this world, the inhabitants of this world, marry, and are givenī in marriage. 35. But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, (Mark;› when they shall rise from the dead) neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36. Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the chil dren of the resurrection: They in some degree partake of the fe licity and immortality of God himself, blessings which they ob tain by being raised from the dead. From this latter clause, it is plain that our Lord is here speaking of the resurrection of the just, who are called God's children on account of the inheritance bestowed on them at the resurrection, and particularly on account: of their being dignified with immortality.

Having thus demonstrated that they were ignorant of the power of God, Jesus shewed the Sadducees that they were ignorant of the Scriptures likewise, and particularly of the writings of Moses, from whence they had drawn their objection; for out of the law itself he demonstrated the certainty of a resurrection, at least of just men, and thereby quite overturned the opinion of the Sadducees, who, believing the materiality of the soul, affirmed, that men were annihilated at death, and that the writings of Moses supported their opinion. See Jewish Antiq. Disc. i. ch. 2. § 2. His argument was this: As a man cannot be a father without children, nor a king without subjects, so God cannot properly be called God, unless he has his people, and be Lord of the living. Since therefore in the law he calls himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, long after these patriarchs were dead, the relation denoted by the word God still subsisted between them; for which reason, they were not annihilated, as the Sadducees pretended, when they affirmed that they were dead, but were still in being, God's subjects, and covenanted people. Luke xx. 37. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses. shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abra ham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. (Mark, And as touching the dead that they rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him? (Matt. unto you) saying, I am the God of Abraham, &c.) 38. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him, i. e. live subject to his government. Mark xii. 27. Ye do therefore greatly err. It cannot be objected to this interpretation, that it Jays too much stress on the words I am, which are not in the He brew. For our Lord's application of the citation in the present tense, He is not the God of the dead, plainly implies, that no other tense of the substantive verb can be supplied. Others, however, chuse to explain the argument thus: To be the God of any person, is to be his exceeding great reward, Gen. xv. 1. Wherefore, as the patriarchs died without having obtained the promises

promises, Heb. xi. 39. they must exist in another state to enjoy them, that the veracity of God may remain sure. Besides, the apostle tells us, that God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared for them a city, Heb. xi. 16. which implies, that he would have reckoned it infinitely beneath him, to own his relation, as God, to any one, for whom he had not provided a state of permanent happiness. The argument taken either way, is conclusive; for which cause, we may suppose, that both the senses of it were intended, to render it full of demonstration. Accordingly, the people were most agreeably surprised, when they heard such a clear and solid confutation of the sect which they abominated, and that too in an argument where they had always thought themselves impregnable. Matt. xxii. 33. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

$CXIX. One of the Scribes asks Jesus which is the great commandment in the law. See § 82, 105. Matt. xxii. 34,-40. Mark xii. 28,-34. Luke xx. 39, 40.

ALTHOUGH the Pharisees had come with the malicious intention mentioned § 117. when they heard the doctrine of the resurrection so clearly established from the law itself, and found their pestilent adversaries, the Sadducees, thus silenced, they could not help being highly pleased, nor restrain themselves from giving him the praise that was due to his super-eminent wisdom. For one of them who was a scribe, or public teacher, (see on Luke xi. 44. § 87.) desired Jesus to give his opinion on another point that was much debated among the doctors, namely, Which was the great commandment in the law. Mark xii. 28. And one of the Scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? Matthew says, xxii. 34. But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together: They retired a little from the crowd, probably to express the satisfaction they had received from the confutation of their adversaries. He says likewise, that one of them, which was a lawyer, proposed the question concerning the great commandment, tempting him. He does not mean, that their design was insidious, for the question was not of that nature; besides, Mark's account forbids such an interpretation. But they proposed it with a view to make a farther trial of his skill in the sacred volume. Some of the doctors declared, that the law of sacrifices was the great commandment, because sacrifices are both the expiations of sin, and thanksgivings for mercies; others bestowed this honour on the law of circumcision, because it was the sign of the covenant established between God and the nation; a third sort yielded it to the law of the Sabbath, because VOL. II.

& D

by

by that appointment both the knowledge and practice of the institutions of Moses were preserved; and, to name no more, there were some who affirmed the law of meats and washings to be of the greatest importance, because thereby the people of God were effectually separated from the company and conversation of the heathens; but Jesus, with better reason, decided in favour of the duties of piety, mentioning particulary that comprehensive suminary of it found in Deut. vi. 4. Mark xii. 29. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; 30. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, (see ver. 33.) and with all thy strength. The most important of all the commandments is that which enjoins the belief and profession of the unity of God, together with the inward worship, the worship of the spirit or whole soul, that is due to him from men. This is the first (Matt. and great) commandment: as this is the first in order, so it is the greatest commandment in the law

Moreover,

It is remarkable, that the above summary of piety begins with an emphafical and strong assertion of the unity of God. The reason is, it is necessary that men should be deeply impressed with just notions of the object of their worship, particularly that he is the only true God, the maker of heaven and earth, and the possessor of all perfection, to whom there is not any being equal, or like, or second, in order that they may apply them selves, with the utmost diligence, to obey his precepts, the first and chief of which is, that they give him their heart. The Divine Being is so transcendently amiable in himself, and by the benefits he hath conferred on us, hath such a title to our utmost affection, that there is no obligation that bears any proportion to that of loving him. The honour assigned to this precept proves, that piety is the noblest act of the human mind, and that the chief ingredient in piety is love, founded on a clear extensive view of the Divine perfections, a permanent sense of his benefits, and a deep conviction of his being the sovereign good, our portion, our happiness. But it is essential to love, that there be a delight in contemplating the beauty of the object beloved, whether that beauty be matter of sensation or reflection; that we frequently, and with pleasure, reflect on the benefits which the ebject of our affection has conferred on us that we have a strong desire of pleasing him, great fear of doing any thing to offend him, and a sensible joy in the thought of being beloved in return. Hence the duties of de votion, prayer, and praise, are the most natural and genuine exercises of the love of God. Moreover, this virtue is not so much any single affection, as the continual bent of all the affections and powers of the soul. In which light, to love God, is, as much as possible, to direct the whole sout towards God, and to exercise all its faculties on him as its chief object. Accordingly, the love of God is described in Scripture by the several operations of the mind; the knowledge of God, John xvii. 3. a fellowing bard after God, Psal. Ixiii. 8 namely, by intense contemplation; a sense of his perfections, gratitude for his benefits, trust in his goodness, attachment to his service, resignation to his providence; the obeying of bis commandments, admiration, hope, fear, joy, &c. not because it consists in any one of these singly, but in them all together. For to content ourselves with partial regards to the supreme Being, is not to be affected towards him in the man

ner

. Moreover, Jesus told the Pharisee, that the commandment enjoining love to our neighbour holds the second place in the law. This indeed had no direct relation to his question concerning the first commandment; yet our Lord thought fit to shew him which was the second, probably because the men of his sect did not acknowledge the importance and precedency of love to their neigh bours, or because they were remarkably deficient in the practice. of it, as Jesus himself had often found, by their repeated attempts to kill him. Matt. xxii. 39. And the second is like unte it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Mark xii. 31., There is none other commandment greater than these. Matt. xxii. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets: These are the substance or abridgement of all the moral

duties

ner we ought to be, and which the perfections of his nature claim. Hence the words of the precept are, "Thou shalt love with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength;" that is, with the joint force of all thy faculties; and therefore no idol whatsoever must partake of the love and worship that is due to God. But the heauty and excellency of this state of the mind is best seen in its effects; for the worship and obedience flowing from such an universal bent of the soul towards God, is as much superior to the worship and obedience arising from partial considerations, as the light of the sun is to any picture of it that can be drawn. For example, if we look on God only as a stern lawgiver, who can and will punish our rebellion, it may indeed force an awe and dread of him, and as much obedience to his laws, as we think will satisfy him, but can never produce that constancy in our duty, that delight in it, and that earnestness to do it in its utmost extent, which are produced and maintained in the mind by the sacred fire of divine love, or by the bent of the whole soul turned towards God; a frame the most excellent that can be conceived, and the most to be desired, because it constitutes the highest perfection and happiness of the creature. See § 81, 105. where the means of obtaining eternal life are explained by Jesus.

Ver. 39. Thou shalt love thy neighbour, &c.] The precept enjoining the love of our neighbour is like to the great commandment, which enjoins the love of God, because charity is the sister of piety, clearly proving its relation by the similarity of its features, complexion, and temper. As piety is the offspring of God, so is its sister, charity, being enjoined by the same authority, and produced by the influence of the same spirit. Piety and charity consist of the like motions and dispositions of soul, (see § 123.) and are kept alive by the same kind of nourishment; the beauties of mo ral excellence appearing, whether in the great Father, or in his children who bear his image. They have the same happy tendency to make those in whom they reside like God, who is God by being good, and doing good; like him also in his felicity, which arises not only from the possession, but from the communication of his goodness. They are like to each other in their sublime and important nature, and of like use in the conduct of life; the one being the principle from which the whole duty we owe to God must spring; the other, that from which the whole duty we owe to man most flow. To conclude, they have alike power on the minds of the beholders, raising both esteem and love wherever they appear in their genuine beauty. These are the features by which piety and charity are strongly marked, by which their affinity to each other is clearly proved, and by which they are rendered sister graces, and inseparable compar

Rions.

duties contained in the law and the prophets; and therefore they may be all said to hang on these. When the Scribe heard Christ's decision, he was struck with the justness of it, and answered, that he had rightly determined, since there is but one God supreme, whom we must adore; and if we love him as much as we are able, and without a rival, and love also our neighbour as ourselves, we worship him more acceptably than if we offered him all the sacrifices in the world. Mark xii. 32. And the Scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth; for there is one God, and there is none other but he. 33. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, (answering to all the mind in the law), and with all the soul, and all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. Jesus applauded the piety and wisdom of this reflection, by declaring, that the person who made it was not far from the kingdom of God. He had expressed sentiments becoming a subject of God's kingdom, and such as might have an happy influence in disposing him to embrace the gospel, by which he would obtain a share in all the blessings of the children of God. 34. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question (Luke, at all). See on Matt. xxii. 46. P. 621.

CXX. Jesus proposes a question to the Pharisees concerning Messiah. Matt. xxii. 41,-46. Mark xii. 35,-37. Luke XX. 41-44.

THE Pharisees having, in the course of our Lord's ministry, proposed many difficult questions to him, with a view to try his prophetical gifts, he, in his turn, now that a body of them was gathered together, thought fit to make trial of their skill in the sacred writings. For this purpose he publicly asked their opinion of a difficulty concerning Messiah's pedigree, arising from Ps. cx. Matt. xxii. 41. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42. Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. Mark xii. 35. And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the Scribes that Christ is the Son of David? The words in Mark being a reply to the Pharisees answer recorded by Matthew, their meaning is, I know your doctors tell you that Christ is the Son of David; but how can they support their opinion, and render it consistent with David's words in the cxth Psalm? Mark xii. 36. For David himself (Luke, in the book of Psalms) said by the Holy Ghost, (Matt. in spirit) The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Matt. xxii. 45. If David then call him, Lord, how is he his son? The doctors, it seems did not look for any thing in their Messiah

more