The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 382

that ye might h!lve life" (~ee John v. 39, 40). (2) All dest.itute of this covenant life of purity are dead-" dend in trespasses and sins," obnoxious to be treated BB the MCrifices had been (cf. Eph. ii. 12; Jer. xxxiv. 18, 19). Those who despise the over- )11Bting covenant e.re liable to the "much sorer punishment" of being cut up by the ~ames of hell. II. THAT THE LIFE OF THE BPmIT SURVIVES TIIE DEATH OF THE BODY, 1. Go<l'11 covenant remains wuh his duembodied saints. (1) Abraham was dead when God said to Issac," I am the God of Abraham thy father" (see Gen. xxvi. 24). Issac also was dead when God B&id to Ja.cob, "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, e.nd the God of Isaac" (Gen. xxviii. 13). Jacob also was sleeping when God appeared to Moses, and said, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Is&&e, and the God of Jacob" (Exod. iii. 6). This is the fact recognized in the argument of our Lord. (2) But if God wa.<i, hundreds of years after the natural death of the patriarchs, still in covenant relation with them, they must retain a conscious exilltence in the disembodied st.ate. "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him" (see Luke xx. 38). 'l'his living unto God is a condition of the happiest consciousness (cf. John iii. 36; vi. 48-53; xi. 26). 2. The ea;istence of the sinner is an abiding death. (1) " God is not the God of the dead," viz. " in trespasses and sins," whether in this world or in the disembodied state. The antithesis of a life which is distinct from existence is obviously e. death not involving the extinction of existence. If spiritual life survives the dissolution of the body, so may the spiritual death survive the dissolution of the body. (2) "God is not the God of the dead." This gives no more encouragement to the universalist than it does to the annihilationist. God is nowhere in his covenant pledged to the disembodied sinner, What II terrible thing to the spiritnally dead is his indestructibility! III. THAT GoD IS PLEDGED TO RAISE FROM THE DEAD THE BODIES OF HIB SAINTS. 1. He is pledged to raise the Hebrew patriarchs. (1) The argument of the text is intended to prove more than the conscious and happy existence of the spirit of the reliever after death. This undoubtedly it does conclude, as we have seen; but it means more. (2) It is an argument also to prove the resurrection of the botly (see ver. 31). And the reasoning to that conclusion was to the Sadducees unanswerable (~ee Luke ·xx. 40). (3) Its force lies in the matter of the covenant. It promised the patriarchs personal inheritance in Canaan (see Gen. xvii. 7, 8), which, in this mortal life, they never enjoyed (see Acts vii 5). But God still abides by his covenant, as is evident from his wordB to Moses at the bnsh. How, then, can the promise be fulfilled, unless they be raised from the dead for the purpose? (4) In this sense the patriarchs them- selves interpreted the promise. They knew they should die without inheriting (see Gen. xv. 13-16). How could they understand the land to be personally inherited by them as "an everlasting possession," unless in the jp'e&t future? That future inheri• tance their fe.ith fum.ly seized (see Heb. xi 9-19). 2. The promise ea:tenda to all bel,ievers. (1) The natural seed of Abraham as such are not the children of the promise. Else it behoved the Arabs, :Midianites, and Idummans to have inherited. Only a portion of the seed of Jacob inherited the land in any sense. No one ever yet inh1::rited the land according to the teI'IIll! of the promise as "an everlasting possession." (2) The true Seed of Abraham is Christ (see Gal. iii.16). He is the Depository of the promises. Yet even he never inherited the land of promise in person. But the "Scriptures cannot be broken." The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was a necessity; for he must inherit it for ever. (3) Believers in Christ, whether lineally descended from Abraham or not are the seed of Abraham, and children of the promise. In II secondary sense the term,~. seed of Abraham," is to be taken collectively (cf. Gal. iii. 26-29). Believers therefore must be raised from the dead that they may inherit. (4) Then the expression, "all the land of Canaan," purport~ the whole earth to its utmost limit_(cf, Ps. ii. 8; lx.rii. 8; Rom. iv. 13-18; Heb. x1. 13). The covenant also extends into the heavens.--J. A. M. Vers. &4-40.-1'le great.er commandments. The Jews me.de many distinctions about the comme.ndments of God, calling some "light," others "weighty," other■ "little," others" great." According to their estimating, therefore, some commandment must ',t; "greatest." Some of them contended that the law of the sabbath wu the greater oa, x.xu.1-46.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 387