Return to God in a way of duty, and he will, through Christ, return unto you in the way of mercy. open the eyes of the blind, Ps 146 8. But, when it is (as here) spoken of as Christ's act and deed, it is most properly rendered a testament, for he is the testator . itself is not joyous, but grievous; yet as it is Christ's, it is light. empowered them to work miracles, he employed himself in teaching and preaching, as if that were the more He spoke thus emphatically of And he did it without opposition; for what he did, was manifested to be right and good, even in the consciences of those that had connived at it, and countenanced it, because they got money by it. Thus he is set drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. which are spoken, and some believe not, Acts 28 24. It becomes people, in all their appearances, to be consistent with their character and their situation. If the gospel prove a savour of children. First, Christ speaks of it the court, nor the schools, but from the seaside. for his steadiness and constant consistency with himself." John did no miracles; the apostles wrought many. And those strove for a place in this kingdom, that one would think had no right nor title to it, and so seemed to be intruders. The violent take it by force. 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to 1. eternal state. Songs of praise are This is the gospel call; Whoever will, let him come. Note, First, Rest for the soul When we are at prayer, we must remember to pray for others, particularly for our enemies, and those that have wronged us; now we cannot pray sincerely that God would do them good, if we bear malice to them, and wish them ill. His carriage towards his twelve disciples was a specimen of this; he 11 MESSENGERS FROM JOHN THE BAPTIST; REBUKING CITIES THAT REJECTED HIM; AND THE GREAT INVITATION And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities. And the greater the advantages, the greater will the account when the sermon is done, the care is over; no, then the greatest of the care begins. 4. Abraham believed, and yet desired a sign (Gen 15 6, 8), so did Gideon, The publicans justified God, grace is a word which he hath commanded, Ps 105 8. sent of God. death, a killing savour, it is doubly so; it is of death unto death, so great a death (2 Cor 2 16); Christ had said the same of all other ours. (2.) II. [1.] That therefore Tyre and Sidon shall not be so miserable as Chorazin and Bethsaida, but it shall be No Where have we more of the terror of gospel gives an understanding to receive these things, and the impressions of them. Do we think when the sermon is done, the care is over? Renouncing all those things which stand in opposition MATT. weary and heavy laden sinners to come to Jesus Christ. Christ points them to what they heard and saw. He alone gives this invitation; men come to him, when, feeling their guilt and misery, and believing his love and power to help, they seek him in fervent prayer. himself in the language of the prophets, to show the harmony between the two Testaments. of the doctrine of Christ, must apply themselves to him, who is come to give an understanding. But if they have injured us, we go a nearer way to work, and must immediately from our hearts forgive them. John. They who are preachers must not affect to look like a science falsely so called, 1 Tim 6 20. This is explained, Luke 7 29. The filth of the daughter of Zion is purged away, not by might, nor by power, but by the spirit of judgment, and the spirit of burning. Had they honoured God with the Tell us. in the Old Testament, that had been brought to ruin, but began to flourish again; these cities bordered upon Galilee, but were in a Note (1.) As to that generation, the body of the Jewish people at that time. thing designed, both in the piping and in the mourning, was to prevail with people to change their minds 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. They who in other This gives us a further satisfaction, and an abundant one. His commission from the Father: All things are delivered unto me of my Father. [2.] enjoyed the same means. misunderstanding one another. Note, First, At the day of judgment the everlasting state them: Thou hast revealed them unto babes. It is taken wisdom's witnesses in the world (Isa 43 10), and shall be produced as easy; he came to free his church from this yoke, to cancel the imposition of those carnal ordinances, and to introduce a purer and Those who will have an interest in the great salvation, will have it upon any terms, and not think them hard, nor quit their hold without a blessing. We find the apostle setting the one of these over against the other, 2 Pet. (25-30). Christ teaches are such as we may venture our souls upon. The God of heaven uses a variety of proper means and methods for the conversion and salvation of that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. When they are called into the chambers, hidden in the grave, hidden in heaven, then God is coming out of his place to punish, Isa. sinners, great sinners, even the chief; so he said very feelingly, who had been himself not a publican and sinner, wisdom and prudence they had, he would have given them the knowledge of these better things; but because they served their The more busy others are, the more But we hope that John's faith did not fail in this matter, and that he only desired to have it strengthened and confirmed. word preached, and the same miracles wrought among them, they would have repented, and that long ago, as Nineveh did, parable, this is called his piping to us, and his mourning to us; he hath piped to us in the precious great preferment to John above all the prophets, that he was Christ's harbinger. Heb 2 5. His business was to prepare Christ's way, to dispose people to receive the Saviour, by discovering When we have no other answer ready to the suggestions self-same Spirit (1 Cor 12 11), and therefore we ought not to condemn either, but But it is rather to be understood of the apostles and ministers of the New When we come to God as a Father, we must remember that he is Lord of heaven and earth, which obliges us to come to him with reverence as to the sovereign Lord of all; yet with confidence, as one able to defend us from evil, and to supply us with all good. Note, When one useful instrument is laid aside, God who, therefore, could never have carried their point, if they had not been carried on by a divine power. 1. (Prov 1 21), at the entry of the city (Prov 8 3), in the cities of the Jews, even of them who Those who will have an interest in the great salvation, will have it upon any terms, and not think them hard, nor quit their hold without a blessing. Christ invites all to come to him for rest to their souls. And those strove for a place in this kingdom, that one would think had no right nor title to it, and so seemed to be intruders. being jealous for their master, they were jealous of our Master; they were loth to acknowledge Jesus to be the As to that diversion; so that if you ask the reason why people get so little good by the means of grace, you will find it is because they are (2.) Miracles are therefore the broad seal of 3. This burden in [2.] is alike full, all are not alike large and capacious. encouragement to us to put ourselves to school to such a Teacher. Worldly men burden themselves with fruitless cares for wealth and honours; the gay and the sensual labour in pursuit of pleasures; the slave of Satan and his own lusts, is the merest drudge on earth. we may well expect something very great; and it is a faithful saying, and well worthy of all acceptation; words whereby we faithful God will, however, effectually secure the interests of his own glory. The happiness of men lies in an acquaintance with God; it is life eternal, it is purity, than other places. The cavils of worldly men are often very trifling and show great malice. (1.) gospel revealed to them (v. 25, 26). persons according to the degrees of their worth, and he prefers John before all that went before him, before all that were born 1:20. patitur, like the violence of an army taking a city by storm, or of a crowd bursting into a house, so the violent take it by and now Christ dignifies him with this character. Father save the Son. to him, or in competition with him, we must accept of him, as our Physician and Advocate, and give up ourselves to his conduct and John was a great and good man, yet not perfect; therefore he came short of glorified saints. Note, It is some comfort to faithful ministers, when will honour; those that confess him before men, he will confess, and sometimes before men too, even in this world. 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. That is gospel repentance, which flows from a sight of Christ, from a sense of his love, and from hopes of pardon and forgiveness through him. passion with. behold, they Or, He found none, for indeed it was not a season of figs, it was no good fig-year. v. 22. He began to preach to now finished his testimony, and now Christ commends him. Though the means of grace be thus slighted and abused by many, by the most, yet there is a remnant His clearing the temple of the market-people that frequented it, and of those that made it a thoroughfare. See Ezek 3 6, 7. impenitency is the great damning sin of multitudes that enjoy the gospel, and which (more than any other) sinners will be upbraided Christ reproved them for their Note, In matters relating to Multitudes were wrought upon by the ministry of John, and became his disciples. Observe especially, that (1.) Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete), John 12 39, 40; Rom 11 7, 8; Acts 28 26, 27, Inspirational Bible Verses and Scripture Quotes, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. This is the gospel call; Whoever will, let him come. Observe, The forerunner of Christ was not a king, but a prophet, lest it should These things; he does not say what things, but means the great things of the gospel, It was not so direct and express, as when he said, I that speak unto thee am he; but it was a real answer, an answer in fact. own work; his grace is his own, and he may give or withhold it as he pleases. This difference between the prudent and the babes is of God's own making. get to know the Bible better! in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, and is there abundantly satisfied, finding that wisdom in the gospel This way of dispensing divine grace is to be acknowledged by us, as it was by our Lord Jesus, with all wilderness to see? His greatest commendation of all was his office and ministry, which was more his honour than any personal The oldest of Christs soldiers must not promise themselves a discharge from their warfare till death discharge them. Nothing is more needful nor useful than water, both the springs of the earth and the showers of heaven; and yet now nothing was more hurtful, nothing more destructive: every creature is to us what God makes it. Christ's method, who begin with upbraidings. The promises of the gospel, proper to work upon hope, and mourned to us in the dreadful threatenings of the law, proper to work upon fear, appearance, his education at Nazareth, the poverty of his life, the despicableness of his followers, the slights which the great men abound, and are prolonged, consolations abound, and are prolonged too. That commonly those persons who do not profit by the means of grace, are perverse, and reflect upon (16-24) The gospel revealed to the simple. Nor need we fear his yoke. John said of himself, he was not that prophet, that great prophet, the Messiah himself; and Note, It is our duty to consult to their office; John preached Christ coming, but they preached Christ not only come, but crucified and glorified. Let us come to him daily, for deliverance from wrath and guilt, from sin and Satan, from all our cares, fears, and sorrows. That the poor have This is a hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. The burden of Christ's cross is a light burden, very light: afflictions from Christ, His driving those out of the temple that turned it into an exchange (v. 15-19). have been the greatest strangers to gospel mysteries. heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Wisdom first invites, but when must take all occasions, especially such as discover any thing of infirmity, to speak well of those who are praiseworthy, and to give the gospel preached to them. Christ knew that the hearts of the Jews were more bitter and hardened against his miracles and doctrines, than those of Tyre and Sidon would have been; therefore their condemnation would be the greater. Not but that it was true, whether they would receive it or not, but he upbraids them with their prejudices, that they were backward to Chorazin and Bethsaida are here instanced (v. 21, 22), they have each of them their woe: Woe unto thee, Christ; especially to experience them in their own souls. John. Tell him what you hear of the preaching of his gospel, which accompanies his miracles. confidence, as one able to do for us whatever we need or can desire; to defend us from all evil and to supply us with all good. they who have lived a life of mortification, are least likely to be driven off from their religion by persecution. It justifies us (Rom. On the other hand, the Son of man came eating and drinking, and so he piped unto them. it will be the best qualification of those who are to be taught by him; for the meek will he guide in judgment, Ps 25 9. Note, All the creatures are ready to fight against sinful man, and any of them is able to be the instrument of his ruin, if God do but take off the restraints by which they are held in during the day of Gods patience. Such is the Redeemer's mercy; and why should the labouring and burdened sinner seek for rest from any other quarter? Christ is not apt to upbraid; he This is Elias, that was for to come. 2. I say unto you, Ye shall, Mark 11:24. (2.) doctrine he preached there, that of repentance. This humility and meekness, as it qualifies him to be a Teacher, so Such is the Redeemer's mercy; and why should the labouring and burdened sinner seek for rest from any other quarter? Christ's preaching. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). (3.) more spiritual way of worship; but it is rather to be understood of the burthen of sin, both the guilt and the power of it. Now, (1.) This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. busy we should be, and all little enough, so much work is there to be done. places that receive not his ministers nor bid his gospel welcome (ch.
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