The National tribune., 1890-06-12

great assembiage of people. While Jesus spoke
to his disciples in particular, all standing in
the vicinity heard him. One Of the company
was the man who wanted Christ to settle diff
Guilty as to property (St. Luke, 12 49, Arch
bishop TillOt5On claims the words Of the para
graph were intended by Christ for the instruc-
ton of his Apostles alone. (See Works, Vol.
2, p. 22i.) 1t was the custom Of Jesus to avail
himself of opportunities, and hence. whenever
he found himself surrounded by goOdly num-
Der he proceeded TO address them.
5. Nature Of the Paragraph
We see fine instance of how logical Christ
was as q Teacher. lis text was, Take no
thought for" Then he gives reasons why he
wished his followers not TO take thought.
]. God has given us life; OF course he will supply
food for maintaining life. .. God has put our
souls into bodies delicate and needing raiment
of course he will give resources for getting
clothing. g. God cares for fowls of course he
will not neglect his children. 4. Concern to
become tailor would be useless, and so it is
folly to be distressed about food and clothing
when the way in which to acquire these is not
by being anxious, but by avaiing ourselves of
the blessings abundantly provided for US by our
Heavenly Father. ,. God has care for yege-
tables Of course he will not neglect immortal
beings. 6. 1t IS hcatheuish to be distressed
about temporal matters. z. God knows our
wants and is too kind TO be needless when we
arc in need. :. Sufficient unto the day is its
own concerns, and il is folly to bclabor your
self as to distant future which you may never
live to sec. (St Matt 6 3i) Having estab-
lished these eight arguments Jesus recurs to
his text, repeating and enforcing it.
6. Words and Phrases.
l. Therefore. (St. Matt, 6:25, and st.
LIKE, IL: 90 Tho paragraph which follows
Is conclusion reached from tho Parable of the
Rich Barn. Builder tSt. Luke, -: 1921 Be-
cause earthly possessions. even though plenti-
fully supplied, give only present satisfaction,
and even that with much Of labor and concern
therefore make future eternal interest your
chief concern. Seek first the Kingdom of
Heaven" est Matt, 9 80. and ST. Luke, 70 81
,. Take no thought" (St. Matt. & %, n,
2S, 81 81, and st. Luke II :22. %, 20 Com
pare ~. Matt, 10 49,
Much trouble has occurred by the rendering
Of this present English Version Take no
thought for tomorrow" The Revised Edi-
ton translates thus: BE not therefore anx-
ious for the morrow" This 10 much bet
ter readiDg-morc. true TO the original. and
hence more in accordance with the general
principles OF good judgment and warranted
prudence. Too intense anxiety about the fu-
ture X evidence OF distrust in God Words
change their meanings. Formerly the word
thought" meant Is painful state of mind,
caused, c. G., by lack of confidence in Provi-
dcuoe Now the word is used in purely in
tellcctual sense.
Christ lays down the principle that we ought
to have such trust in Gods love, power, sup
plies, not TO lose heart with reference To the
days to come.
Before King James's version of the Bible
Tyndale, Cranmcr, tho Geneyan, the Rhenish
aud the Bishops Bible rendered " BE not care
ini lcare,inli) for" Archbishop TiIIotson says,
After all prudent care and diligence have been
used by US We should not be further solicitous,
nor trouble ourselves about the event oil things,
which, when we have done all we can, will be
out OF our power. And this certainly is our
Savior's meaning, when he bids US take 10 care
Tor tomorrow. When we have done what is
ht for us for the present TO do, We should not
disqulet nor torment ourselves about the issue
aud event Of things" Works, Vol. 2, p. 557.)
For taking thought both St. Matthew and
Luke have two different Greek words. One
means TO be mind diyided-distracted The
other means to bo lifted on high, held in sus-
pense, and indicates the exciting anxiety Of a
person who Is Kept In an unsettled state of mind
iluctuatng between hope and fear The second
verb Is used OF vessels at sea, now tossed on
high, then dashing on rocks below--a graphic
figure OF man in racking anxiety.
3. Life" (St Matt, q Is, and st. Luke.
~ %, 23.) The word means in every case the
us this. IL is greater than the mere food
tmeat) which nourishes it, Ii God give tho
greater lie will the less. lie has impaired life
NOw, surely, He who gave life will sustain it.
so do not DO sOlicitous. The Giver of the
greater will bestow the less. The Originator
OF existence is able To continue il.
4. Better" (St. Matt, @: 70 aud ST. Luke,
II; pa Are We not of creator consequence, of
superior rank, more valuable, more important,
than they? The same explanation applies to
" more in st. Matt, q: %, and twice in st.
Luke, 1928.
8. Stature" (St. Matt, 6 81, and st. Luke.
II: 25.) The word rendered stature is from
Greek noun, which is frequently translated
age. The Revised Edition 50 renders margin
ally III both Gospels. The following prefer age
to stature Meyer De Wette Stier Afford
Hammond, Wolf, Ewald, Oahausen, A. Clarke,
J. A. Alexander, Lange, Schan, Benson, Bloom
hed. Barnes says the word is oftener rem
dered age. 1t may be- objected one cannot add n
cuhlt 10 his age. A cnbit is IS2l feet How
can you add 20 inches to persons age? But
the very Greek word translated stature in the
lesson IS even in the New Testament rendered
age. tSee st. John, 9:2l, %; Heb, li:lI
Also add 2 Mae, 27.) Then. comparing st.
Matt, q q, with st. Luke, II % 20, we see il
is said that the adding 20 inches to q mans
hight is the least thing" Christ evidently
wanted to point out some admittedly very
insignificant thing, and declared To his hear
ers that they could not accomplish even that
But the deed imagined is utterly monstrous if
We take it in the sense OF stature. Ii is object
ed that age cannot be measured by "A linear
standard. But how often we speak of the
length of life and the end of life. Human life
is called journey. Ps, 80: s. says our DAYS
are as "a handbreadth," and the fourth verse
speaks of the measure of our days" = III.
4 Z. makes life a course "a certain distance
over which we run. Life being handbreadth.
we speak of the span of life, II span being the
distance from the end of the thumb to the end
OF the little finger when the hand is extended
rcckOned at nine inches. Life is way " or
route according To st. Matt, z: Is. Ps., 80: IL,
us AZ "sojOurners." Life is "pil-
gfimage " in opinion of st. Paul (Heb IL
49, Life is going from Egypt to Canaan.
In Greek mythology We have three Fates,
the Parce or Moirn. Their names are Cotho,
Lachesis aud Atrophos. Clotho held the d is
tan on which was rolled tho thread of life
Lachesis spun or wound the strands off the
distaff; Atrophos cut OF the portion allotted to
each human being.
Wetatem thought the word rendered stature
should have been translated age, and believed
the allusion is To tho Olympic course, which
was several hundreds of cubits long, one of
which would indeed be little matter. q III,
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