and of the power with which they would be invested by the Spirit, he uses the following natural similitude: "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine; no more can ye, unless ye abide in me." k The secular employments of men before the flood, while the divine vengeance impended over them, are thus vividly represented, and, as it were, multiplied. "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage." And, when the days of Lot are spoken of, the conjunctive particles are omit. ted in the same rapid manner : They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded." The same lively and dramatic figure occurs in the parable of the covetous rich man: "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years: "take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.” The most august scene which imagination can conceive is represented with a mixture of simplicity and pathos in our Lord's largest description of the proceedings at the last day. The glory and majesty of the Judge and King are contrasted by his humility and benevolence. The righteous° resume his words in the most natural manner; and, by resum Luke xvii. 27. m Luke xvii. 28. * John xv. 4. nib. ii. 19. The Latins call this figure dissolutio, and dissoluta oratio : from the Greek terms λύσις and διαλελυμένη λέξις. And it is placed by Tully among the orationis lumina, et quoddammodo insignia. Orator $39. See also Quinct. inst. ix. 3. Longinus § xix. Demetrius Phal. Glasg. § 197. • See Virg Georg. iv. 538-553. Hom. II. ii. 11— 15: 27-31. So Exod. vii. after v. 18. the speech contained in v. 16, 17, 18. is repeated in the Samaritan. See also ib. 29. c. viii. 19. c. ix. 5, 19. c. x. 3. c. xi. 4. Polygl. Walt. or Bibl. Kennicott. AS A DIVINE INSTRUCTOR. In ing them, seem to inculcate anew the duties of humanity, never elsewhere so forcibly recommended. like manner, when the wicked recapitulate the omissions with which they are charged, we seem a second "But time warned against the guilt of such crimes. "when the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd separateth his sheep from the goats and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I hungered, and ye gave me meat; I thirsted, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and visited me; ye in prison, and ye came unto me. righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I thirsted, and P Matt. xxv. 31-46. I was Then shall the and ye took not; sick, Then shall ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, me not in; naked, and ye clothed me and in prison, and ye visited me not. they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life." The elegant writer above mentioned asks, From the works of what sage of antiquity can be produced so pathetic a recommendation of benevolence to the distressed, and enforced by such assurances of a reward, as in these words of Christ? From the many exquisite beauties in our Lord's parables, I shall select some that appear the most remarkable. In the parable of the barren fig tree we have an instance of easy and natural narration, in which the fact is not coldly related, but enlivened by the introduction of a dialogue. "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard. Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground? and he answered and said unto him, Master, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it. And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." S Luke xiii. 6-9. 9 Jenyns's Internal View, &c. p. 31. thing can be more Attic than this figure. So Thucyd. iii. 3. The opposition between the religious pride of the Pharisee, and the humility of the Publican, is strongly marked. "The Pharisee stood by himself, and prayed thus: God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the Publican stood afar off, and would not so much as lift up his unto heaven; but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." eyes In the parable of the ten talents, related by St. Luke, there is a fine allusion to historical facts; which, I believe, Le Clerc first observed. "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." Thus Herod the Great solicited the kingdom of Judea "at Rome, and was appointed king by the interest of Anthony with the senate and afterwards he sailed to Rhodes, divested himself of his diadem, and received μὲν συμβῆ ἡ πειρα· « δὲ μὲ, Μιτυληναίοις ειπον, ναῦς το παραδέναι, καί τείχη 20. And if the attempt succeeded, well: but if not, that they should require of the Mityleneans both to surrender their ships and to demolish their walls. See Dan. iii. 15: and I think that 1 Sam. xii. 14. should be thus rendered: If ye will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and hearken unto his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah; and both you, and also the king who reigneth over you will follow after Jehovah your Lord, well: but if ye will not, &c. Exod. xxxii. 32. should certainly be rendered, Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin, well, &c. · Luke xviii. 11, 12, 13. Luke xix. 12. Jos. A. J. xiv. 14. 4, 5, xv. 6. 6, 7. it again from Augustus. In like manner," his sons Archelaus and Antipas repaired to the imperial city, that they might obtain the kingdom on their Father's death and we read that the Jews sent an embassy thither with accusations against Archelaus. In the following parable there is an ornamental addition, like what sometimes occurs in the best poetical descriptions. "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree: so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." It has been observed with respect to the parable of the good Samaritan, that there is great propriety in laying the scene of the transaction; as the mountainous desert between Jerusalem and Jericho was likely to be infested by robbers. The parable was also delivered soon after the feast of tabernacles; and therefore at a time when many were actually going down from Jerusalem to different parts of the country; and when the train of ideas in the minds of our Lord's hearers would lead them to aggravate the inhumanity of the Priest and Levite, by the reflection that they had been celebrating a religious festival, partaking of a the oblations which the law assigned w ib. xvii. 9, 3, 4. * Jos. A. J. xiv. c. 11. 1. c. 13. 2. y Matt. xiii. 31, 32. See Georg. ii. 207-11. Aut unde iratus sylvam devexit arator, Et nemora evertit multos ignava per annos, See Maundrell and Wetstein and Macknight in loc. : Deut, xvi. 14. |