Matt. xxiii.

6 and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

§ 123. WOES AGAINST THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES. LAMENTATION OVER JERUSALEM.-Jerusalem.

Third Day of the Week.

Mark xii. 40.

40 Which devour widows'
houses, and for a pretence
make long prayers: these
shall receive greater dam-
nation.

Luke xx. 47.

47 Which devour widows' houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

Matt. xxiii. 13-39. 14 Woe unto you," scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

i

16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold ? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift ? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier" matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other

Matt. xxiii.

25 Woe

undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 3 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets," and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias," whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.t

§ 124. THE WIDOW'S MITE.-Jerusalem.
Third Day of the Week.

Mark xiii.

poor widow, and she threw in two mites,
which make a farthing. 43 And he called
unto him his disciples, and saith unto
them, Verily I say unto you, That this
poor
widow hath cast more in, than all
they which have cast into the treasury:
4 for all they did cast in of their abund-
ance; but she of her want did cast in
all that she had," even all her living.

Luke xxi.

3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 4 for all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had."

§ 125. CERTAIN GREEKS DESIRE TO SEE JESUS.-Jerusalem.
Third Day of the Week.

John xii. 20-36. 20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: 21 the same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. 22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die," it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.* 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. 27 Now is my soul troubled;" and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause' came I unto this hour. 28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. 30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. 34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? 35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36 While ye have light, believe

w 2 Cor. 8. 1-3.

This incident of the Greeks is inserted here on the third day of the week, rather than on the first, because of John 12. 36; which implies that Jesus afterwards appeared no more in public as a teacher. He immediately takes leave of the temple.

y 1 Cor. 15. 36. * Matt. 10. 39. a Luke 12. 50,

b For this cause, &c.: i.e. in order to die as the sacrifice for sin.

ci.e. not Jews alone. Our Lord takes occasion from the presence of the Greeks (ver. 20) to announce the comprehension of the Gentiles in his work of redemption.

d2 Sam. 7. 13; Psa. 89. 29, 36; 110. 4; Dan. 7. 14.

John xii.

in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

§ 126. REFLECTIONS UPON THE UNBELIEF OF THE JEWS.-Jerusalem. Third Day of the Week.

John xii. 37-50. 37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory," and spake of him.” 42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world? 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him : the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

§ 127. JESUS, ON TAKING LEAVE OF THE TEMPLE, FORETELLS ITS DESTRUCTION AND THE PERSECUTION OF HIS DISCIPLES.-Jerusalem. Mount of Olives.

Matt.xxiv.1-14. 1And Jesus went out,' and departed from the temple:

e Isa. 53. 1.

Third Day of the Week. Mark xiii. 1-13. 1And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples

ƒ Isa. 6. 10.

as

Luke xxi. 5-19. 5And

some spake of the temple, how it was adorn

any, he seats himself for a time upon the mount of Olives, over against the temple, where the city was spread out before him as on a map; and here four of his disciples put to him the question, "When shall these things be?" According to Matthew they add, "and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" They still believed, like the other Jews, that the Messiah was to go forth as a temporal prince, to subvert the then existing order of things, to subdue all nations, and reign in peace and splendour over the world: see Luke 24. 21; Acts 1. 6.

'But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in

Comp. Acts 5. 36, 37; 8. 9, 10.