ancients. They wore a long flowing robe as their outer garment. See note, Matt. v. 40. When they laboured, or walked, or ran, it was necessary to gird or tie this up by a sash or girdle about the body, that it might not hinder their progress. Hence, to gird up the loins means, to be ready, be active, be diligent. Compare 2 Kings iv. 29; ix. 1. Jer. i. 17. Acts xii. 8. Your lights burning.' Be ready at all times to leave the world, and enter into rest, when your Lord shall call you. This expression refers to the duty of servants when their master was away, and when he would return from a wedding. As they knew not the hour, they were to be continually ready. Compare notes on Matt. xxv.

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

See notes on Matt. xxv. 1-13.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily, I say unto you, That he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

'Shall gird himself.' Shall take the place of the servant himself. Servants who waited on the table were girded in the manner described above. Shall make them sit, &c. Shall place them at his table, and feast them. This evidently means, that if we are faithful to Christ, and are ready to meet him when he returns, he will receive us into heaven, will admit us to its blessings, and will make us happy there. As if he should serve us, and minister to our wants. As if a master, instead of sitting down at the table himself, should place his faithful servants there, and be himself the servant. See on John xiii. 1—17.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

See Matt. xxiv. 42-51. 'Second watch.' See Matt. xiv. 25. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

'Which knew his lord's will.' Who knew what his master wished him to do. He that knows what God commands and requires. Many stripes.' Shall be severely and justly punished. They who have many privileges, who are early taught in sunday schools, or by pious parents, or in other ways, and grow up in sin and impenitence, will have much more to answer for than those who have had no such privileges.

48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

'Few stripes.' The Jews did not inflict more than forty stripes for one offence, Deut. xxv. 3. For smaller offences they inflicted only four, five, six, &c., according to the nature of the crime. Jesus refers, doubtless, to those who have fewer opportunities, smaller gifts, or more ignorant or fewer teachers. Much is given.' Those who have much committed to their disposal, as stewards, &c. See the parable of the talents, in Matt. xxv. 14-30.

49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

'I am come,' &c. The result of my coming shall be that there will be divisions and contentions. He does not mean that he came for that purpose, or that he sought and desired it; but that such was the state of the human heart, such the opposition of men to the truth, that this would be the effect of his coming. See Matt. x. 34. 'Fire.' Fire, here, is the emblem of discord and conten

tion, and consequently calamities. Thus it is used in Ps. lxvi. 12; Isa. xliii. 2. And what will I,' &c. This passage might be better expressed in this manner: "And what would I, but that it were kindled." Since it is necessary for the advancement of religion that such divisions should take place; since the gospel cannot be established without conflicts, and stripes, and hatreds; I am even desirous that they should come.

50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

A baptism.' See Matt. xx. 22. 'How am I straitened.' How do I earnestly desire that it were passed! Since these sufferings must be endured, how anxious am I that the time should come! Such were the feelings of the Redeemer, in view of his approaching dying hour.

51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace_on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

See Matt. x. 34-36.

54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straigthway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. 55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. 56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? 57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

See Matt. xvi. 2, 3. Southward.' To the south and southwest of Judea were situated Arabia, Egypt, and Ethiopia, all warm or hot regions, and consequently the air that came from those quarters was greatly heated. 'This time.' You see a cloud rise, and predict a shower; a south-wind, and expect heat. These are regular events. So you see my miracles; you hear my preaching; you have the predictions of me in the prophets, why do you not, in like manner, infer that this is the time when the Messiah should appear?

58¶When thou goest with thine adversary to the

magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

See Matt. v. 25, 26.

CHAPTER XIII.

1 THERE were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

At that season.' At that time, that is, the time mentioned in the last chapter. At what period of our Lord's ministry this was, it is not easy to determine. 'Some that told him.' This was doubtless an event of recent occurrence. Why they told Jesus of it, can only be a matter of conjecture. But from the answer of Jesus, it would appear that they supposed that the Galileans deserved it, and that they meant to pass a judgment on their characters. Galileans. People who lived in Galilee. They were not under the jurisdiction of Pilate, but of Herod. The Galileans, in the time of Christ, were very wicked. 'Whose blood Pilate had mingled,' &c. That is, while they were sacrificing at Jerusalem. Pilate came suddenly upon them, and slew them, and their blood was mingled with the blood of animals that they were slaying for sacrifice. We learn from Josephus that the Galileans were much disposed to broils and seditions. It appears, also, that Pilate and Herod had a quarrel with each other, Luke xxiii. 12, and it is not improbable that Pilate might feel a particular enmity to the subjects of Herod.

2 And Jesus answering, said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

'Suppose ye,' &c. From this answer, it would appear that they supposed that the fact that these men had been slain in that manner, proved that they were very great sinners. 'I tell you, nay.' Jesus assured them that it was not right to draw such a conclusion. The fact that men come to a sudden and violent death is no proof that they are peculiarly wicked. Except ye repent.' Except you forsake your sins, and turn to God. Jesus never suffered a suitable occasion to pass, without warning the wicked, and entreating men to forsake their evil ways. In this, he showed his love for the souls of men; and in this, he set us

an example, that we should walk in his steps. 'Ye shall all likewise perish.' Perhaps there was never any reproof more delicate, and yet more severe, than this. Jesus did not tell them that they were as bad as the Galileans, but he left them to infer it-for if they did not repent, they must soon likewise be destroyed. This was remarkably fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem. Many of the Jews were slain in the temple; many while offering sacrifice; thousands perished in a way very similar to the Galileans.

4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

'Or those eighteen.' Jesus himself adds another similar case, to warn them-a case which had probably occurred not long before. 'Upon whom the tower in Siloam fell.' The fountain of Siloam was situated at the foot of mount Zion. From this fountain two streams were carried to two pools, called the upper and lower pools. Compare Isa. vii. 3; xxii, 9. John ix. 7. Over this fountain, or over these pools, which were at no great distance, were erected probably porches, or it may be towers, or both. About the time that the Saviour appeared, this tower fell and killed the number of persons mentioned here.

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

'I tell you, Nay.' Often the most wicked are suffered to prosper here, and their punishment is reserved for another world, while others are called to suffer much, and appear to be under the sore displeasure of God, Ps. lxxiii. This only we know, that the wicked shall not always escape; that God is just; and that none who do suffer here, or hereafter, suffer more than they most justly deserve.

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

'This parable.' See Matt. xiii. 3. 'Vineyard.' A place where vines were planted. It was not common to plant fig-trees in them, but our Lord represents it as having been sometimes done.