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neither durft any man (from that day forth) afk him any more questions.

1 THEN fpake Jefus to the multitude, and to his 2 difciples, Saying, The fcribes and Pharifees fit. in Mofes (a) feat. All therefore whatsoever they bid you obferve, that obferve (b) and do; but do not 4 ye after their works: for they fay, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's fhoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers (c). 5 But all their works they do, for to be seen of men: they make broad their (d) phylacteries, and enlarge 6 the borders of their garments, And love the upper noft rooms at feafts, and the chief feats in the fynagogues, And greetings in the markets, and tỏ 8 be called of men Rabbi, Rabbi (e). But be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Mafter (f), even Christ, and all ye are brethren. And call no man (a) They profefs to teach and expound the law of Mofes.

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(b) Whatfoever they bid you obferve, agreeably to the law of Mofes, that obferve and do. But imitate them not in their prac tice; which is all for fhew, and not from a true principle of religion.

(c) They keep the people in flavifh fubjection, and will not give the leaft affiftance to lighten the weight of their burdens. See on the contrary the gracious invitation of Chrift. Chap. xi. 28.

(d) Phylacteries were fcrolls of parchment, whereon were written certain precepts of the law, which they bound upon their foreheads and arms, and used fuperftitiously as charms, to keep off evil fpirits. The Jews were commanded to border their garments with fringes, and the Pharifees for pride and oftentation wore these very broad, which made their clothes longer than others. Mark xii. 38. (e) Rabbi fignifies Mafler. John i. 38.

(f) Our Saviour doth not hereby forbid the use of fuch titles of refpect as properly belong to fuperior rank, or natural relation: but he forbids on the one hand to ufurp an undue authority over the confcience, or, on the other, to yield an implicit obedience in matters of religion to the unauthorised dictates of men,

your

Father,

your father the earth. for one is your upon 10 which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: II for one is your master, even Chrift. But he that is 12 greatest among you fhall be your (g) fervant. And whofoever fhall exalt himself, fhall be abafed; and he that fhall humble himself, fhall be exalted.

13

But wo unto you fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye hut up the kingdom of heaven against men (b): for ye neither go in yourselves, neither fuffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Wo unto you fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye devour widow's houfes, and for a pretence make long prayers: therefore ye fhall receive the 15 greater damnation. Wo unto you fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye compafs fea and land to make one (i) profelyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than 16 yourselves. Wo unto you, ye blind guides (4), which fay, Whofoever fhall swear by the temple, it is nothing but whofoever fhall fwear by the 17 gold of the temple, he is a debtor (1). Ye fools, and blind for whether is greater, the gold, or the 18 temple that fanctifieth the gold? And whofoever fhall fwear by the altar, it is nothing but whofoever fweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is 19 guilty (m). Ye fools, and blind: for whether is

greater, the gift, or the altar that fanctifieth the gift? 20 Whofo therefore fhall fwear by the altar, fweareth 21 by it, and by all things thereon. And whofo shall

(g) See Chap. xx. 27. Note.

(h) By your perverfe interpretation of the Prophets you endea vour to justify your own obftinacy, and hinder the generality of the people from becoming Chriftians. Luke xi. 52.

(i) A Profelyte is a Convert, one that comes over from another religion, or fe&t.

(k) See Chap. v. 34;

(1) He is bound to keep his oath.

(m) He is guilty if he breaks his oath.

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fwear by the temple, fweareth by it, and by him that 22 dwelleth therein. And he that fhall fwear by hea

ven, fweareth by the throne of God, and by him 23 that fitteth thereon. Wo unto you fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye pay tithe of mint and anife, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith (n): thefe ought ye to have done, and not to leave the 24 other undone. Ye blind guides, which ftrain at a 25 (0) gnat, and fwallow a camel. Wo unto you, fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye make clean the outfide of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excefs. 26 Thou blind Pharifee, cleanfe firft that which is within the cup and platter (p), that the outfide of 27 them may be clean alfo. Wo unto you scribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited fepulchres (q), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, 28 and of all uncleannefs. Even fo ye alfo outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are 29 full of hypocrify and iniquity. Wo unto you fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the fepul30 chres of the righteous, And fay, If we had been

(n) Juftice, Mercy, and Fidelity. Thefe are the great duties of life, which you ought to have been principally and particularly careful about, though without neglecting the fmalleft articles of duty required by the law of God.

(0) Ye are fuperftitioufly exact in fmall things, but negligent in thofe of the greatest importance.

(p) The cleaning of the heart is of infinitely greater importance. After all your wafhing, your hands will fill be unclean in a moral fenfe, if you be covetous and unjuft in your dealings; and the true way to make them clean is, to employ them in works of charity and compaffion.

(q) To touch even the outfide of a grave was a defilement. See Num. xix. 16. It was therefore cuftomary with the Jews to whiten the graves, as a mark to caution a perfon from approaching.

in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witneffes unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets (r): ye up then the measure of your fathers (s). Ye 33 ferpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

32 Fill

34

Wherefore behold, I fend unto you prophets, and wife men, and fcribes; and fome of them ye fhall kill and crucify, and fome of them fhall ye fcourge in your fynagogues, and perfecute them 35 from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood fhed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, fon of Barachias, whom ye flew between the tem36 ple and the altar (t). Verily I fay unto you, All these 37 things fhall come upon this generation. O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that killeft the prophets, and stonest them which are fent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and 38 ye would not! Behold, your houfe is left unto you 39 defolate. For I fay unto you, Ye fhall not fee me henceforth, till ye fhall fay, Bleffed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord (u).

(r) See Luke xi. 48. Note.

(s) Ye will not be reformed, but will go on until your whole nation fhall be ripe for deftruction.

(t) Zacharias, who was flain in the outward court of the temple, is called the fon of Jehoiada. 2 Chron. xxiv. 20. but the two names have much the fame fignification.

(u) Till ye fhall be convinced, by the dreadful punishments inflicted on your nation, that I am the Meffiah, whom you ought to have received with joy.

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CHA P. XXIV.

AND Jefus went out, and departed from the temple; and his difciples came to him, for to fhew 2 him the buildings of the temple. And Jefus faid, unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I fay unto you, There fhall not be left here one ftone upon another, that fhall not be thrown down.

:

And as he fat upon the mount of Olives (a), the difciples came unto him privately, faying, Tell us, when fhall these things be? and what shall be the fign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jefus anfwered and faid unto them, Take 5 heed that no man deceive you. For many fhall come in my name (b), faying I am Chrift and fhall de6 ceive many. And ye fhall hear of wars and rumours of wars: fee that ye be not troubled: for all these things muft come to pafs, but the end is not yet (c). 7 For nation fhall rife againft nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pes8 tilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these 9 are the beginning of forrows. Then fhall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and fhall kill you and ye fhall be hated of all nations for my name's fake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and fhall betray II one another, and shall hate one another. And many

falfe prophets fhall rife, and fhall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity fhall abound, the love of 13 many fhall wax cold. But he that fhall endure unto

(a) This chapter relates principally and more immediately to the deftruction of Jerufalem; which is defcribed, however, in the most lofty terms, and by many circumftances fuitable to the confummation of all things at the end of the world.

(6) Shall pretend to my authority, and take my title.

(e) The end and deftruction of the Jewish ftaté: as it is likewise to be underflood verfes 13, 14.