Biblical knowledge, and, especially, more humble, in regard to our own progress in the study of the Word of life. Job. xxviii. 28; Ps. cxix. 33-40; S. John xx. 9; 1 Cor. viii. 2; Acts viii. 27-35.-J. Ford.

V. 30.-Are as the Angels, &c. O blessed answer! Thou hast opened the door of heaven and given us a glimpse of that glorious state. Thou hast taught us more in one short word, than all the learning of the world could reach. We shall hereafter be as Angels; perfectly know, and fervently love and possess the object of that knowledge and love for ever. Here, while immersed in flesh, our thoughts are low, and our discourse dull, and our joys restrained to a few and petty instances. Our comfort is, that in a little while we shall think, and discourse, and love, as the Angels in Heaven! Isa. xxv. 6-10; xxxv. 10.-Austin.

V. 32. If it be asked, why God is named three times here, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, we may piously answer, it is partly to intimate the great mystery of the Trinity, in whose Triune Name our holy Covenant of grace and mercy is made, ratified, and confirmed; partly to denote the special Providence of God, so signally auspicious towards each of these Patriarchs in their respective times; as also to point out the distinguishing example of every one of them for some singular grace and virtue-Abraham, as eminent for his faith and obedience; Isaac, for purity of mind and innocence; and Jacob, for patience and constancy : and if in these graces we imitate them, we shall have their God for our God. xxviii. 19.—Wogan.

V. 34. When they heard, &c. A strange thing; for what was that, which they heard! Was it not the making good their tenet against the Sadducees? the proving of the Resurrection of the dead? A man would expect that they would congratulate Christ's victory and rejoice in the refutation of the Sadducees (Acts iv. 2). Haply, they would have done so, if there had been nothing else; but Christ got credit by the Sadducees' silence; the people wondered at it (v. 33): this was a corrosive to the Pharisees. They were jealous that, what Christ gained, they lost. Therefore they maligned His success; and malice hath not eyes to see good turns or be moved by them. Nay, see; Christ was taking their part against the Sadducees, and they revenge the Sadducees' quarrel upon Christ. Malice doth not only not see good turns ; but it can forget also ill turns to do a mischief unto those that are good. Prov. xxvii. 4; Acts xxiii. 6-9.-Bp. Lake.

Put to silence. The Greek word here is remarkable. He bridled their mouths, indicating His complete mastery over them. He muzzled them, so that "from that day forth no one durst ask Him any more questions" (v. 46). The same expressive term is used to describe His silencing the unclean spirit (S. Mark i. 25; S. Luke iv. 35,) and stilling that tempest, which very probably was raised by the power of the evil one. Ps. viii. 6; xxxix. 2; S. Mark iv. 39.-J. Ford.

V. 37. When he says, With all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, He leaves no part of our life disengaged, so as to admit the enjoyment of ought else; but whatever incentive to our love may arise, let it

be carried quick into that channel, where the main torrent of all our affection is borne along. Ps. lxxiii. 24; 2 Cor. v. 14.-S. Augustine.

An earnest wish for the love of others arises from the great love, which we bear towards them. 1 John iv. 19. -S. Chrysostom.

The great Commandment. I fear that many of us little think, how great it is. We little reflect, on the one hand, how great our obligation is to love our God; and, on the other side, how great the advantages are, which cannot fail to attend this love. We little consider how great our ingratitude is, if we omit our greatest duty; how great our folly is, if we omit our greatest good. Deut x. 12, 13; Rom. xiii. 10; S. John v. 42.-A Contrite heart.

V. 39.-Holy Scripture forbids but one thing, which is covetousness, and the love of the creature; and it commands but one thing, which is charity, and the love of God. Upon this double rule is established all Christian morality.-S. Augustine.

V. 44.-The 110th Psalm is one of the clearest and most compendious prophecies of the Person and offices of Christ in the whole Old Testament, and so full of fundamental truths, that I shall not scruple to call it “the prophet David's Creed." And indeed there are very few, if any, of the Articles of that Creed, which we all generally profess, which are not either plainly expressed, or by most evident implication couched, in this little model. Acts ii. 29-37; xiii. 32-37.-Bp. Reynolds.

V. 45. The untying of this knot dependeth upon the right understanding of the wonderful conjunction of the

Divine and Human nature in the Unity of the Person of our Redeemer. For, by reason of the strictness of this Personal Union, whatsoever may be verified of either of the natures, the same may be truly spoken of the whole Person; from whether-soever of the natures it is denominated. S. John iii. 13; Acts iii. 15; xx. 28; Col. ii. 9; Rev. xxii. 16.—Abp. Usher.

CHAPTER XXIII.

V. 3.-Observe and do. This injunction is qualified by our Lord's warning (xvi. 12), where He tells His disciples to "beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees." Their doctrine, then, was to be observed and followed, only so long as they adhered to the established Jewish Creed, to "the Law and the testimony." Isa. viii. 20; Prov. xix. 27; 1 Thess. v. 20, 21.-J. Ford.

Christians should entertain such a hatred of schism, as always to shun it, where they can do so. And such should be our reverence for the Sacred, Ministry and Sacraments, that wherever we find these to exist, there we recognize the Church. Whatever then be the character of those, by whom the Lord permits a Church to be administered, it were better not to decline communion with it, if we only find there the marks of the Church. Nor does it alter the case, should some false doctrine be taught therein; for there is scarcely a Church, which does not retain some vestiges of ignorance. It is quite enough for us, if the Doctrine, on which Christ established His Church, be found there, and be maintained. ii. 4; viii. 4; Deut. xvii. 8-13; Numb. xvi.; Heb. xiii. 7.-Calvin.

V. 5.-Satan is transformed into an Angel of light, saith the Apostle; not he was, but he is: so transformed, that he never did, never will, put off the counterfeit ; and, as all his imps are partakers of the Satanical nature, so in