An Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark; And Some Other Detached Parts of Holy Scripture (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852 Excerpt: ...and loudest in expressing this sentiment, and therefore he is represented by St. John as speaking for the rest; but we have in this the key of his character, and of that act of treacherous folly and wickedness which he was now meditating to commit. "This. he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein." Judas fell therefore by the blinding and infatuating sin of covetousness, which led him first to fraud, then to treason. The disciples, in Mark, estimate the vtlue at "three hundred pence," or denarii, upward of nine pounds of our money. This is not incredible, although the vessel might not be of large size; for a very small phial of attar of roses is sold at Constantinople for six pounds; and this "oil of nard," if not the same, appears to have been highly concentrated and equally precious. See note on Mark xiv, 3. Verse 10. Why trouble ye the woman? she hath wrought a good work upon me.--It was a work of Love, and therefore determined by our Lord to be a good work. The benevolence of our Lord's character here also shines forth: he would not suffer this excellent woman to be troubled by the objections of his disciples, as tending to render it doubtful to her conscience whether she had done right or wrong; and he hastens therefore to give her the grateful assurance of his acceptance of her deed. But the Wisdom of his defence of her conduct is as conspicuous as its kindness. He defends it as a singular act performed in peculiar circumstances, but not so as to relax the obligation of the great duty of caring for the poor: for ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always, "These words," as Whitby acutely remarks, "wholly destroy the d...