meaning, ought never to be regarded as the enemy of the fourth commandment. On the contrary, He has " mag- nified it, and made it honourable."
Let us cling to our Sabbath, as the best safeguard of our Coimtry's religion. Let us defend it against the assaults of ignorant and mistaken men, who would fain turn the day of God into a day of business and pleasure. Above aU, let us each strive to keep the day holy our- • selves. Much of our spiritual prosperity depends, under Ood, on the manner in which we employ our Sundays.
Notes. Luke VI. 1—6.
1. — [Second Sabbath after the first.] The meaning of this expres- sion has entirely puzzled all commentators. It is nowhere used in Scripture, excepting in this place. All explanations of it are nothing hetter than conjectures. Cornelius a Lapide gives a summary of these conjectures, which, if it proves nothing else, is a clear proof that there is no such thing as " unanimous consent of the Fathers '' in the interpretation of Scripture. He mentions, among other things, that Jerome once asked Gregory Nazianzen what this Sahhath was, and received for answer, that he would teach him in church when it would be impossible to contradict him.
Some think that this second-first Sabbath (for so the Greek expression would be translated more correctly) was the Pente- cost Sabbaths They suppose that the Jews had three principal Sabbath days in the year, — the first at the Feast of the Passover, the second at the Feast of Pentecost, and the third at the Feast of Tabernacles. And they consider that the Sabbath here men- tioned is the " second great Sabbath," or Pentecost Sabbath.
Some think that this second-first Sabbath, was the first Sabbath after the second day of unleavened bread in the Jewish Passover week. This second day in the passover week was the day when the first ripe sheaf of barley was waved by the priest before the Lord, to consecrate the harvest. (Levit. xxiii. 10--12.) The Sabbath here spoken of would then be the first Sabbath after the first sheaf of harvest had been cut.
I ofibr no opinion on the difficulty. It is probably one that will never be settled till the Lord comes, if the ears of com which the disciples plucked were wheat, the first explanation seems most probable. If, on the other hand, they were barley,