his History primarily for the Jews proves him to be the Son of Abraham and David for their comfort St. Luke designing the information and comfort of the Gentiles derives our Lord's Pedigree from Adam the common Parent of mankind to assure the Gentiles of their possibility of an Interest in Christ they being Sons of Adam Neither of these Evangelists are strict and accurate in enumerating every individual person which should Teach us not to be over-curious in scanning the parts of this Genealogy much less captiously to object against it because of some seeming contradictions in it For if the Evangelists were not nice and critical in composing this Genealogy why should we be so in examining of it Let us rather attend the design of the Holy Ghost in Writing of it which was Twofold 1. for the honour of our Saviour as Man shewing who were his Noble and Royal Progenitors according to the Flesh 2. For the confirmation of our Faith touching the Reality of our Saviour's Incarnation the Scripture making mention of all his Progenitors from the first man Adam to his Reputed Father Joseph we cannot reasonably doubt either of the truth of his humane Nature or of the certainty of his being the promised Messias Hence we may Learn That the wisdom of God has taken all necessary care and used all needful Means for satisfying the minds of all unprejudiced Persons touching the Reality of Christ's humane Nature and the certainty of his being the promised Messias for both these Ends is our Saviour's Genealogy Descent and Pedigree Recorded in Holy Scripture CHAP. IV. 1 AND Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness At the 22 Verse of the foregoing Chapter we find the Holy Ghost descending in a bodily Shape like a Dove upon our Saviour in this verse we find the extraordinary effects and fruits of the Holy Ghost's Descent upon our Saviour he was filled with all the Gifts and Graces of the Blessed Spirit to fit and furnish him for that ministerial Service which he was now entring upon But observable it is that before our Saviour undertook the ministerial Office he is led by the Spirit into the Wilderness and there furiously assaulted with Satan's Temptations Temptation Meditation and Prayer says Luther make a Minister great Temptations from Satan do fit us for greater Services for God And whereas it is said that Christ was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil by the Spirit we must understand the Holy Spirit of God for the Devil I think is never called the Spirit but has always a brand of Reproach annext as the evil Spirit the unclean Spirit and the like By his being led by the Spirit St. Mark says he was drove by the Spirit we must not understand any violent motion but a potent and efficacious perswasion he was carried by a strong impulse of the Spirit of God or as the Learned Lightfoot thinks Christ was bodily caught up by the Holy Spirit into the Air and carried from Jordan where he was Baptized into the Wilderness where he was tempted God had put Great honour upon Christ at his Baptism declaring him to be his well-beloved Son in whom he was pleased and the next News we hear is the Devil 's assaulting him with his Temptations Learn thence that the more any are beloved of God and dignified with more eminent Testimonies of his Favour so much the more is the Devil enraged and maliciously bent against them 2 Being forty days tempted of the Devil and in those days he did eat nothing and when they were ended he afterward hungred Obs here how the Divine Power upheld Christ's humane Nature without Food What Moses did at the giving of the Law Christ doth at the beginning of the Gospel namely Fast forty days and forty nights Christ hereby intended our Admiration rather than our imitation or if our Imitation of the Action only not of the Time From this Example of Christ we Learn that it is our Duty by fasting and Prayer to prepare our selves for a Conflict with our Spiritual Enemies as Christ prepared himself by fasting to grapple with the Tempter so should we 3 And the Devil said unto him if thou be the son of God command this stone that it be made Bread Obs here 1. The occasion of the Temptation and 2. the Temptation it self The occasion of the Temptation was our Saviour's hunger and want of Bread Learn thence That when God suffers any of his Children to fall into want and to be straightned for outward things Satan takes a mighty advantage thereupon to tempt and assault them Obs 2. What Sin it is he tempts our Saviour to it is the sin of Distrust to call in question his Sonship if thou be the Son of God and then to distrust God's Providence and care command that these Stones be made Bread It is the grand policy of Satan first to tempt the Children of God to doubt of their Adoption next to distrust God's fatherly care and provision and last of all to use unwarrantable means to help themselves Thus Satan dealt with Christ and thus he deals with Christians for to work a Miracle at Satans Direction was not a lawful means of providing food for himself 4 And Jesus answered him saying It is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God Note first That tho' the Devil abused Scripture yet Christ uses it Good things are never the worse for being abused by Satan and his Instruments Note Secondly the weapon which our Saviour made use of to vanquish Satan it was the word of God it is written says Christ Learn thence That the Scripture or the written word of God is the only sure Weapon wherewith to vanquish Satan and beat back all his fiery Temptations The Scripture is God's Armory out of which all our Weapons of War must be taken for managing our Conflict with Sin and Satan 5 And the Devil taking him up into an high mountain sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the world in a moment of time 6 And the Devil said unto him all this power will I give thee and the glory of them for this is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me all shall be thine 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him Get thee behind me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve The next Sin which Satan tempts our Saviour to is the Sin of Idolatry even to worship the Devil himself Oh thou impudent and foul Spirit to desire thy Creator to Worship thee an Apostate Creature Doubtless there is no sin so black and foul so horrid and monstrous but the Christian may be tempted to it when Christ himself was tempted to Worship the Tempter even the Devil himself St. Matthew reads it If thou wilt Worship
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
very probable Opinion tho' not an infallible Article of Faith as the Church of Rome would make it For the word Vntil signifies in Scripture as much as Never So Gen. 28.15 I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have promised that is I will never leave thee So the Words following Her first-born Son do not imply that she had any Child after but that she had none before That Child which first openeth the Womb is usually in Scripture called the First-born tho' there was no other born after Thus Josh 17.1 Machir is called the First-born of Manasseth tho' he had no more Children So that Christ not only as God but also as he was Man was the First-born and Only Son St. Austin expounds and applies Ezek. 44. v. 2. to the Virgin Mary This Gate shall be shut it shall not be opened and no Man shall enter in by it because the Lord God of Israel hath entered in by it therefore it shall be shut And others of the Ancients say That as Christ lay in the Tomb in which none lay before himself so he lodg'd in a Womb in which none ever lay either before or after himself CHAP. II. Our Saviour's Miraculous Conception by the Power of the Holy Ghost being recorded in the First Chapter several remarkable Circumstances relating to his Birth are set down in this As namely the Place of his Birth Bethlehem and the Time In the days of Herod the King 1 NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem Observe here 1. The Place of our Lord's Birth Bethlehem he was Born not at Athens not at Rome not at Jerusalem not in any Opulent or Magnificent City but in the meanest of the Cities of Judah Thereby shewing us that his Kingdom was not of this World and that he little regarded Pomp and outward Greatness Oh how can we be Abased enough for Christ that thus Neglected himself for us Obs 2. The Time of our Lord's Birth In the Days of Herod the King This Herod being a Foreigner and King of the Romans which now reigned over the Jews in him was fulfilled Jacob's Prophecy Gen. 49.10 That the Scepter should not depart from Judah that is the Jews should have Governours of their own Nation until Shiloh come That is until Christ the promised Messiah come in the Flesh So that considering the Circumstance of Time and Place where and when Christ was Born it was and is wilful Obstinacy in the Jews to deny that the Messiah is come in the Flesh Obs 3. That Tribute of Honour which was paid unto our Saviour at his Birth the Wise Men of the East came and Worshipped him That is the Chaldean Arabian or Persian Astronomers who as the First-Fruits of the Gentiles seek after Christ whilst the Jews his own People rejected him Oh how will their coming so far as the East to seek Christ rise up another Day in Judgment against us if we refuse to be found by Christ who came from Heaven to seek us 2 Saying where is he that is born king of the Jews for we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him Observe here 1. The Inquiry that they make after Christ they do not ask whether he was Born but where he was Born not doubting of the Fact but ignorant of the Place Obs 2. The Ground of their Inquiry For we have seen his Star They had seen a Star but how did they know it was his Star Doubtless by Divine Revelation they had a Light within as well as a Star without or they had never found Christ No doubt the Holy Spirit 's Illumination accompanied the Star's Apparition As God made known the Birth of Christ to the Jews by an Angel so he manifested the same to the Gentiles by a new-created Star Obs 3. The End of their Journey We are come to Worship him that is to Pay all that Honour and Homage which is due to a Great and Mighty Prince All that Adoration and Worship which belongs to the promised Messiah the Redeemer of the World Learn hence That all Honour and Homage all Glory and Worship is due to Christ from the Sons of Men and will be given him by those that know him 3 When Herod the king heard these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Observe here That when Christ came into the World to Save Men it cast the World into Consternation and caused wonderful Disturbance Herod is first concerned and next all Jerusalem with him Herod for fear of losing his Kingdom Jerusalem for fear of losing their Prince Thus Christ who was the Angel's Song the Wise Men's Joy Israel's Consolation becomes Herod's Fear and Jerusalem's Terrour But why was Herod thus disturbed 'T is true a King is Born but one whose Kingdom is not of this World 't was Herod's false Apprehension that was the Cause of this Perturbation Hence we see that the greatest Enmities and bitterest Animosities have arisen from causless Fears and groundless Jealousies 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together he demanded of them where Christ should be born 5 And they said unto him In Bethlehem of Judea for thus it is written by the prophet 6 And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda for out of thee shall come a Governour that shall rule my people Israel Herod being in great Perplexity conven'd a Council of the Chief Priests and Scribes and demands of them the Place where Christ the promised Messiah was to be Born they readily reply out of the Prophet Micah ch 5.2 that Bethlehem is the Place this was the City of David's Birth and of Christ's the Son of David Bethlehem signifies the House of Bread and was so called from its Fertility and Fruitfulness and as some think with Reference to Christ the True Bread of Life Born there Bethlehem was a mean and contemptible Place in it self but being Honoured with Christ's Presence how great is it Learn thence That the Presence of Christ dignifies and exalts a Place how mean soever in it self Bethlehem tho' a little City in it self yet is not the least amongst the Cities of Judah because Christ is Born there 7 Then Herod when he had privily called the wise men inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said Go and search diligently for the young child and when ye have found him bring me word again that I may come and worship him also Observe here 1. How Herod cloaks his intended Cruelty with disguised Hypocrisie he had Murder in his Heart when he pretended to Worship Christ with his Mouth There is no Villany so great but will mask it self under a Pretence and Shew of Piety Herod veils his Intent to Kill Christ with a Pretence
of God the Father pronouncing 1. The Nearness of Christ's Relation to himself This is my Son 2. The Endearedness of his Person This is my Beloved Son 3. The Fruit and Benefit of this near and dear Relation unto us In him I am well pleased Note 1. That there is no possibility for any Person to please God out of Christ both our Persons and our Performances find Acceptance only for His sake 2. That in and through Christ God is well-pleased with all Believers This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased c. CHAP. IV. The former part of this Chapter acquaints us with our Blessed Saviour's Combat with and Conquest over Satan and the first Verse informs us of the Time when and Place where the Combat was fought 1 THEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil Observe here 1. The Time when Christ entred the Lists with Satan implied in the word Then that is First Immediately after his Baptism he is no sooner out of the Water of Baptism but he is in the Fire of Temptation Secondly Immediately after the Spirit descended upon him and the Father had by a Voice from Heaven manifested his Complacency and Satisfaction in him This is my Beloved Son c. Note thence That great Manifestations of Love from God are usually followed with great Temptations from Satan Observe 2. The Place where this Combat was fought and that is in the Wilderness Learn thence That no Place can priviledge us from Temptation or be a Sanctuary from Satan's Assaults the solitary Wilderness has a Tempter in it yea Satan sometimes makes use of Mens Solitariness to farther his Temptations a Cell a Nunnery or a Cloister are as open to Satan as the open Fields and the Persons that live in them have a Tempter without and an Enticer within as well as other Men. Obs 3. The Efficient Cause of Christ's going into the Wilderness to be Tempted by Satan He was led up of the Spirit says St. Matthew The Spirit drove him says St. Mark That is the Holy Spirit of God not Satan the Unclean Spirit for the Devil is seldom if ever called The Spirit but usually some Brand of Reproach is annexed as the Evil Spirit or the Vnclean Spirit Christ was Led by the Spirit that is he was carried by a strong Impulse of the Spirit of God into the Wilderness to be Tempted by Satan Learn hence 1. That none of the Children of God ought to expect a Freedom from Temptations seeing Christ himself in the Days of his Flesh was strongly solicited by Satan unto Sin 2. That all the Temptations wherewith the Children of God are assaulted are ordered by Divine and Special Dispensation Satan could not assault our Saviour till he was Led by the Spirit into the Wilderness for that End and he shall not assault any of his Members but by Divine Permission and special Dispensation 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was afterward an hungred Obs here 1. How the Divine Power upheld the Human Nature of Christ without Food What Moses did at the Giving of the Law Christ doth at the Beginning of the Gospel namely Fast Forty Days and Forty Nights Christ hereby intended our Admiration not our Imitation or if our Imitation of the Action only not of the Time Christ teaches us by Fasting and Prayer to prepare our selves for a Conflict with our Spiritual Enemies as he prepared himself by Fasting to grapple with the Tempter so should we 3 And when the tempter came to him he said If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread Observe here 1. The Occasion of the Temptation 2. The Temptation it self The Occasion was our Saviour's Hunger and want of Bread Learn thence That when God suffers any of his Dear Children to fall into Want and to be streightned for Outward Things Satan takes a mighty Advantage thereupon to Tempt and Assault them But what doth he Tempt our Saviour to To the Sin of Distrust to question his Sonship If thou be the Son of God And next to distrust his Father's Providence and Care Command that these Stones be made Bread Learn hence 1. That Satan's grand Design is first to tempt the Children of God to doubt of their Adoption and next to Distrust God's Fatherly Care over them and Provision for them and last of all to use Unwarrantable Means to help themselves Thus Satan dealt with Christ and thus he deals with Christians For to work a Miracle at Satan's Direction was not a Lawful Means of providing Food for himself 4 But he answered and said It is written Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Observe here The Weapon which our Saviour made use of to repell the Temptation and to vanquish the Tempter and that is the Word of God It is written Learn That the Scriptures or the Written Word of God is the only sure Weapon wherewith to vanquish Satan and to beat back all his Fiery Temptations 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city and setteth him on a pinacle of the temple That is Satan by God's permission took up his Body and carried it in the Air and set it upon one of the Battlements of the Temple Learn hence 1. What a mighty Power Evil Spirits have over our Bodies if God permits them to execute and exercise their Power upon them 2. That it is owing to the gracious Care and watchful Providence of God over us that we are not hurried away bodily by Satan Thanks be to God tho' the Devil's Malice be infinite yet his Power is limited and bounded as he cannot do all the Mischief he would to the Bodies and Souls of Men so he shall not do all he can 6 And saith unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone Here we have Observable First the Sin which Satan tempts Christ unto and next the Argument which he tempts him from The Sin tempted to is the Sin of Self-Murther Cast thy self down Whence we Learn That Self-Murther is a Sin which Christ himself was and the best of Saints may by Satan be tempted to the Commission of But forasmuch as Satan tempted Christ to murther himself but had not power to do it himself do thou cast thy self down We Learn That tho' Satan may tempt yet he cannot compel he may entice but cannot enforce any to Sin against their own Consent Obs 2. The Argument which Satan uses it is a Scripture-Argument he quotes the Promise of God He shall give his Angels charge over thee What a Marvel is here to find Satan with a Bible under his Arm and a Text of Scripture in his Mouth Christ
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
our Saviour against the Scribes and Pharisees is for perverting the Holy Scriptures and keeping the true sense and knowledge of them from the People This St. Luke here calls The taking away the Key of Knowledge from Men alluding to a custom among the Jews in Admission of their Doctors Those that had Authority given them to interpret the Law and the Prophets were solemnly admitted into that Office by delivering to them a Key and a Table-Book so that by the Key of Knowledge is meant the Interpretation and Understanding of the Scriptures and by taking away that Key is signified 1. That they arrogated to themselves the sole Power of Understanding and Interpreting the Holy Scriptures 2. That they kept the true knowledge of the Scriptures from the People especially the Prophecies which concerned the Kingdom and Coming of the Messias and so they hindered Men from embracing our Saviour's Doctrine who were otherwise well enough disposed for it Learn First That the written Word is the Key whereby an entrance into Heaven is opened unto Men. 2. That the use of this Key or the Knowledge of the Word of God is absolutely and indispensably necessary in order to Salvation 3. That great is the Guilt and inexcusable the Fault of those who deny the People the use of this Key and deprive them of the Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures which alone can make them wise unto Salvation 4. That such as do so shut the Kingdom of Heaven against Men endeavouring what in them lies to hinder their Salvation Men may miscarry with their Knowledge but they are sure to perish for lack of Knowledge 53 And as he said these things unto them the Scribes and Pharisees began to urge him vehemently and to provoke him to speak of many things 54 Laying wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him Observe here 1. How our Blessed Saviour's Plain and Faithful dealing with these Men does Enrage instead of Reform them they are filled with Anger and Indignation 2. Their Wrath sets their Wits on Work to ensnare him Lord When any of thy Faithful Ministers and Ambassadors meet with the like Usage and Treatment from a wicked World when any lye in wait to catch something out of our Mouth that therewith they may ensnare us give us thy Prudence and thy Patience that we may cut off occasion from those that seek occasion against us and disappoint them of their purpose or else furnish us with such measures of Meekness and Patience as becomes Persons of our Holy Character and Profession that we may Glory in Reproaches in Persecutions and Distresses for Christ's sake and that the Spirit of Glory and of God may rest upon us CHAP. XII 1 IN the mean time when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people insomuch that they trode one upon another he began to say unto his Disciples first of all Beware ye of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisy 2 For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed neither hid that shall not be known 3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the house tops In this Chapter our Blessed Saviour furnishes his Disciples with many Instructions for the worthy discharge of their Function in Preaching the Gospel particularly he recommends unto them two gracious Qualifications namely uprightness and sincerity v. 1 2 3. Secondly Courage and Magnanimity v. 4 5. 1. He recommends unto them the Grace and Vertue of Sincerity Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy Learn thence That hypocrisy is a dangerous Leaven which Ministers and People are chiefly and especially to beware of and to preserve themselves from Hypocrisy is a Vice in a Vizor the Face is Vice the Vizor is Vertue God is pretended self intended Hypocrisy is resembled to Leaven partly for its sowerness partly for its diffusiveness Leaven is a piece of sower dow that diffuses it self into the whole Mass or Lump of Bread with which it is mixed Thus Hypocrisy spreads over all the Man all his Duties Parts and Performances are Leavened with it Again Leaven is of a swelling as well as of a spreading Nature it puffs up the Dough and so doth Hypocrisy the Heart The Pharisees were a sour and proud sort of People they were all for preheminence chief places chief Seats chief Titles to be called Rabbi Rabbi in a word as Leaven is hardly discerned from good Dough at first sight so is Hypocrisy hardly discerned and distinguished from Sincerity The Pharisees outwardly appeared righteous unto Men but within were full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity Observe next the Argument which Christ uses to disswade Men from Hypocrisy There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed as if he had said the day is coming when a rotten and corrupt Heart shall no longer pass under the Vizor and disguise of a demure Look In the day of Judgment Hypocritical sinners shall walk naked GOD Angels and Men shall see their Shame Learn hence That God will certainly e're long wash off all the Varnish and Paint which the Hypocrite has put upon the Face of his Profession and lay him open to the Terrour of himself and the Astonishment of the World 4 And I say unto you my friends Be not afraid of them that kill the Body and after that have no power that they can do 5 But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him The Second Duty which our Saviour presses upon his Disciples is that of Holy Courage and Resolution As if Christ had said The Preaching of the Gospel will stir up many Enemies against you which will malign and oppose you vex and persecute you but I say unto you fear them not who can only kill the Body but fear him who if you fail in your Duty can cast both Body and Soul into Hell Here Note 1. an unwarrantable fear condemned and that is the sinful servile slavish fear of Man Fear not them that can kill the Body 2. An holy awful and prudential fear of the Omnipotent God commended Fear him that is able to kill both Body and Soul 3. The Persons whom this Duty of fear is recommended to and bound upon Disciples Ministers and Ambassadors all the Friends of Christ They not only may but ought to fear him not only for his greatness and goodness but upon the account of his punitive Justice as being able to cast both Soul and Body into Hell Such a fear is not only Lawful but Lawdable not only Commendable but Commanded and not misbecoming the Friends of Christ The Ministers of God may use Arguments from fear of Judgments both to disswade from Sin and to perswade to Duty It is not unsuitable to the best of Saints
or of Humane Invention implying very plainly that the calling of such as call themselves the Ministers of God ought to be from God No Man ought to take that Honour upon hâ—m but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 The Pharisees reply They could not tell whence John had his Mission and Authority this was a manifest untruth by refusing to tell the truth they fall into a Lye against the Truth one sin ensnares and draws men into the Commission of many more Such as will not speak exact truth according to their Knowledâ—e they fall into the Sin of Lying against their Knowledge and their Conscience Our Saviour answers them neither telâ— I you by what Authority I do these things he doth not say I cannot or I will not tell you but I do not I need not tell you because the Miracles which I work before you are a sufficient Demonstration of my Divine Commission that I am sent of God amongst you for God never set the Seal of his Omnipotence to a Lye nor impowered an Impostor to work real Miracles CHAP. XII 1 AND he began to speak unto them by parables A certain man planted a Vineyard and set an hedge about it and digged a place for the wine-fat and built a tower and let it out to Husbandmen and went into a far Country 2 And at the season he sent to the Husband men a Servant that he might receive from the Husband men of the fruit of the Vineyard 3 And they caught him and bear him and sent him away empty 4 And again he sent unto them another Servant and at him they cast stones and wounded him in the head and sent him away shamefully handled 5 And again he sent another and him they killed and many others beating some and killing some 6 Having yet therefore one Son his well beloved he sent him also last unto them saying They will reverence my Son 7 But those Husband men said amongst themselves this is the Heir come let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours 8 And they took him and killed him and cast him out of the Vineyard In this Paâ—able the Jewish Church is compared to a Vineyard Almighty God to an Hoâ—sholder his planting pruning and fencing his â—ineyâ—rd denotes his care to furnish his Church with all needful helps and means to make it spiritually fruitful His letting it out to Husband men signifies his committing the care of his Church to the Priests and Levites the publick Pastours and Governours of the Church his Servâ—nts are the Prophets and Apostles whom he sent from time to time to Admoâ—ish them to bring forth Fruit answerable to the cost which God had expended on them his Son is Jesus Câ—rist whom the Rulers of the Jewish Church Slâ—â— and Murthered The dâ—sign and scope of the Parable is to discover to the Jews particularly to thâ— Pharisees their obstâ—â—te impenitency under all the means of Grace their bloody crucify towards the Prophet of God their tremendous â—â—uilt in Crucifying the Son of God for all which God would unchurch them finally ruin their Nation and set up a Church among the Gentiles that should bring forth better fruit then the Jewish Church ever did From the whole Note 1 That the Church is Gods Vineyard A Vineyard is a place Enclosed a place well Planted well Fruited and exceeding Dear and Precious to the Planter and the Owner of it 2 As dear as God's Vineyard is unto him in case of Barrenness and unfruitfulness it is in great danger of being destroyed and laid waste by him 3 That the only way and course to engage God's care over his Vineyard and to prevent its being given to other Husband-men it is to give him the Fruits of it it is but a Vineyard that God lets out it is no inheritance No People ever had so many Promises of God's favour as the Jews had not ever enjoyed so many Priviledges whilst they continued in his favour as they did yet though they were the first and the â—â—tural Branches they are broken off and we Gentiles stâ—nd by Faith let us not be high minded but fear Rom 11. â—0 9 What shall therefore the Lord of the Vine-yard do he will come and destroy the Husbandmen and will give the Vineyard unto others 10 And have ye not read the Scriptures the stone which the Builders rejected is â—â—come the head of the Corner â—1 This was the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our Eâ—â—â—â— 12 And they sought to lay hold on him bâ—â—â—â—â—red the People for they knew thâ—t he hâ—d spoken the Parable against them and they lâ—ft him and went their way These words of our Saviour are taken out of the 118th Psalm which the Jews understood to be a Prophecy of the Messiah and accordingly Christ applys them to himself The Church is the Building intended Christ himself the Stone Rejected by the Rejectors or the Builders Rejecting are the Heads of the Jewish Church that is the chief Priests and Pharisees God the great Master Builder of his Church takes this precious foundation Stone out of the Rubbish and sets it in the head of the Corner nevertheless there are many that stumble at this Stone some through Ignorance others through Malice Some are offended at his Person others at his Doctrine These shall be broken in pieces but on whomsoever this Stone shall fall it will grind them to powder that is Christ himself will fall as a Burthensome Stone upon all them that knowingly and maliciously oppose him and particularly upon the Jews who not only rejected but persecuted and destroyed him Thus Christ tells the chief Priests and Pharisees their own particular doom and also declares what will be the fatal Issue of all that opposition which is made against Himself and his Church it will terminate in the inevitable destruction of all its opposers Whosoever shall fall on this Stone shall be broken and on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind them to Powder 13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees with the Herodians to catch him in his words 14 And when they were come they say unto him Master we know that thou art true and carest for no man for thou regardest not the person of men but teachest the way of God in truth Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar or not 15 Shall we give or shall we not give But he knowing their hypocrisie said unto them why tempt ye me bring me a penny that I may see it 16 And they brought it and he saith unto them whose is this image and superscription and they said unto him Cesars 17 And Jesus answering said unto them render to Cesar the things that are Cesars and to God the things that are Gods And they marvelled at him Observe here a grand design to entangle our Blessed Saviour in his Discourse where Note 1. The persons imployed to put the ensnaring question to Christ Namely the Pharisees and
upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen An account is here given of a three-fold appearance of Christ after his Resurrection 1 To Mary Magdalen not to the Virgin Mary and it is observable that our Blessed Saviour after his Resurrection first appeared to Mary Magdalen a grievous Sinner for the comfort of all true Penitents Mary goes immediately to his Disciples whom she finds weeping and mourning and tells them she had seen the Lord but they believed her not The second appearance was to the two Disciples going into the Country that is into the Village of Emaus as they were in the way Jesus joyneth himself to their Company but there Eyes were holden by the power of God that they did not discern him in his own proper shape but apprehended him to be another Person whom they conversed with His third appearance was to the Eleven as they sat at Meat whom he upbraids with their unbelief and to convince them effectually that he was risen from the dead he eats with them a piece of a broiled Fish and of an Honey Comb not that he needed it being he was now become immortal but to assure them he had still the same Body From the whole Note how industriously our Lord endeavours to confirm his Disciples Faith in the Doctrine of his Resurrection so slack and backward they were to believe that the Messiah was risen again from the dead that all the predictions of Scripture all the assurances they had received from our Saviour's mouth yea all the appearances of our Saviour to them after â—e was actually risen from the dead were little enough to confirm and establish them in the certain belief that he was risen from the dead 15 And he said unto them go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believed not shall be damned Here our Saviour gives commission to his Disciples to congregate and gather a Christian Church out of all Nations to go forth and preach the Gospel to every Creature that is to all reasonable Creatures that are capable of it not to the Jews only but to the Gentiles also without any distinction of Country Age or Sex whatsoever Learn thence that the Apostles and first planters of the Gospel had a commission from Christ to go amongst the Pagan Gentiles without limitation or distinction to instruct them in the savinâ— mysteries of the Gospel The second Branch of their commission was to Baptize where observe the encouraâ—ing promise made by Christ he that Believeth and is Baptized shall â—e saved that is he that receiveth and embraceth the Gospel preached by you and thereupon becomes a Proselite and Disciple of Christ and receives Baptism the Seal of the new Covenant shall for all his former sins receive Pardon and upon his perseverance obtain Eternal Life but he that stands out obstinately and impenitently shall certainly be damned The two damning sins under the Gospel are Infidelity and Hypocrisy not receiving Christ for Lord and Saviour by some or doing this feignedly by others happy are they in whom the preaching of the Gospel produces such a Faith as is the parent and principle of Obedience he that so believeth and is Baptized shall be saved 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe in my Name shall they cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues 18 They shall tkae up Serpents and if they drink any thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay deadly hands on the sick and they shall recover Here we have a gracious promise of Christ that in order to the spreading and propagating of the Gospel as far as may be the Spirit should be poured forth abundantly from on high upon the Apostles and thereby they should be enabled to work Miracles to cast out Devils to speak strange Languages which we read they did Acts 2. And this power of working Miracles continued in the Church an hundred years after Christ's Ascension untill Christianity had taken rooting in the hearts of men Ireneus lib. 2. ch 58. says that many believers besides the Apostles had this power of working Miracles as new set plants are watered at first till they have taken fast rooting so that the Christian Faith might grow the faster God watered it with miracles at its first Plantation Yet Observe That all the Miracles which they had power to work were healing and beneficent not terrifying judgments but acts of kindness and mercy it was our Saviours design to bring over persons to Christianity by Lenity Mildness and Gentleness not to affright them into a complyance with astonishing judgments which might affect their fear but little influence their Faith for the will and consent of persons to the principles of any Religion especially the Christian is like a royal fort which must not be storm'd by violence but taken by surrender 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God Here we have that grand Article of our Christian Faith asserted namely our Saviour's ascension into Heaven together with his exaltation there expressed by his setting at God's right hand he ascended now to Heaven in his humane Nature for in his Divine Nature he was there already and it was necessary that he should thus ascend in order to his own personal Exaltation and Glorification When he was on Earth his Humility Patience and Self-denial were exercised by undergoing God's Wrath the Devil's Rage and man's Cruelty Now he goes to Heaven that they may be rewarded he that is a patient Sufferer upon Earth shall be a triumphant Conqueror in Heaven also with respect to his Church on Earth was it needful and necessary that our Lord should ascend up into Heaven namely to send down the Holy Spirit upon his Apostles which he did at the Feast of Pentecost If I go not away says Christ the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him to you and likewise to be a powerful Advocate and Intercessor with his Father in Heaven on the behalf of his Church and Children here upon Earth Heb. 9.24 Christ is entered into Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God for us finally Christ ascended into Heaven to give us an assurance that in due time we should ascend after him John 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you hence the Apostle calls our Saviour Our fore-runner Heb. 6. v. 19. Now if Christ in his Ascension was a Fore-runner then there are some to follow after to the same purpose is that expression of the Apostle Eph. 2.6 He hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ that is we are already sat down in him and ere long shall sit down by him we are already sit down in him as ouâ— Head and shall hereafter
Creation He that made all things is truly and really God but Christ made all Things and nothing was made without him therefore is Christ truly and really God Here Observe 1. An Affirmation of as large and vast an Extent as the whole World All Things were made by him not this or that particular Being but All Created Beings received their Existence and Being from Christ Obs 2. That to prevent the least Imagination of any Things having another Author than Christ here is the most positive and particular Negation that can be That without Him was not any thing made that was made not without him as an Instrument but without him as an Agent Christ being a Co-worker with the Father and the Spirit in the Work of Creation He was the Author of the Creation not an Instrument in Creating Learn hence That Christ as God being the Creator and Maker of all Things himself is excluded from being a Creature or any thing that was made 4 In him was life and the life was the light of men 5. And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not Here we have a farther Proof of Christ's Divinity and an Evidence that he had a Being as God before his Incarnation forasmuch as all Life is center'd in him communicated by him and derived from him In him was Life Formaliter Causaliter Life was formally in Christ as the Subject of it and also causally in him as the Fountain of it Learn 1. That Christ is the Author and Dispenser of all Life unto his Creatures He is Original Life in the Order of Nature because by him Man was created Gen. 1.26 He is spiritual Life in the Order of Grace John 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life He is Eternal Life in the Order of Glory 1 John 5.20 This is the True God and Eternal Life Learn 2. That all Creatures receiving Light and Life from Christ not as an Instrument but as the Fountain from whence it floweth and in which it is preserved is an evident Proof of his Divinity and an Argument that he is truly and really God In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. 6 ¶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John 7 The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe 8 He was not that light but was sent to bear witness of that light 9 That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world Here the Evangelist proceeds in declaring Christ to be really God because he was that Original that Essential Light which had no Beginning suffers no decay but is so diffusive as in some kind and in some measure or other to enlighten every Man that cometh into the World Some of the Jews had a Conceit that John the Baptist was the promised Messias as appears by Luke 3.15 The People were in Expectation and all Men mused in their Hearts of John whether he were the Christ or not Here therefore to undeceive the Jews the Evangelist adds That John was not That Light John was a great Light a burning and a shining Light but not such a Light as the Messias was to be John was a Light Instrumentally Christ Efficiently John was a Light enlightened Christ was a Light enlightening John's Light was by Derivation and Participation Christ's was Essential and Original John's Light was as the Light of a Candle in a private House in and among the Jews only but Christ's Light was as the Light of the Sun spreading over the Face of the whole Earth This is the True Light that lightens every Man that cometh into the World that is he enlightens all Mankind with the Light of Reason and is the Author of all Spiritual Illumination in them that receive it Christ is called a Light in regard of his Office which was to manifest and declare that Salvation to his Church which lay hid before in the purpose of God and he is called the true Light not so much in Opposition to all false Lights but as opposed to the Types Shadows of the Mosaical Dispensation Learn 1. That every Man and Woman that comes into the World is enlightened by Christ in some Kind and Measure or other All are enlightned with the Light of Reason and a Natural Conscience Some with the Light of Grace and Supernatural Illumination Learn 2. That Christ's being the Essential Original and Eternal Light enlightening and enlivening the whole Creation is an evident and undeniable Demonstration that he is truly and really God 10 He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not 11 He came unto his own and his own received him not He was in the World that is he that was God from Eternity made himself visible to the World in the fullness of Time The Evangelist repeats it again That the World was made by him to shew his Omnipotency and Divinity and then adds That the World knew him not as an Evidence of the World's Blindess and Ingratitude Learn hence That notwithstanding the Eternal Son of God appeared in the World and the World was made and created by him yet the generality of the World did not know him that is did not own and acknowledge him did not receive and obey him They neither knew him as Creator nor accepted him as Mediator Yea He came to his own that is his own Kindred and Country the Church and People of the Jews but the Generality of them gave him cold Entertainment It was the sin of the Jewish Nation that though they were Christ's own peculiar People his own by Choice his own by Purchase his own by Covenant by Kindred yet the generality of them did reject him and would not own him for the True and Promised Messias Learn hence That the Lord Jesus Christ met with manifest and shameful Rejection even at the hands of those that were nearest to him by Flesh and Nature John 11.5 Neither did his Brethren believe on Him 12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his Name That is Although multitudes rejected him yet some received and owned him for the True Messias and those that did so he advanced to the high Dignity of Adoption and Sonship giving them Power that is Right or Privilege to become the Sons of God Here Note First The Nature of Justifying Faith declared it is to as many as received him Now this Receiving of Christ implies these three Things 1. The Assent of the Understanding to that Divine Testimony which the Scripture gives Christ 2. The Consent of the Will to submit to this Jesus as Lord and King 3. The Affiance and Trust of the Heart in Christ alone for Salvation for Faith is not a bare Credence but a Divine Affiance and such an Affiance in Christ and Reliance upon him
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
Lazarus ver 41 42. Yet as God he had a Power of himself to raise Lazarus an Almighty Power communicated with his Essence from the Father by an Eternal and ineffable Generation 23 Jesus saith unto her Thy brother shall rise again 24 Martha saith unto him I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day 25 Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Believest thou this Here Observe 1. Christ's meek Answer to Martha's passionate Discourse he takes no notice of the forementioned failings but comforts her with a promise of her Brother's Resurrection Thy Brother shall rise again Thence learn That the Knowledge and Belief of the General Resurrection is and ought to be a sufficient support under the Loss of our endeared Friends ' who die in the Lord. Observe 2. That the Doctrine of the General Resurrection was no new Doctrine Job believed it ch 19.26 Daniel publish'd it ch 12.1 The Pharisees had a Notion of it but Martha here makes it an Article of her Faith I know he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last Day Observe 3. How Christ particularly Instructs Martha in the cause of the Resurrection acquainting her that he himself is the Author and efficient cause of it I am the Resurrection and the Life That is I am the Author and principal efficient cause of the Resurrection And this with respect to both Natures 1. His Divine Nature is the efficient cause of the Resurrection he shall Raise our Bodies out of the Dust by the Power of his Godhead 2. His Humane Nature is the exemplary cause or pattern of the Resurrection For which Reason Christ is called the first Born from the Dead For tho' some were raised before him Yet was his Resurrection the cause of their Resurrection Hence St. Paul argues from Christ's Resurrection the certainty of the Resurrection of his Members Christ and Believers are one Mystical Body therefore is not Christ perfectly Risen till all his Members are Risen with him Indeed Christ's personal Resurrection was perfect when he arose and all Believers arose Representatively in him Yet till all Believers arise personally the Resurrection of Christ has not received its utmost perfection but there is somewhat behind of the Resurrection of Christ Most fitly then might our Saviour assert I am the Resurrection and the Life Observe 4. That Christ not only asserts himself to be the Resurrection but also the Life I am the Resurrection and the Life that is I am the cause of Life Natural Spiritual and Eternal and Whosoever Liveth and Believeth in Me shall never Die. That is eternally tho' his Body shall die because of Sin yet his Spirit shall live because of Righteousness 27 She saith unto him Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the world 28 And when she had so said she went her way and called Mary her sister secretly saying The Master is come and calleth for thee 29 Assoon as she heard that she arose quickly and came unto him 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town but was in that place where Martha met him 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house and comforted her when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily and went out followed her saying She goeth unto the grave to weep there 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him she fell down at his feet saying unto him Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died Observe here 1. The full confession which Martha makes of her Faith in Christ as God Thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World A confession which comes nearest to that of St. Peter Math. 16.16 of any that we meet with in Scripture Nay it seems more full than Peter's Confession for those additional words which should come into the World are not in his Confession the Summ is She believed Christ to be the very Messias who was Typified and prefigured Prophesied of and promised to the Old Testament Saints as the person that in the fulness of time should come into the World for the Redemption and Salvation of it Thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World Thence Learn That Christ is never rightly believed in nor regularly depended upon for Salvation except he be owned and acknowledged to be the Eternal Son of God Martha was now fully perswaded of Christ's Divine Nature of which the best of the Disciples till after our Saviour's Resurrection had but a faint and uncertain perswasion Observe 2. How earnest and intent our Saviour was to dispatch the errand he came upon Namely to raise Lazarus from the Grave and to comfort the Two mournful Sisters he would not so much as enter the House till he had effected his work and therefore he goes strait to the Grave which probably was the place where Mary met him Lord it was thy Meat and Drink to do the Will of thy Father it was thy Meat and Drink by Day thy Rest and Repose by Night How unlike are we to thy self if we suffer either our Pleasures or our Profits to divert us from our Duty Observe 3. What haste and speed Mary makes to attend upon her Saviour she arose quickly and came unto him Mary's Love added Wings to her motion The Jews observing her hasty motion have a loving suspicion that she is gone to the Grave to weep there but their Thoughts were too low for whilst they supposed that she went to a dead Brother she was waiting upon a living Saviour And she that used to sit at Jesus feet now falls at his feet in an awful veneration the very gesture was supplicatory And her humble prostration was seconded with a doleful Lamentation Lord If thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Where Observe A mixture of Faith with humane infirmity Here was strength of Faith in ascribing so much Power to Christ that his presence could preserve from Death but here was Infirmity in supposing the necessity of Christ's presence for this purpose Certainly he that did raise him from Death being present could have preserved him from dying being absent had he pleased This was Mary's moan Lord hadst thou been here our Brother had not died full of Affection but not from frailty and infirmity However Christ takes no notice of her errors and infirmity but all the reply we hear of is a Compassionate Groan which the following Verses acquaint us with 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her he groned in the spirit and was troubled 34 And said Where have ye laid him They say unto him Lord come and see 35 Jesus wept 36 Then said the Jews Behold how he loved him 37
EXPOSITORY NOTES WITH PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS ON The Four Holy Evangelists VIZ. S T. Matthew S T. Mark S T. Luke S T. John WHEREIN The Sacred TEXT is at large Recited the Sence Explained Doubts Resolved Controversies Declined References Avoided Seeming Contradictions Reconciled And the Instructive Example of the Holy JESUS to our Imitation Recommended Designed for the Instruction of Private Families and particularly put into the Hands of Family-Governours in Dedham for the Improvement of Themselves and their Houshold in Knowledge Faith and Holiness BY WILLIAM BURKITT M. A. Vicar and Lecturer of Dedham in Essex LONDON Printed by R.J. for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside J. Robinson at the Golden Lion and J. Wyat at the Rose in S. Paul's Church-yard M.DCC. To the Right Honourable CHARLES Lord Fitzwalter My Lord THE Sacred Pages inform us of a Son that was Nourished up in the Words of Faith by his Grandmother Lois and his Mother Eunice The like Pious Care has been taken for Your Lordship 's Religious Education by one of the Wisest of Women and the Best of Mothers that the Age has afforded And that Your Lordship's Improvement in Knowledge and Sincere Piety may Answer the Prayers the Tears the Endeavours of such an Endearing Parent who preferrs Your Lordship's Happiness abundantly before her Own I take Leave to put a Part of the Inspired Writings into Your Lordship's Hand with an Endeavour of Mine to Render the Reading of them both Profitable and Delightful to Your Lordship Whilst Others consume their Precious Hours in Plays and Romances and such-like Corrupting and Effeminating Trash which the Superfoetation of the Stage furnishes the Nation with to the Scandal of Our Holy Religion and the Grief of all Good Men Debasing the Minds and Debauching the Manners of so many amongst us That Your Lordship and Others of Your Noble Order with you may Taste such Incomparable Delight and Sweetness in and Experience such Invaluable Benefit and Advantage by Reading the History of Your Blessed Redeemer's Life and Actions and may thereby be Transformed into His Holy Likeness here on Earth and spend an Eternity in the Rapturous Contemplation and Ravishing Fruition of Him in Heaven is the Fervent Prayer of My Lord Your Honour 's Faithfully Devoted Servant and Chaplain W. Burkitt To Family-Governours particularly those of my Charge AS Religion did always consist in an Imitation of God and in a Resemblance of those Excellencies which shine forth in the Best and most Perfect Being so we may Imitate Him now with much more Ease and greater Advantage since His Son was manifest in our Flesh and dwelt among us For He was pleased to become Man on purpose to shew us how we might become like to God by a Daily Imitation of His Holiness And it is most certain that God Our Father will never own any of us for His Children unless He sees upon us the Air and Features the Impresses and Resemblance of Christ Our Elder Brother This Consideration has induced me to set the Example of the Holy Jesus before my self and you in these Plain Practical Notes upon the Holy Evangelists which contain Remarks upon the History of our Saviour's Life Doctrine and Miracles and of His Death Resurrection and Ascension To the Intent that the Temper of our Minds and the Actions of our Lives may be a lively Transcript of the Mind and Life of our Blessed Redeemer That we may Admire and Imitate His unspotted Purity His Condescending Humility His Fervent Charity His Patience under Sufferings and Reproaches His Readiness to Forgive Injuries and His entire Resignation to the Divine Will in all Conditions of Life whatsoever That so following our Lord and Master in all the Steps of an Imitable Vertue and setting His Example continually before us we may be Daily Correcting and Reforming of our Lives by that Glorious Pattern for without present Likeness to Him we have no Grounds to hope that we shall hereafter Live with Him A true Compassion to your Souls and a fervent Desire to farther their Salvation from the Press as well as from the Pulpit has put me upon Redeeming Time for this Work I must acknowledge my constant Preaching thrice a Week unto you besides Occasionals and Visiting as often a populous and scattering Parish from House to House amongst you which I have always accounted a most Important Part of my Duty would allow me but little too little Time for such a Work as This which I heartily wish had fallen upon the Shoulder of one that had more Leisure and Greater Abilities for it But thus much I can truly say that earnestly Imploring Divine Assistance I have done what I could my Work has been my Recreation and the Lord accept it and succeed it And I have this Observation to Ground my Hope of Acceptance and Success upon that Almighty God has in all Ages rendered those Labours of his Servants how mean soever in themselves most Acceptable and Useful which have been employed in the profitable Explication of any part of the Holy Scriptures As if He who Imprinted such a Majesty upon the Text delighted also to Reflect an Honour upon the Interpreters thereof My Design in preparing and giving these Notes into your Hands is to Oblige you to Read a part of the Holy Scriptures in your Families every Day and to invite you thereunto the Sacred Text is here at large Recited Controversies Declined and References Avoided I have chosen to Transcribe and Write over again upon another Evangelist what was observed in a Former rather than give you the Trouble of looking back upon what is written elsewhere And I do most Affectionately Request you not to suffer the Holy Word of God which is in all your Hands to lye by you as a Neglected Book but daily to Read it in and to your Families with a Simplicity of Mind to be Directed and Instructed by it All the Return I desire from you for this my Labour of Love is your living in a daily Imitation of that Grand Pattern of Holiness and Obedience which is here set before you and in every Page Recommended to you and that we may continue to strive together in our Prayers one with and one for another for that Grace which may enable us to the Faithful Discharge of our Respective Duties towards God towards each other and all Mankind And that the Happy Unity and Unanimity which has hitherto been amongst us may continue and encrease still with us to the Glory of God the Honour of our Holy Religion the present Benefit and Comfort and the Eternal Joy and Rejoycing both of Minister and People in the Day of the Lord Jesus Which as it is the fervent Prayer so it shall be the constant Endeavour of your Unworthy Minister whose Highest Ambition it is to serve you in the Faith and Fellowship of the Gospel whilst I am Dedham 1700. W. Burkitt EXPOSITORY NOTES WITH PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS UPON The Holy Gospel