32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

'Tell that fox. A fox is an emblem of slyness, of cunning, and of artful mischief. Herod was a wicked man, but the particular thing to which Jesus here alludes is not his vices, but his cunning, his artifice in endeavouring to remove him out of his territory. Behold, I cast out devils,' &c. Announce to him the truth, that I am working miracles in his territory, and that I shall continue to do it. I am not afraid of his art or his enmity. I am engaged in my appropriate work, and so shall continue to be as long as is proper, in spite of his arts and his threats. "To-day and to-morrow.' A little time. It seems here to be used not strictly, but proverbially, to denote a short space of time. "The third day. After a little time. 'I shall be perfected.' I shall have ended my course, I shall have perfected what I purpose to do.

33 Nevertheless I must walk to-day, and to-morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

'I must walk,' &c. I must remain here this short time. These three days I must do cures here, and then I shall depart, though not for fear of Herod. It will be because my time will have come, and I shall go up to Jerusalem to die. For it cannot be that a prophet should perish out of Jerusalem.' I have no fear that Herod will put me to death in Galilee. I shall not depart on that account. Jerusalem is the place where the prophets die, and where I am to die. I am not at all alarmed, therefore, at any threats of Herod, for my life is safe until I arrive at Jerusalem. Go and tell him, therefore, that I fear him not. I shall work here as long as it is proper, and shall then go up to Jerusalem to die.

34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

See Matt. xxiii. 37-39. God is to be obeyed; and even if obedience should involve us in difficulty and trials, still we should not hesitate to commit our cause to God, and go onward.

CHAPTER XIV.

1 AND it came to pass, as he went into the house of

one of the chief pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

One of the chief pharisees.' One of the pharisees who were rulers, or members of the great council, or sanhedrim. He was, therefore, a man of influence and reputation. To eat bread.' To dine. To partake the hospitalities of his house. On the sabbath day.' It may seem strange that our Saviour should have to dine with a man of influence, and a stranger, on the sabgone dine with a mo remember: 1. That he was travelling, having no home of his own, and that it was no more improper to go there than to any other place. 2. That he did not go there for the purpose of feasting and amusement, but to do good. If, therefore, the example of Jesus should be pleaded to authorize accepting an invitation to dine on the sabbath, it should be pleaded just as it was. If we can go just as he did, it is right. If when away from home; if we go to do good; if we make it an occasion to discourse on the subject of religion, and to persuade men to repent, then it is not improper. Further than this we cannot plead the example of Christ. "They watched him.' They malignantly fixed their eyes on him, to see if he did anything on which they could lay hold to accuse him.

2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.

A certain man before him.' He might have been one of the pharisee's family, or might have been placed there by the pharisees to see whether he would heal him. The dropsy." A disease produced by the accumulation of water in various parts of the body: very distressing and commonly incurable.

3 And Jesus answering, spake unto the lawyers and pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

'Jesus answering.' To answer, in the scriptures, does not always imply, as among us, that any thing had been said before. It means often to begin, or to take up a subject, or, as here, to remark on the case that was present. Is it lawful,' &c. He knew that they were watching him. If he healed the man at once, they would accuse him. He, therefore, proposed the question to them.

4 And they held their peace. healed him, and let him go;

And he took him, and

'They held their peace.' They were silent. They could not say it was not lawful, for the law did not forbid it. And as they made no objections then, they could not with consistency afterwards. They were, therefore, effectually silenced and confounded

by the Saviour. He took him.' By taking hold of him, or touching him, he showed that the power of healing went forth from himself.

5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? 6 And

they could not answer him again to these things.

See Matt. xii. 11. Which of you,' &c. If it was lawful to save an ox on the sabbath, it was also to save the life of a man, To this the Jews had nothing to answer.

7¶ And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

'A parable.' This word parable, here, means rather a precept, an injunction. "That were bidden.' That were invited by the pharisee. It seems that he had invited his friends to dine with him on that day. When he marked.' When he observed, or saw. Chief rooms.' It does not mean apartments, but the higher places at the table, those nearest the head of the table, and to him who had invited them. That pride was the common character of the pharisees, appears from Matt. xxiii. 6.

8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest

room.

'To a wedding.' A wedding was commonly attended with a feast, or banquet. The highest room.' The seat at the table nearest the head. 'A more honourable man.' A man of higher rank in life. A more aged man, or a man in office. It is to be remarked, that our Saviour did not consider the courtesies of life to be beneath his notice. Religion does not teach us to be rude, forward, pert, assuming, and despising all the proprieties of social intercourse. It teaches humility and kindness, to be courteous, and to desire to make all happy, and a willingness to occupy our appropriate situation and rank in life. Matt. xxii. 21. Rom. xiii. 7. 1 Pet. ii, 17.

10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

'The lowest room.' The lowest seat at the table: showing that you are not desirous of distinctions, or greedy of that honour which may properly belong to you. 'Shalt have worship.' The word worship, here, means honour. Those who are sitting with you shall treat you with respect, and do you honour, because you have shown a humble spirit.

11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

'Whosoever exalteth,' &c. This is universal among men, and with God. Man will perpetually endeavour to bring down those who endeavour to exalt themselves; and it is a part of God's regular plan to abase the proud, and to raise up those that are bowed down.

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.

'Call not thy friends.' Our Lord intended, doubtless, to reprove those who sought the society of the wealthy, and particularly rich relatives, and who claimed to be intimate with the great and honourable, and who, to show their intimacy, were in the habit of seeking their society, and making for them expensive entertainments. The passage means, therefore, call not only your friends, &c., but call also the poor, &c. Compare Ex. xvi. 8. 1 Sam. xv. 22. Jer. vii. 22, 23. Matt. ix. 13. "Thy kinsmen.' Thy relations. A recompense.' Lest they feel themselves bound to treat you with the same kindness, and, in so doing, neither you nor they will show any kind spirit, or any disposition to do good beyond what is repaid.

13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind :

The maimed.' Those who are deprived of any member of their body, as an arm or a leg.

14 And thou shalt be blessed for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

'Shalt be blessed.' Blessed or rewarded by God in the day of judgment. They cannot recompense thee.' They cannot invite you again, and thus pay you. The resurrection of the just.' When the just or holy shall be raised from the dead. Then God shall reward those who have done good to the poor and needy from love to the Lord Jesus Christ. Matt. x. 42; xxv. 34-40

15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

'Blessed is he that shall eat bread,' &c. The kingdom of God nere means the kingdom which the Messiah was to set up. This man understood it in the common way of the Jews, and spoke of the peculiar happiness which they expected at that time. The Jews only, he expected, would partake of its blessings. These notions our Saviour corrects in the parable which follows.

16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many :

A great supper. Or great feast. It is said to be great, on account of the number who were invited. Bade many.' Invited many beforehand. There is little difficulty in understanding this parable. The man who made the supper is without doubt designed to represent God; the supper, the provisions which he has made for the salvation of men; and the invitation, the offers which he made to men, particularly to the Jews, to embrace salvation. See a similar parable explained in Matt. xxii. 1-14.

17 And sent his servant at supper-time, to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

'Sent his servant.' From this it would seem that it was the custom to announce to those invited just the time when the feast was ready.

18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

'I must needs go.' I have necessity, or I am obliged to go and see it. We may learn from this that sinners sometimes plead that they are under a necessity to neglect the affairs of religion. The affairs of the world are so pressing that they cannot find time to pray, or read the scriptures, or attend the worship of God. In this way many lose their souls. God cannot regard such an excuse for neglecting religion. He commands us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

'I go to prove them.' To try them, to see if he had made a good bargain. He could as easily have tried them at any other