24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise

1 Ch. iv. 10. Josh. xxiv. 15, 19, 20. 1 Sam. vii. 3. 1 Kin. xviii. 21. Luke xvi. 13.

dehased by attending exclusively to earthly objects, if it is diseased, and not fixed on heaven, how much darker and more dreadful will it be than any darkness of the eye! Avarice darkens the mind, obscures the view, and brings in a dreadful and gloomy night over all the faculties.

24. No man can serve two masters, &c. Christ proceeds to illustrate the necessity of laying up treasures in heaven from a well-known fact, that a servant cannot serve two masters at the same time. His affections and obedience would be divided, and he would fail altogether in his duty to one or the other. One he would love, and the other hate. To the interests of one he would adhere, the other he would neglect. This is a law of human nature. The supreme affections can be fixed on only one object. So, says Jesus, the servant of God cannot at the same time obey him and be avaricious, or seek treasures supremely on earth. One interferes with the other, and one will be, and must be surrendered. ¶ Mammon. Mammon is a Syriac word, a name given to an idol worshipped as the god of riches. It has the same meaning as Plutus among the Greeks. It is not known that the Jews ever formally worshipped this idol, but they used the word to denote wealth. The meaning is: ye cannot serve the true God, and at the same time be supremely engazed in obtaining the riches of this world. One must interfere with the other. See Luke xvi. 9-11.

25-34. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought, &c. The general design of this paragraph, which closes the chapter, is to warn the disciples against avarice and anxiety about the supply of their wants. Jesus does this by four arguments or considerations, expressing by unequalled beauty and force, the duty of depending for the things which we need on the providence of God. The first is stated in the 25th verse: "Is not the ife more than meat, and the body than

the other. Ye cannot 2 serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought 3 for your life, what

2 Gal. i. 10. 2 Tim. iv. 10. Jas. iv. 4. 31 Cor. vii. 32. Phil. iv. 6.

raiment ?" In the beginning of the verse he charged his disciples to take no thought, that is, not to be anxious, about the supply of their wants. God will take care of these. He has given life, a far greater blessing than meat; he has created the body, of far more consequence than raiment. Shall not he who has conferred the greater blessing, be willing to bestow the less? Shall not he, who has formed the body so curiously, and made such a display of power and goodness, see that it is properly protected and clothed? He who has displayed so great goodness as to form the body, and breathe into it the breath of life, will surely follow up the blessing, and confer the smaller favour of providing that that body should be clothed, and that life preserved. No thought. The word thought, when the Bible was translated, meant anxiety, and is so used frequently in old English authors. Thus Bacon says, "Haweis died with thought and anguish before his business came to an end." As such it is here used by our translators, and it answers exactly to the meaning of the original. Like many other words, it has since somewhat changed its signification, and would convey to most readers an improper idea. The word anxiety would now exactly express the sense, and is exactly the thing against which the Saviour would guard us. See Luke viii. 14; xxi. 34. Phil. iv. 6. Thought about the future is right; anxiety, solicitude, trouble, is wrong. There is a degree of thinking and industry about the things of this life which is proper. See Rom. xii. 11. 2 Thess. iii. 10. 1 Tim. v. 8. But it should not be our supreme concern; it should not lead to solicitude or anxiety; it should not take time that ought to be devoted to religion.

For your life. For what will support your life. ¶ Meat. This word here means food in general, as it does commonly in the Bible. We confine it now to animal food, or the food of animals. When the Bible was translated, it de

Are ye not much better

ment?

26 Behold the1 fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father2 feedeth

1 Ch. x. 29-31. Job xxxv. 11; xxxviii. 41. Psa. civ. 11, 12, 27, 28. Job xxxviii. 41. Luke xii. 24.

noted all kinds of food, and is so used in the old English writers. It is one of the words which has changed its meaning since the translation of the Bible was made. Raiment. Clothing.

26. Behold the fowls of the air. The second argument for confidence in the providence of God is derived from a beautiful reference to the fowls of heaven. See, said the Saviour, see the fowls of the air: they have no anxiety about the supply of their wants; they do not sow or reap; in innumerable flocks they fill the air; they fill the grove with music, and meet the coming light of the morning with their songs, and pour their notes on the zephyrs of the evening, unanxious about the supply of their wants; yet how few die with hunger! how regularly are they fed from the hand of God! how he ministers to their unnumbered wants! He sees their young open wide their mouths, and seek their meat at his hand," and how cheerfully and regularly are their necessities supplied! You, said the Saviour to his disciples, you are of more consequence than they are; and shall God feed them in such numbers, and suffer you to want? It cannot be. Put confidence, then, in that universal Parent that feeds all the fowls of the air, and fear not that he will also supply your wants. ¶ Better than they. Of more consequence. Your lives are of more importance than theirs, and God will therefore provide for them.

27. Which of you by taking thought. The third argument is taken from their extreme weakness and helplessness. With all your care you cannot increase your stature a single cubit. God has ordered your height. Beyond his appointment your powers are of no avail, and you can do nothing. So of raiment. He, by his

27 Which of you by taking 3 thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That

3 Psa. xxxix. 6.

providence, orders and arranges the cir cumstances of your life. Beyond that appointment of his providence, beyond his care for you, your efforts avail nothing. Seeing, then, that he alike orders your growth, and the supply of your wants, how obvious is the duty of depending on him, and of beginning all your efforts, feeling that he only can grant you the means of preserving life. ¶ One cubit. The cubit was originally the length from the elbow to the end of the middle finger. The cubit of the scriptures is not far from twenty-two inches. Terms of length are often applied to life; and it is thought by many to be so here. Thus, it is said, "Thou hast made my days as a handbreadth," Psa. xxxix. 5; "Teach me the measure of my days," Psa. xxxix. 4. In this place it is used to denote a small length. You cannot increase your stature even a cubit, or in the smallest degree. Compare Luke xii. 26. ¶Stature. This word means height. The original word, however, means oftener age. John ix. 21, 23. In these places it is translated age. If this be its meaning here, it denotes that a man cannot increase the length of his life at all. The utmost anxiety will not prolong it one hour beyond the time appointed for death.

28, 29. The fourth consideration is taken from the lilies of the valley. Watch the growing of the lily. It toils not, and it spins not. Yet night and day it grows. With a beauty which the most splendid monarch of the east never knew, it expands its blossom and fills the air with fragrance. Yet this beauty is of short continuance. Soon it will fade, and the beautiful flower will be cut down and burned. God so little regards the bestowment of beauty and ornament as to give

even Solomon in all his glory1 was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

11 Kin. x. 5-7.

the highest adorning to this which is soon to perish. When he thus clothes a lilya fair flower, soon to perish-will he be unmindful of his children? Shall theydear to his heart and imbued with immortality-lack that which is proper for them, and shall they in vain trust the God that decks the lily of the valley? He will much more clothe you. Even Solomon in all his glory, &c. The common dress of eastern kings was purple. But they sometimes wore white robes. See Est. viii. 15. Dan. vii. 9. It is to this that Christ refers. Solomon, says he, the richest and most magnificent king of Israel, was not clothed in a robe of so pure a white as the lily of the valley.

30. Is cast into the oven. The Jews had different modes of baking. In early times they frequently baked in the sand, warmed with the heat of the sun. They constructed also moveable ovens, made of clay, brick, or plates of iron. But the most common kind, and the one here probably referred to, was made by excavating the earth two and a half feet in diameter, and from five to six feet deep. This kind of oven still exists in Persia. The bottom was paved with stones. It was heated by putting wood or dry grass into the oven; and when heated, the ashes were removed. and the bread was placed on the heated stones. More commonly, however, the oven was an earthen vessel, without a bottom, about three feet high, smeared outside and inside with clay, and placed upon a frame, or support. Fire was made within it, or below it. When the sides were sufficiently heated, thin patches of dough were spread on the inside, and the top was covered, without removing the fire as in the other cases; and the bread was quickly baked.

32, 33. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. That is, those destitute of the true doctrines of religion, un

31 Therefore take no thought," saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

2 Psa. xxxvii. 3; lv. 22. 1 Pet. v. 7.

acquainted with proper dependence on divine providence, make it their chief anxiety thus to seek food and raiment. But you, who have a knowledge of your Father in heaven, who know that he will provide for your wants, should not be anxious. Seek first his kingdom; seek first to be righteous, and to become interested in his favour, and all necessary things will be added to you. God has control over all things, and he can give you that which you need. He will give you that which he deems best for you. ¶ Take no thought, &c. That is, no anxiety. Commit your way to God. The evil, the trouble, the anxiety of each day as it comes, is sufficient without perplexing the mind with restless cares about another day. It is wholly uncertain whether you live to see that day. If you do, it will bring its own trouble; and it will also bring the proper supply of your wants. God will be the same Father then as to-day, and will make then, as he makes now, proper provision for your wants. The morrow shall take thought. The morrow shall have anxieties and cares of its own, but it shall also bring the proper provision for those cares. Though you shall have wants, yet God will provide for them as they occur. Do not, therefore, increase the cares of this day by borrowing trouble respecting the future. Do your duty faithfully now, and depend on the mercy of God and his divine help for the troubles which are yet to come.

REMARKS ON CHAPTER VI.

I. Christ has here forcibly taught the necessity of charity, of prayer, and of all religious duties.

II. We see the necessity of sincerity and honesty in our religious duties. They are not done to be seen of men. If they are, they cannot be performed acceptably

what measure ye mete, 1 it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote

Judg. i. 7.2 Sam. xii. 5, 6. 2 Chron.xxviii. 9-11. Psa. 1. 16-21.

was a proverb among the Jews. It expressed a truth, and Christ did not hesitate to adopt it as conveying his own sentiments. It refers no less to the way in which men will judge of us, than to the rule by which God will judge us. See 2 Sam. xxii. 27. Mark iv. 24. Jas. ii. 13. ¶ Mete. MeaYou shall be judged by the same rule which you apply to others.

sure.

3. And why beholdest thou the mote, &c. A mole signifies any light substance, as dry chaff, or fine spires of grass or grain. It probably most usually signified the small spicule or beard on a head of barley or wheat. It is thus placed in opposition to the word beam. ¶ Beam. This word here signifies a large piece of squared timber. The one is an exceedingly small object, the other a large one. The meaning is, that we are much more quick and acute to judge of small offences in others, than of much larger offences in ourselves. Even a very small object that should hinder the vision of another, we should discern much more quickly than a much larger one in our own sight. This was also a proverb in frequent use among the Jews, and the same sentiment was common among the Greeks, and deserves to be expressed in every language.

5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out, &c. Christ directs us to the proper way of forming an opinion of others, and of reproving and correcting them. By first amending our own faults, or casting the beam out of our eye, we can consistently advance to correct the faults of others. There will then be no hypocrisy in our conduct. We shall also see clearly to do it. The beam, the thing that obscured our sight, will be removed; and we shall more clearly discern the small object that obscures the sight of our brother. The sentiment is, that the readiest way to judge of the imperfections

out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam 3 out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

6¶ Give not that which is holy

3 Gal. vi. 1.

of others, is to be free from greater ones ourselves. This qualifies us for judging, makes us candid and consistent, and enables us to see things as they are, and to make proper allowances for frailty and imperfection.

6. Give not that which is holy, &c. By some, the word holy has been supposed to mean flesh offered in sacrifice, made holy, or separated to a sacred use. But it probably means here anything connected with religion-admonition, precept, or doctrine. Pearls are precious stones found in shell-fish, chiefly in India, in the waters that surround Ceylon. They are used to denote anything peculiarly precious. Matt. xiii. 45. Rev. xvii. 4; xviii. 12-16. In this place they are used to denote the doctrines of the gospel. Dogs signify men who spurn, oppose, and abuse that doctrine; men of pcculiar sourness and malignity of temper, who meet it like growling and quarrelsome curs. 2 Pet. ii. 22. Rev. xxii. 15. Swine denote those who would trample the precepts under feet; men of impurity of life; corrupt, polluted, profane, obscene, and sensual; who would not know the value of the gospel, and who would tread it down as swine would pearls. Prov. xi. 22. 2 Pet. ii. 22. The meaning of this proverb, then, is: do not offer your doctrine to those violent and abusive men, who would growl and curse you; nor to those peculiarly debased and profligate, who would not perceive its value, would trample it down, and abuse you. This verse furnishes a beautiful instance of the introverted parallelism. The usual mode of poetry among the Hebrews, and a common mode of expression in proverbs and apothegms, was by the parallelism, where one member of a sentence answered to another, or expressed substantially the same sense with