synagogue, and entered into him to hear the word of God, he Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. 39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 40 Now, when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases, brought them unto him: and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ, the Son of God. And he, rebuking them, suffered them not to speak for they knew that he was Christ. 42 And when it was day, he departed, and went into a desert place; and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee. CHAPTER V. AND it came to pass, that as the people pressed upon thou art the Messiah. || That he was Christ; that he was the Messiah. CHAPTER V. 1-11. See on Matt. 4: 18-22. Mark 1: 16-20. The word of God; the instructions respecting the divine kingdom; that is, as we speak, the gospel. The lake of Gennesaret · stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now, when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon, answering, said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the another name for the sea of Gali lee. 8. Depart from me, &c. The reverence with which Peter became impressed, made him feel utterly unworthy to be near so holy and powerful a person as Jesus. REMARK. A sense of the divine draught of the fishes which they had taken : 10 And so was also James and John the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not from hence forth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 And behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And when they could not 12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold, a man full of leprosy who, see-find by what way they might ing Jesus, fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 13 And he put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will: Be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. 14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. 17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, holiness and majesty, and an exhibition of any uncommon excellence of character, often fills a good man with shame at his own sinfulness, and with awe towards Him who is perfection itself. Compare Job 42: 5, 6. Isaiah 6:5. Revelation 1: 17. How becoming it is in us, so sinful, to cher bring him in, because of the multitude, they went upon the house-top, and let him down through the tiling with his couch, into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he, answering, said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? 23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins (he said unto the sick of the palsy), ish the deepest humility and selfabasement! 12-16. Compare Matt. 8: 2-4. Mark 1: 40-45. 17-26. Compare Mark 2: 1--12. Matt. 9: 2-8. To heal them; that is, those who had need of healing; I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house. 25 And immediately he arose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day. 27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans, and of others that sat down with them. 30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 31 And Jesus, answering, said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? 34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bride-chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. 36 And he spake also a parable unto them: No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old: if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new, agreeth not with the old. 37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved. 39 No man, also, having drunk old wine, straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. CHAPTER VI. 32 I came not to call the AND it came to pass on the righteous, but sinners, to repent ance. 33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, the sick, who had been brought thither. 27-39. Compare Matt. 9: 9-17. Mark 2: 13–22. second Sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn-fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands Mark 2: 23-28. 3: 1-6. The second Sabbath after the first; literally. rendered, the second-first Sabbath. It is generally believed that this double designation of a certain Sabbath, as being the second-first, has respect to 1-11. Compare Matt. 12. 1 14. two things; in respect to one of CHAPTER VI. 2 And certain of the Phari-stand forth in the midst. And sees said unto them, Why do ye he arose, and stood forth. that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath-days? 3 And Jesus, answering them, said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was a hungered, and they which were with him; 4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the show-bread, and gave also to them that were with him, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? 5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. 9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath-days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. 12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 6 And it came to pass also on another Sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue, and 13 And when it was day, he taught and there was a man called unto him his disciples: whose right hand was withered and of them he chose twelve, 7 And the scribes and Phar-whom also he named Apostles; isees watched him, whether he would heal on the Sabbath-day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and which this Sabbath was second, and in respect to the other, it was first. The law of the passover required that in the month Nisan, on the fourteenth day, at evening, the paschal lamb should be eaten (Lev. 23: 5); the next day, the fifteenth, the festival of unleavened bread commenced, and that day was a day of rest in which no work was to be done; it was a sacred day, and, according to the Jewish mode of speaking, it was a Sabbath, (Lev. 23: 6, 7.) On the next day, the sixteenth, a ripe sheaf was to be presented as an offering to the Lord (Lev. 23: 10, 11); and from this six 14 Simon (whom he also named Peter) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes, teenth day, seven full weeks were to be reckoned, as bringing on the festival of pentecost, (Lev. 23: 15, 16,) in commemoration of the harvest. Now, the Sabbath in the first of these seven weeks was probably the one here designated. It was second in regard to the day of rest on the fifteenth; it was first in regard to the series which was to introduce the pentecost. 11. Filled with madness; exceedingly enraged. 12-16. Compare Matt. 10: 2-4. Mark 3: 13-19. Judas the brother of James; the same that is called by the other evangelists Lebbeus, or Thad 16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain; and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; deus. By either of these names this person was known. 18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him; for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. 20 And he lifted his up eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hun blessed; he also presents the contrast, and shows how undesirable are certain 17-19. Compare Matt. 4: 25. outward circumstances, or conditions, Tyre and Sidon. See at the north-as exposing to coming misery. It is, west part of the map of Canaan. Virtue; healing power. See Mark 5: 30. There next follows the substance of our Lord's sermon on the mount, given by Matthew in chapters 5-7. Luke does not mention the circumstance of his having gone up the mountain to address the people; but Matthew does mention this additional circumstance. See the remarks introducing the notes on the fifth chapter of Matthew. The language of Luke in the former part of this discourse is slightly different from that of Matthew. Instead of directing our minds at once to traits of character, it presents certain circumstances of external condition, as being connected with blessings, or with the divine displeasure. But these external circumstances are regarded as corresponding with the real state of the heart; and it is on that principle that the favor, or the displeasure, of God is represented as connected with outward condition. This, too, was in accordance with the scriptural usage to which the Jews were accustomed. For instance, the words poor and meek, or humble, are in the Old Testament used as nearly synonymous; and the words signifying rich and haughty are used as nearly equivalent. Luke shows not only who are truly however, taken for granted that the inward character bears a resemblance to the outward condition. This reverse of the picture Matthew does not present. Probably neither Matthew nor Luke presents us with the whole that the Saviour uttered on this occasion. Nor is it a matter of any importance to us, which of them, or whether either of them, has given, in every instance, the precise form of words which the Saviour employed. It is the thoughts, the sentiments uttered, that we are mainly concerned to know. 20. Blessed be ye poor; ye that are in lowly circumstances, and cherish the disposition which corresponds with those circumstances; namely, a lowly mind. As the accessory idea of a lowly mind was connected with lowly circumstances, the word poor came to be equivalent to the word moly, or humble, whatever might be the person's external condition. Hence Matthew says, Blessed are the poor in spirit. The poor, whom blessings are here promised, are those whose characters correspond with that of the poor mun mentioned in Ps. 34: 6. Compare Matt. 5: 3. to 21. Ye that hunger now; ye whose necessities in regard to the body are connected with a sense of your ne cessities in regard to the soul, and |