conciliated his esteem, and disposed him for receiving further information.
The answer which our Lord gave to him has already been considered. That which we are now to attend to, is the Scribe's reply ; which naturally suggests to us the following observations :
I. That the great practical duties of the law are supremely excellent —
The Scribe, not contented with the commendation bestowed upon the commandments by our Lord, gives them a decided preference to all the most sacred in- stitutions of the Mosaic ritual : and in this he was perfectly correct : for, however excellent they were in their place, the love of God and our neighbour are of infinitely greater value.
1. The great practical duties of the law are good for their own sake ; whereas the institutions of the
ceremonial law were good only as means to an end —
[We must by no means depreciate the " burnt-offerings and sacrifices ; " because they were the appointed means of reconciliation with God ; they directed the attention of men to the great Sacrifice which was in due time to be offered ; and they prepared the world for the coming of Christ. But still they had no intrinsic excellence : if separated from the ends of their institution, the blood of bulls and of goats was of no more value than " the cutting off a dog's neck, or the offering of swine's blood."
But the love of God and our neighbour is really of inesti- mable value : it is the appropriate exercise of our faculties ; and, if carried to the extent that is enjoined in the command- ments, it would be an anticipation of heaven itself3 ]
2. The great practical duties of the law can be per- formed only by a renewed heart ; whereas the institu- tions of the ceremonial law may be 'performed by the most abandoned of mankind —
[A wicked Balaam could offer sacrifices in abundance : but who can put forth all his intellectual and active powers in love to God and man ? None, but he who has been renewed by the Spirit of God. It is not possible for an unregenerate man to offer such sacrifices as these : they are far too high, too pure, too spiritual : he may easily burn upon an altar the
a See 1 Sam. xv. 22.