You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?

“The rule of the Scriptures is only to know two generations, one of good the other of bad. Of the generation of the good it is said, The generation of the righteous shall be blessed. (Ps. 112:2.) And of the bad it is said in the present passage, Generation of vipers. These then, because they did against the Apostles like things as Cain and Joas, are described as of one generation.”

“After he had instructed the disciples and the crowds about the caution they ought to have regarding the teaching of the Jews, here he turns his speech to the Scribes, rebuking them. First he rebukes them for feigning religion, when they were irreligious; second for feigning purity, when they were impure; third for feigning piety, when they were impious. The second is found where it says, "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who cleanse that which is outside the cup," and so on. The third is found where it says, "Woe to you who build the tombs of the prophets," and so on. Among those things that pertain to religion, some are owed by priests to the people, and some conversely. First, then, he sets forth their wickedness in those things owed by priests; second, in those owed by the people, where it says, "Whoever shall swear," and so on. A priest owes something to a subject already converted, and something to one not yet converted. To one not converted, that he might convert him; to one converted, doctrine; Malachi 2:7: "The lips of the priest shall keep knowledge." Likewise he owes him intercessions; Hebrews 5:1: "For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God." And these men were doing evil in both respects; hence he first accuses them of the first, then of the second, where it says, "Woe to you who devour the houses of widows," and so on. In all these rebukes he shows himself to be the Son of him who gave the old law. In Deuteronomy 26 and 28, curses are given to those who do not remain in the law, and afterward blessings are given. But because he had come to loose the curses of the law, therefore blessings were given first, above, where it is said, "Blessed are the poor," "Blessed are the meek," and so on. Toward the end of his teaching, however, he gives the curse. Therefore those who find fault with the old law on the ground that it contained curses find fault wrongly, because it is the same in the new law as in the old. For just as in the law none were cursed except those who transgressed the law, so also here; Proverbs 3:11: "Reject not the discipline of the Lord." But what is meant by his saying, "who shut the kingdom of heaven against men"? The kingdom of heaven is said to be the blessedness of eternal life; above, 5:20: "Unless your justice abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Likewise Sacred Scripture is called the kingdom; above, 21:43: "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you," that is, the understanding of Sacred Scripture. To both kingdoms Christ is the door; John 10:9: "I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures." What, then, is it to shut the kingdom, except that these men were shutting it through bad teaching and bad life? Only what is open can be shut. The teachings about Christ were open, but these men were shutting them, because they were making them obscure. We have Isaiah 35:4-5: "The Lord himself will come and will save us. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." When the Lord was working these miracles, this Scripture was open, but they were shutting it, saying, "By Beelzebub, the prince of devils, he casts out devils," Luke 11:15. Likewise they were shutting it through a bad life, when by bad example they led people into sin; Psalm 1:1: "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence." He properly sits in the chair of pestilence who takes up the office of teaching and, by a bad life, corrupts the people. By an unjust sentence also a judge destroys a man, yet he casts the unjust sentence to no purpose. For the power of binding and loosing was given for building up, not for tearing down. Hence it can be said to them, "Woe to you... because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men." Likewise, whoever hinders entry into the kingdom, there is no doubt that he does evil; hence it follows, "For you yourselves do not enter, and those who are entering, you do not allow to enter," that is, others to be converted. Hence Malachi 2:8: "You have departed out of the way, and have caused many to stumble." "Woe to you... who devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers." This is the second "woe," in which is touched their feigning in regard to prayer. And first he accuses them of gluttony, when he says "who devour the houses of widows," because whatever they did, they turned it all to gluttony, so that there applies to them what is said in 2 Maccabees 6:4, that the whole temple was full of riotous living and revelling. "The houses of widows," that is, the resources of widows. But why the houses of widows more than of others? The reason is that they intended more to seduce women, because men are wiser and more discerning, and are not so quickly deceived. Likewise women have a disposition more inclined to generosity; 1 Timothy 2:10: "But as becomes women professing godliness, by good works." Likewise "the houses of widows," because a woman who has a husband has him as head and as counselor, and therefore is not so deceived. Likewise a married woman does not have power over her own house, but a widow does; therefore she is able to give more than a married woman, and therefore they made more profit from widows than from others, since more was to be given by them; hence there fittingly applies to them what is said in Psalm 93:6: "They have slain the widow and the stranger." And this in prayer. "Praying long prayers," for the sake of feigning sanctity; and thus they turned prayer to profit, and profit to glory. Hence they could be reproved, because gluttonous, because plunderers, and also because they feigned sanctity; and therefore it follows, "And for this you shall receive greater judgment," that is, you shall sin more. And why? Because if someone plunders by the weapons of the devil, he sins; and if by the weapons of God, he sins doubly, because he sins against God and against his neighbor. Or "greater," etc., because you take from those to whom you ought to give. Or "greater," as it is found in Luke 12:47: "The servant who knew the will of his lord, and did not do it, shall be beaten with many stripes." "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who go about the sea and the land to make one proselyte." And this is explained in two ways, so as to be referred to the time after Christ, and before Christ. If referred to the time after, then he speaks of future and present things. For he foresaw that the Jews were to be scattered throughout the whole world, and that they would convert to their own law and pervert from Christ those whom they could. And therefore it says, "you go about the sea and the land," and so on. Those are called proselytes who are converted from the gentiles to their faith, or from Christians; and because he foresaw that they would convert to their own faith some from among Christians, he says this. And he says "one," because very few were converted. Hence they fell under that curse which is found in Hosea 9:10: "I found Israel like grapes in the desert." "And when he is made," namely a Jew, "you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves"; because first he is a gentile and afterward a Jew, and then he has twofold sins, namely those of the gentiles and of the Jews, because being a Jew he becomes a partaker in the killing of Christ; but if he was a Christian and afterward a Jew, he becomes doubly worse, because he stains the gift of the Holy Spirit which he had received in the sacraments. Likewise he becomes a partaker of the sins of the Jews; John 8:44: "You are of your father the devil." It can also be referred to the time before Christ, because before Christ they converted some to their faith. And this is clear, because everyone loves himself more than another; therefore if they converted others for the sake of the salvation of their soul, they ought all the more to have taken care of their own salvation, but they did not care. Rather they did all this for the sake of profit, because they wanted offerings to be increased; hence their teaching was worthless. "And when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves"; because first he was converted to Judaism and was scandalized, and thus afterward he was converted a second time. Hence 2 Peter 2:21: "It is better for them not to have known the way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back." Likewise otherwise: before he was a Jew, he abstained from evils, at least for the sake of the praise of men, but afterward, not so; hence Romans 2:14: "For when the gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law, these, having not the law, are a law to themselves." Hence they were taking their example from evil men. "Woe to you, blind guides." In this he shows how they were counterfeiters of sanctity in the things owed to prelates. And first concerning offerings; second concerning tithes, where it says, "Woe to you... who tithe mint," and so on. Note: first he sets down their tradition; second he argues by three reasons. The first part, where the tradition is set down along with the reason, has two parts. The second is where it says, "And whoever shall swear by the altar," and so on. These men dragged all religion toward profit, so as to draw men to make offerings. In the temple much gold was laid up; hence they said that if anyone swore by the temple, he owed nothing; but he who swore by the gold obligated himself to the amount for which he swore. Likewise the second tradition was that there was an altar there and many things were offered upon the altar; hence they said that he who swore by the altar paid nothing, but he who swore by the offering obligated himself to the value of the offering. And why? So that they might profit from the penalties, and so that they might raise up the offering through an appearance of sanctity, and so that men might be incited to offer more. And first he sets down the first part; second the second. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth their tradition; second the refutation, where it says, "you fools and blind," and so on. He therefore says, "Woe to you, blind guides," and so on. The same is found above, 15:14: "They are blind, and leaders of the blind"; Isaiah 56:10: "His watchmen are all blind." "Who say, whoever shall swear by the temple of God, it is nothing," because it is impossible for that man to make another temple; "but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple," that is, by the gold, "is a debtor," namely of that gold. Consequently he sets down the refutation, "you fools and blind"; for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? It is agreed that whatever is in the temple is holy by reason of the temple, hence he who steals anything in the temple commits sacrilege; hence it is greater to swear by the temple than by the gold. Chrysostom, against certain persons who say that to swear by God is nothing: hence those who swear by God believe they are swearing nothing; but when they swear by the holy Gospels of God, they believe it to be a great thing. Hence it can be said to them: which is greater, God or the Gospel? It is agreed, God. And this is true simply speaking; it is otherwise when some circumstance is added which aggravates the sin. For he who swears by the holy Gospels of God has sworn with a certain deliberation and solemnity, and therefore sins more gravely. Then he sets down the second part of the tradition, "And whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing: but whoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is bound." Then he sets down the refutation of the blind: which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift? For the gift is not sanctified except by the altar. "He therefore that shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things that are upon it." Here he sets down another reason. The temple contains the gold, and not conversely; likewise the altar contains the gift, and not conversely. Hence he who swears by the temple swears by the gold that is in the temple; and he who swears by the altar, that is, by the altar, swears by that which is in it. Likewise there follows another reason: "And whoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells in it." These men said: whoever swears by the temple swears nothing. But he wishes to show that whoever swears by the temple swears by God, because he does not swear by the temple except as sanctified, and it is not sanctified except unto God. Therefore whoever swears by the temple swears by God. Then another reason is set down: "And he that swears by heaven," that is, by heaven, "does not swear by it, except because it is the throne of God," and because the power of God is manifested there; hence he who swears by heaven swears "by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon." Psalm 10:5: "God is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven." And this is brought in there according to a likeness. But mystically, according to Origen, he makes mention of the temple, of the gold, and of the altar, in which are signified the contemplative and glorious life. By the gold the contemplative life is signified, by which is signified the subtle sense thought out of Scripture itself: because however reasonable it may seem, it is nothing unless it is in the temple, that is, unless it is confirmed in Sacred Scripture. By the altar the heart is signified, in which there ought to be the fire of devotion; Leviticus 6:12: "The fire on my altar shall never go out." By the offerings are signified services and oblations, which, unless they proceed from a holy heart or from a holy altar, can be of no value; above, 6:22: "If your eye be single, your whole body shall be lightsome." By the throne the glorious life is signified: there is God who is exceeding all things. Or by the altar and the temple we understand Christ: for he names himself the temple; John 2:19: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Likewise he is called the altar; Hebrews, last chapter, 10: "We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle." Hence whatever good we do, unless it be sanctified in this temple, that is, in Christ, is of no worth; hence everything is contemptible unless it be referred to Christ. "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who tithe mint, and anise, and cumin." Here he rebukes them concerning tithes; and he does three things. First he sets down their custom; second he adduces the doctrine; third he sets down a certain likeness. The second is where it says, "these things you ought to have done"; the third where it says, "blind guides, that strain out a gnat," and so on. Hence he says, "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees," and adds "hypocrites," because their chief intention was pretense, "who tithe mint, anise, and cumin." It can be understood either as "you give tithes," or "you exact tithes"; hence there were very many priests and Levites, to whom it belonged to exact the tithes that were owed to them, as is found in Numbers 18:21 and Deuteronomy 14:22; therefore they were most diligent in exacting them, and so exacted down to the smallest things, even cumin and anise. "And have left the weightier things of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith." For certain things were owed to priests on their own account, such as the tithes on which they were to live; but to certain other things they were bound for the sake of God, such as doing judgment and mercy; hence the Lord required these of them, namely judgment and mercy; Psalm 100:1: "Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord." Likewise he wills faith for the sake of his own glory. Hence the things to which they were bound for God's sake, they did not attend to; hence he says, "and have left the weightier things of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith." But concerning tithes, to which they were bound for their own sake, they took good care, according to Philippians 2:21: "All seek the things that are their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's." Charity does the contrary, which "seeks not her own, but the things of Jesus Christ," 1 Corinthians 13:5. Likewise it can be said, "Woe to you who give tithes," because you give of the smallest things, of mint and cumin and things of this sort, and this in order to appear religious; but of the interior things you take no care, because you love neither mercy, nor judgment, nor faith; above, 12:7: "If you knew what this means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, you would never have condemned the innocent." Origen says that by mint and cumin, etc., certain things can be understood which pertain to the decency of religion. Hence mercy, judgment, and faith are like foods, but the other, smallest things are like seasoning. Hence just as they put greater effort into their seasoning in preparing food than into the food itself, so also these men put more effort into having the knee bent before them than into the things that pertained to God. "These things you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Because he had said, "Woe to you who tithe," someone could say that the Lord was forbidding the giving of tithes; therefore he says rather the contrary, when he says "these things you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone"; as if to say: you do not sin in these things, but in omitting those to which you are more bound. Therefore, "these things you ought to have done," that is, to exact tithes, "and not leave the other," namely judgment, justice, and faith, "undone." But here there can be a question about tithes. The Lord seems to establish a necessity of paying tithes; hence in the whole New Testament there is no mention so explicit as here. But is it had from a precept of the law? No: because in the law certain things are moral, certain ceremonial, certain judicial. Moral things are to be kept at every time and by all; ceremonial things by certain men and at certain times, as circumcision, and these were only in figure; likewise certain things are judicial, as that if anyone should steal a sheep, he should restore fourfold. Therefore the question is asked concerning tithes, whether tithes are a moral precept. And it seems not, because moral things belong to the natural law. But that alone belongs to the natural law which natural reason persuades. But it does not persuade one to give a tenth part any more than a ninth or an eleventh, and so on. Therefore it does not belong to natural right. Likewise, if tithes are ceremonial, then those who pay them sin. To this those who came before us have said that certain things are purely moral, certain purely ceremonial, certain have something moral and something ceremonial. "You shall not kill" is purely moral. Likewise, "you shall adore the Lord your God," and so on. If you say, "on the fourteenth day of the moon, in the evening, you shall offer a lamb," that is purely ceremonial. But if it is said, "remember to keep holy the sabbath day," it has something natural, or moral, and something ceremonial. Moral, namely that natural reason suggests that one should have some time free, in which one is free to pray to God. But that it be on the sabbath day, or on Sunday, etc., is judicial. Hence they say that the precept concerning tithes is partly ceremonial, partly moral. For they are for the sustenance of the poor and of those who are free for the service of God, or for preaching: for one who serves the community, it is fitting that he live from the community, and this is of natural right; but that it be a tenth part, this is ceremonial. But are they bound now? I say that the determination belongs to whatever prince has the power of establishing law; hence it is within the power of the Church to establish either a tenth, or a ninth, or the like. Hence they are bound, not because it is of natural right, but from the constitution of the Church. "Blind guides, that strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel." In this part he sets down a likeness; hence he says "straining out a gnat." He who strains, swallows with difficulty. Hence he means to say that they put great care into the smallest things, and little into great things. Or by the gnat the smallest sins are understood, by the camel great ones, hence they put effort into small sins; and this is what he says, "swallowing a camel." "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, who cleanse that which is outside the cup and the dish." Above, the Lord rebuked the Pharisees for the pretense which they displayed outwardly which they did not have in the heart, but which they turned to profit; here for the pretense of purity which they showed outwardly. And here first as to the desire of temporal goods, or as to carnal sins; second as to spiritual things. And first he treats the first; second the second, where it says, "Woe to you... because you are like whitened sepulchers." Concerning the first he does two things. First he accuses their pretense; second he sets forth sacred doctrine, where it says, "You blind Pharisee," and so on. He therefore says, "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who cleanse that which is outside the cup," and so on. Note that this can be understood in two ways. In one way, that it is a proper statement; and he means to touch on the custom of the Pharisees, who put great fastidiousness into cleaning the outside, as is found above, that they observed cleanliness of pitchers and vessels; hence, "woe to you," who impose great solicitude in cleaning vessels, but not hearts. Hence there follows, "but within," that is, in the heart, "you are full of rapine and uncleanness." Jerome holds that it is a figurative statement, hence he holds that it should be understood of every cleanliness which is shown outwardly. In the dish food is served, in the cup drink. Now man is called a dish; and the food in which God delights is the good works which he does; John 4:34: "My food is to do the will of my Father." It is agreed that the use of the cup and the dish is not on the outward surface but the inward. He therefore cleanses the cup outwardly who prepares his body outwardly. But you are of this sort: "but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness." And he sets down two things, rapine and uncleanness, because there are two kinds of sins: carnal ones, which are consummated in the delight of the flesh, as gluttony and lust; other ones which are in the delight of the spirit, as pride and avarice, since avarice, as regards its object, holds with carnal sin; as regards its completion, since it is completed in the delight of the mind, namely in the desire for money, it holds with the spiritual. Hence he reproves avarice when he says "rapine." Now rapine properly occurs when what belongs to another is taken; thus the miser properly withholds what belongs to another: hence it is opposed to justice; Isaiah 3:14: "The spoil of the poor is in your house." Likewise "full of uncleanness," as regards gluttony and lust. The soul is rendered impure through passion, and no passion so depresses reason as gluttony and lust; Ephesians 5:3: "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becomes saints." Then he brings them back to sound doctrine: "You blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish." All exterior purity is from interior purity, as is found above, 6:22: "If your eye be single, your whole body shall be lightsome," and so on. Therefore he teaches that one should cleanse the heart, and thus the whole will be clean. Hence he says, "You blind Pharisee," and so on. Wisdom 2:21: "Their own malice blinded them." "Cleanse first what is within," because whatever is done outwardly, provided it be done from good will, is wholly good; Proverbs 4:23: "With all watchfulness keep your heart." Likewise it can be explained of the word of man: hence that which is within can be understood as the understanding of Sacred Scripture, Ecclesiasticus 15:3: "He fed him with the bread of life and understanding," in which wisdom is served. The bread of wisdom is the word of life. Hence some wish to adorn the word outwardly, and care nothing for the meaning. And these cleanse what is outside. "Woe to you... because you are like whitened sepulchers." Here he accuses them as regards spiritual sins. And first he sets down the likeness; second he explains it. A sepulcher is so called where a dead body rests. The dead bodies of saints are the temple of God, in which God dwells; 1 Corinthians 3:17: "The temple of God is holy, which you are." The body is the dwelling of the soul, and the soul is the throne of God: thus, just as the body is the dwelling of the soul, so the soul is the dwelling of God; Psalm 10:5: "The Lord is in his holy temple," and so on. But the body of a sinner is a sepulcher, because it contains a dead thing, since the soul dies through sin; therefore the wicked are called a sepulcher; Psalm 13:3: "Their throat is an open sepulcher." In a sepulcher there is a dead body within, though sometimes on the outside there is some image which seems to live in its face; Apocalypse 3:1: "You have a name that you live, and you are dead." And therefore he says, "which outwardly appear beautiful," because of the ornament put on outwardly, "but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all filthiness," that is, of all putrefaction and all uncleanness. After this he explains it thus, "so you also outwardly indeed appear to men just," that is, men judge you just, "but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." This comprises carnal sins, avarice and gluttony, as was said above, under which vainglory is contained; John 12:43: "For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God." Likewise under iniquity all spiritual sins. Then, when he says, "Woe to you... who build the tombs of the prophets," he accuses them of feigning piety, and does two things. First he sets down their pretense; second their cruelty, where it says, "so you are witnesses against yourselves," and so on. Likewise they feign in two ways, in deeds and in words. Hence first he rebukes them concerning deeds; second concerning words. The second is where it says, "and you say, if we had been," and so on. He therefore says, "Woe to you who build the tombs of the prophets." But what of it? Did they not do well? Do not we do well, who place the bodies of saints in silver and golden shrines? Some say that they are not reproved for the deed, but for the intention, because their intention was evil; for they did it so that the memory of the crime of their fathers might be brought back into the memory of men: hence it was the custom that when something new happened, something was made to commemorate it. Hence they wanted the audacity of their ancestors, since they had dared to kill the prophets, to be in the memory of all. But this explanation does not agree with the letter. Therefore it must be said otherwise, that they are not blamed for this, but because they did this only to show outwardly the signs of piety, just as it is said above that they tithed mint and cumin. Likewise, "you adorn the tombs of the just." They adorned the tombs, and yet they had in mind to kill, out of pretense. Likewise, Chrysostom says, it is so in our own times, that if someone does many good deeds, adorns tombs, has a generous hand, and things of this sort; if he builds in stones, and intends vainglory, and does not walk in the ways of the Lord, it profits him nothing. Likewise they showed piety in word: "and you say, if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets." It is common that in the deeds of others everyone is a severe judge; hence if we see someone sinning, we judge it a great sin, but we make light of our own sin; therefore these sons recognized the malice of their fathers, but not their own; above, 7:5: "Cast out first the beam out of your own eye, and then shall you see to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye." Then he sets down their cruelty. And first in general; second in particular. And he sets down temporal punishment, where it says, "Behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes." Concerning the first he first describes the origin; second the imitation of evil; third he threatens punishment. He says therefore, "So you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets." But what fault was it to them, since it was not in their power? Therefore it seems that it ought not to be imputed to them. Note: sometimes a son does not imitate the sins of his father, sometimes he imitates his father's malice. If he does not follow his father's malice, it is not imputed to him. Sometimes it happens that one has a good father and a bad mother, and conversely, and he follows the goodness of the father, or of the mother. But if both are bad, it rarely happens that he does not imitate their malice. And the reason is that the children of the wicked grow accustomed to evils from the beginning; and to what they grow accustomed in youth, they cling more firmly, and therefore are more inclined toward evil. Likewise wicked parents, when they see their children doing something evil, do not chastise them; wherefore their sin is aggravated, so that the sins of the parents redound upon the children; Exodus 20:5: "I am the Lord your God, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children." Therefore he says, "you are the sons of them," who have their malice; Wisdom 3:12: "their children are wicked." Hence you are sons by imitation: and this is what follows, "fill up then the measure of your fathers." It is not imperative, but declarative: "fill up," that is, you will fill up, as if a man were speaking, that is, you will kill me; John 13:27: "That which you do, do quickly." Or it can be permissive, that is, "you shall not be hindered by me," that is, "sometimes you wished it but I did not permit it; henceforth I shall not hinder it." Therefore, "fill up the measure of your fathers." But what does it mean by "fill up"? It must be seen that all things that happen, happen by the certain judgment of God. But in that judgment of God the punishment is not resolved at once, until it is entirely piled up and comes to its full measure: hence as regards the judgment of God their guilt was not yet fulfilled. Hence they killed the prophets, and their guilt is not yet fulfilled, but in me it will be completed. Therefore, "fill up the measure of your fathers." Isaiah 27:8: "In measure against measure, when it shall be cast off, you shall judge it." Or "fill up": the fathers sinned, but you fill up. One then fills up, when he arrives at as much as his fathers did. Therefore your fathers killed the prophets, and you fill up. Or it can be said that they sinned by killing servants, but these by killing the Son; hence they filled up the wickedness of their fathers. But the Lord offered himself willingly, and did not resist. Likewise he does not reproach them with their own sin, but only with that of their forefathers, because it belongs to a good shepherd to reckon the injury done to his own as his own. Then he adds concerning the punishment, "serpents, brood of vipers," and so on. And it seems that he speaks quite fittingly of their guilt. The serpent is a venomous animal, and kills by its venom: thus these men are called serpents, because they killed the prophets. Of the viper also it is said that it dies in giving birth, so that the offspring gnaws through the mother's insides: thus, although they themselves were wicked, they reviled their fathers. Hence, you being such, "how will you flee from the judgment of hell"? According to the judgment of men you escape, but according to the judgment of God how will you escape? Hence it is necessary to have a clean heart. Job 19:29: "Flee from before the face of the sword."”

“Wherefore, behold I send unto you prophets,.... To try them, whether they would show the respect to prophets, they pretended to have for them; by building and beautifying their sepulchres; by exclaiming against their forefathers for shedding their blood; and by declaring, that had they lived in their days, they would not have joined with them in it; and to make it appear, that these were all empty words, and specious pretences; and that they had the same malicious and bloody principles in them; and would be guilty of the same practices, and so fill up the measure of their fathers' sins; and bring upon them the punishment of everlasting burnings hereafter, as well as ruin and destruction on their nation, city, and temple now. Christ here speaks, as, one having power and authority, to qualify and send forth men, under the several characters here mentioned, and of what he should do after his resurrection: for notwithstanding the people of the Jews would crucify him, and use him as they did, in a barbarous manner; yet after all this, he would send his ministers to them, to gather his elect out from among them, to render the rest inexcusable, and to show his longsuffering and patience. The persons designed by "prophets", "wise men", and "Scribes", are his apostles: called "prophets"; because they were divinely inspired to write, and preach in his name; had the gift of foretelling future events, and of explaining with the greatest clearness and exactness, the prophecies of the Old Testament; showing their respect unto, and accomplishment in Christ: "wise men"; because they were made wise unto salvation, and capable of instructing others: they were filled with all spiritual and evangelical wisdom, and preached the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom: and Scribes; because they were well instructed in the kingdom of heaven, and had the true knowledge of the law, and could rightly interpret it, as well as make known the Gospel of the grace of God. Christ chooses to use these names and titles, because the Jews pretended to have great veneration for the ancient prophets, and these he should send, would not be a whit inferior to them, but in many things exceed them; and they had great esteem for their wise men and Scribes, who would be vastly exceeded by these ministers of his, and yet would be used very badly by them: and some of them ye shall kill; as Stephen, the first "martyr", who was stoned to death by them; and James, the brother of John, whom Herod, to their good liking, killed with the sword; and the other James they threw headlong from off the pinnacle of the temple, and killed him with a fuller's club (r), And crucify; so Simeon, the son of Cleophas, was crucified at the instigation of the Jews, as Eusebius relates (s), And some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues; as John, Peter, and Paul: and persecute them from city to city; as they did Paul and Barnabas, as the Acts of the Apostles testify, (r) Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 2. c. 23. (s) Ib. l. 3. c. 32.”

“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?--In thus, at the end of His ministry, recalling the words of the Baptist at the outset of his, our Lord would seem to intimate that the only difference between their condemnation now and then was, that now they were ripe for their doom, which they were not then.”