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 have peace one with another That is let all persons especially Ministers retain a seasoning Vertue in themselves that they may sweeten and season others even all that they converse with and as Salt has an uniting power and knits the parts of the body salted together So the upholding of Union and Peace one with another will declare that you have salt in your selves Learn hence That it is the Duty of all Christians but especially of the Ministers of the Gospel to maintain brotherly concord and agreement among themselves both as an Argument of their Sincerity and an Ornament to their profession CHAP. X. 1 AND he arose from thence and cometh into the coasts of Judea by the farther side of Jordan and the people resort unto him again and as he was wont he taught them again 2 And the Pharisees came to him and asked him Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife tempting him 3 And he answered and said unto them What did Moses command you 4 And they said Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement and to put her away 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept 6 But from the beginning of the Creation God made them male and female 7 For this cause shall a man leave his Father and Mother and cleave to his Wife 8 And they twain shall be one flesh so then they are no more twain but one flesh 9 What therefore God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 10 And in the house the Disciples asked him again of the same matter 11 And he said unto them Whosoever shall put away his Wife and marry another commiteth adultery against her 12 And if a Woman shall put away her husband and be married to another she committeth adultery The first Verse of this Chapter acquaints us with the great Labour and pains our Saviour took in the exercise of his ministry travelling from place to place in an hot Country and that on foot to preach the Gospel when he was here upon earth Teaching all persons but especially Ministers by his Example to be willing to undergo Pains and Labour even unto much weariness in the service of God and in the Duties of their calling For this is God's Ordinance that every one should feel the Burthen of his calling and the painfulness of it But Lord how nice and delicate are some labourers in thy Vineyard who are willing to do nothing but what they can do with ease that cannot endure to think of labouring unto weariness but are sparing of their pains for fear of shortning their days and hasting their end Whereas the Lamp of our Lives can never be better spent or burnt out then in lighting others to Heaven The following verses acquaint us with an ensnaring question which the Pharisees put to our Saviour concerning the matter of Divorce concluding that they should entrap him in his answer whatever it was if he denied the lawfulness of Divorce then they would charge him with Contradicting Moses who allowed it If he affirmed it then they would condemn him for contradicting his own Doctrine St. Mat. v. 32. for favouring mens lusts and complying with the wicked custom of the Jews who upon every slight and frivolous occasion put away their Wives from them But such was the Wisdom of our Saviour in all his answers to the ensnaring Pharisees that neither their wit nor malice could lay hold upon any thing to entangle him in his talk Obs Therefore the piety and prudence of our Saviour's answer to the Pharisees he refers them to the first institution of marriage When God made Husband and Wife one flesh to the intent that matrimonial Love might be both incommunicable and indissoluble and accordingly asks them what did Moses command you thereby teaching us that the best means for deciding all doubts and resolving all controversies about matters of Religion is to have Recourse unto the Scriptures or the written Word of God what did Moses command you Obs Farther How our Saviour to confute the Pharisees and convince them of the unlawfulness of Divorces used by the Jews lays down the first institution of Marriage and shews them first the Author next the time and then the end of the Institution the Author God What God has joyned together c. Marriage is an Ordinance of God's own Appointment as the Ground and Foundation of all sacred and civil society The time of the Institution was in the beginning Marriage is almost as old as the World as old as Nature it self there was no sooner one Person but God divided him into two and no sooner was there two but he united them into one And the end of the Instituti of Mariage Christ declares was this that there might be not only an intimacy and nearness but also an inseparable Union and Oneness by means of this endearing Relation the congugal knot is tied so close that the Bonds of matrimonial love are stronger then those of Nature Stricter is the Tye betwixt husband and wife then that betwixt parent and child according to God's own appointment For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his Wife and they Twain shall be one flesh And whereas our Saviour adds what God hath joyned together let not man put asunder two things are hereby intimated to us 1. That God is the Author of the close and intimate Union which is betwixt Man and Wife in a married condition 2. That it is not in the power of man to untie or dissolve that Union which God has made betwixt Man and Wife in the married estate yea it is a great sin to advise unto or endeavour after the separation of them Obs Lastly Our Saviour's private conference with the Disciples after his publick disputation with the Pharisees about this matter of divorce He tells his Disciples and in them he tells all Christians to the end of the World that it is utterly unlawful for Man and Wife to be separated by Divorcement one from another for any cause whatsover except only for the sin of Adultery committed by either of them after the Marriage Learn hence that according to the Word and Will of God nothing can violate the bonds of marriage and justly a divorce betwixt Man and Wife save only the defiling of the marriage Bed by Adultery and uncleanness This is the only case in which Man and Wife may lawfully part and being for this cause parted whether they may afterwards marry again to other Persons has been much disputed but that the innocent and injured person whether Man or Woman for there is an equal Right on both sides may not marry again seems very unreasonable for why should one suffer for anothers fault 13 And they brought young children to him that he should touch them and his Disciples rebuked those that brought them 14 But when Jesus saw it he was much displeased and said unto
thee 34 And his lord was wroth and delivered him unto the tormentors till 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 Our Blessed Saviour to enforce the foregoing Doctrine of mutual Forgiveness propounds a Parable the main Scope of which is to shew that unless we do actually forgive and pass by Injuries done to us we cut our selves off from all Interest in God's pardoning Mercy and must expect no Forgiveness at the Hands of God From the whole Note 1. That as we all stand in need of Forgiveness from God so likewise of Forgiveness from one another 2. That we all stand bound by the Laws of our Holy Religion to forbear and forgive one another 3. That Almighty God has made the forgiving one another the certain and necessary Condition of his forgiving us 4. That such as are inexorable towards their Brethren shall find Almighty God hard to be entreated towards themselves We may expect the same Rigour and Severity from God which we shew to Men. 5. That the Freeness of God's Love in forgiving us ought to be both an Argument to excite us to forgive one another and also a Rule to direct us in the manner of forgiving each other Doth God forgive us when he has Power in his Hand to punish us So must we when we have Ability and Opportunity for Revenge Doth God forgive universally all Persons So must we all Provocations Doth he forgive freely and willingly heartily and sincerely We must be as forward in forgiving as they in provoking CHAP. XIX 1 AND it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these sayings he departed from Galilee and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan 2 And great multitudes followed him and he healed them there The Country of the Jews was divided into Three Provinces namely Galilee Samaria and Judea In Galilee were the Cities of Nazareth Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum here Christ dwelt and spent a considerable part of his time preaching to them and working Miracles among them But now comes the Time in which our Holy Lord takes his Leave of this Province of Galilee and return'd no more to it Woe to that People whose Unthankfulness for Christ's Presence and Ministry amongst them causes him finally to forsake them Having left Galilee our Holy Lord passes through Samaria the Samaritans being prejudiced against him and refusing to receive him and comes into the Coasts of Judea where Multitudes of People flock'd after him But Observe the Quality of his Followers not the great Ones of the World not many Mighty not many Noble but the Poor and Despised Multitude the Sick and Weak the Deaf and Blind the Diseased and Distressed Thence Observe That none but such as find their Need of Christ will seek after him and come unto him None will apply to him for Help till they feel themselves helpless Great Multitudes of the Sick and Diseased came unto him and he healed them all 3 The Pharisees also that came unto him tempting him and saying unto him Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause Observe here 1. That wheresoever our blessed Saviour went the Pharisees followed him Not out of a sincere Intention but with Design to ensnare him and accordingly they propound a Question to him concerning Divorce whether a Man might put away his Wife upon any Occasion as the manner of the Jews was Concluding that they should entrap him in his Answer whatever it was If he denied the Lawfulness of Divorce then they would charge him with contradicting Moses who allowed it If he affirmed it then they would condemn him for contradicting his own Doctrine Chap. 5.32 for favouring Men's Lusts and for complying with the wicked Custom of the Jews who upon every slight and frivolous Occasions put away their Wives from them Learn hence 1. That wheresoever our Lord went as he had Disciples and Sincere Followers so the Devil stirr'd him up bitter and malicious Enemies who sought to render his Person unacceptable and his Doctrine unsuccessful 2. That of all Christ's Enemies none had such a bitter Hatred and Enmity against his Person Ministry and Miracles as the Pharisees Men of great Knowledge who rebelled against the Light of their own Consciences and the clear Convictions of their own Mind 3. That such waâ— the Wisdom of our Saviour in all his Answers to his Enemies that neither their Wit nor Malice could lay hold upon any thing to ensnare him For observe the Piety and Prudence of his Answer to the Pharisees in the next Words 4 And he answered and said unto them Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female 5 And said for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh 6 Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh What therefore God hath joyned together let not man put asunder Observe here Christ gives no direct Answer to the Pharisees ensnaring Question but referrs them to the first Institution of Marriage When God made them one to the Intent that Matrimonial Love might be both incommunicable and indissoluble Whence Learn 1. The Sacred Institution of Marriage It is an Ordinance of God's own Appointment as the Ground and Foundation of all Sacred and Civil Society What God has joyned together Learn 2. The Antiquity of this Institution it was from the Beginning He which made them at the Beginning made them Male and Female Marriage is almost as old as the World as old as Nature there was no sooner One Person but God divided him into Two and no sooner was there Two but he united them into One. Learn hence 3. The Intimacy and Nearness of this endeared and endearing Relation the Conjugal Knot is tied so close that the Bonds of Matrimonial Love are stronger than those of Nature Stricter is the Tye betwixt Husband and Wife than that betwixt Parent and Child according to God's own Institution For this Cause shall a Man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his Wife 7 They say unto him Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement and to put her away 8 He saith unto them Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives but from the beginning it was not so 9 And I say unto you Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication and shall marry another committeth adultery and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery Observe here the Pharisees Demand and our Saviour's Reply They demand Why Moses commanded to put away the Wife by a Bill of Divorce Where Note the wicked Abuse which the Pharisees put upon Moses as if he had commanded them whereas he only permitted to put them away Moses suffered it
among themselves Whither will he go that we shall not find him will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles 36 What manner of saying is this that he said Ye shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am thither ye cannot come Observe here 1. How enraged the Pharisees were when they heard that so many of the Common People were brought to Believe in Christ and to cleave unto Christ insomuch that they sent publick Officers Armed with Authority to Apprehend our Blessed Saviour The Pharisees and Chief Priests sent Officers to Take him Learn thence That nothing more enrages the Enemies of Religion and draws on Trouble on the Preachers and Professors of it than the success which the Gospel at any time meets with Observe 2. Our Saviour tells them that as they desired to be Rid of him so ere long they should have their desire he would leave them and go to his Father and in his Absence they would wish for his Bodily presence again but should not have it Learn The Despisers of Christ have little cause to be weary of him and to seek to put him away by Violence and Persecution for their obstinate contempt of him will cause him to depart from them and finally to forsake them Observe 3. How the Jews not understanding our Saviour's words aright Reasoned among themselves whither by Leaving of them he meant to go into some Pagan Country and Teach the Gentiles the Mysteries of the Jewish Religion which above all things they could not endure to hear Learn hence That it is the Ordinary Sin of a People priviledged with the means of Grace not to be sensible of any hazard or danger of Christ's Leaving and forsaking them Till at last he forsakes them finally and casts them off to their inevitable and unutterable Condemnation Thus did our Lord deal with the Jews here I go my way and whither I go ye cannot come 37 In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink The feast of Tabernacles which is the seast here meant lasted Eight days the first and last of which were to be kept Holy with Religious Assemblies and Sacrifices and it was a Custom among the Jews upon that Solemn day to offer up a Pot of Water unto God which they drew out of the Fountain of Siloam with Reference to this Custom Christ here cries with a loud Voice inviting the People to fetch and draw from him as from a Living fountain all the Sanctifying Gifts and Saving Graces of the Holy Spirit Learn hence That Jesus Christ is the Original and Fountain of all Saving Grace whom if we Thirst after Repair to and by Faith depend upon as Mediator we shall certainly Receive what influences of Grace so ever we want and stand in need of 38 He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water Here again Christ Alludes to a Jewish Custom the Jews were wont at Fountains to Build great Vessels of Stone and in the midst or Belly of them to have Pipes through which the Water passes Now says Christ Thus shall it be with every one that Believeth on me he shall be abundantly filled with the Spirit of God in all the Sanctifying and Saving Graces of it Christ and his Holy Spirit are a Living Fountain whose Waters never fail they are not a Water-brook but a Spring of Waters we shall never miss of the Waters of Life if we seek unto and wait upon Christ for them For if we Believe on him out of our Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Waters sufficient for our selves and wherewith to refresh others 39 But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified These words are the Evangelist St. John's Commentary upon the foregoing promise he tells us That Christ spoke this of the Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit which did Accompany the descent of the Holy Ghost at the Feast of Pentecost For the Holy Ghost was not yet given that is not so plentifully given because that Jesus was not yet Glorified Learn hence That altho' the Spirit was in some measure given by God from the Beginning to good Men yet the more plentiful effusion of it was deferred till the Ascension and Glorification of Jesus Christ 40 ¶ Many of the people therefore when they heard this saying said Of a truth this is the prophet 41 Others said This is the Christ But some said Shall Christ come out of Galilee 42 Hath not the scripture said That Christ cometh of the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was 43 So there was a division among the people because of him 44 And some of them would have taken him but no man laid hands on him In these Verses an Account is given of the various effects which our Lord 's foregoing Sermon had upon his Hearers hearts Some were so affected with it that they Believed him to be the great Prophet promised to Israel Deut. 18.18 Others apprehended him to be the Christ Others contradict both supposing him to be Born not at Bethlehem but in Galilee And upon this Diversity of Opinions there arose a Division amongst them And some had a mind to have apprehended him but by an over-ruling Providence they were restrained from the doing of it at present Learn hence That Diversity of Opinions in matters of Religion even concerning Christ himself have been even from the beginning Some accounted him a Prophet others the Messiah some thought him neither but a grand Impostor and Deceiver Our dear Lord when here on Earth passed through evil Report and good Report let his followers expect and prepare for the same For Innocence it self cannot protect from Slander and false Accusation 45 ¶ Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees and they said unto them Why have ye not brought him 46 The officers answered Never man spake like this man 47 Then answered them the Pharisees Are ye also deceived 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed Observe here 1. How God restrained the rage and malice of Christ's Enemies till his hour was come the Officers of the Chief Priests who were sent forth with a Commission to apprehend him return without him but with this Honourable mention of him in their mouths never Man spake like this Man Such is the Power of Christ's Doctrine that even those that come unto it with prejudice and with a persecuting purpose may be surprized by it and tho' not converted yet bridled and restrained the preaching of the Gospel doth sometimes restrain the violence of the Hand when it works no change in or upon the Heart Thus it was
Life Observe 2. How the Jews misunderstood our Saviour's words He that keeps my saying shall never see Death as if he meant a freedom from Temporal Death and hereupon they looked upon him as beside himself to promise a Priviledge which neither Abraham nor the Prophets did ever enjoy Whereas it was not Exemption from Temporal Death but freedom from Eternal Destruction which our Saviour promised to them that keep his sayings Hence learn That the misunderstanding of Christ's Doctrine and taking it in a Carnal Sense has given occasion for the many Cavils and Objections made against it Observe 3. How Christ clears himself of all Ambition in this matter and shews that he did not make this promise of delivering his followers from Death vain-gloriously but that God whom they called their Father had honoured him with Power to make good what ever he had promised to them that keep his saying Learn hence That as Christ intirely sought his Father's Glory so the Father conferred all Honour and Glory upon Christ as Mediatour thereby testifying how infinitely pleased he was with the Redemption of Mankind performed by him If I honour my self my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth me 56 Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad That is Abraham having Received a Promise that the Messias should come of his Seed he exceedingly Rejoyced to see the day of my coming in the Flesh tho' afar off with the Eye of his Faith and in a Figure in his Sacrificed Son Isaac And this sight of his Faith was so Transporting that he leap'd for Joy Learn hence That a strong Faith giveth such a clear sight of Christ tho' at a distance as produceth an Holy delight and Rejoycing in him 57 Then said the Jews unto him Thou art not yet fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham 58 Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Before Abraham was I am 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him but Jesus hid himself and went put of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by Observe here 1. What a false and Ridiculous construction the Jews make of our Saviour's words as if he had affirmed that he had seen Abraham and Abraham him with bodily Eyes whereas Christ only asserted that Abraham had seen his Day that is he foresaw by Faith the Day of his Incarnation and coming in the Flesh Observe 2. Our Saviour's positive asserting of his Divinity or that he had a Being as God from all Eternity for says he Before Abraham was I am Where Note That Christ doth not say Before Abraham was I was but Before Abraham was I am which is the proper name of God whereby is signified the Eternal duration and permanency of his Being The Adversaries of Christ's Divinity say that before Abraham was Christ was that is in God's fore-knowledge or Decree but this may be said of any other person as well as Christ that he was in the fore-knowledge of God before Abraham was Born Whereas undoubtedly it was Christ's design in these words to give himself some preference and advantage above Abraham which this Interpretation doth not in the least do Observe lastly How the Jews looking upon Christ as a Blasphemer for making himself equal with God and for asserting his Eternal Existence they make a Zealous attempt upon his Life by taking up Stones to cast at him as the Jews used to deal with Blasphemers but our Saviour delivers himself miraculously from their fury and escapes untouched Hence learn That when Arguments fail the Enemies of Truth betake themselves to force and violence They took up Stones to cast at him 2. That as Christ disappointed his own Persecutors so he can and will deliver his People in their greatest extremity from the Persecutors Rage and Fury 2. Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptation and to reserve the Vnjust to the Day of Judgment to be punished CHAP. IX 1 ANd as Jesus passed by he saw a man which was blind from his birth The foregoing Chapter acquainted us with a famous Encounter which the Pharisees had with our Blessed Saviour in the Temple at Jerusalem This being ended as he passed from the Temple he saw a Man lying possibly by the High-way who was Born Blind Him Christ pitches upon as an object fit to exercise his Divine Power in the cure and healing of They that are Blind by casualty may possibly be relieved by Art and Industry but to cure one that is Born Blind nothing less is required than an Almighty Power Learn hence That Diseases and Distempers which are incurable by the ordinary course of Nature are not insuperable to Christ's Power nor impossible for him to help but a proper object for him to magnifie his Power upon Therefore is it here Recorded that this poor Man was Blind from his Birth such Blindness being accounted incurable by Natural means 2 And his disciples asked him saying Master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind Here Observe Something implied or supposed Namely 1. That all Bodily Afflictions and Calamities do come upon us for Sin Whereas Afflictions tho' they always fall upon a Sinner yet are they not always sent for Sin but by way of Purgation and Prevention of Sin 2. It is here supposed that as some Afflictions come upon Men for personal Sins so others come upon them for Parental Sins and that Children may and oftimes do very justly suffer for their Parents Sins 3. It is here supposed that there is no other Reason of a person's sufferings but only Sin Whereas tho' Sin be much and often the cause of suffering yet we may wrong God and Man yea and Sin too to conclude it is always the cause of suffering 4. It is implied here That there is a Transmigration of Souls from one Body to another the Disciples supposed that this Soul when it was in another Body sinned and was now punished by being put into a Blind Body This Pythagorean Error was crept in among the Pharisees and the Disciples here seem to be tainted and infected with it This may Teach us how far the Holiest and Wisest of Men are from an Infallible Spirit and that the Best Men may be misled by a common Error 3 Jesus answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him Christ's Answer must not be understood Absolutely as if he denied this Man and his Parents to be guilty of Sin for both he and they had Sin enough not only to deserve Temporal Blindness but Eternal darkness The meaning is That in Afflicting this Man the Lord did not so much Respect his or his Parent 's Sin as the manifestation of his own Glory in this miraculous Cure Christ doth not deny but that a Man 's own Sin and the Sin of his Parents may be the procuring
condition that separated Souls are in after Death Thus the Miracles of Christ drew many followers after his Person who were never converted by his Doctrine It was the Sin of many when Christ was here upon Earth that they flock'd after him rather out of Curiosity than out of Conscience and chose rather to gaze upon his Works than to fall in Love with the Worker The Multitude here came to Bethany Not for Jesus's sake onely but that they might see Lazarus also 10 ¶ But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death 11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus Observe here 1. The unreasonableness of that Rage and Madness which was found in the chief Priests against Lazarus They consulted together how they might put Lazarus to Death But supposing that Christ had spoken Blasphemy in making himself equal with God or supposing that he had broken the Sabbath by curing the Man that was Born Blind on that Day yet what had Lazarus done that he must be put to Death But from hence we learn That such as have received special Mercy and Favours from Christ or are made the Instruments of his Glory must expect to be made the Mark and Butt of malicious Enemies Christ had highly honoured Lazarus by raising him from the Grave and here there is a Resolution against his Life whom Christ had thus highly Honoured The chief Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to Death also Observe 2. The cause why the Chief Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to Death Namely Because that by Reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus That is many of the Jews seeing the Miracle of Christ's raising Lazarus from the Grave were drawn thereby to Believe in Jesus Christ and this so inraged the Chief Priests against Lazarus that they sought to put him to Death Learn hence That nothing so much enrages the Enemies of Christ as the enlargement of his Kingdom and the sight of the number of Believers daily encreasing This provokes the Devil's wrath and his Servants rage 12 ¶ On the next day much people that were come to the Feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem 13 Took branches of palm-trees and went forth to meet him and cried Hosanna blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14 And Jesus when he had found a young ass sat thereon as it is written 15 Fear not daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh fitting on an asses colt 16 These things understood not his disciples at the first but when Jesus was glorified then remembred they that these things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him Here we have Recorded the carriage of the Multitude towards our Saviour when he came near the City of Jerusalem They take Palms in their Hands and go forth to meet him and cast their Garments on the Ground before him to Ride upon yea they do not only Disrobe their Backs but expend their Breath in joyful Acclamations and loud Hosannahs wishing all manner of Prosperity to their meek but mighty King In this Prince-like yet Poor and Despicable Pomp doth our Saviour enter the Famous City of Jerusalem Lord How far wert thou from affecting Worldly Greatness and Grandeur Thou despisest that Glory which our Hearts fondly Admire Yet because Christ was a King he would be proclaimed such and have his Kingdom confest and applauded and blest Yet that it might appear that his Kingdom was not of this World he abandons all Worldly magnificence Oh Glorious yet homely Pomp Oh meek but mighty Prince 17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead bare record 18 For this cause the people also met him for that they heard that he had done this miracle 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing behold the world is gone after him 20 ¶ And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast 21 The same came therefore to Philip which was of Bethsaida of Galilee and desired him saying Sir we would see Jesus 22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and again Andrew and Philip told Jesus Observe here 1. How the Multitude at Jerusalem came forth to meet Christ when he was making his publick entry into the City hearing the fame of his Miracles For this cause the People also met him for that they had heard that he had done this Miracle Observe 2. How amongst others who came forth to meet our Saviour certain Greeks or Gentile Proselytes who came up to worship in the outward Court of the Temple apply themselves to Philip that he would help them to a sight of Jesus Sir we would see Jesus It is probable that this desire to see Christ in these persons proceeded from Curiosity only But if it did produce true Faith in them we may thence infer That a spiritual sight of Christ by the discerning Eye of a Believer's Faith it is the most glorious and consequently the most desirable sight in all the World and so must needs be for it is a Soul-Ravishing a Soul-Satisfying a Soul-Transforming and a Soul-Saving sight This sight of Christ by Faith will constrain a Soul highly to admire and greatly to commend him It will incline a Soul to chuse him and cleave unto him and will set the Soul a longing for the full fruition and final injoyment of him Luke 2.29 Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation now let thy Servant depart Observe lastly How the Envious Pharisees were galled and cut to the Heart to see such a Multitude both of Jews and Greeks crouding out of the City to meet Jesus in his Triumphant entrance into the City The Pharisees said Behold the World is gone after him Learn hence That in the day of Christ's greatest Solemnity and Triumph there will not be wanting some persons of such a canker'd disposition that they will neither rejoyce themselves nor can they endure that others should This was the case of the wicked Pharisees here 23 ¶ And Jesus answered them saying The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified 24 Verily verily I say unto you Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal Observe here 1. How our blessed Saviour entertains his followers with a Discourse concerning his approaching Death and Sufferings The hour is coming that the Son of Man shall be glorified Observe 2. How he Arms his Disciples against the scandal of the Cross by shewing them the great Benefit that would redound by his Death unto all Mankind and this by a Similitude taken from Grain Except