Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples — The Jewish masters used to give their followers some short form of prayer, as a peculiar badge of their relation to them. This it is probable John the Baptist had done. And in this sense it seems to be that the disciples now asked Jesus, to... [ Continue Reading ]
When ye pray, say — And what he said to them is undoubtedly said to us also. We are therefore here directed, not only to imitate this in all our prayers, but to use this very form of prayer. Matthew 6:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
Forgive us; for we forgive them — Not once, but continually. This does not denote the meritorious cause of our pardon; but the removal of that hinderance which otherwise would render it impossible.... [ Continue Reading ]
At midnight — The most unseasonable time: but no time is unseasonable with God, either for hearing or answering prayer.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 7:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
How much more shall your heavenly Father — How beautiful is the gradation! A friend: a father: God! Give the Holy Spirit — The best of gifts, and that which includes every good gift.... [ Continue Reading ]
It was dumb — That is, it made the man so. Matthew 12:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
But some said, He casteth out devils by Beelzebub — These he answers, Luke 11:17. Others, to try whether it were so or no, sought a sign from heaven. These he reproves in Luke 11:29 and following verses. Beelzebub signifies the lord of flies, a title which the heathens gave to Jupiter, whom they acc... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 12:38.... [ Continue Reading ]
A house — That is, a family.... [ Continue Reading ]
If I cast out devils by the finger of God — That is, by a power manifestly Divine. Perhaps the expression intimates farther, that it was done without any labour: then the kingdom of God is come upon you — Unawares, unexpected: so the Greek word implies.... [ Continue Reading ]
The strong one armed — The devil, strong in himself, and armed with the pride, obstinacy, and security of him in whom he dwells.... [ Continue Reading ]
The last state of that man becometh worse than the first — Whoever reads the sad account Josephus gives of the temple and conduct of the Jews, after the ascension of Christ and before their final destruction by the Romans, must acknowledge that no emblem could have been more proper to describe them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked! — How natural was the thought for a woman! And how gently does our Lord reprove her!... [ Continue Reading ]
Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it — For if even she that bare him had not done this, she would have forfeited all her blessedness.... [ Continue Reading ]
It seeketh — The original word implies seeking more, or over and above what one has already.... [ Continue Reading ]
They repented at the preaching of Jonah — But it was only for a season. Afterward they relapsed into wickedness, till (after about forty years) they were destroyed. It is remarkable, that in this also the comparison held. God reprieved the Jews for about forty years; but they still advanced in wicke... [ Continue Reading ]
The meaning is, God gives you this Gospel light, that you may repent. Let your eye be singly fixed on him, aim only at pleasing God; and while you do this, your whole soul will be full of wisdom, holiness, and happiness. Matthew 5:15; Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
But when thine eye is evil — When thou aimest at any thing else, thou wilt be full of folly, sin, and misery. On the contrary, Matthew 6:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
If thy whole body be full of light — If thou art filled with holy wisdom, having no part dark, giving way to no sin or folly, then that heavenly principle will, like the clear flame of a lamp in a room that was dark before, shed its light into all thy powers and faculties.... [ Continue Reading ]
Now ye Pharisees — Probably many of them were present at the Pharisee's house. Matthew 23:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
Give what is in them — The vessels which ye clean, in alms, and all things are clean to you. As if he had said, By acts directly contrary to rapine and wickedness, show that your hearts are cleansed, and these outward washings are needless.... [ Continue Reading ]
Wo to you — That is, miserable are you. In the same manner is the phrase to be understood throughout the chapter.... [ Continue Reading ]
For ye are as graves which appear not — Probably in speaking this our Lord fixed his eyes on the scribes. As graves which appear not, being overgrown with grass, so that men are not aware, till they stumble upon them, and either hurt themselves, or at least are defiled by touching them. On another o... [ Continue Reading ]
One of the lawyers — That is scribes; expounders of the law.... [ Continue Reading ]
Whom they killed, ye build their sepulchres — Just like them pretending great reverence for the ancient prophets, while ye destroy those whom God sends to yourselves. Ye therefore bear witness by this deep hypocrisy that ye are of the very same spirit with them.... [ Continue Reading ]
The wisdom of God, agreeably to this, hath said — In many places of Scripture, though not in these very words, I will send them prophets — Chiefly under the Old Testament: and apostles — Under the New. Matthew 23:34.... [ Continue Reading ]
The blood of all shall be required of this generation — That is, shall be visibly and terribly punished upon it.... [ Continue Reading ]
And so it was within forty years, in a most astonishing manner, by the dreadful destruction of the temple, the city, and the whole nation. Between the temple and the altar — In the court of the temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye have taken away the key of knowledge — Ye have obscured and destroyed the knowledge of the Messiah, which is the key of both the present and the future kingdom of heaven; the kingdom of grace and glory. Ye have not entered in — Into the present kingdom of heaven.... [ Continue Reading ]