Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Ver. 1. _Then spake Jesus to the multitude, &c._] Christ having confuted and confounded the Scribes and Pharisees, turns him to the people and to his disciples; and that he might do nothing to the detriment of the truth, he here cautioneth th... [ Continue Reading ]
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: Ver. 2. _Sit in Moses' chair_] _i.e._ Have the ordinary office of teaching the people, but _quo iure, _ by what law, he questioneth not. The priests and Levites should have done it, but the Scribes and Pharisees had for present taken it upon... [ Continue Reading ]
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, _that_ observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. Ver. 3. _All therefore whatsoever_] Not their traditions, superstitions, and corrupt glosses upon the law, but whatsoever they teach that is agreeable to truth; so long a... [ Continue Reading ]
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay _them_ on men's shoulders; but they _themselves_ will not move them with one of their fingers. Ver. 4. _For they bind heavy burdens, &c._] Their human traditions: so do the Popish doctors (heirs herein to the Pharisees, of whom this serm... [ Continue Reading ]
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, Ver. 5. _To be seen of men_] Theatrically, thrasonically, and for ostentation, as stage players, or painted faces. _See Trapp on "_ Mat 6:2 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Mat 6:5... [ Continue Reading ]
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, Ver. 6. _And love the uppermost rooms_] Which is a singular vanity, and yet hath bred greatest contestation in the Church; as between the bishops of Rome and Constantinople, the archbishops of Canterbury and York jostlin... [ Continue Reading ]
And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. Ver. 7. _And to be called of men Rabbi_] They were tickled with high titles, and thought it a goodly thing to be held and styled magnificos, to be fly-blown (putrified) with flatteries. There is not a more vain glorious people und... [ Continue Reading ]
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, _even_ Christ; and all ye are brethren. Ver. 8. _Be not ye called Rabbi_] Do not ambitiously affect such a title, as if you were the only ones, and others not worthy to be named in the same day with you. Swelling in the body is an ill symptom, but... [ Continue Reading ]
And call no _man_ your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Ver. 9. _Call no man your father_] _i.e._ Give no man absolute power over you; be not the servants of men, or slaves to their opinions or mandates, as friars are to their superiors, to argue or debate on whose... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, _even_ Christ. Ver. 10. _One is your Master_] Where then are _magistri nostri parisienses?_ our _doctores resolutissimi?_ our masters of opinions, whose word must stand for a law, whose tenets must pass for oracles? _a_ By the canon law, _Omnes... [ Continue Reading ]
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Ver. 11. _Shall be your servant_] The word signifies one that is ready pressed to raise dust, to do his utmost endeavour with all possible expedition in any business that he is set about. _Praefestinaus, expeditus, paratus, promptus._... [ Continue Reading ]
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Ver. 12. _And whosoever shall exalt himself, &c._] Lo here a great miracle, saith Augustine, _a_ God is on high, and yet the higher thou liftest up thyself, the farther thou art from him; the lower... [ Continue Reading ]
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in _yourselves_, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Ver. 13. _Woe unto you, Scribes, &c._] By these eight dreadful woes, as by so many links of an adamantine chai... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Ver. 14. _Ye devour widows' houses_] Though they pretended to be great fasters,Luke 18:12, yet their bellies prepared deceit, as Elip... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Ver. 15. _Ye compass sea and land_] They walked the round, as the devil doth, to gain proselytes; they spared for no p... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe unto you, _ye_ blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ver. 16. _Ye blind guides which say_] His watchmen are blind, was an old complaint, Isaiah 56:10. Which that it is a foul fault, the R... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye_ fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? Ver. 17. _Whether is greater, the gold, &c._] The cause must needs be more noble than the effect. But the dust of covetousness had put out the eyes of these buzzards, and expectorated their understandin... [ Continue Reading ]
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ver. 18. _But whosoever sweareth by the gift, &c._] _Ubi utilitas, ibi pietas, _ saith Epictetus, where there is gain there is godliness, οπου το συμφερον εκει το ευσεβες. And,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye_ fools and blind: for whether _is_ greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Ver. 19. _Ye fools and blind_] The second time so, for behold they have rejected the word of the Lord (yea, the Word, the Lord Christ), and what wisdom was in them? Jeremiah 8:9. True it is, they were... [ Continue Reading ]
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. Ver. 20. _Whoso therefore shall swear_] It was not lawful to swear by the altar, or by any creature whatsoever, Jeremiah 5:7; (much less by idols, Amos 8:14; "I myself," saith Latimer, "have used in mine earnest ma... [ Continue Reading ]
And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. Ver. 21. _And by him that dwelleth therein_] By his grace in his ordinances, yea, by his glory, which sometimes filled the temple. This temple at Jerusalem, together with that of Diana at Ephesus (which was also... [ Continue Reading ]
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Ver. 22. _By the throne of God_] Heaven is his throne and earth his footstool; yet may we not conceive that God is commensurable by the place, as if he were partly here and partly elsewhere; but he is... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier _matters_ of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ver. 23. _Ye pay tithe of mint_] The Chaldee word for mint... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye_ blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Ver. 24. _Which strain at a gnat, &c._] A proverbial speech, warranting the lawful use of such expressions for illustration of a truth. The Greeks have a like proverb, Ανδριαντα γαργαλιζειν, to gargle down an image, statue, or coloss;... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Ver. 25. _Ye make clean the outside_] True Ephraimites, or rather Canaanites, so they are called,Hosea 12:7,8, that is, mere natural men, E... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou_ blind Pharisee, cleanse first that _which is_ within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Ver. 26. _Cleanse first that which is within_] God loveth truth in the inwards, Psalms 51:6; "O Jerusalem, wash thy heart," Jeremiah 4:14; (not thy hands only, as Pilate did)... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead _men's_ bones, and of all uncleanness. Ver. 27. _Ye are like unto whited sepulchres_] The Jews had their vaults or caves for burial. These the... [ Continue Reading ]
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Ver. 28. _But within ye are full, &c._] Fair professors they were, but foul sinners, not close, but gross hypocrites, such as knew themselves to be so; like as Jeroboam's wife knew herself to be d... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, Ver. 29. _Ye build the tombs, &c._] And lost their cost, because they received not their doctrine. So do the Papists to this day in their pretended honouring the... [ Continue Reading ]
And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Ver. 30. _If we had been in the days_] Either these men grossly dissembled, or their hearts greatly deceived them; for certainly a Herod and Herodias to John Baptist would ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Ver. 31. _Wherefore ye be witnesses, &c._] Here our Saviour casts all their cost in their teeth, as if thereby they had meant to commend their fathers' cruelty in killing the prophets, since they... [ Continue Reading ]
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ver. 32. _Fill ye up then the measure_] _Ironice dictum._ Ironic saying. It gives us to understand that sinners are stinted, and cannot do what mischief they would. If at any time they exceed their commission (as they are apt) and help forward the afflic... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye_ serpents, _ye_ generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Ver. 33. _Ye serpents_] _Serpentum tot sunt venena, quot genera, _ saith Isidore, _tot pernicics quot species, tot dolores quot colores._ See how our Saviour sharps up these heresiarchs, that, if possible, they might... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and _some_ of them ye shall kill and crucify; and _some_ of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute _them_ from city to city: Ver. 34. _Wherefore, behold, I send you_] Oh the infinite goodness of God, in strivin... [ Continue Reading ]
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Ver. 35. _From the blood of righteous Abel_] God reckons of men by their righteousness, Rom 10:4-6 The ri... [ Continue Reading ]
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. Ver. 36. _Shall come upon this generation_] In that last desolation of Jerusalem, whereof more in the next Mt. God will not fail to punish persecutors. (See Acts and Mon. of the Church, fol. 1902 to 1950.) Good for them theref... [ Continue Reading ]
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, _thou_ that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under _her_ wings, and ye would not! Ver. 37. _How often would I, &c._] How then could they perish whom Go... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Ver. 38. _Behold, your house is left, &c._] City and temple both. God will not always stand men for a sinning stock. They that will not hear his word, shall hear his rod, and feel his sword too. Elisha hath his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael,1 Kings 1... [ Continue Reading ]
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed _is_ he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Ver. 39. _Till ye shall say, Blessed, &c._] That is, ye shall never see me, or not till the general judgment; when as you that would not obey that sweet voice of mine, "Come u... [ Continue Reading ]