The SHe was affering. Here A TUOSTA Deder vio was flow 1 PP GIT SA er sy, at hope, to Je it was tane wong the in the Ta be buy simiet of his TH—IT proud that the young, * TETAS and the lovely, Jess des fen-accarently a He acted de procession, Sing murtant to say= 26: De har at the procession fe was hul of compassion avering and, by a word, TOʻT 3F VEH. Steicheć Upon the bier, fest m. ant spuke. Jesus Tower over the dead. He www Jast summers, dead in TAR susu ne.... He can WORT: n. though in their death I start wing towards ruin, ear out theres and raise them up, TELA DHE D speak his power, and TSR 22 Wren te red life, to their sha rases up children in Nie- malines, agrees them, curverted to Father friends; imparting as real **** MET De widow of Nain, by And every TANK BESO iam the dead. SIL SOL TImember, if he has pious VETERS OR Biers & ne maza in which be MFT & Mics we r then as by emBIRTIR DIE Whis the resurrection and 30%, resalting to live to his glory. - S as passage explained in plagues, and of evil spirits; and | unto you, and much more than a unto many that were blind he gave sight. b 22 Then Jesus, answering, said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. d 24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts." e 26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say a Jno.1.46. b Is.35.5,6. c c.4.18. Ja.2.5. d Is.8.14,15. Mat.11.6. 13.57. c.2.34. Jno.6. 66. 1 Co.1.21-28. e 2 Sa.19.35. Est.1.3,11. f c.1.76. 29. The people. The common people. That heard him. That heard John. The publicans. The tax-gatherers, the worst kind of people, who had however been converted. Justified God. Considered God as just or right, in the counsel which he gave by John-to wit, in calling men to repentance, and denouncing future wrath on the impenitent. Compare Mat. xi. 19. Being baptized, &c. They showed that they approved of the message of God, by submitting to the ordinance which he commanded, the ordinance of baptism. This verse and the following are not to be conidered as the words of Luke, but the continuation of the discourse of our Lord. He is saying what took place in regard to John. Among the common people he was approved and obeyed-among the rich and learned he was despised. 30. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected, &c. It appears from Mat. iii. that some of the Pharisees came to John to be baptized; but still this is entirely consistent with the supposition that the great mass of Pharisees and lawyers re prophet. g 27 This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified" God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers' rejected the counsel of God 2 against themselves, being not baptized of him. 31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? 32 They are like unto children g Mal.3.1. c.1.15-17. h Ps.51.4. Ro.3.4. i Mat.3.5,6. c.3.12. 1 or, frustrated. j Ac. 20.27. 2 or, within themselves. k Mat.11. 16,&c. jected him. ¶ The counsel of God. The counsel of God towards them was the solemn admonition by John, to repent and be baptized, and be prepared to receive the Messiah. This was the command, or revealed will of God, in relation to them. When it is said that they re. jected the counsel of God, it does not mean that they could frustrate his purposes, but merely that they violated his commands. Men cannot frustrate the real purposes of God; but they can contemn his messages; violate his commands; and thus reject the counsel which he gives us, and despise the desire which he manifests for our welfare. TAgainst themselves. To their own hurt, or detriment. The rejection of the counsel of God, will deeply injure them. God is wise and good. He knows what is best for us He, therefore, that rejects what God commands, rejects it to his own injury. It cannot be well for any mortal to despise what God commands him to do. 31-35. See this passage explained in notes on Matt. xl. 16-19. And the Lord said. This clause is wanting in he had compassion on her, and said | throughout all the region round unto her, Weep not. about. cially within the walls of churches, or in their vicinity, had its origin among Christians very early. Yet perhaps few customs are more deleterious to health, than burials within large cities, and especially within the walls of frequented buildings. The effluvia from dead bodies, is excessively unwholesome. Burial places should be in situations of retirement; far from the tread of the gay and busy world, where all the feelings may be still and calm, and where there can be no injury to health, from the mouldering bodies of the dead. 16. Came a fear on all. An awe, or solemnity at the presence of one who had power to raise the dead, and at the miracle which had been performed. T Glorified God. Praised, or honored God, that he had sent such a prophet. And that God hath visited his people. Some said one thing and some another, but all expressing their belief that God had showed peculiar favor to the people. T Hath visited. See Luke i. 68. The raising of this young man, was one of the most decisive and instructive of our Lord's miracles. There was no doubt that he was dead. There could be no delusion-no agreement to impose on the people. He came near to the city with no reference to this young man; he met the funeral procession, as it were by accident; and by a word he restored him to life. All those who had the best opportunity of judging, the mother, the friends, believed him to be dead, and were about to bury him. The evidence that he came to life was decisive. He sat up, he spoke, and all were impressed with th full as surance that God had raised him to life. Many witnesses were present, and none doubted that Jesus, by a word, had restored him to his weeping mother. The whole scene was affecting. Here was a widowed mother, who was following her only son, her stay, and hope, to the grave. Here was borne along one in the prime of life, and the only comfort of his parent-impressive proof that the young, the useful, the vigorous, and the lovely, may die. Jesus met them-apparently a stranger. He approached the procession, as if he had something important to sayhe touched the bier, and the procession stood still. He was full of compassion for the weeping parent; and, by a word, restored the youth, stretched upon the bier, to life. He sat up, and spoke. Jesus therefore had power over the dead. He also has power to raise sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, to life. He can speak the word; and, though in their death of sin they are borne along towards ruin, he can open their eyes and raise them up, and teach them to speak his power, and restore them revived to real life, to their friends. Often he raises up children in this manner, and gives them, converted to God, to their friends; imparting as real joy as he gave to the widow of Nain; by raising her son from the dead. And every child should remember, if he has pious parents, that there is no way in which he can give so much joy to them as by embracing him who is the resurrection and the life, and resolving to live to his glory. 19-35. See this passage explained in Matthew xi. 2-19. plagues, and of evil spirits; and | unto you, and much more than a unto many that were blind he gave sight. 22 Then Jesus, answering, said unto them, Go your way, and tell " John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. с 29. The people. The common people. That heard him. That heard John. The publicans. The tax-gatherers, the worst kind of people, who had however been converted. Justified God. Considered God as just or right, in the counsel which he gave by John-to wit, in calling men to repentance, and denouncing future wrath on the impenitent. Compare Mat. xi. 19. T Being baptized, &c. They showed that they approved of the message of God, by submitting to the ordinance which he commanded, the ordinance of baptism. This verse and the following are not to be conidered as the words of Luke, but the continuation of the discourse of our Lord. He is saying what took place in regard to John. Among the common people he was approved and obeyed-among the rich and learned he was despised. 30. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected, &c. It appears from Mat. iii. that some of the Pharisees came to John to be baptized; but still this is entirely consistent with the supposition that the great mass of Pharisees and lawyers re prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. jected him. The counsel of God. The counsel of God towards them was the solemn admonition by John, to repent and be baptized, and be prepared to receive the Messiah. This was the command, or revealed will of God, in relation to them. When it is said that they re jected the counsel of God, it does not mean that they could frustrate his purposes, but merely that they violated his commands. Men cannot frustrate the real purposes of God; but they can contemn his messages; violate his commands; and thus reject the counsel which he gives us, and despise the desire which he manifests for our welfare. TAgainst themselves. To their own hurt, or detriment. The rejection of the counsel of God, will deeply injure them. God is wise and good. He knows what is best for us He, therefore, that rejects what God commands, rejects it to his own injury. It cannot be well for any mortal to despise what God commands him to do. 31-35. See this passage explained in notes on Matt. xl. 16-19. And the Lord said. This clause is wanting in almost all the manuscripts, and is omitted by the best critics. 36. One of the Pharisees. His name was Simon, v. 40. Nothing more is known of him. It is not improbable, however, from what follows (v. 40-47,) that he had been healed by the Saviour, of some afflictive disease, and made this feast to show his gratitude. T Sat down to meat. The original word here means only that he placed himself, or reclined, at the table. The notion of sitting at meals, is taken from modern customs, and was not practised by the Jews. Meat. Supper. Food of any kind. Sat down to eat. с 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster-box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner. g 40 And Jesus, answering, said d Mat.26.6,&c. Mar.14.3,&c Jno.11.2,&c. e c.5.32. ver.34. 1Ti.1.15. ƒJno.9.24. gc.15.2. guest. She, therefore, began to show her love for him, and at the same time her humility and penitence, by pouring forth a flood of tears, and washing his feet, in the manner of a servant. ¶ Kissed his feet. The kiss was an emblem of love and affection. In this manner she testified her love for the Lord Jesus-and at the same time her humility, and sense of sin, by kissing his feet. There could be few expressions of penitence more deep and tender than were these. A sense of all her sins rushed over her mind; her heart burst at the remembrance of them, and at the presence of the pure Redeemer; with deep sorrow she humbled herself, and sought 37. In the city. What city is meant forgiveness. She showed her love for is unknown. Some have supposed it was him by a kiss of affection; her humility, Nain; some Capernaum; and some Jeru- by bathing his feet; her veneration by salem. Which was a sinner. Who breaking a costly box-perhaps procured was depraved, or wicked. This woman, by a guilty life-and anointing his feet. it seems, was known to have been a sin- In this way all sinners should come, emner-perhaps an abandoned woman, or a bracing him as the loved Redeemer, humprostitute. It is certain that she had bled at his feet, and offering all we have much to be forgiven; and she had proba--all that we have gained in lives of sin, bly passed her life in crime. An alabaster-box, &c. See note, Mark xiv. 3. 38. Stood at his feet. They reclined, at their meals, on their left side, and their feet therefore were extended from the table, so that persons could easily approach them. See note, Mat. xxiii. 6. ¶Began to wash his feet. The Jews wore sandals. These were taken off when they entered a house. It was an act of hospitalitv, and kindness to wash the feet of a in our professions, and merchandise, and toil, while we were sinners-offering all to his service. Thus shall we show the sincerity of our repentance, and thus shall we hear his gracious voice pronounce our sins forgiven. 39. He spake within himself. Thought. If he were a prophet. The word prophet here means not one who predicts future events, but one who knows the hearts of men. If Jesus had been sent of |