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set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be 4 converted, and become as little b children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

с

Ps. cxxxi. 2.

ch. xix. 14.
1 Cor. xiv. 20.

Pet. ii. 2.

xxiii. 11.

4 c Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little c ch. xx. 27. child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

offences e 1 Cor. xi. 19.

offence fch. xxvi. 24.

offend ɛ ch. v. 29, 30.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my d ch. x. 42. name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that come; but woe to that man by whom the cometh! 8 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these

I literally, turned.

8 literally, scandalize.

r literally, scandals, or stumbling-blocks. trender, the life [to come].

[blocks in formation]

turned] The word also conveys the idea
of turning back from the course pre-
viously begun, viz. that of ambitious
rivalry. Without this they should not
only not be pre-eminent in, but not
even admitted into, the Christian state-
the Kingdom of Heaven.
4.] Not
"as this little child humbleth itself:" the
child was naturally humble: and such as
the child was by nature, we are to be by
choice. 5.] Having shewn the child
as the pattern of humility, the Lord pro-
ceeds to shew the honour in which children
are held in His heavenly kingdom; and
not only actual, but spiritual children-
for both are understood in the expression
one such little child. The receiving in
my name is the serving (Mark ix. 35) with
Christian love, and as belonging to Christ
(see also ch. xxv. 40). 6.] Here St.
Mark and St. Luke insert the saying of
John respecting one casting out dæmons in
Jesus' name, who followed not with the
Apostles: which it appears gave rise to
the remark in this verse. St. Luke how-

ever goes on no further with the discourse:
St. Mark inserts also our ch. x. 42. The
punishment here mentioned, drowning,
may have been practised in the sea of
Galilee see Jerome cited in my Gr. Test.
De Wette however denies this, saying that
it was not a Jewish punishment; but it
certainly was a Roman, for Suetonius men-
tions it as practised by Augustus on the
rapacious attendants of Caius Cæsar: and on
a certain Macedonian also: see as above.
millstone] the word implies a stone
belonging to a mill turned by an ass, and
therefore larger than the stones of a hand-
mill.
7.] See 1 Cor. xi. 19. Stier
suggests that Judas, who took offence at
the anointing in Bethany, may have been
on other occasions the man by whom the
offence came, and so this may have been
said with special reference to him. Still
its general import is undeniable and plain.
See also Acts ii. 23. 8.] The connexion
is- Wilt thou avoid being the man on
whom this woe is pronounced?-then cut
off all occasion of offence in thyself first.'
The cautions following are used in a wider
sense than in ch. v. 29, 30. In Mark, the
'foot' is expanded into a separate iteration
of the command.
everlasting fire

little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels

h

h Eth. 1.1. do always behold the face of my Father which is in

Luke i. 19.

i [Luke ix.

50 xix. 10.

John iii. 17: xii. 47.

k Luke xv. 4.

i u

heaven. [11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.] 12 k How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and

this verse is omitted in several of the oldest authorities.

▾ render, the ninety and nine on the mountains, and goeth and seeketh.

(literally the fire which is eternal), which here first occurs, is more fully expressed in Mark, vv. 43, 44 ff. 10.] Hitherto our text has been parallel with that of Mark ix.; from this, Matthew stands alone. The warning against contempt of these little ones must not be taken as only implying that special care must be taken not to scandalize them, nor indeed as relating exclusively, or even principally, to children. We must remember with what the discourse began a contention who should be greatest among them: and the little ones are those who are the furthest from these 'greatest,' the humble and new-born babes of the spiritual kingdom. And despise must be understood of that kind of contempt which ambition for superiority would induce for those who are by weakness or humility incapacitated for such a strife. There is no doubt that children are included in the word little ones, as they are always classed with the humble and simple-minded, and their character held up for our imitation. The little children in the outward state of the Church are in fact the only disciples who are sure to be that in reality, which their Baptism has put upon them, and so exactly answer to the wider meaning here conveyed by the term; and those who would in afterlife enter into the kingdom must turn back, and become as these little childrenas they were when they had just received the new life in Baptism. The whole discourse is in deep and constant reference to the covenant with infants, which was to be made and ratified by an ordinance, in the Kingdom of Heaven, just as then. On the reason assigned in the latter part of this verse, there have been many opinions; some of which (e. g. that given by Webster and Wilkinson, angels, their spirits after death a meaning which the word never bore, and one respecting which our Lord would not have spoken in the present tense, with always) have been broached merely to evade the plain sense of the words, which is that to individuals (whether in

variably, or under what circumstances of minor detail, we are not informed) certain angels are allotted as their especial attendants and guardians. We know elsewhere from the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament (Ps. xxxiv. 7; xci. 11: Heb. i. 14 al.), that the angels do minister about the children of God: and what should forbid that in this service, a prescribed order and appointed duty should regulate their ministrations? Nay, is it not certain by analogy that such would be the case? But this saying of our Lord assures us that such is the case, and that those angels whose honour is high before God are entrusted with the charge of the humble and meek,-the children in age and the children in grace. The phrase I say unto you, as in Luke xv. 7, 10, is an introduction to a revelation of some previously unknown fact in the spiritual world.

Stier has some very beautiful remarks on the guardian angels, and on the present general neglect of the doctrine of angelic tutelage, which has been doubtless a reaction from the idolatrous angelworship of the Church of Rome (see Acts xii. 15: Daniel xii. 1: in the former case we have an individual, in the latter a national guardianship). behold the

face, &c. i. e. are in high honour before God; not perhaps especially so, but the meaning may be, for they have angelic guardians, who always,' &c. See Tobit xii. 15.

11.] The angels are the servants and messengers of the Son of Man; and they therefore (for &c.) are appointed to wait on these little ones whom He came to save; and who, in their utter helplessness, are especially examples of that which was lost. 'Here,' remarks Stier, 'is Jacob's ladder planted before our eyes: beneath are the little ones;-then their angels;-then the Son of Man in heaven, in whom alone man is exalted above the angels, Who, as the Great Angel of the Covenant, cometh from the Presence and Bosom of the Father;-and above Him again (ver. 14) the Father Himself, and

seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Luke xvii. 3.

1 Pet. iii. 1.

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass [ against thee], Lev. xix. 17. go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, m thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But m James v. 20. if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in "the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an

n Deut. xvii. 6: xix. 15.

John viii. 17.
2 Cor. xiii. 1.
Heb. x. 28.

o Rom. xvi. 17
1 Cor. v. 9.
2 Thess. iii.

heathen 6,14. 2 John

W literally, in the presence of your Father. X omitted by our two earliest MSS. I literally, the congregation or assembly. His good pleasure.' 12, 13.] See notes on Luke xv. 4-6, where the same parable is more expanded. Compare also Ezek. xxxiv. 6, 11, 12. 14.] This

verse sets forth to us the work of the Son as accomplishing the will of the Father; -for it is unquestionably the Son who is the Good Shepherd, searching for the lost, ver. 11. For similar declarations see Ezek. xviii. 23; xxxiii. 11: 2 Pet. iii. 9. The inference from this verse is-then whoever despises or scandalizes one of these little ones, acts in opposition to the will of your Father in Heaven.' Observe, when the dignity of the little ones was asserted, it was my Father; now that a motive directly acting on the conscience of the Christian is urged, it is your Father.

15-20.] OF THE METHOD OF ProceedING WITH AN OFFENDING BROTHER: AND OF THE POWER OF THE CHRISTIAN AS15.] The

SEMBLY IN SUCH CASES.

connexion of this with the preceding is: Our Lord has been speaking of offences (stumbling-blocks), which subject is the ground-tone of the whole discourse. One kind is, when thou sinnest against another, vv. 7-14. A second kind, when thy brother sins against thee. The remedy for the former must be, in each individual being cautious in his own person,-that of the latter, in the exercise of brotherly love, and if that fail, the authority of the congregation, vv. 15-17. Then follows an exposition of what that authority is, vv. On this verse see Levit. xix. 17, 18. This direction is only in case of personal offence against ourselves, and then the injured person is to seek private exVOL. I.

18-20.

10.

planation, and that by going to his injurer,
not waiting till he comes to apologize.
hast gained, in the higher sense, reclaimed,
gained for God, see reff. and for thyself
too: "for before, thou hadst lost him,
having been broken off from thy society by
the offence," Euthymius.

16.] The first attempt of brotherly love is to heal the wound, to remove the offence, in secrecy; to cover the sin: but if this cannot be done, the next step is, to take two or three, still, in case of an adjustment, preventing publicity; but in the other event, providing sufficient legal witness. See reff. and John viii. 17. Compare St. Paul's apparent reference to these words of our Lord, 2 Cor. xiii. 1. 17. neglect to hear] The original verb is a stronger word than this, implying something of obduracy: refuse to hear. the church (literally assembly), by what follows, certainly not the Jewish synagogue' (for how could vv. 18-20 be said in any sense of it?), but the congregation of Christians; i. e. in early times, such as in Acts iv. 32, the one congregation,-in after times, that congregation of which thou and he are members. That it cannot mean the Church as represented by her rulers, appears by vv. 19, 20,-where any collection of believers is gifted with the power of deciding in such cases. Nothing could be further from the spirit of our Lord's command than proceedings in what are oddly enough called ecclesiastical' courts.

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let him be, &c.] 'let him no longer be accounted as a brother, but as one of those without,' as the Jews accounted Gentiles and Publicans. Yet even then, not with

K

p ch. xvi. 19. John xx. 23.

1 Cor. v. 4.

man and a publican. publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, P Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 z Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall q 1 John iii. 22. ask, 1 it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together

s ch. vi. 14. Col. iii. 13.

in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

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21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall r Luke xvii. 4. my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: 8 but, Until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But

Z some of the oldest MSS. read, Again verily I say.
a literally, a man (which was) a king.

hatred, see 1 Cor. v. 11, and compare 2
Cor. ii. 6, 7, and 2 Thess. iii. 14, 15.

18.] This verse re-asserts in a wider and
more general sense the grant made to
Peter in ch. xvi. 19. It is here not only
to him as the first stone, but to the whole
building. See note there, and on John xx.
23, between which and our ch. xvi. 19 this
is a middle point. This refers to that
entire accordance of hearty faith, which
could hardly have place except also in
accordance with the divine will. It was
apparently misunderstood by the Apostles
James and John ;-
;-see St. Mark's account,
ch. x, 35, in which they nearly repeat these
words. Notice again the [verily] I say
unto you: see on ch. xvi. 28. 20.] A
generalization of the term church (assem-
bly), and the powers conferred on it, which
renders it independent of particular forms
of government or ceremonies, and esta-
blishes at once a canon against pseudo-
catholicism in all its forms: compare 1 Cor.
i. 2. there am I must be understood
of the presence of the Spirit and Power
of Christ, see chap. xxviii. 20.

21-35.] REPLY TO PETER'S QUESTION
RESPECTING THE LIMIT OF FORGIVENESS;
AND BY OCCASION, THE PARABLE OF THE
FORGIVEN BUT UNFORGIVING SERVANT.

See Luke xvii. 3, 4. It is possible that Peter may have asked this question in virtue of the power of the keys before (ch. xvi. 19) entrusted to him, to direct him in the use of them: but it seems more likely, that it was asked as in the person of any

individual: that Peter wished to follow the rules just laid down, but felt a difficulty as to the limit of his exercise of forgiveness.

The Rabbinical rule was, to forgive three times and no more; this they justified by Amos i. 3, &c., Job xxxiii. 29, 30 LXX, and marg. E. V. The expression 'seven times a day' is found Prov. xxiv. 16, in connexion with sinning and being restored: see also Levit. xxvi. 18-28. In our Lord's answer we have most likely a reference to Gen. iv. 24. 22.] On seventy times seven, Chrysostom remarks, that our Lord does not here lay down a number, but prescribes that which is infinite and continuous and everlasting. 23. Therefore] 'because this is so,' because unlimited forgiveness is the law of the Kingdom of Heaven. The servants here are not slaves, but ministers or stewards. By the commanding to be sold of ver. 25 they could not be slaves in the literal sense. But in Oriental language all the subjects of the king, even the great ministers of state, are called slaves. The individual example is one in high trust, or his debt could never have reached the enormous sum mentioned. See Isa. i. 18.

24.] Whether these are talents of silver or of gold, the debt represented is enormous, and far beyond any private man's power to discharge. 10,000 talents of silver is the sum at which Haman reckons the revenue derivable from the destruction of the whole Jewish people, Esth. iii. 9. Trench remarks (Parables, p. 124) that we can best appreciate the sum by

forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him

Neh. v. 8.

t to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, t2 Kings iv. 1. and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell

down, and worshipped him, saying, [ Lord,] have patience
with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that
servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and
forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out,
and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an
hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him
by the throat, saying, Pay [me] that thou owest.
29 And
his fellowservant fell down [at his feet], and besought
him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee
[c all]. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into
prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow-

:

bomitted in some of the oldest authorities.

comitted by the oldest MSS.

comparing it with other sums mentioned
in Scripture. In the construction of the
tabernacle, twenty-nine talents of gold
were used (Exod. xxxviii. 24): David pre-
pared for the temple 3000 talents of gold,
and the princes 5000 (1 Chron. xxix. 4-7:
the Queen of Sheba presented to Solomon
120 talents (1 Kings x. 10): the King
of Assyria laid on Hezekiah thirty talents
of gold (2 Kings xviii. 14): and in the
extreme impoverishment to which the
land was brought at last, one talent of
gold was laid on it, after the death of
Josiah, by the King of Egypt (2 Chron.
xxxvi. 3).
25.] See Exod. xxii. 3:
Levit. xxv. 39, 47: 2 Kings iv. 1. The
similitude is however rather from Oriental
despotism for the selling was under the
Mosaic law softened by the liberation at
the year of jubilee. The imprisonment
also, and the tormentors, vv. 30, 34, favour
this view, forming no part of the Jewish
law. 26.] Luther explains this as the
voice of mistaken self-righteousness, which
when bitten by sense of sin and terrified
with the idea of punishment, runs hither
and thither, seeking help, and imagines it
can build up a righteousness before God
without having yet any idea that God
Himself will help the sinner. Trench
remarks, "It seems simpler to see in the
words nothing more than exclamations
characteristic of the extreme fear and an-
guish of the moment, which made him
ready to promise impossible things, even
mountains of gold," p. 127. 28.] Per-
haps we must not lay stress on went out, as
indicating any wrong frame of mind already

begun, as some do :-the sequel shews how completely he had gone out' from the presence of his Lord. At all events the word corresponds to the time when the trial of our principle takes place when we go out' from the presence of God in prayer and spiritual exercises, into the world. We may observe, that forgiveness of sin does not imply a change of heart or principle in the sinner. The fellow-servant is probably not in the same station as himself, but none the less a fellow-servant. The insignificance of the sum is to shew us how trifling any offence against one another is in comparison to the vastness of our sin against God. Chrysostom finely remarks: " He paid no regard even to the words by which he owed his own deliverance,-the petition which won for him the forgiveness of those ten thousand talents: he recognized not the harbour where he escaped his impending shipwreck: the posture of the suppliant did not remind him of his lord's kindness but rejecting all such considerations in his avarice and his cruelty and his unforgiveness, he was more cruel than any wild beast seizing and throttling his fellow-servant. What doest thou, O man? Seest thou not that thou art exacting from thyself? drawing the sword against thyself, retorting upon thyself the denial, and refusing for thyself the free forgiveness?"

:

that thou owest must be understood as a haughty expression of one ashamed to meet the mention of the paltry sum really owing, and by this very expression generalizing his unforgiving treatment to all

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