The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 71

\Jhrist from that land, as in the tcli.t. (4) The early and brief sojourn of Jesus in Egypt was a presage of the early but too transient Christianizing of the land of the Phamohs. As there was ~ !ery flourishing Church in Egypt in the early Ohristian ages, so may there be ag&n m the generations of the future (cf. Deut. xxiii. 7; Isa. :idx. 24, 25). Providence and grace are interwoven in wisdom. Never let ue murmur against, evermore let us trust, that wisdom which is manifold and profound.-J. A. M. Vers. 16-18.-Providence in eva. Josephus does not mention this massacre. The eTent occurred ninety-four years before he wrote; it was but one of the many frightful atrocities of Herod, and, not being apparently connected with any political event, was easily passed over by him. Lardner, however, cites Macrobius, a heathen author of the fourth century, who refrrs to it thus: "When he [Augustus C:esar] heard that among those male infants above two years old which Herod, tho King of the Jews ordered to be slain in Syria, one of his sons was also murdered, he said, • It is bette; to be Herod's hog than his son.'" The event is also thus noticed in a rabbinical work called 'Toldath Jesu:' "And the king gave orders for putting to death every infant to be found in Bethlehem." The hi.story cannot be doubted, but we are now concerned with its lessons. It teaches- L THAT MORAL EVIL IS PERMITTED THOUGH NOT ORDAINED OF GoD. 1. It cannot be ordained of God. (1) That would be to approve what his goodness must abhor. Given his infinity, he must be infinitely good. Infinitely evil he cannot be, for ample proofs of his goodness surround us. Partially good he cannot be, for then where would be his infinity? (2) His abhorrence of the atrocity of Herod is graphically set forth in the prophetic description of Racbel's wailinu (Jer. mi. 15-17). Ramah was one of the "borders" of Bethlehem-perhaps marked the limit or radius of the tragedy. It belonged to Benjamin (Josh. xviii 25). Rachel, the mother of Benjamin, and ancestress. of many of these bereaved mothers, was buried in the hill overlooking the area of the slaughter (Gen. x:xxv. 19, 20; .Kl viii. 7), yet within the" border of Benjamin" (1 Sam. x. 2). She is here linely represented as moved with horror in her very tomb, and rising thence, coming forth and wailing in the wailing of her daughters. Her "voice," in theirs, is also "heard," viz. by the God of judgment (cf. Jas. v. 4). Note: The connection of the spiritual world with this is intimate. If there be joy in the presence of the angels of God over a sinner repenting, may there not be grief amongst departed spirits over the evil deeds of men (cf. Heb. xii. 1)? 2. Moral evil is the work of evil moral agents. (1) Moral agency the actors must possess to constitute their actions evil in the moral sense. Physical evil is quite another thing, essentially different. (2) Such a moral agent was Herod. " Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise Men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew," etc. Note: (a) Wicked men are never so gratified as when they can make wisdom subservient to their ends. Absalom, in his unnatural rebellion, sent for Ahithophel (2 Sam. xv. 12). (b) They are " exceeding wroth" when the wise elude their grasp or disappoint them of their prey. (c) They do not see that they are "mocked" of God (cf. Pa. ii. 4; xxxvii. 13). (3) Such agents were the murderers Herod employed. He was moved by blood thirst and jealousy; they were moved by love of gain and fear of the tyrant's resentment. (4) Such an agent is Satan. He is" the evil one," viz. whose spirit is wholly evil. He was here especially active in his uncivil " enmity " against the " Seed of the woman " (Gen. iii. 15). 3. God i• not necessarily chargeable with what he permits. (1) That God permits the existence of moral evil is indisputable. The fact of its existence proves this. Omnipotence could instantly annihilate every evil being. For the per- mitting of evil God a therefore responsible, viz. to himself. (2) But whether the permitting be good or evil must be determined by the reasons for it. If the reasons be good, then the permiUing, even of moral evil, must be good. (3) Of the quality of these reasons God is himself the best judge. Some of his reasons he has disclosed. 'lbus without such permission there could be no scope for moral freedom. Other reasons he reserves to be revealed in due time. (4) Since God is responsible ocly to Limself, and since his ways to us are past finding out, it is alike foolish and impioue in us to o.ttempt to judge him or cherish bard thoughts of him. JI. THAT TllE PHYSICAL EVIL IS BOTH PERMITTED AND ORDAINED OF GoD. 1. Ie '-" J-,ermitted to afflict the 11WT'ally innocent. (1) The babee murdered by Herod suffered OH. n. 1-23.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. 59-