5. The Prediction itself, 17-19 6. The Request of James and John; Humility en joined, 20-28 7. The two blind Men cured, 29-34 V. Tranfactions at Jerufalem before his Paffion : *. Sunday, His royal Entry into Jerufalem, of the Vineyard: 33-44 the great Commandment. 2. Seek to lay Hands on Him, 3. The Parable of the Marriage-feaft 4. He is queftioned, concerning paying Tribute, the Refurrection, 5. Chrift's Queftion, concerning David's Lord, 45-46 C. xxii. 1-14 15- 22 23-33 34-40 41-46 1. His Difcourfe of the Destruction of Jerufalem, and the End of the World, 2. The ten Virgins; the Talents; the laft VI. His Paffion and Resurrection, A. His Paffion, Death, and Burial, 3. In the Night, 1. Jefus foretels the Cowardice of the Apoftles, 33-35 36-46 3. Is apprehended, reproves Peter and the Multi- 47-56 4. Is led to Caiaphas, falfely accufed, owns Him- 5. Peter denies Him and weeps, 57-68 69-75 C. Friday, 11-14 4. Pilate, though warned by his Wife, condemns Him, 15-26 5. He is mocked and led forth, 27-32 The Third hour, The Vinegar and Gall; the Crucifixion; his Gar ments divided; the Infcription on the Crofs; 33-44 From the Sixth to the Ninth Hour, The Darkness, his laft Agony 45-49 His Death, 50. The Veil rent, and a great Earthquake, 51-53 The Centurion wonders; the Women behold, 54-56 3. His Burial, 57-61 2. Saturday, The Sepulchre fecured: 62-66 B. His Refurrection, 1. Teftified to the Women by an Angel, MATTHE W. HE+ book of the generation of Jefus Chrift, ham begat Ifaac, and Ifaac begat Jacob, and Jacob V. 1. The book of the generation of Jefus Chrift-That is, ftrictly fpeaking the account of his birth and genealogy. This title therefore properly relates to the verses that immediately follow: but as it fometimes fignifies the hiftory of a perfon, in that fenfe it may be long to the whole book. If there were any difficulties in this ge nealogy, or that given by St. Luke, which could not cafily be removed, they would rather affect the Jewish Tables, than the credit of the Evangelifts: For they act only as hiftorians, setting down these genealogies, as they ftood in those public and allowed records. Therefore + Luke iii. 8te begat Judah and his Brethren; and Judah begat Pharez and Zarah of Thamar, and Pharez begat Efrom, 4 and Efrom begat Aram; and Aram begat Aminadab, and Aminadab begat Naaffon and Naaffon begat Sal5 mon; And Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab, and Boaz 6 begat Obed of Ruth, and Obed begat Jeffe; And Jeffe begat David the king. 7 And David the king begat Solomon, of the wife of Uriah; And Solomon begat Rehoboam, and Rehoboam 8 begat Abijah, and Abijah begat Afa; And Afa begat Jehof haphat, and Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram, and Jehoram be9 gat Uzziah; And Uzziah begat Jotham, and Jotham begat 10 Ahaz, and Ahaz begat Hezekiah; And Hezekiah begat Manaffeh, and Manaffeh begat Amon, and. Amon be11 gat Jofiah; And Jofiah begat Jeconiah and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Baby12 lon. And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeco niah begat Salathiel, and Salathiel begat Zerubbabel; 13 And Zerubbabel begat Abiud, and Abiud begat Elia14 kim, and Eliakim begat Azor; And Azor begat Zadok, Therefore they were to take them as they found them. Nor was it needful they fhould correct the miftakes, if there were any. For thele accounts fufficiently anfwer the end for which they are recited. They unquestionably prove the grand point in view, That Jefus was of the family from which the promised feed was to come. And they had more weight with the Jews for this purpose, than if alterations had been made by inspiration itself. For fuch alterations would have occafioned endless difputes between them and the disciples of our Lord. The fon of David, the fon of Abraham-He is fo called, because to these he was more peculiarly promised; and of these it was often foretold the Messiah fhould fpring. V. 3. Of Thamar-St. Matthew adds the names of those women also, that were remarkable in the sacred history. V. 4. Naasson—Who was Prince of the Tribe of Judah, when the Ifraelites entered into Canaan, V. 5. Obed begat Jeffe-The Providence of God was peculiarly shewn in this, That Salmon, Boaz, and Obed, muft each of them have been near 100 years old, at the birth of his fon here recorded. V. 6. David the King-Particularly mentioned under this character, because his throne is given to the Meffiah. V. 8 Jehoram begat Uzziah-Jehoahaz, Joafh, and Amaziah coming between. So that he begat him mediately, as Chrift is mediately the Son of David and of Abraham. So the progeny of Hezekiah, after many generations, are called The fons that should iffue from him, which he should beget, Ifaiah xxxix. 7. V. 11. Jofiah begat Fechoniah-Mediately, Jehoiakim coming between. And his Brethren-That is, his Uncles. The Jews term all kinf men Brethren. About the time they were carried away—Which was a little after the birth of Jeconiah, V. 16. The and Zadok begat Achim, and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar, and Eleazar begat Matthan, 16 and Matthan begat Jacob; And Jacob begat Jofeph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jefus, who is called Chrift. 17 18 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations: and from David to the carrying away to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the carrying away to Babylon to Chrift are fourteen generations. Now the birth of Chrift was on this wife: His mother Mary, being efpoused to Jofeph, before they came together the was found with child by the Holy Ghoft. 19 Then Jofeph her husband, being a just man, and yet V. 16. The husband of Mary-Jefus was generally believed to be the fon of Jofeph. It was needful for all who believed this, to know that Jofeph was fprung from David. Otherwife they would not allow Jefus to be the Chrift. Jefus, who is called Chrift-The name Jefus refpects chiefly the promile of bleffing made to Abraham: the name Chrift, the promife of the Meffiah's kingdom, which was made to David, It may be farther obferved, that the word Chrift in Greek, and Meffiah in Hebrew, fignify Anointed, and imply the prophetic, prieftly, and royal characters, which were to meet in the Meffiah. Among the Jews, anointing was the ceremony whereby prophets, priefts, and kings, were initiated into thofe offices. And if we look into ourselves, we shall find a want of Chrift in all these respects. We are by nature at a distance from God, alienated from him, and incapable of a free access to him. Hence we want a Mediator, an Interceffor, in a word, a Chrift, in his priestly office. This regards our ftate with refpect to God. And with refpect to ourselves, we find a total darkness, blindness, ignorance of God, and the things of God. Now here we want Chrift in his prophetic office, to enlighten our minds and teach us the whole will of God. We find alfo within us a strange mifrule of appetites and paffions. For thefe we want Chrift in his royal character, to reign in our hearts, and fubdue all things to himself. V. 17. So all the generations-Observe, in order to compleat the three fourteens, David ends the firft fourteen, and begins the second (which reaches to the captivity) and Jefus ends the third fourteen.. When we furvey fuch a series of generations, it is a natural and obvious reflection, how like the leaves of a tree one paffeth away, and another cometh! Yet the earth still abideth. And with it the goodness of the Lord, which runs on from generation to generation, the common hope of pa rents and children. Of those who formerly lived upon earth, and perhaps made the most confpicuous figure, how many are there whofe names are perished with them? How many, of whom only the names are remaining? Thus are we likewife paffing away! And thus fhall we fhortly be forgotten! Happy are we, if, while we are forgotten by men, we are remembered by God! If our names, loft on earth, are at length found written in the Book of Life! V. 19. A juft Man-A ftri&t obferver of the law: therefore not thinking it right to keep her. V. 21. Jefus 19. not willing to make her a public example, purposed to 20 put her away privately. But while he was thinking on these things, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, faying, Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear not to take to thee Mary thy wife; for that which 21 is begotten in her is of the Holy Ghoft. And she shall bring forth a fon, and thou fhalt call his name Jesus ; 22 for he shall fave his people from their fins. (Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was 23 fpoken of the Lord by the prophet, faying, + Behold the virgin fhall be with child, and bring forth a Son, and they fhall call his name Emmanuel, which is, being 24 interpreted, God with us.) Then Jofeph, being railed from fleep, did as the angel of the Lord had com25 manded him, and took unto him his wife: But he knew her not, 'till she had brought forth her son, the first-born. And he called his name Jefus. II. * Now after Jefus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold wife men came V. 21. Jefus-That is, a Saviour. It is the fame name with Johna (who was a type of him) which properly fignifies, The Lord, Salvation. His people-Ifrael. And all the Ifrael of God. V. 23. They fhall call his name Emmanuel-To be called, only means, according to the Hebrew manner of speaking, That the perfon (poken of fhall really and effectually be what he is called, and actually fulfil that title. Thus, Unto us a child is born-and his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Prince of peace-that is, He fhall be all these, though not fo much nominally, as really, and in effect. And thus was He called Emmanuel; which was no common name of Chrift, but points out his nature and office: as he is God incarnate, and dwells by his fpirit, in the hearts of his people. It is obfervable, the words in Ifaiah are, Thou (namely his mother) fhalt call; but here, They-that is, all his people, fhall call-shall açknowledge him to be Emmanuel, God with us. Which being interpreted This is a clear proof, that St. Matthew wrote his gospel in Greek, and not in Hebrew. V. 25. He knew her not, till after she had brought forth-It cannot be inferred from hence, that he knew her afterward: No more than it can be inferred from that expreffion (2 Sam. vi. 23.) Michal had no Child till the day of her death, that she had children afterward. Nor do the words that follow, the firft-born fon, alter the cafe. For there are abundance of places, wherein the term firft-born is used, though there were no fub. fequent children. V. 1. Bethlehem of Judea-There was another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulon. In the days of Herod-Commonly called Herod the great, born at Afcalon. The fcepter was now on the point of departing from Judah. Among his fons were Archelaus, mentioned ver. 22. Herod Antipas, mentioned ch. xiv. and Philip, mentioned Luke iii. Herod Agrippa, mentioned As xii. was his grandfon, Wife men-The firft B † Ifaiah vii. 14. * Luke ii. 7, fruits |