MSS. unless we reckon the Cam. which reads avra without any pronoun.

CHAPTER XVI.

8. Commended the prudence of the unjust steward, exnvete tov οικονομον της αδικίας, ότε φρονίμως εποίησεν. E. T. Commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely. When an active verb has for its subject a quality, disposition, or action, of a person, it is a common Heb. idiom to mention the person, as that which is directly affected by the verb, and to introduce the other (as we see done here) by a conjunction,-commended the unjust steward, because he had acted prudently, that is commended the prudence which he had shown in his action. Properly his master commended neither the actor nor the action, but solely the provident care about his future interest, which the action displayed; a care worthy the imitation of those who have in view a nobler futurity, eternal life.

2 Τον οικονομον της αδικίας for τον αδικον, in like manner as ὁ κριTAS Tns adixias, ch. xviii. 6. for adinos, the unjust judge.

λειος εν τη γενεα αυτό.

3 In conducting their affairs, εις την γενεαν την έαυτων. E. T. In their generation. Teva is the word by which the Seventy commonly render the Heb. dor, which signifies not only age, seculum, and generation, or the people of the age, but also a man's manner of life. Thus Noah is said, Gen. vi. 9. to be THoubigant renders it integer in viis suis. It is true he conjectures very unnecessarily a different reading. Yet he himself, in another place, admits this as one meaning of the Heb. word dor. Thus Is. liii. 8. the words rendered in the Sep. την γενεαν αυτό τις διηγησεται, he translates ejus omnem vitam quis secum reputabit ? and in the notes defends this translation of the Heb. dor. To the same purpose bishop Lowth, in his late version of that prophet, His manner of life who would declare ?

דור

9. With the deceitful mammon, εκ το μαμώνα της αδικιας. Ε. Τ. Of the mammon of unrighteousness. Here again the substantive is employed by the same Hebraism, as in the preceding verse, to supply the place of the adjective, maμara tas adixias, as oixovo

May Tas adining. The epithet unrighteous, here applied to mammon or riches, does not imply acquired by injustice or any undue means; but, in this application, it denotes false riches, that is, deceitful, not to be relied on. What puts this beyond a question is, that, in v. 11. To adina paμava is contrasted, not by To Sixalov, but by To aλndvor, the former relating to earthly treasure, the latter to heavenly. For the import of mammon, see Mt. vi. 24. N.

όταν εκλίπητε.

2 After your discharge, orav exλITE. E. T. When ye fail. As this is spoken in the application of the parable, it is to be understood as referring to that circumstance which must sooner or later happen to all, and which bears some analogy to the steward's dismission from his office. This circumstance is death, by which we are totally discharged from our employment and probation here. The word fail, in the common version, is obscure and indefinite. I have preferred discharge, as both adapted to the expression of the Evangelist, and sufficiently explicit. It bears a manifest reference to the act whereby a trustee is divested of his trust, and is also strictly applicable to our removal out of this world. Cas. has happily preserved this double allusion in La. by saying, Quum defuncti fueritis. L. Cl. has not been so fortunate in Fr; he says, Quand vous serez expirez. The verb here shows clearly the future event pointed to, but detaches it altogether from the story; for the word expirez cannot be applied to the discarding of a steward from office. Of so much use in interpreting do we sometimes find words which are, in a certain degree, equivocal.

3 Into the eternal mansions, «S DAS RIVING σunvas. E. T. Into everlasting habitations. As cun properly signifies a tent or tabernacle, which is a temporary and moveable habitation, some have thought it not so fitly joined with the epithet avis. It is true that, in strictness, means no more than a tent ; but it is also true, that sometimes it is used with greater latitude, for a dwelling of any kind, without regard either to its nature or its duration. The article has been very improperly, in this passage, overlooked by our translators. It adds to the precision, and consequently to the perspicuity, of the application. J. i. 14. N.

2

16. Every occupant entereth it by force, was as aUTH BIRGITAI. E. T. Every man presseth into it. Though this last interpretation may be accounted more literal than that here given, it is

farther from the import of the sentence. The intention is mani. festly to inform us, not how great the number was of those who entered into the kingdom of God, but what the manner was in which all who entered obtained admission. The import, there. fore, is only, Every one who entereth it, entereth it by force. We know, that during our Lord's ministry, which was, (as John's also was) among the Jews; both his success and that of the Baptist were comparatively small. Christ's flock was lite rally, even to the last, pov izgov, a very little flock. Of the backwardness of the people, we hear frequently in the Gospel. He came to his own, says the Apostle John, but his own received him not. And he himself complains, Ye will not come unto me, that ye may have life. It was not till after he was lifted up upon the cross, that, according to his own prediction, he drew all men to him.

20. A poor man, xrwxos ris. E. T. A certain beggar. Though either way of rendering is good, the first is more conformable to the extensive application of the Gr. word, than the second. To beg is always in the N. T., απαιτείν οι προσαιτείν, The present participle portav, agreeably to a well known Heb. idiom, strictly denotes a beggar.

21. Was fain to feed on the crumbs, exiluμar KoçtaσInval año Twix. E. T. Desiring to be fed with the crumbs. I agree with those who do not think there is any foundation, in this expression, for saying that he was refused the crumbs. First, the word μ does not imply so much; secondly, the other cir cumstances of the story render this notion improbable. First, as to the scriptural sense of the word, the verb μ is used by the Seventy, Is. i. 29. for rendering the Heb. bahar, elegit. The clause is rendered, in the E. T. For the gardens which ye have chosen. In like manner, in Is. lviii. 2. the word occurs twice, answering to the Heb. a chaphats, to delight, or take pleasure in ; γνωναι με τας όδες επιθυμέσιν ; again, εγγίζειν Θεω επίσ θυμασιν. . E. T. They delight to know my ways; and, They take delight in approaching to God. It is not necessary to multiply examples. That the notion, that he did not obtain the crumbs, is not consistent with the other circumstances, is evident. When the historian says, that he was laid at the rich man's gate, he means not, surely, that he was once there, but that he was

usually so placed, which would not probably have happened, if he had got nothing at all. The other circumstances concur in heightening the probability. Such are, the rich man's immedi. ately knowing him, his asking that he might be made the instru ment of the relief wanted; and, let me add this, that though the Patriarch upbraids the rich man with the carelessness and luxury in which he had lived, he says not a word of inhumanity; yet, if we consider Lazarus as having experienced it so recently, it could hardly, on this occasion, have failed to be taken notice of. Can we suppose that Abraham, in the charge he brought against him, would have mentioned only the things of least moment, and omitted those of the greatest? For similar reasons, I have rendered evμi, ch. xv. 16. in the same manner as here. In the E. T. the expression there suggests more strongly, that his desire was frustrated: He would fain have filled his belly, which, in the common idiom, always implies, but could not. It appears very absurd, that one should have the charge of keeping swine, who had it not in his power to partake with them. How could it be prevented? Would the master multiply his servants in time of famine, and send one to watch and keep this keeper? The clause, for nobody gave him ought, is to be interpreted not strictly, but agreeably to popular language; as though it had been said that in the general calamity he was much neglected, and if he had not had recourse to the food allotted for the swine, he would have been in imminent danger of starving.

dis

2 Much injury has been done to our Saviour's instructions, by the ill-judged endeavours of some expositors to improve and strengthen them. I know no better example for illustrating this remark, than the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Many, satisfied with its simplicity, as related by the Evangelist, and desirous, one would think, to vindicate the character of the Judge from the charge of excessive severity in the condemnation of the former, load that wretched man with all the crimes which blacken human nature, and for which they have no autho rity from the words of inspiration. They will have him to have been a glutton and a drunkard, rapacious and unjust, cruel and hard-hearted, one who spent in intemperance what he had acquired by extortion and fraud. Now, I must be allowed to remark that, by so doing, they totally pervert the de

sign of this most instructive lesson, which is to admonish us, not that a monster of wickedness, who has, as it were, devoted his life to the service of Satan, shall be punished in the other world; but that the man who, though not chargeable with doing much ill, does little or no good, and lives, though not, perhaps, an intemperate, a sensual, life; who, careless about the situation of others, exists only for the gratification of himself, the indulgence of his own appetites, and his own vanity; shall not escape punishment. It is to show the danger of living in the neglect of duties, though not chargeable with the commission of crimes; and, particularly the danger of considering the gifts of Providence as our own property, and not as a trust from our Creator, to be employed in his service, and for which we are accountable to him. These appear to be the reasons for which our Lord has here shown the evil of a life which, so far from being universally detested, is, at this day, but too much admired, envied, and imitated.

3 The Vul. adds, Et nemo illi dabat; but has no support, except that of one or two inconsiderable MSS. and the Sax. ver. sion. This reading has, doubtless, by the blunder of some copyist, been transcribed from the preceding chapter.

22. Vul. Sepultus est in inferno. This reading is equally unsupported with the former, and is a mere corruption of the text, arising from the omission of the conjunction in the beginning of verse 23. and the misplacing of the points.

For the illustration of several words in this and the following verses, such as εν τω άδη-τον κολπον το Αβρααμ-απενεχθήναι δια Envas-diαTEρativ-see Prel. Diss. VI. P. II. § 19, 20.

25. A great many MSS. and some ancient versions, particularly the Sy. read dt, here, instead of ode, but he ; and this reading is adopted by Wet. The resemblance in sound, as well as in writing, may easily account for a much greater mistake in copying. But that the common reading is preferable, can hardly be questioned. In it à de is contrasted to av de, as vov is, in like manner, to ev (wn σs; but to 'ads nothing is opposed. Had ** occurred in the other member of the comparison made by the Patriarch, I should have readily admitted that the probability was on the side of the Sy. version.