66 there abide till ye go thence. When ye enter into any city, endeavour to find out those who are moft remarkable for their piety, probity, and hofpitality, who are expecting the Meffiah's kingdom, who will receive the news of it with pleasure, and who, in all probability, will affift you in publishing it; and when ye have found such persons, abide with them till ye leave that city or village. We have this more fully expreffed in the inftructions to the feventy, Luke x. 7. " In the fame house remain, eating and drinking fuch things as they have; go not from houfe to house." Doubtlefs the difciples on fome occafions might change their quarters with decency; but our Lord abfolutely forbade them to do it for the lake of better entertainment, that they might not give mankind the leaft handle of imagining they served their bellies. Matt. x. 12. And when ye come into an houfe, falute it : or, as it is in the inftructions given to the feventy, Luke x. 5. 'Say, peace be to this house." For in the eastern countries * the form of falutation used among friends was, Peace be to you, or to this boufe. Hence our Lord adds, 13. And if the boufe be worthy, be of a hospitable difpofition and receive you, let your peace come upon it; let your falutation be made effectual, by its enjoying great temporal and fpiritual profperity; fo do I command who have the government of the world. But if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you; your benediction shall return to yourselves, for ye fhall be fure to find the more kindness elsewhere, that you have been ill used by these inhofpitable people. 14. And whosoever shall not receive you, that is, entertain you kindly, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that boufe or city, fbake off the duft of your feet. The Jews fancied that the very duft of heathen countries polluted them; for which reason, when they returned to their own land, they used to stop at the borders of it, and wipe their feet, that the holy inheritance might not be defiled. If our Lord had this cuftom in his eye, his meaning was, Look upon those who refufe you the offices of humanity, and will not hearken to your inftructions, as no better than heathens. Accordingly, the direction is thus expreffed, Mark vi. 11. Shake off the duft under your feet, for a teftimony against houfes for lodging them, called in modern language Caravanferai's, into which travellers brought their own provifions, and accommodated themfelves the best way they could. But it was common for perfons of humane difpofitions, fuch as our Lord here calls ago, worthy perfons, to entertain frangers according to their ability. See Judges xix. 15,-71. The form of falutation, &c.] Thus when Mofes and his father-in-law Jethro met, the text fays they asked each other peace, Exod. xviii. 7. that is, afked for peace, prayed for it, wished it to each other. See John xiv. 27. f Ver. 14. Receive you.] In fcripture, to receive one, fignifies to allow him the benefit of our company, to converfe familiarly with him, and to do him good offices. See Luke xv. 2. It fignifies alfo to entertain one hofpitably; being applied twice to Rahab's entertaining the fpies, Ileb. xi. 31. James ii. 25. against them: declare in the plaineft manner, that for the future you will not have the leaft intercourse with fuch an obftinate and impious race. Matt. x. 15. Verily I fay unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrab, in the day of judgment, than for that city: perfons, the matter of whofe crimes far exceed theirs, are lefs guilty than they, because they have not defpifed fuch advantages, fo that they shall be more lightly punished. Confidering the nature of the tidings which the apostles were now fent out to publish, namely, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, confidering also the number and variety of the miracu-· lous cures which they were enabled to perform in confirmation of their doctrine, together with the greatness of the benefits they were empowered to confer upon the families who fhould entertain them kindly, it is reasonable to think that they were flattering themselves with the hopes of great honour and acceptance wherever they came. In the mean time, the event was by no means to answer their expectation. They were every where to be despised, perfecuted, delivered up into the hands of public juftice, and punished as evil doers. Our Lord therefore thought fit to forewarn them of thefe things, made them large promifes of the divine aid, and gave them directions with respect to their conduct in every circumftance. Matt. x. 16. Behold I fend you forth as fheep in the midst of wolves: I now fend you forth weak and defenceless among a cruel and wicked people. Be ye therefore wife as ferpents, and harmless as doves: on the one hand, be fo prudent as not to irritate the wicked, and those who fhall oppose you, either by your behaviour or your doctrine unneceffarily, (Matt. vii. 6.); on the other hand, let not your prudence degenerate into craft, left it lead you to betray the truth, or to encourage men in their evil practices. Join prudence and innocence together, rendering yourselves remarkable for integrity amidst the greatest temptations, and for meeknefs under the greateft provocations. 17. But beware of men: though I order you to be meek and patient under injuries, I do not mean that you fhould not be on your guard, and if poffible avoid them. No; the more circumfpect you are in the whole of your converfation with the men of this world, whom I before compared to wolves, it is fo much the better; for, after all, you will meet with many indignities, and often be in danger of death, even from the hand of public juftice; for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will fcourge you in their fynagogues as apoftates. 18. And ye fhall be brought before governors and kings, as malefactors, for my fake. These things did not happen while the apostles were out on their first miffion. They came to pafs after Chrift's afcenfion, when Peter and John were called before the fanhedrim, A&ts iv. 6, 7. and beaten, Acts v. 40. Alfo when James and Peter 233 Peter were brought before Herod, Acts xii. 3. Paul before king Agrippa and his wife, and the Roman governors Gallio, Felix, Feftus; and, laft of all, before the emperor Nero, and his prefect Helius Cæfarianus. For a teftimony against them and the Gentiles: all these things are ordered to befal you, that your innocence may appear, and that the truth of the gofpel may be demonftrated. Accordingly, the patience which the apostles fhewed under continual perfecutions, and the courage wherewith they went to death in confirmation of their doctrine, became ftrong proofs of their innocence, and of the truth of the gospel. Moreover, if the apostles had never been brought before the fupreme powers, nor defended their caufe in the prefence of kings and governors, it might have been faid, that becaufe Chriftianity could not bear a strict examination fem able judges, it was preached to none but men of vulgar underftandings, who were not capable of detecting it. But when perfons of the higheft diftinction for birth, fortune, capacity and learning, had the gospel laid before them in the defences which the apoftles were obliged to make at the public tribunals of every country, its fstanding fuch a trial was certainly a great confirmation of its truth to perfons of inferior note. Wherefore, as Jefus here foretold, the perfecutions which the apostles fuffered, and their being brought before kings, became a teftimony of their innocence, and of the truth of the gofpel, and confequently an undeniable proof of the guilt both of the Jews and Gentiles who rejected it. 19. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall Speak, for it shall be given you in that fame bour what ye shall Speak. 20. For it is not ye that speak but the fpirit of your Father which Speaketh in you This direction was repeated on feveral occafions afterwards, particularly Luke xii. 11. Mark xiii. 11. The apoftles being illiterate men, and wholly unacquainted with the laws of the different countries whither they were to go, and with the forms of their courts, their Mafter forefaw that they would be in great perplexity, when they appeared as criminals before perfons of the first distinction. He forefaw, likewife, that this circumftance would occur to themselves, and render them anxious to meditate beforehand, by what apology they might beft defend fo noble a caufe. More than once, therefore, he exprefsly forbade them to be in the leaft folicitous about the defences they were to make, or fo much as to premeditate any part of them; promifing to afford them on all occafions the aid of their Father's fpirit, who would infpire them to speak in a manner becoming the cause they were to defend. 21. And the brother fball deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child, and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death: fuch is the nature of the men among whom ye are going, and fuch the obftinacy with which VOL. II. R they they shall oppofe the gofpel, that were it their brother, their father, or their son who preaches it, they would make no scruple of being active in putting those nearest relations to death. You may therefore expect the hotteft perfecution. But as you are to have great affiftances, you need not be difmayed. 22. And ye Shall be bated of all men for my name's fake, i. e. ye shall be hated by the generality of men. The apoftles and firft Chriftians fet themselves in oppofition both to the Jewish and Pagan religions, declaring the nullity of the former, and urging the renunciation of the latter in all its forms, as matter of indifpenfable neceffity. On the most tremendous penalties they required every man, without exception, to believe in Chrift, and fubmit implicitly to his authority; a demand moft galling to the pride of princes, priefts, and philofophers. Moreover, having a lively fenfe of the impor tance of the things which they preached, they urged them not in a cold and indifferent manner, but with the utmoft fervency. Need it be matter of wonder then, that in every country fuch a furious ftorm of perfecution arofe against them and the religion they taught, and that they were treated as the filth and offscourings of the earth? But be that endureth to the end fhall be faved. This encouragement Jefus likewife gave his difciples, when he fpake to them of the fufferings they were to meet with, about the time of the deftruction of Jerufalem, Matt. xxiv. 13. We may therefore believe, that he had thofe fufferings now in his view. 23. But when they perfecute you in this city, flee ye into another; for verily I fay unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Ifrael, till the Son of man be come. Let not the perfecutions ve are to meet with in any period of your ministry difcourage you; but when ye are fore preffed in one city, flee into another, where ye will meet with an afylum; for I affure you, in fpite of all oppofition, your labours fhall be attended with fuch fuccefs, that ye shall not have gone over the cities of Ifrael, till the Son of man be come: before ye have carried the glad tidings of the gospel to the feveral cities of Ifrael, my kingdom fhall be established in many places; fo that in the midst of the hotteft perfecution, ye may always expect to find fome who will befriend you. By the coming of the Son of man here mentioned, Lightfoot understands his refurrection from the dead; others the deftruction of Jerufalem, called the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven, Matt. xxiv. 30.; others the miraculous effufion of the Spirit, named by our Lord himself, his coming, John xiv. 18.; but the last is the more fimple and natural explication. 24. The difciple is not above his mafter, nor the fervant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the difciple that he be as his mafter, and the fervant as his lord: if they have called the mafter of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his boufebold? That you may bear all with a becoming fortitude, confider that they See they have calumniated, traduced, and perfecuted me your master, for which caufe, you my difciples cannot think it hard if they fhall calumniate and perfecute you. Matt. x. 26. Fear them not therefore, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and bid that shall not be known: Be not afraid of their calumnies, however falfe or malicious, for neither shall their wickedness nor your innocence be always concealed; both fhall be manifefied, at leaft in the day of judgment. Wherefore, the doctrines of the gofpel which I have delivered to you in private, you ought to preach plainly and publicly without the fear of men. 27. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the ear (in private) that preach ye upon the house tops. on Mark ii. 4. § 33. 28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul; but rather fear him which is able to deftroy both foul and body in hell. The utmoft malice of your enemies cannot reach your better part, your foul, it can only hurt your body; for which reafon you ought to fear them lefs than God, who, if you offend him, can deftroy (torment, fo s fometimes fignifies) both foul and body in hell. Befides, you fhould confider that your enemies cannot touch even your bodies, without your Father's permiffion. For the meaneft of his creatures are under the protection of his providence, infomuch that nothing befalleth them without its direction. 29. Are not two Sparrows fold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. The regard which the great Father of the univerfe has for all his creatures, fmall and great, is ftrongly reprefented in the book of Jonah, where God makes his compaffion to brute beafts, one of the reafons why he would not destroy Nineveh. "Should not I fpare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than fix score thousand perfons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left, and also much cattle?" 30. But the very bairs of your head are all numbered. Men number whatever things of value are in their poffeffion, left any of them should be loft through the careleffness or knavery of those who have them in charge. The numbering therefore of the difciples hairs, fhews how precious his fervants are in God's fight, and what a strict account he takes of every thing that concerns them. 31. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many Sparrows: fince the leaft of God's creatures are fo much the object of his care, ye who are honoured with fo important an employment as that of preaching the gofpel is, need not be afraid. 32. Whosoever therefore shall confefs me before men, bim will I confefs alfo before my Father which is in heaven. 33. But whofoever shall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny before my Father which is in heaven (See 2 Tim. ii. 12. Rev. iii. 5. Rom. x. 9,-11.) Whofoever fhall make profeffion of my religion in time of perfecution, and by an inviolable at tachment |