covered the Messiah and his kingdom so clearly as John did; and therefore never was there such zeal to press into the kingdom of heaven amongst any, as the hear

ers of John had. Learn hence, 1. That the clearer knowledge any people have of the worth and excellency of heaven, the more will their zeal be inflamed in the pursuit of heaven. 2. That all that do intend and

and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking; and they say, Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But Wisdom is justified of her children.

resolve for heaven must offer violence in the taking of it; none but the violent are victorious; they take it by force. Which words are both restrictive and promissive. Our Saviour in these words describes They are the violent and none other, that the perverse humour of the Pharisees, take it; and all the violent shall take it. whom nothing could allure to the embracThough careless endeavours may prove ing of the gospel; neither John's ministry, abortive, vigorous prosecution shall not nor Christ's. This our Saviour sets forth miscarry. There is also another exposi- two ways. 1. Allegorically, ver. 16, 17. tion of these words; the violent take the king- 2. Properly, ver. 18, 19. By way of alle, dom of heaven by force: that is, the publicans gory, he compares them to sullen children, and sinners, and poorer sort of people, who whom nothing would please, neither mirth were well looked upon by the scribes and nor mourning: if their fellows piped be Pharisees as persons who had no right to the fore them, they would not dance; if they blessings of the Messiah; these, as violent sung mournful songs to them, they would invaders and bold intruders, embrace the not lament: that is, the Pharisees were of gospel, and do as it were take it by force such a censorious and capricious humour, from the learned rabbies, who challenge that God himself could not please them, the chiefest place in this kingdom: and though he used variety of means and meaccordingly our Saviour tells them, St. thods in order to that end. Neither the Matt. xxi. 31. The publicans and harlots || delightful airs of mercy, nor the doleful go into the kingdom of God before you; ditties of judgment, could affect or move for you believed not John's coming to you their hearts. Next our Lord plainly interin the way of righteousness, but the pub- prets this allegory, by telling them, That licans and harlots believed him, when at John came to them neither eating nor drinkthe same time the Pharisees and lawyers ing; that is, not so freely and plentifully as rejected, &c., being not baptized of him. other men, being a very austere and morbit: and all this was designed by God, that tified man, both in his diet and in his hathe 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; according to the ancient John. The law and the prophets till the proverb, that every solitary person is coming of John did foretell the Messiah, either an angel or a devil, either a wild but not so determinately, not so nearly, beast or a god. John being thus rejected, not so clearly, as John did: and accord- Christ himself comes to them, who being ingly, he was that Elias which Isaias and of a free and familiar converse, not shunMalachi foretold should be the harbinger ning the society of the worst of men, even and forerunner of Christ. But why hath of the Pharisees themselves, but complyJohn the Baptist the name of Elias? Pos- ing with their customs, and companying sibly because they were alike zealous in with them at their feasts, yet without the the work of God; they were alike success-least compliance with them in their sins: ful in that work; and they were alike persecuted for their work; the one by Jezebel, the other by Herodias.

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Here is still a farther commendation of

16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, VOL. I.-8

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

vileges enjoyed, though a poor obscure Observe, 1. Capernaum's priplace in itself, yet she was by the person, ministry, and miracles of Christ, lifted up to heaven. Learn thence, That gospelordinances 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 judg ments upon a people. Thou Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell.

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.

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 punish- || knoweth the Son but the Father; ment among the damned. 3. That the neither knoweth any man the Faworst of heathens, who never heard of a ther, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

tion: Christ's law is a yoke of instruction; ᎪᎢ T that time Jesus went on the

it restrains our natural inclinations, it sabbath-day through the corn; curbs our sensual appetites; it is a yoke and his disciples were an hungered, to corrupt nature; this yoke Christ calls his yoke, Take my yoke upon you: 1. Because and began to pluck the ears of corn, he, as a Lord, lays it upon our necks. 2. and to eat. 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.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

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, in 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 precepts, 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 professors; the farther 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.

CHAP. XII.

Our blessed Saviour in this chapter takes occasion to instruct his disciples in the doctrine of the

sabbath; showing, that works of necessity and mercy may be performed upon that day, without any violation of the divine command.

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 into straits, and to taste of want, for the trial of their faith, and dependance upon his power and providence.

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath-day.

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, every thing that either Christ or his 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 zeal ous 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.

3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did when he was an hungered, and they that were with him: 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shew-bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or, have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbathdays the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

In these words our Saviour defends the || which had his hand withered. And action of his disciples in plucking the ears they asked him, saying, Is it lawful of corn in their necessity, by a double ar- to heal on the sabbath-days? that gument. 1. From David's example: necessity freed him from fault in eating the they might accuse him. 11 And he consecrated bread, which none but the said unto them, What man shall priests might lawfully eat; for in cases of there be among you, that shall have necessity, a ceremonial precept must give one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on place to a moral duty: works of mercy the sabbath-day, will he not lay hold and necessity, for preserving our lives, and the better fitting us for sabbath-services, on it, and lift it out? 12 How much are certainly lawful on the sabbath-day. then is a man better than a sheep? 2. From the example of the priests in the wherefore it is lawful to do well on temple who upon the sabbath do break the the sabbath-days. 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.

7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Learn hence, That the law of mercy is much more excellent than the law of ceremonies; and where both cannot be ob

served, 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.

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 ferred! Here we may remark, how invemore ought the life of a man to be preterate 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 quicksighted) can find no occasion of quarrel, they will invent one, against the innocent.

13 Then said he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16 And charged them that they

8 For the Son of man is Lord should not make him known: even of the sabbath-day.

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.

Observe, 1. The merciful and miracu lous 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 bad 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. 9 And when he was departed their duty; to avoid the hands of persecu Christ's example teaches his ministers thence, he went into their synagogue. | tors, and prudently to preserve their lives, 10 And, behold, there was a man unless when their sufferings are like to do

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