The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 416

to him (cf. 1 Cor. vii. 14; Titue i. 15). (3) "By all things thereon." The substitu- tion of this phrase here for the gold suggests a reference to the sacred fire, and to the ministration of the priests. Appurtenances pass with the principal (cf. Ps. xxvi. 6; xliii. 4). (4) A.11 forms of oaths are by God reduced to the true intent of an oath. A man should never take advantage of his own fault. God will be his own witness, and will make the swearer answerable for his oaths.--J". A. M. Vers. 23, 24.-Monstrous trifling. Our Lord proceeds to pronounce upon the hypo• crite the woe of his other evils. Note- I. THI!: LA w HAS 1TB "WEIGHTIER MA TTEBS." 1. These are its moral precepts. (1) "Judgment." This implies: (a) Justice in principle. (b) Jnstice in practice. (2) "Mercy." This must harmonize with justice. 'fhe gospel gloriously brings ont this harmony. (3) "Faith." This implies: (a) Faith in the sense of creed, or truth in belief. A trne creed is of great importance. (b) Faith in the sense of sincerity, in- opposition to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Those called hypocrites are otherwise described as unbelievers (cf. eh. xxiv. 51; Luke xii. 46; 1 Tim. iv. 2, 3). (c) Faith in the sense of fidelity or faithfulness, viz. to God first, then also to man (cf. Micah vi. 8; Luke Ii. 42). (4) There must be the judgment of intelligence in the understand- ing ; the mercy of love in the heart; the works of faith or truth in the life. 2. Ita ceremMiia are for the sa7"of its morals. (1) Distinction in animals, clean and anclean, was to show the differences between good and bad men. (2) Distinction in meats waa to teach discrimination in fellowships. (3) Laws respecting the treatment of creature& was to show how men should be treated. " Doth God take care for ox.en ? " ( cf. Deut. xxv. 4; 1 Cor. iL 9; 1 Tim. v. 18). They that are taught in the Word, and do not communicate to them that teach them-loving a cheap gospel-come short of the Pharisee, who tithed pot herbs. (4) Purifications which termillated in the flesh taught the need of the " answer of a good conscience toward God." n. THE HYPOClUTE INVERTS Go»'s OBDBB. 1. He is punctilioua to trifles. (1} He is scrupulous to the tithing of mint, dill, rue, cummin (see Lev. x.x.vii. 30). '!'he Talmud says, " The tithing of corn is from the Law; the tithing of herbs is from the rabbins." He will "strain out the gnat." The stricter Jews were extremely particu- lar in straining their liquors before drinking, lest they should inadvertently swallow some unclean insect, and so be defiled. The wine-gna.t is easily caught in a strainer. (2) Scrupulousness in the abstract is not blameworthy. " These things onght ye to- have done." Eminent virtne may diaplay itself in the smallest matters (see Mark xii. 42). The morality is imperfect that neglects detail. 2. He misses important things. (1) The scrupulous Pharisee, in his minute attention to the letter, missed the spirit of the Law, which wu of far greater importance. The gnat and the camel are both unclean, thongh of very di.Eerent magnitude. The Pharisee wa.s scrupulous over the ceremonial, unscrnpulous as to the moral-the greater. He unblushingly practised the greatest iniquities. The Law is fulfilled more in the spirit than in the letter. The gospel i& the spirit of the Law. (2) We strain out the gnat !l,Ild swallow the camel when we are scrupulons about trifilng errors and unscrupulous about great evils. The Pharise& is like the anstomer that is punctual in paying small debts that he may get deeper into the trademnan's books and defraud him of a greater sum. They swallowed the camel when they gave Judas the price of innocent blood; they strained out the gna, when they scrupled to put the money in the treasury (ch.xxvi. 6). (8) Things should be taken in God's order, which is the order of their importance. The things of God come before those of men (see eh. xvi. 23). Those only who attend to the" weightier matters" are qualified to jndge u to the lighter ones. The formal may exclude the essential, but the essential does not exclude the formal There may be piety without religion; there cannot be religion without piety.-J. A. M. Vers. 25--28.-Fatal blindnu,. Our Lord continues to denounce woes against hypocrites, both for what they do and for what they are. The relation between doing and being is constant. These things are written for our learning. 1. Tim HYPOOBITB IS WOEFULLY GUILTY. 1. He,. guilty of n«11rl-wickednus. (1) Under the utmost ceremonial strictness, like the garnished tomb enclosing" dead men'1- bones and all uncleanness," is concealed the greatest moral laxity, Thus- 011. xxm. 1-30.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. 4'.21