free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, und understand: not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.'

"When they eat bread,"-i.e., before sitting down to a meal.

Most of the Jews, excepting the Sadducees and some others who rejected tradition, were in the habit of washing their hands, whether they were dirty or not, before a meal.

"God commanded,"-in the 5th Commandment.

66

Curseth,"-i.e., reviles, or slights." He that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death." (Ex. xxi. 17.)

"It is a gift," &c.- If a Jew wished to evade supporting his parents, he had only to declare that his surplus means were Corban, (dedicated to God's service), and not his own,

and he was held to be absolved from his filial duty; but at the same time was not obliged to employ his property for sacred uses.

"Well did Esaias prophesy of you,"-Is. xxix. 13.-The passage reads, "This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.'

It was spoken of those who neglect the study of God's revelation to men.

"Hear and understand."-What follows is a reply to the reproach of the Pharisees.

"Thoughts" = reasonings, dialogues.

Christ heals the daughter of the Syro-
Phoenician Woman.

(IN THE DISTRICT OF TYRE AND SIDON.)
(c. xv. 21-28.)

"Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."

This incident is narrated by Matt, and Mark, the following being the only essential differences :Matt. calls her 66 a woman of Canaan:" Mark, a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician,” and adds that, when she reached home,

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the mother found the devil gone out of her daughter, and the latter lying on the bed.

She is called "a Greek," (because speaking that language), to indicate that she was not of the Hebrew faith, and 66 a Syro-Phoenician," to shew that she was a Phoenician of Tyre, (whose Hebrew name was Tor, or Soor), and hence belonging to a nation formerly doomed of God.

66 Dogs," "-the title by which the Jews styled the Gentiles, while they regarded themselves as "the children of the kingdom." Christ adopts the language of the Jews to try the woman's faith.

Jesus returns to the neighbourhood of Bethsaida, E. of Galilee: He performs various miracles.

(c. xv. 29-31.)

"And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them, insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel."

"And came nigh," &c.-Mark alone narrates that, at this juncture, Christ healed a deaf man with an impediment in his speech.

The Feeding of the 4000.

(IN THE SAME LOCALITY THAT THE 5000 WERE FED.)

(c. xv. 32-38.)

"Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he

commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled : and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.”

Matt. and Mark alone relate this incident.

The only difference of importance is that Matt. states 4000 men were fed, besides women and children, while Mark mentions only 4000 in all as having eaten. It is evident that Mark means that number to include men only, so that there is no contradiction.

"Baskets,”—small baskets, with handles, easily portable.

Christ comes by sea to Magdala: He replies to the Pharisees demanding a Sign from Heaven. (c. xv. 39; xvi. 1-4.)

"And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

:

The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed."

Matt. and Mark narrate these incidents: Mark is much the briefer. He merely says that on Christ's reaching the coasts of Dalmanutha, (another name for Magdala), "The Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation."

"A sign from heaven."-This, and the allusion to Jonah. have already been explained.

"Can ye not," &c.

=

"Can you not see that numerous

signs distinctly point to me as the Messiah"?

"Departed," to the other side, to Bethsaida in Decapolis.

Christ warns His Disciples against the Leaven of the Pharisees.

(ON THE E. OF THE Lake, near BETHSAIDA.)
(c. xvi. 5-12.)

"And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four. thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

"The leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." Mark has, "The leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod." The meaning is the same in each case, for Herod and his party were Sadducees, and the Sadducees generally supported him.

The doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees are here fitly compared to leaven, because by slow, insidious, but sure, progress they puffed men up with pride and evil passions, and finally pervaded their whole being.

"It is because," &c.-The mutual animosity of Jewish sects made them avoid, if possible, dealing with those of other parties. Hence, and from their having neglected to