18. Ecce puer meus quem elegi, dilectus meus in quo benè complacuit animæ meæ. Ponam spiritum meum super eum, et judicium gentibus nuntiabit.

19. Non contendet neque clamabit, neque audiet aliquis in plateis vocem ejus.

20. Arundinem quassatam non confringet, et linum fumigans non extinguet, donec ejiciat ad victoriam judicium.

21. Et in nomine ejus gentes sperabunt.

18. Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul hath been well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the gentiles.

19, 'He shall not contend, nor cry out, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

20. "The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not extinguish: till he send forth judgment unto victory.

21. And in his name the "gentiles shall hope.

Jesus went to another place and continued to bless those who followed Him or applied to Him, by curing all of them.

S. Matthew here quotes from Isaias xlii., but his words differ both from the Hebrew and the Septuagint in some minor things, although they all agree in substance. Writers on quotations of the kind in the New Testament, explain them variously. Some say they may have quoted from a copy of the Old which has not come down to us. Some say they quoted from memory and sometimes forgot. Calmet justly condemns this supposition. The real explication is, that it was customary in their time, not to quote literally, but to quote what suited your purpose, substantially. Literal quotation is quite a modern virtue, and was unknown to the ancients. Even copyists-holy and learned men-did not scruple to take freedoms with a text which would shock a modern.

1Charged them.—It would seem as if Our Lord did not wish to exasperate the Pharisees any further just at present.

My servant.-S. Matthew quotes from the Old Testament much oftener than the other Evangelists because he wrote his Gospel more immediately for the converted Jews. Servant here is the same as boy. Our Lord's humanity is meant.

He shall not contend.-Here there is a contrast drawn between himself and those dangerous old prophets who spoke out, denounced in loud tones, thundered, brought fire from heaven, etc.

*The bruised reed.―This beautiful figure means that He will not crush

those who are weak and diffident, and He will not stamp out a nuisance, but let it go by itself.

Judgment unto victory, means that His teaching shall prevail, or that He will reserve his severity until the Last Day.

"Gentiles shall hope.-Calling attention to the old prophecies regarding the Messiah.

The Evangelist does not say whether this patient was brought to Jesus by his own friends or by the Pharisees. Whether it was a bona fide case or another test one. Commentators are not agreed as to the time of this incident. Some think that the devil, in taking possession of the man, made him blind and dumb; and some think that he was born blind and 'dumb, and that the devil entered into him then. There is a saying amongst the people: "Beware of those whom the Lord has marked," and it is verified by experience. Deformed and defective people are very often more impish than their neighbours. Some say this comes from being tormented when children by the mockeries of their companions.

1Spoke and saw. The cure was perfect and the effect instantaneous.

2Son of David.-For the reasons already mentioned, S. Matthew brings in one of the Hebrew epithets of the Messiah. The people seem convinced en masse of His being the real Promised One.

The Pharisees. Just at the moment the Pharisees step in to keep the people in their former ignorance. They cannot deny the miracles; so they must explain them away.

Every Kingdom divided.-History shows the truth of this aphorism but too well.

"If Satan cast out Satan.-Collusion might be possible between two devils in order to do greater evil; but never could be for doing good. Heretics are always united in hating the Catholic Church, but in nothing else. Our Lord had no league with the devils as their own shrieks showed.

In a figurative sense the devil of heresy or error makes people:

Ist. Blind to the truth.
2nd. Dumb in its utterance.
3rd. Deaf to our teaching.

The Pharisees' reasons are like those which the heretics use to malign the Saints.

The necessity of unity in the Church of God is evidently foreshadowed here. Divided: Ist. It cannot stand. 2nd. It must fall.

3rd. Or turn into fragments. The heretical persuasions are like the lintels, doors and ornaments of a ruined old church scattered about without cohesion.

27. Et si ego in Beelzebub ejicio dæmones, filii vestri in quo ejiciunt? Ideò ipsi judices vestri erunt.

28. "Si autem ego in Spiritu DEI ejicio dæmones, igitur pervenit in vos regnum DEI.

29. "Aut quomodò potest quisquam intrare in domum fortis et vasa ejus diripere, nisi priùs alligaverit fortem, et tunc domum illius diripiet?

30. "Qui non est mecum, contrà me est, et qui non congregat mecum, spargit.

31. "Ideò dico vobis: Omne peccatum et blasphemia remittetur hominibus. Spiritûs autem blasphemia non remit

tetur.

32. "Et quicumque dixerit verbum contrà Filium Hominis, remittetur ei : qui autem dixerit contrà Spiritum-Sanctum, non remittetur ei, neque in hoc sæculo neque in futuro.

27. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do 'your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

28. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the "kingdom of God come unto you.

29. Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong man, and rifle his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? and then he will rifle his house.

30. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me,'scattereth.

31. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but the "blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

32. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the "world to come.

Our Lord continues to confute the allegation of the Pharisees, Here we have what S. Augustine calls one of the most difficult passages in the Holy Scripture. Our Lord gave power to forgive all manner of sin whatsoever. Here there is one that shall not be forgiven. He does not say cannot, and it is a wonder commentators have not noticed the distinction more generally. Writers are divided as to the nature of this sin, and range through a great many. S. Augustine settles upon final impenitence. The real sin which the text conveys seems to be, attributing the works of the Holy Ghost or of God in any form to the devil. This is the blasphemy which will not be forgiven; because it is done through sheer and wilful malice. It could be forgiven,

but those who commit it will never ask for pardon, and consequently are certain to die impenitent. This is the most generally

received opinion.

Founding purgatory on verse 32 is as old as S. Augustine; if not inde ed as old as the Church itself. No one can explain the sentence o therwise except by explaining it away. Either sins are forgiven in the next world or they are not. If they arethen purgatory. If not-the above becomes nonsense.

1Your children. What children does Our Lord mean in this verse? Some say the Jewish exorcists, and Calmet gives very curious accounts of the ceremonies they make use of. Others say that He meant His own disciples. Either meaning will do for the force of His argument.

Kingdom of God. By this designation was the coming of the Messiah known among the Hebrews.

3Strong man. This was the armed guard who kept castles and fortresses. The first thing was to bind him when you went to rob. The devil was to be bound by the Messiah. Our Lord shows that He has him bound hand and foot, and that he is rifling his kingdom and taking away his spoils the souls of men.

*Scattereth.-A time has come when people must take sides-neutrality will not do.

5

Blasphemy against, not mere sin is mentioned here.

*World to come.-This is always said of the time after death. If sins can be forgiven then, there must be a middle state. Out of hell there is no redemption, and nothing defiled can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.