deed, declares that it may be forgiven: this, however, shews that it is a crime of no small magnitude: for otherwise such a declaration would have been unnecessary. To take pleasure in reviling the characters of our brethren; to accuse them of crimes which they have never committed, or even industriously to report their failings, discovers a malignant disposition of mind, and makes men resemble him whose character it is to accuse. From such a temper infinite mischiefs arise to society; the feelings of individuals are wounded in the most sens ible manner; the peace of families is destroyed, and the community disturbed. Let us take care that we do not indulge in so base and mischievous a vice. By many it is regarded as a matter of amusement, thus to sport with the comfort of mankind; but if we have any respect for the principles of humanity, or any fear of the displeasure of an impartial judge, we shall hold it in abhorrence. In judging of the characters of men, let us follow the rule which Christ has here laid down, and then we shall stand at a remote distance from calumny: let us judge of the tree by its fruits, of the man by his words and actions. Following this maxim, we shall never impute to men wicked intentions, where there is nothing in their conduct to justify such suspicions. Instead of saying that all those must be bad who differ from us in religious sentiments, because their opinions have an evil tendency, we shall conclude all men to be good, in their hearts, who are irreproachable in their lives. If the actions of others should be of a doubtful nature, Christian candour and benevolence will incline us to take the favourable side. This caution is at all times necessary; more particularly, at a scason of general suspicion and alarm, when the violence of men's passions inclines them to believe that those who oppose their wishes entertain bad designs.

2. The explanation which has been given of the nature of the sin against the Holy Ghost, may afford relief to those who are distressed with the apprehension of having committed it. It consisted, as we have seen, in attributing the miraculous works of the Spirit of God to evil beings, and in doing this not through those

errors to which human weakness at all times exposes men, but through wilful obstinacy and blindness; an offence which Christians cannot easily fall into, and which, it seerns, those only are capable of committing, who reject Christianity entirely, and deride the evidence by which it is supported. Nor does it appear that, even in this case, their crime is declared unpardonable, if they sincerely repent of it. Let not then any humble penitent be discouraged. Art thou overwhelmed with a sense of the number and heinousness of thy of fences? Dost thou think them too great to be forgiven? Let not thy heart indulge despair: God now calls upon all men every where to repent, and he offers mercy to all who will accept it, not excluding the chief of sin

ners.

S. We see that Christ refers to his resurrection from the dead, as the most convincing sign or proof of his divine mission; and undoubtedly it deserved to be regarded in that important light: for God would not have raised from the dead a wicked impostor, who had pretended to act in his name, and by his authority. By restoring to life a divine messenger, whom the Jews had crucified, God proclaimed to the world that the crimes. laid to his charge had no foundation; but that, on the contrary, his character was so pure as to render him highly acceptable to the Divine Being, and that the respect which he claimed, as the greatest of all prophets, was no more than what he was justly entitled to. In this event, therefore, all Christians may rejoice, as laying a firm and strong foundation for their faith: but there is another reason why they should triumph in the resurrection of Christ: for it was succeeded by an ascension into heaven, and hereby becomes the pledge and security of the same honour to all his followers. The prospect which it affords to us in this view is the most important which can enter the human mind: how delightful and consoling is the hope of meeting our risen Lord and master; of acknowledging our obligations to him for his eminent services and unparalleled sufferings; of enjoying his company, and the company of all good men, throughout an eternal duration!

Matthew xii. 41. to the end.

41. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment, rather, "in the place of judgment," with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, a greater, rather, "something greater," than Jonas is here.

Christ, having mentioned Jonah in the preceding verse, takes occasion to upbraid the Jews for their obstinacy and unbelief, from a fact mentioned in the history of that prophet; the speedy repentance of the Ninevites, in consequence of receiving a message from God, warning them of their danger. This discovered a more ingenuous temper than the Jews had manifested, who had received that superior evidence of miracles which accompanied the preaching of Christ, The conduct of the Ninevites would serve to convict the Jews: for it shewed that much inferior advantages were sufficient to produce a change of character. If, therefore, the latter remained impenitent, it must evidently arise from a greater degree of wickedness. Among the Jews and Romans it was usual for witnesses, when they delivered their evidence, to stand up. It is to this that our Saviour alludes, when he says that the men of Nineveh should rise, in the place of judgment, against the Jews; meaning hereby that they would serve as witnesses to condemn them. Christ does not here compare himself and Jonah together; but the advantages enjoyed at the two periods.

42. The queen of the south shall rise up in the place of judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she

Hh

came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold something greater than Solomon is here.

Sheba is generally supposed to have been a country near the extremity of Arabia, which lay south of Judæa; and, being at a great distance, might be called the ends of the earth. A modern traveller concludes from the products of this country and other circumstances, that it was situated near the southern extremity of the continent of Africa. From this distance the queen of Sheba came to Solomon, to propose hard questions to him, as was customary with sovereigns in those times. The wisdom of Solomon consisted, as we learn from his life, in the knowledge of natural history, and still more of every thing which relates to the right conduct of life and the practice of our duty: but in the Christian dispensation there was something greater than Solomon, the fulness of divine wisdom, displaying itself in Jesus Christ. The conduct of the Jews in declining to come to Christ for instruction, when he possessed this divine wisdom and brought it to their doors, would be condemned by the queen of the south, who came from so great a distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

43.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, rather, "desert places," seeking rest; and findeth none.

By the unclean spirit here spoken of, Christ means a dæmon, or the supposed spirit of some wicked man inhabiting the body of the living. This is called unclean, either because it was believed to be wicked, or because a person under the influence of it, or in a state of madness, was led to contract ceremonial impurity. It was a common opinion among the Jews that dæmons frequent desolate places, or, as our translation has it, dry places. The apostle John alludes to this opinion, when

he says, Rev. xviii. 2. "Babylon is become the habitation of devils;" or, as it should be rendered, "dæmons;" meaning thereby that it was become desolate: it is to this opinion that our Lord alludes in the passage before

us.

44. Then he saith, I will return unto my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, rather," ready for his reception," swept and garnished, "put in order."

45. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits, more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

The sense of these two verses may be thus expressed: "It is commonly supposed that if dæmons leave a man, but return to him, the disorder," which is no other than madness, "comes upon him with seven-fold violence:" for that is all we are to understand by seven other spirits. "So it will be with you; notwithstanding some appearance of repentance and reformation, on the preaching of John the Baptist and the ministry of the Messiah, your vices will return upon you with double violence, and bring down upon you heavier judgments." Christ here speaks, all along, upon the principles of his hearers: making use of a common notion concerning dæmons to illustrate the truth of what he was going to say respecting the Jews.

The reason

of his having recourse to this comparison, seems to have been his having cast out a dæmon in the presence of the multitude. We should say, at the present day, "when a fever is expelled, if the person cured does not take great care of his health, the same disease returns,