MATT. Xxii. 38-40.

Thou-shalt-love the-Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind διανοια.

38 This is the-first and great commandment. 39 And the-second is like unto-it, Thou-shalt-love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 4

MARK Xii. 30-.3.

and thou-shalt-love the-Lord thy God 30 with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind διανοιας,

and with all thy strength: 8 this is the-first commandment. And the-second is like, namely this, 31 Thou-shalt-love thy neighbour as thyself.

'diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.'-5-11 -ver. 5, And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.'-12-27-ver. 6, And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.'-28-31-That which He worketh in all, is charity or love, ch. xiii.-Love is his own Name, whereby he makes himself known to those that know him in truth, 1 Jno. iv. 7, 8-It was for the purpose of putting this Name upon us, that God revealed himself in the Son of his love, ver. 9-17-Thus are we brought into obedience to the great commandment, ver. 18-ver. 19, We love him, because he first loved us.'-ver. 21, And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother

also.'

Mk. xii. 30. love the Lord thy God, &c.-This implies the knowledge of God, which knowledge implies obe

dience to the first part of the commandment, Hear, O Israel;'- see on ver. 29, supra- The Lord hath promised to give power unto Israel, to obey this part of the great commandment, De. xxx. 6, when they hearken unto his voice by obeying the gospel, ver. 10-.4-comp. with Rom. x. 6-10.

31. love thy neighbour, &c.-Le. xix. 18; quoted also Mt. xxii. 39; Rom. xiii. 9; Ga. v. 14; Ja. ii. 8. Mt. xxii. 40. these two, &c.-The first commandment comprehends the first table of the law, Ex. xx. 2-11; which respects the object, ver. 2, 3; medium, ver. 4-6; manner, ver. 7; and special time of worship, ver. 8-11: and the second comprehends the second table of the law, ver. 12-7; which last six commandments are alluded to, Mt. xix. 18, .9, § 75, p. 224; and Rom. xiii. 9.

Mt. xxii. 37. With all thy heart, &c. These are formulas nearly equivalent, but involving no redundancy, and united for intensity of sense; importing, not that perfection in degree, or exaltation in kind, contended for by some, but only denoting that "we must assign to God the first place in our affections, and consecrate to him the united powers and faculties, both of body and mind," with which he hath endued us, so as to exert them most effectually.Comp. De. vi. 5.'- Bloomf.

'He loves God with all his heart who loves nothing in comparison of him; with all his soul, or rather ev öλy Ty HuXD, "with all his life;" who is ready to give up life for his sake; with all his strength, who exerts all the powers of his body and soul in the service of God; and with all his mind, intellect, diavog, who applies himself only to know God and his holy will.'-Clarke. [38. The first. Whether the object of it is considered, or the manner in which it is to be observed, or its being the principle from whence all the duties. and actions of men should flow, and the end to which all are to be referred; the first command in order of nature, time, dignity, and causalty.'-Gill.]

39. The second is like unto it. It is like unto it, for it is founded upon it, and flows from it; and a right

love to our brother, whom we have seen, is both an instance and an evidence of our love to God, whom we have not seen, 1 Jno. iv. 20.

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. We must love him as truly and sincerely as we love ourselves; and in the same instances, nay, in many cases, we must deny ourselves for the good of our neighbour, and must make ourselves servants to the true welfare of others.-And see on Lu. x. 27, § 60, p. 145.

40. Hang all the law, &c. That is, they contain the substance or abridgment of all the religious and moral duties contained in the law and the prophets, which therefore may be all said to hang or depend on them. The expression is a metaphor taken from a custom mentioned by Tertullian, of hanging up their laws in a public place to be seen of all men; and it imports that in these precepts is compendiously contained all that the law and prophets require, in reference to our duty to God and man. They are like the first and last links of a chain, all the intermediate ones depend on them. True religion begins and ends in love to God and man.

Mk. xii. 32. The scribe. He seems to speak with a certain degree of authority, as one who was accustomed to decide matters relating to the law.-See ver. 35, p. 307; Mt. xvii. 10, § 51, p. 57.

[Mk. xii. 30. Let us not merely seek to have an understanding of what God hath condescended to make known of himself; but, espousing him as the Lord our God, let us devote unto him all the affections of our hearts and our whole lives. Let us give him an intelligent service; and let the whole vigour of our soul, body, and spirit be his.]

31 ver. As we are to love ourselves in subordination to our love of God, so are we to love our neighbours, desiring that they, with us, may be made the happy instruments of accomplishing the Divine purposes of love to mankind.

[Mt. xxii. 40. Let us see how God hath magnified the law. In the successive development of Divine revelation he hath, throughout all time, been following up the plan which was sketched in the ten commandments, written once and again upon two VOL. II.]

tables of stone, and summed up in the two great commandments, that teach our duty to God, to our neighbour, and to ourselves. The first five commandments are developed in the Pentateuch or five books of the law; and the second five in the books of the larger prophets.-See ADDENDA, § 19, p. 142, and TABULAR VIEW, p. 152. In the books of the New Testament God hath again written his law. which God, in different dispensations, and through successive ages, has been writing for our instruction, must be worthy of our most careful study. May it be written upon our hearts, and in our lives!]

That

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Mk. xii. 33. more than all, &c.-Samuel asked Saul, 1 Sa. xv. 22, Hath the LORD.... delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,... to hearken than the fat of rams.'-Pr. xxi. 3, To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.'-Ho. vi. 6, For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.'-Mi. vi. 6-8, Wherewith shall I come before the LORD?' not with costly sacrifices, but as contemplating his goodness, and bringing forth the fruits thereof; as learning the lessons taught us in the work of our redemption by Christ Jesus-comp. Rom. v. 8-21; 1 Pe. i. 17-22.

34. not far from, &c.-This scribe had arrived at a knowledge of the principle of obedience; it remained for him to deny himself, and receive salvation by grace; the gospel, which, Rom. i. 16, is the power of God unto salvation' He. xi. 6, Without faith it is impossible to please' [God]-Rom. x. 17, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' And Jesus is the Word of God, Jno. i. 1, &c.; the expression of the Father's love to men, fii. 16, § 12, p. 86; by believing in whom we are brought into communion with God, 1 Jno. i. 1-3; and are made partakers of his holiness, ver. 5-10, through the power of his justifying grace, ii. 1, 2Our knowledge of God, as thus revealing himself, is made manifest by our keeping his commandments, ver. 3-6; both the first commandment, ver. 7, and the new commandment, ver. 8-11-To that, which is the way into the kingdom, Jno. xiv. 6, § 87, Jesus next directs the attention of his hearers, Mt. xxii. 41-.5, infra.

Mt. xxii. 42. What think ye, &c.-Jesus now calls the attention of his auditors to the word' which Israel had been commanded to 'hear'-see on Hear, O Israel;' Mk. xii. 29, p. 304, supra-The word of God, in order to be profitably heard, must be deeply thought upon-see Ps. i. 2; cxix. 9, &c.; Pr. ii. 1–9.

LUKE XX. 41-.4. (Ver. 40, p. 304.)

What think ye of Christ?-We are to think of what he is, and does for us He. iii. 1, Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;'-xii. 2, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;' &c.-We are to think of him as our example-Eph. v. 2, Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us,'-Heb. xii. 3, For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself,' &c.-Christ is the great subject of consideration-xiii. 7, 8, Considering the end... Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.' whose son is he?-When the Father speaks of the King, he declares of him, Ps. ii. 7, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.'-He is the Priest, whose prayers will be answered, whether as to mercy, ver. 8, or judgment, ver. 9-He is the great Teacher, whom all are with reverence believingly to hear, ver. 10-.2-comp. with the declaration of the decree on the Holy Mount, Mt. xvii. 5, § 51, p. 55Christ is the Son of the Father's love, Jno. iii. 16, .7, $12, p. 86, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,' &c.-1 Jno. iv. 10, Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' The Son of David-It is observable that, before the genealogy of Christ begins, ch. i. 1, he is particularly described as the Son of David, that is, the descendant of David,' as being the 'seed' promised to David, whose kingdom' should be established for ever,' 2 Sa. vii. 12-6; Ps. lxxxix. 29, 35, .6; Is. xi. 1; Je. xxiii. 5; xxxiii. 15.

of David-Rom. i. 3, 4, Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power,' &c.-In both aspects he had been promised to David, 2 Sa. vii. 12-6-If the Jews thought only of the human nature of Christ, they came miserably short of the truth, as Jesus immediately shews them, Mk. xii. 36, .7. David-Under the name of David, or Beloved. Christ was spoken of by the prophets, as Eze. xxxiv. 23

Mk. xii. 34. Not far from the kingdom of God. 'Not far from relishing the doctrine of Christ,' against which all the other scribes were so prejudiced. No man durst ask him. That is, no one of the scribes, the Pharisees, or the Sadducees, durst ask him a question for the purpose of tempting or entangling him.

Mt. xxii. 41, .2. Jesus asked them,.... What think ye of Christ? Our Lord having answered the three questions successively proposed to him, now in his turn puts a question to the Pharisees, the object of

Mk. xii. 34. See margin.

which is to shew to them how far their notions of the Messiah's dignity fell short of the truth, and also to prove his divinity.

43. How then, &c. How is this doctrine, that he is descended from David, consistent with what David says when he calls him Lord?

How could he be his Lord who was not to be born until many ages afterwards, and was certainly to have no secular dominion over him? This admits of but one reply, which should acknowledge the divinity as well as the humanity of the Christ.

Mt. xxii. 42. Let us consider whether we are

indeed ready to answer the question, What think ye of Christ?' not what may be reported of him by others, but to what conclusion have we ourselves come. respecting Him, to whom the law and the prophets bear witness.

[43 ver. Let us see that our views of Christ are derived from scripture, and so are consistent with 306]

all revealed truth; which they can never be, without our being given to know that Christ is EmmanuelGod with us.]

We cannot apprehend the high meaning of scripture, unless we recognise its Divine origin. The different books are varied indeed, according to the media through which they were ministered; but what we have to seek for in them, is not that which was of man, but that which is of God.

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call him Lord, how is-he his son?

46 And no-man was-able toanswer him a-word,

-The Father, himself, gives him the name of Beloved,' at his baptism, Mt. iii. 17, § 8, p. 59, and enthronement, 2 Pe. i. 17, .8-The spouse also calls him by this name, Ca. v. 2, &c.-And the same name is put upon his people, Ph. iv. 1; 2 Pe. iii. 1, 8, 14, .7, &c. Love is the law of his kingdom, Ja. ii. 8.

Mk. xii. 36. by the Holy Ghost-Mt. xxii. 43, In spirit-Lu. xx. 42, In the book of Psalms,'

The LORD said to my Lord-quoted from Ps. cx. 1. on my right hand-Mt. xx. 21, § 77, p. 237-This was done respecting Christ, Mk. xvi. 19, § 98; Ac. vii. 55; Rom. viii. 34; Eph. i. 20; He. i. 3; viii. 1; x. 12.

thine enemies-There are two kinds of enemies spoken of in Ps. cx.; those had been enemies who have submitted to Messiah's government, and who are most willing that he should reign over them, guide them by his instructions, and exercise for them his everlasting priesthood, ver. 1, 3, 4; and there are those, among whom he rules with the rod of his power (spoken of Ps. ii. 9), and referred to Ps. cx. 2-These are they of whom the king speaks, Lu. xix. 27, § 80, p. 250, But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay .... before me.'-The first enemies are correspondent to the case of the first son, who said, Mt. xxi. 29, § 84, p. 285, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. These are his people that he redeemed from Egypt, whom he bare, and carried...all the days of old. Is. lxiii. 10, But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.'-Having been cast out among the Gentiles, they were not known as descended from Abraham, and are most willing to be known simply as having God for their Father, and as being the people of the Redeemer, ver. 16; as being

44

the tribes of the Lord's inheritance, and the people of his holiness; and as called by his name, they, in contradistinction to a people who have not submitted to his rule, earnestly supplicate the Lord's return, ver. 17-.9;-that the return is from heaven, is intimated, ch. Ixiv. 1; and that it will be to the confusion of his enemies is shewn, ver. 2, 3.

footstool-This word indicates an humble position, Ja. ii. 3; but never a state of punishment-It is rather an extreme case, when the Lord seems not to remember in mercy his footstool, Lam. ii. 1-The temple had been built for the footstool of our God,' 1 Chr. xxviii. 2-The place of worship is called his footstool also in Ps. xcix. 5-The whole house of Israel, represented by the four living creatures, are to become the footstool of the Lord: who is represented as seated upon a sapphire throne, placed upon a crystal-bright firmament, stretched forth over the heads of the living creatures-Then will the Lord be by his people greatly exalted, Ps. xlvii. 9-and those who thus humble themselves to become his footstool, he will exalt: and give to sit with him "pon his throne-comp. Eze. i. 26-8, with Rev. iv. 6-8.

37. whence is he then his son?-Jesus himself answers this question, Jno. xvi. 28, § 87, I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: '-The question can only be answered aright, as recognising the fact, that Christ proceeded forth and came from his Father in heaven; and so is David's Lord: whilst as being man, he sprang from the family of David, and so was David's Son.-In him were united the Divine and human natures, as i. 1-14, § 7, pp. 46-8; Ph. ii. 6-8; Heb. ii. 14; 1 Jno. i. 1,2; Rev. v. 5-10; xxii. 16.

Mt. xxii. 44. The LORD said, &c. This is the language of David. Jehovah said to my Lord' the Messiah Sit thou,' &c. This was a prediction respecting the exaltation of Christ.

[Sit thou on my right hand. A comparison taken from kings, on whose right hand sat the heir, or he who was next in dignity, and on the left hand he that was iminediately below him in rank. But sitting on the right implied also a participation in the regal power and authority. Hence ovμBair is interpreted by St. Paul, 1 Co. xv. 25, as equivalent το βασιλεύειν. Bloomf.]

Thine enemies thy footstool. See SCRIP. ILLUS.

Mk. xii. 35. How say the scribes? As the authorized interpreters of the scriptures.--See ver. 32, supra.

Mt. xxii. 45. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? As Jesus Christ, in his human nature, was David's Son, so, as the Son of God, and the Christ, he was the Lord of David. That he had an existence at the time of David, and was his Lord and Master, his God and King; and that as man he was descended from Him; thus being the root and the offspring of David,' Rev. xxii. 16.

46. Ask him any more questions. Attempt to ensnare him by any question.

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