Devil the King of Saints in Heaven as well as the whole Host of Saints on Earth hath been frequently smitten and deeply wounded with reproach Christ was reproached for our sake and when we are reproached for his sake he takes our reproach as his own Moses his reproach was the reproach of Christ Heb. 11.26 And he esteemed it a Treasure which did more inrich him with its worth than press him with its weight Esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt Observe 3. The wonderful meekness of Christ in passing over this Reproach and Calumny without one word of Reply Guilt is commonly clamorous and impatient but Innocence is silent and regardless of misreports Our Saviour is not at the pains of a word to vindicate himself from their impotent censure but goes on with his Discourse and justifies his own Action in healing a Man on the Sabbath-day from the Jews own practice in circumcising their Children on that day if it hapned to be the Eighth day And the Argument runs thus If Circumcision may be Administred to a Child on the Sabbath-day which is a servile kind of Work and Bodily Exercise without blame or censure why must I fall under Censure for healing a Man on the Sabbath-day thoroughly and perfectly only by a word speaking Hence Learn That the Law of doing good and Relieving the miserable at all Times is a more ancient and excellent Law than either that of the Sabbath Rest or of Circumcision upon the Eighth day A Ritual Law must and ought to give place to the Lâ—w of Nature which is written in every Man's heart As if our Lord had said If you may wound a Man by Circumcision on the Sabbath-day may not I heal One if you may heal on that Day one Member of the circumcised may not I make a Man whole every whit if you be at pains to cure such a one with your hand may not I without pains cure a Man with the word of my Mouth 24 Judge not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment From the foregoing Argument Christ draws an Inference or Conclusion that there is no making a judgment according to the first Appearance of Things and that Suddenness or Rashness Prejudice or Partiality in judging overthrows Righteous Judgment This is the general Application of what Christ had said before and the particular Application of it as to himself comes to this Judge not according to Appearance but judge Righteous Judgment As if Christ had said Lay aside your prejudices against my Person and compare these cases attentively and impartially with one another and then see whether you can justly condemn me as a Sabbath Breaker and acquit your selves Such was the perfect Innocency of our Saviour's Actions that he could and did submit them to the Reason and Judgment of his very Enemies 25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem is not this he whom they seek to kill 26 But lo he speaketh boldly and they say nothing unto him do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is but when Christ cometh no man knoweth whence he is 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught saying Ye both know me and ye know whence I am and I am not come of my self but he that sent me is true whom ye know not 29 But I know him for I am from him and he hath sent me 30 Then they sought to take him but no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come 31 And many of the people believed on him and said when Christ cometh will he do mo miracles then these which this man hath done Our Blessed Saviour having vindicated both his Doctrine and Practice and appeared publickly in the Temple and speaking boldly there the People of Jerusalem knowing the hatred and enmity of the Chief Priests and Rulers against him do wonder that they did not apprehend him Learn Almighty God doth and can preserve his own in the faithful discharge of their Duty in such an admirable manner that even their Enemies themselves may wonder at it and be Astonisht with it Observe 2ly The Argument which the Jews urged against our Saviour's being Christ and the promised Messias Namely That they knew whence he was whereas when the Messias cometh no man will know whence he is now herein they Assert a manifest untruth for tho' Christ in respect of his Godhead was prefigured by Melchisedeck who was without Father or Mother without descent that is without any that the Scripture mentions yet in respect of his humane Nature the Jews might know whence he was for the Scripture plainly pointed out the Tribe the Family the Lineage and the place of his Birth Observe 3. That Christ being grieved at this impudent Cavil doth reply unto it with much boldness and Zeal he cried saying ye both know me and know whence I am but the Father that sent me ye know not That is you know me as Man where I was Born and of what Family I am but you know not my Divine Nature nor the Father from whom I am by Eternal Generation and who hath sent me into the World Observe 4. What causeless Rage appeared in these Men against Christ for declaring the Truth unto them they would have taken him by Violence had not the Power and Providence of God restrained them for the present because his time to Suffer was not yet come Hence Learn That Violence and Persecution against the Faithful Dispensers of the Truths of God have been the Lot and Portion of such in all Ages and Generations Christ experienced it let his Ministers expect it Observe 5. That altho' the Rulers at Jerusalem were Angry and enraged yet the meaner and inferiour sort of People Believed on him being convinced by the wonderful Miracles which he had wrought amongst them that he was the True and promised Messias For say they when ever the Messias come he cannot do greater and more Evident Miracles then this Man hath hath done Learn hence That altho' the Grace of God be not ensured to or entailed upon any sort of People yet ordinarily it is the meaner sort of People with whom it prevails most Many of the common People at Jerusalem were Believing when the Rulers there were Persecuting Men that live in Pleasure and at Ease see no need of dependance upon God have little inclination or desire to farther the Gospel and to encourage either the Dispensers or Professors of it nay it is well if they do not turn Persecutors ¶ 32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him 33 Then said Jesus unto them Yet a little while am I with you and then I go unto him that sent me 34 Ye shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am thither ye cannot come 35 Then said the Jews
denounced against the Pharisees for cheating and deceiving the people with an outward shew and appearance of Piety and Religion They were like Graves and Sepulchres grown over with Grass which tho' they held dead mens Bones yet the putrefaction not outwardly appearing Men walked unawares over them and so were polluted by them intimating that the inward Rottenness and filthy Corruptions of the Pharisees not appearing unto Men the people were easily deceived by outward shews of Pharisaical Sanctity and so fell into a dangerous imitation of them Learn thence That the great design of Hypocrisy is to cheat the World with an empty shew of Piety the Hypocrites Ambition is to be thought good not to be so Learn 2. That nothing is more fatally dangerous to the Souls of Men and draws Persons to an admiration and imitation of hypocritical Professors like their outward shews of Sanctity and their extraordinary appearances of Devotion and Piety This it was that gained the Pharisees such a veneration and esteem among the people that it became a proverb amongst them If but two men went to Heaven the one must be a Pharisee but their counterfeit piety being double iniquity they did receive for it double Damnation 45 Then answered one of the Lawyers and said unto him Master thus saying thou reproachest us also 46 And he said Wo unto you also ye Lawyers for ye lade men with Burthens grievous to be born and ye your selves touch not the Burthens with one of your Fingers The former Woes were denounced by our Saviour against the Pharisees who had their Name from an Hebrew word which signifies to separate because they were persons separated and set apart for studying the Law of God and teaching it to others The next Wo is here denounced against the Lawyers that is the Scribes of the Law of which there were two sorts the Civil Scribe and the Ecclesiastical Scribe the Civil Scribe was a publick Notary or Register of the Synagogue employed in writing Bills of Divorce and Sentences in the Phylacteries The Ecclesiastical Scribe was an expounder of the Scripture an interpreter of the Law Men of great Learning and Knowledge whose Decrees and Interpretations the Pharisees strictly observed this Lawyer here insolently calls our Saviour's Reproof a Reproach however our Saviour who never feared the Face or regarded the person of any Man gives them their portion and lets them know wherein they were faulty as well as the Pharisees and accordingly pronounces a Wo unto them also for a threefold Crime 1. For their laying heavy Burthens upon others Shoulders which they would not touch with one of their own Fingers These Burthens in general were a rigid exaction of Obedience to the whole Ceremonial Law and in particular the Burthen of Traditions certain austerities and severities which they imposed upon the people but would not undergo any part of them themselves in vain do we hope to oblige our Hearers to follow those Rules of Life which we refuse or neglect to put in practise our selves 47 Wo unto you for ye build the Sepulchres of the Prophets and your fathers killed them 48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the Deeds of your fathers for they indeed killed them and ye build their Sepulchres 49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles and some of them they shall slay and Persecute 50 That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the World may be required of this Generation 51 From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias which perished between the Altar and the Temple Verily I say unto you it shall be required of this Generation The second Crime which Christ reproves in these Men is their grand Hypocrisy in pretending great honour to the Saints departed building their Tombs and garnishing their Sepulchres declaiming against their Fathers impiety that had they lived in their days they would not have been partakers with them in their sins Now their Hypocrisâ— appeared in three Particulars 1. In that they continued in their own wickedness and yet commended the Saints departed they magnify the Saints but multiply their sins and instead of imitating their Vertues they content themselves with garnishing their Sepulchres 2. In professing great Respect to the Dead Saints and at the same time Persecuting the Living Palpable Hypocrisy and yet as gross as it is it prevails to this day The Church of Rome who magnifies Martyrs Canonizes Saints departed have yet added to their number by shedding of their Blood 3. In taking false measures of their Love to the Saints departed from their Building their Tombs and garnishing their Sepulchres whereas the best Evidence of our Love to them is the imitating their Vertues and cherishing their Followers 'T is gross Hypocrisy to pay respect to the Relicks of Saints and Veneration to their Images and at the same time to persecute and hate their Followers From the whole Note 1. That the World has all along Loved dead Saints better than living ones Mortui non mordent the dead Saints Example how bright soever is not so scorching and troublesome at a distance and he himself stands no longer in other Mens Light whereas the Living Saints Example is a cutting Reproof to Sin and Vice Note 2. That there is a certain Civility in humane Nature which leads Men to a just Commendation of the Dead and to a due estimation of their Worth The Pharisees here tho' they persecuted the Prophets whilst alive yet did they pretend to a mighty Veneration for their Piety and Vertue after they were dead and thought no Honour too great to be done unto them Note 3. That it is the greatest Hypocrisy imaginable to pretend to love Goodness and at the same time to hate and persecute good Men. These Pharisees and Lawyers pretended high to Piety and Religion and at the same time killed the Prophets Note 4. That the highest Honour we can pay to the Saints departed is not by raising Monuments and Building Tombs to their Memory but by a careful imitation of their Piety and Vertue following the Holiness of their Lives and their Patience and Constancy at their Death Lastly Learn That it is a Righteous thing with God to punish Children for the impiety of their Parents when they walk in their ungodly Parents Footsteps upon you shall come the Blood of all the Prophets from the Blood of Abel to the Blood of Zacharias yet this must be understood of Temporal Evils not of Eternal Punishments no Man for his Fathers Sins shall lye down in Everlasting Burnings as our Fathers Faith will not let us into Heaven so neither will their Impiety shut us into Hell At the Day of Judgment every Man shall be separately considered according to his own Deeds 52 Wo unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge ye entered not in your selves and them that were entering in ye hindered The last Wo pronounced by
ACCORDING TO S T. MATTHEW ACTS xvii Ver. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all Readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so A PRAYER Before the Reading of the Holy Scriptures ALmighty God and Merciful Father who hast appointed thy Word to be a Light to our Feet and a Lamp unto our Paths and caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our Learning Grant us the Assistance of thy Holy Spirit that we may in such wise Read Mark Learn and inwardly Digest them that by Patience and Comforâ— of thy Holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the Blessed Hope of Everlasting Life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ And seeing of thy tender Love to Mankind thou hast given thy Dear and Only Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Example of Godly Life give us Grace that we may always most Thankfully receive this His Inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour our selves to follow the Blessed Steps of His most Holy Life who Liveth and Reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost ever One God World without end Amen EXPOSITORY NOTES WITH PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS UPON The Holy Gospel ACCORDING TO S T. MATTHEW The HOLY BIBLE contains the whole Revelation of the Will of GOD to the Children of Men This Sacred Book is usually divided into the Old and New Testament The Old Testament contains the Law and the Prophets The Writings of the New Testament are either Histories or Epistles the Histories are the Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles The Four Gospels were written by the Four Evangelists whose Names they bear of whom St. Matthew and St. John were Eye-Witnesses of what they wrote but St. Mark and St. Luke had what they wrote from the Relation of others This Gospel before us of St. Matthew contains an History of the Birth Life Miracles Death and Resurrection of the Holy JESUS All which are the most Stupendious and Amazing Matters as well as the most Necessary Truths to be Known and Believed in the World And This Chapter before us contains the Genealogy or Pedigree of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST as he was Man unto Vers 17. and then relates the Fact of his Wonderful Incarnation to the End of the Chapter CHAP. I. 1 THE book of the generation of Jesus Christ the son of David the son of Abraham Our Evangelist designing to write a Narrative of our Saviour's Life begins with his Pedigree and Genealogy and shews whom he descended from namely from David and Abraham Where Observe 1. That David is named before Abraham because he being a King and an Illustrious Type of the Messias the Jews expected and do to this day expect that the Son of David should reign over them and that they should enjoy a Temporal Kingdom by him Observe 2. The Names given to our Blessed Saviour Jesus and Christ Jesus is his Hebrew Name and signifies a Saviour Christ is his Greek Name and signifies Anointed From whence some do inferr an Intimation and Encouragement that both Hebrews and Greeks both Jews and Gentiles may alike come unto Christ for Life and Salvation he being the common Saviour of both according to that of St. John Epist. 1. ch 2. ver 2. He is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World 2 Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren 3 And Judas begat Pharez and Zara of Thamar and Pharez begat Esrom and Esrom begat Aram. 4 And Aram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Naasson and Naasson begat Salmon Both the Evangelists St. Matthew and St. Luke make mention of our Saviour's Pedigree the former by his reputed Father's Side the latter by his Mother's Side the design of both was to present us with a general Draught of our Lord's Pedigree and Descent and not to be strict and accurate in enumerating every individual Person This should teach us not to be over-curious in scanning the Parts of this Genealogy much less captiously to object against it For if the Evangelists were not critical and exact in composing this Genealogy why should we shew our selves so in examining of it Rather let us attend to the Design of the Holy Ghost in Writing of it which was twofold First For the Honour of our Saviour as Man shewing who were his Noble and Royal Progenitors according to the Flesh Secondly For the Confirmation of our Faith touching the Reality of our Redeemer's Incarnation The Scripture making mention of all his Progenitors from the first Man Adam to his reputed Father Joseph will not suffer us to doubt either of the Truth of his Human Nature or of the Certainty of his being the promised Messias Learn hence That the Wisdom of God has taken all necessary Care and used all needful Means for the satisfying the Minds of all unprejudiced Persons touching the Reality of Christ's Human Nature and the Certainty of his being the promised Messias For both these Ends is our Saviour's Genealogy and Descent recorded in the Holy Scriptures 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab and Booz begat Obed of Ruth and Obed begat Jesse 6 And Jesse begat David the king and David the king begat Solomon of her that had beeâ— the wife of Urias 7. And Solomon begat Roboam and Roboam begat Abia and Abia begat Asa 8 And Asa begat Josaphat and Josaphat begat Joram and Joram begat Ozias 9 And Ozias begat Joatham and Joatham begat Achaz and Achaz begat Ezekias 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses and Manasses begat Amon and Amon begat Josias 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren about the time that they were carried away to Babylon 12 And after they were brought to Babylon Jechonias begat Salathiel and Salathiel begat Zorobabel 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud and Abiud begat Eliakim and Eliakim begat Azor. 14. And Azor begat Sadoc and Sadoc begat Achim and Achim begat Eliud 15 And Eliud begat Eleazer and Eleazer begat Matthan and Matthan begat Jacob 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations Observe Here are several Women mentioned in our Saviour's Genealogy and all or most of them have a Brand of Infamy upon them Thamar was one with whom her Father-in-Law Judah committed Incest Rachab is called an Harlot Ruth came of Moab whom Lot begat of his own Daughter and Bathsheba the Wife of Vriah was one with whom David had committed Adultery Now the Wisdom of God has thought fit to leave all this upon Record for several Ends and Purposes 1. To denote the Freeness of God's Grace which extends it self in the Saving Effects
Winnow his Corn separating it from the Chaff preserving the one and consuming the other Learn hence 1. That the Church is Christ's Floor 2. That this Floor Christ will Purge and that throughly 3. That the Word of Christ is the Fan in his Hands by and with which he will thoroughly Purge his Floor The Church is compared to a Floor upon the Account of that Mixture which is in the Church in a Floor there is Straw as well as Grain Chaff as well as Corn Tares as well as Wheat Cockle and Darnel as well as Good Seed Thus in the Church there is and will be a Mixture of Good and Bad Saints and Sinners Hypocrites and Sincere Christians But this Floor Christ will Purge Purge it but not Break it up Purge out its Corruptions but not Destroy its Essence and Existence and the Fan with which he will Purge his Floor is his Word accompanied with the Wing of Discipline The Fan detects and discovers the Chaff and the Wing dissipates and scatters it and by the help of both the Floor is Purged His Fan is in his Hand c. 13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him Here we have our Saviour's Solemn Inauguration and Publick Entrance upon his Prophetick Office by Baptism or Washing with Water according to the Manner of the Priests under the Ceremonial Law Exod. 29.4 Where we have Observable 1. The Circumstance of Time Then cometh Jesus that is after he had lain hid in Nazareth Thirty Years he comes abroad and enters upon his Publick Ministry Teaching us by his Example That when we are ripe and fit for Publick Service we should no less willingly leave our Obscurity than we took the Benefit of it for our Preparation Obs 2. The Action it self Christ is Baptized now as he was Circumcised before not because there was any Impurity in him either Filth or Foreskin which wanted either the Circumcising-Knife or the Baptismal-Water yet Purity it self condescends to be Washed Christ to be Baptized for these Reasons 1. That by this Symbol he might enter himself into the Society of Christians as by Circumcision he had done into the Society of Jews as a King condescends sometimes to be made a Freeman of a City or Corporation 2. That he might by his own Baptism Sanctifie the Ordinance of Baptism unto his Church 3. That thereby he might fulfil the Righteousness of the Ceremonial Law which required the Washing of the Priests in Water when they entred upon their Office as appears from Exod. 29.4 Obs 3. The great Dignation and Condescention of Christ in seeking and submitting to the Baptism of John Christ cometh to John not John to Christ Behold the Lord seeking to his Servant Christ will be Baptized of his Messenger Our Saviour's Design hereby no doubt was to put Honour upon the Ministry of John Oh how dare the Greatest upon Earth despise the Ministry of Man being appointed by God which Christ honoured in his own Person and graced with his own Presence 14 But John forbad him saying I have need to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me Note here 1. The Modesty of John's Refusal John forbad him and refused to admit him But why 1. In regard of Christ because he knew he needed it not such was his Majesty and Greatness that he was above it and such was his Purity and Holiness that he could not want it 2. In respect of himself he knew his own Uncleanness I have need to be Baptized of thee c. He thought it unsuitable that a Sinner should Baptize and Wash him that was no Sinner 3. With respect to the People lest they seeing Christ Baptized should apprehend him to be a Sinner and one that wanted the Baptism of Repentance as well as themselves Obs 2. As the Modesty of John's Refusal so the Reason he assigns for it I have need to be Baptized of thee As if he had said Thou art Purity I am Pollution thou art Spirit I am Flesh Thou are the Son of God I am the Son of Adam Such an humble Apprehension has this Holy Man of himself Learn That the more Holy a Person is the more sensible he is of his Unholiness where there is most Grace there is the greatest sense of the want of Grace 15 And Jesus answering said unto him Suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness Then he suffered him These Words contain our Saviour's Reason why he submitted to John's Baptism because it became him to fulfil all Righteousness that is particularly the Righteousness of the Ceremonial Law which required the Washing of the Priests in Water when they entred upon their Office Exod. 29.4 Learn hence 1. That whatever the Law required in order to perfect Righteousness that Christ fulfilled in most absolute Perfection both in his own Person and also in the Name of all Believers 2. That as it became Christ to fulfil the Righteousness of the Ceremonial Law for himself so it is our Duty and Interest to fulfil the Righteousness of the Moral Law for our selves as an Evidence of our being Righteous in God's Sight 1 Joh. 3.7 He that doth Righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous 16 And Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him 17 And lo a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Here we have the solemn Investing of Christ into his Office accompanied with a threefold Miracle 1. The Opening of the Heavens 2. The Descent of the Holy Ghost in the likeness of a Dove 3. God the Father's Voice concerning his Son The Heavens were opened to shew that Heaven which was closed and shut against us for our Sins is now opened to us by Christ's Undertaking for us As the First Adam shuts us out of Heaven the Second Adam lets us into it he opened Heaven to us by his Meritorious Passion and he keeps it open by his Prevailing Intercession Next the Holy Ghost descends like a Dove upon our Saviour here we have an Evidence of the Blessed Trinity the Father speaks from Heaven the Son comes out of the Water and the Holy Ghost appears in the likeness of a Dove Hence we gather That the Holy Ghost is not a Quality or an Operation but a Person and a Person really distinct from the Father and the Son But why did the Holy Spirit now descend upon Christ First For the Designation of his Person to shew that Christ was the Person set apart for the Work and Office of a Mediator Secondly For the Qualification of his Person for the Performance of the Office This was Christ's Unction Isa 61.1 when he was Anointed above his Fellows to be the King Priest and Prophet of his Church Last of all We have the audible Voice
indispensibly necessary to Salvation 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment 22 But I say unto you That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever shall say unto his brother Racha shall be in danger of the council but whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell-fire Here our Blessed Saviour begins to Expound the Spiritual Sence and Meaning of the Law and to Vindicate it from the corrupt Glosses of the Pharisees Where Observe Christ doth not deliver a New Law but expounds the Old and doth not Injoin New Duties but Inforces the Old Ones The Law of God was always perfect requiring the Sons of Men to Love God with all their Hearts and their Neighbour as themselves In this Exposition of the Law Christ begins with the Sixth Commandment Thou shalt not Kill Where he shews That besides the actual taking away of Life a Person may violate that Command 1. By Rash Anger 2. By Disgraceful and Reviling Words Thence Learn That every Evil Motion of our Hearts against our Neighbour all unjust Anger towards him all Terms of Contempt put upon him are forbidden by the Law of God no less than the gross Act of Murther it self 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly whiles thou art in the way with him lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the officer and thou be cast into prison 26 Verily I say unto thee Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing For preventing the Sin of rash Anger which in our Saviour's Account is a Degree of Murder he exhorts all his Disciples and Followers to Brotherly Agreement and to seek Mutual Reconciliation with each other Agree with thine Adversary That is thy offended or offending Brother Agree with him as becomes a Man Quickly as becomes a Christian Implying that it is a necessary Duty for every Christian to seek Reconciliation sincerely and speedily with such as have offended him or have been offended by him Obs 2. The Argument or Motive with which Christ enforces his Exhortation to Brotherly Reconciliation drawn from the Peril and Danger of the Neglect and this is Twofold The First respects our present Duties and Services when we wait upon God at his Altar and attend upon him in Holy Offices None of our Performances will find Acceptance with God if there be found Malice and Hatred Anger and Ill-will against our Brother Learn That no Sacrifice we can offer will be acceptable to God so long as we our selves are Implacable to Men. A Second Danger respects us when we appear before God in Judgment then God will be our Adversary Christ our Judge Satan our Accuser Hell our Tormentor If now from the Heart we do not every one of us forgive our Brother his Trespasses 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time Thou shalt not commit adultery 28 But I say unto you That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Our Saviour next proceeds to Explain the Seventh Commandment which forbids Adultery by which the Pharisees understood only the gross Act of Uncleanness and Carnal Lying with a Woman But says our Saviour Whoever secretly in his Heart desires such a thing and casts his Eye upon a Woman in order to such an Act entertaining only a Thought of it with Pleasure and Delight he is an Adulterer in God's Account Learn That such is the Purity and Spirituality of the Law of God that it condemns Speculative Wantonness no less than Practical Uncleanness and forbids not only the outward Action but the secret Purpose and Intention and first Out-goings of the Soul after unlawful Objects 29 And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell 30 And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell Our Saviour had condemned Ocular Adultery in the foregoing Verse or the Adultery of the Eye He that looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her in his Heart Whence Note That the Eye is an Inlet to Sin especially the Sin of Uncleanness Lust enters the Heart at the Window of the Eye Now in these Verses Christ prescribes a Remedy for the Cure of this Eye-Malady If thine Eye offend thee pluck it out Which is not to be understood Literally as if Christ commanded any Man to maim his Bodily Members but Spiritually to Mortifie the Lusts of the Flesh and the Lusts of the Eye which otherwise will prove a dangerous Snare to the Soul Learn 1. That Sin may be avoided it is our Duty to avoid whatsoever leads to it or may be an Occasion of it if we find the View of an Insnaring Object will Inflame us we must tho' not put out our Eye yet make a Covenant with our Eye that we will not look upon it Note 2. That the best Course we can take to be kept from the Outward Acts of Sin is to Mortifie our Inward Affection and Love to Sin This is to Kill it in the Root and if once our Inward Affections be mortified our Bodily Members may be spared and preserved for they will no longer be Weapons of Sin but Instruments of Righteousness unto Holiness 31 It hath been said Whosoever shall put away his wife let him give her a writing of divorcement 32 But I say unto you That whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication causeth her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery Our Blessed Saviour still proceeds in Vindicating and Clearing the Seventh Commandment from the corrupt Glosses of the Pharisees Almighty God had tolerated the Jews in Case of Uncleanness to put away their Wives by a Bill of Divorce Deut. 24. v. 1. Hereupon the Pharisees maintained it Lawful to put away the Wife upon every slight Occasion This Abuse Christ corrects and shews That Divorce except in Case of Adultery is a certain Breach of the Seventh Commandment Learn 1. That so Indissoluble is the Marriage-Covenant betwixt Two Persons that nothing but Adultery which violates the Bands of Marriage can dissolve or disannul it 2. When Persons are justly put away it is unlawful for
and support their Cause as they bear a Faithful Witness to Christ so Christ will bear Witness to their Faithfulness for him Obs 3. The Commendation it self Our Saviour commends John 1. For his Constancy he was not a Reed shaken with the Wind that is a Man of an unstable and unsetled Judgment but fixt and stedfast 2. For his Sobriety and high Measures of Mortification he was no delicate voluptuous Person but grave sober and severe he was mortified to the Glory and Honour to the Ease and Pleasures of the World John wrought no Miracles but his Holy Conversation was as effectual as Miracles to prevail with the People 3. For his Humility he might have been what he would the People were ready to cry him up for the Messiah the Christ of God but John's lowly Spirit refuses all He confessed and denied not saying I am not the Christ but a poor Minister of his willing but not worthy to do him Service This will commend our Ministry to the Consciences of our People when we seek not our own Glory but the Glory of Christ 4. Our Saviour commends John for his clear Preaching and Revealing of CHRIST to the People He was more than a Prophet vers 9. because he pointed out Christ more clearly and fully than any before him The Ancient Prophets saw Christ afar off John beheld him Face to Face they prophesied of him he pointed at him saying This is He. Whence Learn That the Clearer any Ministry is in discovering of CHRIST the more Excellent it is 11 Verily I say unto you Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he Our Saviour having highly commended John in the soregoing Verses here he sets Bounds to the Honours of his Ministry adding That tho' John was greater than all the Prophets that went before him seeing more of Christ than all them yet he saw less than them that came after him The meanest Evangelical Minister that Preaches Christ come is to be preferr'd before all the Old Prophets who Prophesied of Christ to come That Minister who sets forth the Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ Is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven that is has an higher Office in the Church and a more excellent Ministry than all the Prophets yea than John himself The Excellency of a Ministry consists in the Light and Clearness of it Now tho' John's Light did exceed all that went before him yet it fell short of them that came after him And thus he that was Least in the Kingdom of Grace on Earth much more he that is least in the Kingdom of Glory in Heaven Was greater than John 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Our Saviour goes on in commending John's Ministry from the great Success of it it had that powerful Influence upon the Consciences of Men that no Soldiers were ever more violent and eager in the storming and taking a strong Hold than John's Hearers were in pursuing the Kingdom of Heaven Never any Minister before discovered the Messiah and his Kingdom so clearly as John did and therefore never was there such Zeal to press into the Kingdom of Heaven amongst any as the Hearers of John had Learn hence 1. That the clearer Knowledge any People have of the Worth and Excellency of Heaven the more will their Zeal be inflamed in the pursuit of Heaven 2. That all that do intend and resolve for Heaven must offer violence in the taking of it none but the violent are victorious They take it by Force Which Words are both Restrictive and Promissive They are the violent and none other that take it and all the violent shall take it Tho' careless Endeavours may prove abortive vigorous prosecution shall not miscarry 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John 14 And if ye will receive it this is Elias which was for to come 15 He that hath ears to hear let him hear Here is still a farther Commendation of John The Law and the Prophets till the coming of John did foretel the Messiah but not so determinately not so nearly not so clearly as John did And accordingly he was that Elias which Isaiah and Malachy foretold should be the Harbinger and Forerunner of Christ But why has John the Baptist the Name of Elias Possibly because they were alike zealous in the Work of GOD they were alike successful in that Work and they were alike persecuted for their Work the one by Jezebel the other by Herodias 16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation It is like unto children sitting in the markets and calling unto their fellows 17 And saying We have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say He hath a devil 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners but wisdom is justified of her children Our Saviour in these Words describes the perverse Humour of the Pharisees whom nothing could allure to the Embracing of the Gospel neither John's Ministry nor CHRIST's This our Saviour sets forth two Ways 1. Allegorically vers 16 17. 2. Properly vers 18 19. By way of Allegory he compares them to sullen Children whom nothing would please neither Mirth nor Mourning If their Fellows Piped before them they would not Dance if they sang Mournful Songs to them they would not Lament That is the Pharisees were of such a Censorious and Capricious Humour that GOD himself could not please them tho' he used variety of Means and Methods in order to that End Next our Lord plainly interprets this Allegory by telling them That John came to them neither eating nor drinking that is not so freely and plentifully as other Men being a very austere and mortified Man both in his Diet and in his Habit And all this was designed by God that the Austerity of his Life and Severity of his Doctrine might awaken the Pharisees to Repentance But instead of this they censure him for having a Devil because he delighted in Solitude and avoided Converse with Men. According to the Ancient Observation that every Solitary Person is either an Angel or a Devil John being thus rejected Christ himself comes to them who being of a free and familiar Converse not shunning the Society of the worst of Men even of the Pharisees themselves but complying with their Customs and accompanying with them at their Feasts yet without the least Compilnace with them in their Sins But the Freedom of our Saviour's Conversation displeased them as much as John's Reservedness of Temper for they cry Behold a Man gluttonous Christ's Affability towards Sinners they call Approbation of
Nature was asleep yet his Divine Nature neither slumbered nor slept Learn hence That the Prevalency of Fear in a time of great and imminent Danger tho' it may argue Weakness of Faith yet is no Evidence of a total want of Faith in the midst of the Disciples Fears they believed Christ's Power Obs 4. A doable Rebuke given by our Saviour first to the Winds next to the Fears of his Disciples He rebukes the Winds and instantly they are calm When the Sea was as furious as a madman Christ with a single Word calms it Learn hence That the most raging Winds and outragious Seas cannot stand before the Rebukes of Christ Christ as God lays a Law upon the most lawless Creatures even when they seem to act most lawlesly Observe farther Christ rebukes his Disciples Fears Why are ye fearful No sooner was the Storm up but their Fears were up they forgot that the Lord high Admiral of the Ocean was on board the Ship and were as much overset with their boisterous Passions as the Vessel was with tempestuous Winds and accordingly Christ rebukes the Tempest within before the Storm without First he calms their Hearts then he quiets the Seas From this Instance of the Disciples we may gather that great Faith in the Habit may appear little in Act and exercise the Disciples Faith in forsaking all and following Christ was great Faith but in this present Act their Faith was weak thro' the Prevalency of their Fears Oh the imperfect Composition of the best of Saints Faith and Fear will take their turns and act their part whilst we are upon the Stage of this World e're long our Fears will be vanquished and our Faith swallowed up in Vision Lord set our Souls a longing for that joyful Hour CHAP. V. 1 ANd they came over unto the other side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes 2 And when he was come out of the ship immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs and no man could bind him no not with chains 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains and the chains had been plucked asunder by him and the fetters broken in pieces neither could any man tame him 5 And always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs crying and cutting himself with stones 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off he ran and worshipped him 7 And cried with a loud voice and said What have I to do with thee Jesus thou Son of the most high God I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not 8 For he said unto him Come out of the man thou unclean spirit 9 And he asked him What is thy name and he answered saying My name is Legion for we are many 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding 12 And all the devils besought him saying Send us into the swine that we may enter into them 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea they were about two thousand and were choked in the sea 14 And they that fed the swine fled and told it in the city and in the country And they went out to see what it was that was done 15 And they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid 16 And they that saw it told them how it befel to him that was possessed with the devil and also concerning the swine 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts 18 And when he was come into the ship he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not but saith unto him Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had compassion on thee 20 And he departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him and all men did marvel This piece of History gives us a very sad Relation of a Person that was possessed with a Legion of Devils we read of few if any in the Old Testament that were thus possess'd but of many in the New Testament Our Saviour came into the World to destroy the Works of the Devil therefore he suffered Satan to enter some humane Bodies to shew his Divine Power in casting him out Note here 1. That the evil Angels by their Fall lost their Purity but not their Power for with God's Permission they have Power not only to enter into Men's Bodies and to possess them but also to distemper their Minds and drive them to Frenzy and Madness causing them to offer Violence to their own Lives and to do Hurt and Mischief to their own Bodies Thus did this possessed Person here wounding and cutting himself with Stones Note 2. That the Reason why the evil Angels do no oftner exert their Power in doing Mischief to the Bodies and Lives of Men is from the restraining Power of God The Devils cannot do all the Mischief they would and they shall not do all they can Note 3. The Place where these evil Spirits delighted to make their Abode amongst the Tombs or Graves places desolate forlorn and solitary which are apt to breed Horror of Mind and give Advantage to Temptations Learn thence That it is dangerous and very unsafe for Persons especially in whom Melancholly prevails to give themselves to Solitariness to frequent desolate and forlorn Places and to affect the being much alone it giving Advantage to Satan to set upon them with powerful Temptations It is better to frequent Humane Society and especially to delight in the Society and Communion of the Saints by means whereof we may be more and more strengthned and fortified against Satan's Temptations Note 4. That the Devils own Christ to be the Son of God and that he came into the World to be a Saviour but not a Saviour to them therefore they cry our What have we to do with thee Or thou with us Oh! what an uncomfortable Confession and Acknowledgment is this to own Christ to be a Saviour and at the same time to know that he is none of our Saviour Note 5. That tho' the Devils do own Christ to be the Son of God and do pay Homage and Worship and yeild Service and Subjection to him as his Slaves and Vassals yet it is not a free and voluntary Service but extorted father and forced from them by the Power of Christ He worshipped and cried out saying What have I to do with thee Note 6. What a Multitude of evil Spirits did enter into one Man Oh
Saviour which is Christ the Lord. 13 And suddenly there was with the Angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying 14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards Men. Although the Birth of our Blessed Saviour was published by one Angel yet is it Celebrated by an Host of Angels the whole Quire of Angels chaunt forth the Praises of Almighty God upon this great and joyful Occasion Here Observe 1. the Singers 2. the Song it self The Singers of this Heavenly Anthem are the holy Angels called an Host partly for their number partly for their Order where Learn 1. The goodness and sweet disposition of these Blessed Spirits in whose Bosoms that Cankered passion of Envy has no place if it had there was never such an occasion to stir it up as now But Heaven admits of no such Passion Envy is a Native of Hell 't is the smoke of the Bottomless Pit the character and temper of the Apostate spirits these grieve at the Happiness of Man as much as the Angels rejoyce O ye Blessed Angels what did these Tidings concern you that ruin'd Mankind should be taken again into favour whereas those of your own Host which fell likewise remained still in that gulph of Perdition into which their Sin had plung'd them without either hope of Mercy or possibility of Recovery The less we repine at the Good and the more we rejoyce at the Happiness of others the more like we are to the Holy Angels yea the more we resemble God himself Learn 2. Did the Angels thus joy and rejoice for us then what joy ought we to express for our selves Had we the Tongue of Angels we could not sufficiently chaunt forth the Praises of our Redeemer Eternity it self it will be too short to spend in the Rapturous Contemplation of Redeeming Mercy Obs 2. The Anthem or Song it self which begins with a Doxology Glory be to God in the Highest that is let God in the highest Heavens be glorified by the Angels that dwell on high The Angelical Quire excite themselves and all the Host of Angels to give glory to God for these wonderful Tidings as if they had said let the Power the Wisdom the Goodness and Mercy of God be acknowledged and revered by all the Host of Heaven for ever and ever Next to the Doxology follows a Gratulation Glory be to God in the Highest for there is peace on earth and good will towards men The Birth of Christ has brought a peace of Reconciliation betwixt GOD and Man upon Earth and also a peace of amity and concord betwixt man and man and is therefore to be Celebrated with Acclamations of joy 15 And it came to pass as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven the Shepherds said one to another let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger 17 And when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the Shepherds 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Several particulars are here observeable as 1. That the Shepherds no sooner hear the News of a Saviour but they run to Bethlehem to seek him And tho' it was at Midnight yet they delayed not to go Those that lest their Beds to attend their Flocks now leave their Flocks to enquire after their Saviour Learn thence That a gracious Soul no sooner hears where Christ is but instantly makes out after him and judges no earthly Comfort too dear to be left and forsaken for him These Shepherds shew That they preferred their Saviour before their Sheep Obs 2. These Shepherds having found Christ themselves do make him known to others v. 17. When they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child Learn That such as have found Christ to their comfort and tasted that the Lord is Gracious themselves cannot but recommend him to the love and admiration of others Obs 3. What effect this relation had upon the generality of people that heard it It wrought in them amazement and astonishment but not Faith The people wondered but not Believed 'T is not the hearing of Christ with the hearing of the Ear nor the seeing of Christ with the sight of the outward Eye neither the hearing of his Doctrine nor the sight of his Miracles will work divine Faith in the Soul without the concurring Operation of the holy Spirit the one may make us marvel but the other makes us Believe All that heard it wondered at these things Lastly Note The effect which these things had upon Mary quite different from what they had upon the common people they wondered she pondered the things that affected their Heads influenced her Heart she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart 21 And when eight days were accomplished for the Circumcision of the child his name was called Jesus which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the womb Two things are here Observable our Saviour's Circumcision and the name given him at his Circumcision There was no impurity in the Son of God and yet is he Circumcised and Baptised also tho' he had neither filth nor foreskin which wanted either the Circumcising Knife or the Baptismal Water yet he condescends to be both Circumcised and Baptized thereby shewing that as he was made of a Woman so he would be made under the Law which he punctually observed to a tittle And accordingly he was not only Circumcised but Circumcised the eighth day as the ceremonial Law required and thus our Lord fulfilled all Righteousness St. Matth. 3.15 Obs 2. The Name given at our Saviour's Circumcision his name was called Jesus that is a Saviour he being to save his people from their sins St. Matth. 1.21 The great End of Christ's coming into the World was to save Persons from the punishment and power of their Sins Had not he saved us from our Sins we must have dyed in our Sins and dyed for our Sins and that Eternally Never let us then sit down desponding either under the Guilt or under the power of our Sins and conclude that they are either so great that they cannot be forgiven or so strong that they can never be overcome 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 As it is written in the Law of the Lord every male that openeth the womb shall be called Holy to the Lord. 24 And to offer a Sacrifice according to that which is said in the Law of the Lord a pair of Turtle Doves or two young Pidgeons A Twofold
to God without which it is in vain to expect forgiveness from God Forgive and ye shall be forgiven 38 Give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosome for with the same measure that ye meet withal it shall be measured to you again I think there is not any one Text of Scripture that declares the Bounty of God more fully in Rewarding Acts of Charity and Mercy then this before us Oh how liberal a Pay-master is God How sure and bountiful are the returns he makes to us for the relief given to him in his Members he promises us here 1. not bare measure but good measure 2. pressed down shaken together and running over nothing adds more to the Measure then the shaking of the Bushel the crowding and pressing of the Corn and heaping till the measure runneth over now a measure will run over as long as you will pour Learn hence That Charities done in Faith in Obedience to God and with an eye to the Glory of God will produce a certain and plentiful Increase Liberality is the way to Riches Giving is the best and surest way of Thriving a little Charity from us if we have but a little is look'd upon by God as a great deal But it is the greatest imprudence as well as impiety to do but a little when we have ability to do much for he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully good measure pressed down and running over 39 And he spake a parable unto them can the blind lead the blind shall they not both fall into the Ditch Our Saviour doubtless apply'd these words to the Scribes and Pharisees the Jewish Leaders their Doctors and Teachers who being ignorant of the spiritual sense of the Law Interpreting it only to the restraining of the outward Man they were very unfit to instruct and lead others for where one blind man leads another both are in danger of the Ditch that is to run into Ruine and Destruction Learn 1. That ignorant erroneous or unfaithful Ministers are the greatest plague and soarest punishment that can befal a people 2. That Christ having fore-warned us of such Guides to follow them will be an inexcusable sin and folly and never free us from the danger of Destruction but rather be an aggravation of our Condemnation If the blind follow the blind both will inevitably yet inexcusably fall into the Ditch 40 The Disciple is not above his Master but every one that is perfect shall be as his master The Application of these words no doubt our Saviour intended to his own Disciples partly to comfort them under Sufferings and partly to encourage them to Obedience Did they suffer hard things from an unkind World the remembrance of what their Master suffered before them may support them did they meet with hard and difficult Duties such as loving Enemies doing good to them that hate and persecute them Their Lord's Example may encourage and instruct them who loved them when they were Enemies who prayed for his Murtherers and offered up his Blood to God on the behalf of them that shed it Learn hence That the Perfection of a Christian in this World consisteth in his imitation of Christ Jesus in being as our Master in coming as near to his Example as it is possible for persons cloathed with Flesh and Blood to arrive at Every one that is perfect must be as his master 41 And why beholdest thou the mote which is in thy Brothers eye but perceivest not the Beam which is in thine own eye 42 Either how canst thou say to thy Brother Brother let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye when thou thy self beholdest not the Beam that is in thine own eye Thou hypocrite cast out first the Beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy Brothers eye By the Mote in our Brother's eye is meant some small and little sins discerned or some sin suspected By the Beam in our own Eye some greater sin undiscerned Now says our Saviour there is no greater sign of Hypocrisy then to be curious in spying out the smaller faults of others and at the same time indulge greater in our selves Learn hence That there is no such way to teach us Charity in judging of Others as to exercise severity in judging of our selves 2. That those who desire others should look upon their failings with a Compassionate Eye must not look upon the Failings of others with a censorious Eye for with what measure we meet it shall be measured to us again 43 For a good Tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit neither doth a corrupt Tree bring forth good fruit 44 For every Tree is known by his own Fruit for of thorns men do not gather Figs nor of a Bramble-bush do they gather Grapes 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Our Saviour here and elsewhere frequently compares Persons to Trees the Heart of Man is as the Root the Actions as the Fruit as the root is the principle from which the Fruit springs so the heart of man is the Principle from which all humane Actions flow an holy Heart will be accompanied with an Holy Life where there is a vital principle of Grace within there will be the actings of Grace without a good Conscience will be accompanied with a good Conversation Observe farther a double Treasure discovered in the heart of Man 1. an Evil Treasure of sin and corruption from whence flow evil Things but why should sin be called a Treasure not for the preciousness of it but for the abundance of it a little doth not make a Treasure and also for the continuance of it for tho' sin be perpetually over-flowing in the Life yet doth the Heart continue full The Treasure of Original Corruption in man's Heart and Nature tho' by sanctifying Grace it be drawn low yet it is never in this Life drawn dry 2. Here is a good Treasure of Grace discovered in a sanctified and renewed Man which is the source and spring from whence all gracious Actions do proceed and flow namely a sanctified and renewed Heart and Nature When once the Will of Man is made conformable to the Will of God it doth will and desire choose and embrace take pleasure and delight in what God approves commands and Loves and it will lay an injunction upon all the Members of the Body to act Conformably thereunto 46 And why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say 47 Whosoever cometh to me and heareth my sayings and doth them I will shew you to whom he is like 48 He is like a man which built an house and digged deep and
save us we perish Obs 4. A double rebuke given by our Saviour 1. to the Winds 2. to the fears of his Disciples Christ rebuked the Winds and instantly they were calm when the Sea was as furious as a Mad Man Christ with a single Word calms it Learn thence That the most raging Winds and outragious Seas cannot stand before the Rebukes of Christ Christ as God lays a Law upon the most Lawless Creatures even when they seem to act most Lawlesly Observe farther Christ Rebukes his Disciples fears and their want of Faith Why are ye fearful where is your faith No sooner was the storm up but their fears were up and their faith was down They forgot that the Lord High Admiral of the Ocean was now on Board their Ship and were as much over-set with their Boysterous Passions as the Ship was with tempestuous Winds and accordingly Christ rebukes the Tempest within before he calms the Storm without first he quickens their Faith then he quiets the Seas Note from hence that great Faith in the Habit may appear but little in Act and Exercise The Disciples Faith in forsaking all and following Christ was great Faith but in this present Act their Faith was weak thro' the prevalency of their fear Oh the imperfect composition of the best of Saints faith and fear will take their turns and act their several parts whilst we are here ere long our fears will be vanquished and our faith swallowed up in Vision our hope in fruition Then shall we obey with vigour praise with chearfulness Love without measure fear without Torment Trust without Despondency Lord strengthen our Faith in the Belief of this desirable Happiness and set our Souls a longing for the full fruition and final enjoyment of it 26 And they arrived at the Country of the Gadarens which is over-against Galilee 27 And when he went forth to Land there met him out of the city a certain man which had Devils long time and wore no cloaths neither abode in any house but in the Tombes 28 When he saw Jesus he cryed out and fell down before him and with a loud voice said What have I to do with thee Jesus thou son of God most high I beseech thee torment me not 29 For he had commanded the unclean Spirit to come out of the man for oftentimes it had caught him and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters and he brake the bands and was driven of the Devil into the Wilderness 30 And Jesus asked him saying What is thy name and he said Legion because many Devils were entered into him 31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep 32 And there was there an herd of many Swine feeding on the mountain and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them and he suffered them 33 Then went the Devils out of the man and entered into the Swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the Lake and were choaked 34 When they that fed them saw what was done they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country 35 Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the Devils were departed sitting at the feet of Jesus cloathed and in his right mind and they were afraid 36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the Devils was healed 37 Then the whole multitude of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them for they were taken with great fear and he went up into the Ship and returned back again 38 Now the man out of whom the Devils were departed besought him that he might be with him 39 But Jesus sent him away saying Return to thine house and shew how great things God has done for thee and he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him 40 And it came to pass when Jesus was returned the people gladly received him for they were all waiting for him This piece of History gives us a very sad Relation of a Person that was possessed with a Legion of Devils we read of few if any in the Old Testament that were thus possest but of many in the New Our Saviour came into the world to destroy the Works of the Devil therefore he suffered Satan to enter some Humane Bodies to shew his Divine Power in casting him out Observe here 1. That the Evil Angels by their Fall lost their Purity but not their Power for with God's permission they have Power not only to enter Mens Bodies and to possess them but also to distemper their minds and to drive them to Frenzy and Madness such was the deplorable Case here Note 2. That the reason why the Evil Angels do no oftner exert their Power in doing mischief to the Bodies and Lives of Men is from the restraining Power of God the Devil cannot do all the mischief he would and he shall not do all he can Observe 3. The place where these Evil Spirits delighted to make their abode amongst the Tâ—mbs or Graves places desolate forlorn and solitary which are apt to breed horror of mind and to give advantage to Temptation from whence I gather That it is very dangerous and unsafe for Persons especially in whom Melancholy prevails to give themselves too much to solitariness to frequent desolate places and to affect being much alone for it gives advantage to Satan to set upon them with powerful Temptations It is much better to frequent Humane Society especially to delight in the Communion of the Saints by means whereof we may be more and more strengthned against Satans Temptations Obs 4. How the Devils own Christ to be the Son of God and pay unwillingly Worship and Homage to him yielding Subjection to him as his slaves and vassals not a free and voluntary Service They cryed out and fell down before him saying What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God where by calling him Jesus they own him to be a Saviour but none of their Saviour What have we to do with thee Jesus Oh what an uncomfortable Expression is this to own Christ to be a Saviour and at the same time to know and declare that he is none of our Saviour Quid est Deus si non sit meus What is God if he be not my God What comfort in a Saviour if he be not my Saviour Observe 5. What a multitude of Evil Spirits do enter into one Man oh the extreme malice and enmity of the Devil against Mankind in that so many Evil Spirits should at once afflict and torment a single Person even a Legion many thousands of them Note likewise the unity and agreement which is amongst these Evil Spirits in doing mischief tho' there was a multitude of them in this one Person yet have they all but one Name
written in this Book 3. That Persons may know that their Names are written in that Book otherwise they could not rejoyce for no Man can rejoyce in an unknown good 4. That it is greater matter of Joy and Rejoycing to know that our Names are written in Heaven then to have a Power to cast out Devils here on Earth A Man may have Power to cast forth Devils out of others and yet at the same time the Devil may have Power in and over himself Therefore in this rejoyce not that the Devils are subject unto you But rather rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven If you say With what spectacles shall we read that at such a Distance Who will ascend up into Heaven to see whether his Name be written there Or who can send a Messenger thither to search the Records I Answer Turn thine Eyes inward if the Name of God be written in thy Heart thy Name is certainly written in Heaven if you in your daily Actions write out a Copy of God's Book the Blessed Bible here below assure your selves the hand of God has written your Names in his Book above that is you shall certainly be saved 21 In that Hour Jesus rejoyced in Spirit and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight 22 All things are delivered to me of my father and no man knoweth who the Son is but the Father and who the Father is but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Here we find our Saviour glorifying his Father and magnifying himself 1. He glorifies his Father for the wise and free Dispensation of his Gospel-Grace to the meanest and most ignorant Persons whilst the Great and Learned Men of the World undervalued and despised it I thank thee Father that thou hast revealed these things to Babes Learn hence 1. That till God reveals himself his Nature and Will no Man can know either what he is or what he requires Thâ—u hast revealed 2. That the wise and knowing Men of the World have in all Ages despised the Mysteries of the Gospel and have therefore been judicially blinded by God Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent When Men shut their Eyes against the clearest Light and say they will not see God closes their Eyes and says they shall not see 3. That the most ignorant if humble and desirous of spiritual Illumination are in the readiest disposition to receive and embrace the Gospel Revelation Thou hast revealed them unto Babes 4. That this is not more pleasing to Christ then it is the pleasure of his Father even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Observe 2. our Saviour magnifies himself 1. His Authority and Commission All things are delivered unto me that is all Power is committed to me as Mediator from God the Father 2. His Office to reveal his Father's Will to a lost World No man knoweth the Father but the Son or the Son but the Father That is no Man knoweth their Essence and Nature their Will and Pleasure their Counsel and Consent their mutual Compact and Agreement betwixt themselves for saving a lost World but only themselves and those to whom they reveal it Learn thence That all saving Knowledge of God is in by and thro' Christ he as the great Prophet of his Church reveals unto us the Mind and Will of God for our Salvation None knoweth but he to whom the Son revealeth 23 And he turned him to his Disciples and said privately Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see 24 For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them From the very first giving out of the Promise of Christ to Adam after the Fall Gen. 3.15 There was in all good Men a longing Desire and Expectation to see that Person who should be so great a Blessing to Mankind Prophets and Kings desired to see the promised Messiah Now says our Saviour to his Disciples Blessed are you for you have seen with the Eyes of your Body what others only saw with the Eyes of their Mind with your Bodily Eye you have seen the Promised Messias coming in the Flesh and also the Miracles to confirm you that I am He have been wrought before your Eyes therefore Blessed are the eyes of your Body which have beheld me corporally and blessed also are the eyes of your Mind which have beheld me Spiritually A sight of Christ by a Believing eye much more by a glorified eye is a blessed Sight Blessed are those eyes which see Christ in his Dispensations of Grace here they shall certainly see him in his manifestations of Glory hereafter 25 And behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master What shall I do to inherit eternal Life 26 He said unto him What is written in the Law How readest thou 27 And he answering said Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self 28 And he said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live Here we have a Lawyer that is an Interpreter and Expounder of the Law of Moses tempting our Saviour that is making tryal of him whether he would deliver any Doctrine contrary to the Law of Moses he propounds therefore a question What he should do to inherit eternal Life Where Note 1. He Believed the certainty of a future State 2. he professes his desire of an Eternal Happiness in that State 3. He declares his Readiness to do something in order to the obtaining of that Happiness Hence Learn That all Religion both Nâ—tural and Revealed teaches Men that good Works are necessary to Salvation or that something must be done by them who desire to enter into Life What shall I do to inherit eternal Life It is not talking well and professing well but doing well that entitles us to Heaven and Eternal Salvation and this the very Light of Nature teaches Observe 2. Our Saviour's Answer What is written in the Law how readest thou intimating to us that the Word and Law of God is the Rule and measure of our Duty our Guide to direct us in the way to Eternal Life The Man Replies That the Law of God requires That we love God with all our heart soul and strength and our Neighbour as our selves Where Note 1. That the fervour of all our Affections and particularly the Supremacy of our Love is Required by God as his Right and Due Love must pass thro' and possess all the Powers and Faculties of our Souls The Mind must meditate upon God the Will must choose and embrace
the nations of the world seek after And your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things There is a Twofold sense and interpretation given of these Verses 1. Some take them as spoken only to the Apostles directing them absolutely to cast off all care for the things of this Life that so they might attend upon Christ's Person and wholly give up themselves to that Work to which he had called them and therefore St. Luke here takes notice that after he had cautioned his Hearers in general against Covetousness he applies himself particularly to his Disciples and tells them that he would have them so far from this sin of Covetousness that they should not use that ordinary care and common Industry about the things of this Life which is not only Lawful but Necessary for Men in all ordinary Cases v. 22. And he said to his Disciples therefore I say unto you Take no thought for your Life what ye shall eat or drink but if we understand the words in this sense we must look upon it only as a Temporary Command given to the Apostles for that time only like that in St. Matth. 10.9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses neither coat nor scrip which no Man ever understood as a general Law to all Christians but as a particular Precept to the Apostles at that time 2. Others understand these injunctions of our Saviour to be consistent with a prudent and provident Care for the things of this Life not forbidding a regular industry and diligence for the obtaining of them but condemning only an anxious vexatious tormenting Care and an over-sollicitous diligence for the things of this Life and taking our Saviour's Words for a general and standing Rule to all Christians they only forbid distrustful Thoughtfulness distracting Cares which drives a Mâ—n's mind this way and that way like Meteors or Clouds in the Air as the Word signifies now against this vexatious care and sollicitous thoughtfulness our Saviour propounds many weighty Arguments or Considerations Four especially He tells us such cares are needless fruitless heathenish and brutish 1. 'T is needless Your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of these things and will certainly provide for you and what need you take care and God too cast your care upon him 2 'T is fruitless Which of you by taking care can add one cubit to his stature we may sooner by our carking care add a Furlong to our grief than a Cubit to our Comfort All our own care without God's help will neither feed us when we are hungry nor nourish us when we are fed 3. 'T is Heathenish After all these things do the Gentiles seek Mat. 6.32 The Ends and Objects of a Christians Thoughts ought to be higher and more sublime than that of Heathens Lastly 'T is brutish nay worse than brutish The Birds of the Air the Beasts of the Field the Ravens of the Valley are all fed and sustained by God without any care of their own much more shall his Children Has God a Breakfast ready for every little Bird that comes chirping out of its Nest and for every Beast of the Field that comes leaping out of its Den and will he not much more provide for you Surely that God that feeds the Ravens when they cry will not starve his Children when they pray 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you As if Christ had said let your first and chief care be to promote the Kingdom of Grace in this World and to secure the Kingdom of Glory in the next and then fear not the want of these outward Comforts they shall be added in measure tho' not in excess to satisfy tho' not to satiate for health tho' not for surfeit Learn 1. That Christians ought not to be so sollicitous about the Necessaries and Conveniencies of this Life as about the Happiness of the next rather seek ye the kingdom of God 2. That Heaven or the Kingdom of God must be sought in the first place that is with our principal care and chief Endeavours 3. That Heaven being once secured by us all Earthly things shall be superadded to us as God sees needful and convenient for us But few Men like our Saviour's Method they would seek the things of this World in the first place and get Heaven at last they would be content to seek the World and to have Heaven thrown in without their seeking but this will not be granted if we make Religion and the Salvation of our Souls our first and chief care all other things shall be adaed to us so far as the Wisdom of God sees them fit and convenient for us 32 Fear not little Flock it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom That is fear not the want of any of these outward Comforts and be not over-sollicitous for them for your father which has provided a Kingdom for you hereafter will not suffer you to want such things as are needful for you here Leaâ—â— 1. That the Disciples of Christ are very subject to disquieting and perplexing fears but must by no means cherish but oppose them a fear of present wants a fear of future Sufferings a fear of Death approaching a fear that they shall not find acceptance with God a sear least they should fall foully or finally from God the fear of all these Evils doth oft-times disturb them and discompose them Learn 2. That Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd of his Church the love and care the compassion and tenderness the prudence and providence the guidance and vigilance of a good Shepherd are found with him 3. As Christ is the Churches Shepherd so the Church is Christ's Flock tho' a little Flock in opposition to the huge Herds and Droves of the Men of the World 4. That God the Father has a Kingdom in store for his little Flock his Church and Children 5. That the good will and gracious pleasure of God is the Original Spring and Fontal Cause from whence all Divine Favours do proceed and slow It is your Father's good pleasure to give you a kingdâ—m 33 Sell that you have and give alms provide your selves Bags which wax not old a treasure in the Heavens that faileth not where no Thief approacheth neither moth corrupteth 34 For where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also The next Duty which our Saviour exhorts his Disciples to is the Duty of Alms-giving that they should be so far from distrusting God's Provision for themselves that they should be always forward to a ready distribution towards others yea in cases of Necessity to be willing to sell their Goods to relieve others yet this precept is not to be taken as if it concerned all Persons at all times and in all places but respects only cases of extreme Necessity or if it concerns all it is only as to the readiness and preparation of the Mind that when
from our selves Note 3. That God is just and will be eternally justified in denying his special Grace to those who do not make use of his common Gifts would Men be Faithful in improving a little GOD would intrust them with more did they not abuse the Trust of his common Gifts he would not deny them the Treasure of his Saving Grace called here the true Riches 13 No servant can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon Observe here a Two-fold Master spoken of GOD and the World GOD is our Master by Creation Preservation and Redemption he has appointed us our Work and secured us our Wages the World is become our Master by Intrusion Usurpation and a general Estimation too many esteeming it as their chief Good and delighting in it as their chief Joy Observe 2. That no Man can serve these two Masters who are of contrary Interests and issue out contrary Commands when two Masters are Subordinate and their Commands subservient each to other the difficulty of serving both is not great But where Commands interfere and Interests clash it is impossible no Man can serve GOD and the World but he may serve GOD with the World we may be served of Riches and yet serve God but we cannot serve Riches but we must disserve God we cannot serve GOD and the World both and seek them as our chief Good and ultimate End because no Man can divide his Heart betwixt GOD and the World Learn hence That to Love the World as our chief Good to seek it as our highest Interest and to serve it as our chief Commander cannot stand with the Love and Service which we bear and owe to God our Maker The World's Slaves whilst such can be none of God's free Men. 14 And the Pharisees also who were Covetous heard these things and they derided him The Pharisees were notoriously addicted to the sin of Covetousness accounting no Men happy but them that were rich and because the Promises made to the Jews were generally tho' not only of Temporal Blessings they look'd upon Poverty as a Curse and esteemed the Poor Accursed John 7.49 These Pharisees hearing their Covetousness reproved and the Doctrine of Charity and Alms preached and enforced by our Saviour they derided him in the shamefullest manner with the highest degree of Contempt and Scorn wringing the Nose and making Mouths at him as the Original Word seems to import Learn hence 1. That Sinners grow very angry and impatient under the Ministry of the Word when they hear their darling sin their beloved Lusts struck at and sharply reproved 2. That Covetous Men who make Wealth their Idol when they hear the Doctrine of an Holy Contempt of the World Preached and the great Duty of Alms-giving Urged and Enforced they make it the matter of their Contempt and Derision The Pharisees heard and derided him 15 And he said unto them Ye are they which justify your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Here our Saviour sharply reproves the Pharisees for their horrible Pride their Self-justification and vain Affectation of the Opinion and esteem of others as if Christ had said You bear up your selves and take a pride in this that Men know no ill by you that no Man can say Black is your Eye but God can see that black is your Heart Learn That no Man ought to think himself approved of God barely because he is approved by himself for all who justify themselves upon the goodness of their Works are not good 16 The Law and the Prophets were until John since that time the kingdom of God is preached and every man presseth into it 17 And it is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass then one Tittle of the Law to fail 18 Whosoever putteth away his Wife and marrieth another committeth Adultery and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her Husband committeth adultery Our Saviour in these words gives the Pharisees to understand that their contempt of his Person and Doctrine was the more inexcusable because they lived in and under the clearest Light of the Gospel The Preaching of the Law and the Prophets continued but till John the Baptist came amongst you since which time the Gospel has been clearly Preached both by him and my self unto you and it has pleased God to give my Doctrine great acceptation in the World tho' you Pharisees reject it yet every one that is very many press into it so that the Doctrine which you mock the Holy Doctrine of the Gospel others will embrace yet lest whilst Christ spake thus highly of the Gospel the Pharisees should reproach him as a Destroyer of the Law he shews that the Obligation of the Moral Law was of Eternal Force and that Heaven and Earth should sooner pass then the Obligation of that Law cease which yet the Pharisees most shamefully violated particularly the Seventh Commandment which they break by permitting and practising Divorces upon unjustifiable Grounds Learn hence That the Moral Law in all the Branches of it which is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments is an Eternal Rule of Life and Manners which is to stand in force as long as the World stands and the frame of Heaven and Earth endures 19 There was a certain rich man who was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day 20 And there was a certain Beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of Sores 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans Table moreover the Dogs came and licked his Sores Our Saviour in this Parabolical History of Dives and Lazarus instructs us concerning the right use of Riches which is to capacitate us to do good to others declaring that in the Life to come the pious poor man shall be eternally Happy whilst the unmerciful rich Man shall be intolerably miserable Here Observe 1. That our Saviour did not censure the Rich Man for being Rich but for being sensual not for wearing costly Apparel and keeping a plentiful Table which if managed according to Mens Qualities and Estates is a commendable Vertue but his Sensuality and Luxury and forgetting to feed the Hungry with the Superfluities of his Table these are the things for which he is Censured From whence me may Learn That Pride and Luxury Intemperance and Sensuality are such abuses of Worldly Riches as Worldly Men are very prone and incident to Rich Men too often make their Back and their Belly their God Sacrificing and Devoting all they have to the Service of those Idols Observe 2. That a poor and mean Condition is the Lot of many nay perhaps of the most in this World 3. That a Man may be poor and miserable in this World and yet be very dear to
Person that Suffered three Days ago when his Death doth so well agree with the Predictions of the Prophets who fore-told that the Messias should be cut off but not for himself and be smitten for the iniquities of his People Here we may Observe The great Wisdom and Grace of God who makes sometimes the Diffidence of his People an occasion of farther clearing up the choicest Truths unto them Never did these Disciples hear so Excellent an Exposition of Moses and the Prophets concerning the Messiah as now when their sinful distrust had so far prevailed over them 2. Observe The Doctrines which Christ instructs his Disciples in namely in the Necessity of his Death and Passion and of his Glory and Exaltation Ought not Christ to Suffer and to enter into his Glory Learn 1. That with Respect to God's Decree and with Relation to Mans Guilt the Death of Christ was Necessary and Indispensable 2. That his Resurrection and Exaltation was as Necessary as his Passion 3. That there was a Meritorious Connexion between Christ's Sufferings and his Glory his Exaltation was Merited by his Passion He was to drink of the Brook in the way and then he should lift up his head Observe 4. Christ did not only put Light into these his Apostles Heads but Heat also into their Hearts which burned all the while he Communed with them Did not our Hearts burn within us while he opened to us the Scriptures Oh what an efficacious Power is there in the word of Christ when set home upon the Hearts of Men by the Spirit of Christ 33 And they rose up the same Hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the Eleven gathered together and them that were with them 34 Saying The Lord is Risen indeed and hath Appeared to Simon 35 And they told what things were done in the way and how he was known to them in Breaking of Bread 36 And as they thus spake Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them Peace be unto you 37 But they were Terrified and Affrighted and supposed that they had seen a Vision 38 And he said unto them Why are ye troubled and why do Thoughts arise in your Hearts 39 Behold my Hands and my Feet that it is I my self handle me and see For a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have 40 And when he had thus spoken he shewed them his Hands and his Feet 41 And while they yet believed not for joy and wondered he said unto them Have ye here any Meat 42 And they gave him a piece of a Broyled Fish and of an Honey-comb 43 And he took it and did eat before them 44 And he said unto them These are the words which I speak unto you whilst I was yet with you That all things must be Fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and of the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Observe 1. That these Two Disciples at Emmaus being fully satisfied in the Truth of Christ's Resurrection by his Appearing to them in Breaking of Bread they arose presently and went from Emmaus to Jerusâ—lem It must needs be late at Night being after Supper and Seven Miles Distance Yet considering the Sorrow that the Disciples were under these Two leave all their Private Affairs and hasten to Comfort them with the glad Tidings of our Lord's Resurrection Teaching us That all Secular Affairs all private and particular Business must give place to the Glory of God and the Comfort and Salvation of Souls Observe 2. The great Endeavours which our Saviour used to confirm his Disciples Faith in the Doctrine of the Resurrection He comes and stands in the midst of them and says Peace be unto you Next he shews them h s pierced Hands Side and Feet with the Scars and Marks which he yet retained that they might see it was their Crucified Master After all this He eats before them a piece of broiled Fish and Honey-comb Not that he needed it his Body being now become Immortal but to assure them that it was his own Person and that he had still the same Body Yet so slack and backward were they to Believe that Christ was Risen that all the Predictions of the Scripture all the Assurances they had from our Saviour's Mouth and the several Appearings of Christ unto them were little enough to establish and confirm their Faith in the Resurrection of our Saviour Observe 3. The highest and fullest Evidence which our Saviour offers to Evince and Prove the Certainty of his Resurrection Namely by Appealing to their Senses Handle me and see Christ admits the Testimony of our Senses to assure it be his Real Body And if the Church of Rome will not allow us to believe our Senses we shall loose the best External Evidence we can have to prove the Truth of the Christian Religion Namely the Miracles of Christ For how can I know that those Miracles were True but by the Judgment of my Senses Now as our Senses tell us that Christ's Miracles were True so they assure us that the Doctrine of Transubstantiation is False 45 Then opened he their Understandings that they might understand the Scriptures 46 And he said unto them Thus it is Written and thus it behoveth Christ to Suffer and to Rise from the Dead the Third Day 47 And that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached in his Name among all Natitions beginning at Jerusalem 48 And ye are Witnesses of these things Note here That the opening of the Mind and Heart effectually to Receive the Truths of God is the peculiar Prerogative and Office of Jesus Christ Then opened he their Vnderstandings Namely by the Illuminations of his Holy Spirit One of the greatest Miseries under which Lapsed Nature Labours is Spiritual Blindness Christ has the only Eye-salve which can Heal and Cure it Revel 3.18 And there is no worse Cloud to Obscure the Light of the Spirit than a proud Conceit of our own Knowledge Observe 2. The Special Charge given by our Saviour to his Apostles to Preach Repentance and Remission of Sin to Preach it in Christ's Name to Preach it to all Nations beginning first at Jerusalem Where Note The Astonishing Mercy of Jesus Christ Although Jerusalem was the Place where he lost his Life the City that Barbarously Butcher'd and Inhumanely Murthered him yet there he will have the Doctrine of Repentance Preach'd nay first Preached there the Gospel-Combination must first begin That Repentanâ—e and Remission of Sin be Preached beginning at Jerusalem Lord How unwilling art thou that any should Perish when thou not only prayedst for thy Murtherers and offeredst up thy Blood to God in the Behalf of them that shed it but Requiredst thy Ambassadors to make Jerusalem the first Tender of Remission upon Condition of Repentance That Repentance and Remission of Sin should be Preached among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem 49 And behold I send the Promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye
where dwellest thou 39 He saith unto them Come and see They came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that day for it was about the tenth hour 40 One of the two which heard John speak and followed him was Andrew Simon Peters brother 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon and saith unto him We have found the Messias which is being interpreted the Christ 42 And he brought him to Jesus And when Jesus beheld him he said Thou art Simon the son of Jona thou shalt be called Cephas which is by interpretation a stone 43 ¶ The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee and findeth Philip and saith unto him Follow me 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida the city of Andrew and Peter This latter part of the Chapter acquaints t is with the calling of five Disciples not to the Apostleship for that was afterwards nor yet simply by Conversion for some of them were John's Disciples already and believed in the Messiah to come but they are here called to own and acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the true and promised Messiah The Disciples here called were Andrew and Peter and Philip mean and obscure Persons poor Fisher-men not any of the learned Rabbies and Doctors among the Jews Hereby Christ shewed at once the Freeness of his Grace in passing by the knowing Men of the Age the Greatness of his Power who by such weak Instruments could effect such mighty Things and the Glory of his Wisdom in chusing such Instruments as should not carry away the Glory of the Work from him but cause the Intire Honour and Glory of all their great Successes to redound to Christ As Christ can do so he chuses to do great things by weak means knowing that the weakness of the Instrument redounds to the greater Honour of the Agent For these Persons called now to be Disciples were afterwards sent forth by Christ as his Apostles to convert the World unto Christianity Observe farther The Order according to which the Disciples were called first Andrew then Peter which may make the Church of Rome ashamed of the Weakness of their Argument for Peter's Supremacy that he was first called whereas Andrew was before him and Peter was brought to Jesus by him Andrew findeth his own Brother Simon brought him to Jesus Such as have gotten any Knowledge of Christ themselves and are let into Acquaintance with him will be very diligent to invite and industrious to bring in others to him Peter being brought to Christ our Saviour names him Cephas which signifies a Stone a Rock to intimate to him his Duty to be firm and steady in the Christian Profession full of Courage and Constancy Thou shalt be called Cephas which is by interpretation a stone 45 Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph 46 And Nathanael said unto him Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth Philip saith unto him Come and see 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and saith of him Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile The last Person mentioned in this Chapter who was called to own and embrace Christ for the Messiah is Nathanael Who this Nathanael was doth not certainly appear but it is evident he was a sincere good Man tho' prejudiced for the present against Christ because of the Place of his supposed Birth and Residence Nazareth Can any good thing come out of Nazareth That is can any worthy or excellent Person much less the promised and long expected Messias come out of such an obscure Place as Nazareth is Whereas Almighty God when ever he pleases can raise worthy Persons out of contemptible Places Observe farther How mercifully and meekly Christ passes over the Mistakes and Failings the Prepossessions and Prejudices of Nathanael but takes notice of and publickly proclaims his Sincerity Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile That is no Guile imputed no Guile concealed no prevailing Guile It being only true of Christ in a strict and absolute Sense that there was no Guile found in his Lips But in a qualified Sense it is true of Nathanael and every upright Man they are true Israelites like their Father Jacob plain Men Men of great sincerity and uprightness of Heart both in the sight of God and Man And whereas our Saviour speaks of him with a sort of Admiration Behold an Israelite in whom is no guile We learn That a Person of great Sincerity and Uprightness of Heart towards God and Man a true Nathanael an Israelite indeed is a rare and a worthy sight Behold an Israelite indeed Learn 2. That such as are indeed Nathanael's need not commend themselves Christ will be sure to do it for them Nathanael conceals his own worth Christ publishes and proclaims it and calls upon others to take notice of it Behold c. 48 Nathanael saith unto him Whence knowest thou me Jesus answered and said unto him Before that Philip called thee when thou wast under the fig-tree I saw thee 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel 50 Jesus answered and said unto him Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the fig-tree believest thou thou shalt see greater things then these Observe here How Nathanael wondereth that Christ should know him having as he thought never seen him Christ gives him to understand that by his All-seeing Eye he had seen him when he was not seen by him When thou wert under the fig-tree I saw thee Christ's All-seeing Eye is an infallible Proof of his Deity and Godhead Christ seeth us where ever we are and whatever we do tho' we see not him He seeth the sincerity of our Hearts and will own it and bear witness to it if we are upright in his sight Observe farther How Christ's Omnipresence and Omniscience convinces Nathanael that he was more than Man even the Messias God and Man in two distinct Natures and one Person Rabbi thou art the Son of God Philip called Christ the Son of Joseph Nathanael calls him the Son of God Such as believe Christ's Omnisciency will never call in question his Divinity Observe Lastly How Christ encourages the Faith of this new Disciple Nathanael by promising him that he should enjoy farther helps and means for the Confirmation of his Faith than ever yet he had All that Christ said to him was only this That he saw him under the fig-tree before Philip called him How ready art thou Oh Lord to encourage the beginnings of Faith in the Hearts of thy People and to furnish them with farther means of Knowledge when they wisely improve what they have received Never wilt thou be wanting either in Means or Mercy to us if we be not wanting to thee and our selves 51 And he saith unto him Verily verily I say unto you Hereafter you shall see heaven
with these poor Officers Observe 2. That the Pharisees being more enraged at the Reason which the Officers gave for neglecting their Office than for the neglect it self upbraid them that they should suffer themselves to be so deceived whereas none of the Grandees or Learned Rabbies had owned him only an accursed crew of Ignorant People followed him and doated on him Here Note That when Christ came into the World the great ones of the World not only refused to Believe on him but boasted of their unbelief as an Argument of their Wisdom Have any of the Rulers believed on him Oh no They were too Wise to Believe Faith is left to Fools and accounted Folly by those Wise Men. Nay farther They count the Common People cursed who did Believe on Christ O prodigious stupidity to account them accursed who receive Jesus Christ the cheifest Blessing Great Men have not always the Wisdom of a Man but more seldom have they the Wisdom of a real Christian Great in Honour and Wise in Understanding are a sweet couple but seldom seen together 50 Nicodemus saith unto them he that came to Jesus by night being one of them 51 Doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doth 52 They answered and said unto him Art thou also of Galilee Search and look for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet 53 And every man went unto his own house Here Observe 1. How God stirs up Nicodemus tho' he durst not openly own Christ yet to plead for him that he might not be condemned before heard this was a common Rule of Justice and nothing but what might have been said on behalf of the greatest Malefactor he could not well have said less but God so ordered it that it was enough to divert the Storm from falling upon Christ at this time One word shall be sufficient to blow over a Persecution when God will have it so Obs 2. They answer Nicodemus with a Taunt a Mock and a Scorn that no Prophet ever did rise out of Galilee nor ever should Therefore Christ arising out of Galilee as they thought could be no Prophet Observe Lastly That though they were more and more enraged yet they scatter without concluding any thing against Christ for that time every one went to his own home There is no Wisdom nor Understanding nor Counsel against the Lord. CHAP. VIII 1 JEsus went unto the mount of Olives 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple and all the people came unto him and he sat down and taught them The foregoing Chapter gave us an Account of a most excellent Sermon which our Saviour Preach'd in the Temple at the Feast of Tabernacles Now the Feast being ended Jesus did not tarry in the City all Night but went out of it two Miles as he frequently used to do to the Mount of Olives And altho' it was so dangerous for him to be seen any more in Jerusalem yet early the next Morning he returns again to the City enters the Temple and falls upon his work of preaching without fear and with indefatigable diligence Oh what a busie useful Life was this of our Saviour's he spent the Day in preaching in the Temple the Night in privacy and Prayer on the Mount of Olives and the next Morning returns to his work of preaching again Thus was he always holily and painfully imployed to glorifie his Father and to be useful and beneficial to Mankind was his food by Day and his rest by Night Lord How little do we resemble thee if when thy Life was all Pains and Labour ours all be Pastime Pleasure and Recreation 3 And the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery and when they had set her in the midst 4 They say unto him Master this woman was taken in adultery in the very act 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned but what sayest thou 6 This they said tempting him that they might have to accuse him But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not 7 So when they continued asking him he lift up himself and said unto them He that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her 8 And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground 9 And they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience went out one by one beginning at the eldest even unto the last and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst 10 When Jesus had lift up himself and saw none but the woman he said unto her Woman where are those thine accusers hath no man condemned thee 11 She said No man Lord. And Jesus said unto her Neither do I condemn thee go and sin no more Our Saviour early in the Morning entring upon the work of Preaching Observe 1. What a mixt Auditory he had of Scribes and Pharisees and Common People All sorts of persons came to hear him but not all with the same intentions the Common People came to Learn but the Scribes and Pharisees came to Cavil and Carp the latter came to Tempt and insnare him the former to be Taught and Instructed by him it is not our bare attendance upon Ordinances but the purity of our Aim and the sincerity of our Intentions in waiting upon God in them that is an Evidence of our Sincerity Observe 2. How the Hypocrisie of these Pharisees was gilded over with an appearance of Sanctity as if they were great lovers of Chastity and haters of Uncleanness they bring to Christ a Woman taken in a Adultery to be censured by him one that had not known these Pharisees would have concluded them very Holy and Honest very Conscionable and Conscientious Persons but Christ that saw into their Bosoms soon found that all this was done only to Tempt him Thus a smooth Tongue and a false Heart often accompany one another when we see too glittering appearances we have reason to suspect the inside Observe 3. The punishment which the Pharisees seek to have inflicted on this Adulteress it is Death let her be stoned Sometimes the punishment of Adultery was burning sometimes stoning always Death Lord How ought Christians to Blush who have slight thoughts of the Sin of Adultery which both Jews and Pagans held ever deadly Observe 4. Their ensnaring Question Moses commanded such to be stoned but what sayest thou The Pharisees desire no better Advantage against Christ than a Contradiction to Moses their Received Lawgiver It has been an old Stratagem to set Moses and Christ at variance but they are fast Friends they are Subordinate one to another not opposite one against another Moses brings us to Christ and Christ to Glory Fain would these colloguing Adversaries draw Christ to contradict Moses that they might take Advantage of that Contradiction to condemn Christ Observe 5. The Wisdom and Caution of our Lord's Answer he doth not excuse her
chearful Obedience a pleasing and an acceptable Obedience A constant and Abiding Obedience All other motives without Love are servile and base and beget in us the drudgery of a Slave but not the Duty of a Son he that fears God only is afraid of smarting but he that Loves God is afraid of offending Learn hence That the best and surest evidence we can have of our Love to the Lord Jesus Christ is an humble chearful universal and persevering Obedience to his commands keep my Commandments that is endeavour it without reserve for tho' we cannot keep the Commandments to a just satisfaction yet we may perform them to a gracious acceptation And the Word My My Commandments is a sweetning and alleviating Word Moses's Law an unsupportable Load but Christ's Law an easie Burthen The Law from Sinai dreadful the Law from Sion Gracious it pardons weakness and accepts sincerity 16 And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever 17 Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Christ comforteth his Disciples here with a promise of the Mission of the Holy Spirit to supply the want of his Bodily presence Where Observe The procurer of this Blessing 1. And that is Christ by his prevailing Prayer and powerful Intercession I will pray it runs in the future Tense and so 't is a promise of Christ's continual Intercession As long as Christ is in Heaven a Christian shall not want a supply of Comfort and Consolation here on Earth Observe 2. The Author and Donour of the blessing and that is God himself I will pray the Father and he shall give The Father that is my Father your Father and he that is the Father of Comfort and all Consolation I will pray and he will give 'T is an expression of great assurance Observe 3. The blessing it self the Holy Ghost called here Another Comforter Where note 1. The Divinity of the Holy Ghost he that will supply the Comforts of Christ's presence must be as Christ is the God of all Comfort Note 2. The person of the Holy Ghost he is a Divine person not a Divine quality or operation then we might call him a Comfort but not a Comforter Note 3. The Office and Imployment of the Holy Ghost He is a Comforter that is an Advocate and Intercessour to sue for us an Encourager and one that Administers Consolation to us and as he is an Holy Spirit so are his Comforts Holy Comforts Observe 4. The stability of this Blessing That he may abide with you for ever The best of our outward Comforts are sudden flashes not lasting flames but the Consolations of the Holy Spirit are strong Consolations they are abounding Consolations and everlasting Consolations especially the Holy Spirit will be the Comforter of good Men in the day of Affliction in the day of Temptation and at the hour of Death when all other comforts flag and fail Observe lastly The additional Title given to the Holy Ghost he is called the Spirit of Truth partly in opposition to Satan who is called a Lying Spirit partly because he teacheth and revealeth the Truth leadeth his People into all Truth and sealeth and confirmeth Truth to the Souls of Believers he is the Spirit of Truth both in his Essence and in his Operations Learn hence That as the Holy Spirit is True in his Essence and Nature so is he True in his Office as a Comforter to good Men. All his Consolations being real and solid and free from imposture and delusion 18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you Here Observe 1. The Condition which the Disciples were in upon the account of Christ's removal from them and that was sad and Comfortless Fatherless or Orphans as the word signifies Hence learn That Christ's Departure or the loss of his gracious Presence is very sad and Comfortless to a Pious Soul well might the Disciples here lament and mourn upon the occasion of Christ's leaving of them seeing thereby they should be deprived of his Doctrine and Instructions of his Advice and Counsel and of the Benefit of his Holy and Instructive Example Observe 2. The care of Christ for his Disciples in reference to this their sad and disconsolate Condition He would not leave them Comfortless Where Note He doth not say I will not suffer you to be comfortless but I will not leave you so that is he will not desert or disown them in their comfortless Condition he will not leave them either in point of Affection or in point of Activity he will not cease to Love them nor cease to bestir himself for them Learn hence That Christ will not leave his Friends in a sad and Comfortless state and Condition tho' for a time they may be brought into it I will not leave you Comfortless I will come unto you Christ's coming here unto them is to be understood of his coming to them by his Holy Spirit in the Gifts of it in the Graces of it and in the Comforts of it thus he did not long leave them Comfortless but at the Feast of Pentecost came again to them 19 Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Here our Saviour foretels his approaching Death that within a little time the Men of the World should see him no more for tho' he arose again the World saw him no more after his Death for we Read of no Appearances of him after his Resurrection to any but to his Disciples only indeed the hour is coming when the World shall see him again Namely At the Day of Judgment when every Eye shall behold him with Terror and Amazement Observe farther The Consolation given to his Disciples Ye shall see me and because I live ye shall live also Because I am raised from the Grave I will quicken your Dead Bodies in the Grave and ye shall live also and as I live by my Ascension into Heaven so shall you my Disciples live a Life of Grace here and a Life of Glory with my self hereafter Learn hence That a Believer's Spiritual Life is derived from Christ who by his Spirit Communicates a quickening vertue to all his Members because he lives they shall live also Observe lastly A farther priviledge ensured to Believers after Christ's Ascension and the Spirits Mission they should more perfectly understand the Essential union betwixt Christ and the Father and the Mystical Union betwixt Christ and his Members At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father c. The knowledge which the Saints now have of the Mysterious and Mystical Union is but dark and imperfect but in Heaven they shall
they have but would have had more to say in excuse or for a cover for their Sin than now they can But now they have no Cloak for their Sin That is they are totally inexcusable and have not the least colour or pretence for their obstinate unbelief Learn hence 1. That Sins of Ignorance are as it were no Sins compared with Sins committed against light and Knowledge 2. That Sins committed against Gospel-Light are of an heinous Nature and Aggravated Guilt as being committed against the very Remedy 3. That the Gospel where it is plainly preached doth take away all pretence and excuse from Sinners Now they have no Cloak for their Sin 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father 25 But this cometh to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law they hated me without a cause These words declare the heinous Nature of the Pharisees sin in hating and persecuting Christ who had done before their Eyes such Works as no Man besides him or before him ever did he acting by his own Power Peter healed the lame Man Acts 3. but it was in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth But Christ healed the sick and raised the dead in his own Name and by a special Word of Command I say unto thee Arise Yet did the Pharisees hate him and his Father according to the Prediction Psalm 35.19 They hated me without a cause Which being spoken of David in Type received a more eminent Accomplishment in Christ the Son of David Learn hence 1. That let Men pretend to never so much Holiness or Respect to God yet if they hate Christ and despise his Gospel they are haters of God who is One in Essence and Nature with his Son He that hateth me hateth my Father also Learn 2. That no Miracles wrought by mortal Men were ever comparable with the Miracles wrought by Christ the Son of God his did surpass them all in number kind and manner of doing them by his own Authority in his own Name and not as others who obtained their Power by Prayer from God I have done amongst them the works which none other man did Learn 3. That Christ's having confirmed his Doctrine by such unparallel'd Miracles as the World was never before acquainted with doth aggravate the sin of those that are Haters of his Person Despisers of his Doctrine and Reproachers of his Miracles It being just with God when Men obstinately shut their Eyes and will not see judicially to close their Eyes and say They shall not see 26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me 27 And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning Here our Holy Lord Comforts himself that tho' he had lain then under many Aspersions and Scandals from the World yet all these should be done away by the coming of the Holy Spirit who should testifie of him and make his Person and Doctrine to be acknowledged in the World and that they themselves should bear witness of him who had been with him from the beginning that is since he first began to exercise his Prophetick Office Observe here 1. That Father Son and Holy Spirit are Three distinct Persons in the Godhead 2. That the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son Here the Son is said to send him and as to the Father he is said to proceed from him If the Holy Ghost doth not proceed from the Son why is he called the Spirit of the Son Gal. 4.6 Why is he said here to be sent by the Son The Comforter whom I will send unto you from the Father And if the Spirit doth not proceed from the Son what personal Relation can we conceive betwixt the Son and the Spirit Observe 3. That it is the high Dignity and Honour of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ that the Spirit beareth no Testimony unto Christ but with and according to the Testimony given by them for here it is conjoyned He shall testifie of me and ye also shall bear witness who have been with me from the beginning CHAP. XVI 1 THese things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service 3 And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me 4 But these things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them And these things I said unto you at the beginning because I was with you In the close of the foregoing Chapter our blessed Saviour had acquainted his Disciples with the hatred and hard usage which they were like to meet with from the World and here he intimates to them the Reason why he did so much insist upon the Subject namely not to sadden their Hearts and grieve their Spirits before their Sufferings came but that they might not be offended discouraged or scandalized at them when they came but prepared for them and armed against them Hence Learn 1. That all Afflictions but especially Persecutions are so searching and trying that the best of Christians have need to be guarded against them that they may not be offended at them 2. That it was the great Design of Christ to Arm his Disciples against the Scandal of the Cross lest stumbling at that which they expected not they should fall from the Profession of Christianity These things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended Observe 2. How our Saviour instances in two particular sorts and kinds of Sufferings which his Disciples were to expect in the World and from the World namely Excommunication and Martyrdom ver 2. They shall put you out of their Synagogues that is exclude them from all their Assemblies both Civil and Religious and shall not only think it lawful but a very acceptable Service to God to put them to death Whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service Observe 3. How Christ discovers to his dear Disciples the Cause and Ground of the World's Hatred against them and Enmity towards them namely their Ignorance of the Father and himself ver 3. These things will they do because they have not known the Father nor me From whence we may Learn That all the Persecutions of the Saints do speak in Persecutors an Ignorance both of God the Father and of Jesus Christ his Son All Persecution springs from Ignorance as well as from Malice And Men who continue ignorant of God and Christ are in danger of turning Persecutors if they have a temptation to it Observe 4. How