SAMPSON LOW, SON AND MARSTON, 1871. [All Rights Reserved.] 101. e. 250. INTRODUCTION. THE Gospel is in advance of the age; it ever has been, and it ever will be. Since there is but "one faith,"* the faith of one generation should be that of another, yet it is not. In the Gospel we trace a harmony neither in chronological order, or arrangement of facts; nor in a connexion of words, or historical details; but in the eternal and never-varying principles shadowed forth and typified from the beginning. The truth is not fragmentary, nor shut up in a few isolated passages. It consists not in certain speculations about God, in a scheme of notions or opinions, a system of philosophy, or a certain theory of life and conduct, but in a manifestation of God to man, according to his eternal purpose. The Bible is a revelation of a spiritual world, which expresses itself in ways and means sui generis. Its scribes are "pens of a ready writer," instruments in the hand of God, channels of communication to their fellow-men. They retain what was peculiar to them, yet possess the Spirit of Christ. By them the events and incidents in the life of Jesus are so recorded, that the outward and visible are always subservient to the invisible and spiritual, in which alone the sequence and harmony of the truth are found. In order to a clear apprehension of the Word of God, we must never lose sight of the fact that it reveals not only another world, but also the first Adam and the last, between whom there can be no concord. The old Adam, with all its surroundings, can never be other than what it is-a body of death, of sin, of corruption, though it be exhorted to possess * Eph. iv. 5; Heb. xi. † Ps. xlv. 1. faith, and to discipline itself in a religious habit. It can never possess the Spirit of life, for at its best it is only "a broken cistern that can hold no water," "*whereas all men are, through the grace of God, related to the last Adam-that is, Christ, the man created after God, whom, we, having put on, not only put off in him the old Adam, but also possess a quickening Spirit, even the Spirit of the Son. Thus, while maintaining in its intense reality the personality of Christ the Son of God, in whom is revealed the glory of the Father, we identify him with all men in a death to sin -for we thus judge, if one died for all, then all died—and life to God, that all may identify themselves with him.‡ That as all are identified with the first Adam, so may they be with the last, and being conformed to his image, possess a condition accordingly. This is the unity of which Christ spoke; the utterances of men, however, are almost universally discordant. In Christ Jesus, in him alone, must the Scriptures, in their unbroken connexion, be interpreted; but if we take the ground of the old Adam, not only is truth fragmentary, but the Scriptures, from the very nature of things, must be perverted. We must then interpret the Word according to the whole of the Lord's teaching-according to the eternal principles of holiness and love, the operating laws of judgment and righteousness respectively, and thus according to the names Christ Jesus, names which express him, who is given a covenant to the people. With this covenant of a Triune God we must begin. It is the ultima ratio of all things. It has been from the beginning, and has had its witnesses throughout all time ;§ and Matthew throughout assumes our knowledge of it. * Jer. ii. 13. † Eph. iv. 22, 24. 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. § Heb. xi. 1, &c. CHAPTER I. 1 THE book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas 3 and his brethren; and Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and 4 Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; and Aram begat Aminadab; 5 and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 and Jesse begat David the king. And David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 and Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat 8 Asa; and Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram 9 begat Ozias; and Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and 10 Achaz begat Ezekias; and Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat 11 Amon; and Amon begat Josias; and Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon. 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and 13 Salathiel begat Zorobabel; and Zorobabel begat Abiud ; and Abiud begat 14 Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; and Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc 15 begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; and Eliud begat Eleazar; and 16 Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 18 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen 'generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. NOW the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found 19 with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her 20 away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in 21 her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. B |