The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 141

of the Lord's earlier ministry. They felt, too, that their Master's popularity wiis passing away. The influence of the scribes and Pharisees had undermined it. N'ow the Sadducee&, who wielded all the power of the priesthood, had joined them in opposing him. The disciples continued faithful. They followed Christ in his retreat; but probably with very ,sad and troubled hearts. In their excitement they had forgotten to take bread, They had only one loaf, St. Mark tells us, with his wonted exactness in little details. The discovery of their neglect added to their trouble. What should they do? Where should they find bread in those uninhabited regions? They interpreted the Lord's warning according to the thoughts that filled their mind. He seemed to forbid them from using the bread of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, though they had but one loaf with them. They thought that Christ's words were aimed at their neglect, as people sometimes suppose that the preacher is aiming at them, when it is really their own conRcience that disquiets them. The disciples were full of excitement and hurry; the Lord was calm. Let us imitate him, and try to learn of him that holy calmness of spirit which will keep us by his grace thoughtful and collected amid trouble and disappointment. 2. His explanation. (1) He rebuked them for their want of faith. They had seen his miracles. Twice he had fed with his sovereign bounty vast multitudes on those same barren shores which they were now approaching. He recalled to their memory the details of those wondrom banquets in the wilderness. He had bidden them take no thought for the morrow, what they should eat or what they should drink. Strange that they could have forgotten his words, enforced, as they had been, by those marvellous displays of power; strange that they could have been anxious about food while the Lord was with them. They knew him then •after the flesh; we know him, if we are his indeed, with a deeper and holier knowledge. Let us trust him. If only he is with us, we have all that we can really want. We need not fear the enemies of faith, whether fanatics or free- thinkers. We need not tremble for ourselves. --We need not be anxious about our future, if only we are Christ's and Christ is ours. (2) He explained his words. It was not of bread that he had spoken; such a caution would have been like the formal precepts, the countless ceremonial rules of the Pharisees. The Lord's words had a deeper meaning. As the children of Israel at the firs~ institution of the Passover were forbidden to take leaven with them, in token that the defiling influences of Egypt were to be left behind; so now, when the disciples were departing from the controversy with the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Lord had warned them to take with them nothing that savoured of error and corruption. The leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy; the leaven of the Sadducees was indifference. We may well dread such evil influences; we may well shun such evil exaipples. The leaven of hypocrisy or of indifference spreads itself with a corrupting power through the heart which admits it, through the society. which encourages it. "Take heed and beware," the Lord says. 'The human heart is prone to evil, prone to sloth; indifference and hypocrisy soon take possession of it, if they are once received through the contagion of sinful companionship. We must depart from the Pharisees and Sadducees. We must not make friends of the hypocritical and the indifferent ; we must take none of their influences with us. We must depart with the Lord. (3) We must be careful, in reading Holy Scripture, not to understand literally what is spoken figuratively; and we must be equally on our guard against the opposite error. We must not explain away by figurative interpretations what is intended to be taken literally. The disciples made both mistakes at different times. The student of the Scriptures needs humility, single-hearted patient thought, and earnest prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. LESSON& 1. Party spirit is an evil thing; beware of it. 2. Study the signs of the times; look for the fulfilment of prophecy; prepare for coming troubles ; prepare for the second advent. 3. Shun hypocrisy and indifference; be truthful and earnest; see that your religion is real and living. 4. Remember the Lord's past mercies, and be not anxious for the future. Vere. 13-19,-Cresarea Philippi. I. TaE GREAT CONFESSION. 1. Tlie Lora', question, It was asked amid scenes of singular beauty; there was much to delight the eye: the gushing source of Jordan, the terraced heights on which the city was built, the majestio me.ea of Hermon with its crown of snow. But these fair sightil were  LH THE GOSrEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. XVI. 1-28.