_CHRIST, ENDING HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT, REPROVETH RASH JUDGMENT, FORBIDDETH TO CAST HOLY THINGS TO DOGS, EXHORTETH TO PRAYER, TO ENTER IN AT THE STRAIT GATE, TO BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, NOT TO BE HEARERS ONLY BUT DOERS OF THE WORD; LIKE HOUSES BUILT ON A ROCK, AND NOT ON THE SAND._ _Anno Domini... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGE NOT, &C.— Our Saviour, having condemned worldly-mindedness in the general, proceeds to forbid allrash and unfavourable judgments, whether of the characters of others in general, or of their actions in particular. See Luke 6:37. Though he does not level his discourse against the Pharisees in th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHY BEHOLDEST THOU— Τι βλεπεις. "Why dost thou _observe_, or _take notice of?"_ For the original word βλεπεις here signifies not only to be acquainted with other people's faults, but to _pry into them,_ with a design to censure and reprove them. _Eye_ here, as in ch. Matthew 5:29 and Matthew 6:2... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ME PULL OUT THE MOTE, &C.— _Hold still, and I will take the mote out of thine eye._ This seems to be the exact meaning of the words Αφες εκβαλω in the original, which, translated thus literally, elegantly intimates, how ready men are to _shrink_ from reproof. The simile here used implies, that i... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HYPOCRITE— As by the eye we judge of things relating to the body, so by the understanding we judge of things pertaining to the soul. You may therefore lay this down as fixed and certain, that the more grace and holiness you yourself possess, the better will you be able to judge of your brother'... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE NOT THAT WHICH IS HOLY, &C.— _Lest these trample,—and those turn again and tear you._ There is a similar maxim to this in the Talmudical writings: _"Do not cast pearls before swine;"_ to which is added, by way of explanation, "Do not offer wisdom to one who knows not the price of it." This was... [ Continue Reading ]
ASK, &C.— There is often a latent connection in the discourses of our Lord, which obviates difficulties and answers doubts that may arise from what has been said; as here, when he had taught how they who take upon them to instruct others ought to be qualified, and had cautioned them who were so qual... [ Continue Reading ]
OR WHAT MAN, &C.— _Is there any man among_ you? Blackwall. _And indeed what one man is there among you?_ Doddridge; who observes upon this verse, "Young preachers I hope will remark, how much life and force it adds to these discourses of our Lord, that they are directed so closely through the whole... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE THEN, BEING EVIL— The words Τις εξ υμων, _which of you,_ in the 9th verse, are well explained by this: "If," says our Lord, "you, imperfect and evil as you are, and some of you perhaps tenacious, froward, and unkind, readily give good gifts to your children when they cry for them; how much rat... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, ALL THINGS, &C.— The Ουν _, Therefore,_ is by no means a mere expletive in this passage, for there is a force in the connection beyond what has been generally observed. Because our Saviour was referring his hearers, observes Macknight, to what passed within themselves, he took occasionto... [ Continue Reading ]
ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE— That is, _strive to enter._ See Luke 13:24. By the figurative expressions used in these verses, our blessed Saviour gives us to understand how easy it is to enter into destruction, and how hard it is for proud man to come to him for salvation through the infinite meri... [ Continue Reading ]
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS— The connection here is remarkable, says Dr. Heylin. One characteristic of _false prophets,_ that is, _false preachers,_ is, that they widen the narrow way. It is their _prophesying,_ their teaching the broad way, rather than their walking in it themselves, which is here chi... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS— That is, by the evil tendency of their doctrines, as well as by the immorality of their lives. Compare 1 John 4:1. 1 Corinthians 13:3. What follows seems to be a kind of proverb, and there occur in heathen authors many similar sayings. Several commentators are of... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH, &C.— That is, "Among those who acknowledge me for the Messiah, none but such as _do_ the will of God shall be admitted into his kingdom:" not a bare profession of religion, but a conscientious performance of the duties of it, as the fruits of living faith in him, will stand... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY— That is, the day of judgment so called by way of eminence. Instead of _devils,_ Dr. Heylin reads _daemons;_ for as an evil spirit is called by two different names in the original; namely διαβολος, where it is spoken of as the tempter or accuser of mankind, and διαμων, where bodily posse... [ Continue Reading ]
I NEVER KNEW YOU— _To know_ frequently signifies, in Scripture, to _acknowledge_ or _approve._ The meaning is, "Though I called you to be my servants, and you professed yourselves such, I never knew you to be such, nor approved of you. I knew indeed that ye were the slaves of other masters,—mammon,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE &C.— The meaning of these verses is, that whoever expects to enter into the kingdom of glory, when his religion amounts to only a mere outward profession of the Gospel, will see all his ill-grounded hopes vanish, and come to nothing, when he appears before the judgment seat of that God who... [ Continue Reading ]
ASTONISHED AT HIS DOCTRINE— Or, _his manner of teaching._ See Mark 1:27 _for he taught them_ (Matthew 7:29.) _as one having authority._ This authority plainly appeared in these words, _but I say unto you,_ &c. and in Matthew 7:22 _have we not prophesied in thy name,_ &c. from which it is evident tha... [ Continue Reading ]