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A76798
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Expositions and sermons upon the ten first chapters of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to Matthew. Written by Christopher Blackwood, preacher to a Church of Christ in the city of Dublin in Ireland.
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Blackwood, Christopher.
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1659
(1659)
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Wing B3098; ESTC R207680
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612,607
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923
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father is perfect 3 The inference whence it is inforced Therefore Be ye perfect Not in equality but in similitude as Luke 6.36 Be ye mercifull as you father is mercifull Probably it might be taken out of Levit. 11.44.19.2 from whence Peter took it 1 Pet. 1.16 Be holy as I am holy Perfection is taken 1 For the perfection of sinceritie Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just and a perfect man in his generation and Noah walked with God that is his sincerity showed it self by walking with God making God present with him and himself present with God in his actings Now this perfection of sincerity is taken in opposition to hypocrisie in the reign Isa 38.3 Remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Luke 1.76 In holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life Many have an outward perfection but they are like Apples rotten at the core though they look lovelily Contrary Saints 2 Cor. 2.17 2 Perfection is taken for universality of obedience Psal 119.7 I will praise thee with uprightness when I shall have learned not onely notionally but practically thy Commandements Now when a man lives in a purpose of any sin or in an omission of any known duty or in an unresolvedness against any known evil he is not perfect also if he admit a constant neglect of any duty or an ordinary Commission of any sin he is not perfect but when a man though he be subject to infirmities had rather dye then omit a known duty or live in a known sin he is perfect and will grow out his infirmities in time as a sound man wears out his sickness This perfection is called Sanctification throughout 1 Thes 5.23 and turning to God with the whole heart Joel 2.12 Jer. 3.10 There is not any thing in his soul the bent whereof is not from God Now where men are not thus perfectly universal something or other steals away their heart as riches honour c. that if God and that come in competition they leave the Lord. This universality of obedience is seen in eying every of Gods commands Psal 119.6 as in governing the tongue without which we are not perfect Jam. 1.26 compared with Jam. 3.2 q.d. he is not a perfect man unless he look to this command of governing his tongue as well as other 3 Perfection is taken for singleness of heart Gen. 17.1 which is when a man singles out God from all other objects he will follow God in his ways that neither favours of great ones contempts of multitudes proffers of preferment nor persecutions of enemies shall draw him off from the Lord Josh 24.15 Heb. 11.24 Dan. 6.10 4 Perfection is taken for straightness Psal 37.37 Mark the just and perfect man or as the word is rendred straight man Straightness appears in a mans ayms and ends as when a person shall make Gods glory profitableness to others and his own salvation to be his end Imperfect men go in crooked paths Psal 125.4 Crooked hearts and straight rules to aym at God cannot meet For application try your perfection of heart by four trials suitable to this fourfold acception of perfection 1 Whether are you sincere to eye God in what you do as in alms prayer and fasting Matth. 6.1 2 c. Col. 3.22 23. speaking to Christian servants he saith Servants obey your masters not with eye service as men-pleasers but with singleness of heart fearing God and whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men q.d. in all your services eye God 2 Cor. 2.17 Obj. But if none are perfect with God but those that eye God what will become of me who have so many by-ends in what I do Answ Gods children though by ends creep into them groan under them Rom. 7.16 17. 2 Their earnest desire is to be wholly rid of them and where a man can do no more but will his will is accepted for the deed 2 Cor. 8.12 3 Ordinarily and usually they look at Gods eye in what they do and this is a blessed temper belonging onely to perfect men Rom. 8.1 Thou herein walks after the spirit and so art blessed 2 Whether dost thou look at all Gods commands Herod did many things but would not part with Herodias Mark 6.20 If thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded thee 1 Kings 9.4 As if he should say Thy heart O Solomon cannot be perfect unless thou observe all my commands The young man Mat. 19. proved his unsoundness in that he would not part with all for Christ in something or other unsound men discover themselves if not to the observation of others yet to the conviction of their own hearts if they would not want in the due trial hereof If thy bloud rise when thou hears a stranger swear an oath and thou canst hear thy Apprentice to lye and cheat and never be moved at it this is but a false fire True obedience as it disputes not the comands of God but obeys them cheerfully so doth it not divide the commands of God but obeys them equally Ps 119.6 Joh. 15.14 3 When a man is not onely willing to do but to sufer any thing that God commands Matth. 19 17. If thou wilt be perfect go and sell all as if he should say If there be any enjoyment in the world that a man is not willing to part with as to leave this pleasant dwelling to part with thy country to fall out with thy near friend to lose the favour of this man that could prefer thee to leave such an Office or imployment as brings it in or if there be any evil thou art not ready to suffer as banishment imprisonment reproach and confiscation of goods thy heart is not perfect with God Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do Let the business be easie or difficult tell me what thou wilt have me to do See in Moses Heb. 11.25 26. Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing save in the cross of Christ that is neither in wealth honour liberty or relations more then in duty to God 4 Whom doest thou make thy end A perfect man makes God his end Rom. 14.7 8. None of us who profess our selves to be Christians lives unto himself c. 1 Cor. 10.31 Joh. 7.18 He that hath no unrighteousness in him that is to say a perfect man seeks the glory of him that sent him The Apostle exhorting servants to uprightness bids them with good will do service as to the Lord Eph. 6.6 7. and bidding masters to be upright in their places v. 9. he urges on this ground Knowing they have a master in heaven Also Col. 3.23 Whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men This consideration that I have to do with God makes a
the very earth with their contagion This was an usual way of abhorrence because Christ speaks of it as of a thing known among the Jews and the Jews were wont to give some outward signs of the things they did as the setting up of a stone or a heap of stones Gen. 31.47 Jos 24.26 8 To denote that God did despise such contemners of grace as a man doth the dust of his feet Also they shewed hereby they were free from their bloud and that their bloud was upon their own heads Now they shook off their dust by rubbing their shoes or sandals one sole against another or rubbing them against some stone or wood it was an allusion to that 1 Kings 13 8. when the Prophet being sent to prophesie against Jeroboam and the Altar of Beth-el was bid to go another way than he came v. 9 10. But because Preachers may be ready to go away hastily from a people when they have not means enough nor reverence enough from them therefore Christ would have Preachers take notice of three sins before they leave a people 1 Unthankfulness if they will not receive the message of salvation 2 Stubbornness if they will not vouchsafe to hear them for if persons will hear we are not hastily to be gone 3 When they shall speak evil of the way of God before multitudes so that by their speaking evil multitudes become hardened against it Acts 19.8 9. Christ will not have the Gospel thrust upon persons against their will V. 15. Verily I say unto you It shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that City Here is a terrible threatening against those who shall not receive the Preachers of the Gospel nor their message It shall be more tolerable for Sodom c. Christ alleges this example which by reason of the nearness to Judea was well known unto them Their punishment was more terrible in this life than Sodom and Gomorrah which were consumed on a sudden but the Jews were consumed by degrees and their punishments have remained long upon them The Ephah of their punishments is set upon its own base or foundation Zach. 5.11 where for their contempt of Christ they have for these sixteen hundred years been made a spectacle of Gods severity Specially these Jews and all other contemners of grace and the Doctrine of Christ shall be punished at the Day of Judgment If there be no escaping for neglect of this salvation Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation what will befall their contempt who say Depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy ways Job 21.14 If they escaped not who refused him who spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him who speaks from Heaven Heb. 12.25 Though other sins sorely offend the Lord 3 Reasons against contempt of grace yet contempt of grace doth exceedingly offend him as being committed 1 Against precious mercy Hence we see how sorely the Jews were punished for their ungratefull contempt Matth. 22.23 who being invited to come to those dainties the King had provided went one to his Farm another to his Merchandise and the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them whereupon the King sent out his Armies of the Romans and slew those Murderers and burnt up their City v. 6 7. and for their contempt the Gentiles were called in in their stead v. 8 9. See also Luke 14.16 to v. 25. How would a Physician be provoked if sending a potion to a sick man the sick man should dash the Vial against the Wall Would not the Physician say Let him die and perish I will send him no more A second reason why God so sore punishes contemners of grace is because they sin against greater light Sodom had not those means of grace the Jews had hence their punishment will be the more grievous He that knew not was beaten with stripes but he that knew and did not was beaten with many stripes Luk. 12.47 48. Now though these Sodomites were sorely punished in this life yet an heavier punishment remains for them at the day of judgement 2 Pet. 2.6 compared with Jude 7. to which the Evangelist primarily hath respect Now these Sodomites had onely the light of nature and the admonitions of Lot The Jews besides the light of Moses had the preachings of the Apostles confirmed with so many miracles 3 There were many sins wrapt up in contempt of grace unbelief disobedience stubbornness inhospitableness We may also note here there are not onely degrees of sins and torments in hell but that contempt of grace is such a sin as might have been shunn'd and that it doth not necessarily follow for then it would not aggravate condemnation as it doth Prov. 1.24 25. Because I have called and ye have refused I will laugh at your destruction Then for that City Not onely a private house but also a whole City contemning grace shall be punished not as if a City should be punished for one mans particular contempt unless they connive justifie defend or some vvay partake therein but to awaken secure sinners vvho because they have multitudes of companions in sin think they shall go free V. 16. Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves be therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves Christ now comes to give general directions for all Christians and in particular to these twelve whom he sends forth in this temporary embassage to guard them against all fear of danger to the end of the Chapter For though it be here spoken unto the twelve yet Luk. 12.1 to verse 13. Christ spoke it unto his Disciples promiscuously an innumerable multitude being then and there present Now Christ in this part of the Chapter sets forth 1 The dangers his Disciples are and would be exposed to 2 The directions and supportations and consolations against dangers The dangers are 1 The cruelty and subtilty of the enemies of Christians viz. they are wolves and you in the midst of them are in danger as sheep among wolves the direction in this danger that Christians should have serpents wisdome and doves innocency 2 That they should be brought before Kings and Councils for the witness of the truth v. 17 18. The consolation is That the Spirit would teach them in that hour what they ought to speak v. 19 20. 3 That they should be hated of all men in general and of their kinred in special v. 21 22. The consolation is They should be saved in case they hold out unto the end v. 22. 4 Persecution from City v. 23. The comfort is God would provide an harbor for them among the spiritual Israel of God till the coming of Christ v. 23. 2 It befals them no otherwise herein then it did to their Master Christ who was called Beelzebub v. 24 25. 5 The next danger is death whereunto they should