one of the porticos of Bethesda. And in support of their opinion, they produce Christ's sermon at the feast of tabernacles, wherein he reprimanded the Jews for having attempted to kill him, because he had cured that infirm person on the Sabbath. They likewise produce the counsel which his brethren gave him before that feast, to shew himself in public, and the disputes of the Jews, occasioned by his not appearing there so soon as was expected. All which circumstances they think are more proper, on supposition that Jesus was not at the third passover. But to the first argument it may be replied, that it does not follow that the reprimand given to the Jews at the feast of tabernacles, that that was the first time Jesus had been in Jerusalem after performing the miracle on the man in Bethesda, The reprimand was proper then, even though it had been often given before. As for the second argument, it will no more prove that Jesus was absent from this feast, than it will prove that he was absent from all the precedent ones. And as for the argument drawn from the disputes of the Jews, if I am not mistaken, it establishes rather than overturns the opinion proposed, because these debates necessarily imply, that Jesus had attended every occasion of this kind hitherto. The reason is, if he had been absent from any of them, the Jews would not have disputed his character, but without other proof would have condemned him as an impious person, who despised the most sacred institutions of their religion. From these debates, therefore, we may fairly conclude, that Jesus went regularly every year to the three great festivals, though neither Matthew, nor Mark, nor Luke, have said directly that he was at any of them, excepting the passover at which he was crucified. See the second Preliminary Observation.

ý LXIV. In Galilee, the Pharisees blame the disciples for eating with unwashed hands. Jesus reproves the Pharisees for their superstition, Mat. xv. 1,-20. Mark vii. 1,-23. John vii. 1.

BECAUSE Our Lord could not with safety remain long in Judea, he departed for Galilee as soon as the passover was ended. It seems the Pharisees had made another attempt upon his life at this passover. John yii. 1. After these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews, the great men in Jerusalem, sought to kill him. See on the third passover, 63. This attempt proved equally unsuccessful with that made on his life at the second passover. Yet the Pharisees did not desist. They rather became more keen to have him destroyed. Accordingly they dispatched some of their number, inhabitants of Jerusalem, after him into Galilee, not to oppress him by violent methods, for in that country he was among his friends, but if possible to incense the people against him. Mark vii. 1. Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the Scribes, which came from Jerusalem. These emissaries,

therefore, followed him from place to place, and looked on every thing he did with an evil eye; but to no purpose. At last they ventured to attack him, for allowing his disciples to transgress the tradition of the elders, by eating with unwashed hands, thinking that it was an heinous offence, and that he encouraged them in it. 2. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled (that is to say, with unvashen) hands, they found

fault.

fault. The law of Moses required external cleanness as a part of religion, not however for its own sake, but to signify with what carefulness God's servants should purify their minds from moral pollutions. Accordingly these duties were prescribed by Moses in such moderation as was fitted to promote the end of them. But in process of time they came to be multiplied pro digiously For the ancient doctors, to secure the observation of those precepts that were really of divine institution, added many commandments of their own as fences unto the former; and the people, to shew their zeal, obeyed them. For example, because the law, Lev. xv, 11. saith, Whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, (and hath not rinsed his hands in water) he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even," the people were ordered to wash their hands carefully, and to bathe themselves immediately on their return from places of public concourse, and before they sat down to meat, lest by touching some unclean person in the crowd, they might have defiled themselves. The Pharisees, therefore, being very zealous in these trifles, would eat at no time, unless they washed their hands with the greatest care; and when they came from the market-place, they would not sit down to table, till they had first bathed themselves. See the note on John ii. 6. § 19. From this source came that endless variety of purifications not prescribed in the law, but ordained by the elders, such as the washing of cups and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables, not because they were dirty, but from a principle of religion, or rather of superstition. Mark vii. 3. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4. And when they come from the market, except they wash (Barotas, dip themselves) they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups and pots, and of brazen vessels and tables. Having the highest opinion of the importance of these institutions, the Pharisees did not doubt but our Lord, by authorising his disciples to neglect them, would expose himself to universal censure, as one who despised the most sacred services of religion; services to which

Ver. 3. Except they wash their bands oft.] ex μa zvysen infertas, except they washed with their fist. Theophylact translates it, unless they quashed up to their elbow, affirming that yun denotes the whole of the arm, from the bending to the ends of the fingers. But this sense of the word is altogether unusual. For a properly is the hand, with the fingers contracted into the palm, and made round. Theophylact's translation, however exhibits the evangelist's meaning. For the Jews, when they wa hed held up their hands, and contracting their fingers, received the water that was poured on them by their servants, (who had it for a part of their office, 2 Kings iii. 11.) till it ran down their arms, which they washed up to their elbows. To awash with the fist, therefore, is to wash with great care.

which a sanction was given by the approbation and practice of the whole nation. Wherefore, while they pretended nothing but a sorrowful concern for the contempt which the disciples cast on institutions so sacred, their real intention was to make Jesus: himself be detested by the people as a deceiver. Mark vii. 5. Then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, (see Antiq.. Disc. i. chap. 2. § 3.) but eat bread with unwashen hands? Hast thou taught them to despise these institutions?—The charge of impiety which the Pharisees thus brought against Jesus and his disciples, he easily retorted upon them with tenfold strength. Notwithstanding their pretended regard to the duties of piety, they were themselves guilty of the grossest violations of the divine law. Moreover, as they thus transgressed, not through ignorance, but knowingly, they were the worst of sinners, mere hypocrites, who deserved to be abhorred by all good men ; and the rather, as God had long ago testified his displeasure against them in the prophecy which Isaiah had uttered concerning them. 6. He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. This people talks much of religion, and makes a great shew of piety, but they have no regard for real goodness in their heart. However, all their worship is vain and displeasing to me, while they practise themselves, and impose upon others, as matters of divine appointment, a variety of frivolous precepts of mens invention, neglecting the eternal rules of righteousness. 7. Howbeit, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradi tion of men, as the washing of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do: the traditions which ye enjoin as the precepts of God, are really matters of human invention; for instance, your ordinances concerning the washing of pots and cups. Nevertheless you make these trifles to be so essential in religion, and you exalt them to such a pitch, that in comparison you suffer the law of God to lie neglected and forgotten. What greater impiety or folly can there be than this?-But it was urged in favour of those traditions, that they were enjoined as fences of the divine law. Wherefore, in opposition to so specious a pretence, he affirmed, that the whole was mere hypocrisy, since they VOL. II...

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did

Matthew says our Lord made this citation from Isaiah at the end of his discourse. We may therefore suppose, that he cited and applied it twice; first at the beginning, as Mark tells us; and having proved that it was truly applicable to the Scribes and Pharisees, he applied it again at the conclusion of his argument, as Matthew affirms. We have several examples of the like repetitions in the gospels. Thus, Mark x. 7. compar ed with Matt. xix. 4.;-Matt. xxiv. 5. compared with verses 11, 24. ;Luke xxii. 18 compared with Matt, xxvi. 29.

did not scruple to break the most sacred rules of morality, which are also enjoined by God, and of unchangeable obligation, in order that they might observe their own tradition. 9. And he said unto them, Full well (xados, fairly, wholly. Or reading xa separately, Finely done) ye reject the commandment of God, (Matt. Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your own tradition?) that ye may keep your own tradition. But lest the charge which our Lord brought against the Pharisees might have been thought without foundation, because it contained an imputation of such gross profaneness, he supported it by an instance of an atrocious kind. God, saith he, has commanded (Exod. xx. 12.) "children to honour their parents," that is, among other things, to maintain them when reduced; promising life to such as do so, and threatening death against those that do otherwise. Nevertheless, ye presumptuously, making light of the divine commandment, affirm that it is a more sacred duty to enrich the temple, than to nourish one's parents, though they be in the utmost necessity; pretending that what is offered to the great Parent, is better bestowed than that which is given for the support of our parents on earth; as if the interest of God was different from that of his creatures. Nay, ye impiously teach, that a man may lawfully suffer his parents to starve, if he can say to them, It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; that is, it is given to the temple, which should have succoured you. Thus have ye hypocrites, by your frivolous tradi tions, made void the commandment of God, though of immutaMe and eternal obligation; and disguised with the cloke of piety the most horrid and unnatural action that a man can be guilty of. Mark vii. 10. For Moses said, (Matt. God commanded, saying) Honour thy father and thy mother, and whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 11. But ye say, if a man (Matt. whosoever) shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he shall be free. 12. And ye suffer him so more to do aught for his father or his mother. 13. Making the word of God of none effect, through your tradation which ye have delivered. And many such like things do ye. Matt. xv. 8. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophecy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 9. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Having thus spoken, Jesus called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear how

Ver. 9. Your own tradition.] The words your own are emphatical, distinguishing the commandments of men, the corrupt traditions of the Pharisees, from the commandments of God, which may also be called tradi tions. See 1 Cor. xi. 2. 2 Thess. ii, 1.

V. 17.

Maintain them.] Thus the word honour signifies maintenance, 1 Tim.

how absurd the precepts are which the scribes inculcate upon you, and understand the true differences of things. These hy pocrites, anxious about trifles, neglect the great duties of morality, which are of unchangeable obligation. They shudder with. horror at hands unwashed, but are perfectly easy under the guilt of impure minds, although not that which goeth into the mouth rendereth a man impure in the sight of God, but that which cometh out of the mouth; because in the sight of God cleanness and uncleanness are qualities, not of the body, but of the mind, which can be polluted by nothing but sin. 14. And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand. 15. There is nothing from without a man that entering into him (Matt. goeth into the mouth) can defile him; but the things which come out of him (Matt. out of the mouth) those are they that defile the man. 16. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. Our Lord did not at all mean to overthrow the distinction which the law had established between things clean and unclean, in the matter of man's food. That distinction, like all the other emblematical institutions of Moses, was wisely appointed; being designed to teach the Israelites how carefully the familiar company and conversation of the wicked is to be avoided. He only affirmed, that in itself not kind of meat can defile the mind which is the man, though by accident it may; for instance, when taken in quantity or kind contrary to the commandment of God.

The apostles, who it seems would gladly have conciliated the good will of the Pharisees, thinking it might be of service to their cause, were sorry to find their Master had disobliged them by speaking in disparagement of their traditions. Wherefore, when the Pharisees were gone, they drew near, and insinuated that he was to blame in so doing. Matt. xv. 12. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying? 13. But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up: Be they as angry as they will, ye need not be afraid of them, for they and their doctrine shall perish together, being neither of them from God. Matt. xv. Matt. xv. 14. Let them alone; they be blind leaders of the blind: teachers who foolishly think to lead their disciples to perfection, by the ob servation of precepts wherein there is not the smallest degree of true piety, and will not be convinced of the contrary; for which cause, both the guides and the guided, who prefer ignorance to knowledge, and superstition to true religion, shall fall into the ditch of eternal perdition. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. But the disciples, not understanding their Master's doctrine concerning meats, desired him, when they were come home, to explain it. He complied, and shewed them,

that