reason.

natic. Not maniacs, but those af fected by epilepsy, or failing sickness. Matt. xvii. 15. Luna, in Latin, means moon. It was supposed that persons affected by this disorder were made better or worse by the changes of that luminary. The same influence is supposed to affect the insane, and with some Hence the insane are often called lunatics at the present day. Had the palsy. This disorder affects the nerves of locomotion. Sometimes it seizes the whole body. Sometimes it fixes upon particular parts or limbs, and then takes various names according to its location. The cure, by our Master, of these severe chronic complaints afforded him an opportunity to do immense good, and furnished one of the strongest evidences of the divine authority of his mission and ministry. “The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of

me,

was his convincing argument. 25. Decapolis. Or, "the ten cities," from two Greek words having this meaning. This region was sitnated east of the Lake of Galilee. The names of the ten cities were, according to Pliny, Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Dion, Pella, Gerasa, Philadelphia, Canatha, Damascus, and Raphana; but Ptolemy makes Capitolias one of the towns, and Josephus substitutes Otopos for Canatha. The vast throngs which assembled from the most distant parts of the land were drawn together, probably, by the astonishing news of Christ's miraculous power,

with the wish to be cured of their diseases; with the sentiment of curiosity, wonder, ambition, highly exalted national hopes, and all the various motives that could actuate the human heart under circumstances so extraordinary. Multitudes no doubt came hoping to see him declare himself the Messiah, unfurl the banner of that mighty name, and strike for the liberties of Palestine, and the subjugation of the world. How widely they would be disappointed in their hopes is apparent from the following chapter.

CHAP. V.

As has been already said, the Jews were in expectation of a temporal, not a spiritual Messiah. The vast multitudes that thronged around the Saviour, and witnessed his miracles, and heard his words, were probably inflamed with the same worldly desires. And as the masses of living beings swelled larger and larger, these persuasions would be immensely deepened by sympathy. Heart would beat to heart, and deep call unto deep; all the strongest passions of human and Jewish nature were setting, like an tide, in one direction, with an irresistible momentum. We can, by throwing ourselves into the scene, and imagining the circumstances under which Jesus spoke, gain some idea of the moral intrepidity, which impelled him to dissipate these brilliant but false anticipations, and, in the face of thousands, ready to raise the war-cry of a military leader,

ocean

and rush to conflict, rapine, and dominion, to deliver first the Beatitudes, and then his searching comments upon the opinions and practices of the Scribes and Pharisees.

The object of the Sermon on the Mount, as it has usually been called, was to give the collected multitudes some notions of the nature of his kingdom. He defines it as a kingdom within, a reign of the spirit. He settles the long vexed question of Happiness. He prostrates their worldly hopes, by showing that his followers must look for spiritual rewards only, rewards within themselves; the happiness that arose, not from riches, honors, or pleasures, but from meekness, humility, righteousness, peace, and purity. The groundwork of his system, the fundamental precepts, he lays down in a series of bold and beautiful paradoxes; at least, such they seem to most men, so small are their spiritual attainments. Then he proceeds to inculcate an infinitely higher toned morality and piety than that preached and practised by the teachers of the day. He proclaimed what may be called the Magna Charta of the spiritual life for all mankind, in this sublime address. It affords in itself alone an unanswerable argument for the truth of Christianity. 1-12. For a parallel passage see Luke vi. 20-26.

1. Seeing the multitudes, i. e. the multitudes mentioned in the last verse of the foregoing chapter. That was a reason for his speaking. He saw thousands around him, and he took the opportunity to explain his doctrines. What is here condensed in one continuous discourse was probably also delivered in parts to different people upon other occa

sions. - He went up into a mountain. Or, according to the original, the mountain. Some well known mountain or hill in the vicinity of Capernaum. Its location cannot now be determined. From this elevation he could more conveniently address the vast concourse. And when he was set. Was seated. While teaching, the Jewish Rabbins were accustomed to sit, but their pupils kept a standing posture. Luke iv. 20; John viii. 2; Acts xvi. 13. His disciples came unto him. The disciples were learners, or those who were taught. Probably the multitude are included in the term, as they were for the time his pupils, his disciples. So upon other occasions, those who followed his instructions, though not of the twelve, nor of his immediate attendants, were denominated disciples. John vi. 66. Nevertheless, others have understood by disciples those only who attached themselves to Jesus in the belief that he was the expected Messiah.

2. He opened his mouth. These words are pleonastic, or redundant, i. e. they do not add any thing to the meaning of the sentence. Pleonasm is a common figure of speech in the Bible.

3. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Some are in favor of the use of happy in this connexion; but blessed is a more forcible and solemn word, and, as Carpenter observes, has reference to the appointment and blessing of God. There is no verb in the original, and the translation would be more spirited thus, Blessed the poor in spirit. The declarations from verse 3 to 12 are sometimes called Beatitudes, because each of them begins with the word blessed,

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penitent emotion, and reveals a Father of mercy who is ready to forgive to the uttermost all that come unto him. Those who suffered in the cause of Christianity would be comforted under their trials by the great and entrancing promises it held out to them of eternal blessedness. Those who lost their goods, or friends, or were smitten by any earthly ills, would receive comfort unspeakable from that religion which clears up the mysteries of Providence, shows that a Father's eye watches over all, and a Father's hand conducts "the beautiful vicissitude." Jesus represents himself as coming to bind up the brokenhearted, to comfort all that mourn, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.' He invites all that are weary and heavy laden to come unto him, and he will give them rest. His exhortation to his sorrowing disciples was, to "be of good cheer." Religion opens fountains of never failing consolation, and reaches the deepest sorrows of the mind. This beatitude, without doubt, was spoken with reference to the temper of his audience, as well as uttered to express an everlasting law of spiritual being. They were looking for mirth and revelry. The gay and the light-hearted would be the most welcome subjects to the new kingdom, in their judgment. The great Teacher holds up the dispensation to come, in a reversed view, as affording comfort to the unhappy and afflicted. "Not in pride, and plenty, and mirth; but in a lowly, sorrowing mind, amidst persecution, and tears, and blood, he saw the clements, the springs of human blessedness. Study those wonderful words of his, and see how true it is, in the very nature of things, that

they only are blessed whom he pronounced so." Matt. xi. 28-30; John xvi. 20, 22; James v. 11.

"He that lacks time to mourn lacks time to mend.

Eternity mourns that."

5. The meek. We have no word in our language to express the true idea of Christian meekness. For what is called meekness is thought by most persons to signify poorspiritedness, servility, than which nothing can be farther from the sentiment of Jesus. The meek are the mild, the amiable, the conciliating. The meek respect themselves too much to be proud, arrogant, and quarrelsome, and others too much to be either servile, or haughty. Jesus was meek, Matt. xi. 29, but he vindicated his rights, John xviii. 23. Paul was meek, patient in the reception of the grossest insults and injuries, but he was not tame and abject; he rebuked those who did him wrong. Acts xvi. 37, xxiii. 3. Meekness is a nice balance of qualities which in most men run into extremes, either too high or too low either into sensitiveness and anger, or into timidity and meanness. It is one of the miracles of Christ's character, that it combined within itself, in loving harmony and unbroken wholeness, those traits which have been deemed contrary, discordant, and almost opposite: energy and gentleness; high intrepidity and lowliness of mind; the Lion and the Lamb.

They shall inherit the earth. Or, the land. The Jews in early times looked upon the land of Canaan as the sum of all blessings. To inherit it was one of their dearest hopes, one of the promised favors of God. The patriarchs dwelt gladly upon the prospect. Gen. xv. 7, 8; Ex. xxxii. 13. The whole nation looked wistfully towards it. The expectation cheered them

The

through the sea, the wilderness, and amidst their enemies. It was a sentiment next in depth and dearness to their subsequent longing after the Messiah. From this state of mind grew up a proverbial expression, which Jesus employs: To inherit the earth, or, to possess the land. It means, as its derivation shows, to obtain the greatest blessings, to acquire the highest good. The expression is elsewhere found, coupled with moral traits. Ps. xxxvii. 9, 11; Isaiah lx. 21. hearers of Jesus were familiar, therefore, with his phraseology. How crushing to their eager hopes, to hear the quality of meekness thus extolled to the skies! Not the revengeful, the military chieftain, the ambitious leader; not those whose thoughts were on fire with the grandeur of power, the exultation of victory and vengeance; not these are blessed, not these shall attain to the greatest felicity. The meek, by the very qualities which others despise, are the happy ones. They are free from the evils, sorrows, and losses, which plague the malicious and passionate. They have peace. They inherit the earth, they obtain a universal empire over the hearts of mankind. They win the world, which the warrior's sword never yet has conquered. They are meet for the inheritance of heaven. This is the everlasting principle of moral existence. It is mournful to see, in history and in private life, how often it has been violated by those who have aspired to do some great thing," and 66 grasped their ruin in their bliss." 6. Hunger and thirst after righ teousness. In the Bible, as in all literature, what is spiritual is often illustrated by what is animal. Strong desires are called hunger and thirst. Truth is called bread,

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meat, drink. Righteousness means moral goodness, virtue, holiness. No wants are so frequent and imperious as those of food and drink. They come continually, and are never long satisfied; denied a few hours, they create unspeakable distress. What words, then, in the range of language, could more fitly and emphatically express the constant longings which the good feel for more goodness, the unquenchable desires of man's spiritual_nature! - They shall be filled. "Here again, observe what a strict and grand truth or fact is enunciated in these words. It is only those who make goodness their supreme object of desire, who are ever filled, satisfied, happy, and at peace. Any other object we may hunger after and obtain, but we are not filled. This is the constitution of our nature." Under this beatitude, as well as the others, it may be observed, that what Jesus says has the most keen and pointed reference to the existing opinions and feelings of his auditors. It was no common-place truism. It was no cold abstraction. His declaration bore directly upon the views of his hearers, though it embodied also a principle true universally. He preached to their inmost experience, and they felt it, and were astonished at his doctrine." They hungered and thirsted after national renown, individual pleasures, honors, and riches. They wanted a Messiah who might aid them in gratifying their unrighteous wishes. Their desires revolved about self as a centre. Jesus sought by his startling paradox to turn the current of their thoughts in another direction. Happy, says this profound Teacher, are those who are visited by the most earnest longings and aspirations after moral excellence; not

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