The sacrament of the CHAPTER XXVI. Lord's supper instituted. be not only preserved, but observed in all its original integri | i. e. Eat this bread broken, in 14inembrance of my body bro ty, attend to this circumstance. The Lutheran church makes use of unleavened bread to the present day. ken on the cross: now, where no body broken is distributed there, nothing car, be eaten in menorial of his broken body. Lastly, the apostle by saying, The bread which we BREAK, is it not the communion of the body of Christ 7 sufficiently informs us, that the eating of his broken body is necessary to that end, 1 Cor. x. 10. Hence it was, that this rite of distributing bread broken, continued for a thousand years; and was, as Hum bertus testifies, observed in the Roman church in the eleventh century." WHITBY in loco. At present the opposite is as boldpractised, as if the real scriptural rite had never been ob served in the church of Christ. And blessed it) Both St. Mattheir and St. Mark use the wwd endoy gras, blessed, instead of euxapintas, gare thanks, which is the word used by St. Luke and St. Paul. But instead of cony grus, blessed, coxap15aras, gave thanks, is the readht of ten MSS, ja uncial characters, of the Dublin Codex rescriptata priblished by Dr. Barrett, and of more than one handed others, of the greatest respectability. This is the to sing also of the Syriac and Arabic, and is confirmed byly several of the primitive Fathers. The terms in this case are ry of the same import, as both blessing and giving thanks were ass on chese occasions. But what is it that our Lord blessed 7 Not the bread, though many think the contrary, be ing deceived by the word IT, which is improperly supplied in our version. In all the four places referred to above, whether the word blessed or gave thanks is used, it refers not to the bread, but to God, the dispenser of every good. Our Lord here conforms hunself to that constant Jewish custoin, viz. of ac-erroneous creeds; and reason, unawed by the secular sword knowledging God as the author of every good and perfect gift, by giving thanks on taking the bread and taking the cup, at their ordinary meals. For every Jew was forbidden to eat, Inak, or use any of God's creatures, without rendering him thanks; and he who acted contrary to this command, was considered as a person who was guilty of sacrilege. From this custom we have derived the decent and laudable one of saying grace, (gratias, thanks) before and after meat. The Jewish lorm of blessing, and probably that which our Lord used on the occasion, none of my readers will be displeased to find here, though it has been mentioned once before: on taking the This is my body] Here it must be observed, that Christ had nothing in his hands at this time, but part of that unleavened bread which he and his disciples had been eating at supper, and therefore he could mean no more than this, viz. that the bread which he was now breaking represented his body, which in the course of a few hours was to be crucified for them. Common sense, unsophisticated with superstition and of sovereign authority, could not possibly take any other meaning than this plain, consistent, and rational one, out of these words. "But," says a false and absurd creed, "Jesus meant, when he said HOC EST CORPUS MEUM, this is my body, and HIC EST CALIX SANGUINIS MEL, this is the chalice of my blood, that the bread and wine were substantially changed into his body, including flesh, blood, bones, yea, the whole Christ, in his immaculate humanity and adorable divinity!" And for denying this, what rivers of righteous blood have been shed by state persecutions and by religious wars! Well it may be asked, "Can any man of sense believe, that when Christ took up that bread Baruch alla Elohinoo, Melech haslam, ha motse Lechem min own hands, and which himself broke to pieces, and which he haureta. Blessed be thou our God, King of the universe, who and his disciples ate ?" He who can believe such a congeries bringest forth bread out of the earth! Likewise on taking of absurdities, cannot be said to be a volunteer in faith; for the cup, they say: 10 Na obwn bo wnb Bait is evident, the man can have neither faith nor reason, as to Fuck Blakinoo, Melech, haslam, Boré perey haggephen. this subject. Bissed be our God, King of the universe, the Creator of the fruit of the vine! and broke it, that it was his own body which the held in his | ברוך אתה אלהינו מלך העולם המוצא לחם מן הארץ: esis, they say The Mohammedans copy their example, constantly saying before and after meat: Bismillahi arah mani arraheemi. In the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate. No blessing therefore of the elements is here intended; they were already blessed, in being sent as a gift of mercy from The bountiful Lord; but God the sender is blessed, because of the liberal provision he has made for his worthless creatures. Blessing and touching the bread, are merely popish ceremo mies, unauthorized either by Scripture, or the practice of the pare church of God; necessary of course to them who pretend to transmute, by a kind of spiritual incantation, the bread and wine into the real body and blood of Jesus Christ; a meaBure, the gmssest in folly, and most stupid in nonsense, to which God in judgment ever abandoned the fallen spirit of And brake it] We often read in the Scriptures of breaking | bread, but never of cutting it. The Jewish people had noth ing similar to our high-raised loaf; their bread was made bryad and thin, and was consequently very brittle, and to diVade it there was no need of a knife. 033. Let it be observed, if any thing further is necessary on this point, that the Paschal Lamb, is called the Pass-over, because it represented the destroying angel's passing over the children of Israel, while he slew the first-born of the Egyptians: and our Lord and his disciples call this lamb the Pass-over, several times in this chapter: by which it is demonstrably evident, that they could mean no more than that the lamb sacri. ficed on this occasion was a memorial of and REPRESENTED the means used for the preservation of the Israelites from the blast of the destroying angel. Besides, our Lord did not say, hoc est corpus meum (this is my body) as he did not speak in the Latin tongue; though as much stress has been laid upon this quotation from the Vulgate, as if the original of the three evangelists had been written in the Latin language. Had he spoken in Latin, following the idiom of the Vulgate, he would have said, Panis hic corpus meum significat, or, symbolum est corporis mei :-hoc poculum sanguinem meum representat, or symbolum est sanguinis mei:—this bread signifies my body: this cup represents my blood. But let it be observed, that in the Hebrew, Chaldee, and Chaldeo-Syriac languages, there is no term which expresses to mean, signify, enote, though both the Greek and Latin abound with them: hence the Hebrews use a figure, The breaking of the bread, I consider essential to the pro-and say, it is, for, it signifies. So Gen. xli. 26, 27. The seren per performance of this solemn and significant ceremony; because this act was designed by our Lord to shadow forth the wounding, piercing, aud breaking of his body upon the cross; and as all this was essentially necessary to the making a full atonement for the sin of the world; so it is of vast importance that this apparently little circumstance, the breaking of the bread, should be carefully attended to, that the godly commu. Dicant may have every necessary assistance to enable him to decern the Lord's body, while engaged in this most important and divine of all God's ordinances. But who does not see that one small cube of fermented, i. e. leavened bread, preFously divided from the mass with a knife, and separated by The fingers of the minister, can never answer the end of the institution, either as to the matter of the bread, or the mode of dividing it? Man is naturally a dull and heedless creature, especially in spiritual things, and has need of the utmost assist ance of his senses, in union with those expressive rites and ceremonies which the Holy Scripture, not tradition, hus anctioned, in order to enable him to arrive at spiritual things through the medium of earthly similitudes. And gave it to the disciples] Not only the breaking, but also the DISTRIBUTION of the bread, are necessary parts of this In the Romish church, the bread is not broken nor defered to the people, that THEY may take and eat: but the concrated wafer is put upon their tongue by the priest, and it is erally understood by the communicants, that they should not masticate, but swallow it whole. The kine ARE (i. e. represent) seven years. This is (represents) the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Dan. vii. 24. The ten horns ARE (i. e. signify) ten kings. They drank of the spiritual Rock which followed them, and the Rock was (represented) Christ. 1 Cor. x. 4. And following this Hebrew idiom, though the work is written in Greek, we find in Rev. i. 20. The seren stars ARE (represent) the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks ARE (represent) the seven churches. The same form of speech is used in a variety of places in the New Testament, where this sense must necessarily be given to the word. Matt. xiii. 38, 39. The field is (represents) the world: the good seed ARE (represent or signify) the children of the kingdom: the tares ARE (signify) the children of the wicked one. enemy is (signifies) the devil: the harvest is (represents) the end of the world: the reapers ARE (i. e. signify) the angels. Luke viii. 9. What might this parable BB? Tis EIH n mapaBodŋ avrn; what does this parable SIGNIFY? John vii. 36. Tie EETIN euros odoyos; What is the SIGNIFICATION of this saying? John x. 6. They understood not what things they WERE, 7tva HN, what was the SIGNIFICATION of the things he had spoken to them. Acts x. 17. Ti av EIH тo opapa, what this rision MIGHT BE properly rendered by our translators, what this vision should MEAN. Gal. iv. 24. For these ARE the two covenants, avraiyap EIZIN ai dvo diaOnkai, these SIGNIFY the two covenants. Luke xv. 26. He asked, ri EIH raura, what these things MEANT. See also chap. xviii. 36. After such unequivocal testimony from the Sacred Writings, can any person doubt that, This bread is my body, has any other mean. "That the breaking of this bread, to be distributed," says Dr Whitby, "is a necessary part of this rite, is evident, 1st. By the continual mention of it by St. Paul and all the evange-ing than, This bread REPRESENTS my body? lists, when they speak of the institution of this sacrament, which shows it to be a necessary part of it. 2dly. Christ says, Take, eat, this is my body, BROKEN for you, 1 Cor. xi. 24. But when the elements are not broken, it can be no more said, This is my body broken for you, than where the elements are nat given. 3dly. Our Loid said, Do this in remembrance of me, The Latins use the verb sum, in all its forms, with a similar latitude of meaning. So, ESSE oneri ferendo, he is ABLE to bear the burden: hen? ESSE, to LIVE sumptuously: male ESSE, to LIVE miserably: rectè ESSE, to ENJOY good health · EST mihi fistula, I POSSESS a flute: EST hodie in rebus, ho now ENJOYS a plentiful fortune. EST mihi namque domi ро The sacrament of the ST. MATTHEW. Lord's 's supper instituted. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, 28 For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is saying, Drink ye all of it; d shed for many, for the remission of sins. a Mark 14.23-b See Exod 24.8. Lev. 17.11. © Jer. 31.31.-d Ch 20.28. Rom. 5. 15. Heb. 9. 22. dioperov, which is GIVEN in your stead, or in your behalf; a free GIFT from God's endless mercy for the salvation of your souls. This is my body, to vпep vμwv kλwoμevov. (1 Cor. xi. 24.) which is broken-sacrificed in your stead; as without the breaking (piercing) of the body and spilling of the blood, there was no remission. ter, I HAVE a father at home, &c. ESSE solvendo, to be ABLE to pay; FUIMUS Troes, FUIT Пium; the Trojans are EXTINCT, Troy is NO MORE. In Greek also, and Hebrew, it often signifies to live, to die, to be killed. OvK EIMI, I am DEAD, or a dead man. Matt. ii. 18. Rachel weeping for her children, OTI OUK EIEI, because they WERE MURDERED. Gen. xlii. 36. Joseph is not, ND Yoseph einennu, Iwond our EETIN, In this solemn transaction we must weigh every word, as Rep. Joseph is DEVOURED by a WILD BEAST. Rom. iv. 17. Call there is none without its appropriate and deeply emphatic ing the things that ARE not, as if they were ALIVE. So Plu- meaning. So it is written, Ephes. v. 2. Christ hath loved us, tarch in Laconicis: "This shield thy father always preserved; and given himself, vzep nuor, on our account, or in our stead, preserve thou it, or may thou not BE." H un EÉO, may thou an offering and a SACRIFICE (vara) to God for a sweet smellPERISH. OYK ONTEƐ voμot, ABROGATED laws. EIMI εv Eps. I ing savour, that, as in the sacrifice offered by Noah, Gen. POSSESS a sound understanding, Eis wa-ɛpa vptv EΣOMAI, I viii. 21. (to which the apostle evidently alludes) from which it will PERFORM the PART of a father to you. EIMI Tns oλews is said, The Lord smelled a sweet savour, man riach haTns de, I AM an INHABITANT of that city. 1 Tim. i. 7. Desiring nichoach, a savour of rest, so that he became appeased toto BE teachers of the law, Ocλovres EINAI vopodidaekaλoi, desi-wards the earth, and determined that there should no more be ring to be REPUTED teachers of the law, i. e. AELE divines. Ta a flood to destroy it; in like manner, in the offering and saONTA, the things that ARE, i. e. NOBLE and HONOURABLE men: crifice of Christ for us. God is appeased towards the human ra un ÖNTA, the things that are not, viz. the VULGAR or those race; and has in consequence decreed, that whosoever belieof IGNOBLE BIRTH. veth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Tertullian seems to have had a correct notion of those words of our Lord, Acceptum panem, et distributem discipulis, corpus illum suum fecit HOC EST CORPUS MEUM dicendo, id est FIGURA corporis mei. Advers. Marc. 1. v. c. 40. "Having taken the bread, and distributed that body to his disciples, he made it his body by saying, This is my body, i. e. a FIGURE of my body." That our Lord neither spoke in Greek nor Latin, on this oc-an kos haberakah, which the master of a family tock. casion, needs no proof. It was, most probably, in what was formerly called the Chaldaic, now the Syriac, that our Lord conversed with his disciples. Through the providence of God, we have complete versions of the Gospels in this language; and in them it is likely we have the precise words spoken by our Lord on this occasion. In Matt. xxvi. 26. and 27. the words in the Syriac version are, as hanau pagree, this is my body, wat as hanau demee, this is my blood, of which forms of speech the Greek is a verbal translation; nor would any man, even in the present day, speaking in the same language, use, among the people to whom it was vernacular, other terms than the above to express, This represents my body, and this represents my blood. But this form of speech is common, even in our own language, though we have terms enow to fill up the ellipsis. Suppose a man entering into a museum, enriched with the remains of ancient Greek sculpture; his eyes are attracted by a number of curious busts; and on inquiring what they are, he learns, this is Socrates, that Plato, a third Homer; others Hesiod, Horace, Virgil, Demosthenes, Cicero, Herodotus, Livy, Cesar, Nero, Vespasian, &c. Is he deceived by this information? Not at all: he knows well that the busts he sees are not the identical persons of those ancient philosophers, poets, orators, historians, and emperors, but only REPRESENTATIONS of their persons in sculpture, between which and the originals there is as essential a difference as between a human body, instinct with all the principles of rational vitality, and a block of marble. When, therefore, Christ took up a piece of bread, brake it, and said, This is my body, who but the most stupid of mortals could imagine that he was, at the same time, handling and breaking his own body! Would not any person, of plain common sense, see as great a difference between the man Christ Jesus, and the piece of bread, as between the block of marble and the philosopher it represented, in the case referred to above? The truth is, there is scarcely a more common form of speech in any language, than This is, for this REPRESENTS or SIGNIFIES. And as our Lord refers, in the | whole of this transaction, to the ordinance of the pass-over, we may consider him as saying, "This bread is now my body, in that sense in which the paschal lamb has been my body hitherto; and this cup is my blood of the New Testament, in the same sense as the blood of bulls and goats has been my blood under the Old: Exod. xxiv. Heb. ix. That is, The pnschal lamb and the sprinkling of blood, represented my sacrifice to the present time: this bread and this wine shall represent my body and blood through all future ages; therefore, Do this in remembrance of me." St. Luke and St. Paul add a circumstance here which is not noticed either by St. Matthew or St. Mark. After, this is my body, the former adds, which is given for you; the latter, which is broken for you: the sense of which is, "As God has in his bountiful providence given you bread for the sustenance of your lives, so in his infinite grace, he has given you my body to save your souls unto life eternal. But as this bread must be broken and masticated, in order to its becoming proper nourishment, so my body must be broken, i. e. crucified for you, before it can be the bread of life to your souls. As therefore your life depends on the bread which God's bounty has provided for your bodies, so your eternal life depends on the sacrifice of my body on the cross for your souls. Besides, there is here an allusion to the offering of sacrifices-an inno cent creature was brought to the altar of God, and its blood (the life of the beast) was poured out for, or in behalf of the person who brought it. Thus Christ says, alluding to the sacrifice of the paschal lamb, This is my body, to vrep vpwv 27. And he took the cup] Mera To dementai, after having supped, Luke xxii. 20, and 1 Cor. xi. 25. Whether the sup per was on the paschal lamb, or whether it was a common or ordinary meal, I shall not wait here to inquire: see at the end of this chapter. In the parallel place in Luke xxii. we find our Lord taking the cap, ver. 17. and again ver. 19. by the former of which was probably meant the cup of blessing, and after blessing God, gave to each of his guests by way of welcome: but this second taking the cup, is to be understoob as belonging peculiarly to the very important rite which he was now instituting, and on which he lays a very remarkable stress. With respect to the bread, he had before simply said, Take, eat, this is my body but concerning the cup, he says, Drink ye all of this: for as this pointed out the very essence of the institution, viz. the blood of atonement, it was necessary that each should have a particular application of it, therefore he says, Drink ye ALL of THIS. By this we are taught that the cup is essential to the sacrament of the Lord's supper; so that they who deny the cup to the people, sin against God's institution; and they who receive not the cup, are not partakers of the body and blood of Christ. If either could without mortal prejudice, be omitted, it might be the bread; but the cup, as pointing out the blood poured out, i. e. the life, by which alone the great sacrifi al act is performed, and re mission of sins procured, is absolutely indispensable. On this ground it is demonstrable that there is not a priest under heaven, who denies the cup to the people, that can be said to celebrate the Lord's supper at all: nor is there one of their votaries that ever received the holy sacrament. All pretensions to this is an absolute farce, so long as the cup, the emblem of the atoning blood, is denied. How strange it is, that the very men who plead so much for the bare literal meaning of this is my body, in the preceding verse, should deny all meaning, to drink YE ALL of this cup, in this verse! And though Curist has in the most positive manner enjoined it, they will not permit one of the laity to taste it! Oh! what a thing is man! a constant contradiction to reason and to himself. I have just said, that our blessed Lord lays remarkable stress on the administration of the cup, and on that which himself assures us, is represented by it. As it is peculiarly emphatic, I beg leave to set down the original text, which the critical reader will do well minutely to examine: Touro yap 51 TO αιμα μου ΤΟ της καινης διαθήκης, Το περί πολλών εκχυνομενον is adcov apaprio. The following literal translation and paraphrase do not exceed its meaning. For, THIS is THAT blood of mine, which was pointed out by all the sacrifices under the Jewish law, and particularly by the shedding and sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb. THAT blood of the sacrifice slain for the ratification of the new covenant. THE blood ready to be poured out for the multitudes, the whole Gentile world as well as the Jews, for the taking away of sins: sin, whether original or actual, in all its power and guilt, in all its internal energy and pollution. And gave thanks] See the form used on this occasion on ver. 26, and see the MISHNA, TRACT Beracoth. 23. For this is my blood of the New Testament] This is the reading both here and in St. Mark: but St. Luke and St. Paul say, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, This passage has been strangely mistaken: by New Testament, many understand nothing more than the book commonly known by this name, containing the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, apos tolical Epistles, and book of the Revelation; and they think that the cup of the New Testament, means no more than merely that cup which the book called the New Testament enjoins in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. As this is the case, it is highly necessary that this term should be explained. The original II Katen Atankn, which we translate The New Testament, and which is the general title of all the contents of the book already described, simply means the new COVENANT. Covenant, from con, together, and renio, I come, signifies an agreement, contract, or compact between twe 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. • Mark 11 25. Laske Po 15,--b Acte 10.41.-e Mark 14 26. parties, by which both are mutually bound to do certain things on certain conditions and penalties. It answers to the Hebrew berith, which often signifies not only the cove sant or agreement, but also the sacrifice which was slain on the occasion, by the blood of which the covenant was ratified, and the contracting parties professed to subject themselves to such a death as that of the victim, in case of violating their engagements. An oath of this kind on slaying the covenant sacrifice, was usual in ancient times: so in Honer, when a covenant was mad between the Greeks and the Trojans, and the Beats of laints were cut, and their blood poured out, the following forin of adjuration was used by the contracting parties: Ζεν στέισε, μεγισε και αθανατοι θεοι άλλοι, So be their blood, their children's and their own, ILIAD. 1. iii. v. 298-301. Our blessed Saviour is evidently called the Atanen, 2, berith, or covenant sacrifice, Isai. xlii. 6. xlix. 8. Zech. ix. 11. And to those Scriptures he appears to allude, as in them the Lord promises to give him for a covenant (sacrifice) to the Gentiles, and to send forth by the blood of this covenant (victim) the prisoners out of the pit. The passages in the Sacred Writings, which allude to this grand sacrificial and atoning act, are alaost innumerable. See the Preface to Matthew. In this place, our Lord terms his blood, the blood of the NEW ectenant: by which he means that grand plan of agreement of reconciliation, which God was now establishing between himself and mankind, by the passion and death of his Son; Dough whom alone men could draw nigh to God; and this NEW covenant is mentioned in contradistinction froin the OLD covenant, n nadata Atanen, 2 Cor. iii. 14. by which appellaure all the books of the Old Testament were distinguished, because they pointed out the way of reconciliation to God by the blood of the various victims slain under the law: but note, as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, was about to be offered up, a NEW and LIVING way was thereconstituted, so that no one henceforth could comme unto the Father but by HIM. Hence all the books of the New TestaDent which bear unanimons testimony to the doctrine of salvation by faith through the blood of Jesus, are termed H Kain At The NEW covenant. See the Preface. Dr. Lightfoot's observations on this are worthy of serious notice This is my blood of the New Testament. Not only the seal of the covenant, but the sanction of the new cove nant. The end of the Mosaic economy, and the confirming of ase one. The confirmation of the old covenant was by the blood of bulls and goats, Exod. xxiv. Heb. ix. because blood Bestill to be shed: the confirmation of the new was by a cup of vine, because under the new covenant there is no further addig of blood. As it is here said of the cup, This cup is the New Testament in my blood; so it might be said of the up of bind, Exod. xxiv. That cup was the old Testament in the blood of Christ: there, all the articles of that covenant being read over, Moses sprinkled all the people with blood, and said, This is the blood of the covenant ichich God hath made with you; and thus that old covenant, or testinouy, was confirmed. In like manner, Christ, having published all the articles of the new covenant, he takes the cup of wine, d gives them to drink, and saith, This is the New Testant in my blood, and thus the new covenant was established-Works, vol. ii. p. 260. Which is shed, (EKYvνopevov, poured out) for many] Exxew, and sexess, to pour out, are often used in a sacrificial sense ir Septuagint, and signify to pour out, or sprinkle the blood of the sacrifices before the altar of the Lord by way of atonement See 2 Kings xvi. 15. Lev. viii. 15. ix. 9. Exod. xxix. 12. teri 7, 14, 17, 30, 34 and in various other places. Our by this very remarkable mode of expression, teaches fest as his body was to be broken or crucified, Ep, Our stead, so here the blood was to be poured out to make abatement, as the words remission of sins sufficiently : for without shedding of blood there was no remission, Hai 22. nor any remission by shedding of blood, but in a safe.al way. See the passages above, and on ver. 36. The whole of this passage will receive additional light when ted with Isa. iii. 11, 12 By his knowledge shall my stenis servant justify MANY, for he shall bear their iniquit-because he hath POURED OUT his soul unto death, and he are the sin of MANY. The pouring out of the soul unto death, in the prophet, answers to, this is the blood of the new tenant which is poured out for you, in the evangelists: and Ele a rabbim, multitudes, in Isaiah, corresponds to the MANY, ZuÀÀ100, 11 Matthew and Mari. The passage will soon appear plain, when we consider that two distinct classes of gens are mentioned by the prophet. 1. The Jews.-Ver. 4. Lord's supper instituted. 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall ƒ be offended d Or, psalm,-e Mark 14.27. John 16.32.- Ch.11.6. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.— Ver. 5. But he was wounded for OUR transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him.-Ver. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all. 2. The GENTILES-Ver. 11. By his knowledge bedanto, i. e. by his being made known, published as Christ crucified among the Gentiles, he shall justify a rubbim, the multitudes, (the GENTILES) for he shall (also) bear THEIR offences, as well as ours, the Jews, ver. 4, &c. It is well known that the Jewish dispensation, termed by the apostle as above, ŋ aλata dia®ŋkn, the OLD Covenant, was partial and exclusive. None were particularly interested in it, save the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob whereas the Christian dispensation, n kain dianen, the NEW covenant referred to by our Lord in this place, was universal: for as Jesus Christ by the grace of God tasted death for EVERY man, Heb. xi. 9. and is that Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the WORLD, John i. 29. who would have ALL MEN to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. ii. 4. even that knowledge of Christ crucified, by which they are to be justified, Isa. liit. 11. therefore he has commanded his disciples to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to EVERY CREATURE, Mark xvi. 15. The reprobate race, those who were no people, and not beloved, were to be called in; for the Gospel was to be preached to all the world, though it was to begin at Jerusalem, Luke xxiv. 47. For this purpose was the blood of the new covenant sacrifice poured out for the multitudes, that there might be but one fold, as there is but one shepherd: and that God might be ALL and in ALL For the remission of sins] Es adeσiv apaрrior, for (or, in reference to) the taking away of sins. For, although the blood is shed, and the atonement made, no man's sins are taken away until, as a true penitent, he returns to God; and feeling his utter incapacity to save himself, believes in Christ Jesus, who is the justifier of the ungodly. The phrase, apeσLS TOV apaρrio, remission of sins, (fre quently used by the Septuagint) being thus explained by our Lord, is often used by the evangelists and the apostles; and does not mean merely the pardon of sins as it is generally understood, but the removal or taking away of sins; not only the guilt, but also the very nature of sin, and the pollu tion of the soul through it; and comprehends all that is generally understood by the terms justification and sanctifica tion. For the use and meaning of the phrase, apeσis aμaption, see Mark i. 4. Luke i. 77. iii. 3. xxiv. 47. Acts ii. 38. v. 31. x. 43. xiii. 38. xxvi. 18. Coloss. i. 14. Heb. x. 18. Both St. Luke and St. Paul add, that after giving the bread our Lord said, Do this in remembrance of me. And after giving the cup, St. Paul alone adds, This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. The account, as given by St. Paul, should be carefully followed, being fuller; and received, according to his own declaration, by especial revelation from God. See 1 Cor. xi. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, &c. See the harmonized view above. 29. I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine] These words seem to intimate no more than this: We shall not have another opportunity of eating this bread and drinking this wine together, as in a few hours my crucifixion shall take place. Until that day when I drink it new with you] That is, I shall no more drink of the produce of the vine with you; but shall drink new wine--wine of a widely different nature from this-a wine which the kingdom of God alone can afford. The term new in Scripture, is often taken in this sense. So the NEW heaven, the NEW earth, the NEW covenant, the NEW man-mean a heaven, earth, covenant, man, of a very different nature from the former. It was our Lord's invaria custom to illustrate neaven.y things oy those on earth: and to make that which had last been the subject of conversation the means of doing it. Thus he uses wine here, of which they had lately drunk, and on which he had held the preceding discourse, to point out the supreme blessedness of the kingdom of God. But however pleasing and useful wine may be to the body, and how helpful soever, as an ordinance of God, it may be to the soul in the holy sacrament: yet the wine of the kingdom, the spiritual enjoyments at the right hand of God, will be infinitely more precious and useful. From what our Lord says here, we learn that the sacrament of his supper is a type of, and a pledge to, genuine Christians, of the feli city they shall enjoy with Christ in the kingdom of glory. 30. And when they had sung a hymn] Yuvnoavres means, probably, no more than a kind of recitative reading or chant ing. As to the hymn itself, we know, from the universal consent of Jewish antiquity, that it was composed of Psalms 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, and 118, termed by the Jews halel, froin halelu-yah, the first word in Psalm 113. These six Psalms were always sung at every paschal solemnity. They sung this great hillel on account of the five great benefits referred to in it; viz. 1. The Exodus from Egypt, Psal cxiv. 1. When Israel went out of Egypt, &c. 2. The uni Peters resolution: ST. MATTHEW. because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. his denial foretold. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 33 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, i let this cup pass froin me! nevertheless, k not as I will, but as thou will. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet a Zech.13.7.-b Ch 25 7, 10, 16, Mark 14.29. & 16.7.-e Mark 14.30. Luke 22.34. John 13,34,- Mark 14. 3- Luke 22.39. John 13.1.-e Ch 4.21.-- John 12 27. raculous division of the Red Sea, ver. 3. The sea saw it and fled. 3. The promulgation of the Law, verse 4. The mountains skipped like lambs. 4. The resurrection of the dead, Psal. cxvi. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. 5. The passion of the Messiah, Psal. cxv. 1. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, &c. See Schoettgen, Hor. Hebr. p. 231. and my Discourse on the Nature and Design of the Eucharist, 8vo. Lond. 1808. 31. All ye shall be offended] Or rather, Ye will all be stum bled-navTES Vpers σvdadio Onoco0e-Ye will all forsake me, and lose in a great measure your confidence in me. This night The time of trial is just at hand. 411 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak g Mark 14.36. Luke 22.42. Heb 5 7-h John 12 - Ch 20.22-k John 5.30 & 6.8. Phil 28-1 Mark 13.33. & 14.389. Luke 22 40, 46. Eph.6.18 is filled with such agony and anguish, that if speedy succour be not given to my body, death must be the immediate conse quence. I will smite the shepherd] It will happen to you as to a flock of sheep, whose shepherd has been slain-the leader and guardian being removed, the whole flock shall be scatter-sive drops! In my opinion, the principal part of the redemp ed, and be on the point of becoming a prey to ravenous beasts. 32. But after I am risen again] Don't lose your confidence, for though I shall appear for a time to be wholly left to wicked men, and be brought under the power of death; yet I will rise again, and triumph over all your enemies and mine. I will go before you] Still alluding to the case of the shep herd and his sheep. Though the shepherd have been snitten, and the sheep scattered, the shepherd shall revive again, collect the scattered flock, and go before them, and lead them to peace, security, and happiness. 33. Peter said unto him, Though all men shall be of fended-yet will I never] The presumptuous person ima gines he can do every thing, and can do nothing: thinks he can excel all, and excels in nothing: promises every thing, and performs nothing. The humble man acts a quite contrary part. There is nothing we know so little of, as ourselves --nothing we see less of, than our own weakness and poverty. The strength of pride is only for a moment. Peter, though vainly confident, was certainly sincere he had never been put to a sore trial, and did not know his own strength. Had this resolution of his been formed in the strength of God, he would have been enabled to maintain it against earth and hell. 34. Jesus said] Our Lord's answer to Peter is very em. phatic and impressive. Verily--I speak a solemn weighty Iruth-thou wilt not only be stumbled, fall off,and forsake thy Master, but thou wilt even deny that thou hast or ever had any knowledge of, or connexion with me; and this thou wilt do, not by little and little, through a long process of time, till the apostacy, daily gathering strength, shall be complete; but thou wilt do it this very night, and that not once only, but thrice and this thou wilt do also in the earlier part of the night, before even a cock shall crow. Was not this warning enough to him not to trust in his own strength, but to depend on God? agony. Now, the grand expiatory sacrifice begins to be offered: in this garden Jesus enters fully into the sacerdotal office; and now on the altar of his immaculate divinity, begins to offer his own body-his own life-a lamb without spot, for the sin of the world. St. Luke observes, chap. xxii. 43, 44, that there appeared unto him an angel from heaven strengthening him: and that being in an agony, his sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground. How exquisite must this an guish have been, when it forced the very blood through the coats of the veins, and enlarged the pores in such a preternatural manner, as to cause them to empty it out in large succes. tion price was paid in this unprecedented and indescribable Bloody sweats are mentioned by many authors; but none was ever such as this-where a person in perfect health, (hav ing never had any predisposing sickness to induce a debility of the system) and in the full vigour of life, about thirty-three years of age, suddenly, through mental pressure, without any fear of death, sweat great drops of blood; and these continued, during his wrestling with God, to fall to the ground. To say that all this was occasioned by the fear he had of the ignominious death which he was about to die, confutes itselffor this would not only rob him of his divinity, for which pur pose it is brought, but it deprives him of all excellency, and even of manhood itself. The prospect of death could not cause him to suffer thus, when he knew that in less than three days he was to be restored to life, and be brought into an eternity of blessedness. His agony and distress can receive no con sistent explication but on this ground-He SUFFERED, the JUST for the UNJUST, that he might BRING us to God. O glorious truth! O infinitely meritorious suffering! And O! above all, the eternal love, that caused him to undergo such sufferings for the sake of SINNERS! 39. Fell on his face] See the note on Luke xxii. 44. This was the ordinary posture of the supplicant when the favour was great which was asked, and deep humiliation required. The head was put between the knees, and the forehead brought to touch the earth-this was not only a humiliating, but a very painful posture also. This cup] The word cup is frequently used in the Sacred Writings to point out sorrow, anguish, terror, death. It seems to be an allusion to a very ancient method of punishing criminals. A cup of poison was put into their hands, and they were obliged to drink it. Socrates was killed thus, being obliged by the magistrates of Athens, to drink a cup of the juice of hemlock. To death by the poisoned cup, there seems an allsion in Heb. ii. 9. Jesus Christ by the grace of God, TASTED death for every man. The whole world are here represented as standing guilty and condemned before the tribunal of God: into every man's hand the deadly cup is put, and he is requir cup out of his hand, and drinks off the poison, and this tastes or suffers the death which every man otherwise must have undergone. 35. Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.] He does not take the warning which his Lord gave him-he trusts in the warm sincere attachment to Christ which he now feels, not considering that this must speedily fail, unlessed to drink off the poison-Jesus enters, takes every man's supported by the power of God. 36. A place called Gethsemane] A garden at the foot of the mount of Olives. The name seems to be formed from a gath, a press, and shemen, oil; probably the place where the produce of the mount of Olives was prepared for use. The garden of the oil-press, or olive-press. Sit ye here] Or, stay in this place, while I go and pray yon der and employ ye the time, as I shall employ it-in watching unto prayer. Pass from me Perhaps there is an allusion here to several criminals standing in a row, who are all to drink of the same cup, but the judge extending favour to a certain one, the cup passes by him to the next. Instead of προελθων μικρών, κοίτις a little forward, πο eminent MSS. have poocor, coming a little forward-but the variation is of little moment. At the close of this vene several MSS. add the clause in Luke xxii. 43. There appear 37. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee] That is, James and John; the same persons who had beheld h's transfiguration on the mount-that they might contem-ed an angel, &c. plate this agony in the light of that glory which they had there seen; and so be kept from being stumbled by a view of his present humiliation. Began to be sorrowful] Avrciolat, from Avw, to dissolve exquisite sorrow, such as dissolves the natural vigour, and threatens to separate soul and body. And very heavy.] Overwhelmed with anguish-adŋpover. This word is used by the Greeks to denote the most extreme anguis. which the soul can feel-excruciating anxiety and torture spirit. 38. Then saith he] Then saith-Jesus :-I have added the word Jesus, 6 Ingovs, on the authority of a multitude of eminent MSS. See them in Griesbach. My soul is exceeding sorrowful, (or, is surrounded with exceeding sorrow) even unto death] This latter word explains the two former: My soul is so dissolved in sorrow, my spirit 40. He saith unto Peter] He addressed himself more par ticularly to this apostle, because of the profession he had made, ver. 33. as if he had said, "Is this the way you testify your affectionate attachment to me? Ye all said you were ready to die with me; what then, cannot you watch ONE hour?"! Instead of our iTxvoare, could YE not; the Codes Alezan drinus, the later Syriac in the margin, three of the Itala, and Juvencus, read ove taxvoas, couldst THOU not-referring the reproach immediately to Peter, who had made the promises mentioned before. 41. That ye enter not into temptation] If ye cannot endure a little fatigue when there is no suffering, how will ye do when the temptation, the great trial of your fidelity and courage, cometh Watch, that ye be aot taken unawares; and praythat when it comes ye may be enabled to bear it. The spirit—is willing, but the flesh is weak) Your inclina Christ's agony and prayer. CHAPTER XXVI. He is apprehended by the mob 42 fe went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, | come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, excepted out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of 51 And behold, one of them which were with Jesus, stretch I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand that doth be tray me 47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, eune, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Master; and kissed him. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou Mak 11 63, Lube 92 7. John 14 3 Acts 1.61-b 2 Sam. 2) 9.--c Pan, 11.9 & By Jahn 1 10. Genesis 2. 6. Rev. 13. 10-f2 Kings 6.17. Dan. 7.10 tions are good-ye are truly sincere; but your good purposes will be overpowered by your timidity. Ye wish to continue steadfast in your adherence to your Master; but your fears will lead you to desert him. the high priest's, and smote off his ear. 52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me f more than twelve legions of angels ? 54 But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on ine. 56 But all this was done, that the b Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. 57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. glan 51.7, &c. Ver 91. Luke 24 5, 44, 46.-h Lam. 4.20. Ver. 54-iSee John 18. 5.- Mark 14 53. Luke 22.54. John 18 12, 13, 24. proof of his sovereign power, by which they had all been struck down to the earth, John xviii. 6. It is strange that after this, they should dare to approach him; but the Scriptures must be fulfilled. 42 0 my father, if this cup may not pass away from me] 51. One of them which were with Jesus] This was PeterIf it be not possible to redeem fallen man, unless I drink this struck a servant of the high priest's, the servant's name was up, unless I suffer death for them: thy will be done, I am Malchus, John xviii. 10. and smote off his ear. In Luke xxii. content to suffer whatever may be requisite to accomplish the 51. it is said, Jesus touched and healed it-Here was another great design. In this address the humanity of Christ most miracle, and striking proof of the divinity of Christ. Peter evidently appears; for it was his humanity alone that could did not cut the ear merely, he cut it OFF, absider. Now to hea euffer; and if it did not appear that he had felt these suffer-it, Jesus must either take up the ear and put it on again, or ings, it would have been a presumption that he had not sufelse create a new one-either of these was a miracle, which fered, and consequently made no atonement. And had he not nothing less than unlimited power could produce. See the appeared to have been perfectly resigned in these sufferings, note on John xviii. 10. his sacrifice could not have been a free-will but a constrained offering, and therefore of no use to the salvation of mankind. 43. Their eyes were heary] That is, they could not keep them open. Was there nothing preternatural in this? Was there no influence here from the powers of darkness? 44. Prayed the third time] So St. Paul-I besought the Lord THAICE that it might depart from me, 2 Cor. xii. 8. This thrice repeating the same petition argues deep earnestness of soul. 45. Sleep on now, and take your rest] Perhaps it might be better to read these words interrogatively, and paraphrase them thus: Do ye sleep on still? Will no warnings avail? Will no danger excite you to watchfulness and prayer? My hour-in which I am to be delivered np, is at hand: therefore now think of your own personal safety. The Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.] Anaprobar, riz. the Gentiles or heathens, who were generally distinguished by this appellation, from the Jews. Here It probably means the Roman cohort that was stationed on festivals for the defence of the temple. By the Romans he was adjudged to death; for the Jews acknowledge that they had no power in capital cases. See the note on chap, ix. 10. 46. Rise, let us be going] That is, to meet them, giving thereby the fullest proof that I know all their designs, and might have by flight, or otherwise, provided for my own safety: but I go willingly to meet that death which their malice designs me; and through it, provide for the life of the world. 47. Judas, one of the twelve] More deeply to mark his base ingratitude and desperate wickedness-HE was ONE of the TWELVE-and he is a TRAITOR, and one of the vilest too that ever disgraced human nature. A great multitude with swords and stares] They did not come as officers of justice, but as a desperate mob. Justice had nothing to do in this business. He who a little before had been one of the leaders of the flock of Christ, is now become the leader of rufflans and murderers! What a terrible fall. 48. Gare them a sign] How coolly deliberate is this dire apostate! the man whom I shall kiss--how deeply hypocri heal!-that is he, hold him fast, seize him—how diabolically malicious! 49. Hail, Master] A usual compliment among the Jews. Judas pretends to wish our Lord continued health while he is meditating his destruction! How many compliments of this kind are there in the world! Judas had a pattern in Joah, who while he pretends to inquire tenderly for the health of Amaea, thrusts him through with his sword: but the disciple here vastly outdoes his master, and through a motive, if possible, still more hase. Let all those who use unmeaning or insidious compliments, rank for ever with Joab and Judas. And kissed him] And tenderly kissed him-this is the proper meaning of the original word kurɛpiλnoty, he kissed him again and again-still pretending the most affectionate attachment to him, though our Lord had before unmasked him. 50. Jesus said-Friend] Rather, companion, eraupe, (not FRIEND) wherefore, rather, against whom (14'5, the reading of all the best MSS.) art thou come? How must these words have cut his very soul, if he had had any sensibility left! Surely thou who hast so long been my companion, art not come against me, thy Lord, Teacher, and Friend! What is the human heart not capable of, when abandoned by God, and influenced by Satan, and the love of money! Laid hands on Jesus] But not before they had felt that 52. Put up again thy sword into his place] Neither Christ nor his religion is to be defended by the secular arm. God is sufficiently able to support his ark, Uzzah need not stretch out his hand on the occasion. Even the shadow of public jus. tice is not to be resisted by a private person, when coming from those in public authority. The cause of a Christian is the cause of God; sufferings belong to one, and vengeance to the other. Let the cause therefore rest in his hands, who will do it ample justice. Shall perish with the sword] Instead of areλourrat, shall perish, many excellent MSS., Versions, and Fathers, have aro@avovyrai, shall die. The general meaning of this verse is, they who contend in battle, are likely on both sides to be come the sacrifices of their mutual animosities. But it is probably a prophetic declaration of the Jewish and Roman states. The Jews put our Lord to death under the sanction of the Romans-both took the sword against Christ, and both perished by it. The Jews by the sword of the Romans, and the Romans by that of the Goths, Vandals, &c. The event has verified the prediction-the Jewish governinent has been destroyed upwards of 1700 years, and the Roman upwards of 1000. Confer with this passage, Psa. ii. 4, 9. and ex. 1, 5, 6. But how came Peter to have a sword? Judea was at this time so infested with robbers and cut throats, that it was not deemed safe for any person to go unarmed. He probably carried one for his mere personal safety. 53. More than twelve legions of angels 1] As if he had said, Instead of you twelve, one of whom is a traitor, my Father can give me more than twelve legions of angels to defend me. A legion at different times, contained different numbers; 4200, 5000, and frequently 6000 men; and from this saying, taking the latter number, which is the common rate, may we not safe. ly believe that the angels of God amount to more than 72000 ? 54. But how then] Had I such a defence-shall the Scrip tures be fulfilled, which say, that thus it must be? That is, that I am to suffer and die for the sin of the world. Probably the Scriptures to which our Lord principally refers are Ps. xxii. Ixix. and especially Isa. liii. and Dan. ix. 24-27. Christ shows that they had no power against him but what he permitted: and that he willingly gave up himself into their hands. 55. Are ye come out as against a thief] At this time Judea was much infested by robbers, so that armed men were ob liged to be employed against them-to this our Lord seems to allude. See on ver. 52. I sat daily with you] Why come in this hostile manner? Every day for four days past, ye might have met with me in the temple, waither I went to teach you the way of salvation. See on chap. xxi. 17. 56. But all this was done] This is probably the observation of the evangelist. See on chap. ii. 23. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.] O what is man! how little is even his utmost sincerity to be depended on! Jesus is abandoned by all!-even zealous Peter, and loving John, are among the fugitives! Was ever master so served by his scholars? Was ever parent so treated by his children? Is there not as much zeal and love among them all, as might make one martyr for God and truth? Alas! no. He had but twelve who professed inviolable attachment to him, one of these betrayed him, another denied him with oaths, and the rest run away and utterly abandon him to his implacable enemies! Are there not found among his disciples still |