‏ Matthew 11:16-30

Our Saviour in these words describes the perverse humour of the Pharisees, whom nothing could allure to the embracing of the gospel, neither John's ministry nor Christ's.

This our Saviour sets forth two ways.

1. Allegorically, Matt 11:16-17. 2. Properly, Matt 11:18-19.

By way of allegory, he compares them to sullen children, whom nothing would please, neither mirth nor mourning; if their fellows piped before them, they would not dance; if they sung mournful songs to them, they would not lament: that is, the Pharisees were of such a censorious and capricious humour, that God himself could not please them, though he used a variety of means and methods in order to that end. Neither the delightful airs of mercy, nor the doleful ditties of judgment, could affect or move their hearts.

Next, our Lord, plainly interprets this allegory, by telling them, That John came to them neither eating nor drinking; that is, not so freely and plentifully as other men, being a very austere and mortified man, both in his diet and in his habit: and all this was designed by God, that the austerity of his life, and severity of his doctrine might awaken the pharisees to repentance: but instead of this, they censure him for having a devil, because he delighted in solitude, and avoided converse with men: is either an angel or a devil, either a wild beast or a god.

John being of a free and familiar converse, not shunning the society of the worst of men, even of the Pharisees themselves, but complying with their customs, and accompanying with them in their sins; but the freedom of our Saviour's conversation displeased them as much as John's reservedness of temper; for they cry, Behold a man gluttonous.

Christ's affability towards sinners, they call approbation of their sins; and his sociable disposition, looseness and luxury.

Learn hence, 1. That the faithful and zealous ministers of God, let their temper and converse be what it will, cannot please the enemies of religion, and the haters of the power of godliness; neither John's austerity, nor Christ's familiarity, would gain upon the Pharisees. It is our duty in the course after all their endeavours to please all, we shall please but very few; but if God and conscience be of the number of those few, we are safe and happy.

Observe, 2. That it has been the old policy of the devil, that he might hinder the success of the gospel, to fill the minds of persons with an invincible prejudice against the ministers and dispensers of the gospel.

Observe, 3. That after all the scandalous reproaches cast upon religion, and the ministers of it, such as are wisdom's children, wise and good men, will justify religion; that is, approve it in their judgments, honour it in their discourses, and adorn it in their lives. Wisdom is justified of her children.

Our Saviour having gone through the cities of Galilee, preaching the doctrine of repentance, and confirming his doctrine with miracles, and finding multitudes, after all his endeavours, remain in their impenitence, he proceeds to upbraid them severely for their contempt of gospel-grace: Then began he to upbraid their cities, &c.

Where observe, 1. The cities upbraided, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum: in their pulpits he daily preached, and those places were the theatres upon which his miracles were wrought; other cities onlyheard these saw; but where he preached most, he prevailed least; like some fishermen, he catched least in his own pond.

Observe, 2. What he upbraids them for; not for disrespect to his person, but disobedience to his doctrine; because they repented not. The great design of Christ both in the doctrine which he preached, and in the miracles which he wrought was to bring men to repentance; that is, to forsake their sins, and live well.

Observe, 3. Whom he upbraids them with; Tyre and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah, nations rude and barbarous, out of the pale of the church, ignorant of a Saviour, and of the ways to salvation by him.

Learn, that the higher a people rise under the means, the lower they fall if they miscarry. They who have been nearest to conversion, and not yet converted, shall have the greatest condemnation when they are judged. Capernaum's sentence shall exceed Sodom's for severity, because she exceeded Sodom in the enjoyment of means and mercy. The case of those who are impenitent under the gospel, is of all others the most dangerous, and their damnation shall be heaviest and most severe. Sodom, the stain of mankind, a city soaked in the dregs of villainy: yet this hell upon earth shall have a milder hell at the last day of judgment, than unbelieving Capernaum, as the next verse informs us, Matt 11:23.

This city lying under greater guilt than the rest, Christ names it by itself, without the rest; nay he doth not only name it, but notify it, as being lifted up to heaven by signal favours and privileges, namely, Christ's presence, Christ's preaching and miracles.

Observe, 1. Capernaum's privileges enjoyed, though a poor obscure place in itself, yet she was by the person, ministry, and miracles of Christ, lifted up to heaven.

Learn thence, That gospel ordinances and church privileges enjoyed are a mighty honour and advancement to the poorest persons and obscurest places.

Observe, 2. An heavy doom denounced, Thou shalt be brought down to hell: that is, thy condition shall be as sad as that of the worst of men, for thy non-proficiency under the means enjoyed.

Learn thence, That gospel-ordinances and church-privileges enjoyed but not improved, provoke Almighty God to inflict the sorest of judgment upon a people. Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell.

Observe here, 1. That there shall be a day of judgment.

2. That in the day of judgment some sinners shall fare worse than others. There are degrees of punishment among the damned.

3. That the worst of heathens, who never heard of a Saviour, nor ever had an offer of salvation by him, shall fare better in the day of judgment than those that continue impenitent under the gospel. Christ here avouches, that Capernaum's sentence shall exceed Sodom's for severity.

In these verses our Saviour glorifies his Father for the wise and free dispensation of his gospel-grace to the meanest and most ignorant; whilst the great and learned men of the world undervalued and despised it.

By wise and prudent, Christ means worldy-wise men, particularly scribes and pharisees from whom God in judgment did hide the mysteries of the gospel, and said ye shall not see; because they had closed their eyes, and said, ye shall not see.

By babes, understand such as are at the greatest distance in natural consideration from a capacity for such rich and heavenly manifestations. By hiding these things from the wise and prudent, we are not to understand God's putting darkness into them, but his leaving them to their own darkness, or denying them that light which they had no desire to see; plainly intimating, that God judicially hides the mysteries of heavenly wisdom from worldy wise men.

Learn, 1. That till God reveals himself, his nature and will, no man can know either what he is, or what he requires; Thou hast revealed.

2. That the wise men of the world have in all ages despised the mysteries of the gospel, and therefore been judicially given up by God to their own wilfull blindness; Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent.

3. That the most ignorant and most humble, not the most learned, if proud, do stand ready to receive and embrace the gospel revelation: thou hast revealed them unto babes.

4. That this is no less pleasing to Christ, than it is the pleasure of the Father; Even so, Father, as it seemed good in thy sight. As if Christ had said, Father, thy election and choice pleaseth me, as being the choice and good pleasure of thy wisdom.

In this verse our Saviour opens his commission, and declares, 1. His authority; that all power is committed to him, as a Mediator from God the Father.

2. His office; to reveal his Father's mind and will to a lost world. No man knoweth the Father, but the Son; that is the essence and nature of the Father, the will and counsel of the Father, only as the Son reveals them.

Learn, That all our saving knowledge of God is in and through Jesus Christ; he, as the great Prophet of the church, reveals the mind and will of God unto us for our salvation; and no saving knowledge without him.

Here we have a sweet invitation, backed with a gracious encouragement: Christ invites such as are weary of the burden of sin, of the slavery of Satan, of the yoke of the ceremonial law, to come unto him for rest and ease; and as an encouragement assures them, that upon their coming to him they shall find rest.

Learn, 1. That sin is the soul's laborious burden; Come unto me, all ye that labour. Labouring supposes a burden to be laboured under; this burden is sin's guilt.

2. That such as come to Christ for rest must be ladden sinners.

3. That ladden sinners not only may but ought to come to Christ for rest; they may come, because invited; they ought to come, because commanded.

4. That the laden sinner, upon his coming, shall find rest. Come, &c.

Note here, That to come unto Christ in the phrase of the New Testament is to believe in him, and to become one of his disciples. He that cometh unto me shall not hunger, he that believteh on me shall not thirst. Joh 6:35.

Here note, That the phrase of take the yoke is judaical; the Jewish doctors spake frequently of the yoke of the law; the yoke of the commandments: and the ceremonies imposed upon the Jews are called a yoke, Acts 15:10.

Now as Moses had a yoke, so had Christ.

Accordingly, observe, 1. Christ's disciples must wear Christ's yoke. This yoke is twofold; a yoke of instruction; and a yoke of affliction; Christ's law is a yoke of instruction; it instructs; it restrains our natural inclinations, it curbs our sensual appetites; it is a yoke to corrupt nature; this yoke Christ calls his yoke, Take my yoke upon you: 1. Because he, as a Lord, lays it upon our necks.

2. Because he, as a servant, bore it upon his own neck first, before he laid it upon ours.

Observe, 2. That the way and manner how to bear Christ's yoke must be learnt of Christ himself. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; that is, learn of me, both what to bear, and how to bear.

Observe, 3. That Christ's humility and lowly-mindedness, is a great encouragement to Christians to come unto him, and learn of him, both how to obey his commands, and how to suffer his will and pleasure. Learn of me, for I am meek.

Observe here, 1. Christ's authority and greatness; he has power to impose a yoke, and inflict a burden. My yoke; my burden.

2. His clemency and goodness, is imposing an easy yoke, and a light burden. My yoke is easy, my burden is light: that is, my service is good and gainful, profitable and useful; not only tolerable but delightful; and as is my yoke such is my burden: The burden of my cross, both light, not absolutely, but comparatively; the weight of my cross is not comparable with the glory of my crown.

Learn, That the service of Christ, though hard and intolerable to corrupt nature, yet is a most desirable and delightful service to grace, or renewed nature; Christ's service is easy to a spiritual mind.

1. It is easy, as it is a rational service; consonant to right reason, though contradictory to depraved nature.

2. Easy as it is a spiritual service; delightful to a spiritual mind.

3. Easy, as it is an assisted service; considering that we work not in our own strength, but in God's.

4. Easy, when once it is an accustomed service; though hard to beginners, it is easy to progressors; the further we walk, the sweeter is our way.

5. Easy, as it is the most gainful service; having the assurance of an eternal weight of glory, as the reward of our obedience.

Well therefore might our holy Lord say to his followers; My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

‏ Matthew 12

Observe here, The poor estate and low condition of Christ's own disciples in this world; they wanted bread, and are forced to pluck the ears of corn to satisfy their hunger. God sometimes suffers his dearest children in this world to fall in to straits, and to taste of want, for the trial of their faith, and dependance upon his power and providence.

Observe here, 1. The persons finding fault with this action of the disciples, the Pharisees; many of whom accompanied our Saviour, not out of any good intentions, but only with a design to cavil at, and quarrel with, everything that either Christ or is disciples said or did.

Observe, 2. The action which they found fault with: The disciples plucking off the ears of corn on the sabbath-day.

Where note, It is not theft which the disciples are accused of by the Pharisees! for to take, in our necessity, so much of our neighbour's goods, as we may reasonably suppose that if he were present, and knew our circumstances, he would give us, is no theft: but it was a servile labour on the sabbath, in gathering the corn, that the Pharisees scrupled; plucking the ears was looked upon as a sort of reaping.

Learn thence, How zealous hypocrites are for the lesser things of the law, whilst they neglect the weightier; and how superstitiously addicted to the outward ceremonies, placing all holiness in the observation of them.

In these words our Saviour defends the action of his disciples in plucking the ears of corn in their necessity, by a double argument.

1. From David's example: necessity freed him from fault in eating the consecrated bread, which none but the priest might lawfully eat; for in cases of necessity, a ceremonial precept must give place to a moral duty: works of mercy and necessity, for preserving our lives, and the better fitting us for sabbath-services, are certainly lawful on the sabbath-day.

2. From the example of the priests in the temple who upon the sabbath do break the outward rest of the day, by killing their sacrifices, and many other acts of bodily labour, which would be accounted sabbath-profanation, did not the service of the temple require and justify it.

Now, saith our Saviour, if the temple-service can justify labour on the sabbath, I am greater than the temple, and my authority and service can justify what my disciples have done.

From the whole we learn, That acts of mercy, which tend to fit us for works of piety, not only may, but ought to be, done on the sabbath-day.

Learn hence, That the law of mercy is much more excellent than the law of ceremonies; and where both cannot be observed, the less must give place to the greater. God never intended that the ceremonies of his service in the first table, should hinder works of mercy prescribed in the second table. All God's commands are for man's good. Where both cannot be obeyed, he will have the moral duty performed, and the ceremonial service omitted: he will have mercy and not sacrifice: that is, he will have mercy rather than sacrifice, where both cannot be had.

As if Christ had said, "I, who am Lord of the sabbath, declare to you, that I have a power to dispense with the observation of it: and it is my will that the sabbath, which was appointed for man, should yield to man's safety and welfare." Christ the Son of man was really the son of God; and as such had power over the sabbath to dispense with it, yea, to abrogate and change it, at his pleasure.

Here we have another dispute betwixt our Saviour and the Pharisees concerning the sabbath; whether it be a breach of that day, mercifully to heal a person having a withered hand? Christ confutes them from their own practice, telling the Pharisees, that they themselves judged it lawful to help out a sheep, or an ox, if fallen into a pit on that day: how much more ought the life of a man to be preferred!

Here we may remark, how inveterate a malice the Pharisees had against our Saviour: when they could find no crime to charge him with, they blame him for working a merciful and miraculous cure upon the sabbath-day. When envy and malice (which are evermore quick-sighted) can find no occasion of quarrel, they will invent one, against the innocent.

Observe, 1. The merciful and miraculous cure wrought by our Saviour's power upon the impotent man: he said unto him, Stretch out thine hand, and his hand was restored.

Observe, 2. What a contrary effect this cure had upon the Pharisees; instead of convincing them, they conspire against him: Christ's enemies, when arguments fail, fall to violence.

Observe, 3. The prudent means which our Saviour uses for his own preservation, he withdrew himself. Christ's example teaches his ministers their duty; to avoid the hands of persecutors, and prudently to preserve their lives unless when their sufferings are like to do more good than their lives.

Observe, 4. The great humility of Christ in concealing his own praises; he had no ambition that the fame of his miracles should be spread abroad, for he sought not his own glory; neither would he by the noise of his miracles enrage the Pharisees against him to take away his life; knowing that his time was not yet come, and he had much work to do before his death.

That is, our blessed Saviour did those good acts before spoken of, that it might appear that he was the true Messias prophesied of by Isaias the prophet, Isa 42:1-2. Behold my servant whom I have set apart for accomplishing the work of salvation for a lost world; he by the fulness of my Spirit shall teach the nations the way of truth and righteousness; he shall not subdue men by force and violence, but, as the Prince of Peace, shall deal gently with the weak, and cherish the least measures of grace, and degrees of goodness.

Observe here, 1. A description of Christ as a Mediator; he is God the Father's Servant, employed in the most noble service, namely, of instructing and saving a lost world.

Observe, 2. With what meekness and gentleness Christ sets up his spiritual kingdom in the world; he doth not with noise and clamour, with force and violence, subdue and conquer; but with meekness and gentleness gains person's consent to his government and authority.

Observe, 3. The gentle carriage of Christ in treating those of infirmer grace; he doth and will graciously preserve and tenderly cherish the smallest beginnings, the weakest measures, and the lowest degrees, of sincere grace, which he observes in any of is children and people. By the bruised reed and smoking flax, understand such as are broken with the sense of sin, such as are weak in faith, such as are so much overpowered by corruption, that they do rather smoke than burn or shine; such as are thus low and mean in spirituals, Christ will not break with his power, not quench with his rebukes, till he has perfected their conversion, and their weak grace is become victorious.

As a farther instance of Christ's miraculous power, he healeth one whom the devil had cast into a disease which deprived him both of speech and sight: at this miracle the multitude wonder, saying, Is not this the son of David? that is, the promised Messias. The Pharisees hearing this, with great bitterness and contempt said, This fellow casteth out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils.

Observe from hence, How obstinacy and malice will make man misconstrue the actions of the most holy and innocent; Christ casteth out devils, say the Pharisees, by the help of the devil. There never was any person so good, nor any action so gracious, but they have been subject both to censure and misconstructions. The best way is to square our actions by the right rule of justice and charity, and then let the world pass their censures at their pleasure. When the holy and innocent Jesus was thus assaulted, what wonder is it if we his sinful servants be branded on all sides by reviling tongues! Why should we expect better treatment than the Son of God.

Our blessed Saviour, to clear his innocence, and to convince the Pharisees of the unreasonableness of this their calumny and false accusations, offers several arguments to their consideration.

1. That it was very unlikely that Satan should lend him this power to use it against himself. As Satan has a kingdom, so he has wit enough to preserve his kingdom, and will do nothing to weaken his own interest. Now if I have received my power from Satan for destroying him and his kingdom, then is Satan divided against himself.

2. Our Saviour tells them, they might with as much reason attribute all miracles to the devil, as those that were wrought by him. There were certain Jews among themselves, who cast out devils in the name of the God of Abaraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Christ asks the Pharisees, by what power these their children cast them out?

They acknowledged that those did it by the power of God; and there was no cause but their malice, why they should not acknowledge that what he did was by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you: that is, the Messias is come, because he wrought these miracles to prove that he was the Messias.

3. Another argument to prove that the miracles which Christ wrought were by the power of God, and not by the help of Satan, is this: The devil is very strong and powerful, and there is no power but God's only that is stronger than his: Now, says Christ, If I were not assisted by a divine power, I could never cast out this strong man, who reigns in the world as in his house: it must be a stronger than the strong man that shall bind Satan: and who is he but the God of strength?

Observe, 1. How our Saviour makes a difference betwixt speaking against the Son of man, and speaking against the Holy Ghost. By speaking against the Son of man, is meant all those reproaches that were cast upon our Saviour's person as Man, without reflecting upon his divine power as God, which he testified by his miracles. Such were their reproaching him with the meanness of his birth, their censuring him for a Wine-bibber and a Glutton, and the like. But by speaking against the Holy Ghost, is meant, their blaspheming and reproaching that divine power whereby he wrought his miracles; which was an immediate reflection upon the Holy Spirit, and a blaspheming of him.

Observe, 2. The nature of this sin of speaking against the Holy Ghost: it consisteth in this, that the Pharisees seeing our Saviour work miracles, and cast out devils by the Spirit of God, contrary to the conviction of their own minds, they maliciously ascribed his miracles to the power of the devil, charging him to be a sorcerer and a magician, and to have a familiar spirit, by whose help he did those mighty works; when in truth he did them by the Spirit of God.

Observe, 3. That this sin above all others is called unpardonable, of such blasphemers of the Holy Spirit, is not only dangerous, but desperate; because they resist their last remedy, and ooppose the best means for their conviction. What can God do more to convince a man that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah, than to work miracles for that purpose? Now they will say it is not God that works them, but the devil; as if Satan would conspire against himself, and seek the ruin of his own kingdom; there is no way left to convince such persons, but they must and will continue in their opposition to truth, to their inevitable condemnation.

These words may either refer to the Pharisees, or to Christ himself.

If to the Pharisees, the sense is, You hypocritical Pharisees show yourselves what you are by our words and actions, even as the fruit showeth what the tree is.

If they refer to Christ, then they are an appeal to the Pharisees themselves, to judge of our Saviour and his doctrine by the miracles which he wrought.

If he wrought by the devil, his works would be as bad as the devil's; but if his works were good, they must own them to be wrought by the power of God.

The expression implies, that a man may be known by his actions, as a tree may be known by his fruit; yet not by a single action, but by a series of actions; not by a particular act, but by our general course.

Note here, 1. The fervency and zeal of our Saviour's spirit in the compellation given to the Pharisees: he calls them a generation of vipers: intimating that they were a venomous and dangerous sort of men.

Learn hence, That it is not always railing and indiscreet zeal to call wicked men by such names as their sin deserves.

Observe farther, From our Saviour's saying, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; that the heart is the fountain both of words and actions: according as the heart is, so is the current of men's words and actions, either good or evil.

Observe here, A double treasure discovered in the heart of man.

1. An evil treasure of sin and corruption, both natural and acquired, from whence proceed evil things. Now this is called a treasure, not for the preciousness of it, but for the abundance of it; a little doth not make a treasure: and also for the continuance of the life, yet doth the heart continue full; nature may be drawn low in this life, by sanctifying grace, but it never can be drawn dry.

2. Here is a good treasure of grace discovered in a sanctified and renewed man; which is the source and spring from whence all gracious actions do proceed and flow. For as the heart of man by nature is the fountain from whence all sin springs, so the heart renewed by grace is the source and spring from whence all gracious actions do proceed and flow.

I say unto you; I, that have always been in my Father's bosom, and fully know his mind; I, that am constituted Judge of quick and dead, and understand the rule of judgment; I, even I, do assure you that every word that has no tendency to promote the glory of God, or some way the good of others, will fall under censure at the great day, without an intervening repentance.

Note here, That there are two sorts of words for which we must be judged; sinful words, and idle words.

Sinful words are blasphemous words, censorious words, lying and slandering words.

Idle words are such as savour nothing of wisdom and piety; that have no tendency to make men either wiser or better: how light soever men make of their words now, yet in God's balance another day they will be found to weigh very heavy.

What a bridle should this text be to extravagant tongues! Let your speech be always seasoned with salt Col 4:6, that is, with wisdom, &c., for our words may mischief others a long time after they are spoken.

How many years may a frothy or a filthy word, a profane scoff, an atheistical jest, stick in the minds of them that hear it, after the tongue that spake it is dead!

A word spoken is physically transient, but morally permanent.

Observe here, The argument which our Saviour uses to move us to watchfulness over our words: by our words we shall be justified; not meritoriously, but declaratively: good words declare goodness in ourselves, and we shall be declared good to others by our words, if our words and actions do correspond and agree with one another.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; that is, according to the right or wrong using of the tongue, we may judge and gather whether men are dead or alive as to God; and bound for heaven or hell.

Doubtless justification or condemnation will pass upon men at the day of judgment, according to the state of the person, and frame of the heart; now our words will justify or condemn us in that day, as evidences of the state and frame of the soul. We used to say, such witnesses hanged a man; that is, the evidence they gave cast and condemned him.

O think of this seriously: if words evidence the state of thy soul, what a hellish state must thy soul be in, who hast inured thyself to the language of hell, to oaths and curses; sins whereby the devil cheats men more than by any sins whatsoever! They are damned for them, yet get nothing by them, neither profit nor pleasure.

Observe here, 1. The request which the Pharisees make to Christ; Master, we would see a sign from thee. But had not Christ showed them signs enough already? What were all the miracles wrought in their sight, but convincing signs that he was the true Messias? But infidelity mixed with obstinacy is never satisfied.

Observe, 2. Our Saviour's answer to the Pharisees' request: he tells them that they should have one sign more, to wit, that of his resurrection from the dead: For as Jonas lay buried three days in the whale's belly, and was then wonderfully restored, so should (and did) our Saviour continue in the grave again.

Observe, 3. How Christ declares the inexcusableness of their state, who would not be convinced by the former miracles he had wrought that he was the true Messiah; nor yet be brought to believe in him by this last sign or miracle of his resurrection.

The Ninevites shall condemn the Pharisees, they repented at the preaching of Jonas; but these would not be convinced by the preaching and miracles of Jesus.

The queen of Sheba, who also came from the south to hear and admire the wisdom of Solomon, shall rise up in judgment against those that reject Christ, who is the Wisdom of the Father; and the doctrine delivered by him, which was the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Learn, That the sins of infidelity and impenitency are exceedingly heightened, and their guilt aggravated, from the means afforded by God to bring a people to faith and obedience. The sin of the Pharisees in rejecting Christ's miracles and ministry, was by far greater than that of the Ninevites, had they rejected Jonah's message and ministry sent by God amongst them.

The design and scope of this parable is to show that the Pharisees, by rejecting the gospel and refusing to believe in Christ, were in a seven-fold worse condition than if the gospel had never been preached to them, and a Saviour had never come among them; because by our Saviour's ministry Satan was in some sort cast out: but for rejecting Christ and his grace, Satan had got a seven-fold stronger possession of them now than before.

From this parable, learn, 1. That Satan is an unclean spirit; he has lost his original purity, his holy nature, in which he was created, and is become universally filthy and unclean nature. Nay, he is a perfect enemy to purity and holiness, maligning all that love it, and would promote it.

2. That Satan is a restless and unquiet spirit; being cast out of heaven, he can rest nowhere; when he is either gone out of a man through policy, or cast out of a man by power, he has no content or satisfaction, till he returns into a filthy heart, where he delights to be as the swine in miry places.

3. That wicked and profane sinners have this unclean spirit dwelling in them: their hearts are Satan's house and habitation; and the lusts of pride and unbelief, malice and revenge, envy and hypocrisy, these are the garnishings of Satan's house. Man's heart was God's house by creation, it is now Satan's by usurpation and judiciary tradition.

4. That Satan by the preaching of the gospel may seem to go out of persons, and they become sober and civilized; yet may he return to his old habitation, and the last end of that man may be worse than the beginning.

Observe here, 1. The verity of Christ's human nature; he had affinity and consanguinity with men, persons near in blood to him, called his brethren, that is, his cousin-germans.

2. That the holy virgin herself was not wholly free from failings and infirmities; for here she does untimely and unseasonably interrupt our Saviour when preaching to the people, and employed about his Father's business.

3. That Christ did not neglect his holy mother, nor disregard his near relations; only showed that he preferred his Father's service before them.

Learn, 4. How dear believers are to Jesus Christ; he prefers his spiritual kindred before his natural. Alliance in faith, and spiritual relation to Christ, is much nearer and dearer than alliance by blood: to bear Christ in the heart is much better than to bear him in the womb.

Blessed be God, this greatest privilege is not denied to us even now: though see Christ we cannot, yet love him we may; his bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us, but his spiritual presence is not denied us. Though Christ be not ours, in house, in arms, in affinity, in consanguinity, yet in heart, in faith, in love, in service, he is or may be ours.

Verily, spiritual regeneration brings men into a more honourable relation to Christ than natural generation ever did. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

‏ Matthew 13

The foregoing chapter gave us an account of an awakening sermon preached by our Saviour to the Pharisees. In this chapter we are acquainted with the continuance of his preaching to the multitude, where three things are observable,

1. Our Lord's assiduity and unwearied diligence in preaching of the gospel; for this sermon was made the same day with that in the former chapter, ver. 1. The same day went Jesus out, and sat by the sea-side. A good pattern for the preachers of the gospel to follow. How ashamed may we be to preach once a week, when our Lord preached twice a day!

Observe, 2. The place our Lord preached in, a ship, no unmeet place to preach in. It is not the place that sanctifies the ordinance, but the ordinance that sanctifies the place.

Observe, 3. The manner of our Lord's preaching; It was by parables and similitudes; which was an ancient way of instruction among the Jews, and a very convincing way; at once working upon men's minds, memories, and affections; making the mind attentive, the memory retentive, and the auditors inquisitive after the interpretation of the parable.

Some are of opinion that our Saviour's parables were suited to his hearers' employments, some of whom being husbandmen, he resembles his doctrine to seed sown in the field; for thus he speaks:

Behold a sower went forth to sow: Matt 13:1-9

The scope of this parable is to shew, that there are four several sorts of hearers of the word, and but one sort only that hear to a saving advantage: also to shew us the cause of the different success of the word preached.

Here observe, 1. The sowers, Christ and his apostles, he the prime and principal sower, they the secondary and subordinate seedsmen. Christ sows his own field, his ministers sow his field; he sows his own seed, they sow his seed. Woe unto us, if we sow our own seed and not Christ's.

Observe, 2. The seed sown, the word of God. Fabulous legends, and unwritten traditions, which the seedsmen of the church of Rome sow, these are not seed, but chaff; or their own seed, not Christ's. Our Lord's field must be sown with his own seed, not with mixed grain.

Learn, 1. That the word of God preached is like seed sown in the furrows of the field. As seed has a fructifying virtue in it, by which it increases and brings forth more of its own kind; so has the word of God a quickening power, to regenerate and make alive dead souls.

Learn, 2. That the seed of the word, doth not thrive in all grounds alike, so neither doth the word fructify alike in the hearts of men. There is a difference both from the nature of the soil, and from the influence of the Spirit.

Learn, 3. That the cause of the word's unfruitfulness is very different, and not the same in all: in some it is the policy of Satan, that bird of prey, which follows God's plough, and steals away the precious seed.

In others, it is a hard heart of unbelief; in others, the cares of the world, like thorns, choke the word, overgrow the good seed, draw away the moisture of the earth, and the heart of the soul, and hinder the influences of the sun. The far greater part of hearers are fruitless and unprofitable hearers.

Learn, 4. That the best ground doth not bring forth fruit alike; some good ground brings forth more, and some less; some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred-fold.

In like manner a person may be a profitable hearer of the word, although he doth not bring forth so great a proportion of fruit as others, provided he brings forth as much as he can.

Here we have the disciples' question, and our Saviour's answer.

Their question is, Why speakest thou to the people in parables which they do not understand? They cannot see the soul of thy meaning, through the body of thy parables.

Christ answers, "To you, my disciples, and such as you are, who love the truth, and desire to obey it, the Spirit gives you an affective, operative, and experimental knowledge, not barely to know these things, but to believe them, and feel the power of them in and upon your own hearts; but the generality of hearers do satisfy and content themselves with a bare notional knowledge of what they hear; a parable therefore is well enough for them."

Learn, 1. That the doctrines of the gospel are mysterious.

2. That it is a matchless and invaluable privilege, practically and savingly to understand and know gospel mysteries.

3. That this privilege all are not sharers in or partakers of, but only those to whom it is given, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but to them it is not given.

That is, whosoever improves the measures of grace received, shall obtain farther measures and degrees of it: But from him that doth not improve what he has already received, shall be taken away that which to himself or others he seemed to have, his common gifts and moral endowments.

Learn, That where there are beginnings of true grace, and a right and wise improvement of it, God will make rich additions or more grace to the present stock which we have received.

These words of our blessed Saviour, as I conceive, have a peculiar reference and relation to the Pharisees, who attended upon Christ's ministry, not with an honest simplicity of mind, to be instructed by it, but to carp and cavil at it. Our Saviour tells them, he had formerly spoken things very plainly and clearly to them, and also wrought miracles before them, to convince them of the divinity of his person and of the verity of his doctrine: but they would not believe either his person or his doctrine to be from God; and therefore he would now speak to them in dark parables, that they may be judicially blinded; they sinfully shut their eyes against the clearest light, and said they would not see; and now Christ closes their eyes judicially, and says they shall not see.

Learn hence, To acknowledge the divine justice, which speaks darkly to them that despise the light: such who see and yet see not, they shall see the shell but not the kernel; they shall hear the parable, but not understand the spiritual sense and meaning of it. When wilful blindness of mind is added to natural blindness, it is a just and righteous thing with God to superadd judicial blindness, and give them obstinancy of heart, his curse unto them.

Here our Saviour pronounces such of his disciples and followers blessed, who received the truths of the gospel so far as they were already taught them: he assures them that they shall receive farther light and fuller measures of spiritual illumination: Blessed are your eyes, for they see.

Learn, That such as have received the least measures of spiritual knowledge and saving illumination, and do improve it, are in a happy and blessed condition; for as they are capable of further measures of divine knowledge, so shall they be partakers of them.

As if our Lord has said, "You my disciples, who are not satisfied with a sound of words, I will explain to you the sense and signification of this parable: the scope of which is, to shew the different effects which the word of God has upon men's hearts, and the reason of that difference.

The seed is the word, the sower is the preacher, the soil is the heart and soul of man."

Now our Saviour assures us, that both the hearts of some hearers are like highway ground; in which the seed is not covered with the harrow of meditation; others are like stony ground, in which the word has no root; no root in their understandings, memories, conscience, will, or affections: but they are offended, either at the depth and profoundness of the word, or at the sanctity and strictness of it, or at the plainness and simplicity of it.

Again, some hearers our Lord compares to the thorny ground. Thorns are covetous desires, which choke the good seed, shadow the blade when sprung up, keep off the influences of the sun and draw away the fatness of the soil from the seed. All these effects have thorns in and among the seed; and the like effects have worldly affections and covetous desires in the heart of man, rendering the word unfruitful and unprofitable.

But the good Christian hears the word attentively, keeps it retentively, believes it stedfastly, applies it particularly, practises it universally, and brings forth fruit with patience and perseverance; fruit that will redound to his account, in the great day of account.

Learn, 1. That no hearers are in Christ's account good hearers of the word, but such as bring forth the fruits of an holy, humble, and peaceable conversation.

2. That a person may be a good hearer of the word, if he brings forth the best fruit he can, though it be not in so great a proportion as others do: as some ground brings forth thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred-fold: in like manner do all the sincere hearers of the word, they all bring forth fruit, though not all alike; all in sincerity and reality, though not all to the same degree, and none to perfection.

Observe lastly, Satan is here compared to the fowls of the air, which pick up the seed before it takes any root in the earth. The devil is very jealous of the success of the word, and therefore labours all he can to destroy the word before it comes to operate upon the heart; which he doth sometimes by the cares of the world, sometimes by vain companions, who prove mere quench-coals unto early convictions; if he can steal away the word or choke it, he has his desire and design.

The design and scope of this parable is, to shew that there is no expectation of universal purity in the church of God in this life; but as the tares and the wheat grow together in the same field, so hypocrites and sincere Christians are and will be intermixed in the same church, and can hardly be discerned one from the other.

St. Jerome observes, That in the eastern countries, the tares and the wheat were so like one another, whilst they were in the blade, that there was no knowing them asunder.

Learn, 1. That in the outward and visible church, there ever has been and will be a mixture of good and bad, of saints and sinners, of hypocrites, and sincere Christians, until the day of judgment.

2. That in that day Christ will make a thorough and perfect separation, and divide the tares from the wheat; that is, the righteous from the wicked.

3. That in the meantime none ought to be so offended at this mixture in the church, as to separate from church communication on that account: until the harvest, it is not to be expected that the tares and the wheat should be perfectly separated.

Yet observe, 4. That though the tares are forbidden to be plucked up when sown, yet it is the church's duty, all she can, to hinder their sowing. Though we must not root the wicked up, yet we must prevent the rooting of wickedness all we can. Our Saviour, that forbad to pluck up the cares, did not forbid to hinder their sowing.

Note here, How vain is the collection of the Erastians from hence, that the wicked are not to be cut of by excommunication from the communion of the church; nor doth this text prove that the magistrates may not cut off evil doers; seeing this was not spoken to them, but to the ministers of the church.

Our Saviour's design in this parable is, to shew how the gospel, from small and little, from unlikely and contemptible beginnings, shall spread and increase, fructify and grow up; like a mustard seed, one of the smallest grains, grows up to a considerable tallness; and as a little leaven turns a great heap of meal into its own nature; so the gospel shall spread and increase, nations and countries becoming Christians.

Learn, That how small beginning soever the gospel had in its first plantation, yet, by the fructifying blessing of God, it has had and shall have a wonderful increase.

The parable of the tares of the field, Christ is pleased to explain to his disciples after this manner. The person sowing good seed was himself, The Son of man; who first planted the gospel: the field in which the seed was sown was the world; that is, the church in the world: the good seed, called, The children of the kingdom, are sincere Christians: the tares called, The children of the wicked one, are profane sinners, and unsound hypocrites: the enemy is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the angels are the reapers.

Learn, 1. That the mixture of the tares and the wheat, of the righteous and the wicked must and shall remain in the church unto the end of the world.

2. That in the end of the world the angels shall perform the work of separations, gathering the righteous from among the wicked: when everyone's harvest shall be according to his fruit; The righteous shining in the kingdom of their Father, the wicked cast into a furnace of fire.

By the treasure hid in the field, and the pearl of great price, are understood, Christ, the grace of the gospel, and the way to life and salvation therin discovered; he that is thoroughly convinced of the worth and excellency of Christ's grace, will part with all that he has to purchase and obtain it.

Learn, That the sinner who will have interest in Christ, and a part in gospel grace, must part with all that he has to purchase and obtain them, even with his goods and lands with his wife and children; for Christ and his grace are a real good, a substantial good, a durable good; he outbids all the offers the world can make, and therefore it is our wisdom to part with all for him, and especially our sins, dearer to us than all the rest.

The design and scope of this parable also is to set forth the state of the gospel church, which is like a floor, where chaff is mixed with wheat; a field, where tares are mixed with good corn; a net, where bad fishes are involved with the good. As the wheat must not be removed out of the floor before the time of winnowing; nor the tares gathered out of the field before the time of reaping; nor the good fishes break through the net to get from the bad before the time of separation; so must not Christians forsake a church's communion, because of the present mixture of good and bad in the church. For a mixed communion, in the church, and the good Christians communicating with the bad, do neither defile the ordinances of Christ, nor pollute those that sincerely join in them.

Observe here, 1. The title which our Saviour puts upon gospel-ministers; they are household stewards.

2. He points out the office of those stewards; and that is, to provide for the household both with plenty and variety. He must bring forth out of his treasure in plenty; and things new and old for their variety.

There are two essential qualifications in a steward, faithfulness and prudence: he must be honest and faithful, in bringing out of his own treasure, not another's; and he must be prudent, in bringing things new, as well as old; not new truths, but old truths in as new dress: lest the household, by always feeding upon the same dish, do nauseate it, instead of being nourished by it.

Observe here, 1. Christ's tender and compassionate regard to his own countrymen, the people of Galilee and Nazareth: he preached to them in their synagogue.

2. The effect which his doctrine had upon them: They were astonished at it, but not converted by it; they admired, but did not believe.

3. The cause of their rejecting Christ's ministry was the meanness of his person, the contemptableness of his outward condition, the poverty of his relations: is not this the carpenter's son? Mr 6:3. He is called the carpenter; whence the fathers concluded, that our Saviour during the time of his obscure privacy, wrought at the trade of Joseph his reputed father; and Justin Martyr says he made ploughs and yokes. Sure we are, our Lord spent no time in idleness, though we are not certain how he employed his time before he entered upon his public minstry.

Note, That the poverty and meanness of Christ's condition was that which multitudes stumbled at; and which kept many, yea most, from believing on him. None but a spiritual eye can discern beauty in an humble Saviour: Is not this the son of the carpenter?

2. That it is no impediment to, or hindrance of, our faith, that we never saw Christ's person in the flesh, nor knew his parentage and education; for here are his own countrymen, who daily saw his person, heard his doctrine, and were witnesses of his holy conversation, yet instead of believing in him they were offended at him.

Our Saviour tells them, he doth not wonder that so many of his own countrymen, to whom he had been so familiarly known, did despise his person, and reject his doctrine; a prophet generally has least esteem where he has been brought up; because, perhaps the follies of his childhood, and indecencies of his youth, are remembered and reported to his disparagement.

Learn, 1. That there is a real tribute of honour due and payable to every prophet, or faithful minister of Jesus Christ.

2. That the ministers of Christ, for the most part, have least honour from their own countrymen, to whom they are best known.

3. That although it be so, yet this may not be through their own fault, for Christ was so amongst us.

This sin not only locks up the heart of a sinner, but also binds up the hands of a Saviour. Unbelief obstructed Christ's miraculous works when on earth, and it obstructs his gracious works now in heaven.

Ah! cursed unbelief! which shuts up, O sinner, thy heart, and shuts out thy Saviour, and will effectually shut thee out of heaven, and not only procure damnation, but no damnation like it!

Christ was unable because they were unwilling; his impotency was occasioned by their infidelity; he did not, because he would not; and that he would not, proceeded from a defect in their faith, not from any deficiency in Christ's power; their unbelief bound his hands, and hindered the execution of his power.

‏ Matthew 14:1-34

Observe here, 1. How strange it was the Herod should not hear of the fame of Jesus till now; all the country and adjoining regions had rung of his fame, only Herod's court hears nothing. Miserable is that greatness which keeps princes from the knowledge of Jesus Christ. How plain is it from hence that our Saviour came not to court? He once sent indeed a message to that fox (Herod) whose den he would not approach; teaching us by his example, not to affect, but to avoid, outward pomp and glory. The courts to thrive in.

Observe, 2. The misconstruction of Herod, when he heard of our Saviour's fame: this, says he, is John the Baptist, whom I beheaded. His conscience told him he had offered an unjust violence to an innocent man; and now he is afraid that he is come again to be revenged on him for his head. A wicked man needs no worse tormentor than his own mind. O the terrors and tortures of a guilty conscience! How great are the anxieties of guilt, and the fears of divine displeasure, than which nothing is more stinging and perpetually tormenting.

Observe here, 1. The person that put the holy baptist to death: It was Herod, it was Herod the king, it was Herod that invited John to preach at court, and heard him gladly.

1. It was Herod Antipas, son to that Herod, who sought Christ's life, chap. 11. cruelty runs in the blood, Herod the murderer of John, who was the forerunner of Christ, descended from that Herod who would have murdered Christ himself.

2. It was Herod the king. Sad! that princes who should always be nursing fathers to, should at any time be the bloody butchers of, the prophets of God.

3. It was Herod that heard John gladly; John took the ear and the heart of Herod, and Herod binds the hands and feet of John. O how inconstant is a carnal heart to good resolutions; the word has oft-time an awakening influence, where it doth not leave an abiding impression upon the minds of men.

Observe, 2. The cause of the baptist's death; it was for telling a king of his crime. Herod cut off that head whose tongue was so bold as to tell him of his faults. The persecutions which the prophets of God fall under, is usually for telling great men of their sins: men in power are impatient of reproof, and imagine their authority gives them a license to transgress.

Observe, 3. The plain-dealing of the baptist, in reproving Herod for his crime, which, in one act, was adultery, incest, and violence.

Adultery, that he took another's wife; incest, that he took his brother's wife; violence, that he took her in spite of her husband.

Therefore John does not mince the matter, and say, it is not the crown and sceptre of Herod that could daunt the faithful messenger of God. There ought to meet in God's ministers, both courage and impartiality.

Courage, in fearing no faces; impartiality in sparing no sins. For none are so great, but they are under the authority and command of the law of God.

Several observables are here to be taken notice of.

1. The time of this execrable murder: it was upon eastern kings to celebrate their birth-days: Pharaoh's birth-day was kept, Gen 40:20. Herod's here; both with blood; yet these personal stains do not make the practice unlawful. When we solemnize our birth-day with thankfulness to our Creator and Preserver, for life and being, for protection and preservation to that moment, and commend ourselves to the care of his good providence for the remainder of our days, this is an act of piety and religion. But Herod's birth-day was kept with revelling and feasting, with music and dancing: not that dancing which is itself, is a set, regular, harmonious motion of the body, can be unlawful, and more than walking or running: circumstances may make it sinful.

But from this, although disorderly banquet on Herod's birth-day, we learn, that great men's feasts and frolics are too often, a season of much sin.

Observe, 2. The instigator and promoter of the Holy Baptist's death, Herodias and her daughter: that good man falls a sacrifice to the fury and malice, to the pride and scorn, of a lustful woman, for being a rub in the way of her licentious adultery. Resolute sinners, who are mad upon their lusts, run furiously upon their gainsayers, though they be the prophets of God themselves, and resolve to bear down all opposition they meet with in the gratification of their unlawful desires.

Observe, 3. With what reluctance Herod consented to this villainy: The king was sorry: wicked men oft-times sin with a troubled and disturbed conscience: they have a mighty struggle with themselves before they commit their sins: but at last their lusts get the mastery over their consciences. So did Herod's here; for:

4. Not withstanding his sorrow. He commands the fact: He sent and beheaded John in the sorrow. And a three-fold cord tied him to this performance.

1. The conscience of his oath. See his hypocrisy: he made conscience of a rash oath, who made no scruple of real murder.

2. Respect to his reputation, Them that sat with him heard his promise, and will be witness of his levity, if he do not perform. Insisting upon punctilio of honour has hazarded the loss of millions of souls.

3. A loathness to discontent Herodias and her daughter. O vain and foolish hypocrite, who dreaded the displeasure of a wanton mistress, before the offending of God and conscience!

Observe, 5. These wicked women not only require the Baptist to be beheaded, but that his head be brought in a charger to them. What a dish is here to be served up at a prince's table on his birth-day! A dead man's head swimming in blood! How prodigiously insatiably is cruelty and revenge! Herodias did not think herself safe till John was dead; she could not think him dead till his head was off; she could not believe his head was off till she had it in her hand.

Revenge never thinks it has made sure enough. O how cruel is a wicked heart, that could take pleasure in a spectacle of so much horror! How was that holy head tossed by impure and filthy hands! That true and faithful tongue, those pure eyes, those mortified cheeks are now insultingly handled by an incestuous harlot, and made a scorn to the drunken eyes of Herod's guest.

From the whole, learn, 1. That neither the holiest of prophets, nor the best of men, are more secure from violence, than from natural death. He that was sanctified in the womb, conceived and born with so much miracle, lived with so much reverence and observation, is now at midnight obscurely murdered in a close prison.

Learn, 2. That it is as true a martyrdom to suffer for duty, as for faith: he dies as tryly a martyr that dies for doing his duty, as he that dies for professing the faith, and bearing witness to the truth.

The disciples of John hearing that their holy master was thus basely and barbarously murdered, took up his dead body and buried it.

Whence we learn, that the faithful servants of God are not ashamed of the suffering of the saints, but will testify their respect unto them both living and dead.

Observe farther, our blessed Saviour, upon the notice of John's death, flies unto the desert for the preservation of his own life. Jesus knew that his hour was not yet come, and therefore he keeps out of Herod's way. It is no cowardice to fly from persecutors, when Christ our captain both practices it himself, and directs us to it, saying, When they persecute you in one city, flee, &c.

Observe here, with what condolency and tender sympathy the compassionate Jesus exercised acts of mercy and compassion towards the miserable and distressed.

He was moved with compassion; that is, touched with an inward sense and feeling of their sorrow;

And he healed their sick. Those that came to Christ for healing, found three advantages of cure, above the power and performance of any earthly physician; to wit, certainty, bounty, and ease.

Certainty, in that all comers were infallibly cured; bounty, in that they were freely cured, without charge; and ease, in that they were cured without pain.

Note here, 1. The disciples pity towards the multitude that had been long attending upon Christ's ministry in the desert; they presuming the people hungry, having fasted all the day, requested our Saviour to dismiss them, that they may procure some bodily refreshment.

Learn hence, that it well becomes the ministers of Christ to respect the bodily necessities, as well as to regard the spiritual wants of their people. As the bodily father must take care of the soul of his child, so must the spiritual Father have respect to the bodily necessities of his children.

Observe, 2. The motion which the disciples make on behalf of the multitude, Send them away that they may buy victuals. Here was a strong charity, but a weak faith. A strong charity in that they desire the people's relief: but a weak faith, in that they suppose that they could not be otherwise relieved, but by sending them away to buy victuals; forgetting that Christ, who had healed the multitude miraculously, could as easily feed them miraculously, if he pleased: all things being equally easy to omnipotency.

Observe here, 1. Our Saviour's strange answer to the disciples motion: They need not depart, says Christ. Need not! Why? the people must either feed or famish. Victuals they must have, and this being a desert place, there was none to be had. Surely then there was need enough.

But, 2. Christ's command was more strange than his assertion: Give ye them to eat. Alas, poor disciples! They had nothing for themselves to eat, how then should they give the multitude to eat? When Christ requires of us what of ourselves we are unable to perform, it is to shew us our impotency and weakness, and to provoke us to look to him that worketh all our works in us and for us.

Note here, what a poor and slender provision the Lord of the whole earth has for his household and family; five loaves, and those barley; two fishes, and they small: teaching us, that these bodies of ours must be fed, but not pampered. Our belly must not be our master, much less our God. We read but twice that Christ made any entertainments, and both times his guests were fed with loaves nad fishes, plain fare and homely diet. The end of food is to sustain nature, we stifle it with gluttonous variety: meat was ordained for the belly, the belly for the body, the body for the soul, and the soul for God.

Observe farther, as the quality of the victuals was plain and coarse, so the quantity of it was small and little: five loaves and two fishes. Well might the disciples say, What are these among so many? The eye of sense and reason sees an impossibility of those effects which faith can easily apprehend, and divine power more easily produce.

Observe, 1. How the master of the feast marshals his guests, he commands them all to sit down: none of them reply, "sit down, but to what? Here are the mouths, but where is the meat? We can soon be set, but whence shall we be served?" Nothing of this; but they obey and expect.

O how easy is it to trust to God, and rely upon Providence, when there is corn in the barn, and bread in the cupboard! But when our stores are all empty, and nothing before us, then to depend upon an invisible bounty, is a true and noble act of faith.

Observe, 2. The actions performed by our blessed Saviour, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples and they to the multitude.

1. He blessed. Teaching us by his example, in all our wants to look up to heaven for a supply, to wait upon God for his blessing, and not to sit down to our food as a beast to his forage.

2. He brake the loaves. He could have multiplied them whole, why would he rather do it in the breaking? Perhaps to teach us, that we are to expect his blessing in the distribution, rather than in the reservation of what he gives us.

Scattering is the way to increasing: not grain hoarded up in the granary, but scattered in the furrows of the field, yields increase. Liberality is the way to riches, and penuriousness the road to poverty.

3. Christ gave the bread thus broken to his disciples that they might distribute it to the multitude. But why did not our Lord distribute it with his own hand, but by the hands of his disciples? Doubtless to win respect to his disciples from the people.

The same course doth our Lord take in spiritual distributions. He that could feed the world by his immediate hand, chooses rather by the hands of his ministers to divide the bread of life to all hearers.

They did all eat, not a crumb or a bit, but to satiety and fullness: They did eat and were filled, yet twelve baskets remained; more was left than was at first set on. So many bellies, and yet so many baskets filled. The miracle was doubled by an act of boundless omnipotency. It is hard to say, which was the greater miracle, the miraculous eating, or the miraculous leaving. If we consider that they ate, we may justly wonder that they left any thing.

Observe farther, these fragments, though of barley bread and fish bones must not be lost; but by our Saviour's command, gathered up. The liberal housekeeper of the world will not allow the loss of his orts. O how fearful then will the account of those be, who have large and plentiful estates to answer for as lost, being spent upon their lusts in riot and excess!

Jesus constrained them; that is, he commanded them to go away before him. No doubt but they were very loth to leave him, and to go without him; both out of the love which they have to him and themselves.

Such as have once tasted the sweetness of Christ, are hardly drawn away from him: however, as desirous, as the disciples were to stay with Christ, yet at his word of command they depart from him.

Where Christ has a will to command, his diciples and followers must have a will to obey.

Observe here, 1. Christ dismisses the multitude, and then retires to pray; teaching us, by his example, when we have to do with God, to dismiss the multitude of our affairs and employments, of our cares and thoughts. O how unseemly it is to have our tongues talking to God, and our thoughts taken up with the world!

Observe, 2. The place Christ retires to for prayer, a solitary mountain; not so much for his own need, for he could be alone, when he was in company, but to teach us, that when we address ourselves to God in duty, O how good is it to get upon a mountain, to get our hearts above the world, above worldly employments and worldly cogitations!

Observe, 3. The occasion of Christ's prayer: he had sent the disciples to sea, he forsaw the storm arising, and now he gets into a mountain to pray for them, that their faith might not fail them when their troubles were upon them.

Learn hence, that it is the singular comfort of the church of God, that in all her difficulties and distresses Christ is interceding for her; when she is on the sea conflicting with the waves, Christ is upon the mountain praying for her preservation.

Note here, the great danger the disciples were in, and the great difficulties they had to encounter with; they were in the midst of the sea, they were tossed with the waves, the wind was contrary, and Christ was absent.

The wisdom of God often suffers his church to be tossed upon the waves of affliction and persecution, but it shall not be swallowed by them: often is this ark of the church upon the waters; seldom off them; but never drowned.

Christ having seen the distress of his disciples on the shore, he hastens to them on the sea. It was not a stormy and tempestuous sea that could separate betwixt him and them: he that waded through a sea of blood, and through a sea of wrath, to save his people, will walk upon a sea of water to succour and relieve them.

But observe, the time when Christ came to help them, not till the fourth watch, a little before the morning. They had been many hours upon the waters, conflicting with the waves, with their fears and danger. God oft-times lengthens out the troubles of his children before he delivers them; but when they are come to an extremity, that is the season of his succours. As God suffers his church to be brought into extremities before he helps her, so he will help her in extremity. In the fourth watch Jesus came, &c.

See how the disciples take their deliverer to be a destroyer: their fears were highest when their deliverer and deliverance were nearest. God may be coming with salvation and deliverance for his church, when she for the present cannot discern him.

Observe, when the disciples were in the saddest condition, how one word from Christ revives them; it is a sufficient support in all our afflictions to hear Christ's voice speaking to us, and to enjoy his favourable presence with us.

Say but, O Saviour, It is I; and then let evils do their worst: that one word, It is I, is enough to lay all storms, and to calm all tempests.

Observe here, 1. The mixture of Peter's faith and distrust: it was faith that said, Master; it was distrust that said, If it be thou: It was faith that said, Bid me come to thee: it was faith that enables him to step down on the watery pavement: it was faith that said, Lord save me: but it was distrust that made him sink.

O the imperfect composition of faith and fear in the best of saints here on earth! Sincerity of grace is found with the saints here on earth; perfection of grace with the saints in heaven. Here the saints look forth, fair as the moon, which has some spots in her greatest beauties; hereafter they shall be clear as the sun, whose face is all bright and glorious.

Observe, 2. That whilst Peter believes, the sea is as firm as brass under him; when he begins to fear, then he begins to sink. Two hands upheld Peter; the hand of Christ's power, and the hand of his own faith. The hand of Christ's power laid hold on Peter, and the hand of Peter's faith laid hold on the power of Christ. If we let go our hold on Christ, we sink: if he lets go his hold on us, we drown. Now Peter answered his name Cephas, and he sunk like a stone.

Observe here, 1. The mercy of Christ is no sooner sought, but found: immediately Jesus put forth his hand and caught him. O with what speed, and with what assurance, should we flee to that sovereign bounty, from whence never any suitor was sent away empty.

Observe, 2. Though Christ gave Peter his hand, yet with this hand he gave him a check; O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Though Christ likes believing, yet he dislikes doubting. A person may be truly believing, who nevertheless is sometimes doubting, but his doubting eclipses the beauty of his believing.

Observe, 1. Our Saviour's unwearied diligence in going about to do good: he no sooner landeth, but he goeth to Gennesaret, and healeth their sick.

Observe, 2. The people's charity to their sick neighbours, in sending abroad to let all the country know that Christ the great physician was come amongst them.

Observe, 3. Where lay the healing virtue: not in their finger, but in their faith; or rather in Christ whom their faith apprehended.