Ver. 19.-Suggestions of just ways of cove,-ing sin. The contents of this verse and the following are, so far as they go, corrobomting evidence of tho supernatural ori~in and superhucan incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For if these things be not the truth respecting him, then will these verses also have to rauk among the supposed cunningly devised fables; whereas in very truth their aspect is of the most opposite character, The aspect of these verses and their connection are ~trikingly of the real and the matter-of-fact. They present themselves and they speak so naturally. In those days of the Church's history which saw casuistry at its most llourishing, it way easily be imagined that the point would have been considered a most legitimately pro- fitable one for argument, whether Joseph were more entitled or less entitled to the epithet of "a just man," in that he had it in his mind to "put away privily" his espoused wife rather than at once make o. public example of what would too probably MA'l'TIIEW, 0 18 THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. I, 1-25.
soon become I\ puNic sc:mdal. .And aga.m, whether his intention to do this "/rivily" i;aYoured most of regard for public advantl\ge, or of self-regard, or of regn.r for the supposed erring 'll"Oman. From our point of view, any approach to the c-aeuietical may be safely dispensed with. Dut in place thereof, we may fitly make this verse the occasion for inquiring what are some of the determining or guiding considerations which may be held to justify the disposition to shield human fault, sin, fall, rather than to expose it. ·we are on the safe side- I. \VHE~ WE SEEK TO SHIELD A PERSON, THF! SINNER, FROM PUDLIO EXPOSURE RATHER THAN SAY A WORD, EITHER TO HIMSELF OR TO THE PUBLI01 IN THE NATURE OF EXTENUATING THE SIN, JI. 'WREN WE SEEK TO SHIELD ANOTHER RATHER TRAN ONE1S SELF, --~II. WHEN WE SEEK TO SHIELD THE PERSON WHO, EITHER BY NATURE on BY INDIVI- DUAL TEMPERAMENT, WOULD TAKE DISPROPORTIONATE SUFFERINGj a.s, e.g.: 1. A woman, in anything that especially concerns the nature of woman. 2. Or any one whose known sensitiveness would render him liable to abnormal suffering. IV. WHEN WE SEEK TO SHIELD FROM EXPOSURE CERTAIN KINDS OF BIN, VIZ. THOSE 'WHICH UXIVERSAL OBSERVATION TELLS US DO IN THE VERY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THEM BERTI TO EXCITE UNHEALTHY INTEREST, PRUilIENT CURIOSITY. In not a few cases, notoriety undoubtedly attracts instead of deterring. It attracts also not in mere morbid and exceptional cases, but in virtue of a fascination not indeed otherwise explainable, but very easily explained when some of the radical vice of human nature is confessed. In the present instance, it is to be understood by the reverent reader of the history that Joseph, as" a just man," felt he had no choice but (1) to put away the woman who seemed to have erred; (2) to put her away privily, in order to a.void both public scandal as far as possible and unadvisable aggravation of her and his own feelings. The justi.fiableness of qualifications of this kind is amply illustrated by the conduct of Christ himself, alike in the instance of the woman "taken in adultery," and in that of Mary Magdalene.-B.
Ver. 21.-.77ie "Name which is above every 'llame." In introduction dwell briefly or; the thought of the Divine care, shown, first, in foreguarding Israel and, so to say, the world so early from mistake as to the character of their coming Saviour, Hope, King; and, secondly, in guiding Israel from the very first to understand that whatever breadth, height, scope, might belong to the salvation of the Saviour who was to be, it could in the first instance only be attained through men becoming extricated from sin. The key- note of the mission and of the very character of the Christ was ordained to be sounded in his Name. It is sounded in this name Jesus. It was announced before his appear- ance. It was wonderfully illustrated during some years preceding his disappearance from earth. And from that to this, the most significant of the world's history has been a constantly accumulating testimony to the truthfulness of the Name. Notice now this Name under the following simple aspects. L FOE. THE L.ABGE PROFESSION THAT LIES IN IT IN CHALLENGING THE TEST OF WHAT IT WOULD PRA.OTICALLY Do. The Name challenges universal observation, but also universal judgment. And the facilities for exercising and pronouncing that judgment are great. They are ready to hand. The Name says that he who owns it wills to bG judged by what he shall do. !L FoB THE LARGE PilOFESSION THAT LIES IN IT IN RESPECT OF THE UNLIMITED ANXOUKCEMENT OF THE SA vrnG. The saving in question, whatever it be, does not savs itself by any qualification of the direction, the extent, the 'length of time, in which its efficacy should be found good. "Thou shalt call his Name Jesus." Although it is added, "for he shall save his people from their sins,'' we know that elatement to bG as broad, comprehensive, unlimited as the Name itself-Saviour. III. Fon THE LARGE PROFESSION THAT LIES IN IT OF UNSELFISHNESS. To save is to do something for others, at all events, as the word applies here, .And to "spend and be spent" thus, unaskivg anything for self, ·is the essence of unselfishness. IV. FOB THE NOVELTY AND UNIQUENESS OF IT, TilE A.DOVE THREE THINGS DEINO GRH"TED. Nothing had approached it before in the world's whole hii:1tory. V. FoB THE CONSISTENT U~"DEVlATING, AND UNCEASING ILLUSTRATION GIVEN TO IT DY TIIE WHOLE EARTHL; LIFE oF CHRIST. All of it spoke the Saviour, and not OU, I, 1-26.] TllE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO s·r. MATTHEW. 19
loMt eo certainly when it spoke the destroyer of destruction, the forerunnin,., of the destruction of the destroyer. D
VI. Fon TilE YET MOllE WONDERFUL ILLUST!JATION GIVEN TO IT m THE l,OXG, 'l'rJE OALM, TDE STILL-LASTING, TIIE EVERLABT!l-0 LEGACY OF TIIAT LIFE, That legacy is ever speaking: 1. Pre-eminently the Saviour, as compared with everything else eitbrr great or good, such as the Teacher, or the Example, 2. The Saviour, as distinguished from one who does, yet does but little. 3. The Sav10ur, as one all of whose workings are those of light, of advance, and of enduring good.-B.