Verse 35 A sword, &c. This refers to the sufferings which Mary was to endure through her affection and sympathy for her son.--That the thoughts of many hearts, &c. This, of course, refers back, beyond the parenthesis, to the last words of the Luke 2:34. It shows us that Jesus did not force himself upon men, as their king. He presented himself before mankind, unarmed and defenceless, that men might be perfectly free to receive or to reject him; so that their conduct might be the true index of the thoughts of their hearts. Christianity itself stands in much the same attitude at the present day. It is left exposed and defenceless to the attacks of unbelievers, in many points in which, it would seem, it might have been easily guarded. While there is ample evidence to satisfy those honestly desirous of knowing and doing the will of God, there are abundant materials out of which excuses may be fabricated for rejecting it, by all those who wish to find them. While, therefore, we do all in our power to relieve honest doubts, we should not be too eager to answer the objections and difficulties made by cavilling unbelievers. Every thing in the providence of God, as indicated by the circumstances of our Savior's mission, by his preaching, and by the present condition of the argument for Christianity, shows that it is his design that those who wish to find excuses for rejecting Christ, should have the opportunity; so that the thoughts of men's hearts may be freely revealed.