will he render to every one according to his actions.
The reward of works has been treated by me as fully as was
necessary under another passage. 2 It amounts to this:
When a reward is promised to good works, their merit is not
contrasted with the justification which is freely bestowed on
us through faith ; nor is it pointed out as the cause of our
salvation, but is only held out to excite believers to aim at
doing what is right, 3 by assuring them that their labour will
not be lost. There is a perfect agreement, therefore, between
these two statements, that we are justified freely, (Rom. iii.
24,) because we are received into God s favour without any
merit ; 4 and yet that God, of his own good pleasure, bestows
on our works a reward which we did not deserve.
28. Verily, I say to you. As the disciples might still hesi-
1 Harmony, vol. i. p. 466.
2 Alibi is a general reference, but en un autre passage is more specific ;
and the passage to which he probably refers the reader for a distinct exhi
bition of his views, and in which, so far as I remember, he handles this
subject more fully than in any other part of the Gospels, is John iv. 36.
Ed.
3 " A faire bonnes oeuvres ;" " to do good works."
4 "Sans que nous en soyons digncs, ou 1 ayons merite ;" "without
being worthy of it, or having deserved it."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
307
tatc and inquire when that day would be, our Lord animates
them by the immediate assurance, that he will presently give
them a proof of his future glory. We know the truth of the
common proverb, that to one who is in expectation even speed
looks like delay ; but never does it hold more true, than when
we are told to wait for our salvation till the coming of Christ.
To support his disciples in the meantime, our Lord holds out
to them, for confirmation, an intermediate period ; as much
as to say, " If it seem too long to wait for the day of my
coming, I will provide against this in good time ; for before
you come to die, you will see with your eyes that kingdom
of God, of which I bid you entertain a confident hope." This
is the natural import of the words ; for the notion adopted
by some, that they were intended to apply to John, is ridi
culous.
Coming in his kingdom. By the coming of the kingdom of
God we are to understand the manifestation of heavenly
glory, which Christ began to make at his resurrection, and
which he afterwards made more fully by sending the Holy
Spirit, and by the performance of miracles; for by those
beginnings he gave his people a taste of the newness of the
heavenly life, when they perceived, by certain and undoubted
proofs, that he was sitting at the right hand of the Father.
MATTHEW.
XVII. 1. And after
six days Jesus taketh
Peter," and James, and
John his brother, and
leadeth them to a high
mountain apart ; 2.
And was transfigured
before them : and his
face shone as the
sun, and his garments
became white as
the light. 3. And, lo,
there appeared to
them Moses and Elijah
talking with him. 4.
MARK.
IX. 2. And after
six days Jesus taketh
Peter, and James,
and John, and lead
eth them to a high
mountain apart by
themselves, and was
transfigured before
them. 3. And his
garments became
shining, exceedingly
white as snow, so
white as no fuller
on earth could make
them. 4. And there
LUKE.
IX. 28. And it happen
ed about eight days after
these words, and he took
Peter, and James, and
John, and went up to a
mountain to pray. 29. And
while he was praying, the
appearance of his counte
nance was changed, and
his raiment became white
and dazzling. 2 30. And, lo,
two men talked with him,
who were Moses and Elijah;
31. Who appeared in a
majestic form, and spoke of
1 " Et voyci, ils vcirent Moyse et Elie parlans avec luy ;" " and, lo,
they saw Moses and Elijah talking with him."
2 u Resplendissant comme un esclair ;" " dazzling like lightning."
308
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
And Peter answering
said to Jesus, Lord,
it is good for us to be
here : if thou wilt, let
us make here three
tabernacles; one for
thee, and one for
Moses, and one for
Elijah. 5. While he
was speaking, lo, a
bright cloud over
shadowed them ; and,
lo, a voice out of the
cloud, which said, This
is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well
pleased ; hear him.
6. And having heard
this, the disciples fell
on their face, 1 and
were exceedingly a-
fraid. 7. Then Jesus
approaching touched
them, and said, Arise,
and be not afraid.
8. And when they
had lifted up their eyes,
they saw no man but
Jesus only.
MARK.
appeared to them
Elijah with Moses,
and they were con
versing with Jesus.
5. And Peter an
swering said to
Jesus, Rabbi, it is
good for us to be
here : and let us
make three taber
nacles ; one for thee,
and one for Moses,
and one for Elijah.
6. For he knew not
what he said ; for
they were terrified.
7. And there came
a cloud that over
shadowed them ; and
a voice came out of
the cloud, saying,
This is my beloved
Son ; hear him. 8.
And suddenly, when
they looked around,
they saw no other
person, but Jesus
alone with them.
LUKE.
the decease which he would
accomplish at Jerusalem.
32. And Peter, and they
that were with him, were
overpowered with sleep ;
and when they awoke, they
saw his glory, and the two
men who w r ere with him.
33. And it happened, while
they were departing from
him, 2 Peter said to Jesus,
Master, it is good for us to
be here : and let us make
three tabernacles ; one for
thee, and one for Moses,
and one for Elijah : not
knowing what he said. 34.
And while he was speaking
these words, a cloud came
and overshadowed them ;
and they were afraid as they
entered into the cloud. 35.
And a voice came out of
the cloud, saying, This is
my beloved Son ; hear him.
36. And while the voice
was uttered, Jesus was
found alone.
Matthew XVII. 1. And after six days. We must first
inquire for what purpose Christ clothed himself with heavenly
glory for a short time, and why he did not admit more than
three of his disciples to be spectators. Some think that he
did so, in order to fortify them against the trial which they
were soon to meet with, arising from his death. That does
not appear to me to be a probable reason ; for why should he
have deprived the rest of the same remedy, or rather, why
does he expressly forbid them to make known what they had
seen till after his resurrection, but because the result of the
vision would be later than his death ? I have no doubt what
ever that Christ intended to show that he was not dragged
1 " Ce qu ayant ouy les disciples cheurent sur leur face en terre ;"
" which the disciples having heard, fell on their face to the earth."
2 "Et adveint quand ceux-la furent departis d avec luy ;" "and it
happened when those men had departed from him."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 309
unwillingly to death, but that he came forward of his own
accord, to offer to the Father the sacrifice of obedience. The
disciples were not made aware of this till Christ rose ; nor was
it even necessary that, at the very moment of his death, they
should perceive the divine power of Christ, so as to acknow
ledge it to be victorious on the cross ; but the instruction
which they now received was intended to be useful at a
future period both to themselves and to us, that no man
might take offence at the weakness of Christ, as if it were by
force and necessity that he had suffered. 1 It would mani
festly have been quite as easy for Christ to protect his body
from death as to clothe it with heavenly glory.
We are thus taught that he was subjected to death, be
cause he wished it to be so; that he was crucified, because
he offered himself. That same flesh, which was sacrificed on
the cross and lay in the grave, might have been exempted
from deatli and the grave ; for it had already partaken of the
heavenly glory. We are also taught that, so long as Christ
remained in the world, bearing the form of a servant, and so
long as his majesty Avas concealed under the weakness of the
flesh, nothing had been taken from him, for it was of his own
accord that he emptied himself, (Philip, ii. 7 ;) but now his
resurrection has drawn aside that veil by which his power
had been concealed for a time.
Our Lord reckoned it enough to select three witnesses, be
cause that is the number which the Law has laid down for
proving any thing ; at the mouth of two witnesses or three wit
nesses^ (Deut. xvii. 6.) The difference as to time ought not
to give us uneasiness. Matthew and Mark reckon six entire
days, which had elapsed between the events. Luke says that
it happened about EIGHT days afterwards, including both the
day on which Christ spake these words, and the day on
which he was transfigured. We see then that, under a
O f
diversity of expression, there is a perfect agreement as to the
2. And was transfigured before them. Luke says that this
happened while he was praying ; and from the circumstances
1 u Comme si par force et contreinte il fust venu endurer la mort ;"
u as if by force and constraint he had come to suffer death."
310 COMMENTARY ON A
of time and place, we may infer that he had prayed for what
he now obtained, that in the brightness of an unusual form
his Godhead might become visible ; not that he needed to
ask by prayer from another what he did not possess, or that
he doubted his Father s willingness, but because, during the
whole course of his humiliation, he always ascribed to the
Father whatever he did as a divine Person, and because he
intended to excite us to prayer by his example.
His transfiguration did not altogether enable his disciples
to see Christ, as he now is in heaven, but gave them a taste
of his boundless glory, such as they were able to comprehend.
Then liis face shone as the mn; but now he is far beyond the
sun in brightness. In his raiment an unusual and dazzling
whiteness appeared ; but now without raiment a divine
majesty shines in his whole body. Thus in ancient times
God appeared to the holy fathers, not as He was in Himself,
but so far as they could endure the rays of His infinite
brightness ; for John declares that not until they are like him
will they see him as he is, (1 John iii. 2.) There is no neces
sity for entering here into ingenious inquiries as to the white
ness of his garments, or the brightness of his countenance ; for
this was not a complete exhibition of the heavenly glory of
Christ, but, under symbols which were adapted to the capa
city of the flesh, he enabled them to taste in part what could
not be fully comprehended.
3. And, 7o, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah. It is
asked, Were Moses and Elijah actually present ? or was it
only an apparition that was exhibited to the disciples, as the
prophets frequently beheld visions of things that were absent ?
Though the subject admits, as we say, of arguments on both
sides, yet I think it more probable that they were actually
brought to that place. There is no absurdity in this suppo
sition ; for God has bodies and souls in his hand, and can
restore the dead to life at his pleasure, whenever he sees it
to be necessary. Moses and Elijah did not then rise on their
own account, 1 but in order to wait upon Christ. It will next
1 " Moise et Elie ne sont pas lors resstiscitez pour eux, et pour le re
gard de la resurrection derniere ;" "Moses and Elijah did not then rise
for themselves, and with respect to the last resurrection."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 311
be asked, How came the apostles to know Moses and Elijah,
whom they had never seen ? The answer is easy. God, who
brought them forward, gave also signs and tokens by which
they were enabled to know them. It was thus by an extra
ordinary revelation that they obtained the certain knowledge
that they were Moses and Elijah.
But why did these two appear rather than others who
equally belonged to the company of the holy fathers ? It was
intended to demonstrate that Christ alone is the end of the
Law and of the Prophets ; and that single reason ought to
satisfy us : for it was of the utmost importance to our faith
that Christ did not come into our world without a testimony,
but with commendations which God had formerly bestowed.
I have no objection, however, to the reason which is com
monly adduced, that Elijah was selected, in preference to
others, as the representative of all the Prophets ; because,
though he left nothing in writing, yet next to Moses he was
the most distinguished of their number, restored the worship
of God which had been corrupted, and stood unrivalled in his
exertions for vindicating the Law and true godliness, which
was at that time almost extinct.
And they conversed with Jesus. When they appeared along
with Christ, and held conversation with him, this was a decla
ration of their being agreed. The subject on w r hich they
conversed is stated by Luke only : they talked of the decease
which awaited Christ at Jerusalem. This must not be under
stood to refer to them as private individuals, but rather to
the commission Avhich they had formerly received. Though
it was now a long time since they had died and finished
the course of their calling, yet our Lord intended once
more to ratify by their voice what they had taught during
their life, in order to inform us that the same salvation,
through the sacrifice of Christ, is held out to us in common
with the holy fathers. At the time when the ancient pro
phets uttered their predictions concerning the death of
Christ, he himself, who was the eternal wisdom of God, was
sitting on the invisible throne of his glory. Hence it fol
lows that, when he was clothed in flesh, he was not liable to
death any farther than as he submitted to it of his own free
will.
312 COMMENTARY ON A
4. Lord, it is good for us to be here. Luke tells us that
Peter uttered these words while Moses and Elijah were de
parting ; and hence we infer that he was afraid lest, at their
departure, that pleasant and delightful exhibition should
vanish away. We need not wonder that Peter was so cap
tivated by the loveliness of what he beheld, as to lose sight
of every other person, and rest satisfied with the mere enjoy
ment of it ; as it is said in the psalm, In thy presence is ful
ness of joy, (Ps. xvi. 11.) But his desire was foolish; first,
because he did not comprehend the design of the vision ;
secondly, because he absurdly put the servants on a level
with their Lord ; and, thirdly, he was mistaken in proposing
to build fading tabernacles 1 for men who had been already
admitted to the glory of heaven and of the angels.
I have said that he did not understand the design of the
vision ; for, while he was hearing, from the mouth of Moses
and Elijah^ that the time of Christ s death was at hand, he
foolishly dreamed that his present aspect, which was tempo
rary, would endure for ever. And what if the kingdom of
Christ had been confined in this way to the narrow limits of
twenty or thirty feet? Where would have been the re
demption of the whole world ? Where would have been
the communication of eternal salvation ? It was also highly
absurd to conceive of Moses and Elijah as companions of
the Son of God, as if it had not been proper that all should
be reduced to a lower rank, that he alone may have the
pre-eminence. And if Peter is satisfied with his present
condition, why does he suppose that earthly supports
were needed by those persons, the very sight of whom, he
imagined, was enough to make him happy ?
Justly, therefore, is it stated by two of the Evangelists,
that he knew not tchat he said ; and Mark assigns the reason,
that they were afraid ; for God did not intend that the
apostles should, at that time, derive any advantage from it
beyond that of beholding for a moment, as in a bright mir
ror, the divinity of his Son. At a later period, he pointed
out to them the fruit of the vision, and corrected the error
1 " Des tabernacles terriens ;" " earthly tabernacles."
HAEMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 313
of their judgment. What is stated by Mark must therefore
mean, that Peter was carried away by frenzy, and spoke like
a man who had lost his senses.
5. Lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Their eyes were
covered by a cloud, in order to inform them, that they were
not yet prepared for beholding the brightness of the heavenly
glory. For, when the Lord gave tokens of his presence, he
employed, at the same time, some coverings to restrain the
arrogance of the human mind. So now, with the view of
teaching his disciples a lesson of humility, he withdraws
from their eyes the sight of the heavenly glory. This ad
monition is likewise addressed to us, that we may not seek
to pry into the secrets which lie beyond our senses, but, on
the contrary, that every man may keep within the limits of
sobriety, according to the measure of his faith. In a word,
this cloud ought to serve us as a bridle, that our curiosity
may not indulge in undue wantonness. The disciples, too,
were warned that they must return to their former warfare,
and therefore must not expect a triumph before the time.
And, lo, a voice from the cloud. It deserves our attention,
that the voice of God was heard from the cloud, but that
neither a body nor a face was seen. Let us therefore re
member the warning which Moses gives us, that God has
no visible shape, lest we should deceive ourselves by ima
gining that He resembled a man, (Deut. iv. 15.) There
Avere, no doubt, various appearances under which God made
himself known to the holy fathers in ancient times ; but in
all cases he refrained from using signs which might induce
them to make for themselves idols. And certainly, as the
minds of men are too strongly inclined to foolish imagina
tions, there was no necessity for throwing oil upon the flame. 1
This manifestation of the glory of God was remarkable
above all others. When he makes a cloud to pass between
Him and us, and invites us to himself by His voice, what
madness is it to attempt to place Him before our eyes by a
1 u II n cstoit ia besom de ietter de 1 huile au feu pour enflamber
wantage le mal;" "th
fire to inflame the evil still
davantage le mal;" "there was no necessity for throwing oil on the
^iro t r\ iTi-flatno flio ovil ciill ivinvo "
314 COMMENTARY ON A
block of wood or of stone ? Let us therefore endeavour to
enter by faith alone, and not by the eyes of flesh, into that
inaccessible light in which God dwells. The voice came
from the cloud, that the disciples, knowing it to have pro
ceeded from God, might receive it with due reverence.
This is my beloved Son. I willingly concur with those
who think that there is an implied contrast of Moses and
Elijah with Christ, and that the disciples of God s own Son
are here charged to seek no other teacher. The word Son
is emphatic, and raises him above servants. There are
two titles here bestowed upon Christ, which are not more
fitted to do honour to him than to aid our faith : a beloved
Son y and a Master. The Father calls him my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased, and thus declares him to be the
Mediator, by whom he reconciles the world to himself.
When he enjoins us to hear him, he appoints him to be the
supreme and only teacher of his Church. It was his design
to distinguish Christ from all the rest, as we truly and
strictly infer from those words, that by nature he was God s
only Son. In like manner, we learn that he alone is beloved
by the Father, and that he alone is appointed to be our
Teacher, that in him all authority may dwell.
But it will perhaps be objected, Does not God love angels
and men ? It is easy to reply, that the fatherly love of God,
which is spread over angels and men, proceeds from him as
its source. The Son is beloved by the Father, not so as to
make other creatures the objects of his hatred, but so that he
communicates to them what belongs to himself. There is a
difference, no doubt, between our condition and that of the
angels ; for they never were alienated from God, and there
fore needed not that he should reconcile them ; while we are
enemies on account of sin, till Christ procure for us his favour.
Still, it is a fixed principle that God is gracious to both, only
so far as he embraces us in Christ ; for even the angels would
not be firmly united to God if Christ were not their Head.
It may also be observed that, since the Father here speaks
of himself as different from the Son, there is a distinction
of persons ; for they are one in essence and alike in glory.
Hear him. I mentioned a little ago, that these words were
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 315
intended to draw the attention of the Church to Christ as
the only Teacher, that on his mouth alone it may depend.
For, though Christ came to maintain the authority of the
Law and the Prophets, (Matth. v. 17,) yet he holds the highest
rank, so that, by the brightness of his gospel, he causes those
sparks which shone in the Old Testament to disappear. He
is the Sun of righteousness, whose arrival brought the full light
of day. And this is the reason why the Apostle says (Heb.
i. 1) that God, icho at sundry times and in various ways spoke
formerly hy the Prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us
by his beloved Son. In short, Christ is as truly heard at the
present day in the Law and in the Prophets as in his Gospel ;
so that in him dwells the authority of a Master, which he
claims for himself alone, saying, One is your Master, even
Christ, (Matth. xxiii. 8.) But his authority is not fully
acknowledged, unless all the tongues of men are silent. If
we would submit to his doctrine, all that has been invented
by men must be thrown down and destroyed. He is every
day, no doubt, sending out teachers, but it is to state purely
and honestly what they have learned from him, and not to
corrupt the gospel by their own additions. In a word, no
man can be regarded a faithful teacher of the Church, unless
he be himself a disciple of Christ, and bring others to be
taught by him.
6. And having heard this. God intended that the disciples
should be struck with this terror, in order to impress more
fully on their hearts the remembrance of the vision. Yet we
see how great is the weakness of our nature, which trembles
in this manner at hearing the voice of God. If ungodly men
mock at God, or despise him without concern, it is because
God does not address them so as to cause his presence to be
felt ; but the majesty of God, as soon as we perceive him,
must unavoidably cast us down.
7. Then Jesus approaching touched them. Christ raises them
up when they had fallen, and by so doing performs his office ;
for he came down to us for this very purpose, that by his
guidance believers might boldly enter into the presence of
316
COMMENTARY ON A
God, and that his majesty, which otherwise would swallow
up all flesh, might no longer fill them with terror. Nor is it
only by his words that he comforts, but by touching also that
he encourages them.
8. They saw no man but Jesus only. When it is said that
in the end they saw Christ alone, this means that the Law
and the Prophets had a temporary glory, that Christ alone
might remain fully in view. If we would properly avail our
selves of the aid of Moses, we must not stop with him, but
must endeavour to be conducted by his hand to Christ, of
whom both he and all the rest are ministers. This passage
may also be applied to condemn the superstitions of those
who confound Christ not only with prophets and apostles,
but with saints of the lowest rank, in such a manner as to
make him nothing more than one of their number. But
when the saints of God are eminent in graces, it is for a
totally different purpose than that they should defraud Christ
of a part of his honour, and appropriate it to themselves. In
the disciples themselves we may see the origin of the mistake ;
for so long as they were terrified by the majesty of God,
their minds wandered in search of men, but when Christ
gently raised them up, they saw him alone. If we are made
to experience that consolation by which Christ relieves us of
our fears, all those foolish affections, which distract us on
every hand, will vanish away.
MATTHEW.
XVII. 9. And as they
were going down from the
mountain, Jesus command
ed them, saying, Tell the
vision to no man, till the
Son of man be risen from
the dead. 10. And his
disciples asked him, saying,
Why then do the scribes
say that Elijah must come
first? 11. And Jesus an
swering said to them, Elijah
indeed will come first, and
restore all things. 12. But
I say to you, That Elijah is
MARK. LUKE.
IX. 9. And when they were IX. 36.
going down from the mountain, And they
he charged them not to tell any kept si-
man those things which they lence, and
had seen, till the Son of man told no
had risen from the dead. 10. man in
And they kept this saying among those days
themselves, disputing with each any of
other what was the meaning of those
the expression which he had things
used, To rise from the dead, which
11 And they asked him, saying, they had
Why do the scribes say that seen.
Elijah must come first ? 12. And
he answering said to them,
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 317
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
come already, and they did Elijah indeed will come first,
not know him, but "have and restore all things ; and, as
done to him whatever it is written, the Son of man
they pleased : thus also will must suffer many things and
the Son of man suffer from be despised. 13. But I say to
them. 13. Then the dis- you, That Elijah is come, and
ciples understood that he they have done to him what-
had spoken to them con- ever they pleased, as it is written
cerning John the Baptist. 1 of him.
Matthew XVII. 9. And as they were going down from the
mountain. We have said that the time for making known
the vision was not yet fully come ; and, indeed, the disciples
would not have believed it, if Christ had not given a more
striking proof of his glory in his resurrection. But after that
his divine power had been openly displayed, that temporary
exhibition of his glory began to be admitted, so as to make
it fully evident that, even during the time that he emptied
himself, (Philip, ii. 7,) he continued to retain his divinity
entire, though it was concealed under the veil of the flesh.
O
There are good reasons, therefore, why he enjoins his disciples
to keep silence, till he be risen from the dead.
10. And his disciples asked him, saying. No sooner is the
resurrection mentioned than the disciples imagine that the
reign of Christ is commenced ; 2 for they explain this word
to mean that the world would acknowledge him to be the
Messiah. That they imagined the resurrection to be some
thing totally different from what Christ meant, is evident
from what is stated by Mark, that they disputed with each
other what was the meaning of that expression which he had used,
To rise from the dead. Perhaps, too, they were already under
the influence of that dream which is now held as an un
doubted oracle among the Rabbins, that there would be a
first and a second coming of the Messiah ; that in the first he
1 " Que c estoit de lean Baptiste qu il leur avoit parle ;" " that it was
of John the Baptist that he had spoken to them.
qu
kin
2 "Us imaginent que c est 1 entree du regne de Christ, et leur semble
. ils y sont desia ;" " they imagine that it is the commencement of the
imlom of Christ, and think that they are already in it."
318 COMMENTARY ON A
would be mean and despised, but that this would be shortly
afterwards followed by his royal dignity. And, indeed, there
is some plausibility in that error, for it springs from a true
principle. The Scripture, too, speaks of a first arid a second
coming of the Messiah ; for it promises that he will be a
Redeemer, to expiate by his sacrifice the sins of the world. 1
And such is the import of the following prophecies : Rejoice,
daughter of Zion, behold, thy King comcth, poor, sitting on an
ass, (Zech. ix. 9.) We beheld him, and he had no form or
beauty, and lie resembled a leper, so that we had no esteem for
him, (Isa. liii. 3, 4.) Again, Scripture represents him as
victorious over death, and as subjecting all things to his
dominion. But we see how the Rabbins corrupt the pure
word of God by their inventions ; and as every thing was
greatly corrupted in the time of our Lord, it is probable that
the people had also embraced this foolish notion.
Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first 9 The
gross mistakes which they committed as to the person of
Elijah have been pointed out on two or three occasions. 2
Perhaps, too, they cunningly and wickedly endeavoured to
lessen the authority of Christ by bringing forward Elijah ;
for as it had been promised that Elijah would come as the
forerunner of Messiah, to prepare the way before him, (Mai.
iii. 1 ; iv. 5,) it was easy to excite a prejudice against Christ,
by saying that he came unaccompanied by Elijah. By a
trick closely resembling this, the devil enchants the Papists
of the present day not to expect the day of judgment till
Elijah and Enoch have appeared. 3 It may not usually be
conjectured that this expedient was purposely resorted to by
the scribes, in order to represent Christ as unworthy of con
fidence, because he wanted the legitimate badge of the
Messiah.
1 " Faisant par son sacrifice satisfaction pour les pechez du monde;"
" making satisfaction by his sacrifice for the sins of the world."
2 Among other passages in which our Author has treated of the
erroneous notions entertained by the Jews respecting Elijah, the reader
may consult his Commentary on John i. 21, 25. Ed.
3 " lusques h, ce qu ? on voyeElie et Henoch retourner en ce monde ;"
" till Elijah and Enoch are seen returning to this world."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
319
11. Elijah indeed will come first. We have stated else
where the origin of that error which prevailed among the
Jews. As John the Baptist was to resemble Elijah by
restoring the fallen condition of the Church, the prophet
Malachi (iv. 5, 6) had even given to him the name of Elijah ;
and this had been rashly interpreted by the scribes, as if
Elijah the Tishbite (1 Kings xvii. 1) were to return a second
time to the world. Christ now declares that every thing
which Malachi uttered was true, but that his prediction had
been misunderstood and distorted from its true meaning.
" The promise," says he, " that Elijah would come was true,
and has been already fulfilled ; but the scribes have already
rejected Elijah, whose name they idly and falsely plead in
opposing me."
And will restore all things. This does not mean that John
the Baptist restored them perfectly, but that he conveyed and
handed them over to Christ, who would complete the work
which he had begun. Now as the scribes had shamefully
rejected John, Christ reminds his disciples that the im
postures of such men ought not to give them uneasiness, and
that it ought not to be reckoned strange, if, after having
rejected the servant, they should, with equal disdain, reject
his Master. And that no one might be distressed by a pro
ceeding so strange, our Lord mentions that the Scripture
contained predictions of both events, that the Eedeemer of
the world, and Elijah his forerunner, would be rejected by
false and wicked teachers.
MATTHEW. MARK.
XVII. 14. IX. 14. And when he came to the
And when disciples, he saw a great multitude
they were around them, and the scribes disputing
come to the with them. 15. And the whole mul-
multitudc, a titude, as soon as they saw him, were
man came to astonished, and, running to him, saluted
him, kneel- him. 16. And he asked the scribes,
ing before What do you dispute among your-
him, 15. And selves ? 17. And one of the multitude
saying,Lord, answering said, Master, I have
have com- brought to thee my son, who hath a
passion on dumb spirit ; 18. And wheresoever it
my son, for seizeth him, it teareth him, and he
LUKE.
IX. 37. And it
happened on the
following day,
while they Avere
going down from
the mountain, a
great multitude
met him. 38. And,
lo, a man, who
was one of the
multitude, cried
out, saying, Mas
ter, I beseech thee,
320
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
he is lunatic, foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, look to my son :
and is grie- and languisheth : and I spoke to thy for he is my only
vously dis- disciples to cast him out, and they son. 39. And, lo,
tressed ; for could not. 19. And he, answering, a spirit seizeth
frequently saith to him, O unbelieving nation, him, and teareth
he falleth in- how long shall I be with you ? How him foaming, and
to the fire, long shall I suffer you ? Bring him to bruising him,
and fre- me. 20. And they brought him to hardly departeth
quently into him; and as soon as he saw him, the from him. 40. And
the water, spirit tore him, and he lay on the I besought thy
16. And I ground, and rolled about, foaming, disciples to cast
brought him 21. And he asked his father, How him out, and they
to thy dis- long is it since this happened to him? could not. 41.
ciples, and And he said, From a child. 22. And And Jesus answer-
they could frequently it hath thrown him into the ing said, O unbe-
not cure him. fire, and into the water, to destroy lieving and per-
17. And Je- him : but if thou canst do any thing, verse nation, how
sus answer- have compassion on us, and help us. long shall I be
ing said, O 23. And Jesus said, If thou canst be- with you, and suf-
unbelieving lieve it, all things are possible to him fer you ? Bring
and perverse that believeth. 24. And immediately thy son hither,
nation, how the father of the child, exclaiming 42. And while he
long shall I with tears, said, Lord, I believe ; aid was still approach-
be with you? thou my unbelief. 25. And when ing, the devil tore
How long Jesus saw that the multitude were him, and threw
shall I suffer crow-ding upon him, he rebuked the him down ; and
you ? Bring unclean spirit, saying to him, Dumb Jesus rebuked the
him hither to and deaf spirit, I command thee, go unclean spirit, and
me. 18. And out of him, and enter no more into cured the child,
Jesus rebuk- him. 26. And when the spirit had and restored him
ed the devil, cried out, and torn him greatly, he to his father. 43.
who went out w^ent out of him ; and he became And they were
of him ; and like a dead person, so that many said, all astonished at
from that He is dead. 27. But Jesus stretched the mighty power
instant the out his hand, and raised him ; and he of God.
child was stood up.
cured.
As Mark is more full, and explains the circumstances very
minutely, we shall follow the order of his narrative. And
first he points out clearly the reason why Christ uses a
harshness so unusual with him, when he exclaims that the
Jews, on account of their perverse malice, do not deserve to
be any longer endured. We know how gently he was wont
to receive them, even when their requests were excessively
importunate. 1 A father here entreats in behalf of an only
1 "Encores mesme qu ils se monstrassent import uns et facheux en
leurs requestes ;" " even though they showed themselves to be impor
tunate and troublesome in their requests."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 321
son, the necessity is extremely urgent, and a modest and
humble appeal is made to the compassion of Christ. Why
then does he, contrary to his custom, break out suddenly
into passion, and declare that they can be endured no
longer ? As the narrative of Matthew and Luke does not
enable us to discover the reason of this great severity, some
commentators have fallen into the mistake of supposing
that this rebuke was directed either against the disciples, or
against the father of the afflicted child. But if we duly
consider all the circumstances of the case, as they are re
lated by Mark, there will be no difficulty in arriving at the
conclusion, that the indignation of Christ was directed
against the malice of the scribes, and that he did not intend
to treat the ignorant and weak with such harshness.
During Christ s absence, a lunatic child had been brought
forward. The scribes, regarding this as a plausible occasion
for giving annoyance, seized upon it eagerly, and entreated
the disciples that, if they had any power, they would exer
cise it in curing the child. It is probable that the disciples
made an attempt, and that their efforts were unavailing ;
upon which the scribes raise the shout of victory, and not
only ridicule the disciples, but break out against Christ, as if
in their person his power had been baffled. It was an ex
traordinary display of outrageous impiety united with equally
base ingratitude, maliciously to keep out of view so many
miracles, from which they had learned the amazing power of
Christ; for they manifestly endeavoured to extinguish the
light which was placed before their eyes. With good
reason, therefore, does Christ exclaim that they could no
longer be endured, and pronounce them to be an unbelieving
and perverse nation ; for the numerous proofs which they had
formerly beheld ought at least to have had the effect of pre
venting them from seeking occasion of disparagement. 1
Mark IX. 14. He saw a great multitude around them. The
disciples were, no doubt, held up to public gaze ; as the
1 " Qu ils n allassent plus chercher des cavillations et moyens obliques
pour luy resister;" " not to resort any more to cavils and indirect
methods of opposing him."
VOL. II. X
322 COMMENTARY ON A
enemies of the truth are wont, on occasions of triumph, to
assemble a crowd about a trifle. The scribes had made
such a noise about it, as to draw down on the disciples the
ridicule of many persons. And yet it appears that there
were some who were not ill disposed ; for, as soon as they
see Jesus, they salute him ; and even the insolence of the
scribes is restrained by his presence, for, when they are
asked what is the matter in dispute, they have not a word
to say.
17. Master, I have brought to thee my son. Matthew de
scribes a different sort of disease from what is described by
Mark, for he says that the man was lunatic. But both agree
as to these two points, that he was dumb., and that at certain
intervals he became furious. The term lunatic is applied to
those who, about the waning of the moon, are seized with
epilepsy, or afflicted with giddiness. I do not admit the
fanciful notion of Chrysostom, that the word lunatic was
invented by a trick of Satan, in order to throw disgrace on
the good creatures of God ; for we learn from undoubted
experience, that the course of the moon affects the increase
or decline of these diseases. 1 And yet this does not prevent
Satan from mixing up his attacks with natural means. I am
of opinion, therefore, that the man was not naturally deaf
and dumb, but that Satan had taken possession of his tongue
and ears ; and that, as the weakness of his brain and nerves
made him liable to epilepsy, Satan availed himself of this
for aggravating the disease. The consequence was, that he
was exposed to danger on every hand, and was thrown into
violent convulsions, which left him lying on the ground, in a
fainting state, and like a dead man.
Let us learn from this how many ways Satan has of in
juring us, were it not that he is restrained by the hand of
God. Our infirmities both of soul and body, which we feel
to be innumerable, are so many darts with which Satan is
supplied for wounding us. We are worse than stupid, if a
1 On the opinion expressed by CALVIN, as to the influence of the
moon on these diseases, the reader may consult Harmony, vol. i. p. 245,
n. 1. Ed.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 323
condition so wretched does not arouse us to prayer. But in
this we see also an amazing display of the goodness of God,
that, though we are liable to such a variety of dangers, 1 he
surrounds us with his protection ; particularly if we consider
with what eagerness our enemy is bent on our destruction.
We ought also to call to remembrance the consoling truth,
that Christ has come to bridle his rage, and that we are
safe in the midst of so many dangers, because our diseases
are effectually counteracted by heavenly medicine.
We must attend also to the circumstance of the time.
The father replies, that his son had been subject to this
grievous disease from his infancy. If Satan was permitted
to exert his power, to such an extent, on a person of that
tender age, what reason have not we to fear, who are con
tinually exposing ourselves by our crimes to deadly strokes,
who even supply our enemy with darts, and on whom he
might justly be permitted to spend his rage, if it were not
kept under restraint by the astonishing goodness of God ?
Matthew XVII. 17. O unbelieving and rebellious nation.
Though Christ appears to direct his discourse to the father
of the lunatic, yet there can be no doubt that he refers to the
scribes, as I have lately explained ; for it is certain that the
reproof is directed, not against ignorant and weak persons,
but against those who, through inveterate malice, obstinately
resist God. This is the reason why Christ declares that they
are no longer worthy to be endured, and threatens that ere
long he will separate from them. But nothing worse could
happen to them than that Christ should leave them, and it
was no light reproach that they rejected so disdainfully the
grace of their visitation. We must also observe here, that
we ought to treat men in various w r ays, each according to
his natural disposition. For, while our Lord attracts to him the
teachable by the utmost mildness, supports the w r eak, and
gently arouses even the sluggish, he does not spare those
crooked serpents, on whom he perceives that no remedies can
effect a cure.
1 " Combien que nous soyons sublets a mille dangers et inconveniens ;
" though we are liable to a thousand dangers and inconveniences."
324 COMMENTARY ON A
Mark IX. 20. And as soon as he saw him. That the devil
should rage with more than ordinary cruelty against the man,
when he is brought to Christ, ought not to excite surprise ;
for in proportion as the grace of Christ is seen to be nearer
at hand, and acts more powerfully, the fury of Satan is the
more highly excited. The presence of Christ awakens him
like the sound of a trumpet. He raises as violent a storm as
he can, and contends with all his might. We ought to be
prepared beforehand with such meditations, that our faith
may not be disturbed, when the approach of the grace of
Christ is met by more than ordinary violence on the part of
our enemy. Nor ought we to lose sight of another point,
that the true commencement of our cure is, when our affliction
is so heavy that we are almost at the point of death. It
must also be taken into account that, by means of the furious
attack of Satan, our Lord lights a torch to cause his grace to
be seen ; for, when the spectators were appalled at the dread
ful spectacle, the display of the power of Christ, which im
mediately followed, was more distinctly perceived.
21. From a child. Hence we infer that this punishment
was not inflicted on account of the sins of the individual, but
was a secret judgment of God. True indeed, even infants,
as soon as they have come out of the womb, are not innocent
in the sight of God, or free from guilt ; but God s chastise
ments have sometimes hidden causes, and are intended to try
our obedience. We do not render to God the honour which
is due to Him, unless with reverence and modesty we adore
His justice, when it is concealed from us. Whoever wishes
to obtain more full information on this point, may consult my
Commentary on these words, Neither hath this man sinned, nor
his parents, (John ix. 3.)
22. Ifthou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and
help us. We see how little honour he renders to Christ ; for,
supposing him to be some prophet, whose power was limited,
he approaches to him with hesitation. On the other hand,
the first foundation of faith is, to embrace the boundless
power of God ; and the first step to prayer is, to raise it
HARMONY OP THE EVANGELISTS. 325
above all opposition by the firm belief that our prayers are
not in vain. As this man did not suppose Christ to be at all
different from other men, his false opinion is corrected ; for
our faith must be so formed as to be capable and prepared
for receiving the desired favour. In his reply Christ does
not administer a direct reproof, but indirectly reminding the
man of what he had said amiss, points out to him his fault,
and informs him how a remedy may be obtained.
23. If tliou canst believe. " You ask me," says he, " to aid
you as far as I can ; but you will find in me an inexhaustible
fountain of power, provided that the faith which you bring
be sufficiently large." Hence may be learned a useful doc
trine, which will apply equally to all of us, that it is not the
Lord that prevents his benefits from flowing to us in large
abundance, but that it must be attributed to the narrowness
of our faith, that it comes to us only in drops, and that fre
quently we do not feel even a drop, because unbelief shuts
up our heart. It is an idle exercise of ingenuity to prove
Christ s meaning to be, that a man can believe of himself :
for nothing more was intended than to throw back on men
the blame of their poverty, whenever they disparage the
power of God by their unbelief.
All things are possible to him that believeth. Christ un
doubtedly intended to teach that the fulness of all blessings
has been given to us by the Father, and that every kind of
assistance must be expected from him alone in the same
manner as we expect it from the hand of God. a Only exer
cise," says he, " a firm belief, and you will obtain." In what
manner faith obtains any thing for us we shall immediately
see.
24. Lord, I believe. He declares that he believes, and yet
acknowledges himself to have unbelief. These two state
ments may appear to contradict each other, but there is
none of us that does not experience both of them in himself.
As our faith is never perfect, it follows that we are partly
unbelievers ; but God forgives us, and exercises such for
bearance towards us, as to reckon us believers on account of
326
COMMENTARY ON A
a small portion of faith. It is our duty, in the meantime,
carefully to shake off the remains of infidelity which adhere
to us, to strive against them, and to pray to God to correct
them, and, as often as we are engaged in this conflict, to fly
to him for aid. If we duly inquire what portion has been
bestowed on each, it will evidently appear that there are
very few who are eminent in faith, few who have a moderate
portion, and very many who have but a small measure.
MATTHEW.
XYII. 19. Then the dis
ciples, coming to Jesus apart,
said, Why could not we cast
it out ? 20. And Jesus said
to them, On account of your
unbelief; for verily I say to
you, If you have faith as a
grain of mustard-seed, you
shall say to this mountain,
Remove thou hence, and it
shall remove ; and nothing
shall be impossible to you.
21. But this kind 1 goeth not
out but by prayer and fasting.
MARK.
IX. 28. And
when he had en
tered into the
house, his dis
ciples asked him
apart, Why could
not we cast him
out ? _ 29. And
he said to them,
This kind 2 can
not go out in any
other way than by
prayer and fast
ing.
LUKE.
XVII. 5. And
the apostles said
to the Lord, In
crease our faith.
6. And the Lord
said, If you had
faith as a grain of
mustard-seed, you
might say to this
sycamore tree, Be
thou rooted up and
planted in the sea ;
and it would obey
you.
Matthew XVII. 19. Then the disciples coming. The
disciples wonder that the power which they once possessed
has been taken from them ; but they had lost it by their
own fault. Christ therefore attributes this want of ability
to their unbelief, and repeats and illustrates more largely the
statement which he had previously made, that nothing is im
possible to faith. It is a hyperbolical mode of expression, no
doubt, when he declares that faith removes trees and moun
tains ; but the meaning amounts to this, that God will never
forsake us, if we keep the door open for receiving his grace.
He does not mean that God will give us every thing that we
may mention, or that may strike our minds at random. On
the contrary, as nothing is more at variance with faith
1 "Mais ceste sorte [de diables] ne sort point ;" " but this kind [of
devils] goeth not out."
2 " Ceste espece [de diables] ne sort point j" " this kind [01 devils]
goeth not out."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 327
than the foolish and irregular desires of our flesh, it follows
that those in whom faith reigns do not desire every thing
without discrimination, but only that which the Lord pro
mises to give. Let us therefore maintain such moderation
as to desire nothing beyond what he has promised to us, and
to confine our prayers within that rule which he has laid
down.
But it may be objected, that the disciples did not know
whether or not the Lord was pleased to cure the lunatic. It
is easy to reply, that it was their own fault if they did not
know ; for Christ is now speaking expressly about special
faith, which had its secret instincts, as the circumstances of
the case required. And this is the faith of which Paul
speaks, (1 Cor. xii. 9.) How then came it that the apostles
were deprived of the power of the Spirit, which they had for
merly exercised in working miracles, but because they had
quenched it by their indolence ? But what Christ said
about special faith, in reference to this particular event, may
be extended to the common faith of the whole Church.
21. This kind goeth not out. 1 By this expression Christ
reproved the negligence of certain persons, in order to in
form them that it was not an ordinary faith which was
required ; for otherwise they might have replied that they
were not altogether destitute of faith. The meaning there
fore is 3 that it is not every kind of faith that will suffice,
when we have to enter into a serious conflict with Satan,
but that vigorous efforts are indispensably necessary. For
the weakness of faith he prescribes prayer as a remedy, to
Avhich he adds fasting by way of an auxiliary. " You are
effeminate exorcists," said he, " and seem as if you were en
gaged in a mock-battle got up for amusement ; 2 but you have
to deal with a powerful adversary, who will not yield till the
battle has been fought out. Your faith must therefore be
1 " Cest espece [de diables] ne sort point;" " this kind [of devils]
55
goeth. not out.
2 "Vous y venez ainsi qu & un combat de petits enfans, et comme s il
n estoit question que de s escarmoucher pour passe-temps." " You come
to it as if it were to a fight of little children, and as if you had nothing to
do but to skirmish for amusement."
328
COMMENTARY ON A
excited by prayer ^ and as you are slow and languid in prayer ,
you must resort to fasting as an assistance." 1 Hence it is
very evident how absurdly the Papists represent fasting to
be the specific method of driving away devils, since our
Lord refers to it for no other reason than to stimulate the
earnestness of prayer. When he says that this kind of devils
cannot be cast out in any other way than by prayer and fasting,
he means that, when Satan has taken deep root in any one,
and has been confirmed by long possession, or when he rages
with unbridled fury, the victory is difficult and painful, and
therefore the contest must be maintained with all our might.
MATTHEW.
XVII. 22. And
while they remained
in Galilee, Jesus said
to them, The Son of
man will be delivered
into the hands of men :
23. And they will kill
him, and on the third
day he will rise again.
And they were deep
ly grieved.
XVIII. 1. At that
time the disciples
came to Jesus, say
ing, Who is the great
est in the kingdom of
heaven ? 2. And
Jesus, having called
a little child to him,
placed him in the
midst of them, 3.
And said, Verily I
say to you, Unless
you be converted, and
become as little child
ren, you shall not
enter into the king
dom of heaven. 4.
MARK.
IX. 30. And departing
thence, they passed through
Galilee, and he was desirous
that nobody should know it.
31. For he taught his dis
ciples, and said to them, The
Son of man is delivered into
the hands of men, and they
will kill him ; and, after being
killed, he will rise on the
third day. 32. But they
knew not what he said, and
were afraid to ask him. 33.
And he came to Caper
naum ; 2 and when he was
come into the house, he ask
ed them, What were you
disputing about among your
selves on the road? 34. But
they were silent ; for they
had disputed among them
selves by the way who was
the greatest. 35. And when
he had sat down, he called
the twelve, and said to them,
If any man choose to be first,
he shall be last of all, 3 and
servant of all. 36. And he
took a child, and placed him
LUKE.
IX. 43. But while
all were wondering
at every thing that
he did, he said to
his disciples, 44.
Put these words in
your ears ; for the
Son of man shall be
delivered into the
hands of men. 45.
But they under
stood not that say
ing, and it was hid
den from them, so
that they did not
perceive it, and they
were afraid to ask
him concerning this
saying. 46. And
a dispute arose
among them, which
of them was the
greatest. 47. But
Jesus, seeing the
thought of their
heart, took a child,
and placed him near
him, 48. And said
to them, Whoso -
1 u Comme une aide pour vous exciter et enflamber ; " "as an assist
ance to excite and inflame you."
2 " Apres ces choses il veint en Capernaum ;" " after these things he
came to Capernaum."
3 " II sera (ou, qu\l soif) le dernier de tous ;" " he shall be (or, let
him be) servant of all."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
329
MATTHEW.
Whosoever then shall
humble himself like
this little child, he is
the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven.
5. And whosoever
shall receive such a
little child in my
name receiveth me.
MAIIK.
in the midst of them ; and
when he had taken him in
his arms, he said to them,
37. Whosoever shall receive
one of such children in my
name receiveth me ; and
whosoever receiveth me re
ceiveth not me, but him that
sent me.
LUKE.
ever shall receive
this child in my
name receiveth me ;
and whosoever shall
receive me receiv
eth him that sent
me ; for he that is
least among you
all shall be great.
Matthew XVII. 22. And while they remained in Galilee.
The nearer that the time of his death approached, the more
frequently did Christ warn his disciples, lest that melancholy
spectacle might give a violent shock to their faith. It was
shortly after the miracle had been performed that this dis
course was delivered ; for Mark says that he went from that
place to Galilee, in order to spend there the intervening
time in privacy ; for he had resolved to come to Jerusalem
on the day of the annual sacrifice, because he was to be
sacrificed at the approaching Passover.
The disciples had previously received several intimations
on this subject, and yet they are as much alarmed as if
nothing relating to it had ever reached their ears. So great
is the influence of preconceived opinion, that it brings dark
ness over the mind in the midst of the clearest light. The
apostles had imagined that the state of Christ s kingdom
would be prosperous and delightful, and that, as soon as he
made himself known, he would be universally received with
the highest approbation. They never thought it possible
that the priests, and scribes, and other rulers of the Church,
would oppose him. Under the influence of this prejudice,
they admit nothing that is said on the other side ; for Mark
says that they understood not what our Lord meant. Whence
came it that a discourse so clear and distinct was not under
stood, but because their minds were covered by the thick
veil of a foolish imagination ?
They did not venture to make any farther inquiry. This
must have been owing, in part, to their reverence for their
Master; but I have no doubt that their grief and astonish
ment at what they had heard kept them silent. Such bash-
330 COMMENTARY ON A
fulness was not altogether commendable ; for it kept them in
doubt, and hesitation, and sinful grief. In the meantime, a
confused principle of piety, rather than a clear knowledge of
the truth, kept them attached to Christ, and prevented them
from leaving his school. A certain commencement of faith
and right understanding had been implanted in their hearts,
which made their zeal in following Christ not very different
from the implicit faith of the Papists ; but as they had not
yet made such progress as to become acquainted with the
nature of the kingdom of God and of the renewal which had
been promised in Christ, I say that they were guided by
zeal for piety rather than by distinct knowledge.
In this way we come to see what there was in them that
deserved praise or blame. But though their stupidity could
not entirely be excused, we have no reason to wonder that a
plain and distinct announcement of the cross of their Master,
and of the ignominy to which he would be subjected, appeared
to them a riddle ; not only because they reckoned it to be
inconsistent with the glory of the Son of God that he should
be rejected and condemned, but because it appeared to them
to be highly improbable that the grace which was promised
in a peculiar manner to the Jews should be set at nought by
the rulers of the nation. But as the immoderate dread of
the cross, which had suddenly seized upon them, shut the
door against the consolation which was immediately added,
arising out of the hope of the resurrection, let us learn that,
when the death of Christ is mentioned, we ought always to
take into view at once the whole of the three days, that his
death and burial may lead us to a blessed triumph and to a
new life.
Matthew XVIII. 1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus.
It is evident from the other two Evangelists, that the dis
ciples did not come to Christ of their own accord, but that,
having secretly disputed on the road, they were brought out
of their lurking-places, and dragged forth to light. There is
nothing inconsistent with this in the account given by
Matthew, who hastens to Christ s reply, and does not relate
all the circumstances of the case, but passes over the com-
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 331
mencement, and relates in a summary manner the reason
why Christ rebuked the foolish ambition of his disciples for
the highest rank. When Christ makes inquiry about a secret
conversation, and forces the disciples to acknowledge what
they would willingly have kept back, this teaches us that w r e
ought to beware of all ambition, however carefully it may be
concealed. We must also attend to the time at which this
occurred. The prediction of his death had made them sad
and perplexed ; but as if they had received from it unmingled
delight, as if they had tasted of the nectar which the poets
feign, 1 they immediately enter into a dispute about the highest
rank. 2 How w r as it possible that their distress of mind
vanished in a moment, but because the minds of men are so
devoted to ambition, that, forgetful of their present state of
warfare, they continually rush forward, under the delusive
influence of a false imagination, to obtain a triumph ? And
if the apostles so soon forgot a discourse which they had
lately heard, what will become of us if, dismissing for a long
period meditation on the cross, we give ourselves up to in
difference and sloth, or to idle speculations ?
But it is asked, what occasioned the dispute among the
disciples ? I reply, as the flesh willingly shakes off all uneasi
ness, they left out of view every thing that had given rise to
grief, and fixed on what had been said about the resurrection ;
and out of this a debate sprung up among idle persons. And
as they refuse the first part of the doctrine, for which the
flesh has no relish, God permits them to fall into a mistake
about the resurrection, and to dream of what would never
take place, that, by mere preaching, Christ w^ould obtain a
kingdom, an earthly kingdom, and would immediately rise to
the highest prosperity and wealth.
There were two faults in this debate. First, the apostles
w r ere to blame for laying aside anxiety about the warfare to
which they had been called, and for demanding beforehand
repose, and w r ages, and honours, as if they had been soldiers
1 " Comme si tout alloit a. souhait et comme si ce qu on leur a dit estoit
aussi doux a avaller que sucre ;" u as if every thing went to their wish,
and as if what was said to them were as pleasant to swallow as sugar."
2 " De la primaute ; ?1 " about the primacy."
332 COMMENTARY ON A
that had served their time. The second fault is, that, instead
of labouring with one consent, as they ought to have done,
to render mutual assistance, and to secure for their brethren
as large a share of honours as for themselves, they strove with
wicked ambition to excel each other. If we wish that our
manner of life should receive the approbation of the Lord, we
must learn to bear patiently the burden of the cross that has
been laid on us, till the proper time arrive for obtaining the
crown, and, as Paul exhorts, in honour preferring one another,
(Rom. xii. 10.) To the first of these faults is closely allied
the vain curiosity of those persons in the present day, who,
leaving the proper duties of their calling, eagerly attempt to
fly above the clouds. The Lord, who in the Gospel invites
us to his kingdom, points out to us the road by which we are
to reach it. Fickle persons, who give themselves no concern
about faith, patience, calling on God, and other exercises of
religion, dispute about what is going on in heaven ; as if a
man who was about to commence a journey made inquiry
where a lodging-place w r as situated, but did not move a step.
Since we are commanded by the Lord to w r alk on the earth,
those who make the condition of departed saints in heaven
the subject of eager debate will be found, in so doing, to
retard their own progress towards heaven.
2. And Jesus called a child to him. The general meaning
is, that those who desire to obtain greatness by rising above
their brethren, will be so far from gaining their object that
they do not even deserve to occupy the lowest corner. He
reasons from contraries, because it is humility alone that
exalts us. As we are more powerfully affected by appear
ances presented to the eyes, he holds up to them a little child
as an emblem of humility. When he enjoins his followers to
become like a child, this does not extend indiscriminately to
all points. We know that in children there are many things
faulty ; and accordingly Paul bids us be children, not in
understanding, but in malice, (1 Cor. xiv. 20 ;) and in another
passage he exhorts us to strive to reach the state of a perfect
man, (Eph. iv. 13.) But as children know nothing about
being preferred to each other, or about contending for the
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 333
highest rank, Christ desires that their example should banish
from the minds of his followers those eager longings after
distinction, which wicked men and the children of the world
continually indulge, that they may not be allured by any
kind of ambition.
It will perhaps be objected, that children, even from the
womb, have a native pride, which leads them to desire the
highest honour and distinction ; but the reply is obvious,
that comparisons must not be too closely or too exactly car
ried out, so as to apply at all points. The tender age of little
children is distinguished by simplicity to such an extent, that
they are unacquainted with the degrees of honour, and with
all the incentives to pride ; so that they are properly and
justly held out by Christ as an example.
3. Unless you are converted. To the example of little
children must be referred the conversion of which he now
speaks. Hitherto they had been too much habituated to the
ordinary customs of men; and if they would gain their
object, they must pursue a totally different course. 1 Every
one wished for himself the first or the second rank ; but
Christ does not allot even the lowest place to any man who
does not lose sight of distinctions and humble himself. On
the contrary, he says,
4. Whosoever shall humble himself like this little child, he is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This is intended to
guard us against supposing that we degrade ourselves in any
measure by freely surrendering every kind of distinction.
And hence we may obtain a short definition 2 of humility.
That man is truly humble who neither claims any personal
merit in the sight of God, nor proudly despises brethren, or
aims at being thought superior to them, but reckons it
enough that he is one of the members of Christ, and desires
nothing more than that the Head alone should be exalted.
5. And he that shall receive such a child. The term children
1 " II leur est besoin de tourner bride, et de s accoustumer a tout cela ;"
" they must wheel round, and get accustomed to all this."
* " La vraye definition ;" " the true definition,"
334
COMMENTARY ON A
is now applied metaphorically by Christ to those who have
laid aside lofty looks, and who conduct themselves with
modesty and humility. This is added by way of consolation,
that we may not account it troublesome or disagreeable to
exercise humility, by means of which Christ not only receives
us under his protection, but likewise recommends us to the
favour of men. And thus believers are taught in what way
they ought to esteem each other : it is by every one humbling
himself. How is mutual friendship usually maintained among
the children of the world but by every man complying with
the wishes of another ? The more desirous a man is to obtain
renown, the more insolently does he grasp at power, that he
may be raised to a lofty station, and that others may be ridi
culed or despised ; but Christ enjoins that the more a man
abases himself, the more highly shall he be honoured. Such,
too, is the import of the words given by Luke, he that is least
among you shall be great; for our Lord does not enjoin us to
think more highly of those who justly deserve to be despised,
but of those who divest themselves of all pride, and are per
fectly willing to occupy the lowest place.
MATTHEW.
XVIII. 6. But whoso
ever shall offend one of
those little ones who believe
in me, it were better for
him that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and
that he were sunk to the
bottom of the sea. 7. Woe
to the world on account of
offences ! for offences must
come ; but woe to the man
by whom the offence com-
eth ! 8. But if thy hand
or thy foot offend thee, cut
it off, and cast it from
thee; 1 for it is better for
thee to enter lame or
maimed into life, than that,
having two hands or two
MARK. LUKE.
IX. 42. And whosoever XVII. 1.
shall offend one of the little And he said
ones who believe in me, it to his dis-
were better for him that a ciples, It is
millstone were hung around impossible
his neck, and that he were but that of-
thrown into the sea. 43. fences will
And if thy hand shall offend come ; but
thee, cut it off; for it were woe to him
better for thee to enter lame by whom
into life, than that, having they come !
two hands, thou shouldst go 2. It were
into hell, into the unquench- better for
able fire: 2 44. Where their him that a
worm dieth not, and their millstone
fire is not quenched. 45. were hung
And if thy foot shall offend around his
thee, cut it off; for it were neck, and
better for thee to enter lame that he were
1 " Et le iette [arriere] de toy;" " and cast it behind thee."
" Au f . . . ....,,-. .1 f i
quenched."
2 "Au feu qul ne s esteint" point ;" "into the fire which is not
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
335
MATTHEW.
feet, thou shouldst be cast
into the everlasting fire.
9. And if thine eye offend
thee, pluck it out, and cast
it from thee j 1 for it is
better that thou shouldst
enter into life having one
eye, than that, having two
eyes, thou shouldst be cast
into hell-fire. 10. Beware
of despising one of these
little ones ; for I say to you,
That their angels always
behold the face of my Fa
ther who is in heaven.
MARK.
into life, than that, having
two feet, thou shouldst be cast
into hell, into the unquench
able fire : 46. Where their
worm dieth not, and their fire
is not quenched. 47. And if
thine eye offend thee, pluck
it out ; for it were better for
thee to enter with one eye
into the kingdom of God, than
that, having two eyes, thou
shouldst be cast into hell-
fire : 48. Where their worm
dieth not, and their fire is
not quenched.
LUKE.
thrown into
the sea, than
that he
should of
fend one of
these little
Matthew XVIII. 6. But whosoever shall offend one of those
little ones. This appears to be added for the consolation of
the godly, that they may not be rendered uneasy by their
condition, if they are despised by the world. It is a power
ful obstruction to the voluntary exercise of modesty, when
they imagine, that by so doing they expose themselves to
contempt ; and it is hard to be not only treated disdainfully,
but almost trodden under foot, by haughty men. Christ
therefore encourages his disciples by the consoling truth,
that, if their mean condition draws upon them the insults of
the world, God does not despise them.
But he appears to have had likewise another object in
view ; for a dispute had arisen amongst them as to the first
place of honour, from which it might naturally have been
inferred that the Apostles were tainted with sinful ambition.
Every man who thinks too highly of himself, or desires to be
preferred to others, must necessarily treat his brethren with
disdain. To cure this disease, Christ threatens a dreadful
punishment, if any man in his pride shall throw down those
who are oppressed with poverty, or who in heart are already
humbled.
Under the word offend he includes more than if he had
forbidden them to despise their brethren ; though the man
who gives himself no concern about offending the weak, does
1 u Et le iette [arriere] de toy ;"_ an d cast it behind thee."
336 COMMENTARY ON A
so for no other reason, than because he does not render to
them the honour to which they are entitled. Now as there
are various kinds of offences, it will be proper to explain gene
rally what is meant by offending. If any man through our
fault either stumbles, or is drawn aside from the right course,
or retarded in it, we are said to offend him. 1 Whoever then
desires to escape that fearful punishment which Christ
denounces, let him stretch out his hand to the little ones who
are despised by the world, and let him kindly assist them in
keeping the path of duty ; for Christ recommends them to our
notice, that they may lead us to exercise voluntary humility ;
as Paul enjoins the children of God to condescend to men of
low estate, (Rom. xii. 16,) and again says that we ought not to
please ourselves, (Rom. xv. 1.) To hang a millstone about a
man s neck, and drown him in the sea, was the punishment
then reckoned the most appalling, and which was inflicted
on the most atrocious malefactors. When our Lord alludes
to this punishment, we are enabled to perceive how dear and
precious those persons are in the sight of God, who are mean
and despised in the eyes of the world.
7. Woe to the world on account of offences ! This passage
may be explained in two ways. It may be taken actively, as
meaning that Christ pronounces a curse on the authors of
offences ; and then by the term world, we must understand
all unbelievers. Or it may be taken passively, as meaning
that Christ deplores the evils which he perceives to be rapidly
coining on the world on account of offences ; as if he had said,
that no plague will be more destructive, or attended by more
fearful calamities, than the alarm or desertion of many on
account of offences. The latter meaning is more appropriate ;
for I have no doubt that our Lord, who had spoken on
another occasion about offences, proceeded to discourse more
largely on this subject ; in order to make his disciples more
attentive and watchful in guarding against them. That
Satan may not gain advantage over us through our sluggish
ness, our Lord breaks out into an exclamation, that there is
1 " L Escriture dit que nous offensons ou scandalizons cestuy Ik."
" Scripture says that we give offence or scandal to that man."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 337
nothing which we ought to dread more than offences ; for as
Satan has innumerable kinds of them in his hand, he con
stantly, and at almost every step, throws new difficulties in
our way ; while we, through excessive tenderness or sloth,
are too ready to yield. The consequence is, that there are
few who make tolerable progress in the faith of Christ ;
and of the few who have begun to walk in the way of salva
tion, there is scarcely one in ten who has the courage to
persevere till he reaches the goal. 1 Now since Christ
intended to strike his disciples with terror on account of
offences, and thus to arouse them to exertion, woe to our
indifference, if each of us does not earnestly apply himself
to overcome those offences.
For offences must come. To awaken more powerfully their
care and anxiety, our Lord reminds his disciples that there
is no possibility of walking but in the midst of various
offences ; as much as to say, that this is an evil which cannot
be avoided. Thus he confirms the former statement ; for
Christ shows us how great are the inconveniences which
arise from offences, since the Church never will be, and indeed
never can be, free from this evil. But he does not state the
reason of this necessity, as Paul does, when, speaking of here
sies, he says that they arise, that the good may be made mani
fest, (1 Cor. xi. 19.) It must be held by us as a fixed
principle, that it is the will of God to leave his people
exposed to offences, in order to exercise their faith, and to
separate believers, as the refuse and the chaff, from the pure
wheat. Does any one object or complain, that blame attaches
to our Lord for giving loose reins to Satan, to accomplish
the destruction of wretched men ? It is our duty to think and
speak with the deepest reverence of the secret purposes of
God, of which this is one, that the world must be disturbed
by offences.
But woe to the man by whom the offence cometh. After
having exhorted his disciples to beware of offences, he again
breaks out against those who occasion them. To impart the
greater vehemence to the threatening, he adds, that neither a
1 " Qui persevere courageusement iusqu a la fin ;" " who perseveres
courageously to the end."
VOL. II. Y
338 COMMENTARY ON A
right eye nor a right hand ought to be spared, if they occa
sion offence to us ; for I explain these words as added for the
purpose of amplification. Their meaning is, that \ve ought
to be so constant and so zealous in opposing offences, that we
would rather choose to pluck out our eyes, or cut off our hands,
than give encouragement to offences ; for if any man hesitate
to incur the loss of his limbs, he spares them at the risk
of throwing himself into eternal perdition. What dreadful
vengeance then awaits those who by offences shall bring ruin
on their brethren I 1 As those two verses have been already
explained 2 under Matthew v. 29, 30, it was sufficient, on the
present occasion, to glance at the reason why Christ repeats
here the same statement.
10. Beware of despising one of these little ones. As pride is
the mother of disdain, and as contempt hardens men in giving
offence, our Lord, for the purpose of applying an appropriate
remedy for curing this disease, forbids his disciples to despise
the little ones. And certainly, as we have already hinted, no
man who has a proper care for his brethren will ever allow
himself, on light grounds, to give them offence. This con
clusion of our Lord s discourse has the same tendency as the
commencement of it, to remind us that we ought to strive
with each other w r ho shall be most submissive and modest ;
for God embraces with wonderful love the little ones. It
would be strange indeed that a mortal man should despise, or
treat as of no account, those whom God holds in such high
esteem. He proves this love from the fact, that angels, who
are ministers of their salvation, enjoy intimately the presence
of God. Yet I do not think that he intended merely to show
what honour God confers on them by appointing angels to be
their guardians, but likewise to threaten those who despise
them ; as if he had said, that it is no light matter to despise
those who have angels for their companions and friends, to
take vengeance in their behalf. We ought therefore to le-
1 u Lesquels par scandales auront donne occasion de faire perdre et
damner leurs freres ;" " who by offences shall have given occasion to
bring ruin and damnation on their brethren."
2 Harmony, vol. i. p. 291.
JIAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 339
ware of despising their salvation, which even angels have been
commissioned to advance.
The interpretation given to this passage by some com
mentators, as if God assigned to each believer his own angel,
does not rest on solid grounds. For the words of Christ do
not mean that a single angel is continually occupied with this
or the other person ; x and such an idea is inconsistent with
the whole doctrine of Scripture, which declares that the angels
encamp around (Ps. xxxiv. 7) the godly, and that not one
angel only, but many, have been commissioned to guard every
one of the faithful. Away, then, with the fanciful notion of a
good and evil angel, and let us rest satisfied with holding
that the care of the whole Church is committed to angels, to
assist each member as his necessities shall require. It will
perhaps be asked, Do the angels occupy a station inferior to
ours, because they have been appointed to be our ministers ?
I reply, Though by nature they take rank above us, this does
not prevent them from rendering service to God 2 in dis
pensing the favour which he freely bestows upon us. For
this reason they are called our angels, because their labours
are bestowed on us.
MATTHEW. LUKE.
XVIII. 11. For the XV. 1. And all the publicans and sinners drew
Son of man is come near to him to hear him. 2. And the Pharisees
to save that which was and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth
lost. 12. What think sinners, and eateth with them. 3. And he spoke
you ? If a man shall to them a parable, saying, 4. What man is there
have a hundred sheep, among you, who hath a hundred sheep, and, if he
and one of them shall shall lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety-
go astray, doth he not nine in the wilderness, and go after that which
leave the ninety-nine, was lost, till he find it ? 5. And when he hath
and go to the moun- found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing :
tains, and seek that 6. And coming home, he calleth his friends and
which had gone a- neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me ; for
stray? 13. And if he I have found the sheep which was lost. 7. I say
en to find it, to you, that in like manner there will be greater
I say to you, joy in heaven over one repenting sinner, than over
happe
verily,
1 " Les mots n emportent pas qu un Ange n ait autre charge que de
veiller tousiours sur cestuy-ci ou sur cestuy-la ;" " the words do not
bear that one Angel has nothing else to do than to watch continually over
this or that man."
2 " Cela n empesche point que Bieu n use de leur service ;"--" that
does not hinder God from employing their services."
340 COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW. LUKE.
he rejoiceth more on ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need
account of that sheep repentance. 8. Or what woman having ten pieces
than on account of of money, 1 if she shall lose one piece, doth not
the ninety-nine which light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek
had not gone astray, diligently till she find it ? 9. And when she hath
14. So it is not the found it, she calleth together her friends and neigh-
will of your Father bours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found
who is in heaven, that the piece which I had lost. 10 In like manner, I
one of those little ones tell you, there will be joy in the presence of the
should perish. angels of God over one repenting sinner.
Matthew XVIII. 11. For the Son of man cometh. Christ
now employs his own example in persuading his disciples to
honour even weak and despised brethren ; for he came down
from heaven to save not them only, but even the dead who
were lost. It is in the highest degree unreasonable that we
should disdainfully reject those whom the Son of God has
so highly esteemed. And even if the weak labour under
imperfections which may expose them to contempt, our pride
is not on that account to be excused ; for we ought to esteem
them not for the value of their virtues, but for the sake of
Christ ; and he who will not conform himself to Christ s ex
ample is too saucy and proud.
12. What think you ? Luke carries the occasion of this
parable still farther back, as having arisen from the murmu?-
ings of the Pharisees and scribes against our Lord, whom
they saw conversing daily with sinners. Christ therefore
intended to show that a good teacher ought not to labour
less to recover those that are lost, than to preserve those
which are in his possession ; though according to Matthew
the comparison proceeds farther, and teaches us not only that
we ought to treat with kindness the disciples of Christ, but
that we ought to bear with their imperfections, and endea
vour, when they wander, to bring them back to the road.
For, though they happen sometimes to wander, yet as they
are sheep over which God has appointed his Son to be shep
herd, so far are we from having a right to chase or drive
1 " Dix drachmes ;" " ten drachmas."
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 341
them away roughly, that we ought to gather them from their
wanderings ; for the object of the discourse is to lead us to
beware of losing what God wishes to be saved. The narra
tive of Luke presents to us a somewhat different object. It
is, that the whole human race belongs to God, and that there
fore we ought to gather those that have gone astray, and
that we ought to rejoice as much, when they that are lost
return to the path of duty, as a man would do who, beyond
his expectation, recovered something the loss of which had
grieved him.
Luke XV. 10. There will be joy in the presence of the angels.
If angels mutually rejoice with each other in heaven, when
they see that what had wandered is restored to the fold, we
too, who have the same cause in common with them, ought
to be partakers of the same joy. But how does he say that
the repentance of one ungodly man yields greater joy than
the perseverance of many righteous men to angels, whose
highest delight is in a continued and uninterrupted course of
righteousness ? I reply, though it would be more agreeable
to the wishes of angels (as it is also more desirable) that men
should always remain in perfect integrity, yet as in the de
liverance of a sinner, who had been already devoted to
destruction, and had been cut off as a rotten member from
the body, the mercy of God shines more brightly, he attributes
to angels, after the manner of men, a greater joy arising out
of an unexpected good.
Over one repenting sinner. The word repentance is specially
limited to the conversion of those who, having altogether
turned aside from God, rise as it were from death to life ;
for otherwise the exercise of repentance ought to be uninter
rupted throughout our whole life, 1 and no man is exempted
from this necessity, since every one is reminded by his imper
fections that he ought to aim at daily progress. But it is
one thing, when a man, who has already entered upon the
right course, though he stumble, or fall, or even go astray,
endeavours to reach the goal ; and another thing, when a man
1 " Tant que nous sornmes en ce monde ;" u as long as we are in this
world."
342 COMMENTARY ON A
leaves a road which was entirely wrong, or only starts in the
right course. 1 Those who have already begun to regulate
their life by the standard of the divine law, do not need that
kind of repentance which consists in beginning to lead a holy
and pious life, though they must groan 2 under the infirmities
of the flesh, and labour to correct them.
LUKE.
XY. 11. And he said, 3 A certain man had two sons : 12. And the
younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of pro
perty which falls to me. And he divided between them the property.
13. And not many days afterwards, 4 the younger son, having gathered all
together, set out on a journey to a distant country, and there wasted his
property by living extravagantly. 14. But when he had spent all, a sore
famine arose in that country ; and he began to be in want. 15. And he
went and entered into the service of one of the inhabitants of that
country; and he sent him into his field to feed swine. 16. And he was
desirous to fill his belly with the husks on which the swine were feeding :
and no man gave to him. 5 17. And when he came to himself, he said,
How many hirelings of my father have abundance of bread, 6 while I perish
with hunger ! 18. I will arise, and go to my father, 7 and will say to
him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19. And am
no longer worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of thy hirelings.
20. And he arose, and came to his father. And while he was yet afar off,
his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on
his neck, and kissed him. 21. And the son said to him, Father, I have
sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no longer worthy to be
called thy son. 22. And the father said to his servants, Bring out the
best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his
feet : 23. And bring the fatted calf, and kill it ; and let us feast, and be
merry : 24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost,
and is found. 8 And they began to be merry.
1 " Quand celuy qui estoit du tout esgare tourne bride pour commencer
a bien faire ;" " when he who had altogether gone astray turns round to
begin to do well."
2 u Combien qu il soit tousiours necessaire de gemir ;" " though it be
necessary for them always to groan."
3 " II dit aussi ;" " he said also."
4 " Et peu de iours apres ;" " and a few days after."
5 "Et (OM, mais) personne ne luy donnoit j" "and (or, luf) nobody
gave to him."
6 " Combien y-a-il de mercenaires en la maison de mon pere, qui ont
force pain ;" " how many hirelings are there in my father s house, who
have plenty of bread."
7 " le partiray d icy, et m en iray a mon pere ;" " I will depart hence,
and will go away to my father."
8 " Car mon fils que voyci estoit mort, et il est retournea vie : il estoit
perdu, mais il est retrouve ;" u for this is my son who was dead, and he
is returned to life ; he was lost, but he is found again."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 343
This parable is nothing else than a confirmation of the
preceding doctrine. 1 In the first part is shown how readily
God is disposed to pardon our sins, and in the second part
(which we shall afterwards treat in the proper place) is shown
the great malignity and obstinacy of those w T ho murmur at
his compassion. In the person of a young prodigal who, after
having been reduced to the deepest poverty by luxury and
extravagance, returns as a suppliant to his father, 2 to whom
he had been disobedient and rebellious, Christ describes all
sinners who, wearied of their folly, apply to the grace of God.
To the kind father, 3 on the other hand, who not only pardons
the crimes of his son, but of his own accord meets him when
returning, he compares God, who is not satisfied with pardon
ing those who pray to him, but even advances to meet them
with the compassion of a father. 4 Let us now examine the
parable in detail.
Luke XY. 12. And the younger of them said to his father.
The parable opens by describing a mark of wicked arrogance
in the youth, which appears in his being desirous to leave
his father, and in thinking that he cannot be right without
being permitted to indulge in debauchery, free from his
father s control. There is also ingratitude in leaving the old
man, 5 and not only withholding the performance of the duties
w r hich he owed to him, but crippling and diminishing the
wealth of his house. 6 This is at length followed by wasteful
luxury and wicked extravagance, by which he squanders all
1 " De la doctrine quo nous venons de voir ;" " of the doctrine which
we have just now seen."
2 " Retourne pour demander pardon a son pere ;" " returns to ask
pardon from his father."
3 " Aussi en la personne de ce bon pere il nous propose 1 afiection de
Dieu ;" " also in the person of this good father he holds out to us the
affection of God."
4 " Mais les previent par sa bonte et misericorde paternelle ;" " but
anticipates them by his fatherly goodness and compassion."
5 " Delaissant le bon vieil homme de pere ;" " leaving the good old
man his father."
6 " Mais aussi diminue le bien de la maison, et en emporte une bonne
partie ;" " but also diminishes the wealth of the house, and carries off a
good part of it."
344 COMMENTARY ON A
that he had. 1 After so many offences he deserved to find his
father implacable. 2
Under this image our Lord unquestionably depicts to us
the boundless goodness and inestimable forbearance of God,
that no crimes, however aggravated, may deter us from the
hope of obtaining pardon. There would be some foundation
for the analogy, if we were to say that this foolish and inso
lent youth resembles those persons who, enjoying at the hand
of God a great abundance of good things, are moved by a
blind and mad ambition to be separated from Him, that they
may enjoy perfect freedom ; as if it were not more desirable
than all the kingdoms of the world to live under the fatherly
, care and government of God. But as I am afraid that this
allusion may be thought overstrained, I shall satisfy myself
with the literal meaning ; not that I disapprove of the opinion,
that under this figure is reproved the madness of those who
imagine that it will be advantageous for them to have some
thing of their own, .and to be rich apart from the heavenly
Father ; but that I now confine myself: within the limits of a
Commentator. 3
Christ here describes what usually happens with young
men, when they are carried away by their natural disposi
tion. Destitute of sound judgment, and maddened by
passion, they are ill fitted for governing themselves, and are
not restrained by fear or shame. It is therefore impossible
but that they shall abandon themselves to every thing to
which their sinful inclination prompts them, and rush on in
a disgraceful course, till they are involved in shameful
poverty. He afterwards describes the punishment which,
in the righteous judgment of God, generally overtakes
spendthrifts and prodigals. After having wickedly squan
dered their means, they are left to pine in hunger, and not
1 " Tout ce qu il avoit eu du pere ;" " all that he had got from his
father."
2 " II avoit bien merite de trouver puis apres un pere rigoreux, et qui
teint son coeur centre luy iusqu au bout ;" u he had well deserved to
find afterwards a father who was severe, and who kept his heart shut
against him to the end."
3 u Pource que ie me tien maintenar.t dans mes limites, et ne veux point
passer l office d expositeur ;" u because I now keep myself within my
limits, and do not wish to go beyond the duty of an expositor."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 345
having known how to use in moderation an abundant supply
of the best bread, they are reduced to eat acorns and husks.
In short, they become the companions of swine, and are
made to feel that they are unworthy to partake of human
food ; for it is swinish gluttony 1 to squander wickedly what
was given for the support of life. 2 As to the ingenious
exposition which some have brought forward, that it is the
just punishment of wicked scorn, when those who have re
jected delicious bread in the house of our heavenly Father
are driven by hunger to eat husks, it is a true and useful
doctrine ; but in the meantime, we must bear in mind the
difference that exists between allegories and the natural
meaning. 3
16. And was desirous to fill his belli/. This means that, in
consequence of hunger, he no longer thought of his former
luxuries, but greedily devoured husks ; for of that kind of
food he could not be in want, when he was giving it to the
swine. There is a well-known saying of Cyrus who, having
for a long time suffered hunger during a flight, and having
been slightly refreshed by eating coarse black bread, declared
that he had never tasted savoury bread till now ; so the
young man who is here mentioned was compelled by neces
sity to betake himself with appetite to husks. The reason
is added, BECAUSE no man gave to him ; for the copulative
conjunction and (xai) must, in my opinion, signify because, 4
and what is here said does not refer to husks, which he had
at hand, but I understand the meaning to be, that no man
pitied his poverty ; for prodigals who throw away the whole
of their property are persons whom no man thinks himself
bound to relieve, nay more, as they have been accustomed
1 " C est une gourmandise plustost convenable a des porceaux qu a
des hommes ;" kt it is a gluttony more suitable to swine than to men."
2 u Four subvenir aux necessitez de ceste vie;" "to supply the
necessities of this life."
3 "Mais cependant il faut tousiours aviser quelle difference il y a entre
les allegories et le vray sens naturel d un passage ;" u but yet we must
always consider what difference there is between allegories and the true
natural meaning of a passage."
4 u Car selon mon avis ce mot ET se doit resoudre en Car, ou Pource
quo ;" u for in my opinion this word AND must mean For, or Because.
346 COMMENTARY ON A
to squander every thing, men think that nothing ought to
be given to them. 1
17. And when he came to himself. Here is described to us
the way in which God invites men to repentance. If of
their own accord they were wise, and became submissive, he
would draw them more gently ; but as they never stoop to
obedience, till they have been subdued by the rod, he
chastises them severely. Accordingly, to this young man,
whom abundance 2 rendered fierce and rebellious, hunger
proved to be the best teacher. Instructed by this example,
let us not imagine that God deals cruelly with us, if at any
time he visits us with heavy afflictions ; for in this manner
those who were obstinate and intoxicated with mirth are
taught by him to be obedient. In short, all the miseries
which we endure are a profitable invitation to repentance. 3
But as we are slow, we scarcely ever regain a sound mind,
unless when we are forced by extreme distress ; for until we
are pressed by difficulties on every hand, and shut up to
despair, the flesh always indulges in gaiety, or at least
recoils. Hence we infer, that there is no reason to wonder, if
the Lord often uses violent and even repeated strokes, in order
to subdue our obstinacy, and, as the proverb runs, applies
hard wedges to hard knots. It must also be observed, that
the hope of bettering his condition, if he returned to his
father, gave this young man courage to repent ; for no
severity of punishment will soften our depravity, or make us
displeased with our sins, till we perceive some advantage.
As this young man, therefore, is induced by confidence in
his father s kindness to seek reconciliation, so the beginning
of our repentance must be an acknowledgment of the mercy
of God to excite in us favourable hopes.
1 " H semble que ce qu on leur donne soit autant de perdu ; "
u what is given to them appears to be as good as thrown away."
2 " L aise et la trop grande abondance ;" " ease and too great abund
ance."
3 " Ce sont autant d avertissemens proufitables, par lequel Dieu nous
convie a repentance ;" "they are so many profitable warnings, by which
God invites us to repentance."
HAKMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 347
20. And while he was still afar off. This is the main
point of the parable. If men, who are by nature prone to
revenge, and too tenacious of their own rights, are moved
by fatherly love kindly to forgive their children, and freely
to bring them back, when they are sunk in wretchedness,
God, whose boundless goodness exceeds all the affection of
parents, 1 will not treat us more harshly. 2 And certainly
nothing is here attributed to an earthly father which God
does not promise with respect to himself. Before they call,
says he, I will answer, (Isa. Ixv. 24.) That passage too of
David is w r ell known, / said, I will acknowledge against me my
unrighteousness to the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of
my sin, (Ps. xxxii. 5.) As this father, therefore, is not
merely pacified by the entreaties of his son, but meets him
when he is coming, and before he has heard a word, em
braces him, filthy and ugly as he is, so God does not wait
for a long prayer, but of his own free will meets the sinner
as soon as he proposes to confess his fault.
It is wretched sophistry to infer from this, that the grace
of God is not exhibited to sinners until they anticipate it by
their repentance. " Here," say they, " is held out to us a
father ready to pardon, but it is after that his son has begun
to return to him ; and therefore God does not look, and
does not bestow his grace, on any but those who begin to
seek him." It is, no doubt, true that, in order to his obtain
ing pardon, the sinner is required to have grief of conscience,
and to be dissatisfied with himself; but it is wrong to infer
from this, that repentance, which is the gift of God, is
yielded by men from their own movement of their heart.
And in this respect it would be improper to compare a
mortal man to God ; for it is not in the power of an earthly
father to renew the stubborn heart of his son, as God
changes hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. In short, the
question here is not, whether a man is converted by himself,
1 "L amour de tous les peres de ce monde ;" " the love of all the
fathers in the world."
2 " Sera bien pour le molns aussi debonnaire envoi s nous 5" " will be
at least as gentle towards us."
348 COMMENTARY ON A
and returns to him ; but only under the figure of a man is
commended the fatherly gentleness of God, and his readi
ness to grant forgiveness.
21. Father, I have sinned against heaven. Here is pointed
out another branch of repentance, namely, such a conviction
of sin as is accompanied by grief and shame. For he who is
not grieved for having sinned, and whose offence is not
placed before his eyes, will sooner attempt any thing than
think of returning to the path of duty. Displeasure with
sin must therefore go before repentance. And there is great
emphasis in this expression, that the young man is said to
have come to himself, as one whom the wanderings of wild
desires had hurried away into forgetfulness of himself. And
certainly so far astray are the impulses of the flesh, that any
one who gives himself up to them may be said to have gone
out of himself, and to have lost his senses. For this reason
transgressors are commanded to return to the heart, 1 (Isa.
xlvi. 8.) Next follows a confession, 2 not such a one as the
Pope has contrived, but one by which the son appeases his
offended father ; for this humility is absolutely necessary in
order to obtain forgiveness of sins. This mode of expres
sion, / have sinned against heaven, and before tliee, is of the
same import as if he had said, that God was offended in the
person of an earthly father. And certainly this is the dic
tate of nature, that every one who rebels against a father
rises wickedly also against God, who has placed children in
subjection to parents.
22. Bring out the best robe. Although in parables (as we
have frequently observed) it would be idle to follow out
every minute circumstance, yet it will be no violence to the
literal meaning, if we say, that our heavenly Father not only
pardons our sins in such a manner as to bury the remem-
1 "A ceste cause en 1 Escriture Dieu commande aux transgresseurs de
retourner a leur cceur ;" " For this reason, in Scripture God commands
transgressors to return to their heart." In the authorized version the
passage runs thus : Bring it again to mind^ ye transgressors. Ed.
2 u Apres la cognoissance du peche s ensuit aussi la confession;"
" after the knowledge of sin there follows also confession."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 349
brance of them, but even restores those gifts of which we had
been deprived ; as, on the other hand, by taking them from
us, he chastises our ingratitude in order to make us feel
ashamed at the reproach and disgrace of our nakedness.
LUKE.
XV. 25. Now his elder son was in the field ; and when he came and
drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26. And he called
one of his servants, and asked what those things were. 1 27. And he said
to him, Thy brother is come ; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf,
because he hath received him safe and sound. 2 28. And he was angry,
and would not go in : therefore his father went out, and entreated him.
29. But he answering said to his father, Behold, during so many years I
serve thee, and never have I transgressed thy commandment ; and thou
never gavest me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends : 30. But
after that this thy son, who hath devoured thy property with harlots, is
come, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31. But he said to him,
Son, 3 thou art always with me, and all my property is thine. 32. But it
was proper that we should be merry and rejoice ; because this thy brother
was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost, and is found.
This latter portion of the parable charges those persons
with cruelty, who would wickedly choose to set limits to the
grace of God, as if they envied the salvation of wretched
sinners. For we know that this is pointed at the haughti
ness of the scribes, 4 who did not think that they received the
reward due to their merits, if Christ admitted publicans and
the common people to the hope of the eternal inheritance.
The substance of it therefore is, that, if we are desirous to be
reckoned the children of God, we must forgive in a brotherly
manner the faults of brethren, which He forgives with
fatherly kindness.
25. And his elder son was in the field. Those who think
that, under the figure of the first-born son, the Jewish nation
is described, have indeed some argument on their side ; but I
1 " Et 1 interroga que c estoit ;" " and asked him what it was."
2 The two adjectives, safe and sound, which occur in the authorized
version, are here retained as the translation of " incolumem" which con
veys both ideas ; and this is fully justified by our author s vernacular,
u pourtant qrfil Va recouvre SAIN ET SAUF ;" "because Jie hath received
him back SOUND AND SAFE." Ed.
3 u Mon enfant ;" u my child."
4 u L orgueil et la presomption des Scribes;" "the pride and pre
sumption of the Scribes."
350 COMMENTARY ON A
do not think that they attend sufficiently to the whole of the
passage. For the discourse was occasioned by the murmur
ing of the scribes, who took offence at the kindness of Christ
towards wretched persons who had led a wicked life. He
therefore compares the scribes, who were swelled with pre
sumption, to good and modest men, who had always lived
with decency and sobriety, and had honourably supported
their family ; nay, even to obedient children, who through
out their whole life had patiently submitted to their father s
control. And though they were utterly unworthy of this
commendation, yet Christ, speaking according to their belief,
attributes to them, by way of concession, their pretended
holiness, as if it had been virtue ; as if he had said, Though
I were to grant to you what you falsely boast of, that you
have always been obedient children to God, still you ought
not so haughtily and cruelly to reject your brethren, when
they repent of their wicked life.
28. Therefore his father went out. By these words he
reproaches hypocrites with intolerable pride, which makes it
necessary that the Father should entreat them not to envy
the compassion manifested to their brethren. Now though
God does not entreat, yet by his example he exhorts us to
bear with the faults of our brethren. And in order to take
away every excuse from wicked severity, he not only intro
duces hypocrites as speaking, whose false boasting might be
confuted, but even affirms that, though any man had dis
charged, in the most perfect manner, all the duties of piety
towards the Father, yet he has no just reason to complain
because his brother obtains pardon. It is certain, indeed,
that the sincere worshippers of God are always pure and free
from this malignant disposition ; but the design of Christ is,
to show that it would be unjust in any man to murmur on
account of his brother having been received into favour, even
though he were not inferior in holiness to the angels.
31. Son* thou art always with me. This answer consists of
two parts. The first is, that the first-born son has no reason
1 " Mon enfant ;" " my child."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 351
to be angry, when he sees his brother kindly received with
out any loss to himself; 1 and the second is, that, without
paying any regard to his brother s safety, he is grieved on
account of the rejoicing occasioned by his return. All my
property, says he, is thine : that is, " Though thou hast
hitherto carried nothing away out of my house, it has been
no loss to thee, for all is reserved for thee undiminished." 2
Besides, why art thou offended at our joy, in which thou
oughtest to have shared ? for it was proper that thy brother,
who we thought had been lost, should now be congratulated
on his safety and return. Those two reasons deserve our
attention ; for, on the one hand, it is no loss to us, 3 if God
graciously receives into favour those who had been at vari
ance with him on account of their sins ; and, on the other
hand, it is wicked hardness of heart not to rejoice, when we
see our brethren returned from death to life. 4
MATTHEW. LUKE.
XVIII. 15. But if tliy brother hath sinned against thee, XVII. 3.
go and reprove him between thee and him alone : if he Be on your
shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16. But if guard. If
he shall not hear thee, take with thee one or two more, thy brother
that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may shall sin a-
be confirmed : and if he shall not hear them, tell the church, gainst thee,
17. And if he shall not hear the church, let him be to thee reprove
as a heathen and a publican. 18. Verily, I say to thee, him ; and if
What things soever you shall bind on earth 5 shall be bound he shall re-
also in heaven ; and what things soever you shall loose on pent, for -
earth shall be loosed also in heaven. 19. Again, I say to give him.
you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as to every
thing which they shall ask, 6 it will be done to them by my
Father who is in heaven. 20. For where two or three are
assembled 7 in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
1 " Veu qu il n y perd rien ;" " since he loses nothing by it."
2 "Ta condition n en est pas pire ; car ie te garde tousiours ton droict
entier ;" u thy condition is not the worse for it ; for I always preserve
thy rights entire."
3 u Nous n y perdons rien ;" " we lose nothing by it."
4 " Voyans nos freres estre tirez de la mort, et ramenez au chemin de
vie ;" u perceiving our brethren to be drawn from death, and led into
the way of life."
5 " Toutes choses que vous lierez sur la terre ;" " all things which
you shall bind on earth."
6 " De toutes choses qu ils demanderont ;" " of all things which they
shall ask."
7 u Ou il y en a deux ou trois assemblez ;" " where there are two or
three of them assembled."
352 COMMENTAKY ON A
Matthew XVIII. 15. But if thy brother shall sin against
thee. As he had discoursed about bearing the infirmities of
brethren, he now shows more clearly in what manner, and
for what purpose, and to what extent, we ought to bear with
them. For otherwise it would have been easy to reply, that
there is no other way of avoiding offences, than by every
man winking at the faults of others, and thus what is evil
w r ould be encouraged by forbearance. Christ therefore pre
scribes a middle course, which does not give too great offence
to the weak, and yet is adapted to cure their diseases ; for
that severity which is employed as a medicine is profitable
and worthy of praise. In short, Christ enjoins his disciples
to forgive one another, but to do so in such a manner as to
endeavour to correct their faults. It is necessary that this
be wisely observed ; for nothing is more difficult than to
exercise forbearance towards men, and, at the same time,
not to neglect the freedom necessary in reproving them. 1
Almost all lean to the one side or to the other, either to
deceive themselves mutually by deadly flatteries, or to pursue
with excessive bitterness those whom they ought to cure.
But Christ recommends to his disciples a mutual love, which
is widely distant from flattery ; only he enjoins them to
season their admonitions with moderation, lest, by excessive
severity and harshness, they discourage the weak.
Now he distinctly lays down three steps of brotherly cor
rection. The first is, to give a private advice to the person
who has offended. The second is, if he shall give any sign
of obstinacy, to advise him again in presence of witnesses.
The third is, if no advantage shall be obtained in that way,
to deliver him up to the public decision of the Church. The
design of this, as I have said, is, to hinder charity from being
violated under the pretence of fervent zeal. As the greater
part of men are driven by ambition to publish with excessive
eagerness the faults of their brethren, Christ seasonably
meets this fault by enjoining us to cover the faults of
brethren, as far as lies in our power ; for those who take
1 " Que toutesfois on retiene tousiours ceste libertd de reprendre ce
qui est a condamner ;" " so as at the same time to reserve always that
liberty of reproving what is worthy of condemnation."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 353
pleasure in the disgrace and infamy of brethren are unques
tionably carried away by hatred and malice, since, if they
were under the influence of charity, they would endeavour to
prevent the shame of their brethren.
But it is asked, Ought this rule to be extended indiscri
minately to every kind of offence ? For there are very many
who do not allow any public censures, till the offender has
been privately admonished. But there is an obvious limita
tion in the words of Christ ; for he does not simply, and
without exception, order us to advice or reprove privately,
and in the absence of witnesses, all who have offended, but
bids us attempt this method, when we have been offended in
private ; by which is meant, not that it is a business of our
own, but that w r e ought to be wounded and grieved when
ever God is offended. And Christ does not now speak
about bearing injuries, but teaches us in general to cultivate
such meekness towards each other, as not to ruin by harsh
treatment those whom we ought to save. 1
Against thee. This expression, as is evident from what
we have said, does not denote an injury committed against
any one, but distinguishes between secret and open sins. 2
For if any man shall offend against the whole Church, Paul
enjoins that he be publicly reproved, so that even elders shall
not be spared ; for it is in reference to them that he ex
pressly enjoins Timothy, to rebuke them publicly in presence
of all, and thus to make them a general example to others,
(1 Tim. v. 20.) And certainly it would be absurd that he
who has committed a public offence, so that the disgrace of
it is generally known, should be admonished by individuals ;
for if a thousand persons are aware of it, he ought to receive
a thousand admonitions. The distinction, therefore, which
Christ expressly lays down, ought to be kept in mind, that
no man may bring disgrace upon his brother, by rashly, and
without necessity, divulging secret offences.
1 " Lesquels nous devions plustost tascher d amener a salut ;"
" whom we ought rather to attempt to lead to salvation."
2 "Mais pour distinguer et mettre difference entre les pechez secrets,
et les offenses manifestos ;" " but to distinguish and put a difference be
tween secret sins and open offences."
VOL. II. Z
354 COMMENTARY OX A
// he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Christ
confirms his doctrine by its usefulness and advantage ; for it
is no small matter to gain to God a soul which had been
the slave of Satan. And how comes it that those who have
fallen do not often repent, but because they are regarded
with hatred, and treated as enemies, and thus acquire a char
acter of hardened obstinacy ? Nothing, therefore, is more
appropriate than meekness, which reconciles to Gol those
who had departed from him. On the other hand, he who
inconsiderately indulges in foolish flattery willingly places
in jeopardy the salvation of a brother, which he had in his
hand.
According to Luke, Christ expressly enjoins us to be
satisfied with a private reproof, if the brother be brought to
repentance. Hence, too, we infer how necessary it is that
mutual freedom of reproof should subsist among believers.
For, since each of us in many ways commits daily offences,
it would be outrageous cruelty to betray, by our silence and
concealment, the salvation of those whom we might, by mild
reproof, rescue from perdition. Though it does not always
succeed, yet he is chargeable with heinous guilt, who has
neglected the remedy which the Lord prescribes for pro
moting the salvation of the brethren. It is also worthy of
notice, that the Lord, in order to render us more zealous in
performing our duty, ascribes to us that honour which is his
own ; for to him alone, and to no other, does it belong to
convert a man ; and yet he bestows on us this applause,
though we did not deserve it, that we gain a brother who
was lost.
16. But if he shall not hear thee. The second step is, that
he who displayed obstinacy, or refused to yield to one man,
should be again admonished in presence of witnesses. Here
some object, that it will serve no purpose to call witnesses, if
we have to deal with an obstinate and rebellious man, be
cause their presence will be so far from leading him to
acknowledge his guilt, that he will only make a more
wicked denial. But this difficulty will be speedily removed,
if we distinguish between denial and evasion. He who
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 355
explicitly denies the fact, and declares that he is falsely and
calumniously accused, must be left alone ; for it would be in
vain to press him by calling witnesses. But as, in most
cases, men shamelessly evade, or impudently excuse, the
improper and unjust actions which they have committed, till
greater authority is employed, towards such persons it is
useful to observe this method.
That Christ s discourse ought to be understood in this
sense is evident from the word used, i7^y^ov, reprove, or
argue ; for to argue is to convince by demonstration. 1 And
how could I argue with a man 2 who boldly denies the whole
matter ? for he who has the effrontery to deny the crime
which he has committed shuts the door against a second
admonition.
We now perceive for what purpose Christ proposes^to call
icitnesses. It is, to give greater weight and impressiveness to
the admonition. As to the slightly different meaning to
which he has turned the words of Moses, it involves no
absurdity. Moses forbids sentence to be pronounced on a
matter that is unknown, and defines- this to be the lawful
mode of proving, that it be established by the testimony of
two or three witnesses. At the mouth of two icitnesses, or at
the mouth of three witnesses., shall the matter be established,
(Deut. xix. 15.) Alluding to that law, Christ says that,
when two or three witnesses shall rise up to condemn the
obstinacy of the man, the case will be clear, at least till the
Church be prepared to take cognizance of it ; for he who
refuses to hear two or three witnesses* will have no reason to
complain that he is dragged forth to light.
Tell it to the Church. It is asked, what does he mean by
the term Church ? For Paul orders (1 Cor. v. 5) that the
incestuous Corinthian shall be excommunicated, not by a
1 " Car argucr signifie convaincre par argumens, ct rcmonstrer par
bonnes raisons ;" " for to argue signifies to convince by arguments, and
to show by good reasons."
2 "Or comment pourroit on aryuer on convaincre mi liomme, que ce
qu il a fait est mauvais ?" u Now how could we argue or convince a man
that what he has done is wrong ?"
3 " Veu qu il n a pas voulu recevoir Fadmonition qui luy a este faite en
prive par deux ou trois ; " since he did not choose to receive the admo
nition which was given to him in private by two or throe."
356 COMMENTARY ON A
certain chosen number, but by the whole assembly of the
godly ; and therefore it might appear to be probable that the
power of judging is bestowed on the whole of the people.
But as at that time no Church as yet was in existence,
which acknowledged the authority of Christ, and no such
order had been established, and as our Lord employs the
ordinary and received forms of expression, there can be no
doubt that he alludes to the order of the ancient Churchy as
in other places also he accommodates his modes of expres
sion to what was known and customary. 1 When he com
mands that the offering, which we intend to present, shall be
left at the altar, till we are reconciled to an offended brother,
(Matth. v. 23,) he unquestionably intends, by means of that
form of the worship of God which was then in existence and
in forc#, to teach us, that we cannot in a right manner either
pray, or offer any thing to God, so long as we are at variance
with our brethren. So then he now looked at the form of
discipline which was observed among the Jews ; for it would
have been absurd to propose an appeal to the judgment of a
Church which was not yet in existence.
Now since among the Jews the power of excommunica
tion belonged to the elders, who held the government of the
whole Church, Christ speaks appropriately when he says
that they who sinned must at length be brought forward
publicly to the Church, if they either despise haughtily, or
ridicule and evade, the private admonitions. We know that,
after the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity, a
council was formed, which they called Sanhedrim, and in
Greek Synedrion, (twsftgiov,) and that to this council was com
mitted the superintendence of morals and of doctrine. This
government was lawful and approved by God, and was
a bridle to restrain within their duty the dissolute and incor
rigible.
It will perhaps be objected that, in the time of Christ,
every thing was corrupt and perverted, so that this tyranny
was very far from deserving to be accounted the judgment of
1 " Comme aussi en d autres passages il s accomodi k ce qui estoit lors
ordinaire, et use des termes communes ;" " as also in other passages he
adapts himself to what was then customary, and employs common terms."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 357
tke Church* But the reply is easy. Though the method of
procedure was at that time depraved and perverted, yet
Christ justly praises that order, such as it had been handed
down to them from the fathers. And when, shortly after
wards, he erected a Church, while he removed the abuse, he
restored the proper use of excommunication. Yet there is no
reason to doubt that the form of discipline, which prevailed in
the kingdom of Christ, succeeded in the room of that ancient
discipline. And certainly, since even heathen nations main
tained a shadowy form of excommunication, it appears that,
from the beginning, this was impressed by God on the minds
of men, that those who were impure and polluted ought to
be excluded from religious services. 1 It would therefore have
been highly disgraceful to the people of God to have been
altogether destitute of that discipline, some trace of which
remained among the Gentiles. But what had been preserved
under the Law Christ has conveyed to us, because we hold
the same rank with the ancient fathers. For it was not the
intention of Christ to send his disciples to the synagogue,
which, while it willingly cherished in its bosom disgraceful
filth, excommunicated the true and sincere worshippers of
God ; but he reminded us that the order, which had been
formerly established in a holy manner under the Law ? must
be maintained in his Church.
Let him be to thce as a heathen and a publican. What is
here added as to heathens and publicans confirms the inter
pretation which I have given. For heathens and publicans
having been at that time regarded by the Jews with the
greatest hatred and detestation, he compares to them unholy
and irreclaimable men, who yield to no admonitions. Cer
tainly he did not intend to enjoin them to avoid the society
of heathens, of whom the Church was afterwards composed ;
nor is there any reason at the present day why believers
should shrink from associating with publicans. But in order
that he might be more easily understood by the ignorant,
Christ borrowed a mode of expression from what was then
1 " ]N"e devoyent estre receus a participer aux clioses sacrees apparte-
nantes au sarvice de Dieu ;" " ought not to be admitted to take part in
the sacred things belonging to the service of God."
358 COMMENTARY ON A
customary among his nation ; l and the meaning is, that we
ought to have no intercourse with the despisers of the Church
till they repent.
18. Wkat things soever you shall bind. He now repeats the
same words which he had formerly used, (Matth. xvi. 19,)
but in a different sense ; for there he intended to maintain
their authority in doctrine, but here he appoints discipline,
which is an appendage to doctrine. There Christ declared
that the preaching of the Gospel would not be without effect,
but that the odour of it would either be life-giving or deadly,
(2 Cor. ii. 15, 16 :) here he affirms that, though wicked men
ridicule the judgment of the Church, it will not be ineffectual.
We must attend to this distinction, that there our Lord s
discourse relates to the preached word, but here to public
censures and discipline. Let the reader go to that passage
for the import of the metaphor, binding and loosing?"
The substance of it is this : Whoever, after committing a
crime, humbly confesses his fault, and entreats the Church to
forgive him, is absolved not only by men, but by God him
self; and, on the other hand, whoever treats with ridicule the
reproofs and threatenings of the Church, if he is condemned
by her, the decision which men have given will be ratified
in heaven. If it be objected, that in this way God is made
a sort of petty judge, who concurs in the sentence of mortal
men, the reply is at hand. For when Christ maintains the
authority of his Church, he does not diminish his own power
or that of his Father, but, on the contrary, supports the
majesty of his word. As in the former case (Matth. xvi. 19)
he did not intend to confirm indiscriminately every kind of
doctrine, but only that which had proceeded out of his mouth,
so neither does he say in this place that every kind of decision
will be approved and ratified, but only that in which he pre
sides, and that too not only by his Spirit, but by his word.
Hence it follows, that men do no injury to the authority of
God, when they pronounce nothing but what comes from his
1 " A use d\m terrae convcnable a la coustume du pays ;" " used a
term in accordance with the custom of the country."
2 See page 293 of this volume.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 359
mouth, and only endeavour faithfully to execute what he has
commanded, For, though Christ alone is the Judge of the
world, yet he chooses to have ministers to proclaim his word. 1
Besides, he wishes that his own decision should be pro
nounced by the Church ; and thus he takes nothing from
his own authority by employing the ministry of men, but it
is Himself alone that looses and binds.
But here a question arises. Since the Church endures
many hypocrites, and likewise absolves (or looses) many whose
professions of repentance are hypocritical, does it follow that
such persons will be absolved (or loosed) in heaven ? I reply,
the discourse is addressed to those only who are truly and
sincerely reconciled to the Church. For Christ, wishing to
administer comfort to trembling consciences, and to relieve
them from fear, declares that any who may have offended are
freed from guilt in the sight of God, provided that they be
reconciled to the Church. For he has appointed this as the
pledge of heavenly grace, which has no reference to hypocrites,
who pervert the proper use of reconciliation, but awakens in
the godly no ordinary confidence, when they hear that their
sins are blotted out before God and angels, as soon as they
have obtained forgiveness from the Church.
In the other clause, Christ s meaning is not at all ambigu
ous ; for, since obstinate and haughty men are strongly in
clined to despise the decision of the Church on this pretence,
that they refuse to be subject to men as wicked profligates
often make bold appeals to the heavenly tribunal 2 Christ, in
order to subdue this obstinacy by terror, threatens that the
condemnation, which is now despised by them, will be rati
fied in heaven. He encourages his followers, at the same
time, to maintain proper severity, and not to yield to the
wicked obstinacy of those who reject or shake off discipline. 3
1 "II veut toutesfois cependant que les ministrcs soyent ambassadeurs
pour porter et publier sa parole ;" u vet he wishes that ministers should
be ambassadors to carry and publish his word."
2 " Comme souventesfois on verra de meschans garnemens sans crainte
do Dieu, qui diront tout haut et hardiment qu ils appellent au jugement
celeste ;" " as we shall often see wicked profligates without the fear of
God, who will quite loudly and boldly say that they appeal to the heavenly
tribunal."
3 " Qui reietteront la discipline, et n y voudront ployer le col ;" " w r ho
will reject discipline, and will refuse to bend the neck to it."
3 GO COMMENTARY ON A
Hence, too, we may see how absurdly the Papists torture
this passage to cloak every species of tyranny. That the
right of excommunication is granted to the Church is certain,
and is acknowledged by every person of sound judgment ;
but does it follow that any individual, even though not called
by the Church, but elected 1 by a mitred and disguised beast,
shall at his own caprice throw out the useless squibs of ex
communications ? 2 On the contrary, it is evident that the
lawful government of the Church is committed to elders, and
not only to the ministers of the word, but to those also who,
taken from among the people, have been added to them for
the superintendence of morals. And yet, not satisfied with
this impudence, they endeavour even to prove from this passage
that we must bear all the burdens which they shall impose.
I do not mention that the power which has been granted to
the Church is basely seized and carried off by those outrage
ous enemies of the Church ; and I only mention that, since
Christ speaks only about correcting offenders, those who by
their laws ensnare souls are chargeable with not less folly
than wickedness in abusing this passage. Of the same stamp
is their defence of their auricular confession on this pretence ;
for if Christ intended that those who by their own fault had
been brought even to a public sentence should be reconciled
to the Church, he does not therefore lay an obligation 3 on
every individual to pour his sins into the ear of the priest.
But their fooleries are so ridiculous, that it is unnecessary to
spend any longer time in refuting them.
19. Again I say to you. He confirms the former state
ment; for not only will God bestow the spirit of wisdom
and prudence on those who ask it, but he will also provide
that not one thing which they shall do according to his
word shall want its power and effect. By uniting agreement
with prayer, he reminds us with what moderation and humi
lity believers ought to conduct themselves in all religious
1 " Mais estant cree et ordonne ;" " but being created and appointed."
2 " Et les face peter pour faire peur a qui bon luy semble ;" " and
make them crack to frighten whomsoever he pleases."
3 " II ne s ensuit pas pourtant qu il ait impose loy."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 361
acts. 1 The offender must be admonished, and, if he does
not receive correction, he must be excommunicated. Here it is
not only necessary to ask counsel at the sacred mouth of God,
so that nothing may be determined but by his word, but it is
proper at the same time to begin with prayer. Hence appears
more clearly what I have formerly stated, that men are not
allowed the liberty of doing whatever they please, 2 but that
God is declared to have the sole claim to the government of
the Church, so that he approves and ratifies the decisions of
which he is himself the Author. Meanwhile, when believers
assemble, they are taught to unite their prayers and to pray
in common, not only to testify the unity of faith, but that
God may listen to the agreement of them all. So then, as
God frequently promises in other passages that he will
graciously listen to the private requests of each individual,
so here Christ makes a remarkable promise to public prayers,
in order to invite us more earnestly to the practice of them.
20. For where two or three are assembled in my name. This
promise is more extensive than the former ; for the Lord
declares that he will be present, wherever two or three arc met
togetfier in his name, to guide them by his counsel, (Ps. Ixxiii.
24,) and to conduct to a prosperous result whatever they shall
undertake. There is therefore no reason to doubt that those
who give themselves up to his direction will derive most de
sirable advantage from his presence. And since it is an
invaluable blessing to have Christ for our director in all our
affairs, to bless our deliberations and their results ; and since,
on the other hand, nothing can be more miserable than to be
deprived of his grace, this promise ought to add no small
excitement to us to unite with each other in piety and holi
ness. 3 For whoever either disregards the holy assemblies, or
separates himself from brethren, and takes little interest in
1 u En tons actcs concernans la service et la parolle de Dieu ;" "in
all acts relating to the service and the word of God."
2 "Tout ce que bon leur semble ;" " whatever they think right."
3 " A nous Her les uns avec les autres en toute sainctete et crainte de
Dieu ;" "to link ourselves with each other in all holiness and fear of God."
362 COMMENTARY ON A
the cultivation of unity, by this alone makes it evident that
he sets no value on the presence of Christ.
But we must take care, first of all, that those who are
desirous to have Christ present with them shall assemble in
his name ; and we must likewise understand what is the mean
ing of this expression ; for we perceive how ungodly men
falsely and impudently, as well as wickedly, cover their con
spiracies with his sacred name. If therefore we do not wish
to expose Christ to their ridicule, and at the same time to
overturn what he has here promised, we must know first of
all what is meant by this phrase. It means that those who
are assembled together, laying aside every thing that hinders
them from approaching to Christ, shall sincerely raise their
desires to him, shall yield obedience to his word, and allow
themselves to be governed by the Spirit. Where this sim
plicity prevails, there is no reason to fear that Christ will not
make it manifest that it was not in vain for the assembly to
meet in his name.
In this is displayed the gross ignorance of the Papists, who
exclaim that Councils could not err, and that all ought to
abide by their decisions, because, as often as two or three are
assembled in the name of Christ, he is in the midst of them.
But we ought first of all to inquire whether those persons,
as to whose faith, and doctrine, and dispositions, we are in
doubt, were assembled in the name of Christ. When the
Papists leave out or perplex this matter, who does not see
that they dexterously confound the distinction between holy
and profane assemblies, so that the power of doing any thing
is taken from the Church and conveyed to the sworn enemies
of Christ ? Let us therefore know that none but the pious
worshippers of God, who sincerely seek Christ, are encouraged
to entertain the confident hope that he will never leave them.
Disregarding the bastard and abortive Councils, which out
of their own head have woven a web, let Christ alone, with
the doctrine of his Gospel, be always exalted amongst us.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
363
LUKE.
XVII. 4.
And if seven
times in a
day lie shall
offend a-
gainst thee,
and seven
times in a
day he shall
turn to thee,
saying, I re
pent, for
give him.
MATTHEW.
XVIII. 21. Then Peter approaching him said, Lord,
how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive
him ? Till seven times ? 22. Jesus saith to him, I say not
to thee till seven times, but till seventy times seven. 23.
Therefore the kingdom of heaven is compared to a king,
who wished to make a reckoning with his servants. 24. And
when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him who
owed ten thousand talents. 25. But as he was unable to
pay, his master commanded him to be sold, and his wife and
children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26. And that servant falling down, entreated him, saying.
Master, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27. And his master, pitying that servant, forgave him, and
acquitted him of the debt. 28. But that servant, having
gone out, found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a
hundred pence : and laying hands on him, and seizing him
by the throat, he dragged him, saying, Pay me what thou
owest. 29. And his fellow-servant, falling down, entreated
him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee
all. 30. But he would not, but went out, and threw him
into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31. And when his
fellow-servants saw what was done, they were deeply
grieved, and came, and related to their master all that had
been done. 32. Then his master called him, and said to
him, Wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because
thou didst implore me : 33. O Lightest not thou also to pity
thy fellow-servant, even as I pitied thee ? 34. And his
master, being enraged, delivered him to the tormentors, till
he should pay all that he owed him. 35. So likewise shall
my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one
his brother from your hearts their offences.
Matthew XVIII. 21. Lord, how often shall my brother
offend against me ? Peter made this objection according to
the natural feelings and disposition of the flesh. It is natural
to all men to wish to be forgiven ; and, therefore, if any man
does not immediately obtain forgiveness, he complains that
he is treated with sternness and cruelty. But those who
demand to be treated gently are far from being equally gentle
towards others ; and therefore, when our Lord exhorted his
disciples to meekness, this doubt occurred to Peter : a If we
be so strongly disposed to grant forgiveness, what will be the
consequence, but that our lenity shall be an inducement to
offend ?" J He asks, therefore, if it be proper frequently to
forgive offenders ; for, since the number seven is taken for a
1 " Incitera les autres a mal faire, et a nous offenscr ;" " shall induce
others to do ill, and to offend us."
364 COMMENTARY ON A
large number, the force of the adverb, (b-rax/,) seven times, is
the same as if he had said, " How long, Lord, dost thou wish
that offenders be received into favour ? for it is unreasonable,
and by no means advantageous, that they should, in every
case, find us willing to be reconciled." But Christ is so far
from yielding to this objection, that he expressly declares
that there ought to be no limit to forgiving j 1 for he did not
intend to lay down a fixed number, but rather to enjoin us
never to become wearied.
Luke differs somewhat from Matthew ; for he states the
command of Christ to be simply, that we should be prepared
to forgive seven times ; but the meaning is the same, that we
ought to be ready and prepared to grant forgiveness not once
or twice, but as often as the sinner shall repent. There is
only this difference between them, that, according to Matthew,
our Lord, in reproving Peter for taking too limited a view,
employs hyperbolically a larger number, which of itself is
sufficient to point out the substance of what is intended.
For when Peter asked if he should forgive seven times, it was
not because he did not choose to go any farther, but, by pre
senting the appearance of a great absurdity, to withdraw
Christ from his opinion, as I have lately hinted. So then he
who shall be prepared to forgive seven times will be willing to
be reconciled as far as to the seventieth offence.
But the words of Luke give rise to another question ; for
Christ does not order us to grant forgiveness, till the offender
turn to us and give evidence of repentance? I reply, there
are two ways in which offences are forgiven. If a man shall
do me an injury, and I, laying aside the desire of revenge,
do not cease to love him, but even repay kindness in place
of injury, though I entertain an unfavourable opinion of him,
1 "Mais tant s en faut que Christ ait esgard a ceste obiection pour
lascher quelque chose de son dire, que mesmes il dit notamment et ex-
pressement cpe sans fin ne terme on doit tousiours pardonner ;" " but so
far was Christ from paying regard to that objection, to extenuate any
thing that he had said, that he even says plainly and expressly, that with -
out end or limit we must always forgive."
2 In the French copy he adds : " Car il semble par ce moyen qu il
commande aux siens de tenir leur cceur centre les pervers, et leur refuser
pardon -," " for it appears in this way that he commands his followers to
shut their heart against the obstinate, arid to refuse them pardon."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 365
as he deserves, still I am said to forgive him. For when God
commands us to wish well to our enemies, He does not there
fore demand that we approve in them what He condemns,
but only desires that our minds shall be purified from all
hatred. In this kind of pardon, so far are we from having
any right to wait till he who has offended shall return of his
own accord to be reconciled to us, that we ought to love
those who deliberately provoke us, who spurn reconciliation,
and add to the load of former offences. A second kind of
forgiving is, when we receive a brother into favour, so as to
think favourably respecting him, and to be convinced that
the remembrance of his offence is blotted out in the sight of
God. And this is what I have formerly remarked, that in
this passage Christ does not speak only of injuries which have
been done to us, but of every kind of offences ; for he desires
that, by our compassion, we shall raise up those who have
fallen. 1 This doctrine is very necessary, because naturally
almost all of us are peevish beyond measure ; and Satan,
under the pretence of severity, drives us to cruel rigour, so
that wretched men, to whom pardon is refused, are swallowed
up by grief and despair.
But here another question arises. As soon as a man by
words makes profession of repentance, are we bound to
believe him ? Were this done, we must of necessity go will
ingly and knowingly into mistake ; for where will be dis
cretion, if any man may freely impose on us, even to the
hundredth offence ? I answer, first, the discourse relates here
to daily faults, in which every man, even the best, needs for
giveness. 2 Since, then, amidst such infirmity of the flesh,
our road is so slippery, and snares and attacks so numerous,
what will be the consequence if, at the second or third fall,
the hope of forgiveness is cut off? We must add, secondly,
that Christ does not deprive believers of the exercise of judg
ment, so as to yield a foolish readiness of belief to every
1 " Ceux qui sont cheus et ont failli ;" " those who are fallen and
have transgressed."
2 u Esquelles les plus parfaits mesmes ont besoin d estre supportez, et
qu on leur pardonner ;" "in which even the most perfect need to be borne
with and forgiven."
3G6 COMMENTARY ON A
slight expression, but only desires us to be so candid and
merciful, as to stretch out the hand to offenders, provided
there be evidence that they are sincerely dissatisfied with
their sins. For repentance is a sacred thing, and therefore
needs careful examination ; but as soon as the offender gives
probable evidence of conversion, Christ desires that he shall
be admitted to reconciliation, lest, on being repulsed, he lose
courage and fall back.
Thirdly, It must be observed that, when any man, through
his light and unsteady behaviour, has exposed himself to sus
picion, we may grant pardon when he asks it, and yet may
do so in such a manner as to watch over his conduct for the
future, that our forbearance and meekness, which proceed
from the Spirit of Christ, may not become the subject of his
ridicule. For we must observe the design of our Lord him
self, that we ought, by our gentleness, to assist those who
have fallen to rise again. And certainly we ought to imitate
the goodness of our heavenly Father, who meets sinners at
a distance to invite them to salvation. Besides, as repent
ance is a wonderful work of the Spirit, and is the creation of
the new man, if we despise it, we offer an insult to God
himself.
23. The kingdom of heaven is compared. As it is difficult
to bend us to mercy, and as we are quickly seized with weari
ness, particularly when we have to bear with many faults of
brethren, our Lord confirms this doctrine by a most appropriate
parable, the substance of which is, that those who will not
yield to pardon the faults of brethren judge very ill for
themselves, and subject themselves to a very hard and severe
lasv ; for they will find God to be equally stern and inexor
able towards themselves. There are three parts in which the
resemblance mainly consists ; for the master is contrasted
with the servant, the large sum of money with small or ordi
nary sums, and extraordinary kindness with extreme cruelty.
By attending to these three points, it will be easy to ascer
tain Christ s meaning ; for what are we, if we are compared
with God ? And how large is the sum which every one of us
owes to God ? Lastly, how inconsiderable are the offences,
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 367
with which brethren are chargeable towards us, if we take
into account our obligation to God ? How ill then does that
man deserve the compassion of God, who, though oppressed
with an immense load, implacably refuses to forgive even the
smallest offences to men like himself? So far as regards the
words, the kingdom of heaven here denotes the spiritual con
dition of the Church ; as if Christ had said, that the state of
matters between God and men, in regard to the soul and the
nature of spiritual life, is the same as between an ordinary or
earthly master and his servants, in regard to money and the
affairs of the present life.
25. His master ordered him to be sold. It would be an idle
exercise of ingenuity to examine here every minute clause.
For God does not always display severity at first, till, con
strained to pray, we implore pardon, but rather meets us
with undeserved goodness. But Christ only shows what will
become of us, if God shall treat us with the utmost severity ;
and again, if He shall choose to demand from us what AVC
owe, how necessary it is for us to betake ourselves to prayer,
because this is the only refuge that remains for transgressors.
We must also attend to the wide difference of the sums ; for,
since one talent is worth more than a hundred pence, what
proportion will a hundred pence bear to ten thousand talents 9
31. When his fellow-servants saiv what was done. Though
we ought not to search for mystery in these words because
they contain nothing but what nature teaches, and what we
learn by daily experience we ought to know that the men
who live among us will be so many witnesses against us
before God ; for it is impossible but that cruelty shall excite
in them displeasure and hatred, more especially, since every
man is afraid that what he sees done to others will fall upon
his own head. As to the clause which immediately follows,
it is foolish to inquire how God punishes those sins 1 which
he has already forgiven ; for the simple meaning is this :
though he offers mercy to all, yet severe creditors, from
1 " Comment il est possible que Dieu punisse ;" " how it is possible
for God to punish."
3G8 COMMENTARY ON A
whom no forgiveness can be obtained, are unworthy of enjoy
ing it.
34. Delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all
that he owed. The Papists are very ridiculous in endeavour
ing to light the fire of purgatory by the word till ; for it is
certain that Christ here points out not temporal death, by
which the judgment of God may be satisfied, but eternal
death.
MATTHEW.
XVII. 24. And when they came to Capernaum, those who received the
didrachma came to Peter, and said, Does not your Master pay the
didrachma ? 25. He saith, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus
anticipated him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon ? From whom do the
kings of the earth receive tribute or custom ? From their own children,
or from strangers ? 26. Peter saith to him, From strangers. Jesus saith
to him, Then are the children free. 27. But that we may not offend
them, go thou to the sea," throw a hook, and take that fish which cometh
first up ; and when thou hast opened its mouth, thou wilt find a stater :
take that, and give it for me and for thee.
Matthew XVII. 24. And when they came to Capernaum.
We must attend, first of all, to the design of this narrative ;
which is, that Christ, by paying tribute of his own accord,
declared his subjection, as he had taken upon him the form of
a servant, (Philip, ii. 7,) but at the same time showed, both
by words and by the miracle, that it was not by obligation
or necessity, but by a free and voluntary submission, that he
had reduced himself so low that the world looked upon him
as nothing more than one of the common people. This was
not a tax which was wont to be demanded on crossing the
sea, 1 but an annual tribute laid individually on every man
among the Jews, so that they paid to tyrants what they were
formerly in the habit of paying to God alone. For we know
that this tax was imposed on them by the Law, that, by
paying every year half a stater, (Exod. xxx. 13,) they might
acknowledge that God, by whom they had been redeemed,
1 " LES DIDRAOHMES, dont est yci parle, n estoit pas un peage qu on
payast a passer d un coste en autre de lamer ;" " The didrachma, which
are here spoken of, were not a custom paid on crossing from one side of
the sea to the other."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 369
was their supreme King. When the kings of Asia appropri
ated this to themselves, the Romans followed their example.
Thus the Jews, as if they had disowned the government of
God, paid to profane tyrants the sacred tax required by the
Law. But it might appear unreasonable that Christ, when he
appeared as the Redeemer of his people, should not himself be
exempted from paying tribute. To remove that offence, he
taught by words, that it was only by his will that he was
bound ; and he proved the same thing by a miracle, for he
who had dominion over the sea and the fishes might have
released himself from earthly government. 1
Doth not your Master pay ? Some think that the collectors
of the tribute intended to throw blame on Christ, as if he
were claiming exemption from the common law. For my
own part, as men of that class are insolent and abusive, I
interpret these words as having been spoken by way of
reproach. It w r as customary for every man to be enrolled in
his own city ; but we know that Christ had no fixed habita
tion in one place. Those people therefore inquire if he be
exempted from the law on the ground of his frequent removals
from place to place. 2
25. He saithy Yes. Peter s reply contains a modest excuse 3
to satisfy them : " he will pay," 4 says he ; from which we in
fer that Christ had formerly been accustomed to pay, for
Peter promises it as a thing about which there was no doubt.
That they address him rather than the other disciples was,
as I conjecture, because Christ lived with him ; for if all had
occupied the same habitation, the demand would have been
made on all alike. It is therefore very ridiculous in the
Papists, on so frivolous a pretence, to make Peter a partner
1 " Pouvoit bien, s il eust voulu, s exempter de la suiection des princes
terriens ;" " might easily, if he had chosen, have exempted himself from
subjection to earthly princes,"
2 " Si par ce moyen qu il est maintenant ci, maintenant la, il faudra
qu il eschappe sans rien payer ;" u if, because he is sometimes here, and
sometimes there, he must escape without paying anything."
3 " Une excuse bien modeste et honneste ;" "a very modest and
civil excuse."
4 u Oui, (dit-il,) il payera ;" " Yes, (says he,) he will pay."
VOL. II. 2 A
370 COMMENTARY OX A
in the dignity of Christ. " He chose him (they say) to be
his wear, and bestowed on him equal honours, by making
him equal to himself in the payment of tribute." But in this
way they will make all swine-herds vicars of Christ, for they
paid as much as he did. And if the primacy of Peter was
manifested in the paying of tribute, whence comes that
exemption which they claim for themselves ? But this is the
necessary result of the shameful trifling of those who corrupt
Scripture according to their own fancy.
What thinkest thou, Simon ? In this Christ gave a proof of
his Divinity, by showing that nothing was unknown to him.
But what is the object of his discourse? Is it to exempt
himself and his followers from subjection to the laws ?
Some explain it thus, that Christians have a right to be
exempted, but that they voluntarily subject themselves to
the ordinary government, because otherwise human society
cannot be maintained. To me, however, the meaning appears
to be more simple ; for there was danger lest the disciples
might think that Christ had come in vain, because, by pay
ing tribute, he cut off the hope of deliverance ; and therefore
he simply affirms that he pays tribute, solely because he
voluntarily refrains from exercising his right and power.
Hence it is inferred that this takes nothing from his reign.
But why does he not openly claim his right ? It is because
his kingly power was unknown to the collectors of the tribute.
For, though his kingdom be spiritual, still we must maintain,
that as he is the only Son of God, he is also the heir of the
whole world, so that all things ought to be subject to him,
and to acknowledge his authority. The meaning, therefore,
is, that God has not appointed kings, and established govern
ments over mankind, in such a manner as to place him who
is the Son in the same rank indiscriminately with others, but
yet that, of his own accord, he will be a servant along with
others, till the glory of his kingdom be displayed.
The Pope has not less foolishly than successfully abused
this passage to exempt his clergy from the laws ; as if the
shaving of the head made them sons of God, and exempted
them from tributes and taxes. But nothing else was intended
by Christ than to claim for himself the honour of a King s
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
371
Son, so as to have at least a home privileged and exempted
from the common law. And therefore it is also highly fool
ish in the Anabaptists to torture these words for overturning
political order, since it is more than certain, that Christ does
not say any thing about a privilege common to believers, but
only draws a comparison from the sons of kings, who, together
with their domestics, are exempted. 1
27. Throw a hook. Though I acknowledge that Christ
had not always full coffers, yet I think that he was not com
pelled by poverty to give this order to Peter, but that he did
so in order to prove by a miracle, that he had a more exten
sive dominion than all earthly kings, since he had even fishes
for his tributaries. And we do not read that this was done
more than once, because one proof was enough for his whole
life. Thou will find a stater. A stater was of the same value
as a shekel, namely ? four drachms or two didrachma. 2
MATTHEW.
XIX. 1.
And it hap
pened,
when Jesus
had finished
these dis
courses, he
departed
from Gali
lee, and
came into
the coasts of
Judea be
yond Jor
dan. 2.
And great
multitudes
followed
him, and he
cured them
there.
MARK.
IX. 38. And John
answered him, saying,
Master, we saw one
casting out devils in
thy name, and he fol-
loweth not us; and we
forbade him, because
he folloAveth not us.
39. And Jesus said,
Forbid him not ; for
there is no man who,
if he has performed a
miracle in my name,
can easily speak evil
of me. 40. For he
who is not against us
is for us.
X. 1. And when he
had risen thence, he
came into the coasts
LUKE.
IX. 49. And John answering
said, Master, we saw one casting out
devils in thy name ; and we forbade
him, because he folio weth not with
us. 50. And Jesus said to him,
Forbid him not ; for he who is not
against us is for us. 51. And it hap
pened, when the days of his being
received up were in course of being
fulfilled, and he set his face sted-
fastly to go to Jerusalem. 52.
And he sent messengers before his
face ; and they went and entered
into a town of the Samaritans, to
make ready for him : 53. And they
did not receive him, because his face
was as if he were going to Jerusa
lem. 3 54. And when his disciples
James and John saw it, they said,
Lord, wilt thou that we command
fire to come down from heaven,
1 " Lesquels sont exempts de tous imposts, eux et lours domestiques ;"
" who are exempted from all taxes, they and their domestics."
2 The didrachmon weighed two drachms, and the stater, which weighed
two didrachma^ or four drachms^ was worth about two shillings and six
pence of our money. Ed.
3 " Pourtant que sa face estoit tournee pour aller en leru.salem ;"
"because his face was turned to go to Jerusalem."
372 COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW. MAKK. LUKE.
of Judea, through the and consume them, even as Elijah
district which is be- did ? 55. And Jesus, turning, re-
yond Jordan. And buked them, saying, You know not
again the multitudes of what spirit you are. 56. For the
assemble to him, and Son of man is not come to destroy
again he taught them, men s lives, but to save them. And
as he was accustomed, they went into another village.
Mark IX. 38. Master, we saw one. Hence it is e \ddent
that the name of Christ was at that time so celebrated, that
persons who were not of the number of his intimate disciples
used that name, or perhaps even abused it, for I will not
venture to avouch any thing on this point as certain. It is
possible that he who is here mentioned had embraced the
doctrine of Christ, and betaken himself to the performance
of miracles with no bad intention ; but as Christ bestowed
this power on none but those whom he had chosen to be
heralds of his Gospel, I think that he had rashly taken, or
rather seized upon, this office. Now though he was wrong
in making this attempt, and in venturing to imitate the dis
ciples without receiving a command to do so, yet his bold
ness was not without success : for the Lord was pleased, in
this way also, to throw lustre around his name, 1 as he some
times does by means of those of whose ministry he does not
approve as lawful. It is not inconsistent with this to say,
that one who was endued with special faith followed a blind
impulse, and thus proceeded inconsiderately to work miracles.
I now come to John find his companions. They say that
they forbade a man to work miracles. Why did they not
first ask whether or not he w r as authorised? For now, being
in a state of doubt and suspense, they ask the opinion of
their Master. Hence it follows, that they had rashly taken
on themselves the right to forbid ; and therefore every man
who undertakes more than he knows that he is permitted to
do by the w r ord of God is chargeable with rashness. Besides,
there is reason to suspect the disciples of Christ of ambition,
because they are anxious to maintain their privilege and
honour. For how comes it that they all at once forbid a
1 " Pour avancer la gloire de son nom ;" x to advance the glory of
his name."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 373
man who is unknown to them to work miracles, but because
they wish to be the sole possessors of this right ? For they
assign the reason, that hefolloweth not Christ ; as much as to
say, " He is not one of thy associates, as we are : why then
shall he possess equal honour ?"
39. forbid him not. Christ did not wish that he should
be forbidden ; not that he had given him authority, or ap
proved of what he did, or even wished his disciples to approve
of it, but because, when by any occurrence God is glorified,
we ought to bear with it and rejoice. Thus Paul, (Philip. L
18,) though he disapproves of the dispositions of those who
used the Gospel as a pretence for aggrandizing themselves,
yet rejoices that by this occurrence the glory of Christ is
advanced. We must attend also to the reason which is
added, that it is impossible for any man who works miracles in
the name of Christ to speak evil of Christ, and therefore this
ought to be reckoned as gain ; for hence it follows, that if
the disciples had not been more devoted to their own glory
than anxious and desirous to promote the glory of their
Master, they would not have been offended when they saw
that glory heightened and enlarged in another direction.
And yet Christ declares that we ought to reckon as friends
those who are not open enemies.
40. For he who is not against us is for us. He does not
enjoin us to give a loose rein to rash men, and to be silent
while they intermeddle with this and the other matter,
according to their own fancy, and disturb the whole order of
the Church : for such licentiousness, so far as our calling
allows, must be restrained. He only affirms that they aet
improperly, who unseasonably prevent the kingdom of God
from being advanced by any means whatever. And yet he
does not acknowledge as his disciples, or reckon as belonging
to his flock, those who hold an intermediate place between
enemies and friends, but means that, so far as they do no
harm, they are useful and profitable : for it is a proverbial
saying, which reminds us that we ought not to raise a quarrel
till AVC are constrained.
374 COMMENTARY ON A
Luke IX. 51. While the days of his being received up, frc.
Luke alone relates this narrative, which, however, is highly
useful on many accounts. For, first, it describes the divine
courage and firmness of Christ * in despising death ; secondly,
what deadly enmities are produced by differences about reli
gion ; thirdly, with what headlong ardour the nature of man
is hurried on to impatience ; next, how ready we are to fall
into mistakes in imitating the saints ; and, lastly, by the ex
ample of Christ we are called to the exercise of meekness.
The death of Christ is called his being received up, (avaX^/g,)
not only because he was then withdrawn from the midst of
us, 2 but because, leaving the mean prison of the flesh, he
ascended on high.
52. And he sent messengers. It is probable that our Lord
was, at that time, attended by a great multitude of fol
lowers ; for the messengers were not sent to prepare a splendid
banquet, or to select some magnificent palace, but only to
tell that a vast number of guests were approaching. They
again, when excluded and repulsed, wait for their Master.
Hence, too, we learn, what I remarked in the second place, 3
that when men differ among themselves about the doctrines
of religion, they readily break out into hatred of each other ;
for it was an evidence of very bitter hatred to withhold food
from the hungry, and lodging from those who were fatigued.
But the Samaritans have such a dislike and enmity at the
Jewish religion, that they look upon all who follow it as
unworthy of any kindness. Perhaps, too, they were tor
mented with vexation at being despised ; for they knew
that their temple was detested by the Jews as profane, and
that they w T ere considered to be spurious and corrupt AVOI-
shippers of God. But as the superstition once admitted
kept so firm a hold of them, they strove, with wicked emu-
! "La magnanimite et Constance admirable de lesus Christ; 1 "the
wonderful magnanimity and firmness of Jesus Christ."
2 " Non pas seulement pource qu il a lors este enleve et comme re-
tranche du milieu des homines ;" " not only because he was then raised
up, and, as it were, withdrawn from the midst of men."
3 See our Author s observations above on Luke ix. 51.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 375
Lition, to maintain it to the last. At length the contention
grew so hot, that it consumed both nations in one conflagra
tion ; for Josephus assures us that it was the torch which
kindled the Jewish war. Now though Christ might easily
have avoided that dislike, he chooses rather to profess him
self to be a Jew, than by an indirect denial to procure a
lodging.
53. He stedfastly set his face. By this expression Luke
has informed us that Christ, when he had death before his
eyes, rose above the fear of it, and went forward to meet it ;
but, at the same time, points out that he had a struggle, and
that, having vanquished terror, 1 he boldly presented himself
to die. For if no dread, no difficulty, no struggle, no
anxiety, had been present to his mind, what need was there
that he should set his face stedfastly ? 2 But as he was neither
devoid of feeling, nor under the influence of foolish hardihood,
he must have been affected by the cruel and bitter death, or
rather the shocking and dreadful agony, which he knew
would overtake him from the rigorous judgment of God ; and
so far is this from obscuring or diminishing his glory, that it
is a remarkable proof of his unbounded love to us ; for lay
ing aside a regard to himself that he might devote himself
to our salvation, through the midst of terrors he hastened to
death, the time of which he knew to be at hand.
54. And when his disciples James and John saw it. The
country itself had perhaps suggested to them the desire of
thundering immediately against the ungodly ; for it was
there that Elijah had formerly destroyed, by a fire from
heaven, the king s soldiers who had been sent, to apprehend
him, (2 Kings i. 10.) It therefore occurred to them that
the Samaritans, who so basely rejected the Son of God,
were at that time devoted to a similar destruction. And
1 u Estans victorieux par dessus ceste frayeur naturelle;" "being
victorious over that natural dread."
2 " Quel besoin estoit il qu il prinst sa resolution, et par maniere do
dire s obstinast en soy-mesme ?" " What need was there that he should
take his resolution, and, so to speak, persist in his own mind?"
316t COMMENTARY ON A
here we see to what we are driven by a foolish imitation ] of
the holy fathers. James and John plead the example of
Elijah, but they do not consider how far they differ from
Elijah ; they do not examine properly their own intemperate
zeal, nor do they look at the calling of God. Under a pre
text equally plausible did the Samaritans cloak their idolatry,
our fathers worshipped in this mountain, (John iv. 20.) But
both were in the wrong; for, neglecting the exercise of
judgment, they were apes rather than imitators of the holy
fathers. Now though it is doubtful whether they think that
they have the power in their own hand, or ask Christ to
give it to them, I think it more probable that, elated with
foolish confidence, they entertain no doubt that they are
able to execute vengeance, provided that Christ give his
consent*
55. You know not of what spirit you are. By this reply he
not only restrained the unbridled fury of the two disciples,
but laid down a rule to all of us not to indulge our temper.
For whoever undertakes any thing, ought to be fully aware
that he has the authority and guidance of the Spirit of God,
and that he is actuated by proper and holy dispositions.
Many will be impelled by the warmth of their zeal, but if
the spirit of prudence be wanting, their ebullitions end in
foam. Frequently, too, it happens, that the impure feelings
of the flesh are mingled with their zeal, and that those who
appear to be the keenest zealots for the glory of God are
blinded by the private feelings of the flesh. And therefore,
unless our zeal be directed by the Spirit of God, it will be of
no avail to plead in our behalf, that we undertook nothing
but from proper zeal. But the Spirit himself will guide us
by wisdom and prudence, that we may do nothing contrary
to our duty, or beyond our calling, nothing, in short, but
what is prudent and seasonable ; and, by removing all the
filth of the flesh, he may impart to our minds proper feelings,
that we may desire nothing but what God shall suggest.
Christ likewise blames his disciples because, though they
Une folle et inconsideree imitation des saincts peres ;" " a foolish
and ill-considered imitation of the holy fathers."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
377
are widely distant from the spirit of Elijah, 1 they rashly
take upon themselves to do what he did. For Elijah exe
cuted the judgment of God, which had been committed to
him by the Spirit ; but they rush to vengeance, not by the
command of God, but by the movement of the flesh. And
therefore the examples of the saints are no defence to us,
unless the same Spirit that directed them dwell in us.
MATTHEW.
XIX. 3. And the Pharisees
came to him, tempting him, and
saying to him, Is it lawful for a
man to divorce, his wife for any
cause whatever ? 4. Who an
swering said to them, Have you
not read, that he who made them at
first, 2 made them male and female?
5. And he said, Therefore shall a
man leave his father and mother,
and be joined to his wife ; and they
shall be one flesh. 6. Therefore
now they are not two, but one
flesh : what God therefore hath
joined, let not man separate. 7.
They say to him, Why then did
Moses order to give a letter of di
vorcement, and send her away? 8.
He said to them, Moses, for the
hardness of your heart, permitted
you to divorce your wives ; but at
the beginning it was not so. 9.
And I say to you, That whosoever
shall divorce his wife, except for
fornication, and shall marry an
other, committeth adultery ; and
whosoever shall marry her that is
divorced committeth adultery.
MARK.
X. 2. And the Pharisees, coming
to him, asked him, Is it lawful for a
man to divorce his wife ? tempting
him. 3. But he answering said to
them, What did Moses command
you ? 4. And they said, Moses per
mitted to write a letter of divorce
ment, and to send her away. 5.
And Jesus answering said to them,
For the hardness of your heart he
wrote to you this commandment. 6.
But at the beginning of the creation
God made them male and female.
7. For this reason shall a man leave
his father and mother, and cleave
to his wife ; 8. And they shall be one
flesh : therefore now they are not
two, but one flesh. 9. What there
fore God hath joined together let
not man separate. 10. And in the
house his disciples again asked him
about the same subject. 11. And
he saith to them, Whosoever shall
divorce his wife, and marry another,
committeth adultery against her.
12. And if a woman shall divorce
her husband, and shall be married
to another, she committeth adultery.
Matthew XIX. 3. And the Pharisees came to Itim, tempting
him. Though the Pharisees lay snares for Christ, and cun
ningly endeavour to impose upon him, yet their malice proves
to be highly useful to us ; as the Lord knows how to turn,
in a wonderful manner, to the advantage of his people all
1 "De 1 esprit et affection d Elie;" "from the spirit and disposition,
of Elijah."
2 " Qui felt Fhomme des le commencement ;" "who made man from,
the beginning."
378 COMMENTARY ON A
the contrivances of wicked men to overthrow sound doctrine.
For, by means of this occurrence, a question arising out of
the liberty of divorce was settled, and a fixed law was laid
down as to the sacred and indissoluble bond of marriage.
The occasion of this quibbling was, that the reply, in what
ever way it were given, could not, as they thought, fail to be
offensive.
They ask, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any
cause whatever ? If Christ reply in the negative, they will
exclaim that he wickedly abolishes the Law ; and if in the
affirmative, they will give out that he is not a prophet of
God, but rather a pander, who lends such cquntenance to
the lust of men. Such were the calculations which they had
made in their own minds ; but the Son of God, who knew
how to take the wise in their own craftiness, (Job v. 13,) dis
appointed them, sternly opposing unlawful divorces, and at
the same time showing that he brings forward nothing which
is inconsistent with the Law. For he includes the whole
question under two heads : that the order of creation ought
to serve for a law, that the husband should maintain conjugal
fidelity during the whole of life ; and that divorces were per
mitted, not because they were lawful, but because Moses had
to deal with a rebellious and intractable nation.
4. Have you not read? Christ does not indeed reply directly
to what was asked, but he fully meets the question which
was proposed ; just as if a person now interrogated about the
Mass were to explain faithfully the mystery of the Holy
Supper, and at length to conclude, that they are guilty of
sacrilege and forgery who venture either to add or to take
away any thing from the pure institution of the Lord, he
would plainly overturn the pretended sacrifice of the Mass.
Now Christ assumes as an admitted principle, that at the
beginning God joined the male to the female, so that the two
made an entire man ; and therefore he who divorces his wife
tears from him, as it were, the half of himself. But nature
does not allow any man to tear in pieces his own body.
He adds another argument drawn from the less to the
greater. The bond of marriage is more sacred than that
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 379
which binds children to their parents. But piety binds
children to their parents by a link which cannot be broken.
Much less then can the husband renounce his w r ife. Hence
it follows, that a chain which God made is burst asunder, if
the husband divorce his wife. 1
Now the meaning of the words is this : God, who created
the human race, made them male and female, so that every
man might be satisfied with his own wife, and might not
desire more. For he insists on the number two, as the pro
phet Malachi, (ii. 15,) when he remonstrates against poly
gamy, employs the same argument, that God, whose Spirit
was so abundant that He had it in His power to create more,
yet made but one man, that is, such a man as Christ here
describes. And thus from the order of creation is proved the
inviolable union of one husband with one wife. If it be ob
jected, that in this way it will not be lawful, after the first
wife is dead, to take another, the reply is easy, that not only
is the bond dissolved by death, but the second wife is substi
tuted by God in the room of the first, as if she had been one
and the same woman.
5. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother. It is
uncertain whether Moses represents Adam or God as speak
ing these words ; but it is of little consequence to the present
passage which of these meanings you choose, for it was
enough to quote the decision which God had pronounced,
though it might have been uttered by the mouth of Adam.
Now he who marries a wife is not commanded absolutely to
leave his father ; for God would contradict himself, if by
marriage He set aside those duties which He enjoins on
children towards their parents; but when a comparison is
made between the claims, the wife is preferred to the father
and mother. But if any man abandon his father, and shake
off the yoke by which he is bound, no man will own such a
monster; 2 much less will he be at liberty to dissolve a marriage.
1 " Que le mari qui se separe d avecques sa femme rompt le lien duquel
ieu estoit authenr ;" "that the husband, who separates from his wife,
Dieu
bursts the chain of which God was the author.
2 " 11 n y a celuy qui ne fust estonne d un tel monstre ;" " there is
man who would not be astonished at such a monster."
380 COMMENTARY ON A
And the two shall be one flesh. This expression condemns
polygamy not less than it condemns unrestrained liberty in
divorcing wives ; for, if the mutual union of two persons was
consecrated by the Lord, the mixture of three or four persons
is unauthorised. 1 But Christ, as I stated a little ago, applies
it in a different manner to his purpose ; namely, to show that
whoever divorces his wife tears himself in pieces, because
such is the force of holy marriage, that the husband and wife
become one man. For it was not the design of Christ to
introduce the impure and filthy speculation of Plato, but he
spoke with reverence of the order which God has established.
Let the husband and wife, therefore, live together in such a
manner, that each shall cherish the other in the same man
ner as if they were the half of themselves. Let the husband
rule, so as to be the head, and not the tyrant, of his wife ;
and let the woman, on the other hand, yield modestly to his
commands.
6. What God therefore hath joined. By this sentence
Christ restrains the caprice of husbands, that they may not,
by divorcing their wives, burst asunder the sacred knot.
And as he declares that it is not in the power of the husband
to dissolve the marriage, so likewise he forbids all others to
confirm by their authority unlawful divorces ; for the magis
trate abuses his power when he grants permission to the
husband to divorce his wife. But the object which Christ
had directly in view was, that every man should sacredly
observe the promise which he has given, and that those who
are tempted, by wantonness or wicked dispositions, to divorce,
may reflect thus with themselves : " Who art thou that
allowest thyself to burst asunder ivhat God hath joined? " But
this doctrine may be still farther extended. The Papists,
contriving for us a church separated from Christ the Head,
laave us an imperfect and mutilated body. In the Holy Sup
per, Christ joined the bread and the wine ; but they have
dared to withhold from all the people the use of the cup. To
1 " C T est iin meslinge farax et pervers ;" " it is a false and wicked mix
ture."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 381
these diabolical corruptions we shall be at liberty to oppose
these words, What God hath joined let not man separate,
t
7. Why then did Moses order ? They had thought of
this calumny, 1 if, which was more probable, Christ should
demand a proper cause to be shown in cases of divorce ; for
it appears that whatever God permits by his law, whose will
alone establishes the distinction between what is good or
evil, is lawful. But Christ disarms the falsehood and slander
by the appropriate reply, that Moses permitted it on account
of their obstinacy, and not because he approved of it as law
ful. And he confirms his opinion by the best argument,
because it was not so at the beginning. He takes for granted
that, when God at first instituted marriage, he established a
perpetual law, which ought to remain in force till the end of
the world. And if the institution of marriage is to be reck
oned an inviolable law, it follows that whatever swerves
from it does not arise from its pure nature, but from the
depravity of men.
But it is asked, Ought Moses to have permitted what was
in itself bad and sinful ? 1 reply, That, in an unusual sense of
the word, he is said to \\sive permitted what he did not severely
forbid ; 2 for he did not lay down a law about divorces, so as
to give them the seal of his approbation, but as the wicked
ness of men could not be restrained in any other way, he
applied what was the most admissible remedy, that the hus
band should, at least, attest the chastity of his wife. For
the law was made solely for the protection of the women,
that they might not suffer any disgrace after they had been
unjustly rejected. Hence we infer, that it was rather a
punishment inflicted on the husbands, than an indulgence or
permission fitted to inflame their lust. Besides, political and
1 " Us avoyent songe ceste calomnie pour 1 avoir toute preste ;"
u they had thought of this calumny, to have it all ready."
2 " le repond, Qu a parler proprement, il ne 1 a pas permis : mais
d autant qu il ne 1 a pas defendu estroittement, il est dit qu il 1 a permis ;"
u I reply, That, strictly speaking, he did not permit it ; but in so far as
he did not strictly forbid it, he is said to have permitted it."
382 COMMENTARY ON A
outward order is widely different from spiritual government.
What is lawful and proper the Lord has comprehended under
the ten ivords. 1 Now as it is possible that many things, for
which every man s conscience reproves and charges him, may
not be called in question at a human tribunal, it is not won
derful if those things are connived at by political laws.
Let us take a familiar instance. The laws grant to us a
greater liberty of litigation than the law of charity allows.
Why is this ? Because the right cannot be conferred on indi
viduals, unless there be an open door for demanding it ; and
yet the inward law of God declares that we ought to follow
what charity shall dictate. And yet there is no reason why
magistrates should make this an excuse for their indolence,
if they voluntarily abstain from correcting vices, or neglect
what the nature of their office demands. But let men in a
private station beware of doubling the criminality of the
magistrates, by screening their own vices under the protec
tion of the laws. For here the Lord indirectly reproves the
Jews for not reckoning it enough that their stubbornness was
allowed to pass unpunished, if they did not implicate God as
defending their iniquity. And if the rule of a holy and pious
life is not always, or in all places, to be sought from political
laws, much less ought we to seek it from custom.
9. But I say to you. Mark relates that this was spoken
to the disciples apart, when they had come into the house;
but Matthew, leaving out this circumstance, gives it as a
part of the discourse, as the Evangelists frequently leave out
some intermediate occurrence, because they reckon it enough
to sum up the leading points. There is therefore no differ
ence, except that the one explains the matter more distinctly
than the other. The substance of it is : though the Law
does not punish divorces, which are at variance with God s
first institution, yet he is an adulterer who rejects his wife
and takes another. For it is not in the power of a man to
1 Where the English version gives the words, ten commandments, the
phrase in the original Hebrew is, a-nnn m^y, the ten words, (Exod.
xxxiv. 28 ; Deut. iv. 13 ; x. 4.) Ed.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 383
dissolve the engagement of marriage, which the Lord wishes
to remain inviolate ; and so the woman who occupies the bed
of a lawful wife is a concubine.
But an exception is added ; for the woman, by fornication,
cuts herself off, as a rotten member, from her husband, and
sets him at liberty. Those who search for other reasons
ought justly to be set at nought, because they choose to be
wise above the heavenly teacher. They say that leprosy is
a proper ground for divorce, because the contagion of the
disease affects not only the husband, but likewise the child
ren. For my own part, while I advise a religious man not
to touch a woman afflicted with leprosy, I do not pronounce
him to be at liberty to divorce her. If it be objected, that
they who cannot live unmarried need a remedy, that they
may not be burned, I answer, that what is sought in opposi
tion to the word of God is not a remedy. I add too, that if
they give themselves up to be guided by the Lord, they will
never want continence, for they follow what he has pre
scribed. One man shall contract such a dislike of his wife,
that he cannot endure to keep company with her : will poly
gamy cure this evil ? Another man s wife shall fall into palsy
or apoplexy, or be afflicted with some other incurable disease,
shall the husband reject her under the pretence of inconti-
nency ? We know, on the contrary, that none of those who
walk in their ways are ever left destitute of the assistance of
the Spirit.
For the sake of avoiding fornication, says Paul, let every
man marry a wife, (1 Cor. vii. 2.) lie who has done so,
though he may not succeed to his wish, has done his duty ;
and, therefore, if any thing be wanting, he will be supported
by divine aid. To go beyond this is nothing else than to
tempt God. When Paul mentions another reason, namely,
that when, through a dislike of godliness, wives happen to be
rejected by unbelievers, a godly brother or sister is not, in
such a case, liable to bondage, (1 Cor. vii. 12, 15,) this is not
inconsistent with Christ s meaning. For he does not there
inquire into the proper grounds of divorce, but only whether
a woman continues to be bound to an unbelieving husband,
after that, through hatred of God, she has been wickedly
384 COMMENTARY ON A
rejected, and cannot be reconciled to him in any other way
than by forsaking God ; and therefore we need not wonder
if Paul think it better that she should part with a mortal
man than that she should be at variance with God.
But the exception which Christ states appears to be super
fluous. For, if the adulteress deserve to be punished with
death, what purpose does it serve to talk of divorces ? But as
it was the duty of the husband to prosecute his wife for
adultery, in order to purge his house from infamy, whatever
might be the result, the husband, ivho convicts his wife of un-
cleanness, is here freed by Christ from the bond. It is even
possible that, among a corrupt and degenerate people, this
crime remained to a great extent unpunished ; as, in our own
day, the wicked forbearance of magistrates makes it neces
sary for husbands to put away unchaste wives, because
adulterers are not punished. It must also be observed, that
the right belongs equally and mutually to both sides, as there
is a mutual and equal obligation to fidelity. For, though in
other matters the husband holds the superiority, as to the
marriage bed, the wife has an equal right : for he is not the
lord of his body ; and therefore when, by committing adul
tery, he has dissolved the marriage, the wife is set at liberty.
And whosoever shall marry her that is divorced. This clause
has been very ill explained by many commentators ; for they
have thought that generally, and without exception, celibacy
is enjoined in all cases when a divorce has taken place ; and,
therefore, if a husband should put away an adulteress, both
would be laid under the necessity of remaining unmarried.
As if this liberty of divorce meant only not to lie with his
wife ; and as if Christ did not evidently grant permission in
this case to do what the Jews were wont indiscriminately to
do at their pleasure. It was therefore a gross error ; for,
though Christ condemns as an adulterer the man who shall
marry a wife that has been divorced, this is undoubtedly
restricted to unlawful and frivolous divorces. In like man
ner, Paul enjoins those who have been so dismissed to remain
unmarried, or to be reconciled to their husbands, (1 Cor. vii.
11 ;) that is, because quarrels and differences do not dissolve
a marriage. This is clearly made out from the passage in
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 385
Mark, where express mention is made of the wife who has
left her husband : and if the wife shall divorce her husband.
Not that wives were permitted to give their husbands a letter
of divorcement, unless so far as the Jews had been contami
nated by foreign customs ; but Mark intended to show that
our Lord condemned the corruption which was at that time
universal, that, after voluntary divorces, they entered on
both sides into new marriages ; and therefore he makes no
mention of adultery.
MATTHEW.
XIX. 10. His disciples say to him, If such be the case of the man
with his wife, 1 it is not expedient to enter into marriage. 11. Who said
to them, 2 All are not capable of receiving this saying, but those to whom
it is given. 12. For there are eunuchs, who were so born from their
mother s womb ; and there are eunuchs, who have been made eunuchs
by men ; and there are eunuchs, who have castrated themselves for the
sake of the kingdom of heaven. lie who can receive it, 3 let him receive it.
10. His disciples say to him. As if it were a hard con
dition for husbands to be so bound to their wives, that, so
long as they remain chaste, they are compelled to endure every
thing rather than leave them, the disciples, roused by this
answer of Christ, reply, that it is better to want wives than
to submit to a knot of this kind. 4 But why do they not, on
the other hand, consider how hard is the bondage of wives, 5
but because, devoted to themselves and their own conveni
ence, they are driven by the feeling of the flesh to disregard
others, and to think only of what is advantageous for them
selves ? Meanwhile, it is a display of base ingratitude that,
from the dread or dislike of a single inconvenience, they
reject a wonderful gift of God. It is better, according
to them, to avoid marriage than to bind one s self by the
bond of living always together. 6 But if God has ordained
marriage for the general advantage of mankind, though it
1 " Avec sa femme."
2 " II leur dit ;" " he said to them."
3 " Qui pent comprendre cm ;" " he who can receive this."
4 " Que de se mettre en une telle necessite et suiection ;" " than to
place one s self under such restraint and subjection."
5 " La servitude que les femmes ont a porter ;" " the bondage of
which wives have to endure."
6 " De vivre tousiours avec une femme ;" " of living always with one
wife."
VOL. II. 2 B
386 COMMENTARY ON A
may be attended by some things that are disagreeable, it is
not on that account to be despised. Let us therefore learn
not to be delicate and saucy, but to use with reverence the
gifts of God, even if there be something in them that does
not please us. Above all, let us guard against this wicked
ness in reference to holy marriage ; for, in consequence of
its being attended by many annoyances, Satan has always
endeavoured to make it an object of hatred and detestation,
in order to withdraw men from it. And Jerome has given
too manifest a proof of a malicious and wicked disposition,
in not only loading with calumnies that sacred and divinely
appointed condition of life, but in collecting as many terms
of reproach (\oidogtai) as he could from profane authors, in
order to take away its respectability. But let us recollect
that whatever annoyances belong to marriage are accidental,
for they arise out of the depravity of man. Let us remem
ber that, since our nature was corrupted, marriage began to
be a medicine, and therefore we need not wonder if it have a
bitter taste mixed with its sweetness. But we must see
how our Lord confutes this folly.
11. All are not capable of receiving this saying. By this he
means, that the choice is not placed in our hands, as if we
were to deliberate on a matter submitted to us. If any man
thinks it advantageous for him to want a wife, and, without
making any inquiry, lays upon himself an obligation to
celibacy, 1 he is widely mistaken. God, who has declared it
to be good that a man should have a woman to be his helper,
will punish the contempt of his own appointment ; for mor
tals take too much on themselves, when they endeavour to
exempt themselves from the heavenly calling. But Christ
proves that it is not free to all to make what choice they
please, because the gift of continence is a special gift ; for
when he says that all are not capable of receiving it, but those
to whom it is given, he plainly shows that it was not given
to all. And this reproves the pride of those who do not
hesitate to claim for themselves what Christ so manifestly
refuses to them.
1 " S il s astreigne a n estre point marie ;" "if he bind himself not to
be married."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 387
12. For there are eunuchs. Christ distinguishes three
kinds of eunuchs. Those who are so by nature, or who
have been castrated by men, are debarred from marriage by
this defect, for they are not men. He says that there are
other eunuchs, who have castrated themselves, that they may
be more at liberty to serve God ; and these he exempts from
the obligation to marry. Hence it follows, that all others
who avoid marriage fight against God with sacrilegious
hardihood, after the manner of the giants. When Papists
urge the word castrate, (sui/ou^/rfai/,) as if at their own pleasure
men might lay themselves under obligation to continence, it
is too frivolous. For Christ has already declared, that God
gives it to whom he chooses ; and, a little afterwards, we
shall find him maintaining, that it is folly in any man to
choose to live unmarried, when he has not received this
special gift. This castration, therefore, is not left to free
will ; but the plain meaning is, while some men are by nature
fit to marry, though they abstain, they do not tempt God,
because God grants them exemption. 1
For the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Many foolishly
explain this as meaning, in order to deserve eternal life ; as if
celibacy contained within itself some meritorious service, as
the Papists imagine that it is an angelical state. But Christ
meant nothing more than that persons unmarried ought to
have this for their object, that, being freed from all cares,
they may apply themselves more readily to the duties of
piety. It is, therefore, a foolish imagination, that celi
bacy is a virtue ; for it is not in itself more pleasing to God
than fasting, and is not entitled to be reckoned among the
duties which he requires from us, but ought to have a refer
ence to another object. -Nay more, Christ expressly intended
to declare that, though a man be pure from fornication, yet
his celibacy is not approved by God, if he only consults his
own ease and comfort, but that he is excused on this single
ground, that he aims at a free and unrestrained meditation
on the heavenly life. In short, Christ teaches us, that it is
1 " Pource qu il leur permet de s en passer, et leur bailie tin privilege
par dessus les autres ;" " because he allows them to abstain from it, and
grants them a privilege above others."
388
COMMENTARY ON A
not enough, if unmarried men live chastely, unless they ab
stain from having wives, for the express purpose of devoting
themselves to better employments. 1
He that can receive it, let him receive it. By this conclusion
Christ warns them, that the use of marriage is not to be
despised, unless we intend, with blind rashness, to rush head
long to destruction : for it became necessary to restrain the
disciples, whom he saw acting inconsiderately and without
judgment. But the warning is useful to all ; for, in selecting
a manner of life, few consider what has been given to them,
but men rush forward, without discrimination, in whatever
direction inconsiderate zeal prompts them. And I wish that
the warning had been attended to in past times ; but men s
ears are stopped by I know not what enchantments of Satan,
so that, contrary to nature, and, at it were, in spite of God,
those whom God called to marriage have bound themselves
by the cord of perpetual virginity? Next came the deadly
cord of a vow, by which wretched souls were bound, 3 so that
they never rose out of the ditch.
MATTHEW.
XIX. 13. Then
were presented to
him children, that
he might lay hands
on them and pray ;
but the disciples
rebuked them.
14. And Jesus said
to them, Suffer
children, and for
bid them not, to
come to me ; for
of such is the king
dom of heaven.
15. And when he
had laid hands on
them, he departed
thence.
MARK.
X. 13. And they brought
to him children, that he
might touch them ; but the
disciples rebuked those who
presented them. 14. And
when Jesus saw it, he was
displeased, and said to them,
Suffer children to come to
me, and do not forbid them ;
for of such is the kingdom of
heaven. 15. Verily I say
to you, Whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God
as a child shall not enter
into it. 16. And when he
had taken them in his arms,
he laid hands on them, and
blessed them.
LUKE.
XVIII. 15. And
they presented to him
also infants, that he
might touch them ;
which, when the dis
ciples saw, they re
buked them. 16. But
Jesus, when he had
called them to him,
said, Suffer children to
come to me, and do not
forbid them ; for of
such is the kingdom of
God. 17. Verily I say
to you, Whosoever shall
not receive the king
dom of God as a child
shall not enter into it.
1 " Ann d estre plus libres pour s employer a meilleures choses a la
gloire de Dieu ;" u in order to be more free for being employed in better
things for the glory of God."
8 " De perpetuelle virginite, comme on dit ;" " of perpetual virginity,
as it is called."
3 " Le voeu qui a este comme un licol pour tenir les poures ames en-
serrees de court ;" u the vow, which was like a halter to keep poor souls
/ 1 1 T * * *
iirmly bound.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 389
This narrative is highly useful ; for it shows that Christ
receives not only those who, moved by holy desire and faith,
freely approach to him, but those who are not yet of age to
know how much they need his grace. Those little children
have not yet any understanding to desire his blessing ; but
when they are presented to him, he gently and kindly receives
them, and dedicates them to the Father 1 by a solemn act of
blessing. We must observe the intention of those who pre
sent the children ; for if there had not been a deep-rooted
conviction in their minds, that the power of the Spirit was
at his disposal, that he might pour it out on the people of
God, it would have been unreasonable to present their child
ren. There is no room, therefore, to doubt, that they ask for
them a participation of his grace ; and so, by way of amplifi
cation, Luke adds the particle also ; as if he had said that,
after they had experienced the various ways in which he
assisted adults, they formed an expectation likewise in regard
to children, that, if he laid hands on them, they would not
leave him without having received some of the gifts of the
Spirit. The laying on of hands (as we have said on a former
occasion) was an ancient and well known sign of blessing ;
and so there is no reason to wonder, if they desire that Christ,
Avhile employing that solemn ceremony, should pray for the
children. At the same time, as the inferior are blessed by the
better, (Heb. vii. 7,) they ascribe to him the power and honour
of the highest Prophet.
Matthew XIX. 13. But the disciples rebuked them. If a
crown 2 had been put on his head, they would have admitted
it willingly, and with approbation ; for they did not yet
comprehend his actual office. But they reckon it unworthy
of his character to receive children ; and their error wanted
not plausibility ; for what has the highest Prophet and the
Son of God to do with infants ? But hence we learn, that
they who judge of Christ according to the feeling of their
flesh are unfair judges ; for they constantly deprive him of
his peculiar excellencies, and, on the other hand, ascribe,
1 " A Dieu son Pore ;" " to God his Father."
2 " Unc couronne royalc ;" " a royal crown."
390 COMMENTARY ON A
under the appearance of honour, what does not at all belong
to him. Hence arose an immense mass of superstitions,
which presented to the world a fancied Christ. 1 And there
fore let us learn not to think of him otherwise than what
himself teaches, and not to assign to him a character different
from what he has received from the Father. We see what
happened with Popery. They thought that they were con
ferring a great honour on Christ, if they bowed down before
a small piece of bread ; but in the sight of God it was an
offensive abomination. Again, because they did not think
it sufficiently honourable to him to perform the office of an
Advocate for us, they made for themselves innumerable
intercessors ; but in this way they deprived him of the honour
of Mediator
14. Suffer children. He declares that he wishes to receive
children ; and at length, taking them in his arms, he not only
embraces, but blesses them by the laying on of hands ; from
which we infer that his grace is extended even to those who
are of that age. And no wonder ; for since the whole race
of Adam is shut up under the sentence of death, all from the
least even to the greatest must perish, except those who are
rescued by the only Redeemer. To exclude from the grace
of redemption those who are of that age would be too cruel ;
and therefore it is not without reason tlfat we employ this
passage as a shield against the Anabaptists. They refuse
baptism to infants, because infants are incapable of under
standing that mystery which is denoted by it. We, on the
other hand, maintain that^ since baptism is the pledge and
figure of the forgiveness of sins, and likewise of adoption by
God, it ought not to be denied to infants, whom God adopts
and washes with the blood of his Son. Their objection, that
repentance and newness of life are also denoted by it, is easily
answered. Infants are renewed by the Spirit of God, accord
ing to the capacity of their age, till that power which was
concealed within them grows by degrees, and becomes fully
manifest at the proper time. Again, when they argue that
1 " Un Christ faict a la fantasie des homines ;" " a Christ made ac
cording to the fancy of men."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 391
there is no other way in which we are reconciled to God,
and become heirs of adoption, than by faith, we admit this as
to adults, but, with respect to infants, this passage demon
strates it to be false. Certainly, the laying on of hands was
not a trifling or empty sign, and the prayers of Christ were
not idly wasted in air. But he could not present the infants
solemnly to God without giving them purity. And for what
did he pray for them, but that they might be received into
the number of the children of God ? Hence it follows, that
they were renewed by the Spirit to the hope of salvation.
In short, by embracing them, he testified that they were
reckoned by Christ among his flock. And if they were par
takers of the^ spiritual gifts, which are represented by Bap
tism, it is unreasonable that they should be deprived of the
outward sign. But it is presumption and sacrilege to drive
far from the fold of Christ those whom he cherishes in his
bosom, and to shut the door, and exclude as strangers those
whom he does not wish to \>Q forbidden to come to him.
For of such is the kingdom of heaven. Under this term he
includes both little children and those who resemble them ;
for the Anabaptists foolishly exclude children, with whom
the subject must have commenced ; but at the same time,
taking occasion from the present occurrence, he intended to
exhort his disciples to lay aside malice and pride, and put on
the nature of children. Accordingly, it is added by Mark
and Luke, that no man can enter into the kingdom of heaven
unless he be made to resemble a child. But we must attend
to Paul s admonition, not to be children in understanding, but
in malice, (1 Cor. xiv. 20.)
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
XIX. 16. And, lo, X. 17. And as he was XVIII. 18. And
one came and said to going out into the road, a certain ruler asked
him, Good Master, what one ran, and, when he him, saying, Good
good thing shall I do, had kneeled down, asked Master, what shall
that I may have eternal him, Good Master, what I do, that I may
life? 17. Who said to shall I do, that I may obtain eternal life?
him, Why callest thou obtain ^eternal life? 19. And Jesus said
me good ? There is none 18. And Jesus said to to him, Why call-
good but God alone ;* him, Why callest thou est thou me good?
1 " II n y a nul bon, sinon un seul, c est Dicu :" u There is none good
but one only, it is God."
392
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
but if thou wilt enter into
life, keep the command
ments. 18. He saith to
him, Which ? And Jesus
said, Thou shalt not
murder, Thou shalt not
commit adultery, Thou
shalt not steal, Thou
shalt not bear false wit
ness, 19. Honour thy
father and mother : and,
Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.
20. The young man saith
to him, All these things
have I kept from my
youth : what do I still
want? 21. Jesus saith
to him, If thou wilt be
perfect, go sell what
thou hast, and give to
the poor, and thou shalt
have a treasure in hea
ven ; and come, follow
me. 22. And when the
young man heard that
saying, he went away
sorrowful ; for he had
many possessions. 1
MARK.
me good ? There is none
good but God alone.
19. Thou knowest the
commandments, Do
not commit adultery,
Do not kill, Do not
steal, Do not bear
false witness, Defraud
not, Honour thy fa
ther and mother. 20.
But he answering said
to him, Master, all these
things have I kept from
my youth. 21. And
Jesus, beholding him,
loved him, and said to
him, Thou art in want
of one thing, go sell
what thou hast, and
give to the poor, and
thou shalt have a trea
sure in heaven ; and
come, follow me, tak
ing the cross on thy
shoulders. 22. But he,
affected with uneasiness
on account of the saying,
went away sorrowful ; for
he had many possessions.
LUKE.
None is good but
God alone. 20.
Thou knowest the
commandments,
Thou shalt not com
mit adultery, Thou
shalt not kill, Thou
shalt not steal, Thou
shalt not bear false
witness, Honour
thy father and thy
mother. 21. And
he said, All these
things have I kept
from my youth.
22. Having heard
this, Jesus said to
him, Yet one thing
thou wantest ; sell all
that thou hast, and
give to the poor,
and thou shalt
have a treasure in
heaven ; and come,
follow me. 23.
Having heard these
things, he was
grieved ; for he was
very rich.
Matthew XIX. 16. And, to, one. Luke says that he was a
ruler, (%&&gt;!/,) that is, a man of very high authority, not one
of the common people. 2 And though riches procure respect, 3
yet he appears to be here represented to have been held in
high estimation as a good man. For my own part, after
weighing all the circumstances, I have no doubt that, though
he is called a young man, he belonged to the class of those
who upheld the integrity of the Elders, by a sober and regu
lar life. 4 He did not come treacherously, as the scribes were
wont to do, but from a desire of instruction ; and, accordingly,
1 " Car il avoit beaucoup de richesses ;" " for he had much wealth."
2 " Que c estoit uri PRINCE ou seigneur ; c est a dire, un homme d estat
et de grande authorite ;" " that he was a PRINCE or lord ; that is to say,
a man of rank and of great authority."
3 " Combien que les richesses rendent un homme honorable au monde ;"
" though riches render a man honourable in the world.",
4 " Non point par trahison, et pour surprendre Christ ;" " not by
treachery, and to take Christ by surprise."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 393
both by words and by kneeling, he testifies his reverence for
Christ as a faithful teacher. But, on the other hand, a blind
confidence in his works hindered him from profiting under
Christ, to whom, in other respects, he wished to be submis
sive. Thus, in our own day, we find some who are not ill-
disposed, but who, under the influence of I know not what
shadowy holiness, 1 hardly relish the doctrine of the Gospel.
But, in order to form a more correct judgment of the
meaning of the answer, we must attend to the form of the
question. He does not simply ask how and by what means
he shall reach life, but what good thing he shall do, in order to
obtain it. He therefore dreams of merits, on account of
which he may receive eternal life as a reward due ; and
therefore Christ appropriately sends him to the keeping of
the law, which unquestionably is the way of life, as I shall
explain more fully afterwards.
17. Why callest thou me good? I do not understand this
correction in so refined a sense as is given by a good part of
interpreters, as if Christ intended to suggest his Divinity ;
for they imagine that these words mean, " If thou perceivest
in me nothing more exalted than human nature, thou falsely
appliest to me the epithet good, which belongs to God alone."
I do acknowledge that, strictly speaking, men and even angels
do not deserve so honourable a title ; because they have not a
drop of goodness in themselves, but borrowed from God ; and
because in the former, goodness is only begun, and is not per
fect. But Christ had no other intention than to maintain the
truth of his doctrine ; as if he had said, " Thou falsely callest
me a good Master, unless thou acknowledgest that I have come
from God." The essence of his Godhead, therefore, is not
here maintained, but the young man is directed to admit the
truth of the doctrine. He bad already felt some disposition
to obey ; but Christ wishes him to rise higher, that he may
hear God speaking. For as it is customary with men to
make angels of those who are devils they indiscriminately
give the appellation of good teachers to those in whom they
1 u Pourcc qu ils sont enveloppez de ie no scay quelle ombre de
sainctcte; " "because they are covered by I know not what shadow of
holiness."
394 COMMENTARY ON A
perceive nothing divine ; but those modes of speaking are
only profanations of the gifts of God. We need not wonder,
therefore, if Christ, in order to maintain the authority of his
doctrine, directs the young man to God.
Keep the commandments. This passage was erroneously
interpreted by some of the ancients, whom the Papists have
followed, as if Christ taught that, by keeping the law, we
may merit eternal life. On the contrary, Christ did not
take into consideration what men can do, but replied to the
question, What is the righteousness of works ? or, What
does the Law require ? And certainly we ought to believe
that God comprehended in his law the way of living holily
and righteously, in which righteousness is included ; for not
without reason did Moses make this statement, He that doeth
these things shall live in them, (Lev. xviii. 5 ;) and again, I call
heaven and earth to witness that I have this day showed you life,
(Deut. xxx. 19.) We have no right, therefore, to deny that the
keeping of the law is righteousness, by which any man who
kept the law perfectly if there were such a man would
obtain life for himself. But as we are all destitute of the
glory of God, (Rom. iii. 23,) nothing but cursing will be
found in the law ; and nothing remains for us but to betake
ourselves to the undeserved gift of righteousness. And
therefore Paul lays down a twofold righteousness, the right
eousness of the law, (Rom. x. 5,) and the righteousness of
faith, (Rom. x. 6.) He makes the first to consist in works,
and the second, in the free grace of Christ.
Hence we infer, that this reply of Christ is legal, because
it was proper that the young man who inquired about the
righteousness of works should first be taught that no man
is accounted righteous before God unless he has fulfilled
the law, 1 (which is impossible,) that, convinced of his weak
ness, he might betake himself to the assistance of faith. I
acknowledge, therefore, that, as God has promised the re
ward of eternal life to those who keep his law, we ought to
hold by this way, if the weakness of our flesh did not pre
vent ; but Scripture teaches us, that it is through our own
fault that it becomes necessary for us to receive as a gift
1 " Sinon qu il ait accompli toute la loy de poinct en poinct ;" " un
less he has fulfilled all the law in every point."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 395
what we cannot obtain by works. If it be objected, that it is
in vain to hold out to us the righteousness which is in the law,
(Rom. x. 5,) which no man will ever be able to reach, I
reply, since it is the first part of instruction, by which we
are led to the righteousness which is obtained by prayer, it
is far from being superfluous ; and, therefore, when Paul
says, that the doers of the law are justified, (Rom. ii. 13,) he
excludes all from the righteousness of the law.
This passage sets aside all the inventions which the
Papists have contrived in order to obtain salvation. For
not only are they mistaken in wishing to lay God under
obligation to them by their good works, to bestow salvation
as a debt ; but when they apply themselves to do what is
right, they leave out of view the doctrine of the law r , and
attend chiefly to their pretended devotions, as they call them,
not that they openly reject the law of God, but that they
greatly prefer human traditions. 1 But what does Christ
say ? That the only worship of which God approves is
that which he has prescribed ; because obedience is better to
him than all sacrifices* (1 Sam. xv. 22.) So then, while the
Papists are employed in frivolous traditions, let every man
who endeavours to regulate his life by obedience to Christ
direct his whole attention to keep the commandments of the
law.
18. Thou shalt not murder. It is surprising that, though
Christ intended to show that we are bound to obey the
w r hole law, he should mention the second table only ; but he
did so, because from the duties of charity the disposition of
every man is better ascertained. Piety towards God holds,
no doubt, a higher rank ; 3 but as the observation of the first
1 "D autant qu ils font bien plus grand cas de leurs traditions hu-
maines, que des commandemens de Dieu ;" " because they set far
hio-her value on their human traditions than on the commandments of
God."
^ 2 "Pource qu il estime plus obeissance que tous les sacrifices du
monde ;" " because he esteems obedience more than all the sacrifices in
the world."
3 ^ Vray est qu entre les commandemens ceux qui parlent de la re-
cognoissance que nous devons a Dieu tienent le premier degre;" "it is
396 COMMENTARY ON A
table is often feigned by hypocrites, the second table is bet
ter adapted for making a scrutiny. 1 Let us know, therefore,
that Christ selected those commandments in which is con
tained a proof of true righteousness ; but by a synecdoche
he takes a part for the whole. As to the circumstance of
his placing that commandment last which speaks of honouring
parents, it is of no consequence, for he paid no attention to
the regular order. Yet it is worthy of notice, that this
commandment is declared to belong to the second table,
that no one may be led astray by the error of Josephus, who
thought that it belonged to the first table. 2 What is added
at the end, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, contains nothing
different from the former commandments, but is a general
explanation of them all.
The young man saith to him. The law must have been dead
to him, when he vainly imagined that he was so righteous ;
for if he had not flattered himself through hypocrisy, it was
an excellent advice to him to learn humility, to contemplate
his spots and blemishes in the mirror of the law. But, in
toxicated with foolish confidence, he fearlessly boasts that he
has discharged his duty properly from his childhood. Paul
acknowledges that the same thing happened to himself, that,
so long as the power of the law was unknown to him, he be
lieved that he was alive ; but that, after he knew what the law
could do, a deadly wound was inflicted on him, (Rom. vii. 9.)
So the reply of Christ, which follows, was suited to the man s
disposition. And yet Christ does not demand any thing
beyond the commandments of the law, but, as the bare
recital had not affected him, Christ employed other words
for detecting the hidden disease of avarice.
I confess that we are nowhere commanded in the law to sell
all; but as the design of the law is, to bring men to self-denial,
true that, among the commandments, those which speak of the acknow
ledgment which we owe to God hold the first rank."
1 "A faire examen pour cognoistre les personnes ;" " to make a
scrutiny for knowing persons."
2 Josephus says that there were five on each table, from which it must
be inferred, that he considered the Fifth commandment as belonging to
the First Table. His words are : He showed them the two tables, with the
ten commandments engraven upon them, FIVE UPON EACH TABLE ; and the
writing was ~by the hand of God. (Ant. iii. 6, 8.) Ed,
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 397
and as it expressly condemns covetousness, we see that Christ
had no other object in view than to correct the false conviction
of the young man. 1 For if he had known himself thoroughly,
as soon as he heard the mention of the law, he would have
acknowledged that he was liable to the judgment of God ;
but now, when the bare words of the law do not sufficiently
convince him of his guilt, the inward meaning is expressed
by other words. If Christ now demanded any thing beyond
the commandments of the law, he would be at variance with
himself. He just now taught that perfect righteousness is
comprehended in the commandments of the law : how then
will it agree with this to charge the law with deficiency ?
Besides, the protestation of Moses, (Deut. xxx. 15,) which I
formerly quoted, Avould be false.
Mark X. 21. One thing thou wantest. Christ therefore
does not mean that the young man wanted ONE THING beyond
the keeping of the law, but in the very keeping of the law.
For though the law nowhere obliges us to sell all, yet as it
represses all sinful desires, and teaches us to bear the cross, as
it bids us be prepared for hunger and poverty, the young man
is very far from keeping it fully, so long as he is attached to
his riches, and burns with covetousness. And he says that
one thing is wanting, because he does not need to preach to
him about fornication and murder, but to point out a particu
lar disease, as if he were laying his finger on the sore.
It ought also to be observed, that he does not only enjoin him
to sell, but likewise to give to the poor ; for to part with riches
would not be in itself a virtue, but rather a vain ambition.
Profane historians applaud Crates, a Theban, because he threw
into the sea his money and all that he reckoned valuable ; for
he did not think that he could save himself unless his wealth
were lost ; as if it would not have been better to bestow on
others what he imagined to be more than he needed. Cer
tainly, as charity is the bond of perfection, (Col. iii. 14,) he who
deprives others, along with himself, of the use of money, de-
1 " La fausse persuasion et presomption de ce ieune homme ;" " the
false conviction and presumption of this young man."
398 COMMENTARY ON A
serves no praise ; and therefore Christ applauds not simply
the selling, but liberality in assisting the poor.
The mortification of the flesh is still more strongly urged
by Christ, when he says, Follow me. For he enjoins him not
only to become his disciple, but to submit his shoulders to
bear the cross, as Mark expressly states. And it was neces
sary that such an excitement should be applied ; for, having
been accustomed to the ease, and leisure, and conveniences,
of home, he had never experienced, in the smallest degree,
what it was to crucify the old man, and to subdue the desires
of the flesh. But it is excessively ridiculous in the monks,
under the pretence of this passage, to claim for themselves a
state of perfection. First, it is easy to infer, that Christ does
not command all without exception to sell all that they have ;
for the husbandman, who had been accustomed to live by his
labour, and to support his children, would do wrong in sell
ing his possession, if he were not constrained to it by any
necessity. To keep what God has put in our power, pro
vided that, by maintaining ourselves and our family in a
sober and frugal manner, we bestow some portion on the poor,
is a greater virtue than to squander all. But what sort of
thing is that famous selling, on which the monks plume them
selves ? A good part of them, finding no provision at home,
plunge themselves into monasteries as well-stocked hog-styes.
All take such good care of themselves, that they feed in idle
ness on the bread of others. A rare exchange truly, when
those who are ordered to give to the poor what they justly
possess are not satisfied with their own, but seize on the pro
perty of others.
Jesus beholding him, loved him. The inference which the
Papists draw from this, that works morally good that is,
works which are not performed by the impulse of the Spirit,
but go before regeneration have the merit of congruity, is an
excessively childish contrivance. For if merit be alleged to
be the consequence of the love of God, we must then say
that frogs and fleas have merit, because all the creatures of
God, without exception, are the objects of his love. To dis
tinguish the degrees of love is ; therefore, a matter of import-
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 399
ance. 1 As to the present passage, it may be enough to state
briefly, that God embraces in fatherly love none but his child
ren, whom he has regenerated with the Spirit of adoption,
and that it is in consequence of this love that they are
accepted at his tribunal. In this sense, to be loved by God,
and to be justified in his sight, are synonymous terms. 2
But God is sometimes said to love those whom he does not
approve or justify ; for, since the preservation of the human
race is agreeable to Him which consists in justice, upright
ness, moderation, prudence, fidelity, and temperance he is
said to love the political virtues ; not that they are meritorious
of salvation or of grace, but that they have reference to an
end of which he approves. In this sense, under various points
of view, God loved Aristides and Fabricius, and also hated
them ; for, in so far as he had bestowed on them outward
righteousness, and that for the general advantage, he loved
his own work in them ; but as their heart was impure, the
outward semblance of righteousness was of no avail for obtain
ing righteousness. For we know that by faith alone hearts
are purified, and that the Spirit of uprightness is given to the
members of Christ alone. Thus the question is answered,
How was it possible that Christ should love a man who was
proud and a hypocrite, while nothing is more hateful to God
than these two vices ? For it is not inconsistent, that the
good seed, which God has implanted in some natures, shall
be loved by Him, and yet that He should reject their persons
and works on account of corruption.
Matthew XIX. 22. He went away sorrowful. The result
at length showed how r widely distant the young man was from
that perfection to which Christ had called him ; for how
comes it that he withdraws from the school of Christ, but
because he finds it uneasy to be stripped of his riches ? But
if we are not prepared to endure poverty, it is manifest that
covetousness reigns in us. And this is what I said at the
1 " Parquoy il est bcsoin de mettre quelque distinction, et recognoistre
qu il y a divers degrez d amour en Dieu ;" " wherefore it is necessary to
state some distinction, and to observe that there are various degrees of
love in God."
2 " Signifient du tout une inesme chose ;" " mean entirely the same
thing."
400
COMMENTARY ON A
outset, that the order which Christ gave, to sell all that he
had, was not an addition to the law, but the scrutiny of a
concealed vice. 1 For the more deeply a man is tainted by
this or the other vice, the more strikingly will it be dragged
forth to light by being reproved. We are reminded also by
this example that, if we would persevere steadily in the
school of Christ, we must renounce the flesh. This young
man, who had brought both a desire to learn and modesty,
withdrew from Christ, because it was hard to part with a
darling vice. The same thing \vill happen to us, unless the
sweetness of the grace of Christ render all the allurements of
the flesh distasteful to us. Whether or not this temptation
was temporary, so that the young man afterwards repented, we
know not ; but it may be conjectured with probability, that
his covetousness kept him back from making any proficiency.
MATTHEW.
XIX. 23. And
Jesus said to his dis
ciples, Verily I say to
you, A rich man will
with difficulty enter
into the kingdom of
heaven. 24. Again
I say to you, It is
easier for a camel 2 to
pass through the eye
of a needle, than for
a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of
God. 25. And his
disciples, when they
had heard these
things, were greatly
amazed, 3 saying, Who
then can be saved ?
26. _And Jesus, be
holding them, said to
them, With men this
is impossible ; but
with God all things
are possible.
MARK.
X. 23. And when Jesus
had looked around, he said to
his disciples, With what diffi
culty shall they who have
riches enter into the king
dom of God 1 24. And the
disciples were astonished at
his words. But Jesus again
replying, said to them,
Children, how difficult is it
for those who have confi
dence in riches to enter into the
kingdom of God ! 25. It is
easier for a camel to pass
through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of God. 26.
And they wondered beyond
measure, saying within them
selves, And who can be
saved ? 27. And Jesus behold
ing them saith, With men
it is impossible, but not with
God : for all things are pos
sible with God.
LUKE.
XVIII. 24.
And Jesus, per
ceiving that he
was sorrowful,
said, With what
difficulty shall
they who have
riches enter into
the kingdom of
God! 25. For it is
easier for a camel
to pass through
the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man
to enter into the
kingdom of God.
26. And they that
heard it said, And
who can be
saved? 4 27. But
he said, The
things w r hich are
impossible with
men are possible
with God.
1 " Que 9*a este pour sonder et descouvrir un vice cache ;" " that it
was to search and discover a concealed vice."
2 " II est plus facile qu un CHABLE passe ;" "it is easier for a CABLE
to pass."
3 " S estonnerent grandement ;" " were greatly astonished."
4 " Qui peut done estre sauve ?" " Who can then be saved ?"
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 401
Matthew XIX. 23. A rich man will with difficulty enter.
Christ warns them, not only how dangerous and^ how deadly a
plague avarice is, but also how great an obstacle is presented
by riches. In Mark, indeed, he mitigates the harshness of his
expression, by restricting it to those only who place confidence
in riches. But these words are, I think, intended to confirm,
rather than correct, the former statement, as if he had affirmed
that they ought not to think it strange, that he made the
entrance into the kingdom of heaven so difficult for the rich,
because it is an evil almost common to all to trust in their
riches. Yet this doctrine is highly useful to all ; to the rich,
that, being warned of their danger, they may be on their
guard ; to the poor, that, satisfied with their lot, they may
not so eagerly desire what would bring more damage than
gain. It is true, indeed, that riches do not, in their own
nature, hinder us from following God ; but, in consequence
of the depravity of the human mind, it is scarcely possible
for those who have a great abundance to avoid being intoxi
cated by them. So they who are exceedingly rich are held
by Satan bound, as it were, in chains, that they may not raise
their thoughts to heaven ; nay more, they bury and entangle
themselves, and become utter slaves to the earth. The com
parison of the camel, which is soon after added, is intended
to amplify the difficulty; for it means that the rich are so
swelled with pride and presumption, that they cannot endure
to be reduced to the straits through which God makes his
people to pass. The word camel denotes, I think, a rope
used by sailors^ rather than the animal so named. 1
1 u Vray cst que le mot CAMELUS, dont a use 1 Evangeliste, signifie
tant un charneau qu un chable : mais i aime mieux le prendre en la der-
niere signification pour une grosse corde de navire." u It is true that the
word xot^yjAof, which the Evangelist has employed, means both a camel
and a cable ; but I prefer taking it in the latter signification for a large
rope used by sailors. 1 1 The two English words camel and cable closely
resemble each other, and the corresponding Greek words differ only by a
single vowel | xap,Yi ,\o$ denoting a camel, and zoifti ho; a cable or rope.
It does not appear that CALVIN relied on certain Manuscripts of no good
authority, which substitute x.upi hov for x.a.pq hov. But he adopted the
notion equally unfounded, that Greek writers sometimes used xa^Ao? in
the sense of x.u.pi hos. Had due allowance been made for the boldness of
Eastern imagery, the supposed difficulty would have disappeared, and the
VOL. II. 2 C
402 COMMENTARY ON A
25. And his disciples, when they heard fhese things., ivere
greatly amazed. The disciples are astonished, because it ought
to awaken in us no little anxiety, that riches obstruct the
entrance into the kingdom of God ; for, wherever we turn our
eyes, a thousand obstacles will present themselves. But let
us observe that, while they were struck with astonishment,
they did not shrink from the doctrines of Christ. The case
was different with him who was lately mentioned ; for he was
so much alarmed by the severity of the commandment, that
he separated from Christ ; while they, though trembling,
and inquiring, who can be saved ? do not break off in an oppo
site direction, but are desirous to conquer despair. Thus it
will be of service to us to tremble at the threatenings of God,
whenever he denounces any thing that is gloomy or dreadful,
provided that our minds are not discouraged, but rather
aroused.
26. With men this is impossible. Christ does not entirely
free the minds of his disciples from all anxiety ; for it is
proper that they should perceive how difficult it is to ascend
to heaven ; first, that they may direct all their efforts to this
object ; and next, that, distrusting themselves, they may
implore strength from heaven. We see how great is our
indolence and carelessness ; and what the consequence would
be if believers thought that they had to walk at ease, for
pastime, along a smooth and cheerful plain. Such is the
reason why Christ does not extenuate the danger though
he perceives the terror which it excited in his disciples but
most refined taste would have been fully gratified. The poet Southey has
seized the true spirit of the passage :
" S. The camel and the needle,
Is that then in your mind ?
" T. Even so. The text
Is gospel wisdom. I would ride the camel,
Yea leap him flying, through the needle s eye,
As easily as such a pampered soul
Could pass the narrow gate."
At one period, critics showed a strong leaning to the idea of cable,
which our Author favours, but have now very generally abandoned it, and
returned to the true reading. Ed.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
403
rather increases it ; for though formerly he said only that it
was difficult, he now affirms it to be impossible. Hence it is
evident, that those teachers are guilty of gross impropriety,
who are so much afraid to speak harshly, that they give
indulgence to the slothfulness of the flesh. They ought to
follow, on the contrary, the rule of Christ, who so regulates
his style that, after men have been bowed down within them
selves, he teaches them to rely on the grace of God alone,
and, at the same time, excites them to prayer. In this
manner, the weakness of men is seasonably relieved, not by
ascribing anything to them, but by arousing their minds to
expect the grace of God. By this reply of Christ is also
refuted that widely embraced principle which the Papists
have borrowed from Jerome " Whoever shall say that it
is impossible to keep the law, let him be accursed." For
Christ plainly declares, that it is not possible for men to keep
the way of salvation, except so far as the grace of God assists
them.
MATTHEW.
XIX. 27. Then
Peter answering said
to him, Lo, we have
left all, and have fol
lowed thee : what there
fore shall we have ?
28. And Jesus said to
them, Verily I say to
you, That you who have
followed me in the re
generation, when the
Son of man shall sit on
the throne of his ma
jesty, you also shall sit
on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve
tribes of Israel. 29.
And whosoever shall
leave houses, or bro
thers, or sisters, or fa
ther, or mother, or wife,
MARK.
X. 28. And Peter
began to say to him,
Lo, we have left all,
and have followed
thee. 29. Arid Je
sus answering said,
Verily I say to you,
There is no man
that hath left house,
or brothers, or sisters,
or father, or mother,
or wife, or children,
or fields, for my sake,
and (for the sake) of
the Gospel, 1 30.
But shall receive a
hundred-fold now at
this time, houses,
and brothers, and
sisters, and mothers,
and children, and
LUKE.
XVIII. 28. And
Peter said, Lo, AVC
have left all, and have
followed thee. 29.
Who said to them,
Verily I say to you,
There is no man who
hath left house, or pa
rents, or brothers, or
wife, or children, on ac
count of the kingdom
of God, 30. Who shall
not receive much more
at this time, and in the
world to come eternal
life.
XXII. 28. You are
they that have con
tinued with me in mv
temptations : 2 29. And
I appoint to you the
1 " Pour 1 amour de moy et de 1 Evangile ;" " for the love of me and
of the Gospel."
2 " Qui avez persevere avec moy ;" " who have persevered with me."
404 COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE.
or children, or fields, for fields, with persecu- kingdom, 2 as my Fa-
the sake of my name, tion, and in the ther hath appointed it
shall receive a hun- world to come eter- to me ; 30. That you
dred-fold, and shall ob- nal life. 31. But may eat and drink at my
tain eternal life. 30. many that are first table in my kingdom,
And many that are shall be last, and the and may sit on thrones,
first shall be last, and last first. 1 judging the twelve
the last first. 1 tribes of Israel.
Matthew XIX. 27. Then Peter answering said to him.
Peter tacitly compares himself and the other disciples to the
rich man, whom the world had turned aside from Christ.
As they had led a poor and wandering 3 life, which was not
unaccompanied by disgrace and by annoyances, and as no
better condition for the future presented itself, he properly
inquires if it be to no purpose that they have left all their
property, and devoted themselves to Christ ; for it would be
unreasonable if, after having been stripped of their property
by the Lord, they should not be restored to a better condi
tion.
Lo y we have left all. But what were those all things 9 for,
being mean and very poor men, they scarcely had a home to
leave, and therefore this boasting might appear to be ridiculous.
And certainly experience shows how large an estimate men
commonly form of their duties towards God, as at this day,
among the Papists, those who were little else than beggars
make it a subject of haughty reproach that they have sus
tained great damage for the sake of the Gospel. But the
disciples may be excused on this ground, that, though their
wealth was not magnificent, they subsisted at home, by their
manual labours, not less cheerfully than the richest man.
And we know that men of humble condition, who have been
accustomed to a quiet and modest life, reckon it a greater
hardship to be torn from their wives and children than those
who are led by ambition, or who are carried in various direc
tions by the gale of prosperity. Certainly, if some reward
1 " Et les derniers seront premiers ;" " and the last shall be first/
2 " Le royaume."
3 u Et suiete a changer souvent de demeurance ;" " and liable to
change their residence frequently."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 405
had not been reserved for the disciples, it would have been
foolish in them to have changed their course of life. 1 But
though on that ground they might be excused, they err in
this respect, that they demand a triumph to be given them,
before they have finished their warfare. If we ever experi
ence such uneasiness at delay, and if we are tempted by
impatience, let us learn first to reflect on the comforts by
which the Lord soothes the bitterness of the cup in this
world, and next elevate our minds to the hope of the heavenly
life ; for these two points embrace the answer of Christ.
28. Verily I say to you. That the disciples may not think
that they have lost their pains, and repent of having begun
the course, Christ warns them that the glory of his kingdom,
which at that time was still hidden, was about to be re
vealed. As if he had said, " There is no reason why that
mean condition should discourage you ; for I, who am
scarcely equal to the lowest, will at length ascend to my
throne of majesty. Endure then for a little, till the time
arrive for revealing my glory." And what does he then
promise to them ? That they shall be partakers of the same
glory.
You also shall sit on twelve thrones. By assigning to them
thrones, from which they may judge the twelve tribes of Israel,
he compares them to assessors, or first councillors and judges,
who occupy the highest seats in the royal council. We
know that the number of those who were chosen to be
apostles was twelve, in order to testify that, by the agency of
Christ, God purposed to collect the remnant of his people
which was scattered. This was a very high rank, but
hitherto was concealed ; and therefore Christ holds their
wishes in suspense till the latest revelation of his kingdom,
when they will fully receive the fruit of their election. And
though the kingdom of Christ is, in some respects, mani
fested by the preaching of the Gospel, there is no doubt
that Christ here speaks of the last day.
1 " D avoir change d cstat et de f 119011 de vivrc ;" " for having changed
their condition and their way of living."
406 COMMENTARY ON A
In the regeneration. Some connect this term with the fol
lowing clause. In this sense, regeneration would be nothing
else than the renovation which shall follow our restoration,
when life shall swallow up what is mortal, and when our mean
body shall be transformed into the heavenly glory of Christ.
But I rather explain regeneration as referring to the first
coming of Christ; for then the world began to be renewed, and
arose out of the darkness of death into the light of life. And
this way of speaking occurs frequently in the Prophets, and
is exceedingly adapted to the connection of this passage.
For the renovation of the Church, which had been so fre
quently promised, had raised an expectation of wonderful
happiness, as soon as the Messiah should appear ; and there
fore, in order to guard against that error, Christ distinguishes
between the beginning and the completion of his reign.
Luke XXII. 28. You are they who have continued with me.
Although Luke appears to relate a different discourse of
Christ, and one which was delivered at a different time, yet I
have no doubt that it refers to the same time. For it is not
a continued discourse of Christ that is here related, but de
tached sentences, without any regard to the order of time, as
we shall shortly afterwards have occasion to state. But he
employs more words than Matthew ; for he declares that, as
the apostles had accompanied him, and had remained stedfastly
in his temptations, they would also be partakers of his glory.
It is asked, in what sense does he call them his temptations ?
I think that he means the contests by which God tried him
and the apostles in common. And properly did he use the
w r ord temptations ; for, according to the feeling of human
nature, his faith and patience were actually tried.
29. And I appoint to you the kingdom. Here he makes
them not only judges, but kings ; for he shares with them the
kingdom which he received from the Father. There is an
emphasis in the word appoint) that they may not, by warmth
and vehemence of desire, hasten too eagerly to possess the
kingdom) of which he alone has the lawful right to dispose.
By his own example, also, he exhorts them to patience ; for,
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 407
though he was ordained by the Father to be a King, yet he
was not immediately raised to his glory, but even emptied
himself, (Philip, ii. 7,) and by the ignominy of the cross
obtained kingly honour. To eat and drink at his table is put
metaphorically for being made partakers of the same glory.
Matthew XIX. 29. And whosoever shall forsake. After
having raised the expectation of his followers to the hope of
a future life, he supports them by immediate consolations, 1
and strengthens them for bearing- the cross. For though
O o c5
God permit his people to be severely afflicted, he never aban
dons them, so as not to recompense their distresses by his
assistance. And here he does not merely address the apostles,
but takes occasion to direct his discourse generally to all the
godly. The substance of it is this : Those who shall willingly
lose all for the sake of Christ, will be more happy even in
this life than if they had retained the full possession of them ;
but the chief reward is laid up for them in heaven.
But what he promises about recompensing them a hundred
fold appears not at all to agree with experience ; for in the
greater number of cases, those who have been deprived of
their parents, or children, and other relatives who have been
reduced to widowhood, and stripped of their wealth, for the
testimony of Christ are so far from recovering their property,
that in exile, solitude, and desertion, they have a hard struggle
with severe poverty. I reply, if any man estimate aright the
immediate grace of God, by which he relieves the sorrows of
his people, he will acknowledge that it is justly preferred to
all the riches of the world. For though unbelievers flourish,
(Ps. xcii. 7,) yet as they know not what awaits them on the
morrow, (James iv. 14,) they must be always tossed about in
perplexity and terror, and it is only by stupifying themselves
in some sort that they can at all enjoy prosperity. 2 Yet God
1 " De consolations de la vie presents ;" " by consolations of the pre
sent life."
2 "Us ne peuvent iouir a leur aise des biens qu ils ont, sinon qu ils en-
trcnt coinme en une stupidite, et effacent tout sentiment de leur con
science ;" " they cannot enjoy at their ease the good things which they
possess, unless they become, as it were, stupid, and destroy every feeling
of their conscience."
408 COMMENTARY ON A
gladdens his people, so that the small portion of good which
they enjoy is more highly valued by them, and far sweeter,
than if out of Christ they had enjoyed an unlimited abun
dance of good things. In this sense I interpret the expression
used by Mark, with persecutions ; as if Christ had said, Though
persecutions always await the godly in this world, and though
the cross, as it were, is attached to their back, yet so sweet
is the seasoning of the grace of God, which gladdens them,
that their condition is more desirable than the luxuries of
king?.
30. And many that are first shall be last. This sentence
was added in order to shake off the indolence of the flesh.
The apostles, though they had scarcely begun the course,
were hastening to demand the prize. And such is the dis
position of almost all of us, that, when a month has elapsed,
we ask, like soldiers who have served their time, to receive a
discharge. But Christ exhorts those who have begun well
(Gal. iii. 8 ; v. 7) to vigorous perseverance, and at the same
time gives warning, that it will be of no avail to runners to
have begun with alacrity, if they lose courage in the midst of
the course. In like manner Paul also warns us, that not all
who run obtain the prize, (1 Cor. ix. 24 ;) and in another pass
age he exhorts believers, by referring to his own example, to
forget those things wJiicli are behind, and press forward to the
remaining portion of their course, (Philip, iii. 13, 14.) As
often, therefore, as w r e call to mind the heavenly crown, we
ought, as it were, to feel the application of fresh spurs, that
we may not be more indolent for the future.
MATTHEW.
XX. 1. For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder, who went
out at break of day to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2. And having
made an agreement with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them
into his vineyard. 3. And having gone out about the third hour, he saw
others standing idle in the market-place. 4. And he said to them, Go
you also into the vineyard, and whatever shall be right I will give you.
5. And they went away. And again he went out about the sixth and
ninth hour, and acted in the same manner. 6. And about the eleventh
hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why
stand you here all the day idle ? 7. They say to him, Because nobody
hath hired us. He saith to them, Go you also into the vineyard, and you
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 409
MATTHEW.
will receive Avhat shall be right. 8. And when the evening was come,
the master of the vineyard saith to his steward, Call the labourers, and
pay them their hire, beginning with the last even to the first. 9. And
when they came who had come about the eleventh hour, they received
every man a penny. 10. And they who had come first thought that they
would receive more, and they also received every man a penny. 11. And
when they had received it, they murmured against the householder,
12. Saying, These last have been but one hour at work, and thou hast
made them equal to us, who have endured the burden of the day and the
heat. 13. But he answering one of them, said, Friend, I do thee no
wrong : didst not thou agree with me for a penny ? 14. Take what is
thine, and go away : and I intend to give to this last as much as to thee.
15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own property ? Is
thy eye evil, because I am good ? 16. So the last shall be first, and the
first shall be last : for many are called, but few are chosen.
As this parable is nothing else than a confirmation of the
preceding sentence, the last shall be first, it now remains to
see in what manner it ought to be applied. Some commen
tators reduce it to this general proposition, that the glory of
all will be equal, because the heavenly inheritance is not
obtained by the merits of works, but is bestowed freely.
But Christ does not here argue either about the equality of
the heavenly glory, or about the future condition of the
godly. He only declares that those who were first in point
of time have no right to boast or to insult others ; because
the Lord, whenever he pleases, may call those whom he
appeared for a time to disregard, and may make them equal,
or even superior, to the first. If any man should resolve to
sift out with exactness every portion of this parable, his
curiosity would be useless ; and therefore we have nothing
more to inquire than what was the design of Christ to teach.
Now we have already said that he had no other object in
view than to excite his people by continual spurs to make
progress. We know that indolence almost always springs
from excessive confidence ; and this is the reason why many,
as if they had reached the goal, stop short in the middle of
the course. Thus Paul enjoins us to forget the things ivhich
are behind, (Philip, iii. 13,) that, reflecting on what yet
remains for us, we may arouse ourselves to persevere in
running. But there will be no harm in examining the words,
that the doctrine may be more clearly evinced.
410 COMMENTARY ON A
Matthew XX. 1. For the kingdom of heaven is like a house
holder. The meaning is, that such is the nature of the divine
calling, as if a man were, early in the morning, to hire
labourers for the cultivation of his vineyard at a fixed price,
and were afterwards to employ others without an agreement,
but to give them an equal hire. He uses the phrase, kingdom
of heaven, because he compares the spiritual life to the
earthly life, and the reward of eternal life to money which
men pay in return for work that has been done for them.
There are some who give an ingenious interpretation to this
passage, as if Christ were distinguishing between Jews and
Gentiles. The Jews, they tell us, were called at the first
hour, with an agreement as to the hire ; for the Lord pro
mised to them eternal life, on the condition that they should
fulfil the law ; while, in calling the Gentiles, no bargain was
made, at least as to works, for salvation was freely offered to
them in Christ. But all subtleties of that sort are unseason
able ; for the Lord makes no distinction in the bargain, but
only in the time ; because those who entered last, and in the
evening, into the vineyard, receive the same hire with the first.
Though, in the Law, God formerly promised to the Jews the
hire of works, (Lev. xviii. 5,) yet we know that this was
without effect, because no man ever obtained salvation by
his merits.
Why then, it will be said, does Christ expressly mention a
bargain ] in reference to the first, but make no mention of it
in reference to the others ? It was in order to show that,
without doing injury to any one, as much honour is conferred
on the last, as if they had been called at the beginning. For,
strictly speaking, he owes no man any thing, and from us,
who are devoted to his service, he demands, as a matter of
right, all the duties which are incumbent on us. But as he
freely offers to us a reward, he is said to hire the labours
which, on other grounds, were due to him. This is also the
reason why he gives the name of a hire to the crown which
he bestows freely. Again, in order to show that we have no
right to complain of God, if he make us companions in honour
1 " Un pris convenu ;" " a price agreed upon."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 411
with those who followed us after a long interval, he borrowed
a comparison from the ordinary custom of men, who bargain
about the hire, before they send labourers to their work.
If any man infer from this, that men are created for the
purpose of doing something, and that every man has his pro
vince assigned him by God, that they may not sit down in
idleness, he will offer no violence to the words of Christ. 1
We are also at liberty to infer, that our whole life is unpro
fitable, and that we are justly accused of indolence, until
each of us regulate his life by the command and calling of
God. Hence it follows, that they labour to no purpose, who
rashly undertake this or that course of life, and do not wait
for the intimation of the call of God. Lastly, we learn from
the Avords of Christ, that those only are pleasing to God who
labour for the advantage of their brethren.
A penny (which was rather more than four times the value
of a French carolus 2 ) was probably the ordinary hire for a
day s work. The third, sixth, and ninth hour, are expressly
mentioned, because, while the ancients were wont to divide
the day into twelve hours, from sunrise to sunset, there was
another division of the day into every three hours ; as, again,
the night was divided into four watches ; and so the eleventh
hour means the close of the day.
8. And when the evening was come. It would be improper
to look for a mystery in the injunction of the householder to
begin with the last, as if God crowned those first who were last
in the order of time ; for such a notion would not at all agree
C
with the doctrine of Paul. They that are alive, he says, at
the coming of Christ, will not come before those ivho previously
fell asleep in Christ, but will follow, (1 Thess. iv. 15.) But
Christ observes a different order in this passage, because he
could not otherwise have expressed what he afterwards adds
that the first murmured, because they did not receive more?
1 " Cela ne sera point tirer trop loin les parollcs de Christ ;" " this
will not be straining too far the words of Christ."
2 A penny (^n]>a,^ov) was worth about sevenpence-halfpmny of our
money. Ed.
3 " Pource qu on ne leur donnoit non plus qu aux derniers ;" "be
cause no more was given to them than to the last."
412 COMMENTARY ON A
Besides, he did not intend to say that this murmuring will
take place at the last day, but merely to affirm that there
will be no occasion for murmuring. The personification (K%O-
ffuKo<7rotfoi) which he employs throws no small light on this
doctrine, that men have no right to complain of the bounty
of God, when he honours unworthy persons by large rewards
beyond what they deserve. There is no foundation, there
fore, for what some have imagined, that these words are
directed against the Jews, who were full of malice and envy
towards the Gentiles ; for it would be absurd to say that such
persons receive an equal hire with the children of God, and
this malignity, which leads men to exclaim against God, does
not apply to believers. But the plain meaning is, that, since
God defrauds no man of a just hire, He is at liberty to bestow
on those whom He has lately called an undeserved reward.
16. So the first shall be last. He does not now compare
the Jews to the Gentiles, (as in another passage,) nor the
reprobate, who swerve from the faith, to the elect who perse-
Tere ; and therefore the sentence which is introduced by some
interpreters, many are called, but few are chosen, does not
apply to that point. Christ only meant to say that every one
who has been called before others ought to run with so much
the greater alacrity, and, next, to exhort all men to be modest,
not to give themselves the preference above others, but will
ingly to share with them a common prize. As the apostles
were the first-fruits of the whole church, they appeared to
possess some superiority ; and Christ did not deny that they
would sit as judges to govern the twelve tribes of Israel. But
that they might not be carried away by ambition or vain con
fidence in themselves, it was necessary also to remind them
that others, who would long afterwards be called, would be
partakers of the same glory, because God is not limited to
any person, but calls freely whomsoever He pleases, and bestows
on those who are called whatever rewards He thinks fit.
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS.
413
MATTHEW.
XX. 17. And
Jesus, going up
to Jerusalem, took
the twelve disci
ples apart in the
way, and said to
them, 18, Lo, we
go up to Jerusa
lem ; and the Son
of man will be
delivered to the
chief priests and
scribes ; and they
will condemn him
to death, 19. And
they will deliver
him to the Gen
tiles to mock, and
to scourge, and
to crucify him ; x
and on the third
day he will rise
again.
MARK.
X. 32. And they were
in the way going up to
Jerusalem ; and Jesus
went before them : and
they were amazed ; and,
while they followed him,
were afraid. And having
again taken aside the
twelve, he began to tell
them what things would
happen to him : 33. Lo,
we go up to Jerusalem ;
and the Son of man will
be delivered to the chief
priests and scribes ; and
they will condemn him to
death, and will deliver
him to the Gentiles : 34.
And will mock him, and
scourge him, and spit up
on him, and kill him ; and
on the third day he will
LUKE.
XVIII. 31. And Jesus
took the twelve, and said
to them, Lo, we go up
to Jerusalem, and all
things which have been
written by the prophets
concerning the Son of
man will be accom
plished. 32. For he will
be delivered to the Gen
tiles, and mocked, and
insulted, and spat on ;
33. And after having
scourged, they will kill
him ; and on the third
day he will rise again.
34. And they under
stood none of these
things ; and this saying
was hidden from them,
and they understood not
the things which were
spoken. 2
Though the apostles had been previously informed what
kind of death awaited our Lord, yet as they had not suffi
ciently profited by it, he now repeats anew what he had fre
quently said. He sees that the day of his death is at hand ;
nay more, he is already in a state of readiness to offer him
self to be sacrificed ; and, on the other hand, he sees the dis
ciples not only afraid, but overwhelmed by blind alarm. He
therefore exhorts them to steadiness, that they may not
immediately yield to temptation. Now there are two methods
by which he confirms them ; for, by foretelling what would
happen, he not only fortifies them, that they may not give
way, when a calamity, which has arisen suddenly and con
trary to expectation, takes them by surprise, but meets the
offence of the cross by a proof of his Divinity, that they
may not lose courage at beholding his short abasement, w r hen
they are convinced that he is the Son of God, and therefore
1 " Pour estre mocque, et flagelle, et crucifie ;" " to be mocked, and
scourged, and crucified."
2 u Et ne pouvoyent entendre ce qu il leur disoit ;" " and they could
not understand what he said to them."
COMMENTARY ON A
will be victorious over death. The second method of con
firmation is taken from his approaching resurrection.
But it will be proper to look more closely at the words.
Mark states what is omitted by the other two Evangelists
that, before our Lord explained to his disciples in private
that he was going straight to the sacrifice of death, not only
they, but also the rest of his followers, were sorrowful and
trembling. Now why they were seized with this fear it is
not easy to say, if it was not because they had already
learned that they had dangerous adversaries at Jerusalem,
and would therefore have wished that Christ should remain
in some quiet retreat beyond the reach of the darts, rather
than voluntarily expose himself to such inveterate enemies.
Although this fear was in many respects improper, yet the
circumstance of their following Christ is a proof of no ordi
nary respect and obedience. It would indeed have been far
better to hasten cheerfully and without regret, wheresoever
the Son of God chose to lead them ; but commendation is
due to their reverence for his person, which appears in
choosing to do violence to their own feelings rather than to
forsake him.
Matthew XX. 17. Took the twelve disciples apart in the
way. It may appear surprising that he makes the twelve
alone acquainted with his secret, since all have need of con
solation, for all had been alike seized with fear. I consider
the reason why he did not publish his death to have been,
that the report might not spread too widely before the time.
Besides, as he did not expect that the warning would be of
immediate advantage, he reckoned it enough to entrust it to
a few, who were afterwards to be his witnesses. For, as the
seed thrown into the earth does not immediately spring up,
so we know that Christ said many things to the apostles
which did not immediately yield fruit. And if he had ad
mitted all indiscriminately to this discourse, it was possible
that many persons, seized with alarm, might flee, and fill the
ears of the public with this report ; and thus the death of
Christ would have lost its glory, because he Avould have
appeared to have rashly brought it on himself. Secretly,
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 415
therefore, he addresses the apostles, and does not even select
them as qualified to receive profit by it, but, as I lately
hinted, that they may afterwards be witnesses.
On this subject Luke is more full than the others ; for he
relates not only that Christ predicted the events which were
near at hand, but also that he added the doctrine, that those
things which had been written by the prophets would be accom
plished in the Son of man. It was an excellent remedy for
overcoming temptation, to perceive in the very ignominy of
the cross the marks by which the Prophets had pointed out
the promised Author of salvation. There can be no doubt
that our Lord pointed out also from the Prophets what kind
of fruit they ought to expect from his death ; for the Pro
phets do not only teach that Christ must suffer, but add the
reason, that he may reconcile the world to God.
18. Lo, we go up to Jerusalem. Hence we perceive that
Christ was endued with divine fortitude for overcoming the
terrors of death, for he knowingly and willingly hastens to
undergo it. 1 For why does he, without any constraint, march
forward to suffer a shocking murder, but because the invin
cible power of the Spirit enabled him to subdue fear, and
raised him above all human feelings ? By a minute detail of
the circumstances, he gives a still more evident proof of his
Divinity. For he could not as man have foreseen that, after
having been condemned by the chief priests and scribes, he
would be delivered up to the Gentiles, and spat on, and tnocked
in various ways, and scourged, and at length dragged to the
punishment of the cross. Yet it must be observed that,
though our Lord was fully acquainted with the weakness of
his disciples, he does not conceal from them a very grievous
offence. For as we have said on a former occasion 2 no
thing could at that time have happened more powerfully
calculated to shake the minds of the godly, than to see the
whole of the sacred order of the Church opposed to Christ.
1 " Veu qu il se haste pour s y presenter de son bon gre, et scachant
bien ce qu il avoit a endurer ;" " since he hastens to present himself to it
of his own accord, and knowing \vell what he had to endure."
2 See p. 301 of this volume.
416 COMMENTARY ON A
And yet he does not spare their weakness by deceiving them,
but, candidly declaring the whole matter, points out the way
to overcome temptation ; namely, by looking forward with
certainty to his resurrection. But as it was necessary that
his death should go before, he makes their triumph, in the
meantime, to consist in hope.
Luke XVIII. 34. And they understood none of these things.
What stupidity was this, not to understand what Christ said
to them in a plain and familiar manner, on a subject not too
lofty or intricate, but of which they had, at their own sug
gestion, entertained some suspicion ! But it is proper also
to bear in mind what I have formerly observed the reason
why they were held in such gross ignorance, which was, that
they had formed the expectation of a joyful and prosperous
advancement, and therefore reckoned it to be in the highest
degree absurd, that Christ should be ignominiously crucified.
Hence we infer with what madness the minds of men are
seized through a false imagination ; and therefore we ought
to be the more careful not to yield to any foolish thoughts,
and shut our eyes against the light.
MATTHEW. MARK.
XX. 20. Then came to him the X. 35. And James and John,
mother of Zebedee s children with sons of Zebedee, came to him, say-
her sons, worshipping, and asking ing, Master, we desire that thou
something from him. 21. And he shouldest do for us whatsoever we
said to her, What wilt thou ? She shall ask. 36. And he said to them,
saith to him, Grant that these my What do you wish that I should do
two sons may sit, one at thy right for you ? 37. And they said, Grant
hand, and the other at the left, in to us that we may sit, one at thy
thy kingdom. 22. And Jesus an- right hand, and the other at thy left,
swering said, You know not what in thy glory. 38. And Jesus said to
you ask. Can you drink the cup them, You know not what you ask.
which I shall drink, and be bap- Can you drink the cup which I drink,
tized with the baptism with which and be baptized with the baptism
I am baptized ? They say to him, with which I am baptized ? 39. And
We can. 23. He saith to them, theysaid to him, We can. And Jesus
You shall indeed drink my cup, said to them, You shall indeed drink
and you shall be baptized with the the cup which I drink, and you shall
baptism with which I am baptized ; be baptized with the baptism with
but to sit at my right hand, and at which I am baptized : 40. But to sit
1 " S enclinant a luy ;" " bowing down to him."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 41?
MATTHEW. MAEK.
my left, is not mine to give ; but it at my right hand, and at my left, is
shall fall to those for whom it is not mine to give ; but it shall fall to
prepared by my Father. 1 those for whom it is prepared. 2
Matthew XX. 20. Then came to him the mother of Zele-
dee s children. This narrative contains a bright mirror of
human vanity ; for it shows that proper and holy zeal is often
. accompanied by ambition, or some other vice of the flesh, so
that they who follow Christ have a different object in view
from what they ought to have. They Avho are not satisfied
with himself alone, but seek this or the other thing apart
from him and his promises, wander egregiously from the
right path. Nor is it enough that, at the commencement,
we sincerely apply our minds to Christ, if we do not sted-
fastly maintain the same purity ; for frequently, in the midst
of the course, there spring up sinful affections by which we
are led astray. In this way it is probable that the two sons
of Zebedee were, at first, sincere in their adherence to Christ ;
but when they see that they have no ordinary share of his
favour, and hear his reign spoken of as near at hand, their
minds are immediately led to wicked ambition, and they are
greatly distressed at the thought of remaining in their pre
sent situation. If this happens to two excellent disciples,
with what care ought we to walk, if we do not wish to turn
aside from the right path ! More especially, when any
plausible occasion presents itself, we ought to be on our
guard, lest the desire of honours corrupt the feeling of piety.
Though Matthew and Mark differ somewhat in the words,
yet they agree as to the substance of the matter. Matthew
says that the wife of Zebedee, came, and asked for her sons
that they might hold the highest places in the kingdom of
Christ. Mark represents themselves as making the request.
But it is probable that, being restrained by bashfulness, they
had the dexterity to employ their mother, who would pre-
1 " Mais ceux ausquels il est appareille de mon Pere [Tauront] ;"
u but those for whom it is prepared by my Father [shall have it.]"
2 " Mais il sera [donne] a ceux ausquels il est prepare ;" " but it shall
be given to those for whom it is prepared."
VOL. II. 2 D
418 COMMENTARY OX A
sent the request with greater boldness. That the wish came
originally from themselves may be inferred from this circum
stance, that Christ replied to them, and not to their mother.
Besides, when their mother, bowing down, states that she has
something to ask, and when themselves, according to Mark,
apply for a general engagement, that whatever they ask shall
be granted to them, this timid insinuation proves that they
were conscious of something wrong. 1
21. In thy kingdom. It was worthy of commendation in
the sons of Zebcdce, that they expected some kingdom of
Christ, of which not even the slightest trace was then visible.
They see Christ exposed to contempt under the mean aspect
of a servant ; nay more, they see him despised and loaded
with many reproaches by the world ; but they are convinced
that he will soon become a magnificent king, for so he had
taught them. It is unquestionably a noble specimen of
faith ; but hence we perceive how easily the pure seed is no
sooner implanted in our hearts than it becomes degenerate
and corrupted ; for they imagined to themselves a kingdom
which had no existence, and presently committed the folly of
desiring the highest places. Since, therefore, this wicked
ambition flowed from a general principle of faith, which in
itself was highly commendable, we ought to pray, not only
that the Lord would open the eyes of our mind, but that he
would give us continual direction, and keep our minds fixed
on the proper object. We ought also to pray, not only that
he would bestow faith upon us, but that he would keep it
pure from all mixture.
22. You know not what you ask. Their ignorance was
worthy of blame on two accounts ; first, because their ambi
tion led them to desire more than was proper ; and, secondly,
because, instead of the heavenly kingdom of Christ, they had
formed the idea of a phantom in the air. As to the first of
those reasons, whoever is not satisfied with the free adop
tion of God, and desires to raise himself, such a person
1 "Monstre que leur conscience les redarguoit ;" "shows that their
conscience was reproving them."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 419
wanders beyond his limits, and, by unseasonably pressing
himself forward beyond what was proper for him to do, is
ungrateful to God. Now to estimate the spiritual kingdom
of Christ according to the feeling of our flesh is highly per
verse. And, indeed, the greater the delight which the mind
of man takes in idle speculations, the more carefully ought
we to guard against them ; as we see that the books of the
sophists are stuffed with useless notions of this sort.
Can you drink the cup whicli I shall drink ? To correct
their ambition, and to withdraw them from this wicked
desire, he holds out to them the cross, and all the annoy
ances which the children of God must endure. As if he
had said, " Does your present warfare allow you so much
leisure, that you are now making arrangements for a triumphal
procession?" For if they had been earnestly employed in
the duties of their calling, they would never have given way
to this wicked imagination. In these words, therefore, those
who are desirous to obtain the prize before the proper time
are enjoined by Christ to employ themselves in attending to
the duties of piety. And certainly this is an excellent bridle
for restraining ambition ; for, so long as we are pilgrims in
this world, our condition is such as ought to banish vain
luxuries. We are surrounded by a thousand dangers.
Sometimes the enemy assails us by ambush, and that in a
variety of ways ; and sometimes he attacks us by open vio
lence. Is he not worse than stupid who, amidst so many
deaths, entertains himself at his ease by drawing pictures of
a triumph ?
Our Lord enjoins his followers, indeed, to feel assured of
victory, and to sing a triumphal song in the midst of death ;
for otherwise they would not have courage to fight valiantly.
But it is one thing to advance manfully to the battle, in
reliance on the reward which God has promised to them, and
to labour with their whole might for this object ; and it is
another thing to forget the contest, to turn aside from the
enemy, to lose sight of dangers, and to rush forward to a
triumph, for which they ought to wait till the proper time.
Besides, this foolish speed, for the most part, draws men
aside from their calling ; for as in battle the greatest coAvard
420 COMMENTARY ON A
is the keenest to seize the booty, so in the kingdom of Christ
none are more eager to obtain the superiority than those who
shrink from all the annoyance which attends toil. Most pro
perly, therefore, does Christ enjoin those who were puffed up
with vain glory to keep by their post. 1 The sum of the
whole is, that for none but him who has fought lawfully is
the crown prepared ; and especially, that none will be a par
taker of the life and the kingdom of Christ who has not pre
viously shared in his sufferings and death.
In the word baptism the force of the metaphor is very
evident ; for we know that by baptism believers are instructed
to deny themselves, (Matth. xvi. 24 ;) to crucify the old man,
(Rom. vi. 6 ;) and, in short, to bear the cross. It is uncertain
if, by the word cup, (vorygiov,) our Lord alluded to the mystery
of the Holy Supper ; but as it had not yet come into use, I
choose to interpret it more simply as denoting the measure
of afflictions which God appoints to every one. For as it is
his right to lay on every one his own burden according to his
pleasure, in the same manner as a householder distributes and
allots the portions of the members of his family, so He is said
to give them a cup ta drink?
These words contain no ordinary consolation for alleviating
the bitterness of the cross, when in the cross Christ associates
himself with us. And what could be more desirable than to
have every thing in common with the Son of God ? for thus
are those things which at first sight appear to be deadly made
to yield to us salvation and life. On the other hand, how
shall he be reckoned among the disciples of Christ, who de
sires to be wholly exempted from the cross? For such a
person refuses to submit to the baptism of Christ, which is
nothing else than to withdraw from the earliest lessons. 3
1 "A bon droict done Christ voyant ses deux disciples eslevez d une
vaine gloire, les arreste a penser aux ckoses qui concernent le devoir de
leur vocation ;" " with good reason, then, does Christ, seeing his two
disciples carried away by vain glory, make them stop to consider the things
which belong to the duty of their calling."
2 " 11 est dit pour ceste cause, que Dieu donne la coupe a boire ;"
"for this reason it is said that God gives the cup to drink."
3 " Car cela n est proprement autre chose que se retirer des commen-
cemens, et ne vouloir entrer a la premiere Ie9on de son eschole;" " for
that is properly nothing else than to withdraw at the beginning, and to
refuse to enter into the first lesson of his school."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 42 1
Now whenever baptism is mentioned, let us recollect that we
were baptized on this condition, and for this purpose, that the
cross may be attached to our shoulders.
The boast made with so much confidence by John and
James, that they are prepared to drink the cup^ manifests the
presumption of the flesh ; for, when we are beyond the reach
of darts, we think nothing impossible. And not long after
wards, the melancholy result exposed their rashness ; but in
so far it was good in them that, when they were free to make
a choice, they presented themselves to bear the cross.
23. You shall indeed drink my cup. As they were disciples,
it was proper that they should be assimilated to their Master.
Christ warns them of what will take place, that they may be
prepared to endure it with patience ; and, in the persons of
two men, he addresses all his followers. For though many
believers die a natural death, and Avithout violence or shedding
of blood, yet it is common to all of them, as Paul informs us,
(Rom. viii. 29 ; 2 Cor. iii. 18,) to le conformed to the image of
Clirist ; and, therefore, during their whole life, they are sheep
appointed to the slaughter, (Rom. viii. 36.)
Is not mine to give. 1 By this reply Christ surrenders
nothing, but only states that the Father had not assigned to
him this office of appointing to each person his own peculiar
place in the kingdom of heaven. He came, indeed, in order
to bring all his people to eternal life ; but we ought to reckon
it enough that the inheritance obtained by his blood awaits
us. As to the degree in which some men rise above others,
it is not our business to inquire, and God did not intend that
it should be revealed to us by Christ, but that it should be
reserved till the latest revelation. We have now ascertained
Christ s meaning; for he does not here reason as to his
power, but only desires us to consider for what purpose he
was sent by the Father, and what corresponds to his calling,
and therefore distinguishes between the secret purpose of
God and the nature of that teaching which had been enjoined
1 " Ce n est pas a moy a le donner ;" "it does not belong to me to
give it"
422
COMMENTARY OX A
on him. It is a useful warning, that we may learn to be
wise with sobriety, and may not attempt to force our way
into the hidden mysteries of God, and more especially, that
we may not indulge excessive curiosity in our inquiries about
the future state ; for it hath not yet appeared what we shall be,
till God shall make us like himself ] (1 John iii. 2.) It is also
Avorthy of our notice, that these words do not imply that
there will be equality among the children of God, after they
have been admitted to the heavenly glory, but rather that to
each is promised that degree of honour to which he has been
set apart by the eternal purpose of God.
MATTHEW.
XX. 24. And when
the ten heard it, 1 they
were displeased with
the two brethren. 25.
And Jesus called them
to him, and said, You
know that the princes
of the Gentiles rule
over them, and they
who are great exer
cise authority over
them. 26. It shall
not be so among you :
but whoever wishes to
be great among you,
let him be your minis
ter ; 27. And he that
wishes to be chief
among you, let him
be your servant : 28.
Even as the Son of
man came not that he
might be served, but
that he might serve,
and that he might
give his life a ransom
for many.
MARK.
X. 41. And when the
ten heard it, they began
to be displeased with
James and John. 42. And
Jesus, when he had called
them to him, saith to them,
You know that they who
appear to rule over the
Gentiles exercise dominion
over them ; and they who
are princes among them
exercise power over them.
43. But it shall not be so
among you ; but whoever
wishes to become great
among you, shall be your
minister ; 44. And who
ever wishes to be the chief
among you, shall be your
servant. 45. For even
the Son of man came not
that he might be served,
but that he might serve,
and that he might give
his life a ransom for
many.
LUKE.
XXII. 24. And
there arose also a
dispute among them,
which of them ap
peared to be great
est. 25. And he said
to them, The kings
of the Gentiles rule
over them ; and they
that have power over
them are called be
nefactors. 26. But
you are not so : but
he that is greatest a-
mong you, let him be
come as the younger ;
and he that is ruler,
as he that serves.
27. For which is
greater, he that sit-
teth at table, or he
that serveth? Is it
not he that sitteth at
table ? But I am in
the midst of you as
he that serveth.
Matthew XX. 24. And when the ten heard it. 1 Luke
appears to refer this dispute to a different time. But any
Les dix autrcs oyans ouy cela ;" " the other ten having heard that."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 423
one who shall carefully examine that twenty-second chapter
will plainly see that discourses delivered at different times
are there brought together, without any regard to order.
The dispute about the primacy, therefore, which Luke men
tions, flowed from this source, that the sons of Zebedee
aspired to the first places in the kingdom of Christ. And
yet the displeasure of the rest was far from being well-
founded ; for, while the foolish ambition of the two disciples
was so severely blamed, that they retired from Christ with
disgrace, what injury w r as it to the other ten, that those dis
ciples foolishly wished what they did not obtain ? ] For
though they had a good right to be offended at the ambition
of those disciples, yet when it was put down they ought to
have been satisfied. But our Lord intended to seize on this
occasion for laying open a disease which was lurking within
them ; for there was not one of them who would willingly
yield to others, but every one secretly cherished within him
self the expectation of the primacy ; in consequence of which,
they envy and dispute with one another, and yet in all there
reigns wicked ambition. And if this fault was found to be
natural to uneducated men of ordinary rank, and if it broke
out on a slight occasion, and almost without any occasion at
all, how much more ought we to be on our guard, when
there is abundance of fuel to feed a concealed flame ? We
see then how ambition springs up in any man who has great
power and honours, and sends out its flames far and wide,
unless the spirit of modesty, coming from heaven, extinguish
the pride which has a firm hold of the nature of man.
25. You know that the princes of the Gentiles rule over them.
It is first said that Christ called them to him, that he might
reprove them in private; and next we learn from it that,
being ashamed of their ambition, they did not openly com
plain, but that a sort of hollow murmur arose, and every one
secretly preferred himself to the rest. He does not explain
generally how deadly a plague ambition is, but simply warns
them, that nothing is more foolish than to fight about no-
1 "Avoyent follement desire une chose qu ils n ont peu obtenir;"-
" had foolishly desired a thing which they could not obtain."
424 COMMENTARY ON A
thing. 1 He shows that the primacy, which was the occa
sion of dispute among them, has no existence in his kingdom.
Those persons, therefore, who extend this saying indiscrimi
nately to all the godly are mistaken ; for Christ only takes
occasion from the present occurrence to show that it is absurd
in the apostles to dispute about the degree of power and
honour in their own rank, because the office of teaching, to
which they were appointed, has no resemblance to the govern
ments of the world. I do acknowledge that this doctrine
applies both to private persons and to kings and magistrates ;
for no man deserves to be reckoned one of Christ s flock,
unless he has made such proficiency under the teacher of
humility, as to claim nothing for himself, but condescend to
cultivate brotherly love. This is, no doubt, true ; but the
design of Christ was, as I have said, to distinguish between
the spiritual government of his Church and the empires of
the world, that the apostles might not look for the favours of
a court ; for in proportion as any of the nobles is loved by
kings, he rises to wealth and distinction. But Christ appoints
pastors of his Church, not to rule, but to serve.
This refutes the error of the Anabaptists, who exclude kings
and magistrates from the Church of God, because Christ de
clares 2 that they are not like his disciples ; though the com
parison is here made not between Christians and ungodly
men, but between the nature of their offices. Besides, Christ
did not look so much at the persons of men as at the condition
of his Church. For it was possible that one who was gover
nor of a village or of a city might, in a case of urgent neces
sity, discharge also the office of teaching ; but Christ satisfied
himself with explaining what belongs to the apostolic office,
and what is at variance with it.
But a question arises. Why does Christ, who appointed
separate orders in his Church, disown in this passage all
degrees ? For he appears to throw them all down, or, at least,
chose
about a
1 " Qu il n y a point de folie plus grande, que de debattre d une
qui n est point ;" " that there is no greater folly than to debate a
thing which does not exist."
2 u Sous couleur de ce que Christ dit ;" u under the pretence of what
Christ says."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 425
to place them on a level, so that not one rises above the rest.
But natural reason prescribes a very different method ; and
Paul, when describing the government of the Church, (Eph.
iv. 11,) enumerates the various departments of the ministry,
in such a manner as to make the rank of apostleship higher
than the office of pastors. Timothy and Titus, also, are un
questionably enjoined by him to exercise authoritative super
intendence over others, according to the command of God.
I reply, if we carefully examine the whole, it will be found
that even kings do not rule justly or lawfully, unless they
serve; but that the apostolic office differs from earthly
government in this respect, that the manner in which kings
and magistrates serve does not prevent them from governing,
or indeed from rising above their subjects in magnificent
pomp and splendour. Thus David, Hezekiah, and others of
the same class, while they were the willing servants of all,
used a sceptre, a crown, a throne, and other emblems of
royalty. But the government of the Church admits nothing
of this sort ; for Christ allowed the pastors nothing more than
to be ministers, and to abstain entirely from the exercise of
authority. Here, too, it ought to be observed, that the dis
course relates to the thing itself rather than to the disposi
tion. Christ distinguishes between the apostles and the rank
of kings, not because kings have a right to act haughtily, but
because the station of royalty is different from the apostolic
office. While, therefore, both ought to be humble, it is the
duty of the apostles always to consider what form of govern
ment the Lord has appointed for his Church.
As to the words which Matthew employs, the princes of the
Gentiles rule over them, Luke conveys the same import by
saying, the?/ are called benefactors ; which means, that kings
possess great wealth and abundance, in order that they may
be generous and bountiful. For though kings have greater
delight in their power, and a stronger desire that it should be
formidable, than that it should be founded in the consent of
the people, still they desire the praise of munificence. 1 Hence,
1 " Toutesfois ils appetent d avoir la louange d estre magnifiques et
liberaux ;" " yet they desire to have the praise of being sumptuous and
liberal."
42(3 COMMENTARY ON A
too, they take the name in the Hebrew language,
(nedibim.) They are so called from bestowing gifts; l for taxes
and tributes are paid to them for no other purpose than to fur
nish the expense necessary to the magnificence of their rank.
26. It shall not be so among you. There can be no doubt
that Christ refers to the foolish imagination by which he
saw that the apostles were deceived. "It is foolish and im
proper in you," he says, "to imagine a kingdom, which is
unsuitable to me ; and therefore, if you desire to serve me
faithfully, you must resort to a different method, which is,
that each of you may strive to serve others." 2 But whoever
wishes to be great among you, let him be your servant. These
words are employed in an unusual sense ; for ambition does
not allow a man to be devoted, or, rather, to be subject to his
brethren. Abject flattery, I do acknowledge, is practised
by those who aspire to honours, but nothing is farther from
their intention than to serve. But Christ s meaning is not
difficult to be perceived. As every man is carried away by
a love of himself, he declares that this passion ought to be
directed to a different object. Let the only greatness,
eminence, and rank, which you desire, be, to submit to your
brethren ; and let this be your primacy, to be the servants
of all.
28. As the Son of man. Christ confirms the preceding
doctrine by his own example ; for he voluntarily took upon
himself the form of a servant, and emptied himself, as Paul also
informs us, (Philip, ii. 7.) To prove more clearly how far
he was from indulging in lofty views, he reminds them of
his death. "Because I have chosen you to the honour of
being near me, you are seized by a wicked ambition to reign.
But I by whose example you ought to regulate your life
came not to exalt myself, or to claim any royal dignity. On
1 ^-jJ, (nadib,*) a prince, which is derived from itJ, (nadab^) to be bountiful,
is the very word to which allusion is supposed to be made in the passage,
(Luke xxii. 25,) where it is said that the name princes (D O HJ, nedibim)
signifies benefactors. Ed.
2 " De se rendre serviteur a ses compagnons ;" " to become a servant
to his companions."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 427
the contrary, I took upon me, along with the mean and de
spised form of the flesh, the ignominy of the cross." If it be
objected, that Christ was exalted by the Father, in order that
every knee might bow to him, (Philip, ii. 9, 10,) it is easy to
reply, that what he now says refers to the period of his
humiliation. Accordingly, Luke adds, that he lived among
them, as if he were a servant : not that in appearance, or in
name, or in reality, he was inferior to them, (for he always
wished to be acknowledged as their Master and Lord,) but
because from the heavenly glory he descended to such meek
ness, that he submitted to bear their infirmities. Besides, it
ought to be remembered that a comparison is here made
between the greater and the less, as in that passage, If I,
who am your Master and Lord, have washed your feet, much
more ought you to perform this service to one another, (John
xiii. 14.)
And to give his life a ransom for many. Christ mentioned
his death, as we have said, in order to withdraw his disciples
from the foolish imagination of an earthly kingdom. But it
is a just and appropriate statement of its power and results,
when he declares that his life is the price of our redemption ;
whence it follows, that we obtain an undeserved reconcilia
tion with God, the price of which is to be found nowhere
else than in the death of Christ. Wherefore, this single
word overturns all the idle talk of the Papists about their
abominable satisfactions. Again, while Christ has pur
chased us by his death to be his property, this submission,
of which he speaks, is so far from diminishing his boundless
glory, that it greatly increases its splendour. The word
many (coXXwy) is not put definitely for a fixed number, but
for a large number ; for he contrasts himself with all others. 1
And in this sense it is used in Romans v. 15, where Paul
does not speak of any part of men, but embraces the whole
human race.
1 "II prend PLUSIEURS, non pas pour quclque certain nombre, mais
pour les autres : car il fait une comparaison de sa personne a tout le
reste des hommes ;" "He takes MANY, not for any fixed number, but
for the others ; for he makes a comparison of his person with all the rest
of men."
428
COMMENTARY ON A
MATTHEW.
XX. 29. And
while they were
departing from Je
richo, a great mul
titude folio wed him.
30. And, lo, two
blind men sitting
near the road, when
they heard that
Jesus was passing
by, cried aloud,
saying, Have mercy
on us, O Lord,
thou Son of David.
31. And the mul
titude rebuked
them, that they
might be silent ;
but they cried out
the more, saying,
Have mercy on us,
O Lord, thou Son
of David. 32. And
Jesus stood, and
called them, and
said, What do
you wish that I
should do to you ?
33. They say to
him, Lord, that
our eyes may be
opened. 34. And
Jesus, moved with
compassion, touch
ed their eyes ; and
immediately their
eyes received sight,
and they followed
him.
MAKK.
X. 46. And they come
to Jericho : and while he
was departing from the
city Jericho, and his dis
ciples, and a great multi
tude, Bartimeus, son of
Timeus, a blind man, was
sitting near the road beg
ging. 47. And when he
heard that it was Jesus of
Nazareth, he began to cry
aloud, and to say, Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy
on me. 48. And many re
buked him, that he might
be silent : but he cried
out so much the more,
Son of David, have mercy
on me. 49. And Jesus
stood, and commanded
him to be called. And
they call the blind man,
saying to him, Be of good
courage, rise ; he calleth
thee. 50. And he, throw
ing away his mantle,
arose, and came to Jesus.
51. And Jesus answer
ing, saith to him, What
dost thou wish that I
should do to thee ? And
the blind man said to him,
Master, 1 that I may re
ceive sio-lit. 52. And
Jesus said to him, Go
away ; thy faith hath cured
thee. And immediately
he received sight, and fol
lowed Jesus in the way.
LUKE.
XVIII. 35. And it
happened that, while he
was approaching Jericho,
a certain blind man was
Bitting near the road
begging : 36. And when
he heard a multitude
passing by, he asked what
it was. 37. And they
said to him, that Jesus
of Nazareth was passing
by. 38. And he cried
out, saying, Jesus, Son
of David, have mercy on
me. 39. And they that
were going before re
buked him, that he might
be silent : but he cried
out so much the more,
Son of David, have
mercy on me. 40. And
Jesus, standing still,
commanded him to be
brought to him : and
while he was approach
ing, he asked him, 4-1.
Saying, What dost thou
wish that I should do to
thee ? And he said, Lord,
that I may receive sight.
42. Tihen Jesus said to
him, "Receive sight : thy
faith hath cured thee.
43. And immediately he
received sight, and fol
lowed him, glorifying
God : and all the people,
when they saw it, gave
praise to God.
Matthew XX. 29. And while they were departing from
Jericho. Osiander has resolved to display his ingenuity by
making four blind men out of one. But nothing can be more
frivolous than this supposition. Having observed that the
Evangelists differ in a few expressions, he imagined that one
Mind man received sight when they were entering into the
city, and that the second, and other two, received sight when
1 "Rabboni;" "Maistre."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 429
Christ was departing from it. But all the circumstances
agree so completely, that no person of sound judgment will
believe them to be different narratives. Not to mention
other matters, when Christ s followers had endeavoured to
put the first to silence, and saw him cured contrary to their
expectation, would they immediately have made the same
attempt with the other three ? But it is unnecessary to go
into particulars, from which any man may easily infer that it
is one and the same event which is related.
But there is a puzzling contradiction in this respect, that
Matthew and Mark say that the miracle was performed on
one or on two Hind men, when Christ had already departed
from the city ; while Luke relates that it was done before he
came to the city. Besides, Mark and Luke speak of not
more than one blind man, while Matthew mentions two. But
as we know that it frequently occurs in the Evangelists, that
in the same narrative one passes by what is mentioned by
the others, and, on the other hand, states more clearly what
they have omitted, it ought not to be looked upon as strange
or unusual in the present passage. My conjecture is, that,
while Christ was approaching to the city, the blind man cried
out, but that, as he was not heard on account of the noise,
he placed himself in the way, as they were departing from the
city? and then was at length called by Christ. And so Luke,
commencing with what was true, does not follow out the
whole narrative, but passes over Christ s stay in the city ;
while the other Evangelists attend only to the time which
was nearer to the miracle. There is probability in the con
jecture that, as Christ frequently, when he wished to try the
faith of men, delayed for a short time to relieve them, so he
subjected this blind man to the same scrutiny.
The second difficulty may be speedily removed ; for we
have seen, on a former occasion, that Mark and Luke speak
of one demoniac as having been cured, while Matthew, as in
1 " Mais pource qu il ne pent estre ouy a cause du bruit du peuple,
qu il s en alia a 1 autre porte de la ville par laquelle Christ devoit sortir,
pour 1 attendre la au chemin ," " but, because he could not be heard on
account of the noise of the people, that he went away to the other gate
by which Christ was to go out, to wait for him there on the road."
430 COMMENTARY ON A
the present instance, mentions two, (Matth. viii. 28 ; Mark
v. 2 ; Luke viii. 27. 1 ) And yet this involves no contradic
tion between them ; but it may rather be conjectured with
probability, that at first one Hind man implored the favour
of Christ, and that another was excited by his example, and
that in this way two persons received sight. Mark and Luke
speak of one only, either because he was better known, or be
cause in him the demonstration of Christ s power was not less
remarkable than it was in both. It certainly appears to have
been on account of his having been extensively known that he
was selected by Mark, who gives both his own name and
that of his father : Bartimeus, son of Timeus. By doing so,
he does not claim for him either illustrious descent or
wealth ; for he was a beggar of the lowest class. Hence it
appears that the miracle was more remarkable in his person,
because his calamity had been generally known. This ap
pears to me to be the reason why Mark and Luke mention
him only, and say nothing about the other, who was a sort
of inferior appendage. But Matthew, who was an eye-wit
ness, 2 did not choose to pass by even this person, though
less known.
30. Have mercy on me, O Lord. I stated, a little ago,
that there was at first but one who cried out, but the other
was induced by a similar necessity to join him. They con
fer on Christ no ordinary honour, when they request him to
have mercy, and relieve them ; for they must have been con
vinced that he had in his power the assistance or remedy
which they needed. But their faith is still more clearly ex
hibited by their acknowledgment of him as Messiah, to
whom we know that the Jews gave this designation, Son of
David. They therefore apply to Christ, not only as some
Prophet, but as that person whom God had promised to be
the only Author of salvation. The cry proved the ardour of
the desire ; for, though they knew that what they said ex
posed them to the hatred of many, who were highly dis-
1 See Harmony, vol. i. p. 428.
2 " Qui avoit este present au miracle;" "who had been present at
the miracle."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 431
pleased with the honour done to Christ, their fear was over-
eome by the ardour of desire, so that they did not refrain, on
this account, from raising their voice aloud.
31. And the multitude reproved them. It is surprising that
the disciples of Christ, who follow him through a sense of
duty and of respect, should wish to drive wretched men from
the favour of Christ, and, so far as lies in them, to prevent
the exercise of his power. But it frequently happens that
the greater part of those who profess the name of Christ,
instead of inviting us to him, rather hinder or delay our
approach. If Satan endeavoured to throw obstacles in the
way of two blind me7i, by means of pious and simple persons,
who were induced by some sentiments of religion to follow
Christ, how much more will he succeed in accomplishing it
by means of hypocrites and traitors, if w r e be not strictly on
our guard. Perseverance is therefore necessary to overcome
every difficulty, and the more numerous the obstacles are
which Satan throws in the way, the more powerfully ought
we to be excited to earnestness in prayer, as we see that the
blind men redoubled their cry.
32. What do you wish that I should do to you ? He gently
and kindly asks what they desire ; for he had determined to
grant their requests. There is no reason to doubt that they
prayed by a special movement of the Holy Spirit ; for, as the
Lord does not intend to grant to all persons deliverance from
bodily diseases, so neither does he permit them simply to
pray for it. A rule has been prescribed for us what we ought
to ask, and in what manner, and to what extent ; and we are
not at liberty to depart from that rule, unless the Lord, by a
secret movement of the Spirit, suggest to us some special
prayer, which rarely happens. Christ puts the question to
them, not for their sake as individuals, but for the sake of all
the people ; for we know how the world swallows God s
benefits without perceiving them, unless they are stimulated
and aroused. Christ, therefore, by his voice, awakens the
assembled crowd to observe the miracle, as he awakens them
432 COMMENTARY ON A
shortly afterwards by a visible sign, when he opens their eyes
by touching them.
34. And Jesus, moved with compassion, fyc.
moved with compassion, is not the participle of the same verb
which Matthew had just now employed in reference to the
blind man, sX sqgov, have mercy. 1 They implored the mercy of
Christ, that he might relieve their wretchedness ; but now
the Evangelist expresses that Christ was induced to cure
them, not only by undeserved goodness, but because he pitied
their distress. For the metaphor is taken from the bowels,
(tfTrXa^i/a,) in which dwells that kindness and mutual com
passion which prompts us to- assist our neighbours.
Mark X. 52, Thy faith hath saved thee. By the word faith
is meant not only a confident hope of recovering sight, but a
loftier conviction, which was, that this blind man had acknow
ledged Jesus to be the Messiah whom God had promised.
Nor must we imagine that it was only some confused know
ledge ; for we have already seen that this confession was
taken from the Law and the Prophets. For the blind man
did not at random bestow on Christ the name of Son of
David, but embraced him as that person whose coming he
had been taught by the divine predictions to expect. Now
Christ attributes it to faith that the blind man received sight ;
for, though the power and grace of God sometimes extend
even to unbelievers, yet no man enjoys His benefits in a right
and profitable manner, unless he receive them by faith ; nay,
the use of the gifts of God is so far from being advantageous
to unbelievers, that it is even hurtful. And therefore, when
Christ says, thy faith hath saved thee, the word saved is not
limited to an outward cure, but includes also the health and
safety of the soul ; as if Christ had said, that by faith the
blind man obtained that God was gracious to him, and
granted his wish. And if it was in regard to faith that God
bestowed his favour on the blind man, it follows that he was
justified by faith.
1 " Quand ils disoyent, Fils de David, aye misericorde de nous;"
"when they said, Son of David, have mercy on us."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 433
Matthew XX. 34. And followed him. This was an expres
sion of gratitude, 1 when the blind men became followers of
Christ ; for, though it is uncertain how long they discharged
this duty, yet it showed a grateful mind, that they presented
themselves to many, in that journey, as mirrors of the grace
of Christ. Luke adds, that the people gave praise to God,
which tends to prove the certainty of the miracle.
LUKE.
XIX. 1. And having entered, lie passeth through Jericho. 2 2. And,
lo, a man named Zaccheus, and he was chief of the publicans, and was
rich. 3. And he sought to see Jesus who he was, 3 and could not on
account of the multitude ; for he was of small stature. 4. And running
before, he climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him ; for he was to pass
that way. 5. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw
him, and said to him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down , for to-day
I must abide at thy house. 6. And he made haste, and came down, and
received him joyfully. 7. And when they saw it, they all murmured, say
ing, That he had gone to lodge with a man who is a sinner. 8. And
Zaccheus stood, and said to the Lord, Lo, O Lord, the half of my goods I
give to the poor ; and if I have defrauded any man in any thing, I restore
fourfold. 4 9. Jesus said to him, To-day is salvation come to this house,
inasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 5 10. For the Son of man came
to seek and save what was lost.
This shows how little attention Luke paid to observing the
order of dates ; for, after having detailed the miracle, he now
relates what happened in the city of Jericho. He tells us
that, while Christ presented himself to the view of all, as he
went along the streets, Zaccheus alone was very desirous to
see him. For it was an evidence of intense desire that he
climbed up a tree; since rich men are, for the most part,
haughty, and plume themselves on affected gravity. It is
possible, indeed, that others entertained the same wish, but
this man was most properly singled out by Luke, both on
account of his rank, and on account of his wonderful conver
sion, which took place suddenly. Now, though faith was not
1 " Ceci a este un signe de recognoissance du bien receu de Christ ;"
" this was an expression of gratitude for the favour received from Christ."
2 " Estant entre en Icricho, il alloit par la ville ;" "having entered
into Jericho, he went through the town."
3 u Et taschoit a veoir lequel estoit lesus ;" " and endeavoured to see
who Jesus was."
4 " I en rend quatre fois autant;" "I restore four times as much for it."
5 " Puurtant que ceste-ci aussi est filh d* Abraham, ou, ccstuy-ci aussi est
fils d Abraham;" " because this also is a daughter of Abraham, or, this also
is a son of Abraham ."
YOL. II. 2 E
434 COMMENTARY ON A
yet formed in Zaccheus, yet this was a sort of preparation
for it ; for it was not without a heavenly inspiration that he
desired so earnestly to get a sight of Christ ; I mean, in re
ference to that design which immediately appeared. Some
were led, no doubt, by vain curiosity to run even from distant
places, for the purpose of seeing Christ, but the event showed
that the mind of Zaccheus contained some seed of piety. In
this manner, before revealing himself to men, the Lord fre
quently communicates to them a secret desire, by which they
are led to Him, while He is still concealed and unknown ;
and, though they have no fixed object in view, He does not
disappoint them, but manifests Himself in due time.
5. Zaccheus, make haste, and come down. It is a remarkable
instance of favour, that the Lord anticipates Zaccheus, and
does not wait for his invitation, but of his own accord asks
lodging at his house. We know how hateful, nay, how
detestable the name of publican at that time was ; and we
shall find that this is shortly afterwards mentioned by Luke.
It is therefore astonishing kindness in the Son of God to
approach a man, from whom the great body of men recoil,
and that before he is requested to do so. But we need not
wonder, if he bestows this honour on one who was already
drawn to him by a secret movement of the Spirit ; for it was
a more valuable gift to dwell in his heart than to enter his
house. But by this expression he made it evident, that he is
never sought in vain by those who sincerely desire to know
him ; for Zaccheus obtained vastly more than he had expected.
Besides, the great readiness of Zaccheus to obey, his hastening
to come down from the tree, and his joy in receiving Christ,
exhibit still more clearly the power and guidance of the Holy
Spirit ; for, though he did not yet possess a pure faith, yet
this submissiveness and obedience must be regarded as the
beginning of faith.
7. And when they saw it, they all murmured. The inhabit
ants of the town and, perhaps, some of Christ s followers
murmur that he goes to lodge with a man who is looked upon
as wicked and infamous, even though nobody invited him.
It is thus that the world disregards the offer of the grace of
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 435
God, but complains bitterly 1 when it is conveyed to others.
But let us consider how unjust this murmuring was. They
think it unreasonable that Christ should bestow so great an
honour on a wicked man ; for in this passage, as in many
others, the word sinner is not taken in the ordinary sense, 2
but denotes a man of disgraceful and scandalous life. Let us
suppose that Zaccheus was a person of this description. Still,
we ought first to inquire for what purpose Christ chose to
become his guest ; for, while out of doors men are murmuring,
witliin the house God displays magnificently the glory of
His name, and refutes their wicked calumny.
The conversion of Zaccheus was an astonishing work of
God, and yet there was no good reason why Zaccheus should
be marked with infamy. He had the charge of collecting the
taxes. Now to collect taxes was no crime in itself, but men
of that class were exceedingly despised and hated by the
Jews, because they reckoned it to be in the highest degree
unjust that they should pay tribute. But whatever might be
the character of Zaccheus, still the kindness of Christ ought
not to be blamed, but commended, in not refusing his assist
ance to a wretched man, to rescue him from destruction, and
bring him to salvation. And therefore the offence which was
wickedly taken did not hinder him from proceeding to execute
his Father s command. With such magnanimity ought all
his ministers to be endued, as to think more highly of the
salvation of one soul than of the murmurs which all ignorant
persons may utter, and not to desist from their duty, even
though all their actions and words may expose them to re
proaches.
8. And Zaccheus stood, and said. From this result they
ought to have formed their opinion of what Christ did ; but
men are so hasty and precipitate, that they do not take time
to wait for God. 3 The conversion of Zaccheus is described
1 " Et cependant est envieux et marri;" " and yet is envious and
offended."
2 u Et ne signifie pas ce que communeement nous appelons pecJieur ;"
" and does not mean what we usually call a sinner"
3 " Qu ils n ont pas la patience d attendre que Dieu monstrc ce qu il
veut faire ;" " that they have not patience to wait till God show what he
ntends to do."
436 COMMENTARY ON A
by fruits and outward signs. As it was probable that he had
enriched himself to the injury of others, if he had wronged any
man, he was ready to restore fourfold. Besides, the half of
his goods he dedicates to the poor. A man might indeed be
stow all his goods on the poor, (1 Cor. xiii. 3,) and yet his
generosity might be of no value in the sight of God ; but,
though no mention is here made of inward repentance, yet
Luke means that the godly zeal, which he commends in
Zaccheus, proceeded from that living root. In like manner,
Paul, when treating of repentance, exhorts us to those duties,
by which men may learn that we are changed for the better.
Let him that stole steal no more ; but rather let him labour with
his hands, that he may assist the poor and needy, (Eph. iv. 28.)
We ought therefore to begin with the heart, but our repent
ance ought also to be evinced by works.
Now let us observe that Zaccheus does not make a present
to God out of his extortions, as many rich men give to God
a portion of what they have obtained by dishonesty, that they
may the more freely pillage in future, and that they may be
acquitted of the wrongs which they have formerly done. But
Zaccheus devotes the half of his goods to God in such a
manner, as to give, at the same time, compensation for what
ever wrongs he has done ; and hence we infer that the riches
which he possessed were not the fruit of dishonest gain.
Thus Zaccheus is not only ready to give satisfaction, if he has
taken any thing by fraud, but shares his lawful possessions
with the poor ; by which he shows that he is changed from
a wolf not only into a sheep, but even into a shepherd. And
while he corrects the faults which had been formerly com
mitted, he renounces wicked practices for the future, as God
demands from his people, first of all, that they abstain from
doing any act of injury. Zaccheus has not laid others under
obligation, by his example, to strip themselves of the half of
their goods ; but we have only to observe the rule which the
Lord prescribes, that we dedicate ourselves, and all that we
have, to holy and lawful purposes*
9. To-day is salvation come to this house. Christ, bearing
testimony to Zaccheus, declares that his professions were not
hypocritical. And yet he does not ascribe to the good works
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 437
of Zaccheus the cause of salvation ; but, as that conversion
was an undoubted pledge of the divine adoption, he justly
concludes from it that this house is a possessor of salvation.
Such, too, is the import of the words ; for, since Zaccheus
is one of the children of Abraham, he argues that his house is
saved. In order that any man may be reckoned among the
children of Abraham, it is necessary for him to imitate Abra
ham s faith ; nay, Scripture expressly bestows on faith this
commendation, that it distinguishes the genuine children of
Abraham from strangers. Let us therefore know that in
Zaccheus faith is chiefly commended, on account of which
his good works were acceptable to God. Nor is there reason
to doubt that the doctrine of Christ went before the conver
sion of Zaccheus ; and, consequently, the commencement of
his salvation was, to hear Christ discoursing on the undeserved
mercy of God, and on the reconciliation of men to Him, and
on the redemption of the Church, and to embrace this doc
trine by faith.
In consequence of the Greek word o/xoj (house) being of the
masculine gender, this passage is explained in two ways.
The old translator 1 has made the reference to be to Zaccheus,
which I also prefer. 2 Erasmus has chosen to render it,
inasmuch as THE HOUSE itself is a DAUGHTER of Abraham ; 3
and although I do not disapprove of this, I think it more
natural to explain it as referring to Zaccheus. For, since
God, when he adopts the head of a family, promises that He
will be a God even to his whole house, salvation is, with pro
priety, extended from the head to the whole body. Now the
particle xa/ (also) is emphatic ; for Christ means, that Zac-
chcus, not less than the other Jews who haughtily detested
him, is a son of Abraham. And that his former life may not
seem to have shut against him the gate of salvation, Christ
argues from his own office, that there is nothing in this change
1 "Le translateur Latin ancien ;" "the old Latin translator."
2 The question is, whether the antecedent to etvros be Zock^xlog or 6
ofaos. On the former supposition, our English version will be approved :
HE also (namely, Zaccheus) is a son of Abraham. On the latter supposi
tion, the translation will run thus : IT also (namely, the house) is a child of
Abraham ; or carrying out the metaphor as Erasmus has done IT also
is a DAUGHTER of Abraham. Ed.
3 u Eo quod ipsa doinus sitjilia Abrahae."
438
COMMENTARY ON A
at which any man ought to take offence, since he was sent
by the Father to save those who were lost.
MATTHEW.
XXV. 14. For as a certain man,
setting out on a journey, called his
servants, and delivered to them his
goods. 15. And to one he gave five
talents, and to another two, and to
another one ; to every one according
to his own ability ; and immediately
set out. 16. And he who had re
ceived five talents went away and
traded with them, and amassed other
five talents. 17. And likewise he
who had received two, he also gained
other two. 18. But he who had re
ceived one went away, and dug in
the earth, and hid his master s money.
19. And after a long time the
master of those servants cometh, and
reckoneth with them. 20. And he
who had received five talents came,
and brought other five talents, say
ing, Master, thou deliveredst to me
five talents : lo, I have gained by
them other five talents. 21. His
master saith to him, Well done, good
and faithful servant ; thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will place
thee over many things : enter thou
into the joy of thy master. 22. And
he also who had received two talents
came, and said, Master, thou deli
veredst to me two talents : lo, I have
gained by them other two. 23. His
master saith to him, Well done, good
and faithful servant ; thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will place
thee over many things : enter thou
into the joy of thy master. 24. But
he who had received one talent came
and said, Master, I knew thee that
thou art a harsh man, reaping where
thou didst not sow, and gathering
where thou didst not scatter : 25.
And, being afraid, I went away, and
liid thy talent in the earth : lo, thou
hast what is thine. 26. And his
master answering said to him,Wicked
and slothful servant, thou knewest
LUKE.
XIX. 11. While they were
hearing these things, he added, and
spoke a parable, because he was
near Jerusalem, and because they
thought that the kingdom of God
would immediately be revealed.
12. He said therefore, A certain
nobleman set out for a distant
country, to receive for himself a
kingdom, 1 and to return. 13. And,
having called his ten servants, he
gave to them ten pounds, and said
to them, Trade till I come. 14.
And his citizens hated him, and
sent a message after him, saying,
We will not have this man to reign
over us. 15. And it happened
that he returned, after having ob
tained the kingdom, 2 and com
manded those servants to be called
to him, to whom he had given
money, that he might know how
much every one had gained by
trading. 16. And the first came,
saying, Master, thy pound hath
gained ten pounds. 17. And he
said to him, Well done, good ser
vant ; because thou hast been faith
ful in a very small matter, have
thou power over ten cities. 18.
And another came, saying, Master,
thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19. And he said to him, And be
thou also ruler over five cities.
20. And another came, saying,
Master, lo, thy pound, which I
have kept laid up in a napkin :
21. For I feared thee, because
thou art a harsh man : thou takest
up what thou didst not lay down,
and reapest what thou didst not
sow. 22. He saith to him, Out of
thy mouth will I judge thee, wicked
servant. Thou knewest that I am a
harsh man, taking up what I did not
lay down, and reaping what I did
not sow : 23. And why didst not
1 " Pour conquester un royaume ;" " to conquer a kingdom."
2 " Apres avoir connueste lo. rovaumo,:" " after havintr no
the kingdom."
avoir conqueste le royaume;" "after having conquered
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS. 439
MATTHEW. LUKE.
that I reap where I sowed not, and thou give my money to the bank,
gather where I did not scatter: and, w
