" again, Thou shalt not (2) tempt "the Lord thy God." 8. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9. and saith unto him, "All " these things will I give thee, if " thou wilt fall down and worship " me." 10. Then saith Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence, (y) Sa"tan: for it is written, Thou shalt " worship the Lord thy God, and " him only shalt thou serve." 11. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Second Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which

"roof or summit," τὸ πλερύγιον, with the article, to denote something specific.

(u) v. 6. "Written." The passage referred to is in Psalm xci. 12. "he shall " give his angels charge over thee, to keep "thee in all thy ways: they shall bear " thee in their hands, that thou hurt not " thy foot against a stone."

(x) v. 7. "Tempt," i. e. " distrust." Shall I require proof where there is no doubt? Satan tried our Saviour by appeals likely to have the greatest weight with mere human nature, viz. appeals to the calls of hunger, vanity, and the love of power. Our Saviour answered each by reference to Scripture, by means, therefore, within the reach of mere human

from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. 1 Thes. iv. 1.

We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 2. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication : 4. that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5. not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6. that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter; because that the (z) Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holi8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his (a) holy Spirit.

ness.

nature; and he might perhaps intend to teach this lesson, that the scriptures, if properly resorted to, were sufficient to enable every one to overcome temptation. In Eph. vi. 17. St. Paul calls "the word " of God," (i. e. the Holy Scriptures) "the " sword of the Spirit," the arms Christians

are to use.

(y) v. 10. "Satan." Till this last temptation, our Saviour might not know by whom he was assailed, and he might now name him, to let him know he was detected.

(z) v. 6. "The Lord," i. e. (probably) "Jesus," who is called the Lord Jesus in verses 1. and 2.

(a) v. 8. "His holy Spirit." So that his

" their masters' table." 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy (k) faith; " be (1) it unto thee even as thou "wilt." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Third Sunday in Lent.
The Collect.

We beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defence against all our enemies, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. Ephes. v. 1.

and walk in love, as (0) Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for (p) a sweetsmelling savour. 3. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4. neither filthiness, nor

5. For

(9) foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks. this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, covetous man, who is an idolater (r), hath any inheritance in the kingdom of (s) Christ and of God.

nor

(k) v. 28. "Faith," i. e. "confidence

" in my power."

(1) "Be it, &c." Taking upon himself to issue a divine command.

(m) v. 1. "Followers," i. e. " imitators." μιμηταί.

(n) "As dear children." As children who are treated kindly by their parents, imitate their actions, and endeavour to follow their example, so do you imitate God.

(0) v. 2. "As Christ, &c." As great as that of Christ, in giving himself for us. The great duty of Christian benevolence, so strongly recommended in the New Testament, is noticed, ante, 27.

(p) "For a sweet-smelling savour," i. e. "to conciliate God towards us." When Noah made his sacrifice to God, Gen. viii. 21. God is said to have "smelled a sweet " savour," and immediately to have promised that he would "not again curse the "ground any more for man's sake;" and the Israelites were directed to offer burntofferings for a sweet savour unto the Lord. Numb. xxviii. 27. 29. So Lev. ii. 2. So Philipp. iv. 18. St. Paul calls their gift "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice "acceptable, and well-pleasing to God." It is needless to add that this is a figurative expression: as a sweet smell is acceptable to man, and procures his complacency, so was this sacrifice intended to procure God's favour.

(q) v. 4. "Foolish talking." Christianity lays the restraint, as it ought, not upon actions only, but upon words, and even thoughts. Our Saviour assures us, (Matt. xii. 36.) "that every idle word that men "shall speak, they shall give account "thereof in the day of judgment; for by "thy words thou shalt be justified, and " by thy words thou shalt be condemned." He had just given the reason, (Matt. xii. 34.) "for out of the abundance of the "heart the mouth speaketh." And St. James says, (James iii. 2. 6.) " if any man " offend not in word, the same is a perfect "man, and able also to bridle the whole "body: the tongue is a fire, a world of "iniquity: so is the tongue among our "members, that it defileth the whole "body, and setteth on fire the whole " course of nature; and it is set on fire of "hell." Post,

(r) v. 5. "An idolater," i. e. " as bad " as an idolater; making money his idol, "the sole object of his thoughts;" so Col. iii. 5. post,

(s) "Of Christ and of God," i. e. (according to Dr. Middleton) "of him who " is both Christ and God." The original is, “τοῦ Χριςοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ,” and there being no article before Θεοῦ, the terms " Christ "and God" must refer to the same perMiddl. 81. 528, 9. - But if "God" here mean the Father, would Christ be thus associated with him, and the kingdom

obedience.

vain (t) words: for because of ❘ these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of dis7. Be not ye, therefore, partakers with them: 8. for ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the (и) Lord: walk as children of light; 9. (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10. proving what is acceptable unto the (u) Lord. 11. And have no fellowship with the (r) unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13. But all things that are reproved are made (y) manifest by the light:

be spoken of as the kingdom of Christ and of God, if Christ were of a lower species or nature? So in Rev. xi. 15. the kingdoms of this world are said to have become the kingdoms - of whom? " of our Lord " and of his Christ;" and the manner in which God and Christ are joined in many passages in the Revelations deserves attention. The Song of the Angels, Rev. v. 13. is " Blessing and honour and glory and "power be unto him that sitteth upon the "throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and "ever." When the kings and other great men of the earth are described, (Rev.vi. 16.) as calling to the mountains to fall on them, it is to hide them not only "from "the face of him that sitteth upon the "throne (but also) from the wrath of the "Lamb." The cry of the multitude which stood before the throne and before the Lamb, (Rev. vii. 10.) is, "Salvation to our "God which sitteth upon the throne, " and to the Lamb." In Rev. xiv. 4. the 144,000 there mentioned are spoken of as "the firsts fruits unto God and to the "Lamb." In Rev. xx. 6. it is said of the persons there referred to, that they shall be "priests of God and of Christ." In Rev. xxi. 22. "the Lord God Almighty "and the Lamb" are described as "the temple of the holy Jerusalem," and in Rev. xxii. 1.3. mention is made "of the "throne of God and of the Lamb." If

for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14. Wherefore (z) he saith, "Awake, thou that sleep" est, and arise from the dead, "and (a) Christ shall give thee "light."

The Gospel. Luke xi. 14.

JESUS was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15. But some of them said, "He casteth out "devils through Beelzebub the "chief of the devils." 16. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, "Every (b) kingdom

Christ were not God as well as the Father, can it be supposed that both would have been made objects of the same praise in heaven, that the wrath of each would have been made equal objects of dread, that both would have been described as forming one temple, and that both would have had the same priests, the same offerings or first fruits, the same throne, and the same kingdom?

(t) v. 6. "Vain words," i.e. "false ar"guments." Many of these vices were allowed and even encouraged by the heathen. - Whitby. And it is probably against the arguments from former habits and example St. Paul principally means to guard.

(u) v. 8. 10. "The Lord," i. e. (probably) "Jesus Christ."

(x) v. 11. "Unfruitful works, &c." i. e. (perhaps) "the heathen rites and worship," in which most improper practices occurred.

(y) ซ. 13. “Manifest," see John iii. 20. "Every one that doeth evil hateth the "light, neither cometh to the light, lest " his deeds should be reproved."

(z) v. 14. " He saith," i. e. " it is said." This is supposed to refer to a hymn then in use among the converts. - Slade.

(a) "Christ shall give, &c." So that he was considered as having this power. (b) v. 17. "Every kingdom, &c." These miracles tended to destroy Satan's king

" divided against itself is brought "to desolation; and a house di"vided against a house, falleth. "18. If Satan also be divided " against himself, how shall his " kingdom stand? because ye say "that I cast out devils through "Beelzebub. 19. And if I by "Beelzebub cast out devils, by "whom do your sons cast them " out? therefore shall they be "your judges. 20. But if I " with the finger of God cast out "devils, no doubt the kingdom " of God is come upon you. "21. When (c) a strong man "armed keepeth his palace, his "goods are in peace: 22. but "when a stronger than he shall "come upon him, and overcome "him, he taketh from him all his "armour wherein he trusted, and " divideth his spoils. 23. He (d) "that is not with me is against "me: and he that gathereth not "with me, scattereth. 24. When "the unclean spirit is gone out of

dom: they were done to convince the people that Jesus was the Messiah, and to induce them to turn from their evil ways: it was absurd, therefore, to suppose that Satan concurred in effecting them.

(c) v. 21. "When, &c." So if Satan were not overcome, his ministers would remain where he had sent them; but it is because I have the mastery over him, that they are cast out. The parallel passage in Matt. xii. 29. puts this very clearly: "How " can one enter into a strong man's house, " and spoil his goods, except he first bind "the strong man: and then he will spoil "his house?"

(d) v. 23. "He that is not with me, &c." Probably a Jewish proverb: and the inference is, if the not being with, the not assisting, is equal to being against, how much more am I against Satan, when I cast out his ministers!

(e) v. 24. "He," i.e. "the unclean spirit." (g) "My house," i. e. " the man I left." (h) v. 25. "Swept, &c." i. e. " studi"ously fitted up to re-admit him." The

" a man, (e) he walketh through "dry places, seeking rest; and " finding none, he saith, "I will "return unto my (g) house "whence I came out." 25. And "when he cometh, he findeth it "(h) swept and garnished. 26. "Then goeth he, and taketh to "him seven other spirits more " wicked than himself; and they "enter in, and dwell there: and "the last state of that man is "worse than the first." 27. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, "Blessed is the "womb that bare thee, and the

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almeaning is, if the person whom the unclean spirit has left, instead of endeavouring to prevent his return, prepares for it, and is willing to receive him back, the spirit will return with others worse, and the man's last state will be worse than his first. So if the Jews, when deliverance from the power of Satan is offered, think proper to reject it, and impute to Satan those works of God which are intended to rouse them into a belief in Jesus Christ, they will be worse off than before these mighty works were done. St Matthew draws the inference, in the parallel passage, Matt. xii. 45. "even so shall it be "also unto this wicked generation." So in Matt. xi. 20 to 24. our Saviour intimates to the cities in which his mighty works had been done, that it would be more tolerable for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, at the day of judgment, than for them; for if the mighty works that had been done in them had been done in Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.