the speech importeth 4. No meeting or gathering together of the Saints can have expectation of a blessing except it be in Christs name that is in so holy a manner and upon such warrantable grounds as his glory and the welfare of his church be promoved therby and not hindred for he promiseth his presence only to such as are gathered in his Name Vers. 21. Then came Peter to him and said Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times 22. Iesus saith unto him I say not unto thee Until seven times but till seventy times seven For clearing of the matter of private admonition and publick censures a question is moved by Peter how oft we should forgive offences unto our brethren professing repentance which Christ answereth Hence learn That it seemeth to our corrupt nature that we should not forgive faults to the same person many times falling therein for How oft and till seven times which seemeth abundance importeth so much From Christs answer learn 1. That we should set no number to the times of forgiving the penitent were it untill seventy times seven times that is how oft soever 2. The Lord delighteth in large mercy and standeth not how oft soever to give mercy providing the party be truly penitent for otherwayes we must not deceive our selves God will not be mocked tâ— foâ—â—e that commandeth man to shew mercy so oft will noâ— refuse to give mercy himself Ver. 23. Therfore is the Kingdome of heaven likâ—â—d unto a certain King which would take account of his servants 24. And when he had begun to reckon one was brought unto him which ought him ten thousand talents 25. But forasmuch as he had not to pay his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and children and all that he had and payment to be made 26. The servant therfore fell down and worshipped him saying Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all 27. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt 28. But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants which ought him an hundred pence and he laid hands on him and tooke him by the throat saying Pay me that thou owest 29. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet and besought him saying Have patience with me and I will pay thee all 30. And he would not but went and cast him into prison til he should pay the debt 31. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done they were very sorry and came and told unto their lord all that was done 32. Then his lord after that he had called him said unto him O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me 33. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee 34. And his lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors til he should pay all that was due unto him 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses This doctrine is cleared and confirmed by a parable the scope wherof is to shew that except we be willing to forgive and do forgive particular injuries done to us how oft soever our brother shall desire pardon we cut our selves off from being pardoned of God against whom we do sin oftner then any man can do against us According then to the scope of the parable we are taught 1. That our sins against God are moe and more heavie then any which our brethren do comitt against us for mens injuries against usare but pennies in comparison but our faults against God are thousands of talents 2. God is readier to forgive us our greater sins then we are ready to forgive our brethren their petty offences against us 3. The consequence of Gods mercy toward us should move us to be mercifull one toward another 4. He who will not forgive his brother his trespasses and that from the heart sincerely the Lord will not forgive that man his sins but wil cast him in hel til he pay for his sins and that shall never be To dispute here of the recalling of remission of sins is without ground and not to the purpose for the scope is fulfilled in this that as the wicked servant who did not forgive his fellow-servant got not forgivenesse but was cast in Gaole and into the tormentors hands so neither should any get forgivenesse from God who did not forgive men their trespasses CHAP. XIX Christ cometh from Galilee to Judea and healeth the sick to vers 3. Cleareth the cases of divorcement and of single life to vers 13. Blesseth young children to vers 15. Sheweth the impossibility of justification by works to vers 26. And the disciples blessednesse to the end Ver. 1. ANd it came to pass that when Iesus had finished these sayings he departed from Galilee and came into the coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan 2. And great multitudes followed him and he healed them there CHrist returneth to Judea in his own time to help such as he had a mind unto Doct. The sick and diseased and such as find need of Christ wil seek after him Such are his train who follow him and who wil find relief in him for He healed them all who came Ver. 3. The Pharisees also came unto him tempting him and saying unto him Is it lawfull for a man to put away his wife for every cause 4. And he answered and said unto them Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them both male and female 5. And said For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twaine shall be one flesh 6. Wherfore they are no more twain but one flesh What therfore God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Christs enemies move the question about divorcement to make him odious either to men or women howsoever he should answer Hence learn 1. Whithersoever Christ went as he had disciples so he had adversaries who did ever seek to make him odious to the people that his doctrin should be the less fruitful here are cavillers asking Is it lawfull c. 2. Ignorance of Scripture is the cause of error and of idle questions for Have ye not read saith Christ. 3. To come to the institution of any Ordinance of God is the way to correct the abuses of it as here in the matter of marriage Christ goeth to the first institution of marriage saying He which made them 4. Marriage of one man with one woman and no moe at once is Gods ordinance founded upon the creation of the first couple for he made them only One male and one female To the end that this Matrimonial love might be incommunicable to any other and indissolvable one from another for They two shall be one flesh 5.
hath of his own unworthiness and misery for Christ of such doth pronounce Blessed are the poor in Spirit 2. Whosoever are poor in spirit seeking after Christ in the sense of their own indigence have right and title unto the riches of grace and glory albeit they be poor and beggerly in their own feeling yet are they rich in Christs estimatoin for of such Christ saith Theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven that is unto them belongeth eternall life Verse 4. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted The next mark of true Disciples is godly sorrow which maketh a man in all sort of grief to powre out himself unto God in Christ and to seek relief from him Doct. 1. Whosoever do follow after Christ mourning in the sense of sin or fear of wrath howsoever they may seem miserable in their own or the worlds eyes yet are they verily blessed for of such Christ saith Blessed are they that mourn 2. Such mourners may be destitute for a time of comfort but at no time can they be destitute of blessednesse for even in the time when they are mourning and do want comfort it is said of them They are blessed 3. Albeit their comfort be delayed for a time yet it shall not alwayes be with holden for the word of consolation is heâ—e spoken unto them which they in due time shall find applyed and verified unto them by Gods Spirit for it is said They shall be comforted and this shall be partly by being made to see satisfactory reasons of Gods delaying to comfort them partly by receiving now and then reall deliveries and sensible outgates of their mournfull condition and partly by being supported with strength in the inner man at all times that they succumb not till at last they be fully delivered for ever for They shall be comforted saith the Lord. Verse 5. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth The third marke of true Disciples of Christ is Meeknesse which is a grace of God whereby Christs followers are so nurtured and tamed by the Spirit of God in the sense of their own sins and wrongs done to God that they do without fretting submit themselves to Gods corrections whâ—ther mediately by the wickednesse of men or immediately in his providence falling on them Doct. 1. Whosoever do put a right construction upon Gods dealing with them how hard soever their case be certainly are blessed for of such Christ saith Blessed are the meek 2. A man indued with Christian meeknesse is master of as much in the world as he standeâ—h in need of that is to say How little portion soever he may seem to have of the earth and so much the lesse possibly because of his meek disposition and aversenesse from ungodly strife yet hath he right to all that he hath need of in this earth through Christ yea he shall have the use of all he hath need of in this earth so as he shall be content with his lot and that which he possesseth shall be joyned with the rich blessing of God poured out upon it and last of all he shall inherit that new Heaven and that new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse 1 Cor. 3.21 22.2 Pet. 3.13 For so much doth the promise import They shall inherit the Earth Ver. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled The fourth mark of true Disciples is hunger and thirst for righteousnesse such hungry souls are they who in the sense of their sinfulness and want of all inherent righteousnesse do heartily hunger to be more and more certified of the imputation of Christs righteousness and do thirst to draw sap and life from him for the changing their sinfull nature and making them more holy and righteous by his Spirit Doct. 1. Such as are heartily desirous to be justified and sanctified through Christ they are blessed for of such Christ prononnceth Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness 2. Kindly hunger after the righteousnesse of God in Christ shall be satisfied albeit for the present such soules as do feel this hunger be pained yet they shall have all that they desire in Gods own time the word of the Lord shall be made milk honey bread and marrow unto them a Well of living Water shall spring up from the Holy Spirit unto them now and then they shall have so large a meal and so full satisfaction as they shall be forced to say Enough O LORD and at length shall be put in full and sensible possession of all for it is written They shall be satisfied Verse 7. Blessed are the merâ—ifull for they shall obtain mercy The fifth mark of true Disciples is mercifulness whereby Christians have such a holy compassion of the miseries of other mens bodies and soules as doth make them actually to do them good as they are called unto their relief Doct. 1. The outletting of bowels of compassion to others who are lying under the burden of sin and misery is the sure evidence of a blessed man for Christ of such doth say Blessed are the mercifull 2. The Christian his shewing of mercy unâ—o others is a foâ—erunner of the renewed and fresh sense of Gods mercy to himself for this is imported in the proof of such mens blessedness for they shall find mercy now certain it is that such men have already obtained mercy else they could not be mercifull else they could not be blessed but it is possible that they do not feel mercy but rather for the present feel sad wâ—ath to their estimation yet the promise is They shall find mercy to their own discerning sensibly 3. When God maketh his children find the fruits of their mercifulness it doth not puff them up as if they merited or deserved it for it is not said here they shall merit but They shall find mercy Verse 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The sixth mark of true Disciples is purity of heart whereby Christians study not only to eschew sin and to have a blameless conversation before men but also to be holy in their mind in their designes and affections before God Doct. 1. Albeit beleevers in Christ do find sensibly much pollution in themselves yet if their heart love it not if when they come short in duties their heart is grieved for it if the honest indeavour and study of their heart be that they may be pure and holy they are notwithstanding of this felt sinfulnesse truely blessed for Blessed saith our Lord are the clean or pure in heart 2. Holinesse and purity of heart is a preparative for sensible communion with God for it is promised they shall see God that is their eyes shall be opened to behold by faith the invisible God the Lord shall make them to discerne the mysteries of salvation hid from the world he shall make them to observe the work of his providence in justice mercy goodness and power in
to our enemies must be approven to God for we are commanded to prove our love to them by dealing with God to give them mercy contrary to their deservings at our hands to this end he saith Blesse them Pray for them and this is a task to exercise our obedience and to prove our sincerity therein Ver. 45. That ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and unjust To perswade us to obey this Command our Lord proponeth five motives The first is because so we may make it appear to others and to our own hearts also that we are the Children of God whose bounty is extended in giving the common use of his gifts unto his evil and unjust enemies Doct. 1. By imitating of the bounty of God we shall grow more and more like to him we shall more and more make it appear that we are renewed unto the image of God therefore saith he That ye may be the children of your Father 2. We should not lightly passe by the common favours of God bestowed upon men as the benefit of the Sun and Rain but must observe the goodness of God therin toward men in making his Sun to rise and his Rain to fall on the unjust Ver. 46. For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye do not even the Publicans the same The second motive is because except your love shall extend it selfe unto your enemies in the obedience of God ye can expect no reward from him Doct. 1. Love refused to our enemies proveth our love bestowed on friends to be no acceptable service to God for If ye love them only which love you what reward have ye to expect for if we love only for love again we do serve our self only and not God and where no service is no reward is A third motive is this the vilest and most odious sinners in the world shall equal you if you do love only such as love you and do not also love your enemies therfore love your enemies Doct. To stand at that measure of love which a wicked man may attain unto is nothing esteemed of by God for If you saith he love only your friends do not even the Publicans the same Ver. 47. And if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more then others do not even the Publicans so A Fourth motive is there must be more in you then civility couâ—tesie and humanity moving you to give expressions of love only to your friends therefore love also your enemies Doct. 1. There must be more in a christian then can be in these that are not renewed for What do you more then others importeth that we should do more seeing we are born of God better furnished with his spirit more ingaged by special obligation to God then others and therefore must not carry our selves so as it may be said unto us what do you more then others 2. The most hated sinners may equall the holiness of them who make not conscience to have this commanded love unto their enemies in them for Do not the Publicans so importeth so much Ver. 48. Be ye therfore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect A fifth motive is Gods children must aime at the perfection of all vertues and therefore at the perfection of Love extended to their enemies Doct. 1. Christians are called unto perfection and albeit they cannot fully attain unto it in this life yet must they aime at it to come more and more near unto it for it is said Be you therefore perfect 2. God only is the pattern of perfection to be set before our eyes as he holdeth forth himselfe unto us in his word and in his Son Jesus Christ the expresse image of his Person to be imitate by us therefore it is said Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect CHAP. VI. Christs Sermon on the Mount goeth on in this chapter wherein he teacheth the right manner of alms Ver. 5. Of prayer Ver. 16. Of fasting Ver. 19. and dischargeth covetuousnesse In all which he sharply taxeth the faults of the Scribes and Pharisees Ver. 1. TAke heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven COncerning the right manner of giving Almes these Truths are holden forth unto us Doct. 1. Almes or shewing mercy to the Poor is a duty carefully to be gone about for it is said Take heed to your almes 2. The sin of vain glory may easily slide in it self in any work specially in alms giving therefore saith he Take heed you do not your almes to be seen of men 3. If almes be done for obtaining praise of men and not for conscience of a commanded duty God will not take it for service for it is said Otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven Ver. 2. Therefore when thou dost thine almes do not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory of men Verily I say unto you they have their reward 3. But when thou dost almes let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth 4. That thine almes may be in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly This is the remedy of this ill Doct. 1. We must marke and beware of such faults as we see in others namely such ostentation as the Pharisees used who when they were to give almes proclaimed by sound of Trumpet that the poor should conveen at such a time and place to receive such a mans alms therefore Christ saith Do not sound a Trumpet c. that is Beware of all vain of oftentation 2. When men in doing good look more to mens praise then how to please God the vain praise of men whether they obtain it or misse of it is all the fruit which they shall have of their work for Verily they have their reward they need look for no more 3. Each other sinner do seek darknesse and lurking holes to hide their sin but Church and Market and the most open conventions are the choise places for acting of the sin of hypocrisie as here in the Synagogues and in the streets 4. All Hypocrites are vainly glorious Hypocrisie and vain glory go together for Hypocrites saith he Do that they may have glory of men 5. We should not suffer our selves to take notice what we give in almes nor should we esteem much of it as if there were any worth in our alms let be to seek praise of men for this is the way Not to let the left hand know what the right hand doth otherwise no man can be ignorant of what he doth deliberatly no man can give almes but the poor who receive the almes must know of it
out for fear of him 5. The case of possessed souls in whom the spirit of disobedience doth rule is to be seen in these whose bodies were possessed with divels the man is their lodging house he is no more master of his own actions but is Satans slave The mans eyes look for Satan his hands and feet work and walk for Satan his throat is made Satans blowing-horn his mouth speaketh for Satan and here they cry out by the Poor mans throat saying What have we to do with thee 6. Divels did know Christ to be the Son of God but they knew also that he came not in the world for their good but to be Saviour of men therefore What have we 〈◊〉 do wâ—th thee say they 7. Albeit it be not in the divels power not to yeeld to Christ yet they remain their wicked aversnesse to obey him being loath to leave the possession they have gotten they would be let alone by him if they could and do wickedly plead for it saying What have we to do with thee 8. They know there is a time coming when they shall be more tormented then they are as yet even the day of Judgement and this they tremble at saying Art thou come to torment us before the time 9. They cannot hurt so much as a sow except Christ Lord of Heaven and Earth do suffer them therefore the divels besought Christ saying If thou cast 〈◊〉 out suffer us to go away into the herd of swine 10. The Lord suffereth somtime Satan to have his wil of mens bodies and goods for their tryal as here to go into the Gadarens swine to try the owners mind therfore Christ said unto them Go. 11. These wicked spirits love alwayes to do evill and make it a sport to destroy what they are permitted Therefore they drove the swine headlong into the sea and made them perish in the water 12. To the end that the tryal of men might be perfected Christ will have them to know be Spirituall benefits of the Gospel as well as the temporall inconveniencies following it This it the reason that Christ will have the Gadarens to know as well of the delivery of men possessed with divels as of the drowning of the swine for The swincherds tell them of all that so they might be inexcusable 13. Men left to their own selves will choose any thing rather then Christ and will do no better then these Gadarens did 14. Temporall losse of swine is so great in the worldly mens estimation that spirituall advantage is nothing esteemed of for the Gadarens are not so moved with the delivery of the souls and bodies of the possessed men as they are with the losse of their swine 15. If men see nothing of Christs sweet mercies but only take up his power they will be loath to have him in their company therfore these Gadarens do Beseech him to dapart from them Such worldly men will rather quit the Gospel then hazard their worldly goods 16. This is the greatest token of Christs leaving a place or not coming into a place when the whole incorporation city or place doth consist only of Gadarens and all do consent that he should depart for there apparantly he hath no errand to stay him and wheresoever Christ hath no imployment thence will he remove CHAP. IX Here are moe evidences of Christs divine power authority and love to his people in healing the palsie and pardoning of sin vers 8. Calling of Matthew and defending of his Disciples vers 17. Removing of sicknesse vers 22. Raising the dead vers 31. Dispossessing divels vers 35. And care to have ministers provided for the conversion of souls Ver. 1. ANd he entered into a ship and passed over and came into his own city HE cometh to Cpernaum which is called his own city not only because he dwelt in it but because he had a number of his own in it as may be gathered from the history Hence learn 1. That the more godly persons be in a city the more the Lord will own it and albeit a city for the most part be unthankfull as Capernaum was yet will noâ— the ungratitude of the multitude hinder him to be good to his own in it for Christ here returneth to Capernaum and makes it be stiled His own city Ver. 2. And behold they brought to him a man sick of the palsie lying on a bed and Iesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsie Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee In the healing of the soul and body of the man sick of the palsie learn 1. That such as are seeking benefit of Christ will watch for oportunity to finde him When Christ cometh to Capernaum certain men do bring out One sick of the palsie to him 2. It is an act of lively faith as to come to Christ so also to help others to come unto Christ for of those that bring the palsie sick to Christ as well as of the palsie sick himself it is said Iesus saw their faith 3. Our Lord loves to entertain faith with evidences of respect unto the beleevers for Iesus seeing their faith speaketh comfortably unto the palsie sick 4. When Christ will heal sicknesse and miseries at the root he takes away sin and forgiveth it therefore saith he to the palsie sick Thy sins are forgiven thee 5. When he remitteth sin he advanceth a man to Son-ship and doth regenerate him Therfore Christ doth here call him Son while he pronounceth him forgiven 6. The man whose sins are forgiven is blessed albeit his outward condition do seem miserable Therefore Jesus biddeth the sick of the palsie be of good chear because his sins were forgiven Ver. 3. And behold certain of the Scribes said within themselves This man blasphemeth The adversaries of Christ conceive ill thoughts of this his mercy to the palsie sick Hence learn 1. That it is no wonder to see Christs followers misconstrued for the Scribes think of Christ himselfe that he blasphemeth 2. Even these who are of the learned sort who should know him best may be mistaken about him for Certain of the Scribes misconsture him 3. Any vail is sufficient to blind-fold the wicked for these men will not see Christ to be God notwithstanding he doth demonstrate his deitie daily because they see him to be a man This man say they blasphemeth 4. Christs forgiving sins by his own authority was a plain avowing himself to be very God for who can forgive sins so but God And this is the ground whereupon the Scribes do think Christ guilty of blasphemie that being as they thought a man and no more he did forgive sins by his own authority which is the property of God Ver. 4. And Iesus knowing their thoughts said Wherfore think ye evill in your hearts Christ will prove himselfe to be God by discovering their inward thoughts Hence learn 1. That the more the God-head of our Lord be opposed the more will he