shall give his angels charge con- | kingdoms of the world, and the cerning thee: and in their hands glory of them; they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 3 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the o De.6.16. had just expressed His implicit confidence in God's word to this effect, to give a signal proof of it now. And again observe, he dares Him to prove His divinity. But God's promises are not to the presumptuous; nor will they encourage presumption. As Christ here encounters temptation for His people, so He sets a pattern of resistance, and draws for them the lessons which are to serve them in all their life. The angels have doubtless many services of protection and deliverance to perform for the righteous. They are the pure, unfallen spirits in heaven. See the case of Daniel (3. 28); of Peter (Acts 5. 19). 7. It is written again. Christ replies by another quotation of Scripture (Deut. 6. 16). To tempt means. to try to dare. Thou shalt not PROVOKE God by a vain foolhardiness, and by putting His promises to a rash and daring test. This is vastly different from an humble trust. 8. An exceeding high mountain. This is Christ's next position in the assault of Satan. There were lofty peaks, as Nebo (Deut. 34. 1–3), which commanded a most extensive view. And here the suggestion was made to Him' of universal, temporal power. "All the kingdoms of the world" could not have been seen with the natural eye-even the kingdoms of Palestine" in a moment of time" (as Luke has it), even if a point of observation could have been found. Nor could even the widest view from any known peak have been surveyed so 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thec, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. p De.6.13. 1 Sa.7.3. instantaneously. The temptation lay in the foul suggestion, which Christ so instantly repelled. The glory of the kingdoms (their wealth, and pride, and power) was shown Him. It was most likely, when He was on some such commanding summit, with vast worldly greatness lying in the view, that this suggestion of the adversary was made. It implied no sin in Christ, and it led to none. Christ had not where to lay His head. 9. Will I give thee. Satan claimed all earthly glory as his (Luke 4. 6), to keep or to give away, and as given to him. Though Satan is "the prince of this world," as having a temporary dominion here, and having many subjects, yet the kingdoms belong to Christ (Ps. 22. 28), "and he is the Governor among the nations." power is given unto Him in heaven and on earth." Satan's promises are impious delusions. "He is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8. 44). "All 10. Christ again resists, with the Scripture. He shows from the law (Deut. 6. 13; 10. 20), that as a man He could not warrantably worship any but God himself, because there was no other proper object of religious worship, and no man can serve two masters (Matt. 6. 24). The first commandment involves the whole law. Even devil-worship is here proposed to Christ by offers of the world! Even the best on earth may be assailed by the most horrible temptations. And worldly offers often involve such horrid things. Yet Satan succeeds 11 Then the devil leaveth him, [ and behold, angels 4 came and ministered unto him. g He.1.6,14. with men in these. But "whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." We should repel them at once, on the authority of the Most High, and with "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" | (Ephes. 6. 17). 11. Leaveth Him. Luke adds, "for a season" (ch. 4. 13). There was a victory. But it did not annihilate Satan, or chain him down as yet. Only God's covenant preserves the Christian from the worst effects of Satan's rage and malice, and He will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear. 1 Cor. 10. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 9. John 10. 28, 29. Ob serve the condescension of Christ to be tempted for us. The holiest on earth may fall into temptation. vs. 1. Resistance has a promise of success, now, by virtue of Christ's triumph. Heb. 2. 17, 18; 4. 15, 16. We may expect repeated assaults and buffetings. They were thrice repeated here, and then, the devil departed only for a season. Those especially who have had tokens of acceptance from above, may expect the adversary. vs. 1-2. There is, in the Scripture, a direction and reply for every form of Satan's attack (vs. 4, 7, and 10), and the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit vs. 11. 13 And leaving Nazareth, he the borders of Zabulon and came and dwelt in Capernaum, Nephthalim: which is upon the sea-coast, in to keep the harmony of the subsequent events more clearly in view, we refer here to Parts III. and IV. of the "Sy- | nopsis." The particulars of the Harmony, as they occur in the Notes, should be compared with this table. These memoirs of our Lord are given by Matthew with little regard to their order in the narrative. Hence these Parts (III. and IV.) will need the closer attention. NOTE.- When a passage is to be commented on that has already been passed in the Harmony, the caption will be put IN BRACKETS.-See § 26, p. 47. 14 That it might be fulfilled The important point of order here to be noted is, that Christ's preaching appears as depending on the cessation of that of John. This was John the Baptist, as distinguished from John the Evangelist. For an account of his imprisonment, see ch. 14. 3-5. Mark 6. 17-19. John had reproved Herod for marrying his brother Philip's wife; to do which, he had put away his own wife, and Herodias had put away her own husband. See Mark 10. 12. As John decreased Christ increased. The kingdom of this Herod (Antipas) was Galilee and Perea. € 28. JESUS AT NAZARETH. HE IS REJECTED, 4. 46-54 Christ and His doctrines of grace, than it is to love our own flesh and blood-" for neither did His brethren believe in Him." John 7. 5.————¶ Capernaum, i. e., "the town of consolation," was situated near the N. W. corner of the Sea of Gennesareth, or Galilee (John 6. 17), in the confines of the tribes of Zabulon and Nephthalim, in the neighbourhood of Bethsaida, not far from the junction of the river Jordan with the sea. It lay N. E. from Nazareth. Zabulon and Nephthalim were adjacent tribes, composing a part of Galilee. (See Gen. 49. 13. Joshua 19. 20, 32. And see Map.) Capernaum was in the borders or near the boundary of these lands. Here he dwelt, passing here most of the three years and over of His public ministry. | 14-16. This prophecy, which was [ 26. JESUS TEACHES PUBLICLY IN GALILEE.] Matt. Mark. 1 Luke. John. thus fulfilled, is found in Isaiah 9. 1, 2. tion. John 3. 19. Christ himself is The sense of the passage is, that the the great source of all the light that land which in the former time He de- men need. John 8. 12. "The light of based-the land of Zabulon and the the world." John 1. 8. Isa. 42. 6; 49.6, land of Nephthalim-the maritime Mal. 4. 2. Christians are described district-the country adjacent to the accordingly, as "in the midst of a sea, and beyond the Jordan (or around crooked and perverse generation, its head), called " Galilee of the Gen- among whom they shine (or, SHINE tiles"-this land he shall make, or YE) as lights (or light bearers) in the hath made glorious. This was the world, holding forth the word of life." district which first suffered in the As- Phil. 2. 15. Observe, that sin and | syrian invasion. This district, or misery go together, and Christ is the Upper Galilee, was bounded N. by only salvation. What a privilege is Mount Lebanon and the countries of the light of the Gospel. See Isa. 60. 2. Tyre and Sidon, W. by the Mediter- The most enlightened are in darkness ranean Sea, E. by Abilene, Ithurea, until Christ arise upon their souls. and Decapolis, and S. by Lower Gal- Only He who commanded the light ilee. It was called Galilee of the Gen- to shine out of darkness can shine in tiles (or the nations), from its having our hearts. 2 Cor. 4. 6. a more mixed population-less purely Jewish than the others. Cæsarea Philippi was its principal city. See 1 Kings 9. 11.-T Sat in darkness. This expresses spiritual blindness and extreme distress. They were involved in ignorance of true religion, most distressing and destructive, in which, if they continued, they must perish. Hence it was fitly called, the region and shadow of death-like the grave, a region where moral death dwelt and cast his dreadful shadow. The country of Galilee was noted for a turbulent, coarse, rebellious, and benighted people. See Luke 13. 1 and 23. 6. The Gospel of Christ was the great light which had sprung up. Christ is "the true light." John 1.9 and 3. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 9. 1 John 1.5 and 2. 8. Heathen lands-Pagan and Mohammedan-may now be said to be in this condition. Nothing but the Gospel can enlighten them. Many of these countries are now open to receive it. Yet multitudes in Christian lands, who have the Gospel, are sitting in darkness. And this is the condemna 4. 17 | 1. 14-15 | 4. 14-15 4. 43-45 17. From that time. This calls more direct attention to the commencement of Christ's preaching. It was important, as connected with John's ceasing. But here it is, as yet, stated only in general terms. Hence this announcement may be regarded as coming in order, properly, before the account at Nazareth (vs. 13-16). Peter, at Cæsarea, after the resurrection, preaches the Gospel as "that word which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached." Acts 11. 37.—¶ To preach, is to proclaim a message on a religious subject (as, "preaching the Gospel," Luke 9. 6). Christ usually went about from place to place, preaching in their houses of worship. Luke 4. 15. Mark 4. 15. "And He taught in their synagogues." "He went about teaching t to preach, and to say, Repent: | 19 And he saith unto them, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 18 And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon " called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. t c.3.2; 10.7. u Jno.1.42. Follow me, and I will make you' fishers of men. 20 And they straightway leftTM their nets, and followed him. He in their synagogues, and preaching 18. The Sea of Galilee. This sheet of water lies near the sources of the Jordan, bordering on Galilee. It is also called the Sea of Chinnereth (Numbers 34. 11), and in the New Testament, the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 4. 18), the Sea of Tiberias (John 21 1), and the Sea or Lake of GennesaBe-1), ret or Gennesareth (Luke 5. 1), which last is but a variation of the Hebrew name. Its length is about eleven or twelve miles, and its breadth from five to six. For the calling of the four apostles, Simon and Andrew (brothers), and James and John (brothèrs), see Luke ch. 5.- -T Simon called Peter (or Cephas)-Peter being the Greek word for a stone, and Cephas being the Syriac for the same. John 1. 42. Here the four are spoken of as called in the same connexion. Luke has mentioned only the two, without denying of the other two. A comparison of the narratives shows a striking harmony, which argues for their respective veracity. By Matthew they are spoken of as casting a net into the sea. Luke tells how they cast the net at Christ's bidding. Matthew speaks of James and John mending their nets. Luke tells how they |