Luke 4

him the same question—‘‘ And what shall we do?’ “ Do violence, (or injury,”’) he says, ‘‘to no man; put no man in fear or terror of his life; neither accuse any falsely.” By injury and false accusation, we cannot understand what may Bs called the duties, but rather the abuses of the military profession: for he must mean unauthorized violence, or private injuries, in order to be coupled with false accusation, which is certainly no part of military duty. If it be asked what soldiers these could be? we apprehend not Roman or Pagan soldiers; or, as Dr. Doddridge remarks, John would surely have cautioned them against idolatry; but most Soba? they were Jewish soldiers of Galilee, under Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch, who employed such as his military executioners; ((Mark 6)

27:) or, perhaps Archelaus, who had lately been deposed for his cruelty and oppression. The military are most’ convenient tools for arbitrary princes. As to war, God forbid we should be its advocates, excep only in cases of obvious justice, and necessary self-defence We regard it in the same light with certain desperate remedies, which are only recurred to in dangers the most ae John’s style of preaching, though not accompanied wit miracles, was so weighty and authoritative, that the people were ready to hesitate whether, instead of being a forerunner, he were not himself the Christ. An impostor or a partizan would have cherished such a prejudice; but he, without hesitution, directed them to his Master, whose shoe-latchets, asa disciple, he professed himself unworthy to unloose.

(Luke 4)Jesus returns, and preaches in the synagogue of Nazareth.—The public reading of the Scriptures was certainly of divine appointment, and the practice of expounding them may be traced up to the time of Ezra. ((Nehemiah 8:8).) In later times, competent laymen were invited to this office. According to Dr. Gill, seven persons read every sabbath day, name- Iv, a priest, a Levite, and five Israelites of other tribes. On these occasions the Chazan, or minister, delivered the sacred book to the person who stood up to read, and after reading a suitable portion, he returned the book; and if he pro osed to expound or preach, he sat down in the desk where he read, as our Lord did in this instance.

The people understood this and immediately on our Lord being seated, “the eyes of all were fastened on him.” At first the people were all attention and admiration. They “bare witness” to his ability as a teacher, and even ‘“ wondered at the words of grace’ which proceeded from his lips; by which phrase we understand, not only his graceful elocution, but also the sweet and sayoury truths which he delivered; and they exclaimed, “Is not this the son f Joseph?’ adding, if not on this, upon another occasion, hence hath this man this wisdom?’ ((Matthew 13:54).) pularity is not always, however, a proof of success or usefulness. When the address is pleasing, and the truth delivered palatable, the hearers will admire and commend: but our Lord, who could read the heart, knew that among his hearers were many not prepared to receive all the truths that he was commissioned to deliver; many who, pleased_as they might appear, were questioning in their hearts his divine authority, and ready to call for miracles to gratify their curiosity, rather than their faith, which, indeed, seems to have been very low; for they brought no sick, no lame, no blind, to receive healing, as had been the case elsewhere.

He therefore addresses them on the sovereignty of God’s mercy, reminding them that the divine favour could neither be bought nor claimed; that God bestows his blessings according to his own good pleasure. Thus Elijah is sent to the widow of Sarepta, and Elisha to Naaman the Syrian, though doubtless there were widows and lepers enough in Israel. Though God refuses mercy to none who supplicate it in sincerity, he does not hold himself bound to bestow it uponany. This doctrine, as often has been the case, kindled instantly the evil passions of the multitude; and even those who but a few minutes before had been absorbed in admiration, now arise in great wrath, drag him toward the first precipice they could find, to cast him down and ‘stone him: But he passed safely ‘‘ through the midst of them.”

It has been supposed that, as upon another occasion, ((Luke 24:16),) their “eyes were holden, that they should know him:” but we are not sure this was a miracle, for } have heard of persons escaping in a tumult, merely throug’ the noise and confusion of their enemies; and we are not aware of any instance, in which Jesus wrought a miracle for either his own rescue or supply. His miracles were all (we believe) on the behalf of others. However, Jesus escaped their malice for the present, and returned to Capernaum, where he wrought a signal miracle, which, as it has been already considered, may be here passed over. There his word was not only admired, but also attended “with power,” namely, with that power of the Holy Spirit which alone can give it success; for even miracles are in vain without it.

“Tf the ministers of Christ be persecuted from one place and driven to another, let them still boldly proceed in declaring to ‘all men every where’ the way of, salvation. The word which they speak, being attended with the power of their Lord, will be made effectual] to convince, alarm, and convert some of theirhearers. No case can be desperate if Jesus see good to work; even those in their assemblies, who are most idently possessed of ‘unclean spirits,’ may be delivered ‘om them, and made illustrious monuments of his grace and power: and though the devil may create great distress, to such as Christ is rescuing from his dominion, he cannot do them any real harm. We. ought therefore to spread abroad the fame of the Saviour in every place; to beseech him for those who are diseased in body or mind; and to use our inaan ag ry oar na ae ee e people out of Peter’s ship: 4 in a miraculous ‘ing of 1e8.

showeth how be will make him and his thes fishers of men: 12 cleanseth the pe 16 mere in the wilderness; 18 healeth one sick of the palsy: 27 calleth ‘atthew the publican: 29 eateth with sinnera, as being the physician of souls: 34 foretelleth the tastings and afliictions of the apostles after bis ascension; 36 and likenfaint-hearted weak disciples to old bottles aud worn garments. -ND *it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, henceforth thou shalt catch men. fluence in bringing sinners to him, that his powerful hands may be laid upon them for their healing.

Thus relying on his power, truth, and love, for ourselves, and those who are more immediately connected with us, we should seek to promote the preaching of his ‘ gospel in other cities also,’ and in other regions, even to the ends of the earth.”— 7". Scott. HAP. V. Christ preaches from a ship, and then orders Simon to launch out into the sea.—From finding our Lord so frequently on the sea, we may reprove the silly weakness of those who dare not venture even upon_a river. It is true there are many drowned at sea; but there are far more who die on land. We are every where exposed to danger and to death; but we should remember, that we are every where under the care of the same guardian providence; and to excite our confidence and gratitude, the few accidents we suffer should be compared with the many which we escape.

We should never neglect the calls of Providence from the suspicion that we may not succeed. Peter had been toiling all night without success, yet when Jesus gives the command Peter tries again. ‘‘ Nevertheless (says he) at thy command I will let down the net;” and his obedience was well rewarded. Labouris ours; successis God’s. Yet even success may produce danger: “the ships began to sink.’’ Many a trades-. man has been rnined by prosperity in business. He has suc-i} ceeded in getting money, and made shipwreck of his fait He has gained the world, and lost his eal has been ruined by popularity. He has been admired and sraised, till his devotion has cooled, his zeal become languid, and even his ministerial success destroyed.

They alone are well kept whom God keepeth. 11 And when they had brought their ships to eae land, they forsook » all, and followed him. Mat 16, 12 J And ‘it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: b Jn.21.6. who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and bee Ps.127.1,2 sought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou ‘canst make me clean. sees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. But there is something in Peter’s conduct that requires an explanation. Jesus is a Saviour, and a sense of sin should lead us to him, and not drive us from him. Shall the sick man say to the physician, “ Depart from me, for I am sick ?’”

There is more inconsistency in our conduct as sinners, than But what can Peter meampby in any other part of human life. requesting the Lord to depart from him? It is evident that a sense of Christ’s divinity, and his own unbelief, led him to consider himself as utterly unworthy of his presence. And so did the sons of Zebedee; and who, indeed, does not, who has The answer of any true knowledge of God, or of himself?’ Christ speaks always the language of encouragement to those who have been previously humble ed: “Fear not; follow me, and ‘I will make you fishers of men.” (Comp. (Matthew 4:19).) Such, indeed, they were, and the book of Acts is the record of their success; but at the day of judgment alone can.

it be developed fully. Then will idleness and hypocrisy be exposed, then will ae humblest services be brought to light, and not ‘“a cup of cold water,” charitably given, pass unrewarded. ((Matthew 25:31), &c.) “In tracing the example of our divine Saviour, we find that he interchanged public services and retired devotion; and that the sole business of his life was to glorify God by doing good to men, and to commune with his Father. Thus our several should in succession occupy our time; and piety and ty should be connected in our habitual and persevering ! -Many a preac her | onduct. A life thus spent will best manifest our faith in Christ, and evince that he has both pardoned our sins and healed our souls.

** Let all, who would prosper in the divine life, attend chief-

Notes on the verses

Chap. IV. Ver. 5. In a moment.—Perhaps meaning, “ at a glance,” or in one view. It is remarkable that this scene from the mountain, which is placed last in Matthew, is here placed second; for which we can give no reason. Ver. 7. All shall be thine—That is, “ All this glory.” Campbell. Vor. 8. Get thee behind me, Satan.—This clause is here wanting, not only in some of the best MSS. but several ancient versions. But it occurs (Matthew 4:10).—Campbell. es Ver. 17. Opened the book.—{“* Unrolled the book;” the Sacred Writings being anciently (as they are still in the synagogues) written on skins of parchment, and rolled on two rollers, popes on each end, so that in reading from right to left, they rolled off with the left hand while they rolled on with the right.

|—Bagster. 1097 Ver. 18. Because.—Campbell, ‘‘ Inasmuch as.” Ver. 20. The minister.—Campbell “ The servant;”’ namely, in waiting upon the readers., Ver 22. The gracious words.—Doddridge, ‘‘ Graceful words”—Campbell, Words full of grace.”—Greck, ‘‘ Words of grace;” referring more to the matter than the manner of his discourse. Ver. 23. Done in Capernaum.—See (Mark 1:21), &c.; (John 2:12), &c. Ver. 26. Sarepta.—{Sarepta, a city of Phenicia, on the coast of the Mediterranean, is called Zarphand by the Arabian géographer Sherif Ibn Idris, who places it 20 miles N. of Tyre, and 10 S. of Si on; but its real distance from Tyre is about 15 miles, the whole distance from that city to Sidon bein only 25 miles.

Mawndrell states, that the place shown him for this city, called Sarphan, consisted of only a few houses, on the tops of the mountains, within about halfa mile of the sea; between which there were ruins of consideraple extent. |—Bagster. ‘ -Ver. 29. The brow (margin, “ edge’’) of the hill whereon their city was built.—But modern travellers tell us that Nazareth was built in a valley, surrounded by hills. So Dr. Richardson compares it to a delightful basin of earth, surrounded by fifteen mountains. The village, he says, stands on an elevated situation, on the west side of the valley. Now it appears by Godtoyn that the law required only an eminence of two cubits high, from which the Person stoned must be thrown down, and such an eminence may be found almost any where.

Perhaps ak original term (ophrus) may be misunderstood. Polybius uses it for the “ bank of a river,” which is os sloping. (See Jones’s (Leviticus 10)) The human eye-brow, which seems the origin of the term, is not on the top of the forehead, but on the rise; perhaps, therefore, the true meaning may be, that the city was built on the slope of the hill, from the steepest part of which they meant to precipitate our Lord. What is now called the Mount of Precipitation is, however, full half a league from the village, and difficult of access, which is therefore very unlikely to be the place to which the Jews meant to drag our Saviour. Ver. 33. A spirit of an unclean devil—That is, a demon, who was an uning diseases.

dead Tea: this seems utterly inconsistent with the idea of these demons be- Ver. 37. The fame, &c.—[The sound; a very elegant metaphor, says Dr. Adam Clarke. The people are represented as struck with astonishment, and the sound goes out through all the coasts; in allusion to the propagation of sound by a smart stroke upon any substance. ]|—Bagster, q Ver. 42. When it was day.—Mark says, “ A great while before day,” which may refer to his rising at the first dawn; and when the day advanced, but probably before sunrise, he went forth, &c. ne 4 3 Ver. 44. Galilee.—[|Many of the Jewish traditions, in accordance with Ts. ix. 1, 2, assert that Galilee was the place where the Messiah should first appear.

Thus also (Isaiah 2:19), “‘ When he shall arise to smite terribly the earth,” is expounded in the book Zohar, as referring to the Messiah: ‘* When he shall arise, and shall be revealed in the land of Galilee.” See Schoetgon.]—-Bagster