loins, and take thy staff in thine hand, and go thy way . if thou meet any man, salute him not, and if any man salute thee answer him not again." (2 Kings iv. 29.)
The plain practical lesson to ministers ought never to be for- gotten. They should be careful not to waste their time in leaving cards, and paying unmeaning morning calls, as others do who have nothing better to do with their time. The man of God ought to have no leisure for any work but that of his Master. The man of the world who expects clergymen to be as ready as other people to leave cards, and pay morning calls, and dine out, only displays his own ignorance of what a Christian minister ought to be.
5. — \Peace be to this house.'] It is probable that this was a com- mon Jewish form of salutation. (See 1 Sam. xxv. 6 : Psalm cxxii. 7, 8.)
6. — [If the Son of peace he there, dc] Bishop Pearce's explanation of this verse is worth quotation. "In the Jewish style a man who has any good or bad quality, is called the son of it. So here the son of peace is mentioned : and in Matt. xi. 19, and Luke vii. 35, are men caUed children of wisdom. So likewise what a man is doomed to, he is called the son of Wicked men are children of wrath. (Ephes. ii. 3.) Judas is the son of per- dition. (John xvii. 12.) So also a man desiring to die is called a son of death. (2 Sam. xii. 5.) " The expression therefore means, "If a worthy person, or one deserving your good wishes, be there, your peace shall rest upon it." The conclusion of the verse is like the expression in the Psalms, "My prayer returned into mine own bosom." (Psalm xxxv. 13.)
7. — [In the same house remain.] The meaning of this direction is made clear from the end of the verse, "go not from house to house." The disciples were to be content with such lodgings as were provided for them, and not to be hard to please either in the matter of bed or board.
[Sueh things as they give.] The first expression so translated would be rendered more literally, "The things from them." Major thinks it means, "That which belongs to them, and such things as they themselves eat."
[The labourer is worthy of his hire.] This expression is a proverbial one. It is remarkable as being the only expression in the Gospels, which is quoted in the Epistles. St. Paul uses it in writing to Timothy, in connection with the expression "the Scripture saith." (1 Tim. v. 18.) This has led many to conclude with much probability that St. Luke's Gospel was finished, and regarded as part of Holy Scripture, at the time when St. Paul wrote to Timothy.
Mr. Ford quotes some admirable remarks from Cecil and
352