The day of judgment A. D. 33. ST. MATTHEW. A. D. 33. foretold by Christ. A. M. 4037. his glory, and all the holy angels || from another, as a shepherd divideth A. M. 4037. with him, then shall he sit upon the his sheep from the goats: throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations and "he shall separate them one Rom. xiv. 10; 2 Cor. v. 10; Rev. xx. 12. 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on u Ez. xx. 38; xxxiv. 17, 20; Chap. xiii. 49. before the awful tribunal it describes. He styles of his favour to them, and of the further honours himself the Son of man here, because, when he he purposes to bestow upon them. And the goatsappears as the great Judge, he will appear in the T That is, the wicked, called goats because of the ex human form, and as very man, as he is, being to orbitancy of their lusts; on his left-To intimate judge the sons of men. For by being of the same his displeasure against them, and their final removal nature with those whom he judges, and having from among his people; nor shall the haughtiest shared with them in human infirmity, he is the more and mightiest sinner be able to resist that appointproper for the office of their judge. But no one ment by which he is placed in this situation. "I that reads this can reasonably suppose that he who cannot imagine," says Dr. Doddridge, "a more magspeaks thus is a mere man. He is termed the Son nificent image than this; the assembled world disof man, too, because his wonderful condescension tinguished with such unerring penetration, and in taking upon him our nature, and becoming the distributed into two grand classes, with as much Son of man, will be recompensed by his exaltation ease as sheep and goats are ranged by a shepherd in that day. For he shall come, not only in the in different companies." The wicked and the godly glory of his Father, but in his own glory as medi- || in this world dwell together in the same kingdoms, ator. His first coming was under a dark cloud of cities, churches, families, and are not with certainty obscurity; but his second will be in a bright cloud distinguishable always one from another: such are of glory. Doubtless if his disciples understood and the infirmities of saints, such the hypocrisies of sinbelieved what he here declares concerning his fu- ners, and one event frequently happening to both; ture glory, it would help them to meet with forti- but in that day they will be separated and parted tude the offence of the cross, and prepare them for the for ever: for the Lord both knows them that are approaching scene of his humiliation and sufferings. his, and them that are not, and he can and will sepaTo manifest his glory still more, all the holy angels, rate them: and the separation will be so exact, that who had long been subject to him as his ministering the most inconsiderable saint shall not be lost in the servants, shall now come along with him, and that crowd of sinners, nor the most plausible sinner hid not only for state, as his attendants, but for service, in the crowd of saints, Psa. i. 5; but every one shall as ministers of his justice. They shall come to go to his own place. Dr. Whitby thinks, that there summon the court; to gather together the elect, to is an allusion here to the received custom of the sever the wicked from the just, to be witnesses of Jews in capital causes, to place them who are to be the saints' glory, Luke xii. 8; and of the sinners' acquitted on the right hand, in the sanhedrim, and misery, Rev. xix. 10. Then shall he sit upon the those who were to receive the sentence of conthrone of his glory-A throne high and lifted up, demnation, on the left. and conspicuous to the eyes of the whole assembled world; the throne of judgment, very different from the throne of grace, upon which he now sits, with his Father, and to which we may come boldly. Verse 34. Then shall the King say, &c.—In verse 31 he had only called himself the Son of man, but he now changes the appellation, taking the title of king with great propriety, when he is speaking of himself as exercising the highest act of kingly power, in passing the final sentence on all men as his subjects, whereby their state shall be unalterably fixed for ever. And this title adds unutterable beauty to the condescending words he is represented as speaking on this great occasion. Come, ye blessed of my Father-Here we see that while Jesus asserts his proper dignity as Lord of all, he represents himself as acting in subordination to his Father in his kingdom, addressing the righteous as persons blessed of his Father-inherit the kingdom pre Verses 32, 33. Before him shall be gathered all nations-That is, all the individuals of all nations and ages; not only all that are found alive at the time of his appearing, and are changed in a moment, and rendered immortal, that they may be capable of enjoying eternal happiness, or of suffering everlasting misery; but all that had ever lived from the beginning to the end of time. All of every clime, country, and place, great and small, even from the remotest corners of the world. And he shall separate them one from another-According to their different characters, (which he most perfectly knows,)||pared for you-Purchased by my blood for you, with as much ease as a shepherd divideth his sheep, which belong to his flock, from the goats, which may be mingled with them, and places them in distinct companies. And he shall set the sheep-The righteous, whom he will own as such, and who are termed sheep on account of their innocence, meekness, and usefulness; on his right hand-In token 210 and all others who have believed in me with the faith which wrought by love. Does it not appear probable from hence, that they are mistaken who suppose that mankind were created merely to fill up the place of the fallen angels? The present state of good men is at best but a melancholy banishment from their native country; an exile in which ( 14*) a Happy state of the righteous A. D. 33. A. D. 33. A. M. 4037. his right hand, Come, ye blessed of || saying, Lord, when saw we thee a A. M. 4037. my Father, inherit the kingdom 'pre- || hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? pared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was a hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: *I was a stranger, and ye took me in : b 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison. and came unto thee? d 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, ye have done it unto one of the least of these came unto me. Rom. viii. 17; 1 Pet. i. 4, 9; iii. 9; Rev. xxi. 7.- Chap. xx. 23; Mark x. 40; 1 Cor. ii. 9; Heb. xi. 16.- z Isa. lviii. 7; Ez. xviii. 7; James i. 27. a Heb. xiii. 2; 3 John 5.-b James ii. 15, 16.- 2 Tim. i. 16.- d Prov. xiv. 31; xix. 17; Chap. x. 42; Mark ix. 41; Heb. vi. 10. and this is what many may have an opportunity of doing, who have very little money to spare. they are frequently exposed to manifold temptations, to persecutions, to poverty, to reproach, and to innumerable other evils. But that they may Verses 37-40. Then shall the righteous answer, bear all with unwearied patience, courage, and con- || &c.—The righteous, with great surprise, ask, with stancy, "they are given to know by this sentence reverence and humility, when all this happened, that they are beloved, and blessed of God as his own since they never had seen him in want of their aschildren; that there is no less than an eternal kingdom sistance, nor could remember that they had ever prepared for them, even from the foundation of the bestowed aught upon him. It cannot be supposed, world; and that they are the undoubted heirs of this however, that either the righteous or the wicked eternal kingdom. Well may such bear with the vio- should answer in the very words here mentioned. lence of their oppressors, knowing what an exceeding But what we learn herefrom is, That neither of them and eternal weight of glory awaits them!" Macknight. have the same estimation of their own works which Verses 35, 36. I was a hungered, and ye gave me the Judge hath. And the King shall answer—Inasmeat, &c.-All the works of outward mercy here || much as, &c.-"This is unspeakably astonishing! mentioned suppose faith and love, and must needs The united wisdom of men and angels could not be accompanied with works of spiritual mercy, such || have thought of any thing more proper to convey as instructing the ignorant, alarming the careless, an idea of the warmth and strength of the divine encouraging the disconsolate, comforting the dis- benevolence to men, or offer a more constraining tressed, strengthening the weak, confirming the motive to charity, than that the Son of God should wavering, reclaiming the wicked, edifying the right- declare from the judgment-seat, in presence of the eous. But works of this kind could not be men- whole universe assembled, that such good offices as tioned by the Judge in the same manner: he could are done to the afflicted are done to him. Having not say, I was ignorant, and you instructed me; I in the days of his flesh suffered injuries and afflicwas in error, and you recalled me to the truth; I tions unspeakable, he considers all the virtuous diswas in sin, and you brought me to repentance. But tressed as members of his body, loves them tenderly, how astonishing is it to hear the great Judge de- and is so much interested in their welfare, that when claring, that all the good offices which men have they are happy he rejoices; when they are disever performed, supposing they performed them in tressed he is grieved: Ye have done it unto me— obedience to his will, and with a single eye to his O wonderful condescension of the Son of God! O glory, were done to him! It is as if he had said, astonishing stupidity of men, who neglect altogether, "In the whole of your conduct you have imitated or are persuaded with difficulty to do good to Christ! the goodness and benevolence of my Father, and That Jesus should call the poor, even among the therefore I now declare you blessed and beloved of heathen, his brethren, is a great honour to the huhim, and appoint you to inherit this kingdom. More- man nature, and shows the divine benignity in an over, that you may know how acceptable acts of amiable light. This happy relation arises from the kindness and charity are to me, I assure you that I manhood which he still possesses in common with reckon every thing of this kind as done to myself. men, and from the poverty, affliction, and other It was I who was a hungered and athirst, and a miseries of mankind, that he was exposed to while stranger and naked, and sick and in prison. It was he lived in the world. He calls good men, more I whom you clothed and lodged, and visited and especially, his brethren, because they are children comforted in prison." The word enɛokepɑode, ren- of the same Father, (namely, God,) after whose dered, ye visited, properly signifies to take the over-image they are formed by the influence of his Spirit. sight and care of any thing that requires diligent It is this conformity of natures, human and divine, inspection and attendance; (compare James i. 27;) which makes men Christ's brethren; for which and it strongly intimates that such an attendance on reason, in whatever person it is found, he will acthe poor in their illness is a very acceptable charity: knowledge the relation, without regard to any cir cumstance whatever that is out of the person's said to be made for the devil and his angels, to intipower."-Macknight. || mate the greatness of the misery to which sinners dying in sin shall be consigned. The punishment which they shall suffer is of the heaviest kind, being the punishment of devils. Verses 41-43. Then shall he say to them on the left hand-In this account of our Lord's proceedings at this awful time, the absolution of the righteous is represented as taking place before the con- Verses 44-46. Then shall they answer, Lord, demnation of the wicked, to show that God takes when saw we thee a hungered, &c.-So their engreater delight in rewarding than in punishing. deavour to justify themselves will remain with the Depart from me-In this world they were often || wicked even to that day! Perhaps, however, it may called to come to Christ, to come for life and rest; not be intended here to signify that the wicked shall but they turned a deaf ear to his calls; justly, there- make this answer in words: it is probably, rather, fore, are they bid to depart from him, who would to be considered as the language of their hearts, not come to him. Depart from me, the Fountain which Christ perceiving, shall reply to as in the of all good; from me, the Saviour, and therefore next verse. Multitudes will, no doubt, remember from all hope of salvation; I will never have any that they had often heard what reply will be made thing more to say to you, or do with you. But if to such a plea: God grant that none who read it they must depart from Christ, might they not be here may be in the number of those to whom it will dismissed with a blessing? with one kind and com- be made! These shall go away into everlasting passionate word at least? No: Depart, ye cursed punishment-So the word kohaow properly signifies, -They that would not come to Christ to inherit a and not destruction, or annihilation, as some would blessing, must depart from him under the burden of understand it; and the righteous into life eternal— a curse, the curse of the law, due to every one that Either, therefore, the punishment is strictly eternal, breaks it; and that of the gospel, which belongs to or the reward is not; the very same expression in all that disobey it. But observe, Christ calls the the original being applied to the former as to the righteous the blessed of his Father; for their bless- latter. It appears, that the Judge will speak first to edness is owing purely to the grace of God: but the the righteous in the audience of the wicked; and wicked are called only, ye cursed, for their damna- then to the wicked, who shall go away into ever tion is entirely of themselves. Into everlasting fire, lasting fire in the sight of the righteous. Thus the prepared-Not originally for you: you are intruders damned shall have no view of the everlasting life; into this everlasting misery; but for the devil and but the righteous will see the punishment of the his angels-This declaration of our Lord, compared ungodly. It is not only particularly observable here, with verse 34, where the kingdom of heaven is ex- 1st, that the punishment lasts as long as the reward: pressly said to be prepared for the righteous, seems || but, 2d, that this punishment is so far from ceasing to have been intended to teach us that God's origi- at the end of the world, that it does not begin till nal design was to make men happy, and that their then. To conclude, the issue of the judgment, as it becoming miserable is the effect of their own volun- is represented in this paragraph, is awful beyond tary iniquity and perverseness, in rejecting the coun- description. If the meaning of this last short sensel of God against themselves. No sooner was man tence were fully understood and duly considered, created, than a state of consummate felicity was what an impression would it make upon the minds formed for him and his posterity. But the fire of of men! Everlasting punishment! Eternal life! hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, What is there that is not comprehended in these namely, after their fall: and because wicked men words? And how miserable are they who dare to partake with devils in their sin of rebellion against venture their souls on the supposition that the imGod, they are doomed to share with them in their portant word atovios, which is the same in both punishment. Perhaps, also, the fire of hell is here places, signifies a limited duration in either! Conspiracy to murder Christ. CHAPTER XXVI. CHAPTER XXVI. A woman anoints his head. This chapter contains, (1,) The preliminaries, or preparatives, to Christ's sufferings; in his again foretelling them to his disciples, as being at hand, 1, 2. In the rulers' conspiracy to murder him, 3-5. In the anointing of his head at a supper in Bethany, to the great displeasure of his disciples, particularly Judas, 6-13. In Judas's bargain with the chief priests to betray him, 14–16. In his eating the passover with his disciples, after due preparation made for it, and discovering Judas's treachery, 17–25. In his instituting the Lord's supper, and warning his disciples, and particularly Peter, of their approaching fall, 26-35. (2,) His entrance on his sufferings, in his agony and fervent prayers in the garden, while his disciples, whom he took to witness it, sinfully slept, 36-46. In the seizing of him by the officers with Judas's help, 47-56. In his arraignment before the high-priest, and his condemnation of him as a blasphemer, 57–68; and in Peter's three-fold denial of him, of which, however, he quickly repented, 69–75. NOTES ON CHAPTER XXVI. Verses 1, 2. When Jesus had finished all these sayings-The sayings or discourses which he began to deliver on his leaving the temple, (chap. xxiv. 1,) and continued, till he had declared all that is contained in the two preceding chapters; He said unto his disciples, Ye know, &c.-When he sat down on the mount of Olives, he was so far on his way to Bethany, and before he rose up to depart, he thought|| fit to add a word or two concerning his own death. For, as the greatest trial that his disciples were ever to meet with was now approaching, in their Master's humiliation and sufferings; therefore, to prepare them for this scene, he foretold those sufferings, together with the particular time and manner of them; and thus proved, that he perfectly knew whatever was to befall him, and that his sufferings were all voluntary and necessary. After two days is the passover-The manner wherein this was celebrated gives much light to several circumstances that follow. The master of the family began the feast with a cup of wine, which, having solemnly blessed, he divided among the guests, (Luke xxii. 17.) Then the supper began with the unleavened bread and bitter herbs; which when they had all tasted, one of the young persons present, (according to Exod. xii. 26,) asked the reason of the solemnity. This introduced the showing forth, or declaration of it: in allusion to which we read of showing forth the Lord's death, (1 Cor. xi. 26.) Then the master rose up and took another cup, before the lamb was tasted. After supper, he took a thin loaf or cake, which he broke and divided to all at the table, and likewise the cup, usually called the cup of thanksgiving, of which he drank first, and then all the guests. It was this bread and this cup, which our Lord consecrated to be a standing memorial of his death. Verses 3-5. The chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders-They together constituted the sanhedrim, or great council, which had the supreme authority both in civil and ecclesiastical affairs. Assembled together unto the palace of the highpriest-Namely, to deliberate how they might take Jesus, and put him to death; and consulted how they might take him by subtlety-Privately, by some artifice, without giving an alarm to his friends. But they said, Not on the feast-day-This was the result of human wisdom. But when Judas came, they changed their purpose. So the counsel of God took place, and the true paschal Lamb was offered up on the great day of the paschal solemnity. Verses 6-13. When Jesus was in the house of Simon the leper-That is, who had been a leper, but, as seems highly probable, had been healed by Jesus. At least, it is not to be thought that he was now a leper, for in that case he would not have been suffered to live in a town, nor would any Jew have come to an entertainment in his house. There came a woman-Probably Mary, the sister of Lazarus, for it is highly probable, as Dr. Doddridge has shown, that the anointing of Jesus here mentioned, is the same with that recorded John xii. 1. Having an alabaster box, &c.-Being deeply affected with the many instances that Christ had given her and her sister Martha of his love, and especially by his late mercy in recovering her dear brother Lazarus from the grave, she was therefore solicitous to give some uncommon token of her gratitude to so excellent a person. She brake the box, says Mark, and poured the precious ointment, or rich balsam, on his head. See note on John xii. 3. When the disciples saw it, they had indignation—Several of them were angry, though none so much so as Judas, saying, To what purpose is this waste?-Such a Murmurings of the disciples. ST. MATTHEW. Judas bargains with the chief priests. A. M. 4037. indignation, saying, To what pur- || there shall also this, that this woman A. M. 4037. pose is this waste? hath done, be told for a memorial of A. D. 33. A. D. 33. 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And 11 For ye have the poor always with you; they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of but me ye have not always. g 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, Deut. xv. 11; John xii. 8.- - Chap. xviii. 20; xxviii. 20; John xiii. 33; xiv. 19; xvi. 5, 28; xvii. 11. Mark xiv. 10; silver. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. 17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, Li Ch. x. 4. Zech. xi. 12; Mark xiv. 12; Luke xxii. 7. Luke xxii. 7; John xiii. 2, 30.- quantity of this rich balsam poured out to so little rebuke which Jesus now gave to all his aposties. purpose. For this ointment might have been sold || Rising up, therefore, he went straightway into the for much-The disciples being sensible that their || city to the high-priest's palace, where doubtless he Master was not delighted with luxuries of any kind, had received some previous information that the were grieved, and murmured against the woman, council would be assembled, and finding them there says Mark, for throwing away so much money idly, accordingly, he said unto them, What will ye give as they imagined. But they expressed themselves me- -Words that show he was influenced to the inso as to cast a tacit reflection on Jesus himself. famous action partly, at least, by the love of filthy Jesus said, Why trouble ye the woman?-Why do || lucre; and I will deliver him unto you?—I will unye grieve and distress the good woman, of whose || dertake to put him into your hands, at a time and piety and friendship we have had so long an expe- place in which you may effectually secure him, rience? For she hath wrought a good work upon without the danger of giving any alarm to the peome-Hath given a great proof of her faith, gratitude, ple. And they covenanted-Or, bargained, with and love; and therefore deserves to be commended him for thirty pieces of silver-That is, (reckoning rather than to be blamed. For with respect to what each piece to be of the value of 2s. 6d.) for 3l. 15s. has been now suggested, in favour of the poor, ye sterling, the price of a slave, Exod. xxi. 32. A have them always with you—By the wise and gra- || goodly price that he was prized at of them! Zech. cious providence of God, it does, and always will || xi. 13. The sum was so trifling that it would be unhappen, that objects needing your compassion and accountable that he should have been influenced in charity shall always be with you, that you may any degree by it, to betray to death his friend and always have opportunities of relieving their wants, || Master, had it not been that, as Luke observes, chap. and so of laying up for yourselves treasures in hea- || xxii. 3, Satan at this time entered into him, which But me ye have not always—I am soon to || doubtless he was permitted to do to punish him for leave you, and to be placed beyond the reach of giving way to a worldly, covetous spirit, and proyour kindness. In that she hath poured this oint-bably for other sins, and especially his not improvment on my body-On my feet as well as my head; ing the great privilege he had enjoyed for about see John xii. 4. She did it for my burial-As it three years, in statedly attending upon Christ's miwere, for the embalming of my body. Indeed this nistry, hearing all his divine discourses, and being was not her design; but our Lord puts this construc- a constant spectator of his holy life and astonishtion upon it, to confirm thereby what he had before said to his disciples concerning his approaching death. Verily, wheresoever this gospel-That is, this part of the gospel history; shall be preached, this that this woman hath done shall be told, &c.To make them further sensible of their folly in blaming her for this expression of her love to him, he assured them that however much she might be condemned by them, she should be highly celebrated for this action through the world, and live in the memory of all ages. ven. ||ing miracles, and having the high honour of being called to be one of his apostles. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him—Namely, as Luke observes, in the absence of the multitude, and that officers from the high-priest and his council might come upon him and apprehend him pri vately. Verse 17. On the first day of unleavened breadBeing Thursday, the fourteenth day of the first month, Exod. xii. 6, 15. The disciples came, saying, Where wilt thou that we prepare the passover? Verses 14-16. Then one of the twelve-Judas-They meant at what house. And he said, Go Iscariot, having been more forward than the rest into the city to such a man-This implies that Jesus (John xii. 4) in condemning the woman, thought named the person to whom they were sent, though himself, as it appears, peculiarly affronted by the the evangelists have not thought it of importance |