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thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

'Were filled with madness.' Men are often enraged because others do good in a way which they do not approve of. God gives success to others, and because God has not bound himself to their views of what is right, and done it in the way which they would have prescribed, they are enraged and filled with envy at men more successful than themselves. Communed one with another.' Spoke together or laid a plan.

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12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

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A mountain.' Jesus was accustomed to retire to such places to hold communion with God, Mark vi. 46. He chose them because they were retired and free from interruption. All night in prayer to God.' The meaning is, 'in an oratory,' or place of prayer. The Jews had places of prayer built out of their cities or towns, where they could retire from the bustle of a city, and hold communion with God. They were built on the banks of rivers, (compare Acts xvi. 13,) or in groves, or on hills. They were rude inclosures, made by building a rough wall of stone around a level piece of ground, and capable of accommodating a small number who might resort thither to pray. In such a place Jesus spent the whole night in supplication. It was an occasion of great importance. He was about to send out his apostles; to lay the foundation of his religion; and he therefore set apart this time specially to seek the Divine blessing. It was no unusual thing for Jesus to spend much time in prayer; and we are not to wonder that he passed an entire night in supplication. He has set us an example that we should follow in his steps. In great emergencies, when we have important duties, or are about to encounter special difficulties, we should seek the Divine blessing and direction by prayer. We should set apart an unusual portion of time for supplication. Nay, if we pass the whole night in prayer, it should not be charged as enthusiasm. Our Saviour did it. Men of the world often pass whole nights in the business of gain, or dissipation, and shall it be esteemed strange that christians should spend an equal portion of time in the far more important business of religion?

13¶ And when it was day, he called unto him his

disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named Apostles; 14 Simon (whom he also named Peter), and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

See note, Matt. x. 1-4.

17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

There has been some doubt whether the following discourse is the same as that recorded in the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of Matthew; or whether our Saviour now repeated the substance of that discourse, and that Luke recorded it as he repeated it. The latter seems to be the correct opinion. 'Tyre and Sidon.' See note, Matt. xi. 21.

18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

'Vexed.' The word 'vex' with us means to provoke, or irritate by petty, provocations. Here it means, however, to afflict, to torment, denoting deep and heavy trials. Unclean spirits. Demons that were impure and unholy, having a delight in tormenting, and in inflicting painful and loathsome diseases.

19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. 'Virtue.' Healing power. See note, Mark v. 30.

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

See this passage fully illustrated in the sermon on the mount,

in the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of Matthew. 'That hunger now.' Matthew has it, that hunger and thirst after righteousness. Matthew has expressed more fully what Luke states briefly, but there is no contradiction.

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24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

'Shall

These verses Matthew omits. They seem to have been spoken to the pharisees. 'Who are rich.' In this world's goods. They loved them; they found their consolation in them. It implies, further, that they would not seek or receive consolation from the gospel. They were proud, and would not seek it: satisfied, and did not desire it filled with cares, and had no time or disposition to attend to it. All the consolation which they had reason to expect, they had received. 'Woe unto you that are full!? Not hungry. Satisfied with their wealth, and not feeling their need of any thing better than earthly wealth can give. Many, alas! are thus full. They have no anxiety for the riches that shall endure for ever. 'Ye shall hunger.' You shall hereafter see the need of something better; feel your want and wretchedness, and hunger for something to satisfy the desires of a dying, sinful soul. 6 That laugh now. Are happy, thoughtless, and gay. mourn and weep.' The time is coming when you shall sorrow deeply. In sickness, in calamity, in the prospect of death, in the fear of eternity, your laughter shall be turned into sorrow. There is a place where you cannot laugh; and there you will see the folly of having passed the proper time of preparing for such scenes in levity and thoughtlessness. Alas! many thus spend their youth. And many weep when it is too late. God gives them over, and laughs at their calamity, and mocks when their fear comes, Prov. i. 26. 'When all men shall speak well of you.' When they shall praise or applaud you. The world will not praise or applaud my doctrine. They are opposed to it. And therefore if they speak well of you and of your teaching, it is proof that you do not teach the true doctrine. If not, then there will be woe upon you. For so did their fathers.' The fathers or ancestors of this people, the ancient Jews. To the false prophets.' Men who pretended to be of God, who delivered their own doctrines as the truth of God, and accommodated themselves to the desires of the people. Of this number were the prophets of Baal, and the false prophets who appeared in the time of Jeremiah, &c.

27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your ene

mies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully

use you.

See Matt. v. 44, 45.

29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

See Matt. v. 39, 40.

30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. See Matt. v. 42.

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

See Matt. vii. 12.

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your ene mies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

See Matt. v. 46-48.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam

that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

See Matt. vii. 1-5, 'Good measure.' They shall give you good measure, a full measure. 'Pressed down.' As figs or grapes might be, and thus many more might be put into the measure. 'Shaken together.' To make it more compact, and thus to give more. 'Running over.' So full that the measure would overflow. 'Shall men give.' This is said to be the reward of giving to the poor and needy. And the meaning is that the man, who is himself kind to the poor, who has that character established, shall find many who are ready to help him abundantly when he is in want. He that is parsimonious, close, niggardly, shall find few, or none, who will aid him. 'In your bosom.' That is, to you. The word 'bosom' here has reference to a custom among oriental nations of making the bosom or front part of their garments large, so that articles could be carried in them, answering the purpose of our pockets. See Ruth iii. 15. A parable. A proverb, or similitude. See Matt. xv. 14. 'The disciple is not,' &c. The learner is not above his teacher, does not know more, and must expect to fare no better. This seems to have been spoken to show them that if they were blind, their followers would be also; and that, therefore, it was important for them to understand fully the doctrines of the gospel, and not to be blind leaders of the blind. · Every one that is perfect.' The word rendered 'perfect,' means to make whole, or complete. He that is perfect is thoroughly instructed, or reformed. The christian shall be like his Master, holy, harmless, and undefiled, and separate from sinners. He shall copy his example, and grow into the likeness of his Redeemer. Nor can any other be a christian.

43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes.

See Matt. vii. 16-18.

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that

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