breaches of the fourth oommandment. But nowhere do we find Him teaching that the Sabbath was not to be kept at all. And here, in the verse before us, we find His disciples as scrupulous as any about the duty of keeping holy a Sabbath Day. Surely they could never have been taught by their Master that the fourth com- mandment was not intended to be binding on Christians. Let us cling firmly to the old doctrine that the Sabbath is not a mere Jewish institution, but a day which was meant for man fix)m the beginning, and which was in- tended to be honoured by Christians quite as much as by Jews. Let us not doubt that the Apostles were taught by our Lord to change the day from the last day of the week to the first, although merciftdly checked from pubKdj proclaiming the change in order to avoid giving offence to Israel. Above all, let us regard the Sabbath as an institu- tion of primary importance to man's soul, and contend ear- nestly for its preservation amongst us in all its integrity. It is good for body, mind, and soul. It is good for the nation which observes it, and for the church which gives it honour. It is but a few steps from "no Sabbath" to " no God." The man who would make the Sabbath a day for business and pleasure, is an enemy to the best interests of his fellow creatures. The man who supposes that a believer ought to be so spiritual as not to need the separation of one day in the week from the rest, can know but little of the human heart, or the requirements of our position in an ensnaring and evil world.
Notes. Lukb XXIII. 60—56.
50. — [Joseph, a counsellor.'] The meaning of this probahb? is, that Joseph belonged to the great council or Sanhedrim of the
LUKE, CHAP. xxin. VER. 50—56. 489
Jewish nation. The beginning of the following verse appears to prove that he was present when it was determined to seize Jesus and put Him to death, and had voted, or protested, against the decision of the majority.
5 1 . — [ Waited/or the kingdom of God.] This expression reminds us of the expressions used about Simeon and Anna. Joseph ex- pected the Messiah's spiritual kingdom to be set up, and believed that Jesus was the Messiah.
52. — [Begged the body.] This expression deserves notice. It shows that Joseph believed our Lord to be dead. We* are also distinctly told by St. Mark (Mark xv. 44.) that Pilate only granted the request of Joseph on the express assurance of the Centurion that Jesus was dead.
53. — [Took it down,,. tor apped in linen!] This expression again deserves notice. It is absurd to suppose that the nails could have been drawn from our Lord's hands and feet, and the body prepared for burial by wrapping it in liuen, without some signs of life being perceived, if life had remained in Him. To see the vastness of the miracle of Christ's resurrection, it is essential to be thoroughly persuaded that Christ really died.
[A sepulchre that was heivn in stone.\ These sepulchres were generally caves hewn out of the side of a rock, and not graves sunk perpendicularly in the ground. The common pictures of Christ's resurrection give a most incorrect notion of His sepulchre.
The fact that the sepulchre was hewn out of a rock deserves notice. It shows that there could not possibly have been any clandestine withdrawal of the body by a subterraneous passage dug through earth.
[Wherein never man before was laid.] This circumstance is specially mentioned in order to show that no other body but that of our Lord was in the sepulchre, and that the person who rose was Jesus Christ, and no one else.
54. — [The preparation.] The day on which our Lord was crucified was the day before the Passover Sabbath, an occasion of peculiar solemnity. Gill says, "It was the preparation both for the Sabbath and for the Chagigah, — a grand festival which they kept on the fifteenth day of the Month in a very pompous manner.
[The Sabbath drew on.] This expression is remarkable, and requires explanation. The literal meaning of the Greek would be, " The Sabbath was dawning." But the Jewish Sabbath we know begun in the evening at sunset. How then can we ex- plain St. Luke's saying, " The Sabbath was dawning ? "
Gill says, " This is so said, though it was evening, on account of the lights which were lighted up in every house at this time."