(14) And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. (15) And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. (16) And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (17) And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, (18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (20) And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. (21) And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (22) And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
We shall enter into some of the very blessed things contained in this scripture, (but ah! how small a part), if we do as we are commanded, while waiting on the Holy Ghost's teaching, compare spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13. By turning to the writings of the Prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 61:1, etc. we are taught to expect Christ as there represented. And here we behold Christ exactly answering to the description. Jesus reads the passage, confirms thereby the character of Him that was to come into the world; and then appeals to their own senses for the application to himself.
It were to do little short of going over the life of Christ, to follow Jesus in all the parts of this most precious Sermon. Indeed it may be considered but as an abridgement of his whole Gospel. Sweet as it would be, and the most interesting discourse capable of being offered, yet that pleasure I must suppress, while remembering the limits suited to a Poor Man's Commentary. But though constrained to pass over all observations on Christ's Sermon, yet I do very earnestly beg the Reader not to overlook the decided testimony the people gave, in consequence thereof, to the truth of his divine character. For it is said, that all bare him witness. There seemed to be for the moment, one general common consent, that He was the Christ. I beg the Reader not to lose sight of this; and the more so, from what follows in a few verses after.