62. A THIRD CIRCUIT IN GALILEE, | all was in a state ready for active &c. See ch. 10.

35. Jesus went about-doing good, teaching, preaching, and healing. Preaching is something more than teaching-it is proclaiming the good news, and offering the gospel. This general description is given us of His work, to show that much more was done by Him than is narrated. And if we ask why the Spirit dictated these narratives rather than those of other works of Christ, we may suppose, that beyond the facts, there is conveyed important instruction respecting the way of life.

36. They fainted--literally, were faint. They were weary in body, and heavy laden with burdensome rites and doctrines of the Pharisees-without spiritual care from the priests, who were themselves ignorant and heedless of their charge. They were in just such condition as to excite His pity. The people He compared to scattered sheep, without a shepherd, or pastor. Their case called for help. They needed adequate instruction and care. They needed faithful shepherds, or pastors, to look after them, and tend them.

and faithful labourers. The harvest is the multitude of souls ripe for being gathered in to His kingdom. Labourers are Christian ministers.

38. The disciples' work for the great cause was, first of all, to pray. We can help the church by prayers to the great Head of the church. God alone can raise up the men for the ministry in sufficient numbers, and give them the requisite qualifications and put them into the work. ОвSERVE: It is His harvest, and He must send the men. Ministers must go under His commission.

Christ was about 32 years old before He commissioned and sent forth His twelve Apostles. He had called them with other disciples at different times and places. He had chosen the twelve just after His second Passover. Peter had been called first, and Matthew last. Two of them had been John's disciples. Meantime Christ had been proved to be God, by His numerous miracles wrought in His 37. Yet this was the very harvest own name and by His own proper He was designing to reap. He authority. And He was proved to be sought the lost-" Come unto me all the Messiah by His fulfilling in Himye that are weary," &c. He points self the predictions of Him that was out this great truth to the disciples: to come. He obtained sufficient and The fields were white to the harvest-proper witnesses of His life and mir

unclean spirits, to cast them | lican; James the son of Alpheout, and to heal all manner of us; and Lebbeus, whose sursickness and all manner of dis-name was Thaddeus ;

ease.

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

4 Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye

3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the pub-not:

b Lu.6.13.

acles, by choosing those who should accompany Him in all His course, and receive His private teachings, and such as should be able to give the fullest testimony to His words and works. For this purpose He had chosen and called twelve. As there were 12 tribes, and the nation was descended from 12 patriarchs, He would show thus that the church was essentially the same in all ages, and the Head of the church the same, and that it would be restored again, under a new economy.

c 2 K.17.24. Jno.4.5,9,20.

Apostle. See John 1. 43.———¶ Matthew the publican. An humble confession. He does not call James and John the fishermen.- ¶ Lebbeus. The Thaddeus of Matthew, is called by Luke, 'Judas the brother of James.' This is the "Judas not Iscariot. John 14. 22.- Simon the Canaanite, or more properly, the Cananite or zealot, called also "Simon Zelotes." There was a Jewish sect called "Zealots."

5. The twelve were sent forth to preach or proclaim the Gospel of Christ. "Ambassadors for Christ."

1. Christ had chosen and called the twelve before the Sermon on the -¶ The Gentiles, were the heathen, Mount was delivered. Mark 3. 13-19. who were not born Jews. The AposLuke 6. 12-19. They had been all tles were not now to go in the way of the time in His special company. them, or among them. Their first busiNow He summons them to go out to ness was with the Jews. The their work. He gave them this pow- Samaritans, were inhabitants of the er, that they might prove their com-region between Judea and Galilee, mission, and have authority with men, as sent by Christ for the promotion of His kingdom. We see that Christ could not only work miracles of Himself, but He could even delegate this power to others. to others. This was His greatest miracle. This clearly proved Him to be God, having life and power in Himself, to give to

others.

2, 3, 4. Apostle. One that is sent. This is the meaning of our word Missionary. Matthew mentions them in pairs, probably as they were sent out "by two and two." -T The first, Simon. Alluding to the fact that Simon Peter was the first called as an

the country assigned to the tribe of Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh. They were formerly the revolted ten tribes of Israel, who had Samaria for their capital city, and took their name hence, and became most completely separate from the Jews. But subsequently, by the people being carried captive into Assyria, and colonists being sent back from that land, the inhabitants became wholly or mostly heathen. They deeply hated the Jews who had no dealing with them (John 4.9). Their religion was made up of Judaism and heathenism. The twelve were not yet to go among these, because Christ

announcement was best fitted to arrest the notice of the Jews, and to express the advance of the Gospel reign. The term "at hand" is used in the literal sense of "presently”—that is, present here, nigh, even at the doors.

8. Heal the sick. Such is the benevolent design of Christ's mission, and by this visible manifestation in bodily diseases was His spiritual work to be set forth, breaking every yoke (Isa. 61. 1). They could do these things only by His divine power, committed to them, but needing to be exercised by Him at every step, in every instance. -¶ Lepers—were those defiled with the loathsome disease of leprosy, which excluded the poor sufferers from society, as cere

held a peculiar relation to the Jews through Abraham, and He would first proclaim to them the Gospel salvation, and own them as a peculiar and favourite people, in keeping with the Old Testament prophecies and promises. The Gospel was preached to the Gentiles after His resurrection, and Peter had a vision to authorize him as the Apostle to the Gentiles. But Peter's greater distinction was his acknowledgment of Christ. He was called a stone (Cephas and Peter are words which mean a stone), and on this ground of Christ preached to Jews and Gentiles, the Christian Church in all nations was to be erected. 6. The House of Israel. It was by virtue of a household covenant made with the family of Abraham, and ex-monially unclean and dreadful, and tended to Jacob, that this people of the Jews were taken as the Lord's. Jacob was afterward called Israel, in keeping with his family covenant, which was then repeated to him. And so his descendants were called the house of Israel. They were sheep of this fold, but lost and scattered sheep. The Jewish Church, though taken into covenant with God, had become estrayed. Yet even in such case, He would have them treated with especial favour, and honoured with signal privilege for the father's sake. All sinners are like lost sheep, as being cared for and sought after by appointment of Christ. But such of them as have been baptized and have come into this outward covenant relation are more especially like the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7. The kingdom of heaven. This was to be the sum of their preaching, to call attention to the reign of Christ as the heavenly kingdomcoming-drawing near This form of

which nothing but the power of God could cleanse. These miracles they were to work in the name of Christ, not in their own name, nor in any other.-—¶ Freely give. They were to dispense these benefits as free gifts. So they had received them

and so, in their healing acts, they were to set forth the free bounty of God. Simon Magus thought the gift of God, in working such wonders, could be bought and sold for money, and though he was baptized, he was denounced for this. Maintenance, but not money-making, by the Gospel, was allowed (1 Cor. 9. 14). The exorcists wrought only for money.

9. Provide (margin, get neither, c.). They were not to carry any store for themselves. Their journey was not to be long, and the office work was to support itself. Though they were to dispense gratuitously, yet they were to look for maintenance from their work, and to cast themselves upon the people.

-¶ In your purses.

shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

16 ¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves:

5), as the next verse shows. So in their enemies are compared to sheep Mark 6. 11, it is expressed, “For a "For a defenceless in the midst of wolvestestimony against them." Your doom i. e., the fierce and ravenous foes that be on yourselves; and let not even the should prowl about their path, and least dust of your sin and condem-seek to devour them. Such were the nation attach to us! Such an act false prophets; "Inwardly they are would be most expressive, as testify- ravening wolves." ch. 7. 15. Šatan ing the reprobation of the Apostles. is termed a roaring lion. Wicked They actually did this. Acts 13. 51; men that are enemies of Christ's 18. 6. Many there are now, who re- ministers, are here termed wolves. fuse to receive or hear the Gospel. The reference is to the persecutions that From such, the ministers of Christ they should afterward endure. (So in can at last only turn away, and dis- Matt. 24. the language is first conclaim any portion with them. For cerning things near, and then concernthe punishment will be so complete, ing things remote.) Therefore they that it would seem to reach even the should require at once to be pruaust trodden by such transgressors. dent and discerning, while they should "Have no fellowship with them," be gentle and meek. This wisdom Seeing ye put it from you, and qualified by the harmlessness, is wisjudge yourselves unworthy of ever- dom to do good and not evil. (So lasting life, lo, we turn to the Gen- David toward Saul.) Christians are, tiles." Acts 13. 46, 51. "They shook like sheep of the fold, defenceless, off the dust of their feet against them." and like them they should look to the 15. Sodom and Gomorrah were good shepherd. Christ was led as a the chief of those cities of the plain lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep which were destroyed by fire raining before her shearers was dumb, so down from the Lord out of heaven. He opened not His mouth; and yet Gen. 19. 24, 25. They were along He was wisdom itself. Proverbs. the south-east border of Palestine, The word rendered "harmless” here, and their site is now covered by the is the same in Rom. 16. 19, "simpleDead Sea. Their punishment, though concerning evil." Its leading sense is, they were so wicked as to be cut off inoffensive. It occurs but three times in so terribly from the earth, will be the New Testament. Serpents are more tolerable at the day of final judg-called wise, because they have always ment—that is, more easily endured, comparatively-than that of such as "obey not the Gospel!" And the reason is, that these neglect and reject so great salvation, and sin against this greater light. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, how shall ye escape? (Heb. 2. 2.)

16. These words are spoken more generally of their apostleship, not merely of the particular expedition | on which they were at this time sent out, which should be of short duration. The ministers of Christ amongst

been the symbols of wisdom. Be full of keen and cautious discernment. The Egyptians expressed their idea of wisdom by the figure of a serpent. Christians are not to abjure true wisdom, but to cultivate it and pray for it. Christian ministers are to have a wisdom as remarkable as that of serpents, only from God, and for good.

Be

17. Beware. Take good care. cautious of the men. Here they were to show their wisdom in dealing with those who are like wolves. They were to expect such enemies, not to