who neyer heard the trath. It will not fall on ignorant and neglected Englishmen, for whose soids, however sunk in profligacy, no man cared. It will fall on those who had great light and knowledge, but made no proper use of it. It will fall on those who professed great sanctity and religiousness, but in reality clung to their sins. In one word, the hypocrite will have the lowest place in hell. These are awful things. But they are true.
Notes. Lukb XX. 41—47.
41. — [^He saith unto tliem.] The connection between this verse and the two preceding ones should not be overlooked. It seems clear that it is " the Scribes " to whom our Lord now addresses Him- self. They were ready enough to approve of His answer to the Sadducees. But did they themselves understand the Scriptures? Our Lord shows them that they did not.
[How say they.] This expression implies that it was a common saying among Jewish theologians, — an acknowledged and recei- ved opinion.
[Christ is David! s son."] Let it be noted, that this expression shows us, that when sick persons and others who applied to our Lord called Him, " Thou son of David," they meant more than at first sight perhaps appears. The expression was tantamount to a confession that our Lord was the Messiah.
42. — [David, himself saith, dc] I^et it be noted, that the very Psalm which our Lord here brings forward is the one which the apostle Peter presses on the Jews, in the first public sermon he addresses to them on the day of Pentecost. (Acts ii. 34.) It is interesting to reflect, that on that day Peter probably remembered liis Mas- ter's use of the Psalm, and wisely walked in His steps by quoting it to the Jews.
44. — [How is he then his sonf] This was a question concerning Messiah's person, which could only be answered by admitting that He was God as well as man, and man as well as God. This the Scribes and Pharisees did not understand.
Our Ijord had probably a double object in view in the question which he put to the Scribes.
For one thing. He desired to convince them of their own ignorance of the Scriptures, which they proudly supposed they understood.