"Palsy,"-paralysis.

"A bed"

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a mattress, or light couch. "For whether is easier," &c.,-i.e., "Do not forgiving sins, and healing, both equally shew Divine power"?

"But that ye may know," &c.-Christ here heals the paralytic, and then appeals to that miracle as a proof that He has the power to forgive sins, i.e., that He is God.

Christ calls Matthew.

(NEAR CAPERNAUM.)
(c. ix. 9.)

"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him."

This incident is related by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The three accounts agree in the main.

Matthew calls himself Matthew, not Levi.

(It is to be noted that, when the Evangelists speak of themselves, they narrate all their faults, and circumstances disparaging to themselves; and vice versa when they speak of others of Christ's disciples. So here, while Mark and Luke call the publican Levi, he calls himself Matthew,the name by which he was best known, and thus distinctly identifies himself with the despised and hated tax-collector.)

Luke adds that "he left all.”

"From thence."-Mark tells us that Christ had just been teaching a multitude by the sea-shore. "The receipt of custom"

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the custom-house, (or booth). THE PUBLICANS:-were of two classes :

1. The Publicani, who farmed the taxes of the Roman provinces.

2. The Portitores, or Exactores, who did the actual work of collecting the taxes.

It was to this class that Matthew belonged.

They were placed on the frontiers, at city-gates, rivermouths, and on the sea-coast, where they had rude houses erected for them.

Matthew probably collected the port-dues at Capernaum. The publicans were generally hated for their unjust exactions; and when they were Jews, they were objects of peculiar abhorrence, being regarded as traitors to God and their nation.

PERIOD III. THE SECOND YEAR OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY. (A.D. 28-29.)

The Disciples pluck corn on the Sabbath.
(NEAR JERUSALEM.)

(c. xii. 1-8.)

"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees

saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

This incident is narrated by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and they agree in the main.

Matthew alone states that

1. The disciples were hungry.

2. Christ asked the Pharisees if the priests did not labour, and that blamelessly, in the Temple, on the Sabbath; and declared that there was present "one greater than the Temple."

3. He told them, if they had known the meaning of "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," they would not have "condemned the guiltless."

Mark alone mentions Abiathar, and records the words, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." "the

Luke alone states, that the incident occurred on second Sabbath after the first," ( = the first Sabbath after the second day of the Passover).

"Began to pluck the ears of corn."-By the Mosaic Law this was allowed in passing through a field of standing

corn.

"What David did," This occurred at Nob, when David, warned by Jonathan, fled from Saul's court.

The high priest at that time was Ahimelech, who was slain by Doeg at Saul's command, for aiding David. "The house of God,"-The Tabernacle.

"The shewbread," (or "Bread of the face," because set before the face of the Lord),-consisted of twelve loaves, one for each tribe. They were flat, thin, and of the finest wheaten flour. Every Sabbath fresh bread was placed on the Table of Shewbread, in 2 rows of 6 loaves each, and was sprinkled with incense, while libations of wine were offered in the golden bowls belonging to the Table. The stale loaves must be eaten by the priests alone, in the Holy Place.

"The priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath,"-i.e., the priests are compelled to work on the Sabbath in performing the rites of Divine worship, and thus make it like any ordinary week-day.

"I will have mercy," &c.-Hos. vi. 6,-"I desired mercy, and not sacrifices; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings." The words are part of an exhortation to repentance, addressed by God to Israel.

Christ's meaning here is, "If you had had mercy on my disciples, and exercised proper hospitality towards them, they would not have been compelled to break the Law."

The Son of man is Lord, &c.-Christ here means that He, (as God), being the author of the Sabbath, has power to regulate His own laws concerning it; and that, consequently, if He allowed the disciples to pluck the corn, they had full warrant for doing so.

By this discourse Christ teaches that works of necessity are lawful on the Sabbath: by the succeeding miracle of Healing the Withered Hand, He shews that works of mercy are also lawful on that day.

Christ heals the Withered Hand.

(AT CAPERNAUM.)

(c. xii. 9-14.)

"And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: and, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him."

This incident is narrated by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The three accounts agree as to the healing of the man; but each of them contains some special particulars.

Matthew alone relates that

1. They, (the Scribes and Pharisees), took the initiative, by asking him whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath.

2. He answered them by asking whether they would not pull a sheep of theirs out of a pit on the Sabbath, and by declaring that, inasmuch as a 'man is better than a sheep, "it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days." (This was before the

miracle).

He omits Christ's telling the man to "Stand forth," and His question to the Scribes and Pharisees.

Mark alone relates that

1. "They held their peace," after Christ's question.
2. Christ "looked round about on them with anger."

D

3. "The Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians." Luke alone relates that

1. It was the man's right hand that was withered.
2. It was the Scribes and Pharisees who watched Christ,
and argued with Him.

3. He knew their thoughts.

4. The man 66

arose and stood forth."

5. The miracle filled His enemies "with madness." 66 Thence," from Jerusalem. He had returned to "His own city," Capernaum.

"That they might accuse Him,"—for if

66

1. He said it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, they would accuse Him of breaking Commandment IV.; 2. He said it was not lawful, they would accuse Him of partiality in lately justifying His disciples' plucking the corn.

If it fall,” &c.—The Jewish doctors were agreed that, in such a case, a man might lift the animal out.

"Saith he."-Thus Christ healed by words, and so, putting forth no labour, gave His enemies not a loophole to accuse Him.

Christ withdraws to the Lake of Gennesaret, followed by multitudes: He works cures.

(c. xii. 15-21.)

"But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; and charged them that they should not make him known that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold 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 shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."

From Mark we gather that, at this time, Christ made a partial circuit of that part of the Lake bordering on Galilee,