Matthew 22 commentary

The provision made for perishing souls in the gospel, is represented by a royal feast made by a king, with eastern liberality, on the marriage of his son. Our merciful God has not only provided food, but a royal feast, for the perishing souls of his rebellious creatures. There is enough and to spare, of every thing that can add to our present comfort and everlasting happiness, in the salvation of his Son Jesus Christ. The guests first invited were the Jews. When the prophets of the Old Testament prevailed not, nor John the Baptist, nor Christ himself, who told them the kingdom of God was at hand, the apostles and ministers of the gospel were sent, after Christ's resurrection, to tell them it was come, and to persuade them to accept the offer. The reason why sinners come not to Christ and salvation by him, is, not because they cannot, but because they will not. Making light of Christ, and of the great salvation wrought out by him, is the damning sin of the world. They were careless. Multitudes perish for ever through mere carelessness, who show no direct aversion, but are careless as to their souls. Also the business and profit of worldly employments hinder many in closing with the Saviour. Both farmers and merchants must be diligent; but whatever we have of the world in our hands, our care must be to keep it out of our hearts, lest it come between us and Christ. The utter ruin coming upon the Jewish church and nation, is here represented. Persecution of Christ's faithful ministers fills up the measure of guilt of any people. The offer of Christ and salvation to the Gentiles was not expected; it was such a surprise as it would be to wayfaring men, to be invited to a royal wedding-feast. The design of the gospel is to gather souls to Christ; all the children of God scattered abroad, Joh 10:16; 11:52. The case of hypocrites is represented by the guest that had not on a wedding-garment. It concerns all to prepare for the scrutiny; and those, and those only, who put on the Lord Jesus, who have a Christian temper of mind, who live by faith in Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the wedding-garment. The imputed righteousness of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit, are both alike necessary. No man has the wedding-garment by nature, or can form it for himself. The day is coming, when hypocrites will be called to account for all their presumptuous intruding into gospel ordinances, and usurpation of gospel privileges. Take him away. Those that walk unworthy of Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they presumptuously claimed. Our Saviour here passes out of the parable into that which it teaches. Hypocrites go by the light of the gospel itself down to utter darkness. Many are called to the wedding-feast, that is, to salvation, but few have the wedding-garment, the righteousness of Christ, the sanctification of the Spirit. Then let us examine ourselves whether we are in the faith, and seek to be approved by the King.

The Pharisees sent their disciples with the Herodians, a party among the Jews, who were for full subjection to the Roman emperor. Though opposed to each other, they joined against Christ. What they said of Christ was right; whether they knew it or not, blessed be God we know it. Jesus Christ was a faithful Teacher, and a bold reprover. Christ saw their wickedness. Whatever mask the hypocrite puts on, our Lord Jesus sees through it. Christ did not interpose as a judge in matters of this nature, for his kingdom is not of this world, but he enjoins peaceable subjection to the powers that be. His adversaries were reproved, and his disciples were taught that the Christian religion is no enemy to civil government. Christ is, and will be, the wonder, not only of his friends, but of his enemies. They admire his wisdom, but will not be guided by it; his power, but will not submit to it.

The doctrines of Christ displeased the infidel Sadducees, as well as the Pharisees and Herodians. He carried the great truths of the resurrection and a future state, further than they had yet been reveled. There is no arguing from the state of things in this world, as to what will take place hereafter. Let truth be set in a clear light, and it appears in full strength. Having thus silenced them, our Lord proceeded to show the truth of the doctrine of the resurrection from the books of Moses. God declared to Moses that he was the God of the patriarchs, who had died long before; this shows that they were then in a state of being, capable of enjoying his favour, and proves that the doctrine of the resurrection is clearly taught in the Old Testament as well as in the New. But this doctrine was kept for a more full revelation, after the resurrection of Christ, who was the first-fruits of them that slept. All errors arise from not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God. In this world death takes away one after another, and so ends all earthly hopes, joys, sorrows, and connexions. How wretched are those who look for nothing better beyond the grave!

An interpreter of the law asked our Lord a question, to try, not so much his knowledge, as his judgment. The love of God is the first and great commandment, and the sum of all the commands of the first table. Our love of God must be sincere, not in word and tongue only. All our love is too little to bestow upon him, therefore all the powers of the soul must be engaged for him, and carried out toward him. To love our neighbour as ourselves, is the second great commandment. There is a self-love which is corrupt, and the root of the greatest sins, and it must be put off and mortified; but there is a self-love which is the rule of the greatest duty: we must have a due concern for the welfare of our own souls and bodies. And we must love our neighbour as truly and sincerely as we love ourselves; in many cases we must deny ourselves for the good of others. By these two commandments let our hearts be formed as by a mould.

When Christ baffled his enemies, he asked what thoughts they had of the promised Messiah? How he could be the Son of David and yet his Lord? He quotes Ps 110:1. If the Christ was to be a mere man, who would not exist till many ages after David's death, how could his forefather call him Lord? The Pharisees could not answer it. Nor can any solve the difficulty except he allows the Messiah to be the Son of God, and David's Lord equally with the Father. He took upon him human nature, and so became God manifested in the flesh; in this sense he is the Son of man and the Son of David. It behoves us above all things seriously to inquire, “What think we of Christ?” Is he altogether glorious in our eyes, and precious to our hearts? May Christ be our joy, our confidence, our all. May we daily be made more like to him, and more devoted to his service.

Matthew 22:1. And Jesus answering. Though Matthew relates this parable among other discourses which were delivered by Christ about the time of the last Passover, yet as he does not specify any particular time, and as Luke expressly affirms that Christ delivered this discourse while he sat at table in the house of a Pharisee, I have thought it better to follow this order. The design which Matthew had in view was, to point out the reasons why the scribes were excited to the highest pitch of fury; and therefore he properly placed it in the midst of those discourses which were hateful to them, and interwove it with those discourses, without attending to the order of time. But we must attend to Luke’s narrative, who says that, when one of those who sat at table with him said, Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of God, Christ took occasion from it to upbraid the Jews with ingratitude. It is by no means probable, that the guest and friend of a Pharisee broke out into this exclamation from any sincere feeling of piety. Still, I do not look upon it as having been spoken in derision; but, as persons who have a moderate knowledge of the faith, and are not openly wicked, are in the habit of indulging, amidst their cups, in idle talk about eternal life, I think that this man threw out a remark about future blessedness, in order to draw out some observation in return from Christ. And his words make it manifest, that he had nothing in view beyond what was gross and earthly; for he did not employ the phrase, eat bread, as a metaphor for enjoy eternal life, but appears to have dreamed of I know not what state, filled with prosperity and abundance of all things. The meaning is, Blessed shall they be who shall eat the bread of God, “Qui seront nourris de Dieu;”— “who shall be fed by God.” after that he has collected his children into his kingdom.

2. The kingdom of heaven is like a human king As it was long ago said by a Spartan, that the Athenians knew what was right, but did not choose to practice it; so Christ now brings it as a reproach against the Jews, that they gave utterance to beautiful expressions about the kingdom of God, but, when God kindly and gently invited them, they rejected his grace with disdain. There is no room to doubt that the discourse is expressly levelled against the Jews, as will more plainly appear a little afterwards.

Matthew and Luke differ in this respect, that Matthew details many circumstances, while Luke states the matter summarily, and in a general manner. Thus, Matthew says that a king made a marriage for his son: Luke only mentions a great supper The former speaks of many servants, while the latter refers to no more than one servant; the former describes many messages, the latter mentions one only; the former says that some of the servants were abused or slain, the latter speaks only of their being treated with contempt. Lastly, the former relates that a man was cast out, who had gone in to the marriage without a wedding garment, of which Luke makes no mention. But we have formerly pointed out a similar distinction, that Matthew, in explaining the same thing, is more copious, and enters into fuller details. There is a remarkable agreement between them on the main points of the parable.

God bestowed on the Jews distinguished honor, by providing for them, as it were, a hospitable table; but they despised the honor which had been conferred upon them. The marriage of the king’s son is explained by many commentators to mean, that Christ is the end of the Law, (Romans 10:4.) and that God had no other design in his covenant, than to make him the Governor of his people, and to unite the Church to him by the sacred bond of a spiritual marriage. I have no objection to that view. But when he says, that the servants were sent to call those who were invited, these words are intended to point out a double favor which the Jews had received from God; first, in being preferred to other nations; and, secondly, in having their adoption made known to them by the prophets. The allusion is to a practice customary among men, that those who intended to make a marriage drew up a list of the persons whom they intended to have as guests, and afterwards sent invitations to them by their servants. In like manner, God elected the Jews in preference to others, as if they had been his familiar friends, and afterwards called them by the prophets to partake of the promised redemption, which was, as it were, to feast at a marriage It is true that those who were first invited did not live till the coming of Christ; but we know that all received an offer of the same salvation, of which they were deprived by their ingratitude and malice; for from the commencement, God’s invitation was impiously despised by that people. “Ce peuple-la a vileinement et meschamment mesprise l’honneur auquel Dieu le convioit;” — “that people basely and wickedly despised the honor to which God invited them.”

4. Again he sent other servants. He speaks as if it had been the same persons who were invited, for it was one body of the people. The meaning is, that when the happy and joyful day of redemption drew near, they were warned to be ready; for they had been long ago informed as to the time. But now Christ told them that, at the very hour, fresh messengers were sent to entreat them to come with haste; for the first invitation which he mentions includes all the former prophecies, down to the publication of the Gospel. For a long period, they exercised cruelty on the prophets; but their fury grew as the time advanced, and at length spent all its force on Christ and the apostles. For this reason, he charges the ancient people with nothing more than contempt and pride, but says, that the servants who had been last sent, and who arrived at the hour of supper, were abused or slain. That people arrived at the highest pitch of their crimes, when their haughty rejection of his grace was followed by the madness of cruelty. And yet he does not charge all of them equally with crime; for even at the latest call, which was given by the Gospel, the grace of God was in part ridiculed by careless despisers, and in part was furiously rejected by hypocrites. And thus it usually happens, that ungodly men break out into fiercer rage against God, in proportion to the earnestness with which he invites them to salvation.

We must now consider that part of doctrine which is conveyed both by Matthew and by Luke. One went to his field, and another to his merchandise; or, as Luke expresses it, one pleaded that he had married a wife; another that he had purchased a field; and another that he had bought five yoke of oxen. By these words Christ pronounces the Jews to have been so entirely devoted to the world and to earthly things, that no man found leisure to approach to God; for the cares of this world, when we become entangled by them, are so many impediments in our way to keep us back from the kingdom of God. It is truly base and shameful, that men who were created for a heavenly life, should be under the influence of such brutish stupidity, as to be entirely carried away after transitory things. But this disease is universally prevalent; so that hardly one person in a hundred can be found, who prefers the kingdom of God to fading riches, or to any other kind of advantages. Though all are not infected with the same disease, every man is led away by his desires; in consequence of which, all are wandering in various directions.

Besides, it deserves our attention, that ungodly men hold out fair pretences for rejecting the grace of God; as if their indolence might be excused, because they are entirely occupied with the affairs of the present life, and care little about a heavenly inheritance. But we see how Christ takes from us all such excuses, that no man may imagine it to be of any advantage for him to plead that he is detained by engagements of an earthly nature. On the contrary, men commit a double fault, when they allow themselves to be retarded by those things which are in themselves lawful, and which ought rather to have aided their progress. For why does God allow us the conveniences of the present life, but in order to draw us to himself? And yet so far is it from being true, that all have earnest desires towards heaven, in proportion as they are assisted by acts of the Divine kindness, that even holy marriage, and fields, and other riches, are so many snares to bind every man more closely to the earth.

7. But when the king heard it. This punishment is mentioned by Matthew alone; for Luke makes no mention of any outrage committed on the servants. Both concur in stating, that those who did not come at the appointed time were shut out, and deprived of the honor of being present at the banquet. But this doctrine applies equally to us; for the same destruction which Christ denounces against the Jews awaits all the ungodly, who violently oppose the ministers of the Gospel. Those who are so entirely occupied with earthly cares, as to set no value on the divine invitation, will at length perish miserably in famine and want; and therefore, whenever God calls us, let us be prepared and ready to follow.

9. Go therefore to the highways. Having shown that they are unworthy of the grace of God who disdainfully reject it when offered to them, he now says that their place is supplied by others, by the mean and despised common people. And here is described the calling of the Gentiles, which is to excite the Jews to jealousy, as we have it in the Song of Moses;

They have provoked me by those who are not gods, and I will provoke them by that which is not a people, and by a foolish nation will I enrage them, (Deuteronomy 32:21.)

Having been first elected, they imagined that the grace of God was bound to them, as if God could not want them; and how haughtily they despised all others is well known. Thus by way of admission, he compares the Gentiles to the poor, the blind, and the lame. He says that they are called from the cross-roads, and from the streets, as strangers and unknown persons; but yet declares that they will occupy that place which friends and domestics had treated with indifference. What the prophets had obscurely foretold about creating a new church is now plainly expressed. This dishonor was the completion of the divine vengeance on the Jews, when God

cut them off, and ingrafted wild branches into the stock of the olive-tree, (Romans 11:17;)

when he threw them off, and received the polluted and filthy Gentiles into his house. But if at that time he spared not the natural branches, (Romans 11:21,) the same punishment will this day be inflicted on us, if we do not answer to his call. The supper which had been prepared for us will not be lost, but God will invite other guests.

Matthew 22:11. And the king, having come in to see the guests. Here Christ does not reproach the Jews with having wickedly despised the grace and calling of God; but gives early warning to those who would be placed in their room, not to pollute with their filth the holy marriage, when God shall bestow upon them admission to his table. Hitherto he has taught that the Jews, on account of their ungodly and disdainful conduct, would be deprived of the peculiar honor and privilege which they had enjoyed; and that from among the irreligious and abhorred Gentiles would men be called to occupy their place. But now he threatens that, out of this very number, those who bring reproach upon the Church will be expelled; for God invites all indiscriminately by the Gospel, and thus many unholy and abominable persons creep in, who, though for a time they are admitted along with others, yet, when God reviews the guests, will be thrown out and dragged to punishment. The general truth conveyed is, that not all who have once entered the Church will become partakers of everlasting life, but only those who are found to wear the dress which befits the heavenly palace.

As to the wedding garment, is it faith, or is it a holy life? This is a useless controversy; for faith cannot be separated from good works, nor do good works proceed from any other source than from faith. But Christ intended only to state, that the Lord calls us on the express condition of our being renewed by the Spirit after his image; and that, in order to our remaining permanently in his house, we must put off the old man with his pollutions, (Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:22,) and lead a new life, that the garment may correspond to so honorable a calling. But a question arises, how comes it that a beggar is punished so severely for not bringing a wedding garment; as if it were unusual to see the wretched people, who beg their bread on the public roads, wearing tattered and ugly clothes? I reply, the question is not as to the manner in which the garment is to be procured; for whomsoever the Lord invites he at the same time supplies with clothing, and in all of us is fulfilled what Ezekiel says, (16:6-14,) that God finds nothing in us but wretchedness, and nakedness, and abominable filth, but adorns us with magnificent attire. We know also, that there is no other way in which we are formed anew after the image of God, but by putting on Christ, (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27.) It is not, therefore, the declaration of Christ, that the sentence of casting them into outer darkness will be executed on wretched men who did not bring a costly garment taken from their own wardrobe, but on those who shall be found in their pollution, when God shall come to make a scrutiny of his guests.

14. For many are called, but few are chosen. The object of the parable is pointed out by the conclusion, that few are chosen, though many are called; from which we infer, that we ought not to attempt an ingenious explanation of every minute clause. But lately, Christ did not threaten that the greater part would be thrown out, but mentioned one man only; and now we learn from him, that out of a large number few will be retained. And certainly, though in the present day a more numerous body of men is collected into the Church by the Gospel than was formerly collected by the Law, it is but a small portion of them whose faith is evinced by newness of life. Let us not flatter ourselves with the empty title of faith, but let every man seriously examine himself, that at the final review he may be pronounced to be one of the lawful guests; for, as Paul reminds us, that the vessels in the Lord’s house are not all of the same kind, so

let every one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity, (2 Timothy 2:19,20.)

I enter no farther, at present, into the question about the eternal election of God; for the words of Christ mean nothing more than this, that the external profession of faith is not a sufficient proof that God will acknowledge as his people all who appear to have accepted of his invitation. “Tous ceux qui semblent s’estre rangez sous son enseigne;” — “all those who appear to have ranked themselves under his banner.”

Luke 16:1-15

Luke 16:1-15

1. And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and he was accused to him that he was wasting his estate. 2. And he called him, and said to him, What is this that I hear of thee? render an account of thy stewardship, for thou shalt no longer have it in thy power to be steward. 3. And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, since my master taketh from me my stewardship? I cannot dig, and am ashamed to beg. 4. I know what I shall do, that, when I shall be dismissed from the stewardship, they may receive me “Que ‘quelques uns’ me recoyvent;” — “that ‘some persons’ may receive me.” into their houses. 5. Having therefore sent for each of his master’s debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou to my master? 6. And he said, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. “Et en escri cinquante;” — “and write fifty of them.” 7. Then he said to another, And how much owest thou? Who said, A hundred measures of barley. He saith to him, Take thy bill, and write eighty. 8. And the master commended the unjust steward, because he had acted prudently; for the children of this world are more prudent in their generation than the children of light. 9. And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the unjust mammon, that, when you shall fail, they may receive you into eternal habitations. 10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in that which is least is unjust also in much. 11. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unjust mammon, who shall entrust to you what is true? “Du vray ’thresor’ qui s’en fiera en vous?” — “who shall entrust to you the true (treasure?)” 12. And if you have not been faithful in what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? — (A little after.) 14. And the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15. And he said to them, It is you that, justify yourselves in the sight of men: but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Matthew 22:15. That they might entrap him in his words. The Pharisees, perceiving that all their other attempts against Christ had been fruitless, at length concluded that the best and most expeditious method of destroying him was, to deliver him to the governor, as a seditious person and a disturber of the peace. There was at that time, as we have seen under another passage, Harmony, vol. 2, p. 368 a great disputing among the Jews about the tribute-money; for, since the Romans had claimed for themselves the tribute-money, which God commanded to be paid to Himself under the Law of Moses, (Exodus 30:13,) the Jews everywhere complained that it was a shameful and intolerable crime for profane men to lay claim, in this manner, to a divine prerogative; besides that, as this payment of tribute, which was enjoined on them by the Law, was a testimony of their adoption, they looked upon themselves as deprived of an honor to which they had a just claim. Now the deeper any man’s poverty was, “Selon qu’un chacun estoit plus poure, et n’avoit rien à perdre;” — “according as any man was poorer, and had nothing to lose.” Harmony, vol. 2. the bolder did it render him to raise sedition.

This trick of taking Christ by surprise is therefore continued by the Pharisees, that, in whatever way he reply as to the tribute money, they may lay snares for him. If he affirm that they ought not to pay, he will be convicted of sedition. If, on the contrary, he acknowledge it to be justly due, he will be held to be an enemy of his nation, and a betrayer of the liberty of his country. Their principal object is, to lead the people to dislike him. This is the entrapping to which the Evangelists refer; for they suppose that Christ is surrounded on all sides by nets, so that he can no longer escape. Having avowed themselves to be his enemies, and knowing that they would, on that account, be suspected, they put forward — as Matthew states — some of their disciples. Luke, again, calls them spies, who pretended to be righteous men; that is, persons who deceitfully professed an honest and proper desire to learn: for the pretense of righteousness is not here used in a general sense, but is limited to the present occasion, because they would not have been received, had they not made a pretense of docility and of genuine zeal.

With the Herodians. They take along with them the Herodians, because they were more favorable to the Roman government, and therefore would be more disposed to raise an accusation. It is worthy of attention that, though those sects had fierce contentions with each other, so bitter was their hatred against Christ, that they conspired to destroy him. What the sect of the Herodions was, we have formerly explained Harmony, vol 2, p. 282. for, Herod being only half a Jew, or a spurious and corrupt professor of the Law, those who desired that the Law should be kept with exactness and in every part, condemned him and his impure worship; but he had his flatterers, who gave plausible excuses for his false doctrine. In addition to the other sects, therefore, there sprung up at that time a religion of the Court.

16. Master, we know that thou art true. This is the righteousness which they counterfeit, when they offer humble subjection to Christ, as if they were desirous to learn, and as if they not only had some relish for piety, but also were fully convinced of his doctrine; for if what they said had been from the heart, this would have been true uprightness. And therefore from their words we may obtain a definition of a good and faithful teacher, such as they pretended to believe Christ to be. They say that he is true, and teaches the way of God; that is, he is a faithful interpreter of God, and that he teaches it in truth; that is, without any corruption. The way of God is contrasted with the inventions of men, and with all foreign doctrines; and truth is contrasted with ambition, covetousness, and other wicked dispositions, which usually corrupt the purity of instruction. So then he ought to be reckoned a true teacher, who does not introduce the contrivances of men, or depart from the pure word of God, but gives out, as it were, with his hands what he has learned from the mouth of God, and who, from a sincere desire of edification, accommodates his doctrine to the advantage and salvation of the people, and does not debase it by any disguise. As to this latter clause, when Paul asserts that he

does not make merchandise of the word of God, (2 Corinthians 2:17,)

he means that there are some persons who use dexterity, and do not openly overturn sound doctrine, or incur the disgrace of holding wicked opinions, but who disguise and corrupt the purity of doctrine, because they are ambitious, or covetous, or easily turned in various directions according to their earnest desire. He therefore compares them to jockeys, (κυπηλλεύοντες,) because they deprave the pure use of the word of God.

For thou regardest not the person of men. It is also worthy of attention, that those hypocrites likewise add, that Christ teaches rightly, because he has no regard for the person of men. Nothing has a more powerful tendency to withdraw teachers from a faithful and upright dispensation of the word than to pay respect to men; for it is impossible that any one who

desires to please men (Galatians 1:10)

should truly devote himself to God. Some attention, no doubt, is due to men, but not so as to obtain their favor by flattery. In short, in order to walk uprightly, we must necessarily put away respect of persons, which obscures the light and perverts right judgment, as God frequently inculcates in the Law, (Deuteronomy 1:16; 16:19,) and as experience also points out. Thus Christ (John 7:24) contrasts acceptance of persons (προσωποληψίαν) and sound judgment as things totally different.

18. Knowing their malice. They had opened the conversation in such a manner that they did not appear to differ at all from excellent scholars. Whence then had Christ this knowledge, but because his Spirit was a discerner of hearts? It was not by human conjecture that he perceived their cunning, but because he was God he penetrated into their hearts, and therefore they gained nothing by attempting the concealment of flattery and of pretended righteousness Accordingly, before giving a reply, he exhibited a proof of his Divinity by laying open their concealed malice. Now since wicked men every day employ snares of the same kind, while their inward malice is concealed from us, we ought to pray to Christ to bestow upon us the spirit of discernment, and that what he had by nature and by his own right he may grant to us by a free gift. How much we need this prudence, is evident from the consideration that, if we do not guard against the snares of the wicked, we shall constantly expose the doctrine of God to their calumnies.

19. Show me the tribute-money. When Christ orders them to bring forward a coin, though at first sight it appears to be of no great importance, yet it is sufficient for breaking their snares. In this way they had already made an acknowledgment of subjection, so that Christ did not find it necessary to enjoin upon them any thing new. The coin was stamped with Caesar’s likeness; and thus the authority of the Roman government had been approved and admitted by the general practice. Hence it was evident that the Jews themselves had voluntarily come under obligation to pay tribute for they had given up to the Romans the power of the sword; “Pource qu’ils avoyent laissé usurper aux Romains la souveraine puissance;” — “because they had allowed the Romans to usurp the supreme power.” and there was no propriety in making a separate dispute about the tribute-money, for that question depended on the general arrangements of the government.

21. Render therefore to Caesar those things which are Caesar’s. Christ reminds them that, as the subjection of their nation was attested by the coin, there ought to be no debate on that subject; as if he had said, “If you think it strange to pay tribute, be not subjects of the Roman Empire. But the money (which men employ as the pledge of mutual exchanges) attests that Caesar rules over you; so that, by your own silent consent, the liberty to which you lay claim is lost and gone.” Christ’s reply does not leave the matter open, but contains full instruction on the question which had been proposed. It lays down a clear distinction between spiritual and civil government, in order to inform us that outward subjection does not prevent us from having within us a conscience free in the sight of God. For Christ intended to refute the error of those who did not think that they would be the people of God, unless they were free from every yoke of human authority. In like manner, Paul earnestly insists on this point, that they ought not the less to look upon themselves as serving God alone, if they obey human laws, if they pay tribute, and bend the neck to bear other burdens, (Romans 13:7.) In short, Christ declares that it is no violation of the authority of God, or any injury done to his service, if, in respect of outward government, the Jews obey the Romans.

He appears also to glance at their hypocrisy, because, while they carelessly permitted the service of God to be corrupted in many respects, and even wickedly deprived God of his authority, they displayed such ardent zeal about a matter of no importance; as if he had said, “You are exceedingly afraid, lest, if tribute be paid to the Romans, the honor of God may be infringed; but you ought rather to take care to yield to God that service which he demands from you, and, at the same the to render to men what is their due.” We might be apt to think, no doubt, that the distinction does not apply; for, strictly speaking, when we perform our duty towards men, we thereby render obedience to God. But Christ, accommodating his discourse to the common people, reckoned it enough to draw a distinction between the spiritual kingdom of God, on the one hand, and political order and the condition of the present life, on the other. We must therefore attend to this distinction, that, while the Lord wishes to be the only Lawgiver for governing souls, the rule for worshipping Him must not be sought from any other source than from His own word, and that we ought to abide by the only and pure worship which is there enjoined; but that the power of the sword, the laws, and the decisions of tribunals, do not hinder the worship of God from remaining entire amongst us.

But this doctrine extends still farther, that every man, according to his calling, ought to perform the duty which he owes to men; that children ought willingly to submit to their parents, and servants to their masters; that they ought to be courteous and obliging towards each other, according to the law of charity, provided that God always retain the highest authority, to which every thing that can be due to men is, as we say, subordinate. “Est subalterne, comme on dit; c’est à dire, en depend;” — “is subordinate, as we say; that is, depends upon it.” The amount of it therefore is, that those who destroy political order are rebellious against God, and therefore, that obedience to princes and magistrates is always joined to the worship and fear of God; but that, on the other hand, if princes claim any part of the authority of God, we ought not to obey them any farther than can be done without offending God.

22 They wondered at him. Here, too, it appears how God turns to a different purpose the wicked attempts of His enemies, and not only disappoints their expectation, but even drives them back with disgrace. It will sometimes happen, no doubt, that wicked men, though vanquished, do not cease to growl; but, though their insolence be not subdued, however numerous may be their assaults on the Word of God, there is an equal number of victories which God has in his hand, to triumph over them and Satan their head. But in this reply, Christ intended to give a peculiar display of his glory, by compelling those men to depart crowned with shame.

MATTHEW 22:23-33; MARK 12:18-27; LUKE 20:27-40

Matthew 22:23-33

Mark 12:18-27

Luke 20:27-40

23. The same day came to him the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, and interrogated him, 24. Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, not having a child, “Sans avoir enfans;” — “without having children.” his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed to his brother. 25. Now there were amongst us seven brothers, and the first, having married a wife, died, and, having no seed, left his wife to his brother. 26. In like manner, the second, and the third, till the seventh. 27. And last of all the woman died also. 28. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 29. And Jesus answering said to them, You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. 30. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31. But as to the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33. And when the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his doctrine.

18. And the Sadducees come to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and they interrogated him, saying, 19. Master, Moses wrote to us, that, if any man’s brother die, and leave a wife, and do not leave children, his brother shall take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother. 20. There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and he, dying, left no seed. 21. And the second took her, and died, and neither did he leave any seed; and the third likewise. 22. And the seven took her, and did not leave seed. And last of all the wife died also. 23. In the resurrection, therefore, when they shall rise again, whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her for a wife. 24. And Jesus answering said to them, Is it not the reason why you err, that you do not know the Scriptures, nor the power of God? 25. For when they shall rise again from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God who are in heaven. 26. But as to the dead, that they rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, how God spoke to him in the bush, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27. God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living; therefore you greatly err.

27. And some of the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came, and interrogated him, 28. Saying, Master, Moses wrote to us, that if any man’s brother die having a wife, and he die without children, his brother shall take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother. 29. Now there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife, and died without children. 30. And the second took her, and also died without children. 31. And the third took her, and in like manner all the seven, and left no children, and died. 32. Last of all the woman also died. 33. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her for a wife. 34. And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage. 35. But they who shall be counted worthy of that world, “Dignes d’obtenir ce siecle-là;” — “worthy to obtain that world.” and of the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36. For they cannot die anymore; for they are equal to the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. 37. But that the dead rise again, even Moses showed at the bush, when he says that the Lord is the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38. But he is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him. 39. And some of the scribes answering, said, Master, thou hast spoken well. 40. And they did not venture to put any more questions to him.

Matthew 22:23. The same day came to him the Sadducees. We see here how Satan brings together all the ungodly, who in other respects differ widely from each other, to attack the truth of God. For, though deadly strife existed between these two sects, “Combien que ces deux sectes se fissent tous les jours la guerre l’un contre l’autre;” — “though those two sects were every day making war against each other.” yet they conspire together against Christ; so that the Pharisees are not displeased to have their own doctrine attacked in the person of Christ. Thus in the present day, we see all the forces of Satan, though in other respects they are opposed to each other, rising on every hand against Christ. And so fierce is the hatred with which the Papists burn against the Gospel, that they willingly support Epicureans, Libertines, and other monsters of that description, provided that they can avail themselves of their aid for accomplishing its destruction. In short, we see that they come out of various camps to make an attack on Christ; and that this was done, because all of them alike hated the light of sound doctrine. Now the Sadducees propose a question to Christ, that by the appearance of absurdity they may either lead him to take part in their error, or, if he disagree with them, that they may hold him up to disgrace and ridicule among an uneducated and ignorant multitude. It is no doubt possible, that they had been formerly accustomed to employ this sophistry for harassing the Pharisees, but now they attempt to take Christ in the same snare.

Who say that there is no resurrection. How the sect of the Sadducees originated we have explained under another passage. Luke assures us that they denied not only the final resurrection of the body, but also the immortality of the soul, (Acts 23:8.) And, indeed, if we consider properly the doctrine of Scripture, the life of the soul, apart from the hope of the resurrection, will be a mere dream; for God does not declare that, immediately after the death of the body, souls live, — as if their glory and happiness were already enjoyed by them in perfections — but delays the expectation of them till the last day. I readily acknowledge that the philosophers, who were ignorant of the resurrection of the body, have many discussions about the immortal essence of the soul; but they talk so foolishly about the state of the future life that their opinions have no weight. But since the Scriptures inform us that the spiritual life depends on the hope of the resurrection, and that souls, when separated from the bodies, look forward to it, whoever destroys the resurrection deprives souls also of their immortality.

Now this enables us to perceive the dreadful confusion of the Jewish Church, that their rulers “Une partie des principaux chefs de la religion;” — “a part of the chief leaders in religion.” in religious matters took away the expectation of a future life, so that, after the death of the body, men differed in no respect from brute beasts. They did not indeed deny that our lives ought to be holy and righteous, and were not so profane as to consider the worship of God to be superfluous; on the contrary, they maintained that God is the Judge of the world, and that the affairs of men are directed by His providence. But as the reward of the godly, and likewise the punishment due to the wicked, were limited by them to the present life, even though there had been truth in their assertion, that every man is now treated impartially according to his merit, "Que Dieu traitte yei un chacun selon qu'il a merite;" — "That God here treats every one according as he has deserved." yet it was excessively absurd to restrict the promises of God within such narrow limits. Now experience plainly shows that they were chargeable with the grossest stupidity, since it is manifest that the reward which is laid up for the good is left incomplete till another life, and likewise that the punishment of the wicked is not wholly inflicted in this world.

In short, it is impossible to conceive any thing more absurd than this dream, that men formed after the image of God are extinguished by death like the beasts. But how disgraceful and monstrous was it that while, among the profane and blind idolaters of all nations, some notion, at least, of a future life still lingered, among the Jews, the peculiar people of God, this seed of piety was destroyed. I do not mention that, when they saw that the holy fathers earnestly aspired to the heavenly life, and that the covenant which God had made with them was spiritual and eternal, they must have been worse than stupid who remained blind in the midst of such clear light. But, first, this was the just reward of those who had split the Church of God into sects; and, secondly, in this manner the Lord avenged the wicked contempt of His doctrine.

24. Master, Moses said. As it was enough to mention the bare fact, why do they make use of this preface? They cunningly employ the name of Moses, for the purpose of proving that they were lawful marriages, which had been contracted not by the will of men, but by the command and appointment of God himself. But that God should contradict Himself is impossible. Their sophistry therefore is this: “If God shall one day collect believers into His kingdom, He will restore whatever He had given to them in the world. What then shall become of the woman, whom God assigned to seven husbands?” Thus all ungodly persons and heretics forge their calumnies, that by means of them they may disfigure the true doctrine of godliness, and put to shame the servants of Christ. Nay, the Papists are restrained by no shame from openly ridiculing God and his word, when they attempt to take us by surprise. And not without reason, therefore, does Paul enjoin a teacher to be furnished with armor for repelling the adversaries of the truth, (Titus 1:9.) With respect to the law, (Deuteronomy 25:5,) by which God commanded the relatives, who were nearest of kin, to succeed the dead in marriage, if the first had died without children, the reason was, that the woman who had married into a particular family should leave offspring in it. But if there had been children by the first marriage, a marriage within the degrees forbidden by the law (Leviticus 18:16) would have been incestuous.

29. You err, not knowing the Scriptures. Though Christ addresses the Sadducees, yet this reproof applies generally to all inventors of false doctrines. For, since God makes known His will clearly in the Scriptures, the want of acquaintance with them is the source and cause of all errors. But this is no ordinary consolation to the godly, that they will be safe from the danger of erring, so long as they humbly, modestly, and submissively inquire from the Scriptures what is right and true. As to the power of God being connected by Christ with the word, it refers to the present occasion. For, since the resurrection far exceeds the capacity of the human senses, it will be incredible to us, till our minds rise to the contemplation of the boundless power of God, by which, as Paul tells us,

he is able to subdue all things to himself, (Philippians 3:21.)

Besides, the Sadducees must have been void of understanding, when they committed the error of estimating the glory of the heavenly life according to the present state. In the meantime, we learn that those men form and express just and wise sentiments respecting the mysteries of the heavenly kingdom, who join the power of God with the Scriptures.

30. But are like the angels of God in heaven. He does not mean that the children of God will be, in all respects, like the angels, but only so far as they shall be free from every infirmity of the present life; thus affirming that they will no longer be exposed to the wants of a frail and perishing life. Luke expresses more clearly the nature of the resemblance, that they can no longer die, and therefore there will be no propagation of their species, as on earth. Now he speaks of believers only, for no mention had been made of the wicked.

But a question arises, Why does he say that they will then be the children of God, because they will be children of the resurrection; since God bestows this honor on those who believe on him, though shut up within the frail prison of the body? And how would we be heirs of eternal life after death, unless God already acknowledged us as children? I reply: As we are engrafted by faith into the body of Christ, we are adopted by God as his children, and of this adoption the Spirit is the witness, seal, earnest, and pledge, so that with this assurance

we may freely cry, Abba, Father, (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6.)

Now though we know that we are the children of God, yet as it doth not yet appear what we shall be, till, transformed into his glory, we shall see him as he is, (1 John 3:2,)

we are not as yet actually reckoned to be his children. And though we are renewed by the Spirit of God, yet as

our life is still hidden, (Colossians 3:3,)

the manifestation of it will truly and perfectly distinguish us from strangers. In this sense our adoption is said by Paul to be delayed till the last day, (Romans 8:23.).

Although I think that this narrative has nothing more than a resemblance to what is related by Matthew in the 22nd, and by Mark in the 12th chapter, of his Gospel, and that they are not the same; I have chosen to collect them into one place, because, while Matthew and Mark affirm that this was the last question by which our Lord was tempted, Luke makes no mention of that circumstance, and seems intentionally to leave it out, because he had stated it in another passage. And yet I do not dispute that it may be the same narrative, though Luke has some things different from the other two. They all agree in this, that the scribe put a question for the sake of tempting Christ; but he who is described by Matthew and Mark goes away with no bad disposition; for he acquiesces in Christ’s reply, and shows a sign of a teachable and gentle mind: to which must be added, that Christ, on the other hand, declares that he is not far from the kingdom of God. Luke, on the other hand, introduces a man who was obstinate and swelled with pride, in whom no evidence of repentance is discovered. Now there would be no absurdity in saying that Christ was repeatedly tempted on the subject of true righteousness, and of keeping the Law, and of the rule of a good life. But whether Luke has related this out of its proper place, or whether he has now passed by the other question — because that former narrative relating to doctrine was sufficient — the similarity of the doctrine seemed to require me to compare the three Evangelists with each other.

Let us now see what was the occasion that led this scribe to put a question to Christ. It is because, being an expounder of the Law, he is offended at the doctrine of the gospel, by which he supposes the authority of Moses to be diminished. At the same time, he is not so much influenced by zeal for the Law, as by displeasure at losing some part of the honor of his teaching. He therefore inquires at Christ, if he wishes to profess any thing more perfect than the Law; for, though he does not say this in words, yet his question is ensnaring, for the purpose of exposing Christ to the hatred of the people. Matthew and Mark do not attribute this stratagem to one man only, but show that it was done by mutual arrangement, and that out of the whole sect one person was chosen who was thought to excel the rest in ability and learning. In the form of the question, too, Luke differs somewhat from Matthew and Mark; for, according to him, the scribe inquires what men must do to obtain eternal life, but according to the other two Evangelists, he inquires what is the chief commandment in the law. But the design is the same, for he makes a deceitful attack on Christ, that, if he can draw any thing from his lips that is at variance with the law, he may exclaim against him as an apostate and a promoter of ungodly revolt.

Matthew 22:37. Thou shalt love the Lord thou God. According to Mark, the preface is inserted, that Jehovah alone is the God of Israel; by which words God supports the authority of his law in two ways. For, first, it ought to be a powerful excitement to the worship of God, when we are fully convinced that we worship the actual Creator of heaven and earth, because indifference is naturally produced by doubt; and, secondly, because it is a pleasing inducement to love him, when he freely adopts us as his people. So then, that they may not hesitate, as usually happens in cases of uncertainty, the Jews are informed that the rule of life is prescribed to them by the true and only God; and, on the other hand, that they may not be kept back by distrust, God approaches to them in a familiar manner, and reminds them of his gracious covenant with them. And yet there is no reason to doubt that the Lord distinguishes himself from all idols, that the Jews may not be drawn aside from him, but may adhere to the pure worship of God himself. Now if uncertainty does not keep back the wretched worshippers of idols from being carried away to the love of them by impetuous zeal, what excuse is left for the hearers of the Law, if they remain indifferent, after that God has revealed himself to them?

What follows is an abridgment of the Law, “Un abbregé ou sommaire de la Loy;” — “an abridgment or summary of the Law.” which is also found in the writings of Moses, (Deuteronomy 6:5.) For, though it is divided into two tables, the first of which relates to the worship of God, and the second to charity, Moses properly and wisely draws up this summary, “Moyse a fort bien et sagement comprins le tout en ce sommaire;” — “Moses has very properly and wisely comprehended the whole in this summary.” that the Jews may perceive what is the will of God in each of the commandments. And although we ought to love God far more than men, yet most properly does God, instead of worship or honor, require love from us, because in this way he declares that no other worship is pleasing to Him than what is voluntary; for no man will actually obey God but he who loves Him. But as the wicked and sinful inclinations of the flesh draw us aside from what is right, Moses shows that our life will not be regulated aright till the love of God fill all our senses. Let us therefore learn, that the commencement of godliness is the love of God, because God disdains the forced services of men, and chooses to be worshipped freely and willingly; and let us also learn, that under the love of God is included the reverence due to him.

Moses does not add the mind, but mentions only the heart, and the soul, and the strength; and though the present division into four clauses is more full, yet it does not alter the sense. For while Moses intends to teach generally that God ought to be perfectly loved, and that whatever powers belong to men ought to be devoted to this object, he reckoned it enough, after mentioning the soul and the heart, to add the strength, that he might not leave any part of us uninfluenced by the love of God; and we know also that under the word heart the Hebrews sometimes include the mind, “L’entendement;” — “the understanding.” particularly when it is joined to the word soul What is the difference between the mind and the heart, both in this passage and in Matthew, I do not trouble myself to inquire, except that I consider the mind to denote the loftier abode of reason, from which all our thoughts and deliberations flow.

It now appears from this summary that, in the commandments of the Law, God does not look at what men can do, but at what they ought to do; since in this infirmity of the flesh it is impossible that perfect love can obtain dominion, for we know how strongly all the senses of our soul are disposed to vanity. Lastly, we learn from this, that God does not rest satisfied with the outward appearance of works, but chiefly demands the inward feelings, that from a good root good fruits may grow.

39. And the second is like it. He assigns the second place to mutual kindness among men, for the worship of God is first in order. The commandment to love our neighbors, he tells us, is like the first, because it depends upon it. For, since every man is devoted to himself, there will never be true charity towards neighbors, unless where the love of God reigns; for it is a mercenary love “Car l’amour qu’ont les enfans de ce monde les uns envers les autres n’est point une vray amour, mais est une amour mercenaire;” — “for the love which the children of the world have for each other is not a true love, but is mercenary love.” which the children of the world entertain for each other, because every one of them has regard to his own advantage. On the other hand, it is impossible for the love of God to reign without producing brotherly kindness among men.

Again, when Moses commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, he did not intend to put the love of ourselves in the first place, so that a man may first love himself and then love his neighbors; as the sophists of the Sorbonne are wont to cavil, that a rule must always go before what it regulates. But as we are too much devoted to ourselves, Moses, in correcting this fault, places our neighbors in an equal rank with us; thus forbidding every man to pay so much attention to himself as to disregard others, because kindness unites all in one body. And by correcting the self-love (φιλαυτίαν) which separates some persons from others, he brings each of them into a common union, and—as it were—into a mutual embrace. Hence we conclude, that charity is justly pronounced by Paul to be

the bond of perfection, (Colossians 3:14,)

and, in another passage, the

fulfilling of the law, (Romans 13:10;)

for all the commandments of the second table must be referred to it.

Matthew 22:40. On these two commandments. I now return to Matthew, where Christ says that all the Law and the prophets depend on these two commandments; not that he intends to limit to them “Restraindre à ce sommaire;” — “to limit to this summary.” all the doctrine of Scripture, but because all that is anywhere taught as to the manner of living a holy and righteous life must be referred to these two leading points. For Christ does not treat generally of what the Law and the Prophets contain, but, in drawing up his reply, states that nothing else is required in the Law and the prophets than that every man should love God and his neighbors; as if he had said, that the sum of a holy and upright life consists in the worship of God and in charity to men, as Paul states that charity is

the fulfilling of the law, (Romans 13:10.)

And therefore some ill-informed persons are mistaken in interpreting this saying of Christ, as if we ought to seek nothing higher in the Law and the Prophets. For as a distinction ought to be made between the promises and the commandments, so in this passage Christ does not state generally what we ought to learn from the word of God, but explains, in a manner suited to the occasion, the end to which all the commandments are directed. Yet the free forgiveness of sins, by which we are reconciled to God, — confidence in calling on God, which is the earnest of the future inheritance, — and all the other parts of faith, though they hold the first rank in the Law, do not depend on these two commandments; for it is one thing to demand what we owe, and another thing to offer what we do not possess. The same thing is expressed in other words by Mark, that there is no other commandment greater than these.

Matthew 22:42. What think you of Christ? Mark and Luke express more clearly the reason why Christ put this question. It was because there prevailed among the scribes an erroneous opinion, that the promised Redeemer would be one of David’s sons and successors, who would bring along with him nothing more elevated than human nature. For from the very commencement Satan endeavored, by all the arts which he could devise, to put forward some pretended Christ, who was not the true Mediator between God and men. God having so frequently promised that Christ would proceed from the seed, or from the loins of David, this conviction was so deeply rooted in their minds, that they could not endure to have him stripped of human nature. Satan therefore permitted Christ to be acknowledged as a true man and a son of David, for he would in vain have attempted to overturn this article of faith; but—what was worse—he stripped him of his Divinity, as if he had been only one of the ordinary descendants of Adam. But in this manner the hope of future and eternal life, as well as spiritual righteousness, was abolished. And ever since Christ was manifested to the world, heretics have attempted by various contrivances—and as it were under ground—to overturn sometimes his human, and sometimes his Divine nature, that either he might not have full power to save us, or we might not have ready access to him. Now as the hour of his death was already approaching, the Lord himself intended to attest his divinity, that all the godly might boldly rely on him; for if he had been only man, we would have had no right either to glory in him, or to expect salvation from him.

We now perceive his design, which was, to assert that he was the Son of God, not so much on his own account, as to make our faith rest on his heavenly power. For as the weakness of the flesh, by which he approached to us, gives us confidence, that we may not hesitate to draw near to him, so if that weakness alone were before our eyes, it would rather fill us with fear and despair than excite proper confidence. Yet it must be observed, that the scribes are not reproved for teaching that Christ would be the Son of David, but for imagining that he was a mere man, who would come from heaven, to assume the nature and person of a man. Nor does our Lord make a direct assertion about himself, but simply shows that the scribes hold a wicked error in expecting that the Redeemer will proceed only from the earth and from human lineage. But though this doctrine was well known to be held by them, we learn from Matthew, that he interrogated them in presence of the people what their sentiments were.

43. How then does David by the Spirit call him Lord. The assertion made by Christ, that David spoke by the Spirit, is emphatic; for he contrasts the prediction of a future event with the testimony of a present event. By this phrase he anticipates the sophistry by which the Jews of the present day attempt to escape. They allege that this prediction celebrates the reign of David, as if, representing God to be the Author of his reign, David would rise above the mad attempts of his enemies, and affirmed that they would gain nothing by opposing the will of God. That the scribes might not shelter themselves under such an objection, Christ began with stating that the psalm was not composed in reference to the person of David, but was dictated by the prophetic Spirit to describe the future reign of Christ; as it may easily be learned even from the passage itself, that what we read there does not apply either to David, or to any other earthly king; for there David introduces a king clothed with a new priesthood, by which the ancient shadows of the Law must be abolished, (Psalm 110:4)

We must now see how he proves that Christ will hold a higher rank than to be merely descended from the seed of David. It is because David, who was king and head of the people, calls him Lord; from which it follows, that there is something in him greater than man. But the argument appears to be feeble and inconclusive; for it may be objected that, when David gave the psalm to the people to sing, without having any view to his own person, he assigned to Christ dominion over others. But to this I reply that, as he was one of the members of the Church, nothing would have been more improper than to shut himself out from the common doctrine. Here he enjoins all the children of God to boast, as with one voice, that they are safe through the protection of a heavenly and invincible King. If he be separated from the body of the Church, he will not partake of the salvation promised through Christ. If this were the voice of a few persons, the dominion of Christ would not extend even to David. But now neither he, nor any other person, can be excluded from subjection to him, without cutting himself off from the hope of eternal salvation. Since then there was nothing better for David than to be included in the Church, it was not less for himself than for the rest of the people that David composed this psalm. In short, by this title Christ is pronounced to be supreme and sole King, who holds the preeminence among all believers; and no exception ought to be allowed to ranking all in one class, when he is appointed to be the Redeemer of the Church. There can be no doubt, therefore, that David represents himself also as a subject of his government, so as to be reckoned one of the number of the people of God.

But now another question arises: Might not God have raised up one whom he appointed from among mankind to be a Redeemer, so as to be David’s Lord, though he was his son? For here it is not the essential name of God, but only Adonai Our authorized version of Psalm 110:1 runs thus: The Lord said unto my Lord. While the word Lord occurs twice in this clause, the Translators have followed their ordinary method of printing the first in small capitals, to present it to the eye of the reader as standing for the Hebrew word יהוה, (Jehovah,) which our Author calls “the essential name of God,” while the second stands for (אדני), (Adonai,) my Lord, which, as he also mentions, “is frequently applied to men.” — Ed. that is employed, and this term is frequently applied to men. I reply: Christ takes for granted that he who is taken out of the number of men, and raised to such a rank of honor, as to be the supreme Head of the whole Church, is not a mere man, but possesses also the majesty of God. For the eternal God, who by an oath makes this claim for himself, that

before him every knee shall bow, (Isaiah 45:23,)

at the same time swears that

he will not give his glory to another, (Isaiah 42:8.)

But, according to the testimony of Paul, when Christ was raised to kingly power,

there was given to him a name which is above every name, that before him every knee should bow, (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:9.)

And though Paul had never said this, yet such is the fact, that Christ is above David and other holy kings, because he also ranks higher than angels; which would not apply to a created man, unless he were also

God manifested in the flesh, (1 Timothy 3:16.)

I do acknowledge that his divine essence is not expressed directly and in so many words; but it may easily be inferred that He is God, who is placed above all creatures.

44. The Lord said to my Lord. Here the Holy Spirit puts into the mouth of all the godly a song of triumph, that they may boldly defy Satan and all the ungodly, and mock at their rage, when they endeavor to drive Christ from his throne. That they may not hesitate or tremble, when they perceive great emotions produced in the earth, they are commanded to place the holy and inviolable decree of God in opposition to all the exertions of adversaries. The meaning therefore is: whatever may be the madness of men, all that they shall dare to contrive will be of no avail for destroying the kingdom of Christ, which has been set up, not by the will of men, but by the appointment of God, and therefore is supported by everlasting strength. Whenever this kingdom is violently attacked, let us call to remembrance this revelation from heaven; for undoubtedly this promise was put into the hand of Christ, that every believer may apply it to his own use. But God never changes or deceives, so as to retract what has once gone out of his mouth.

Sit at my right hand. This phrase is used metaphorically for the second or next rank, which is occupied by God’s deputy. And therefore it signifies, to hold the highest government and power in the name of God, as we know that God has committed his authority to his only-begotten Son, so as to govern his Church by his agency. This mode of expression, therefore, does not denote any particular place, but, on the contrary, embraces heaven and earth under the government of Christ. And God declares that Christ will sit till his enemies be subdued, in order to inform us that his kingdom will remain invincible against every attack; not that, when his enemies have been subdued, he will be deprived of the power which had been granted to him, but that, while the whole multitude of his enemies shall be laid low, his power will remain for ever unimpaired. In the meantime, it points out that condition of his kingdom which we perceive in the present day, that we may not be uneasy when we see it attacked on all sides.

MATTHEW 23:1-12; MARK 12:38-39; LUKE 11:43, 45-46; 20:45-46

Matthew 23:1-12

Mark 12:38-39

Luke 11:45-46

1. Then Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2. Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses. 3. Observe and do, therefore, all things whatever they command you to observe; but do not according to their works; for they say and do not. 4. For they bind heavy and intolerable burdens, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they refuse to touch them with their finger. 5. And they do all their works that they may be seen by men, and make their phylacteries broad, and wear large fringes on their robes, 6. And love the first places at entertainments, and the first seats in the synagogues, 7. And salutations in the marketplace, and to be called by men Rabbi. “Estre appelez des hommes Maistres;” — “to be called by men Masters.” 8. But as for you, be not called Rabbi; “No Soyez point appelez Maistres;” — “but not be called Masters.” for there is one who is your Master, Christ; and you are all brethren. 9. And do not call any one on earth your Father; for one is your Father, who is in heaven. 10. And be not called Masters; “Docteurs;” — “doctors.” for one is your Master, Christ. 11. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12. But he that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

38. And he said to them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, who love to walk in robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, 39. And the first seats in the synagogues, and the first places at entertainments.

45. And one of the lawyers “Un des docteurs de la loy;” — “one of the doctors of the law.” answering said to him, Master, in saying these things thou also reproachest us. 46. And he said, Woe also to you, lawyers! for you load men with burdens which are intolerable; and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. (A little before.)

Luke 20:45-46

45. And while all the people were hearing, he said to his disciples, 46. Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces and the first seats in the synagogues, and the first places at entertainments.

CHAPTER 22

Mt 22:1-14. Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son.

This is a different parable from that of the Great Supper, in Lu 14:15, &c., and is recorded by Matthew alone.

2. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son--"In this parable," as Trench admirably remarks, "we see how the Lord is revealing Himself in ever clearer light as the central Person of the kingdom, giving here a far plainer hint than in the last parable of the nobility of His descent. There He was indeed the Son, the only and beloved one (Mr 12:6), of the Householder; but here His race is royal, and He appears as Himself at once the King and the King's Son (Psa 72:1). The last was a parable of the Old Testament history; and Christ is rather the last and greatest of the line of its prophets and teachers than the founder of a new kingdom. In that, God appears demanding something from men; in this, a parable of grace, God appears more as giving something to them. Thus, as often, the two complete each other: this taking up the matter where the other left it." The "marriage" of Jehovah to His people Israel was familiar to Jewish ears; and in Psa 45:1-17 this marriage is seen consummated in the Person of Messiah "THE King," Himself addressed as "God" and yet as anointed by "His God" with the oil of gladness above His fellows. These apparent contradictions (see on Lu 20:41-44) are resolved in this parable; and Jesus, in claiming to be this King's Son, serves Himself Heir to all that the prophets and sweet singers of Israel held forth as to Jehovah's ineffably near and endearing union to His people. But observe carefully, that THE Bride does not come into view in this parable; its design being to teach certain truths under the figure of guests at a wedding feast, and the want of a wedding garment, which would not have harmonized with the introduction of the Bride.

3. and sent forth his servants--representing all preachers of the Gospel.

to call them that were bidden--here meaning the Jews, who were "bidden," from the first choice of them onwards through every summons addressed to them by the prophets to hold themselves in readiness for the appearing of their King.

to the wedding--or the marriage festivities, when the preparations were all concluded.

and they would not come--as the issue of the whole ministry of the Baptist, our Lord Himself, and His apostles thereafter, too sadly showed.

4. my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come unto the marriage--This points to those Gospel calls after Christ's death, resurrection, ascension, and effusion of the Spirit, to which the parable could not directly allude, but when only it could be said, with strict propriety, "that all things were ready." Compare 1Co 5:7, 8, "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore, let us keep the feast"; also Joh 6:51, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread which I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

5. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

6. And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully--insulted them.

and slew them--These are two different classes of unbelievers: the one simply indifferent; the other absolutely hostile--the one, contemptuous scorners; the other, bitter persecutors.

7. But when the king--the Great God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

heard thereof, he was wroth--at the affront put both on His Son, and on Himself who had deigned to invite them.

and he sent forth his armies--The Romans are here styled God's armies, just as the Assyrian is styled "the rod of His anger" (Is 10:5), as being the executors of His judicial vengeance.

and destroyed those murderers--and in what vast numbers did they do it!

and burned up their city--Ah! Jerusalem, once "the city of the Great King" (Psa 48:2), and even up almost to this time (Mt 5:35); but now it is "their city"--just as our Lord, a day or two after this, said of the temple, where God had so long dwelt, "Behold your house is left unto you desolate" (Mt 23:38)! Compare Lu 19:43, 44.

8. The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy--for how should those be deemed worthy to sit down at His table who had affronted Him by their treatment of His gracious invitation?

9. Go ye therefore into the highways--the great outlets and thoroughfares, whether of town or country, where human beings are to be found.

and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage--that is, just as they are.

10. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good--that is, without making any distinction between open sinners and the morally correct. The Gospel call fetched in Jews, Samaritans, and outlying heathen alike. Thus far the parable answers to that of "the Great Supper" (Lu 14:16, &c.). But the distinguishing feature of our parable is what follows:

11. And when the king came in to see the guests--Solemn expression this, of that omniscient inspection of every professed disciple of the Lord Jesus from age to age, in virtue of which his true character will hereafter be judicially proclaimed!

he saw there a man--This shows that it is the judgment of individuals which is intended in this latter part of the parable: the first part represents rather national judgment.

which had not on a wedding garment--The language here is drawn from the following remarkable passage in Zep 1:7, 8:--"Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God; for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath bid His guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel." The custom in the East of presenting festival garments (see Ge 45:22; 2Ki 5:22), even though nor clearly proved, Is certainly presupposed here. It undoubtedly means something which they bring not of their own--for how could they have any such dress who were gathered in from the highways indiscriminately?--but which they receive as their appropriate dress. And what can that be but what is meant by "putting on the Lord Jesus," as "The Lord Our Righteousness?" (See Psa 45:13, 14). Nor could such language be strange to those in whose ears had so long resounded those words of prophetic joy: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Is 61:10).

12. Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless--being self-condemned.

13. Then said the king to the servants--the angelic ministers of divine vengeance (as in Mt 13:41).

Bind him hand and foot--putting it out of his power to resist.

and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness--So Mt 8:12; 25:30. The expression is emphatic--"the darkness which is outside." To be "outside" at all--or, in the language of Re 22:15, to be "without" the heavenly city, excluded from its joyous nuptials and gladsome festivities--is sad enough of itself, without anything else. But to find themselves not only excluded from the brightness and glory and joy and felicity of the kingdom above, but thrust into a region of "darkness," with all its horrors, this is the dismal retribution here announced, that awaits the unworthy at the great day.

there--in that region and condition.

shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. See on Mt 13:42.

14. For many are called, but few are chosen--So Mt 19:30. See on Mt 20:16.

Mt 22:15-40. Entangling Questions about Tribute, the Resurrection, and the Great Commandment, with the Replies. ( = Mr 12:13-34; Lu 20:20-40).

For the exposition, see on Mr 12:13-34.

Mt 22:41-46. Christ Baffles the Pharisees by a Question about David and Messiah. ( = Mr 12:35-37; Lu 20:41-44).

For the exposition, see on Mr 12:35-37.

The kingdom of heaven - In Bereshith Rabba, sect. 62. fol. 60, there is a parable very similar to this, and another still more so in Sohar. Levit. fol. 40. But these rabbinical parables are vastly ennobled by passing through the hands of our Lord. It appears from Luke, Luk 14:15; etc., that it was at an entertainment that this parable was originally spoken. It was a constant practice of our Lord to take the subjects of his discourses from the persons present, or from the circumstances of times, persons, and places. See Mat 16:6; Joh 4:7-10; Joh 6:26, Joh 6:27; Joh 7:37. A preacher that can do so can never be at a loss for text or sermon.

A marriage for his son - A marriage feast, so the word γαμους properly means. Or a feast of inauguration, when his son was put in possession of the government, and thus he and his new subjects became married together. See 1Kgs 1:5-9, 1Kgs 1:19, 1Kgs 1:25, etc., where such a feast is mentioned.

From this parable it appears plain,

1. That the King means the great God.

2. His Son, the Lord Jesus.

3. The Marriage, his incarnation, or espousing human nature, by taking it into union with himself.

4. The Marriage Feast, the economy of the Gospel, during which men are invited to partake of the blessings purchased by, and consequent on, the incarnation and death of our blessed Lord.

5. By those who Had Been bidden, or invited, Mat 22:3, are meant the Jews in general, who had this union of Christ with human nature, and his sacrifice for sin, pointed out by various rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices under the law; and who, by all the prophets, had been constantly invited to believe in and receive the promised Messiah.

6. By the Servants, we are to understand the first preachers of the Gospel, proclaiming salvation to the Jews. John the Baptist and the seventy disciples (Luk 10:1), may be here particularly intended.

7. By the Other Servants, Mat 22:4, the apostles seem to be meant, who, though they were to preach the Gospel to the whole world, yet were to begin at Jerusalem (Luk 24:47) with the first offers of mercy.

8. By their making light of it, etc., Mat 22:5, is pointed out their neglect of this salvation, and their preferring secular enjoyments, etc., to the kingdom of Christ.

9. By injuriously using some, and slaying others, of his servants, Mat 22:6, is pointed out the persecution raised against the apostles by the Jews, in which some of them were martyred.

10. By sending forth his troops, Mat 22:7, is meant the commission given to the Romans against Judea; and, burning up their city, the total destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, the son of Vespasian, which happened about forty-one years after.

On this parable it is necessary to remark,

1. That man was made at first in union with God.

2. That sin entered in, and separated between God and man.

3. That as there can be no holiness but in union with God, and no heaven without holiness, therefore he provided a way to reconcile and reunite man to himself.

4. This was effected by Christ's uniting himself to human nature, and giving his Spirit to those who believe.

5. That as the marriage union is the closest, the most intimate, solemn, and excellent, of all the connections formed among mortals, and that they who are thus united in the Lord are one flesh; so that mystical union which is formed between God and the soul through Jesus Christ, by the Eternal Spirit, is the closest, most intimate, solemn, and excellent, that can be conceived; for he who is thus joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

6. This contract is made freely: no man can be forced to it, for it is a union of will to will, heart to heart; and it is by willing and consenting that we come unto God through his Son.

7. That if this marriage do not take place here, an eternal separation from God, and from the glory of his power, shall be the fearful consequence.

8. That there are three states in which men run the risk of living without God and losing their souls. 1st. That of a soft, idle, voluptuous life, wherein a man thinks of nothing but quietly to enjoy life, conveniences, riches, private pleasures, and public diversions. They made light of it. 2dly. That of a man wholly taken up with agricultural or commercial employments, in which the love of riches, and application to the means of acquiring them, generally stifle all thoughts of salvation. One went to his own field, and another to his traffic. 3dly. That of a man who is openly unjust, violent, and outrageously wicked, who is a sinner by profession, and not only neglects his salvation, but injuriously treats all those who bring him the Gospel of reconciliation. Seizing his servants, they treated them injuriously, etc.

Fatlings - Τα σιτιϚα Properly, fatted rams, or wethers. 2Sam 6:13; 1Chr 15:26.

But when the king - Himself or, this very king. I have added εκεινος on the authority of nine of the most ancient MSS. and nearly one hundred others; the later Syriac, six copies of the Itala, and some of the fathers. Several printed editions have it, and Griesbach has received it into the text.

Were not worthy - Because they made light of it, and would not come; preferring earthly things to heavenly blessings. Among the Mohammedans, refusal to come to a marriage feast, when invited, is considered a breach of the law of God. Hedayah, vol. iv. p. 91. Any one that shall be invited to a dinner, and does not accept the invitation, disobeys God, and his messenger: and any one who comes uninvited, you may say is a thief, and returns a plunderer. - Mischat ul Mesabih. It was probably considered in this light among all the oriental nations. This observation is necessary, in order to point out more forcibly the iniquity of the refusal mentioned in the text. A man may be said to be worthy of, or fit for, this marriage feast, when, feeling his wretchedness and misery, he comes to God in the way appointed, to get an entrance into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus.

Go ye therefore into the highways - Διεξοδους των οδων, cross or by-paths; the places where two or more roads met in one, leading into the city, where people were coming together from various quarters of the country. St. Luke adds hedges, to point out the people to whom the apostles were sent, as either miserable vagabonds, or the most indigent poor, who were wandering about the country, or sitting by the sides of the ways and hedges, imploring relief. This verse points out the final rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles. It was a custom among the Jews, when a rich man made a feast, to go out and invite in all destitute travelers. See in Rab. Beracoth, fol. 43.

As many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage - God sends his salvation to every soul, that all may believe and be saved.

Gathered together all - both bad and good - By the preaching of the Gospel, multitudes of souls are gathered into what is generally termed the visible Church of Christ.

This Church is the Floor, where the wheat and the chaff are often mingled, Mat 3:12.

The Field, where the bastard wheat and the true grain grow together, Mat 13:26, Mat 13:27.

The Net, which collects of all kinds, both good and bad, Mat 13:48.

The House in which the wise and foolish are found, Mat 25:1, etc.

And the Fold, in which there are both sheep and goats, Mat 25:33; etc.

When the king came - When God shall come to judge the world.

Wedding garment - Among the orientals, long white robes were worn at public festivals; and those who appeared on such occasions with any other garments were esteemed, not only highly culpable, but worthy of punishment. Our Lord seems here to allude to Zep 1:7, Zep 1:8, The Lord hath prepared a Sacrifice, he hath Bidden his guests. And it shall come to pass, in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will Punish the princes, and the King's Children, and All Such as are clothed with Strange Apparel. The person who invited the guests prepared such a garment for each, for the time being; and with which he was furnished on his application to the ruler of the feast. It was this which made the conduct of the person mentioned in the text inexcusable; he might have had a proper marriage garment, if he had applied for it.

To afford accidental guests clothing suitable to a marriage feast, was a custom among the ancient Greeks. Homer relates that Telemachus, and the son of Nestor, arriving at Lacedaemon when Menelaus was making a marriage feast for his son and daughter, were accommodated with garments suited to the occasion, after having been bathed and anointed. Τους δ' επει ουν δρωμαι λουσαν και χρισαν ελαιῳ, Αμφι δ' αρα χλαινας ουλας βαλον ηδε χιτωνας, Ες ρα θρονους εζοντο παρ' Ατρειδην Μενελαον

Odyss. l. iv. ver. 49-51

They entered each a bath, and by the hands

Of maidens laved, and oiled, and clothed again

With shaggy mantles and resplendent vests,

Sat both enthroned at Menelaus' side.

Cowper

Among the Asiatics, garments called caftans, great numbers of which each nobleman has ordinarily ready in his wardrobe, are given to persons whom he wishes to honor: to refuse to accept or wear such a dress would be deemed the highest insult.

This marriage feast or dinner (the communication of the graces of the Gospel in this life) prepares for the marriage supper of the Lamb, Rev 19:7-9, the enjoyment of eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory. Now, as without holiness no man can see the Lord, we may at once perceive what our Lord means by the marriage garment - it is Holiness of heart and life: the text last quoted asserts that the fine, white, and clean linen (alluding to the marriage garment above mentioned) was an emblem of the Righteousness of the Saints. Mark this expression: the righteousness, the whole external conduct; regulated according to the will and word of God. Of the Saints, the holy persons, whose souls were purified by the blood of the Lamb.

He saith unto him, Friend - Rather, companion: so εταιρε should be translated. As this man represents the state of a person in the visible Church, who neglects to come unto the master of the feast for a marriage garment, for the salvation which Christ has procured, he cannot be with any propriety called a friend, but may well be termed a companion, as being a member of the visible Church, and present at all those ordinances where Christ's presence and blessing are found, by all those who sincerely wait upon him for salvation.

How camest thou in hither - Why profess to be called by my name while living without a preparation for my kingdom?

He was speechless - Εφιμωθη, he was muzzled, or gagged. He had nothing to say in vindication of his neglect. There was a garment provided, but he neither put it on, nor applied for it. His conduct, therefore, was in the highest degree insulting and indecorous. As this man is the emblem, by general consent, of those who shall perish in the last day, may we not ask, without offense, Where does the doctrine of absolute reprobation or preterition appear in his case? If Christ had never died for him, or if he had applied for the garment, and was refused, might he not well have alleged this in behalf of his soul? - and would not the just God have listened to it? But there is not the smallest excuse for him: Christ died, the sacrifice was offered, for him; the ministers of the Gospel invited him; the Holy Spirit strove with him; he might have been saved, but he was not: and the fault lies so absolutely at his own door that the just God is vindicated in his conduct, while he sends him to hell, not for the lack of what he could not get, but for the lack of what he might have had, but either neglected or refused it.

Then said the king to the servants - To the ministering angels, executors of the Divine will.

Cast him into outer darkness - The Jewish marriages were performed in the night season, and the hall where the feast was made was superbly illuminated; the outer darkness means, therefore, the darkness on the outside of this festal hall; rendered still more gloomy to the person who was suddenly thrust out into it from such a profusion of light. See all this largely treated of on Mat 8:12 (note).

Many are called, etc. - This verse is wanting in one of Colbert's MSS., marked 33 in Griesbach. See the note on Mat 20:16. Many are called by the preaching of the Gospel into the outward communion of the Church of Christ; but few, comparatively, are chosen to dwell with God in glory, because they do not come to the master of the feast for a marriage garment - for that holiness without which none can see the Lord. This is an allusion to the Roman custom of raising their militia; all were mustered, but only those were chosen to serve, who were found proper. See the note on Mat 20:16. Reader! examine thy soul, and make sure work for eternity!

In his talk - Εν λογῳ, by discourse: intending to ask him subtle and ensnaring questions; his answers to which might involve him either with the Roman government, or with the great Sanhedrin.

The Herodians - For an account of this sect, see the note on Mat 16:1. The preceding parable had covered the Pharisees with confusion: when it was ended they went out, not to humble themselves before God, and deprecate the judgments with which they were threatened; but to plot afresh the destruction of their teacher. The depth of their malice appears,

1. In their mode of attack. They had often questioned our Lord on matters concerning religion; and his answers only served to increase his reputation, and their confusion. They now shift their ground, and question him concerning state affairs, and the question is such as must be answered; and yet the answer, to all human appearance, can be none other than what may be construed into a crime against the people, or against the Roman government.

2. Their profound malice appears farther in the choice of their companions in this business, viz. the Herodians. Herod was at this very time at Jerusalem, whither he had come to hold the passover. Jesus, being of Nazareth, which was in Herod's jurisdiction, was considered as his subject. Herod himself was extremely attached to the Roman emperor, and made a public profession of it: all these considerations engaged the Pharisees to unite the Herodians, who, as the Syriac intimates, were the domestics of Herod, in this infernal plot.

3. Their profound malice appears, farther, in the praises they gave our Lord. Teacher, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God. This was indeed the real character of our blessed Lord; and now they bear testimony to the truth, merely with the design to make it subserve their bloody purposes. Those whose hearts are influenced by the spirit of the wicked one never do good, but when they hope to accomplish evil by it. Men who praise you to your face are ever to be suspected. The Italians have a very expressive proverb on this subject: -

Che ti fa carezze piu che non suole, O t' ha ingannato, o ingannar ti vuole

He who caresses thee more than he was wont to do, has either Deceived thee, or is About To Do It. I have never known the sentiment in this proverb to fail; and it was notoriously exemplified in the present instance. Flatterers, though they speak the truth, ever carry about with them a base or malicious soul.

4. Their malice appears still farther in the question they propose. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? - Mat 22:17.

The constitution of the Jewish republic, the expectations which they had of future glory and excellence, and the diversity of opinions which divided the Jews on this subject, rendered an answer to this question extremely difficult: -

1. In the presence of the people, who professed to have no other king but God, and looked on their independence as an essential point of their religion.

2. In the presence of the Pharisees, who were ready to stir up the people against him, if his decision could be at all construed to be contrary to their prejudices, or to their religious rights.

3. In the presence of the Herodians, who, if the answer should appear to be against Caesar's rights, were ready to inflame their master to avenge, by the death of our Lord, the affront offered to his master the emperor.

4. The answer was difficult, because of the different sentiments of the Jews on this subject; some maintaining that they could not lawfully pay tribute to a heathen governor: while others held that as they were now under this strange government, and had no power to free themselves from it, it was lawful for them to pay what they had not power to refuse.

5. The answer was difficult, when it is considered that multitudes of the people had begun now to receive Jesus as the promised Messiah, who was to be the deliverer of their nation from spiritual and temporal oppression, and therefore had lately sung to him the Hosanna Rabba: see Mat 21:9. If then he should decide the question in Caesar's favor, what idea must the people have of him, either as zealous for the law, or as the expected Messiah? If against Caesar, he is ruined. Who that loved Jesus, and was not convinced of his sovereign wisdom, could help trembling for him in these circumstances?

Jesus opposes the depth of his wisdom to the depth of their malice, and manifests it: -

1. By unmasking them, and showing that he knew the very secrets of their hearts. Ye Hypocrites! why tempt ye me? i.e. why do ye try me thus? This must cover them with confusion, when they saw their motives thus discovered; and tend much to lessen their influence in the sight of the people, when it was manifest that they acted not through a desire to receive information, by which to regulate their conduct, but merely to ensnare and ruin him.

2. Christ shows his profound wisdom in not attempting to discuss the question at large; but settled the business by seizing a maxim that was common among all people, and acknowledged among the Jews, That the prince who causes his image and titles to be stamped on the current coin of a country, is virtually acknowledged thereby as the governor. See Maimon. Gezel. c. v. in Wetstein. When Sultan Mahmoud, king of Maveralnahar, Turquestan, and the Indies, wished to seize on the dominions of Seideh, queen of Persia, who governed in the place of her young son Megededde-vlet, about a.d. 909, he sent an ambassador to her with the following order: You must acknowledge me for your King, cause the kootbah to be read, i.e. pray for me in all the mosques of the kingdom, and Get Your Money recoined, with the Impression That Is On Mine: thus denoting that she must become absolutely subject to him. See Bibliot. Orient. de Galand. p. 453. Esau Afghan carried his conquest into Bhatty, into the viceroyalty of Bengal, and caused the kootbah to be read, and coin to be struck in the name of the Emperor Akbar. Ayeen Akbery, vol. ii p. 5. See also p. 38, 92, 94, 130, 139, 187.

They brought unto him a penny - A denarius: probably the ordinary capitation tax, though the poll tax in the law, Exo 30:13, Exo 30:14, was half a shekel, about twice as much as the denarius. The Roman denarius had the emperor's image with a proper legend stamped on one side of it. It was not therefore the sacred shekel which was to be paid for the repairs of the temple which was now demanded, but the regular tribute required by the Roman government.

Whose is this image and superscription? - He knew well enough whose they were; but he showed the excellency of his wisdom, 3dly, in making them answer to their own confusion. They came to ensnare our Lord in his discourse, and now they are ensnared in their own. He who digs a pit for his neighbor ordinarily falls into it himself.

They say unto him, Caesars - The image was the head of the emperor; the superscription, his titles. Julius Caesar was the first who caused his image to be struck on the Roman coin. Tiberius was emperor at this time.

Render therefore unto Caesar - The conclusion is drawn from their own premises. You acknowledge this to be Caesar's coin; this coin is current, in your land; the currency of this coin shows the country to be under the Roman government; and your acknowledgment that it is Caesar's proves you have submitted. Don't therefore be unjust; but render to Caesar the things which you acknowledge to be his; at the same time, be not impious, but render unto God the thing's which belong to God.

This answer is full of consummate wisdom. It establishes the limits, regulates the rights, and distinguishes the jurisdiction of the two empires of heaven and earth. The image of princes stamped on their coin denotes that temporal things belong all to their government. The image of God stamped on the soul denotes that all its faculties and powers belong to the Most High, and should be employed in his service.

But while the earth is agitated and distracted with the question of political rights and wrongs, the reader will naturally ask, What does a man owe to Caesar? - to the civil government under which he lives? Our Lord has answered the question - That which IS Caesar's. But what is it that is Caesar's? 1. Honour. 2. Obedience. And 3. Tribute.

1. The civil government under which a man lives, and by which he is protected, demands his honor and reverence.

2. The laws which are made for the suppression of evil doers, and the maintenance of good order, which are calculated to promote the benefit of the whole, and the comfort of the individual should be religiously obeyed.

3. The government that charges itself with the support and defense of the whole, should have its unavoidable expenses, however great, repaid by the people, in whose behalf they are incurred; therefore we should pay tribute.

But remember, if Caesar should intrude into the things of God, coin a new creed, or broach a new Gospel, and affect to rule the conscience, while he rules the state, in these things Caesar is not to be obeyed; he is taking the things of God, and he must not get them. Give not therefore God's things to Caesar, and give not Caesar's things to God. That which belongs to the commonwealth should, on no account whatever, be devoted to religious uses; and let no man think he has pleased God, by giving that to charitable or sacred uses which he has purloined from the state. The tribute of half a shekel, which the law, (Exo 30:13, Exo 30:14), required every person above twenty years of age to pay to the temple, was, after the destruction of the temple, in the time of Vespasian, paid into the emperor's exchequer. This sum, Melancthon supposes, amounted annually to Three Tons Of Gold.

When they had heard these words, they marvelled - And well they might - never man spake like this man. By this decision, Caesar is satisfied - he gets his own to the uttermost farthing. God is glorified - his honor is in every respect secured. And the People are edified - one of the most difficult questions that could possibly come before them is answered in such a way as to relieve their consciences, and direct their conduct. See L'Evangile Medite, and see my discourse entitled, The Rights of God and Caesar.

The same day - Malice is ever active; let it be defeated ever so often, it returns to the charge. Jesus and his Gospel give no quarter to vice; the vicious will give no quarter to him or it.

The Sadducees - For an account of these see on Mat 16:1 (note).

Raise up seed unto his brother - This law is mentioned Deu 25:5. The meaning of the expression is, that the children produced by this marriage should be reckoned in the genealogy of the deceased brother, and enjoy his estates. The word seed should be always translated children or posterity. There is a law precisely similar to this among the Hindoos.

Seven brethren - It is very likely that the Sadducees increased the number, merely to make the question the more difficult.

Whose wife shall she be of the seven? - The rabbins have said, That if a woman have two husbands in this world, she shall have the first only restored to her in the world to come. Sohar. Genes. fol. 24. The question put by these bad men is well suited to the mouth of a libertine. Those who live without God in the world have no other god than the world; and those who have not that happiness which comes from the enjoyment of God have no other pleasure than that which comes from the gratification of sensual appetites. The stream cannot rise higher than the spring: these men, and their younger brethren, atheists, deists, and libertines of all sorts, can form no idea of heaven as a place of blessedness, unless they can hope to find in it the gratification of their sensual desires. On this very ground Mohammed built his paradise.

Ye do err - Or, Ye are deceived - by your impure passions: not knowing the scriptures, which assert the resurrection: - nor the miraculous power of God (την δυναμιν του Θεου) by which it is to be effected. In Avoda Sara, fol. 18, Sanhedrin, fol. 90, it is said: "These are they which shall have no part in the world to come: Those who say, the Lord did not come from heaven; and those who say, the resurrection cannot be proved out of the law."

Their deception appeared in their supposing, that if there were a resurrection, men and women were to marry and be given in marriage as in this life; which our Lord shows is not the case: for men and women there shall be like the angels of God, immortal, and free from all human passions, and from those propensities which were to continue with them only during this present state of existence. There shall be no death; and consequently no need of marriage to maintain the population of the spiritual world.

Have ye not read - This quotation is taken from Exo 3:6, Exo 3:16; and as the five books of Moses were the only part of Scripture which the Sadducees acknowledged as Divine, our Lord, by confuting them from those books, proved the second part of his assertion, "Ye are ignorant of those very scriptures which ye profess to hold sacred."

I am the God of Abraham - Let it be observed, that Abraham was dead upwards of 300 years before these words were spoken to Moses: yet still God calls himself the God of Abraham, etc. Now Christ properly observes that God is not the God of the dead, (that word being equal, in the sense of the Sadducees, to an eternal annihilation), but of the living; it therefore follows that, if he be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, these are not dead, but alive; alive with God, though they had ceased, for some hundreds of years, to exist among mortals. We may see, from this, that our Lord combats and confutes another opinion of the Sadducees, viz. that there is neither angel nor spirit; by showing that the soul is not only immortal, but lives with God, even while the body is detained in the dust of the earth, which body is afterwards to be raised to life, and united with its soul by the miraculous power of God, of which power they showed themselves to be ignorant when they denied the possibility of a resurrection.

The multitude were astonished at his doctrine - God uses the infidelity of some for the edification of others. Had no false doctrine been broached in the world, we had not seen the full evidence of the true teaching. The opposition of deists and infidels has only served to raise up men in behalf of the truth of God, who not only have refuted them, but shown, at the same time, that the sacred testimonies are infinitely amiable in themselves, and worthy of all acceptation. Truth always gains by being opposed.

They were gathered together - Επι το αυτο - they came together with one accord, or, for the same purpose; i.e. of ensnaring him in his discourse, as the Sadducees had done, Mat 22:23. The Codex Bezae and several of the Itala have επ' αυτον, against him. Camen togidre into oon. - Old MS. Eng, Bib.

A lawyer - Νομικος, a teacher of the law. What is called lawyer, in the common translation, conveys a wrong idea to most readers: my old MS. renders the word in the same way I have done. These teachers of the law were the same as the scribes, or what Dr. Wotton calls letter-men, whom he supposes to be the same as the Karaites, a sect of the Jews who rejected all the traditions of the elders, and admitted nothing but the written word. See Wotton's Mishna, vol. i. p. 78. These are allowed to have kept more closely to the spiritual meaning of the law and prophets than the Pharisees did; and hence the question proposed by the lawyer, (Mark, Mar 12:28, calls him one of the scribes), or Karaite, was of a more spiritual or refined nature than any of the preceding.

Which is the great commandment - We see here three kinds of enemies and false accusers of Christ and his disciples; and three sorts of accusations brought against them.

1. The Herodians, or politicians and courtiers, who form their questions and accusations on the rights of the prince, and matters of state, Mat 22:16.

2. The Sadducees, or libertines, who found theirs upon matters of religion, and articles of faith, which they did not credit, Mat 22:23.

3. The Pharisees, lawyers, scribes, or Karaites, hypocritical pretenders to devotion, who found theirs on that vital and practical godliness (the love of God and man) of which they wished themselves to be thought the sole proprietors, Mat 22:36.

Thou shalt love the Lord - This is a subject of the greatest importance, and should be well understood, as our Lord shows that the whole of true religion is comprised in thus loving God and our neighbor.

It may not be unnecessary to inquire into the literal meaning of the word love. Αγαπη, from αγαπαω, I love, is supposed to be compounded either of αγαν and ποιειν, to act vehemently or intensely; or, from αγειν κατα παν, because love is always active, and will act in every possible way; for he who loves is, with all his affection and desire, carried forward to the beloved object, in order to possess and enjoy it. Some derive it from αγαν and παυεσθαι, to be completely at rest, or, to be intensely satisfied; because he who loves is supremely contented with, and rests completely satisfied in, that which he loves. Others, from αγαν and παω, because a person eagerly embraces, and vigorously holds fast, that which is the object of his love. Lastly, others suppose it to be compounded of αγαω, I admire, and παυομαι, I rest, because that which a man loves intensely he rests in, with fixed admiration and contemplation. So that genuine love changes not, but always abides steadily attached to that which is loved.

Whatever may be thought of these etymologies, as being either just or probable, one thing will be evident to all those who know what love means, that they throw much light upon the subject, and manifest it in a variety of striking points of view. The ancient author of a MS. Lexicon in the late French king's library, under the word αγαπη, has the following definition: ΑσπαϚος προθεσις επι τη φιλια του φιλουμενου - Σομψυχια. "A pleasing surrender of friendship to a friend: - an identity or sameness of soul." A sovereign preference given to one above all others, present or absent: a concentration of all the thoughts and desires in a single object, which a man prefers to all others. Apply this definition to the love which God requires of his creatures, and you will have the most correct view of the subject. Hence it appears that, by this love, the soul eagerly cleaves to, affectionately admires, and constantly rests in God, supremely pleased and satisfied with him as its portion: that it acts from him, as its author; for him, as its master; and to him, as its end. That, by it, all the powers and faculties of the mind are concentrated in the Lord of the universe. That, by it, the whole man is willingly surrendered to the Most High: and that, through it, an identity, or sameness of spirit with the Lord is acquired - the man being made a partaker of the Divine nature, having the mind in him which was in Christ, and thus dwelling in God, and God in him.

But what is implied in loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, strength, etc., and when may a man be said to do this?

1. He loves God with all his heart, who loves nothing in comparison of him, and nothing but in reference to him: - who is ready to give up, do, or suffer any thing in order to please and glorify him: - who has in his heart neither love nor hatred, hope nor fear, inclination, nor aversion, desire, nor delight, but as they relate to God, and are regulated by him.

2. He loves God with all his soul, or rather, εν ολη τη ψυχη, with all his life, who is ready to give up life for his sake - to endure all sorts of torments, and to be deprived of all kinds of comforts, rather than dishonor God: - who employs life with all its comforts, and conveniences, to glorify God in, by, and through all: - to whom life and death are nothing, but as they come from and lead to God, From this Divine principle sprang the blood of the martyrs, which became the seed of the Church. They overcame through the blood of the Lamb, and loved not their lives unto the death. See Rev 12:11.

3. He loves God with all his strength (Mar 12:30; Luk 10:27) who exerts all the powers of his body and soul in the service of God: - who, for the glory of his Maker, spares neither labor nor cost - who sacrifices his time, body, health, ease, for the honor of God his Divine Master: - who employs in his service all his goods, his talents, his power, credit, authority, and influence.

4. He loves God with all his mind (intellect - διανοια) who applies himself only to know God, and his holy will: - who receives with submission, gratitude, and pleasure, the sacred truths which God has revealed to man: - who studies no art nor science but as far as it is necessary for the service of God, and uses it at all times to promote his glory - who forms no projects nor designs but in reference to God and the interests of mankind: - who banishes from his understanding and memory every useless, foolish, and dangerous thought, together with every idea which has any tendency to defile his soul, or turn it for a moment from the center of eternal repose. In a word, he who sees God in all things - thinks of him at all times - having his mind continually fixed upon God, acknowledging him in all his ways - who begins, continues, and ends all his thoughts, words, and works, to the glory of his name: - this is the person who loves God with all his heart, life, strength, and intellect. He is crucified to the world, and the world to him: he lives, yet not he, but Christ lives in him. He beholds as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and is changed into the same image from glory to glory. Simply and constantly looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of his faith, he receives continual supplies of enlightening and sanctifying grace, and is thus fitted for every good word and work. O glorious state! far, far, beyond this description! which comprises an ineffable communion between the ever-blessed Trinity and the soul of man!

This is the first and great commandment - It is so,

1. In its antiquity, being as old as the world, and engraven originally on our very nature.

2. In dignity; as directly and immediately proceeding front and referring to God.

3. In excellence; being the commandment of the new covenant, and the very spirit of the Divine adoption.

4. In justice; because it alone renders to God his due, prefers him before all things, and secures to him his proper rank in relation to them.

5. In sufficiency; being in itself capable of making men holy in this life, and happy in the other.

6. In fruitfulness; because it is the root of all commandments, and the fulfilling of the law.

7. In virtue and efficacy; because by this alone God reigns in the heart of man, and man is united to God.

8. In extent; leaving nothing to the creature, which it does not refer to the Creator.

9. In necessity; being absolutely indispensable.

10. In duration; being ever to be continued on earth, and never to be discontinued in heaven.

Thou shalt love thy neighbor - The love of our neighbor springs from the love of God as its source; is found in the love of God as its principle, pattern, and end; and the love of God is found in the love of our neighbor, as its effect, representation, and infallible mark. This love of our neighbor is a love of equity, charity, succor, and benevolence. We owe to our neighbor what we have a right to expect from him - "Do unto all men as ye would they should do unto you," is a positive command of our blessed Savior. By this rule, therefore, we should speak, think, and write, concerning every soul of man: - put the best construction upon all the words and actions of our neighbor that they can possibly bear. By this rule we are taught to bear with, love, and forgive him; to rejoice in his felicity, mourn in his adversity, desire and delight in his prosperity, and promote it to the utmost of our power: instruct his ignorance, help him in his weakness, and risk even our life for his sake, and for the public good. In a word, we must do every thing in our power, through all the possible varieties of circumstances, for our neighbors, which we would wish them to do for us, were our situations reversed.

This is the religion of Jesus! How happy would Society be, were these two plain, rational precepts properly observed! Love Me, and love thy Fellows! Be unutterably happy in me, and be in perfect peace, unanimity, and love, among yourselves. Great fountain and dispenser of love! fill thy creation with this sacred principle, for his sake who died for the salvation of mankind!

On the nature of self-love, see Mat 19:19.

On these two - hang all the law and the prophets - They are like the first and last links of a chain, all the intermediate ones depend on them. True religion begins and ends in love to God and man. These are the two grand links that unite God to man, man to his fellows, and men again to God.

Love is the fulfilling of the law, says St. Paul, Rom 13:10; for he who has the love of God in him delights to obey the Divine precepts, and to do all manner of kindness to men for God's sake.

While the Pharisees were gathered together - Jesus asks a question in his turn, utterly to confound them, and to show the people that the source of all the captious questions of his opponents was their ignorance of the prophecies relative to the Messiah.

What think ye of Christ? - Or, What are your thoughts concerning The Christ - the Messiah; for to this title the emphatic article should always be added.

Whose son is he? - From what family is he to spring?

They say unto him, The son of David - This was a thing well known among the Jews, and universally acknowledged, see Joh 7:42; and is a most powerful proof against them that the Messiah is come. Their families are now so perfectly confounded that they cannot trace back any of their genealogies with any degree of certainty: nor have they been capable of ascertaining the different families of their tribes for more than sixteen hundred years. Why, then, should the spirit of prophecy assert so often, and in such express terms, that Jesus was to come from the family of David; if he should only make his appearance when the public registers were all demolished, and it would be impossible to ascertain the family? Is it not evident that God designed that the Messiah should come at a time when the public genealogies might be inspected, to prove that it was he who was prophesied of, and that no other was to be expected? The evangelists, Matthew and Luke, were so fully convinced of the conclusiveness of this proof that they had recourse to the public registers; and thus proved to the Jews, from their own records, that Jesus was born of the family mentioned by the prophets. Nor do we find that a scribe, Pharisee, or any other, ever attempted to invalidate this proof, though it would have essentially subserved their cause, could they have done it. But as this has not been done, we may fairly conclude it was impossible to do it.

How then doth David in spirit (or by the Spirit - by the inspiration of the Spirit of God) call him Lord? saying,

The Lord (יהוה Yeve or Jehovah) said unto my Lord, אדניע Adni or Adonai, my prop, stay, master, support), Sit thou on my right hand - Take the place of the greatest eminence and authority. Till I make thine enemies thy footstool - till I subdue both Jews and Gentiles under thee, and cause them to acknowledge thee as their sovereign and Lord. This quotation is taken from Psa 110:1; and, from it, these two points are clear:

1. That David wrote it by the inspiration of God; and

2. That it is a prophetic declaration of the Messiah.

How is he his son? - As the Jews did not attempt to deny the conclusion of our Lord's question, which was, the Messiah is not only the son of David according to the flesh, but he is the Lord of David according to his Divine nature, then it is evident they could not. Indeed, there was no other way of invalidating the argument, but by denying that the prophecy in question related to Christ: but it seems the prophecy was so fully and so generally understood to belong to the Messiah that they did not attempt to do this; for it is immediately added, No man was able to answer him a word - they were completely nonplussed and confounded.

Neither durst any - ask him any more questions - "Thus," says Dr. Wotton, "our Lord put the four great sects of the Jews to silence, in one day, successively. The Herodians and Pharisees wanted to know whether they might lawfully pay tribute to Caesar or not. The Sadducees were inquisitive to know whose wife the woman should be of the seven brethren, in the resurrection, who had her to wife. Then comes the scribe, (or karaite), who owned no authority beyond or besides the written law, and asked which was the great commandment in the law. This lawyer deserves to be mentioned here, because he not only acquiesced in, but commended, what our Lord had said in answer to his question." Wotton's Miscellaneous Discourses, vol. i. p. 78.

The Pharisees and Herodians were defeated, Mat 22:15-22. The Sadducees were confounded, Mat 22:29-33. The lawyers or karaites nonplussed, Mat 22:37-40. And the Pharisees, etc., finally routed, Mat 22:41-46. Thus did the wisdom of God triumph over the cunning of men.

From this time, we do not find that our Lord was any more troubled with their captious questions: their whole stock, it appears, was expended, and now they coolly deliberate on the most effectual way to get him murdered. He that resists the truth of God is capable of effecting the worst purpose of Satan.

The very important subjects of this chapter have been so amply discussed in the notes, and applied so particularly to their spiritual uses, that it does not appear necessary to add any thing by way of practical improvement. The explanation of the great command of the law is particularly recommended to the reader's notice. See on Mat 22:36-40 (note).

Jesus answering, spake - That is, spake with reference to what had just past.

A king, who made a marriage feast for his son - So did God, when he brought his first - begotten into the world.

Them that were invited - Namely, the Jews.

Fatlings - Fatted beasts and fowls.

One to his farm, another to his merchandise - One must mind what he has; another, gain what he wants. How many perish by misusing lawful things!

The king sending forth his troops - The Roman armies employed of God for that purpose. Destroyed those murderers - Primarily the Jews.

Go into the highways - The word properly signifies, the by - ways, or turnings of the road.

They gathered all - By preaching every where.

The guest - The members of the visible Church.

A wedding garment - The righteousness of Christ, first imputed, then implanted. It may easily be observed, this has no relation to the Lord's Supper, but to God's proceeding at the last day.

Many are called; few chosen - Many hear; few believe. Yea, many are members of the visible, but few of the invisible Church. Mt 20:16.

Mark 12:13; Luke 20:20.

The Herodians were a set of men peculiarly attached to Herod, and consequently zealous for the interest of the Roman government, which was the main support of the dignity and royalty of his family. Thou regardest not the person of men - Thou favourest no man for his riches or greatness.

Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar? - If he had said, Yes, the Pharisees would have accused him to the people, as a betrayer of the liberties of his country. If he had said, No, the Herodians would have accused him to the Roman governor.

Ye hypocrites - Pretending a scruple of conscience.

The tribute money - A Roman coin, stamped with the head of Cesar, which was usually paid in tribute.

They say to him, Cesar's - Plainly acknowledging, by their having received his coin, that they were under his government. And indeed this is a standing rule. The current coin of every nation shows who is the supreme governor of it. Render therefore, ye Pharisees, to Cesar the things which ye yourselves acknowledge to be Cesar's: and, ye Herodians, while ye are zealous for Cesar, see that ye render to God the things that are God's.

Mark 12:18.

Deut 25:5.

Now there were with us seven brethren - This story seems to have been a kind of common - place objection, which no doubt they brought upon all occasions.

Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures - Which plainly assert a resurrection. Nor the power of God - Which is well able to effect it. How many errors flow from the same source?

They are as the angels - Incorruptible and immortal. So is the power of God shown in them! So little need had they of marriage!

Have ye not read - The Sadducees had a peculiar value for the books of Moses. Out of these therefore our Lord argues with them.

I am the God of Abraham - The argument runs thus: God is not the God of the dead, but of the living: (for that expression, Thy God, implies both benefit from God to man, and duty from man to God) but he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: therefore, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not dead, but living. Therefore, the soul does not die with the body. So indeed the Sadducees supposed, and it was on this ground that they denied the resurrection. Exod 3:6.

At his doctrine - At the clearness and solidity of his answers.

Mark 12:28; Luke 10:25.

A scribe asking him a question, trying him - Not, as it seems, with any ill design: but barely to make a farther trial of that wisdom, which he had shown in silencing the Sadducees.

Deut 6:5.

Lev 19:18.

Luke 20:41.

How doth David then by the Spirit - By inspiration, call him Lord? If he be merely the son (or descendant) of David? If he be, as you suppose, a mere man, the son of a man?

The Lord said to my Lord - This his dominion, to which David himself was subject, shows both the heavenly majesty of the king, and the nature of his kingdom. Sit thou on my right hand - That is, remain in the highest authority and power. Psalm 110:1.

Neither durst any question him any more - Not by way of ensnaring or tempting him.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Luke hath this Parable, Ch. 14. from v. 16. to 26. which hath made Diverse Interpreters think, that Matthew hath put it out of its due order, for Luke reports it as spoken long before, and that not in the Temple, but at a Pharisees House where he was at Dinner, and upon occasion of one of them saying, Blessed is he that shall Eat Bread in the Kingdom of God. But I know no reason why we may not allow our Saviour to have used the same Parable twice, in two differing Companies, and upon two different occasions, especially considering there are remarkable differences in Lukes and Matthews Relation. I shall therefore leave the consideration of Luke's Relation, till I come to that Chapter in his Gospel, where I shall meet with it in Course, and consider only what Matthew saith. We must remember this is a Parable, not an Historical Narration. The first Verse tells us, Then Iesus answered, and spake again to them in Parables, he answered, that is, He began a Discourse (so the Word very often signifies) our Saviour hath neither given us any particular Explication of this Parable, nor any Proparabola or Epiparabola, any Sentence, before, or after the Parable, guiding us as to the Explication, except only that short Sentence, v. 14. For many are called but few are chosen, which rather guideth us in the Explication of the four latter Verses, than of the whole Parable, yet it is not hard for us to find out our Saviours Scope in this Parable. It seemeth to be double. 1. To inform those to whom he spake of the Destruction suddenly coming upon the Jews, for their Rejection of the Gospel, and of the calling of the Gentiles. To let us know that neither amongst the Jews nor Gentiles, all should be saved, whom God called by the External Ministration of the Gospel: But those alone who belonging to the Election of Grace, should be found in the Day of Judgment, having on the Wedding Garment. So then: The Kingdom of Heaven here signifies, The way, or Equity of God in the Dispensation of the Gospel, or the Administration of things in order to the Kingdom of Glory. The King here mentioned, must be he who is the King of Kings. The Marriage for his Son, is the Exhibition of the Covenant of Grace. Which whosoever layeth hold on, Isai. 56.4. is by Faith United to Christ, which Vnion is often expressed in Holy Writ, under the Notion of a Marriage, Psal 45.10, 11. Ephe. 5.23, &c. Or their Vnion with him in Glory, Rev. 19.9. The Persons bidden were the Iews, The Servants that called them to the Wedding, were those that were faithful, amongst their ordinary Teachers, or the Prophets, such as Isaiah and the rest, whom they refused to hearken unto. The other Servants might signifie Iohn the Baptist, and the twelve, and others sent out by Christ, to tell them that Christ was now come, there wanted nothing but their coming to him, and receiving of him. Their making Light of it, going one to his Farm, another to his Merchandise, and others taking the Servants, entreating the Servants spitefully, and slaying them, signifies the Jews general refusal of the Gospel, and the particular Rage, and Malice of some of them, shewn in their abusing of the Lords Prophets, and Messengers, and which he knew some of them would further shew against Stephen and Iames. The Kings sending forth his Armies, and slaying the Murderers, signifyed the coming of the Roman Armies, and their utter destroying Ierusalem. The sending of the Servants into the High-ways, and inviting all those whom they found to the Wedding, signified the Apostles, going to the Gentiles, and Preaching the Gospel to all Nations. Which much inlarged the Territories of the Church, gathering in many who professed to accept of Christ, but not all in Truth, and Sincerity. The Kings coming to see his Guests, signifyeth Christs coming at the Day of the last Judgment, with his Fan in his Hand, throughly to purge his Floor. His finding one without his Wedding Garment, Signifyeth his finding many Hypocrites at the Day of Judgment. The Guests at Weddings were either wont to put on their best Cloths (as we usually do) or a particular Garment which was then in use, and was worn by them, who were invited to Weddings. By the Wedding Garment here is meant Christ, Rom. 13.14. who is at this Feast, both the Bridegroom, and the Meat at the Feast, and the Wedding Garment also, in Diverse Respects. It is but an Idle Dispute, whether Faith is meant, or Love, neither the one nor the other seperately, but Faith that worketh by Love. Whatsoever God requireth of us, that we may be made meet for the Kingdom of God, without Faith and Holiness none can see God. His being Speechless signifies, That those who have lived under the proffers of Grace and Salvation, and have rejected them, neither believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, nor bringing forth Fruits of Holiness, will be without excuse at the Day of Iudgment. And the Kings Commanding his Servants to Bind him Hand and Foot, &c, signifyeth that all such Persons as live within the Church, under the means of Grace, yet dye impenitent, and unbelievers, having not by a true Faith received Christ as their Saviour, and brought forth the Fruits of true Repentance and Holiness, shall get nothing by their being within the Church, and Externally called, but shall be thrown to Hell as well as others, the pains of which are here expressed by Binding Hand and Foot; lying in outer Darkness, Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth, as in other places by a Worm that shall never dye, and a Fire that shall never go out, all Metaphorical Expressions signifying the Vexations, and Intolerable Punishment of the Damned in Hell. For (saith our Saviour) many are called, but few are chosen. We met with this Expression before, Ch. 20.16. where the Sense of it was not so obvious, as it is here. Some by it here understood, a choice unto Life Eternal: Nor without reason, if that be understood, by the Marriage Supper, as it is Rev. 19.9. and it appears to be partly at least the Sense of it here, in that the Person without the Wedding Garment is Doomed to Eternal Misery: If we by the Marriage Supper understand an Vnion with Christ here, or the Benefits flowing from that, we must by Chosen here understand Effectually-called, being made partakers of that special, Distinguishing Grace, which bringeth Salvation. The Gospel is Preached to many, whom God doth not favour with his special Grace, so as they receive it, convert and are saved. The former part of this Parable, doth hint us the reason why the Jews rejected the offers of Grace and Salvation made to them, viz. The power that the Temptations from the World of Pleasure, Profit, and Honour had upon them. As the latter part also sheweth us the true reason why any are saved, to be from the free Grace of God, viz. because they are Chosen, chosen to Eternal Life, and particularly favoured to be made partakers of his special, and distinguishing Grace.

Marginal references: Chap. 20.16.

15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

Mark Ch. 12, 13. saith, They sent unto him certain of the Pharisees, and of the Herodians, to catch him in his Words. Luke saith, Ch. 20.20. They watched him, and sent forth Spies, which should feign themselves just Men, that they might take hold of his Words, that so they might deliver him to the Power and Authority of the Governour. His Life was what they sought for. This they had no Power allowed by the Romans to take away without the Sentence of Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governour. That they might have something to accuse him of before him, which he might condemn him for, they first take Councel. They saw he did nothing worthy of Death: They therefore issue their Councels in a resolution, to send some Persons to discourse with him, under the pretence of Conscientious good Men, to propound some Questions to him, his Answer to which, might give them some opportunity to accuse him of Blasphemy, or Sedition. The men they pitch upon, were some of them Pharisees, some Herodians.

17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cesar, or not?

Mark hath the same, Ch. 12.14. So hath Luke, Ch. 20. v. 21. There is a great Variety of Opinions, who these Herodians were, we read of them in an early Consultation against Christ, with the Pharisees, Mar. 3.6. Some think, they were Forreigners of other Nations; whom Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee, had brought in from contiguous Pagan Nations, but this is not Probable, for then the Pharisees would have had nothing to do with them. Others think, that they were some of Herods Guard, or Soldiers; but neither is this Probable, considering the issue of their Councels, to send some whom Christ should not know, nor be frighted with. Others (which is more Probable) think they were some of those Iews, who favoured Herods side, and had forgotten the Liberty of their Country, joyning with the Conqueror, and taking his Part. Others think they were Sadduces. Others say, that they were Persons, that were of a Mungrel Religion, made up of Iudaism and Gentilism. Mar. 8.15. Our Saviour bids them beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, and of Herod; which maketh it Probable, That the Herodians were not only Courtiers, and for the Roman interest, but that they had imbraced some particular Doctrines, much differing from the Pharisees; it is likely, they were Leavened with some of the Doctrine of the Sadduces, denying Angels and Spirits, and the Resurrection. It is plain, that they were some of Herods Faction, what their Principles were as to Religion, is not so plain, nor of much concern to us to know. They begin their Discourse to our Saviour, with a great Complement, Master, a Name the Iews did usually give to those, whom they owned for Teachers. We know that thou art true, one that will tell us the Truth, and speak as thou thinkest to be true: And teachest the way of God in Truth, neither carest thou for any Man, for thou regardest not the Person of Men. Thou wilt speak nothing, out of Fear, nor for any Favour or Affection: But plainly tell us what is Truth, and what God would have us do, in the Cases we offer to thee. In these Words they give us the true Character of a good Teacher, he must be a good Man, True, one that will truly teach Men the way of God, and in the faithful discharge of their Duty, not be afraid of the Face of Men. But herein they condemned themselves, for if our Saviour was so, why did they not believe in him, and obey what he taught them? Tell us therefore what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give Tribute unto Cesar? Or not? But how came this to be a Case of Conscience? What doubt could there be, whether Men for their Peace, might not lawfully part from their own, especially such a little part of it? Some think, that they spake with Relation to that particular Tribute, which was demanded, which they think, was that half Shekel, Exod. 30.12.15. paid by the Iews every year, which was to go for the Service of the Tabernacle: They say, that the Romans had ordered this Payment to go to the Emperor, and this bred the Question, Whether they might lawfully pay that which was appointed, as a Testimony of their Homage to God, and for the Service of the Temple, to a profane use. I must confess I cannot so freely agree to this, wanting any good proof, that the Romans exacted that Payment for the Emperor, and thinking it a very probable Argument to the contrary, That the Tables of the Money-Changers, who changed the Peoples Money into half Shekels fit for that Payment, was now continued. And if that Payment had been now altered, and turned to the use of the Civil Government, our Saviour's overturning those Tables and driving the Money Changers out, had offered them a fair opportunity, to have charged him with Sedition, which they did not do upon that Account. I rather therefore think the Question propounded concerning the Lawfulness of making any Payments to the Emperor, looking upon him, as an Usurper of Authority, over a free People. That the Iews were very tenacious of their Liberty, appears from Ioh. 8.33. And without doubt, the most of them paid such Taxes, as the Roman Emperor laid upon them, with no very Good Will. Now these Hypocrites turn it into a Case of Conscience; God having made the Iews a free People, whether they should not sin against God, in paying these Civil Taxes to a Pagan Conqueror? There was one Theudas, and Iudas mentioned, Acts 5.36, 37. who made an Insurrection upon it. This was a Question Captio[illegible: 1 letter]s enough. For if he had said it was Lawful, he had probably incurred the Odium of the People, which was what they desired, for they had apprehended him before this time, but for Fear of them. If he had said, It is not Lawful, they had what they sought for, a fair opportunity for accusing him, and delivering him up to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governour at this time amongst them.

22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Mark hath the same, Ch. 12.15, 16, 17. So hath Luke, Ch. 20.23, 24, 25, 26. Our Saviour, saith Luke, perceived their Craftiness, how subtilly they went about to entrap him. He calls them to shew him the Tribute Money: The Iews had two sorts of Money: Shekels and half Shekels, which was Money proper to them, and Roman Coin, Pence and Sesterces. Their Tribute was paid in this Coin. Accordingly they bring unto him a Penny, a Roman Penny as much in value as seven Pence half Peny in our Coin: Which it seems was the Poll-money, which the Romans exacted of every Head. The Coining of Money was always lookt upon, as an Act of Soveraign Power, hence the Usurpation of it is made so Criminal: Most Princes use to have their Effigies stampt upon their Coin, and some Inscription about it, with their Names, and some Words expressive of their Dominion over such places, where their Coin is Currant: So as the admission of a Princes Coin as Currant amongst a People, was a Testimony of their owning, and subjection to such a Prince. Such an Image and Superscription this piece of Money had: Upon which our Saviour concludes, Render therefore unto Cesar, the things which are Cesars, and unto God, the things that are Gods. Altho Cesar be an Usurper, yet God hath given you into his Hands, you have owned him, by accepting his Coin, as Currant amongst you. His right, and Gods right are two distinct things. Religion doth not exempt you from your Civil Duties, and Obedience to Princes, in things wherein they have a Power to Command. Princes have Power to impose Tributes upon their Subjects, for the Maintenance, and upholding of the Civil Government. Let Cesar have his due, and let God have his right: You are a Company of Hypocrites, who by this Questeion would make me believe you have a great Zeal for God, and his Rights; and that you would not pay Taxes, that you might assert Gods Right over you, this is your Pretence; but indeed your Design is to try me, if you can perswade me by any Words of mine, to incourage you to any Sedition, or Acts of Disloyalty to your Civil Governors. I see no reason for it, Cesar hath his Right, and God hath his Rights, you may give them both their Rights, and so you ought to do. Gods Kingdom is of another Nature, than the Kingdoms of the World. His Law forbiddeth no Civil Rights. Thus our Saviour Answers their Question so, as he maketh them to condemn themselves, if owning the Civil Magistrates Power, they did not give him his Rights, and so, as neither Cesar, nor yet the People had any just Cause of Exception against him for his Words. This Answer surprizeth them, they marvel, and go their way, having plaid their Game, and got nothing.

28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

Mark thus repeats the same History, Ch. 12.18, 19, 20. &c. So doth Luke, Ch. 20.27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33. Concerning the Sadduces, we have before spoken, they were a Sect amongst the Iews much differing from the Pharisees as may be seen, Acts 23.8. Amongst other Erroneous Tenets, they denied the Resurrection, as may be seen in the Text, as well as this; and (which indeed was their Fundamental Error) they denied Spirits, and consequently the immortality of the Soul in its separate Estate. Their design seemeth not so much to have been, to have drawn out a Discourse from our Saviour; which might have touched his Life, (which was the Pharisees de[illegible: 1 letter]ign) as to have exposed him, by bringing him to an absurdity. To this purpose they p[illegible: 1 letter]t a Case to our Saviour upon the Law, Deut. 25.5. where God had ordained, for the Preservation of the Inheritances, of the several Tribes and Families di[illegible: 1 letter]tinct, That if Brethren dwell together, and one of them died leaving no issue, the Wife of the dead should not M[illegible: 1 letter]rry unto a stranger, her Husbands Brother should go in unto her, and take her to him to W[illegible: 1 letter]fe, &c. Now they either knew of, or else supposed a Case of seven Brethren, succe[illegible: 1 letter]sively Marrying the same Woman; they desire to know, whose Wife of the seven this Woman should be in the Resurrection? Instead of D[illegible: 1 letter]scovering their acuteness, and putting our Saviour upon a Difficulty, they did but betray their own Ignorance, as to the state of the Resurrection.

30 For in the resurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Mark hath the same, Ch. 12.24, 25. only he propounds it as a Question: Do ye not therefore err, because you know not the Scriptures? Luke saith, Ch. 20.34, 35. And Iesus answering, said unto them, The Children of this World Marry, and are given in Marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World, and the Resurrection of the Dead, neither Marry, nor are given in Marriage. Neither can they dye any more, for they are equal to the Angels, and are the Children of God, being the Children of the Resurrection. The Discourse of the Sadduces was bottomed upon this mistake, That there should not only be a Resurrection of Bodies, but of Relations too; and the state of the World to come, should be like the state of this World, in which for the Propagation and Continuance of mankind, Men and Women marry, and are given in Marriage. Now saith our Saviour, Your Error is bottomed in your Ignorance, because you know not the Scriptures, (which indeed is the Foundation of all Mens Errors, in matter of Faith,) nor the Power of God. If you knew the Power of God, you would know, that God is able to raise the Dead; to confirm our Faith in the Resurrection; the Scripture every where sendeth us to the Consideration of the Divine Power. Rom. 8.11. Phil. 3.21. If you knew the Scriptures, you would know that God will raise the Dead, and the state of Men in the Resurrection shall not be as in this Life, where Men and Women dye, Daily; and in Case they did not Marry, and give in Marriage, the Generation of Men would quickly be extinct. But (saith Luke) They who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World, and the Resurrection from the Dead. It is manifest by the first Words, that the latter Words are not to be understood of the General Resurrection (to which all shall come worthy, or unworthy) but of the Resurrection unto Life. That Resurrection which is not the meer effect of Divine Providence, necessary in order to the last Judgment, but that Resurrection to Life, which is the Effect of Christs purchase. And this is observable, that the Resurrection from the Dead, will be of so little advantage; nay of such miserable disadvantage to wicked Men, that the Scripture sometimes speaketh of the Resurrection, as if it were peculiar to Saints. 1 Cor. 15.22. Phil. 3.11. So in this Text, hence Luke calls them afterward, the Children of the Resurrection; not that others shall not rise, but the Children of God alone shall be the Favourites of the Resurrection; those who shall rise as Children to an Eternal Inheritance. Concerning the state of Persons in the Resurrection, our Saviour thus describes it: That Men and Women there shall be as the Angels, not in all things, but in the things mentioned, which are two, One of them mentioned by Matthew, both by Luke, 1. They shall not dye any more. 2. They shall not Marry, nor be give in Marriage. The first sheweth the needlessness of the latter; for one great reason of Marriage, was to supply the Gaps which Death maketh in the World; but Men shall not dye any more, therefore there will be no need of Conjugal Relations amongst Men, more than among Angels. The Children of this World (saith Luke) Marry, and are given in Marriage. Marriage was only an institution for this World, and is to continue no longer than this World stands; for the state of Men in another World, will be such as needs it not, being a state of Immortality, so not needing it for Propagation: And a state for Perfection, and so not needing it for mutual help in the Affairs of Mans Life, nor a Remedy against extravagant Lust.

Marginal references: 1 Joh. 3.2.

33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

Mark hath the same, Ch. 12.26, 27. So hath Luke, Ch. 20.37, 38. only Mark and Luke mention the time when God spake these Words.—In the Bush, that is, when God appeared to Moses in the burning Bush. Exod. 3.6. and Luke addeth, for all Live unto him. Mark also saith, Concerning the Dead that they Rise, have you not read in the Book of Moses? Our Saviour in the foregoing Words, had by the by asserted the Doctrine of Angels, here he asserts both the Doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul, and also of the Resurrection of the Body; and tho Cardinal Perron, and Maldonate the Iesuite boldly assert, that the Resurrection of the Body cannot be proved from hence, without taking in the Tradition of the Church; yet, notwithstanding their Confidence, those who have a greater Reverence for our Saviour's Words, think that not only the Immortality of the Soul, but the Resurrection of the Body also, is irrefrag[illegible: 1 letter]bly proved by this Argument of our Saviours; to make out which, these things are to be observed, 1. God doth not say I have been, but I am: He speaketh of the time present, when he spake to Moses, and of the time to come. 2. He doth not say, I am the Lord of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, But the God of: Now wherever God stiles himself the God of any People, or Person, it always signifieth, God as a Benefactor, and one that doth, and will do good to such a People, or Person. It is a foederal Expression, as where he saith to Abraham, Gen. 17.7. I will be a God to thee and thy Seed, that is, of thee, and of thy Seed. 3. Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, doth not signifie part of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, but their entire Persons, which consist of Bodies as well as Souls. 4. God is not the God of the Dead, he doth not shew kindness to them if they be Dead, and shall Rise no more. 5. In this Life, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, received no such signal kindness from God, but others might receive as great kindness, as any of them did. Hence now our Lord proveth as the Immortality of their Souls, so the Resurrection also of their Bodies, that God might shew himself the God of whole Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. Gerard saith, The Argument of this Text is made clear, by Heb. 11.16. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City. This is that which made God, to be truly called their God; because he hath prepared for them a City, which City they could never possess without a Resurrection. It is yet further added by some, That Gods promise to Abraham, of the Land of Canaan, was in these terms, Gen. 13.15. To thee will I give it, and thy Seed for ever: Not only to thy Seed, but to thee; so to Isa[illegible: 1 letter]c, Gen. 26.3. To Iacob, Gen 35.12. Exod. 6.4.8. Deut. 11.21. The Promises seemed not to be fulfilled, in giving their Posterity the Earthly Canaan, which Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob lived not to enjoy, but to extend, to the Rest prepared for the People of God, the City mentioned by the Apostle, Heb. 11.16. which God had prepared for them, to justifie himself to be their God. Now this could not be prepared for their Souls meerly, which were but a part of them, and hardly capable of perfect Happiness, without a Re-union with the Body, there being in it such an innate Desire. Nor was it reasonable, that the Bodies of these Saints having been sharers with their Souls in their Labours, should have no share in their reward from that Covenant; therefore of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, our Saviour firmly proveth their Resurrection. Luke addeth, For all live unto him. Not live unto him only as their End. But in the same Sense, as Paul saith, Rom. 6.10. of Christ. In that he liveth, he liveth unto God: That is, with God. So saith Luke, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, tho Dead at present, live with God, and they, and all the Children of Abraham shall live to God, that is, with God to all Eternity. Matthew addeth, When the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at his Doctrine. Poor People, they had been used to hear Discourses from the Pharisees, about the Traditions of the Elders, Rites, and Ceremonies, washing Hands before Meat, and the necessity of washing Pots, and Cups, and the Sadduces declaiming against the Doctrines of Angels and Spirits, and the Resurrection, they were astonished to hear one instructing them in things concerned their Souls, the Resurrection and Life Eternal, and Confuting their great Teachers, from Books of Scripture owned by themselves; for the Sadduces, tho they had no great regard to the Prophets, yet they owned, and payed a great deference to the Books of Moses.

Marginal references: Chap. [illegible: 1 letter].2[illegible: 1 letter]

40 On these two commandements, hang all the law, and the prophets.

Mark relateth this History more fully, Ch. 12.28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. And one of the Scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, which is the first Commandement of all? And Iesus answered him, the first of all the Commandments is, hear O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind, and with all thy Strength. This is the first Commandement. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self; there is no other Commandement greater than these, And the Scribe said unto him, Well Master thou hast said the Truth, for there is one God, and there is none other but he. And to love him with all the Heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the Soul, and with all the Strength, and to love his Neighbour as himself, is more than all whole Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices. And when Iesus saw that he answered Discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God. And no Man after that, durst ask him any Question. Luke omitteth this Hi[illegible: 2 letters]ory, only subjoyneth to our Saviours Answer to the Sadduces, Ch. 20. v. 39, 40. Then certain o[illegible: 1 letter] the Scribes Answering, said, Master thou hast well said. And after that they durst not ask him any Q[illegible: 1 letter]estion at all. There are different Opinions of Interpreters, concerning the De[illegible: 1 letter]sign of this Scribe, called by Matthew a Lawyer, in coming to Christ with this Question▪ Some think that he came upon the same Errand with the others, to entangle him in his Speech. Others, that he came meerly out of a desire to be more fully instructed by him, and that Tempting here, signifies no more than Trying him, not for a bad end, but as the Queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon with hard Questions, to have an Experiment of his Wisdom. Our Saviours fair Treating him, and the Commendation he gave him, together with his fair speaking to our Saviour, and Commending his Answer induce me, to think that he came on no ill Design. Besides, that the Opinion of some, that he came hoping to hear our Saviour vilify their Ritual Precepts, in Comparison of the Moral Precepts, seemeth to me not probable, for himself consents to what our Saviour saith, and addeth, that To love the Lord our God, &c. is more than all Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices. His Question was, Which is the first and greatest Commandement? Matthew saith the great; Mark saith, The first: they have both the same Sense, and our Saviour v. 38. puts them together. Iesus saith unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. Mark adds, with all thy Strength. It is to be found, Deut, 6.5. only there is not with all thy Mind. Luke puts it in, Ch. 10.27. It is but the same thing expressed in Diverse Terms, for with all thy Soul, is Comprehensive of Heart, Mind, and Strength. Mark adds a Preface. Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God is one God, Thou shalt love, &c. those words, only 1. stirred up the Peoples Attention. 2. Shewed the reason of the following precept, which is fully expressed in Matthew. If any ask, to which of the Ten Commandements is this to be referred? It is easily answered, that it is the Sum of the four first, which Comprehend our Duty toward God. Our Saviours expressing them by loving God, shews us that the Law of God was not fulfilled, in the Observation of the Letter of those Commandements, but doing these things which God Commands out of a Principle of Love, the highest Degrees of Love to God. They idly Interpret this Precept, who Interpret it only an Obligation upon us, to Love God as much as we are able in our Lapsed State, the fall of Man lost God no right of Commanding, and telling us our Duty. The Law doth undoubtedly require of us Love to God in the highest Degree, to [illegible: 1 word] shewed by the Acts of the whole Man, in obedience to all his Commandments, and that constantly. It is our only Happiness that the Law is in the Hands of a Mediator, who hath thus perfectly fulfilled it, for all those who believe in him, Rom. 8.3. and accepteth of us, the Will, for the Deed. Thus the Moral Law is a Scool-Master that leadeth us unto Christ. Our Saviour justly calls this the first and great Commandment. 1. Because God is to be served before our Neighbour. 2. Nor can love to our Neighbour flow from any other true Principle, than that of Love to God, nor is our Neighbour to be loved, but for Gods sake, and in Subordination unto him. And the second is like to it. Commanding Love also; So that as the Apostle saith, Love is the fulfilling of the Law. [thy Neighbour] that is, every Man, as thy self, doing as much for him as thou wouldst have him do for thee, and doing no more against him, than thou wouldst willingly he should do against thee. As truly and sincerely, as thy self. On these two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets. There is nothing commanded in all the Old Testament but may be reduced to these two Heads. This is the whole Duty of Man there commanded. The whole Book of God is our Rule, and we are obliged to every Precept in it. Moses summed up all in the Ten Commandements, to which truly interpreted all the precepts of Scripture are reducible, Christ here brings the Ten to Two. The Apostle brings all to one, telling us Love is the fulfilling of the Law. There is nothing forbidden in Scripture, but what offends the Royal Law or Love, either to God or Man: There is nothing commanded, but what will fall under it. Mark addeth, that the Scribe applauds our Saviour, as having said the Truth, and Confe[illegible: 1 letter]sing, that the fulfilling these two Precepts, was more than all Sacrifices and burnt Offerings, in which he agreed with Samuel, who long since told Saul, that to obey was better than Sacrifice, and it needs must be so, seeing that all the true value of Sacrifices, lay in the Obedience, by them given to the Will of God. Christ tells the Scribe, He was not far from the Kingdom of God. He who once rightly understands the Law of God, and hath cast off that silly fancy or thinking to please God with Ritual things, hath made a great Proficiency under that School-Ma[illegible: 2 letters]er, who if rightly under[illegible: 2 letters]ood, will shew him the need of another Righteo[illegible: 1 letter]sness than his own, wherein to appear before God.

Marginal references: Chap. 7.12.

46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth, ask him any more questions.

Mark hath this Story, shortly repeating only the substance of it, Ch. 12.35, 36, 37. adding nothing to it, but concluding. And the common People heard him g[illegible: 1 letter]adly. Luke repeateth it as shortly, Ch. 20.41, 42, 43▪ For the right understanding of this Discourse of our Saviour to the Pharisees, we must know, that tho the Pharisees and the Jews in general▪ did expect a Messiah or a Christ, yet they expected no more of him, or in him, than that he should be a Man, the Son of David, descended from his Family according to the promise, Isaiah 9.6. and dreamed only of a Secular Prince, who should deliver them from their Enemies, and restore them to their Ancient Civil Liberties. Christ seeing a pack of them together, took the Liberty, which he had allowed them towards himself, to propo[illegible: 1 letter]nd a Question or two to them. His question was. What they thought of Christ? Not of himself but of the Messiah whom they expected? whose Son he should be? they say unto him, The Son of David, that is, one who should in a right Line be descended from David. This was a constant, and uncontrouled Tradition amongst them. Hence Mark saith, the Question was propounded, How say the Scribes? Luke, how say they, that Christ is, that is, is to be the Son of David! This was a common received Opinion amongst them, which our Saviour by the next Words doth not contradict, but only argueth that he must needs be something more: for (saith he) How then doth David in Spirit call him Lord? Psal. 110, 1. Mark saith, David himself said by the Holy Ghost. David was a Prophet, and spake by inspiration from the Holy Ghost. Acts 1.16. & 2.30. Luke saith, in the Psalms, whence we may observe, that Psal. 110. was Davids Psalm, not a Psalm composed by some other for David, as some contend, would David have called him Lord, whom he knew to be meerly his Son, one that should only descend from him? He would have said, The Lord said to my Son, or will say to my Son. The Lord said, Iehovah said to my Lord: Sit thou on my right Hand. Would David speaking Prophetically by the Holy Ghost concerning the Messiah, had he believed he was to be his Son, and no more, have said, that Iehovah should say unto him, sit on my Right Hand, a place of the highest Honour, Dignity, and Favour, untill I make thy Enemies thy Footstool, that is, for ever, for until doth not signifie a Determinate time. See the Notes on Chap. 1.25. If David then call him Lord! How is he then his Son. That is, how is he then no more than his Son, no more than a meer Man: Our Saviour by this Argument doth neither go about to prove, that the Christ was not to be the Son of David, nor that he was the Messias himself, but that their expected Messias or Christ, must be more than a meer man, otherwise David would never have called him Lord, nor yet Prophesied, th[illegible: 1 letter]t Iehovah should call him to Sit at his Right Hand. Matthew concludes with telling us, that as the Sadduces and the Scribes were Non plust before; so now the Pharisees Mouths were also stopped. Mark saith, the Common People heard him gladly. Matthew saith, No Man was able to answer him a Word, neither durst any man ask him an[illegible: 1 letter] more questions. Nor shall we hear of their troubling him with disputes any more, they now see Disputing will not do their business, their next Business is to consult how to take away his Life, which is always the Course of Proud, and Malicious Men, given over of God to ruin, to conceal their Convictions, and proceed to Execute their Lusts and Malice, rather than they will not have their Ends. But before they meet with a fit opportunity, we shall have some excellent Discourses from our Saviour, to the Disciples, and the Multitude.

The Parable of the Marriage Feast.

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

We have here the parable of the guests invited to the wedding-feast. In this it is said (v. 1), Jesus answered, not to what his opposers said (for they were put to silence), but to what they thought, when they were wishing for an opportunity to lay hands on him, ch. xxi. 46. Note, Christ knows how to answer men's thoughts, for he is a Discerner of them. Or, He answered, that is, he continued his discourse to the same purport; for this parable represents the gospel offer, and the entertainment it meets with, as the former, but under another similitude. The parable of the vineyard represents the sin of the rulers that persecuted the prophets; it shows also the sin of the people, who generally neglected the message, while their great ones were persecuting the messengers.

I. Gospel preparations are here represented by a feast which a king made at the marriage of his son; such is the kingdom of heaven, such the provision made for precious souls, in and by the new covenant. The King is God, a great King, King of kings. Now,

1. Here is a marriage made for his son, Christ is the Bridegroom, the church is the bride; the gospel-day is the day of his espousals, Cant. iii. 11. Behold by faith the church of the first-born, that are written in heaven, and were given to Christ by him whose they were; and in them you see the bride, the Lamb's wife, Rev. xxi. 9. The gospel covenant is a marriage covenant betwixt Christ and believers, and it is a marriage of God's making. This branch of the similitude is only mentioned, and not prosecuted here.

2. Here is a dinner prepared for this marriage, v. 4. All the privileges of church-membership, and all the blessings of the new covenant, pardon of sin, the favour of God, peace of conscience, the promises of the gospel, and all the riches contained in them, access to the throne of grace, the comforts of the Spirit, and a well-grounded hope of eternal life. These are the preparations for this feast, a heaven upon earth now, and a heaven in heaven shortly. God has prepared it in his counsel, in his covenant. It is a dinner, denoting present privileges in the midst of our day, beside the supper at night in glory.

(1.) It is a feast. Gospel preparations were prophesied of as a feast (Isa. xxv. 6), a feast of fat things, and were typified by the many festivals of the ceremonial law (1 Cor. v. 8); Let us keep the feast. A feast is a good day (Esth. vii. 17); so is the gospel; it is a continual feast. Oxen and fatlings are killed for this feast; no niceties, but substantial food; enough, and enough of the best. The day of a feast is a day of slaughter, or sacrifice, Jam. v. 5. Gospel preparations are all founded in the death of Christ, his sacrifice of himself. A feast was made for love, it is a reconciliation feast, a token of God's goodwill toward men. It was made for laughter (Eccl. x. 19), it is a rejoicing feast. It was made for fulness; the design of the gospel was to fill every hungry soul with good things. It was made for fellowship, to maintain an intercourse between heaven and earth. We are sent for to the banquet of wine, that we may tell what is our petition, and what is our request.

(2.) It is a wedding feast. Wedding feasts are usually rich, free, and joyful. The first miracle Christ wrought, was, to make plentiful provision for a wedding feast (John ii. 7); and surely then he will not be wanting in provision for his own wedding feast, when the marriage of the Lamb is come, and the bride hath made herself ready, a victorious triumphant feast, Rev. xix. 7, 17, 18.

(3.) It is a royal wedding feast; it is the feast of a king (1 Sam. xxv. 36), at the marriage, not of a servant, but of a son; and then, if ever, he will, like Ahasuerus, show the riches of his glorious kingdom, Esth. i. 4. The provision made for believers in the covenant of grace, is not such as worthless worms, like us, had any reason to expect, but such as it becomes the King of glory to give. He gives like himself; for he gives himself to be to them El shaddai—a God that is enough, a feast indeed for a soul.

II. Gospel calls and offers are represented by an invitation to this feast. Those that make a feast will have guests to grace the feast with. God's guests are the children of men. Lord, what is man, that he should be thus dignified! The guests that were first invited were the Jews; wherever the gospel is preached, this invitation is given; ministers are the servants that are sent to invite, Prov. ix. 4, 5.

Now, 1. The guests are called, bidden to the wedding. All that are within hearing of the joyful sound of the gospel, to them is the word of this invitation sent. The servants that bring the invitation do not set down their names in a paper; there is no occasion for that, since none are excluded but those that exclude themselves. Those that are bidden to the dinner are bidden to the wedding; for all that partake of gospel privileges are to give a due and respectful attendance on the Lord Jesus, as the faithful friends and humble servants of the Bridegroom. They are bidden to the wedding, that they may go forth to meet the bridegroom; for it is the Father's will that all men should honour the Son.

2. The guests are called upon; for in the gospel there are not only gracious proposals made, but gracious persuasives. We persuade men, we beseech them in Christ's stead, 2 Cor. v. 11, 20. See how much Christ's heart is set upon the happiness of poor souls! He not only provides for them, in consideration of their want, but sends to them, in consideration of their weakness and forgetfulness. When the invited guests were slack in coming, the king sent forth other servants, v. 4. When the prophets of the Old Testament prevailed not, nor John the Baptist, nor Christ himself, who told them the entertainment was almost ready (the kingdom of God was at hand), the apostles and ministers of the gospel were sent after Christ's resurrection, to tell them it was come, it was quite ready; and to persuade them to accept the offer. One would think it had been enough to give men an intimation that they had leave to come, and should be welcome; that, during the solemnity of the wedding, the king kept open house; but, because the natural man discerns not, and therefore desires not, the things of the Spirit of God, we are pressed to accept the call by the most powerful inducements, drawn with the cords of a man, and all the bonds of love. If the repetition of the call will move us, Behold, the Spirit saith, Come; and the bride saith, Come; let him that heareth say, Come; let him that is athirst come, Rev. xxii. 17. If the reason of the call will work upon us, Behold, the dinner is prepared, the oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; the Father is ready to accept of us, the Son to intercede for us, the Spirit to sanctify us; pardon is ready; peace is ready, comfort is ready; the promises are ready, as wells of living water for supply; ordinances are ready, as golden pipes for conveyance; angels are ready to attend us, creatures are ready to be in league with us, providences are ready to work for our good, and heaven, at last, is ready to receive us; it is a kingdom prepared, ready to be revealed in the last time. Is all this ready; and shall we be unready? Is all this preparation made for us; and is there any room to doubt of our welcome, if we come in a right manner? Come, therefore, O come to the marriage; we beseech you, receive not all this grace of God in vain, 2 Cor. vi. 1.

III. The cold treatment which the gospel of Christ often meets with among the children of men, represented by the cold treatment that this message met with and the hot treatment that the messengers met with, in both which the king himself and the royal bridegroom are affronted. This reflects primarily upon the Jews, who rejected the counsel of God against themselves; but it looks further, to the contempt that would, by many in all ages, be put upon, and the opposition that would be given to, the gospel of Christ.

1. The message was basely slighted (v. 3); They would not come. Note, The reason why sinners come not to Christ and salvation by him is, not because they cannot, but because they will not (John v. 40); Ye will not come to me. This will aggravate the misery of sinners, that they might have had happiness for the coming for, but it was their own act and deed to refuse it. I would, and ye would not. But this was not all (v. 5); they made light of it; they thought it not worth coming for; thought the messengers made more ado than needs; let them magnify the preparations ever so much, they could feast as well at home. Note, Making light of Christ, and of the great salvation wrought out by him, is the damning sin of the world. Amelesantes—They were careless. Note, Multitudes perish eternally through mere carelessness, who have not any direct aversion, but a prevailing indifference, to the matters of their souls, and an unconcernedness about them.

And the reason why they made light of the marriage feast was, because they had other things that they minded more, and had more mind to; they went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise. Note, The business and profit of worldly employments prove to many a great hindrance in closing with Christ: none turn their back on the feast, but with some plausible excuse or other, Luke xiv. 18. The country people have their farms to look after, about which there is always something or other to do; the town's people must tend their shops, and be constant upon the exchange; they must buy, and sell, and get gain. It is true, that both farmers and merchants must be diligent in their business but not so as to keep them from making religion their main business. Licitis perimus omnes—These lawful things undo us, when they are unlawfully managed, when we are so careful and troubled about many things as to neglect the one thing needful. Observe, Both the city and the country have their temptations, the merchandise in the one, and the farms in the other; so that, whatever we have of the world in our hands, our care must be to keep it out of our hearts, lest it come between us and Christ.

2. The messengers were basely abused; The remnant, or the rest of them, that is, those who did not go the farms, or merchandise, were neither husbandmen nor tradesmen, but ecclesiastics, the scribes, and Pharisees, and chief priests; these were the persecutors, these took the servants, and treated them spitefully, and slew them. This, in the parable, is unaccountable, never any could be so rude and barbarous as this, to servants that came to invite them to a feast; but, in the application of the parable, it was matter of fact; they whose feet should have been beautiful, because they brought the glad tidings of the solemn feasts (Nahum i. 15), were treated as the offscouring of all things, 1 Cor. iv. 13. The prophets and John the Baptist had been thus abused already, and the apostles and ministers of Christ must count upon the same. The Jews were, either directly or indirectly, agents in most of the persecutions of the first preachers of the gospel; witness the history of the Acts, that is, the sufferings of the apostles.

IV. The utter ruin that was coming upon the Jewish church and nation is here represented by the revenge which the king, in wrath, took on these insolent recusants (v. 7); He was wroth. The Jews, who had been the people of God's love and blessing, by rejecting the gospel became the generation of his wrath and curse. Wrath came upon them to the uttermost, 1 Thess. ii. 16. Now observe here,

1. What was the crying sin that brought the ruin; it was their being murderers. He does not say, he destroyed those despisers of his call, but those murderers of his servants; as if God were more jealous for the lives of his ministers than for the honour of his gospel; he that toucheth them, toucheth the apple of his eye. Note, Persecution of Christ's faithful ministers fills the measure of guilt more than any thing. Filling Jerusalem with innocent blood was that sin of Manasseh which the Lord would not pardon, 2 Kings xxiv. 4.

2. What was the ruin itself, that was coming; He sent forth his armies. The Roman armies were his armies, of his raising, of his sending against the people of his wrath; and he gave them a charge to tread them down, Isa. x. 6. God is the Lord of men's host, and makes what use he pleases of them, to serve his own purposes, though they mean not so, neither doth their heart think so, Isa. x. 7. See Mic. iv. 11, 12. His armies destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city. This points out very plainly the destruction of the Jews, and the burning of Jerusalem, by the Romans, forty years after this. No age ever saw a greater desolation than that, nor more of the direful effects of fire and sword. Though Jerusalem had been a holy city, the city that God had chosen, to put his name there, beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth; yet that city being now become a harlot, righteousness being no longer lodged in it, but murderers, the worst of murderers (as the prophet speaks, Isa. i. 21), judgment came upon it, and ruin without remedy; and it is set forth for an example to all that should oppose Christ and his gospel. It was the Lord's doing, to avenge the quarrel of his covenant.

V. The replenishing of the church again, by the bringing in of the Gentiles, is here represented by the furnishing of the feast with guests out of the high-ways, v. 8-10.

Here is, 1. The complaint of the master of the feast concerning those that were first bidden (v. 8), The wedding is ready, the covenant of grace ready to be sealed, a church ready to be founded; but they which were bidden, that is, the Jews, to whom pertained the covenant and the promises, by which they were of old invited to the feast of fat things, they were not worthy, they were utterly unworthy, and, by their contempt of Christ, had forfeited all the privileges they were invited to. Note, It is not owing to God, that sinners perish, but to themselves. Thus, when Israel of old was within sight of Canaan, the land of promise was ready, the milk and honey ready, but their unbelief and murmuring, and contempt of that pleasant land, shut them out, and their carcases were left to perish in the wilderness; and these things happened to them for ensamples. See 1 Cor. x. 11; Heb. iii. 16-iv. 1.

2. The commission he gave to the servants, to invite other guests. The inhabitants of the city (v. 7) had refused; Go into the high-ways then; into the way of the Gentiles, which at first they were to decline, ch. x. 5. Thus by the fall of the Jews salvation is come to the Gentiles, Rom. xi. 11, 12; Eph. iii. 8. Note, Christ will have a kingdom in the world, though many reject the grace, and resist the power, of that kingdom. Though Israel be not gathered, he will be glorious. The offer of Christ and salvation to the Gentiles was, (1.) Unlooked for and unexpected; such a surprise as it would be to wayfaring men upon the road to be met with an invitation to a wedding feast. The Jews had notice of the gospel, long before, and expected the Messiah and his kingdom; but to the Gentiles it was all new, what they had never heard of before (Acts xvii. 19, 20), and, consequently, what they could not conceive of as belonging to them. See Isa. lxv. 1, 2. (2.) It was universal and undistinguishing; Go, and bid as many as you find. The highways are public places, and there Wisdom cries, Prov. i. 20. "Ask them that go by the way, ask any body (Job xxi. 29), high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, young and old, Jew and Gentile; tell them all, that they shall be welcome to gospel-privileges upon gospel-terms; whoever will, let him come, without exception."

3. The success of this second invitation; if some will not come, others will (v. 10); They gathered together all, as many as they found. The servants obeyed their orders. Jonah was sent into the high-ways, but was so tender of the honour of his country, that he avoided the errand; but Christ's apostles, though Jews, preferred the service of Christ before their respect to their nation; and St. Paul, though sorrowing for the Jews, yet magnifies his office as the apostle of Gentiles. They gathered together all. The design of the gospel is, (1.) To gather souls together; not the nation of the Jews only, but all the children of God who were scattered abroad (John xi. 52), the other sheep that were not of that fold, John x. 16. They were gathered into one body, one family, one corporation. (2.) To gather them together to the wedding-feast, to pay their respect to Christ, and to partake of the privileges of the new covenant. Where the dole is, there will the poor be gathered together.

Now the guests that were gathered were, [1.] A multitude, all, as many as they found; so many, that the guest-chamber was filled. The sealed ones of the Jews were numbered, but those of other nations were without number, a very great multitude, Rev. vii. 9. See Isa. lx. 4, 8. [2.] A mixed multitude, both bad and good; some that before their conversion were sober and well-inclined, as the devout Greeks (Acts xvii. 4) and Cornelius; others that had run to an excess of riot, as the Corinthians (1 Cor. vi. 11); Such were some of you; or, some that after their conversion proved bad, that turned not to the Lord with all their heart, but feignedly; others that were upright and sincere, and proved of the right class. Ministers, in casting the net of the gospel, enclose both good fish and bad; but the Lord knows them that are his.

VI. The case of hypocrites, who are in the church, but not of it, who have a name to live, but are not alive indeed, is represented by the guest that had not on a wedding garment; one of the bad that were gathered in. Those come short of salvation by Christ, not only who refuse to take upon them the profession of religion, but who are not sound at heart in that profession. Concerning this hypocrite observe,

1. His discovery, how he was found out, v. 11.

(1.) The king came in to see the guests, to bid those welcome who came prepared, and to turn those out who came otherwise. Note, The God of heaven takes particular notice of those who profess religion, and have a place and name in the visible church. Our Lord Jesus walks among the golden candlesticks and therefore knows their works. See Rev. ii. 1, 2; Cant. vii. 12. Let this be a warning to us against hypocrisy, that disguises will shortly be stripped off, and every man will appear in his own colours; and an encouragement to us in our sincerity, that God is a witness to it.

Observe, This hypocrite was never discovered to be without a wedding garment, till the king himself came in to see the guests. Note, It is God's prerogative to know who are sound at heart in their profession, and who are not. We may be deceived in men, either one way or other; but He cannot. The day of judgment will be the great discovering day, when all the guests will be presented to the King: then he will separate between the precious and the vile (ch. xxv. 32), the secrets of all hearts will then be made manifest, and we shall infallibly discern between the righteous and the wicked, which now it is not easy to do. It concerns all the guests, to prepare for the scrutiny, and to consider how they will pass the piercing eye of the heart-searching God.

(2.) As soon as he came in, he presently espied the hypocrite; He saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment; though but one, he soon had his eye upon him; there is no hope of being hid in a crowd from the arrests of divine justice; he had not on a wedding garment; he was not dressed as became a nuptial solemnity; he had not his best clothes on. Note, Many come to the wedding feast without a wedding garment. If the gospel be the wedding feast, then the wedding garment is a frame of heart, and a course of life agreeable to the gospel and our profession of it, worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called (Eph. iv. 1), as becomes the gospel of Christ, Phil. i. 27. The righteousness of saints, their real holiness and sanctification, and Christ, made Righteousness to them, is the clean linen, Rev. xix. 8. This man was not naked, or in rags; some raiment he had, but not a wedding garment. Those, and those only, who put on the Lord Jesus, that have a Christian temper of mind, and are adorned with Christian graces, who live by faith in Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the wedding garment.

2. His trial (v. 12); and here we may observe,

(1.) How he was arraigned (v. 12); Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? A startling question to one that was priding himself in the place he securely possessed at the feast. Friend! That was a cutting word; a seeming friend, a pretended friend, a friend in profession, under manifold ties and obligations to be a friend. Note, There are many in the church who are false friends to Jesus Christ, who say that they love him while their hearts are not with him. How camest thou in hither? He does not chide the servants for letting him in (the wedding garment is an inward thing, ministers must go according to that which falls within their cognizance); but he checks his presumption in crowding in, when he knew that his heart was not upright; "How durst thou claim a share in gospel benefits, when thou hadst no regard to gospel rules? What has thou to do to declare my statutes?" Ps. l. 16, 17. Such are spots in the feast, dishonour the bridegroom, affront the company, and disgrace themselves; and therefore, How camest thou in hither? Note, The day is coming, when hypocrites will be called to an account for all their presumptuous intrusion into gospel ordinances, and usurpation of gospel privileges. Who hath required this at your hand? Isa. i. 12. Despised sabbaths and abused sacraments must be reckoned for, and judgment taken out upon an action of waste against all those who received the grace of God in vain. "How camest thou to the Lord's table, at such a time, unhumbled and unsanctified? What brought thee to sit before God's prophets, as his people do, when thy heart went after thy covetousness? How camest thou in? Not by the door, but some other way, as a thief and a robber. It was a tortuous entry, a possession without colour of a title." Note, It is good for those that have a place in the church, often to put it to themselves, "How came I in hither? Have I a wedding-garment?" If we would thus judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

(2.) How he was convicted; he was speechless: ephimothe—he was muzzled (so the word is used, 1 Cor. ix. 9); the man stood mute, upon his arraignment, being convicted and condemned by his own conscience. They who live within the church, and die without Christ, will not have one word to say for themselves in the judgment of the great day, they will be without excuse; should they plead, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, as they do, Luke xiii. 26, that is to plead guilty; for the crime they are charged with, is thrusting themselves into the presence of Christ, and to his table, before they were called. They who never heard a word of this wedding feast will have more to say for themselves; their sin will be more excusable, and their condemnation more tolerable, than theirs who came to the feast without the wedding garment, and so sin against the clearest light and dearest love.

3. His sentence (v. 13); Bind him hand and foot, &c.

(1.) He is ordered to be pinioned, as condemned malefactors are, to be manacled and shackled. Those that will not work and walk as they should, may expect to be bound hand and foot. There is a binding in this world by the servants, the ministers, whose suspending of persons that walk disorderly, to the scandal of religion, is called binding of them, ch. xviii. 18. "Bind them up from partaking of special ordinances, and the peculiar privileges of their church-membership; bind them over to the righteous judgment of god." In the day of judgment, hypocrites will be bound; the angels shall bind up these tares in bundles for the fire, ch. xiii. 41. Damned sinners are bound hand and foot by an irreversible sentence; this signifies the same with the fixing of the great gulf; they can neither resist nor outrun their punishment.

(2.) He is ordered to be carried off from the wedding feast; Take him away. When the wickedness of hypocrites appears, they are to be taken away from the communion of the faithful, to be cut of as withered branches. This bespeaks the punishment of loss in the other world; they shall be taken away from the king, from the kingdom, from the wedding feast, Depart from me, ye cursed. It will aggravate their misery, that (like the unbelieving lord, 2 Kings vii. 2), they shall see all this plenty with their eyes, but shall not taste of it. Note, Those that walk unworthy of their Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they presumptuously laid claim to, and complimented themselves with a groundless expectation of.

(3.) He is ordered into a doleful dungeon; Cast him into utter darkness. Our Saviour here insensibly slides out of this parable into that which it intimates—the damnation of hypocrites in the other world. Hell is utter darkness, it is darkness out of heaven, the land of light; or it is extreme darkness, darkness to the last degree, without the least ray or spark of light, or hope of it, like that of Egypt; darkness which might be felt; the blackness of darkness, as darkness itself, Job x. 22. Note, Hypocrites go by the light of the gospel itself down to utter darkness; and hell will be hell indeed to such, a condemnation more intolerable; there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth. This our Saviour often uses as part of the description of hell-torments, which are hereby represented, not so much by the misery itself, as by the resentment sinners will have of it; there shall be weeping, an expression of great sorrow and anguish; not a gush of tears, which gives present ease, but constant weeping, which is constant torment; and the gnashing of teeth is an expression of the greatest rage and indignation; they will be like a wild bull in a net, full of the fury of the Lord, Isa. li. 20; viii. 21, 22. Let us therefore hear and fear.

Lastly, The parable is concluded with that remarkable saying which we had before (ch. xx. 16), Many are called, but few are chosen, v. 14. Of the many that are called to the wedding feast, if you set aside all those as unchosen that make light of it, and avowedly prefer other things before it; if then you set aside all that make a profession of religion, but the temper of whose spirits and the tenour of whose conversation are a constant contradiction to it; if you set aside all the profane, and all the hypocritical, you will find that they are few, very few, that are chosen; many called to the wedding feast, but few chosen to the wedding garment, that is, to salvation, by sanctification of the Spirit. This is the strait gate, and narrow way, which few find.

The Question Respecting Tribute.

15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

It was not the least grievous of the sufferings of Christ, that he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, and had snares laid for him by those that sought how to take him off with some pretence. In these verses, we have him attacked by the Pharisees and Herodians with a question about paying tribute to Cæsar. Observe,

I. What the design was, which they proposed to themselves; They took counsel to entangle him in his talk. Hitherto, his encounters had been mostly with the chief priests and the elders, men in authority, who trusted more to their power than to their policy, and examined him concerning his commission (ch. xxi. 23); but now he is set upon from another quarter; the Pharisees will try whether they can deal with him by their learning in the law, and in casuistical divinity, and they have a tentamen novum—a new trial for him. Note, It is in vain for the best and wisest of men to think that, by their ingenuity, or interest, or industry, or even by their innocence and integrity, they can escape the hatred and ill will of bad men, or screen themselves from the strife of tongues. See how unwearied the enemies of Christ and his kingdom are in their opposition!

1. They took counsel. It was foretold concerning him, that the rulers would take counsel against him (Ps. ii. 2); and so persecuted they the prophets. Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah. See Jer. xviii. 18; xx. 10. Note, The more there is of contrivance and consultation about sin, the worse it is. There is a particular woe to them that devise iniquity, Mic. ii. 1. The more there is of the wicked wit in the contrivance of a sin, the more there is of the wicked will in the commission of it.

2. That which they aimed at was to entangle him in his talk. They saw him free and bold in speaking his mind, and hoped by that, if they could bring him to some nice and tender point, to get an advantage against him. It has been the old practice of Satan's agents and emissaries, to make a man an offender for a word, a word misplaced, or mistaken, or misunderstood; a word, though innocently designed, yet perverted by strained inuendos: thus they lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate (Isa. xxix. 21), and represent the greatest teachers as the greatest troublers of Israel: thus the wicked plotteth against the just, Ps. xxxvii. 12, 13.

There are two ways by which the enemies of Christ might be revenged on him, and be rid of him; either by law or by force. By law they could not do it, unless they could make him obnoxious to the civil government; for it was not lawful for them to put any man to death (John xviii. 31); and the Roman powers were not apt to concern themselves about questions of words, and names, and their law, Acts xviii. 15. By force they could not do it, unless they could make him obnoxious to the people, who were always the hands, whoever were the heads, in such acts of violence, which they call the beating of the rebels; but the people took Christ for a Prophet, and therefore his enemies could not raise the mob against him. Now (as the old serpent was from the beginning more subtle than any beast of the field), the design was, to bring him into such a dilemma, that he must make himself liable to the displeasure either of the Jewish multitude, or of the Roman magistrates; let him take which side of the question he will, he shall run himself into a premunire; and so they will gain their point, and make his own tongue to fall upon him.

II. The question which they put to him pursuant to this design, v. 16, 17. Having devised this iniquity in secret, in a close cabal, behind the curtain, when they went abroad without loss of time they practised it. Observe,

1. The persons they employed; they did not go themselves, lest the design should be suspected and Christ should stand the more upon his guard; but they sent their disciples, who would look less like tempters, and more like learners. Note, Wicked men will never want wicked instruments to be employed in carrying on their wicked counsels. Pharisees have their disciples at their beck, who will go any errand for them, and say as they say; and they have this in their eyes, when they are so industrious to make proselytes.

With them they sent the Herodians, a party among the Jews, who were for a cheerful and entire subjection to the Roman emperor, and to Herod his deputy; and who made it their business to reconcile people to that government, and pressed all to pay their tribute. Some think that they were the collectors of the land tax, as the publicans were of the customs, and that they went with the Pharisees to Christ, with this blind upon their plot, that while the Herodians demanded the tax, and the Pharisees denied it, they were both willing to refer it to Christ, as a proper Judge to decide the quarrel. Herod being obliged, by the charter of the sovereignty, to take care of the tribute, these Herodians, by assisting him in that, helped to endear him to his great friends at Rome. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were zealous for the liberty of the Jews, and did what they could to make them impatient of the Roman yoke. Now, if he should countenance the paying of tribute, the Pharisees would incense the people against him; if he should discountenance or disallow it, the Herodians would incense the government against him. Note, It is common for those that oppose one another, to continue in an opposition to Christ and his kingdom. Samson's foxes looked several ways, but met in one firebrand. See Ps. lxxxiii. 3, 5, 7,, 8. If they are unanimous in opposing, should not we be so in maintaining, the interests of the gospel?

2. The preface, with which they were plausibly to introduce the question; it was highly complimentary to our Saviour (v. 16); Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth. Note, It is a common thing for the most spiteful projects to be covered with the most specious pretences. Had they come to Christ with the most serious enquiry, and the most sincere intention, they could not have expressed themselves better. Here is hatred covered with deceit, and a wicked heart with burning lips (Prov. xxvi. 23); as Judas, who kissed, and betrayed, as Joab, who kissed, and killed.

Now, (1.) What they said of Christ was right, and whether they knew it or no, blessed be God, we know it.

[1.] That Jesus Christ was a faithful Teacher; Thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth. For himself, he is true, the Amen, the faithful Witness; he is the Truth itself. As for his doctrine, the matter of his teaching was the way of God, the way that God requires us to walk in, the way of duty, that leads to happiness; that is the way of God. The manner of it was in truth; he showed people the right way, the way in which they should go. He was a skilful Teacher, and knew the way of God; and a faithful Teacher, that would be sure to let us know it. See Prov. viii. 6-9. This is the character of a good teacher, to preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and not to suppress, pervert, or stretch, any truth, for favour or affection, hatred or good will, either out of a desire to please, or a fear to offend, any man.

[2.] That he was a bold Reprover. In preaching, he cared not for any; he valued no man's frowns or smiles, he did not court, he did not dread, either the great or the many, for he regarded not the person of man. In his evangelical judgment, he did not know faces; that Lion of the tribe of Judah, turned not away for any (Prov. xxx. 30), turned not a step from the truth, nor from his work, for fear of the most formidable. He reproved with equity (Isa. xi. 4), and never with partiality.

(2.) Though what they said was true for the matter of it, yet there was nothing but flattery and treachery in the intention of it. They called him Master, when they were contriving to treat him as the worst of malefactors; they pretended respect for him, when they intended mischief against him; and they affronted his wisdom as Man, much more his omniscience as God, of which he had so often given undeniable proofs, when they imagined that they could impose upon him with these pretences, and that he could not see through them. It is the grossest atheism, that is the greatest folly in the world, to think to put a cheat upon Christ, who searches the heart, Rev. ii. 23. Those that mock God do but deceive themselves. Gal. vi. 7.

3. The proposal of the case; What thinkest thou? As if they had said, "Many men are of many minds in this matter; it is a case which relates to practice, and occurs daily; let us have thy thought freely in the matter, Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar or not?" This implies a further question; Has Cæsar a right to demand it? The nation of the Jews was lately, about a hundred years before this, conquered by the Roman sword, and so, as other nations, made subject to the Roman yoke, and became a province of the empire; accordingly, toll, tribute, and custom, were demanded from them, and sometimes poll-money. By this it appeared that the sceptre was departed from Judah (Gen. xlix. 10); and therefore, if they had understood the signs of the times, they must have concluded that Shiloh was come, and either that this was he, or they must find out another more likely to be so.

Now the question was, Whether it was lawful to pay these taxes voluntarily, or, Whether they should not insist upon the ancient liberty of their nation, and rather suffer themselves to be distrained upon? The ground of the doubt was, that they were Abraham's seed, and should not by consent be in bondage to any man, John viii. 33. God had given them a law, that they should not set a stranger over them. Did not that imply, that they were not to yield any willing subjection to any prince, state, or potentate, that was not of their own nation and religion? This was an old mistake, arising from that pride and that haughty spirit which bring destruction and a fall. Jeremiah, in his time, though he spoke in God's name, could not possibly beat them off it, nor persuade them to submit to the king of Babylon; and their obstinacy in that matter was then their ruin (Jer. xxvii. 12, 13): and now again they stumbled at the same stone; and it was the very thing which, in a few years after, brought final destruction upon them by the Romans. They quite mistook the sense both of the precept and of the privilege, and, under colour of God's word, contended with his providence, when they should have kissed the rod, and accepted the punishment of their iniquity.

However, by this question they hoped to entangle Christ, and, which way soever he resolved it, to expose him to the fury either of the jealous Jews, or of the jealous Romans; they were ready to triumph, as Pharaoh did over Israel, that the wilderness had shut him in, and his doctrine would be concluded either injurious to the rights of the church, or hurtful to kings and provinces.

III. The breaking of this snare by the wisdom of the Lord Jesus.

1. He discovered it (v. 18); He perceived their wickedness; for, surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird, Prov. i. 17. A temptation perceived is half conquered, for our greatest danger lies from snakes under the green grass; and he said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Note, Whatever vizard the hypocrite puts on, our Lord Jesus sees through it; he perceives all the wickedness that is in the hearts of pretenders, and can easily convict them of it, and set it in order before them. He cannot be imposed upon, as we often are, by flatteries and fair pretences. He that searches the heart can call hypocrites by their own name, as Ahijah did the wife of Jeroboam (1 Kings xiv. 6), Why feignest thou thyself to be another? Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Note, Hypocrites tempt Jesus Christ; they try his knowledge, whether he can discover them through their disguises; they try his holiness and truth, whether he will allow of them in this church; but if they that of old tempted Christ, when he was but darkly revealed, were destroyed of serpents, of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy who tempt him now in the midst of gospel light and love! Those that presume to tempt Christ will certainly find him too hard for them, and that he is of more piercing eyes than not to see, and more pure eyes than not to hate, the disguised wickedness of hypocrites, that dig deep to hide their counsel from him.

2. He evaded it; his convicting them of hypocrisy might have served for an answer (such captious malicious questions deserve a reproof, not a reply): but our Lord Jesus gave a full answer to their question, and introduced it by an argument sufficient to support it, so as to lay down a rule for his church in this matter, and yet to avoid giving offence, and to break the snare.

(1.) He forced them, ere they were aware, to confess Cæsar's authority over them, v. 19, 20. In dealing with those that are captious, it is good to give our reasons, and, if possible, reasons of confessed cogency, before we give our resolutions. Thus the evidence of truth may silence gainsayers by surprise, while they only stood upon their guard against the truth itself, not against the reason of it; Show me the tribute-money. He had none of his own to convince them by; it should seem, he had not so much as one piece of money about him, for for our sakes he emptied himself, and became poor; he despised the wealth of this world, and thereby taught us not to over-value it; silver and gold he had none; why then should we covet to load ourselves with the thick clay? The Romans demanded their tribute in their own money, which was current among the Jews at that time: that therefore is called the tribute-money; he does not name what piece but the tribute money, to show that he did not mind things of that nature, nor concern himself about them; his heart was upon better things, the kingdom of God and the riches and righteousness thereof, and ours should be so too. They presently brought him a penny, a Roman penny in silver, in value about sevenpence half-penny of our money, the most common piece then in use: it was stamped with the emperor's image and superscription, which was the warrant of the public faith for the value of the pieces so stamped; a method agreed on by most nations, for the more easy circulation of money with satisfaction. The coining of money has always been looked upon as a branch of the prerogative, a flower of the crown, a royalty belonging to the sovereign powers; and the admitting of that as the good and lawful money of a country is an implicit submission to those powers, and an owning of them in money matters. How happy is our constitution, and how happy we, who live in a nation where, though the image and superscription be the sovereign's, the property is the subject's, under the protection of the laws, and what we have we can call our own!

Christ asked them, Whose image is this? They owned it to be Cæsar's, and thereby convicted those of falsehood who said, We were never in bondage to any; and confirmed what afterward they said, We have no king but Cæsar. It is a rule in the Jewish Talmud, that "he is the king of the country whose coin is current in the country." Some think that the superscription upon this coin was a memorandum of the conquest of Judea by the Romans, anno post captam Judæam—the year after that event; and that they admitted that too.

(2.) From thence he inferred the lawfulness of paying tribute to Cæsar (v. 21); Render therefore to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's; not, "Give it him" (as they expressed it, v. 17), but, "Render it; Return," or "Restore it; if Cæsar fill the purses, let Cæsar command them. It is too late now to dispute paying tribute to Cæsar; for you are become a province of the empire, and, when once a relation is admitted, the duty of it must be performed. Render to all their due, and particularly tribute to whom tribute is due." Now by this answer,

[1.] No offence was given. It was much to the honour of Christ and his doctrine, that he did not interpose as a Judge or a Divider in matters of this nature, but left them as he found them, for his kingdom is not of this world; and in this he hath given an example to his ministers, who deal in sacred things, not to meddle with disputes about things secular, not to wade far into controversies relating to them, but to leave that to those whose proper business it is. Ministers that would mind their business, and please their master, must not entangle themselves in the affairs of this life: they forfeit the guidance of God's Spirit, and the convoy of his providence when they thus go out of their way. Christ discusses not the emperor's title, but enjoins a peaceable subjection to the powers that be. The government therefore had no reason to take offence at his determination, but to thank him, for it would strengthen Cæsar's interest with the people, who held him for a Prophet; and yet such was the impudence of his prosecutors, that, though he had expressly charged them to render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, they laid the direct contrary in his indictment, that he forbade to give tribute to Cæsar, Luke xxiii. 2. As to the people, the Pharisees could not accuse him to them, because they themselves had, before they were aware, yielded the premises, and then it was too late to evade the conclusion. Note, Though truth seeks not a fraudulent concealment, yet it sometimes needs a prudent management, to prevent the offence which may be taken at it.

[2.] His adversaries were reproved. First, Some of them would have had him make it unlawful to give tribute to Cæsar, that they might have a pretence to save their money. Thus many excuse themselves from that which they must do, by arguing whether they may do it or no. Secondly, They all withheld from God his dues, and are reproved for that: while they were vainly contending about their civil liberties, they had lost the life and power of religion, and needed to be put in mind of their duty to God, with that to Cæsar.

[3.] His disciples were instructed, and standing rules left to the church.

First, That the Christian religion is no enemy to civil government, but a friend to it. Christ's kingdom doth not clash or interfere with the kingdoms of the earth, in any thing that pertains to their jurisdiction. By Christ kings reign.

Secondly, It is the duty of subjects to render to magistrates that which, according to the laws of their country, is their due. The higher powers, being entrusted with the public welfare, the protection of the subject, and the conservation of the peace, are entitled, in consideration thereof, to a just proportion of the public wealth, and the revenue of the nation. For this cause pay we tribute, because they attend continually to this very thing (Rom. xiii. 6); and it is doubtless a greater sin to cheat the government than to cheat a private person. Though it is the constitution that determines what is Cæsar's, yet, when that is determined, Christ bids us render it to him; my coat is my coat, by the law of man; but he is a thief, by the law of God, that takes it from me.

Thirdly, When we render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, we must remember withal to render to God the things that are God's. If our purses be Cæsar's, our consciences are God's; he hath said, My son, give me thy heart: he must have the innermost and uppermost place there; we must render to God that which is his due, out of our time and out of our estates; from them he must have his share as well as Cæsar his; and if Cæsar's commands interfere with God's we must obey God rather than men.

Lastly, Observe how they were nonplussed by this answer; they marvelled, and left him, and went their way, v. 22. They admired his sagacity in discovering and evading a snare which they thought so craftily laid. Christ is, and will be, the Wonder, not only of his beloved friends, but of his baffled enemies. One would think they should have marvelled and followed him, marvelled and submitted to him; no, they marvelled and left him. Note, There are many in whose eyes Christ is marvellous, and yet not precious. They admire his wisdom, but will not be guided by it, his power, but will not submit to it. They went their way, as persons ashamed, and made an inglorious retreat. The stratagem being defeated, they quitted the field. Note, There is nothing got by contending with Christ.

The Question Respecting Marriage.

23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

We have here Christ's dispute with the Sadducees concerning the resurrection; it was the same day on which he was attacked by the Pharisees about paying tribute. Satan was now more busy than ever to ruffle and disturb him; it was an hour of temptation, Rev. iii. 10. The truth as it is in Jesus will still meet with contradiction, in some branch or other of it. Observe here,

I. The opposition which the Sadducees made to a very great truth of religion; they say, There is no resurrection, as there are some fools who say, There is no God. These heretics were called Sadducees from one Sadoc, a disciple of Antigonus Sochæus, who flourished about two hundred and eighty-four years before our Saviour's birth. They lie under heavy censures among the writers of their own nation, as men of base and debauched conversations, which their principles led them to. They were the fewest in number of all the sects among the Jews, but generally persons of some rank. As the Pharisees and Essenes seemed to follow Plato and Pythagoras, so the Sadducees were much of the genius of the Epicureans; they denied the resurrection, they said, There is no future state, no life after this; that, when the body dies, the soul is annihilated, and dies with it; that there is no state of rewards or punishments in the other world; no judgment to come in heaven or hell. They maintained, that, except God, there is not spirit (Acts xxiii. 8), nothing but matter and motion. They would not own the divine inspiration of the prophets, nor any revelation from heaven, but what God himself spoke upon mount Sinai. Now the doctrine of Christ carried that great truth of the resurrection and a future state much further than it had yet been revealed, and therefore the Sadducees in a particular manner set themselves against it. The Pharisees and Sadducees were contrary to each other, and yet confederates against Christ. Christ's gospel hath always suffered between superstitious ceremonious hypocrites and bigots on the one hand, and profane deists and infidels on the other. The former abusing, the latter despising, the form of godliness, but both denying the power of it.

II. The objection they made against the truth, which was taken from a supposed case of a woman that had seven husbands successively; now they take it for granted, that, if there be a resurrection, it must be a return to such a state as this we are now in, and to the same circumstances, like the imaginary Platonic year; and if so, it is an invincible absurdity for this woman in the future state to have seven husbands, or else an insuperable difficulty which of them should have her, he whom she had first, or he whom she had last, or he whom she loved best, or he whom she lived longest with.

1. They suggest the law of Moses in this matter (v. 24), that the next of kin should marry the widow of him that died childless (Deut. xxv. 5); we have it practised Ruth iv. 5. It was a political law, founded in the particular constitution of the Jewish commonwealth, to preserve the distinction of families and inheritances, of both which there was special care taken in that government.

2. They put a case upon this statute, which, whether it were a case in fact or only a moot case, is not at all material; if it had not really occurred, yet possibly it might. It was of seven brothers, who married the same woman, v. 25-27. Now this case supposes,

(1.) The desolations that death sometimes makes in families when it comes with commission; how it often sweeps away a whole fraternity in a little time;: seldom (as the case is put) according to seniority (the land of darkness is without any order,) but heaps upon heaps; it diminishes families that had multiplied greatly, Ps. cvii. 38, 39. When there were seven brothers grown up to man's estate, there was a family very likely to be built up; and yet this numerous family leaves neither son nor nephew, nor any remaining in their dwellings, Job xviii. 19. Well may we say then, Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Let none be sure of the advancement and perpetuity of their names and families, unless they could make a covenant of peace with death, or be at an agreement with the grave.

(2.) The obedience of these seven brothers to the law, though they had a power of refusal under the penalty of a reproach, Deut. xxv. 7. Note, Discouraging providences should not keep us from doing our duty because we must be governed by the rule, not by the event. The seventh, who ventured last to marry the widow (many a one would say) was abold man. I would say, if he did it purely in obedience to God, he was a good man, and one that made conscience of his duty.

But, last of all, the woman died also. Note, Survivorship is but a reprieve; they that live long, and bury their relations and neighbours one after another, do not thereby acquire an immortality; no, their day will come to fall. Death's bitter cup goes round, and, sooner or later, we must all pledge in it, Jer. xxv. 26.

3. They propose a doubt upon this case (v. 28); "In the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven? You cannot tell whose; and therefore we must conclude there is no resurrection." The Pharisees, who professed to believe a resurrection, had very gross and carnal notions concerning it, and concerning the future state; expecting to find there, as the Turks in their paradise, the delights and pleasures of the animal life, which perhaps drove the Sadducees to deny the thing itself; for nothing gives greater advantage to atheism and infidelity than the carnality of those that make religion, either in its professions or in its prospects, a servant to their sensual appetites and secular interests; while those that are erroneous deny the truth, those that are superstitious betray it to them. Now they, in this objection, went upon the Pharisees' hypothesis. Note, It is not strange that carnal minds have very false notions of spiritual and eternal things. The natural man receiveth not these things, for they are foolishness to him. 1 Cor. ii. 14. Let truth be set in a clear light, and then it appears in its full strength.

III. Christ's answer to this objection; by reproving their ignorance, and rectifying their mistake, he shows the objection to be fallacious and unconcluding.

1. He reproves their ignorance (v. 29); Ye do err. Note, Those do greatly err, in the judgment of Christ, who deny the resurrection and a future state. Here Christ reproves with the meekness of wisdom, and is not so sharp upon them (whatever was the reason) as sometimes he was upon the chief priests and elders; Ye do err, not knowing. Note, Ignorance is the cause of error; those that are in the dark, miss their way. The patrons of error do therefore resist the light, and do what they can to take away the key of knowledge; Ye do err in this matter, not knowing. Note, Ignorance is the cause of error about the resurrection and the future state. What it is in its particular instances, the wisest and best know not; it doth not yet appear what we shall be, it is a glory that is to be revealed: when we speak of the state of separate souls, the resurrection of the body, and of eternal happiness and misery, we are soon at a loss; we cannot order our speech, by reason of darkness, but that it is a thing about which we are not left in the dark; blessed be God, we are not; and those who deny it are guilty of a willing and affected ignorance. It seems, there were some Sadducees, some such monsters, among professing Christians, some among you, that say, There is no resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. xv. 12) and some that did in effect deny it, by turning it into an allegory, saying, The resurrection is past already. Now observe,

(1.) They know not the power of God; which would lead men to infer that there may be a resurrection and a future state. Note, The ignorance, disbelief, or weak belief, of God's power, is at the bottom of many errors, particularly theirs who deny the resurrection. When we are told of the soul's existence and agency in a state of separation from the body, and especially that a dead body, which had lain many ages in the grave, and is turned into common and indistinguished dust, that this shall be raised the same body that it was, and live, move, and act, again; we are ready to say, How can these things be? Nature allows it for a maxim, A privatione ad habitum non datur regressus—The habits attaching to a state of existence vanish irrecoverably with the state itself. If a man die, shall he live again? And vain men, because they cannot comprehend the way of it, question the truth of it; whereas, if we firmly believe in God the Father Almighty, that nothing is impossible with God, all these difficulties vanish. This therefore we must fasten upon, in the first place, that God is omnipotent, and can do what he will; and then no room is left for doubting but that he will do what he has promised; and, if so, why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead? Acts xxvi. 8. His power far exceeds the power of nature.

(2.) They know not the scriptures, which decidedly affirm that there shall be a resurrection and a future state. The power of God, determined and engaged by his promise, is the foundation for faith to build upon. Now the scriptures speak plainly, that the soul is immortal, and there is another life after this; it is the scope both of the law and of the prophets, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust, Acts xxiv. 14, 15. Job knew it (Job xix. 26), Ezekiel foresaw it (Ezek. xxxvii.), and Daniel plainly foretold it, Dan. xii. 2. Christ rose again according to the scriptures (1 Cor. xv. 3); and so shall we. Those therefore who deny it, either have not conversed with the Scriptures, or do not believe them, or do not take the true sense and meaning of them. Note, Ignorance of the scripture is the rise of abundance of mischief.

2. He rectifies their mistake, and (v. 30) corrects those gross ideas which they had of the resurrection and a future state, and fixes these doctrines upon a true and lasting basis. Concerning that state, observe,

(1.) It is not like the state we are now in upon earth; They neither marry, nor are given in marriage. In our present state marriage is necessary; it was instituted in innocency; whatever intermission or neglect there has been of other institutions, this was never laid aside, nor will be till the end of time. In the old world, they were marrying, and giving in marriage; the Jews in Babylon, when cut off from other ordinances, yet were bid to take them wives, Jer. xxix. 6. All civilized nations have had a sense of the obligation of the marriage covenant; and it is requisite for the gratifying of the desires, and recruiting the deficiencies, of the human nature. But, in the resurrection, there is no occasion for marriage; whether in glorified bodies there will be any distinction of sexes some too curiously dispute (the ancients are divided in their opinions about it); but, whether there will be a distinction or not, it is certain that there will be no conjunction; where God will be all in all, there needs no other meet-help; the body will be spiritual, and there will be in it no carnal desires to be gratified: when the mystical body is completed, there will be no further occasion to seek a godly seed, which was one end of the institution of marriage, Mal. ii. 15. In heaven there will be no decay of the individuals, and therefore no eating and drinking; no decay of the species, and therefore no marrying; where there shall be no more deaths (Rev. xxi. 4), there need be no more births. The married state is a composition of joys and cares; those that enter upon it are taught to look upon it as subject to changes, richer and poorer, sickness and health; and therefore it is fit for this mixed, changing world; but as in hell, where there is no joy, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride shall be heard no more at all, so in heaven, where there is all joy, and no care or pain or trouble, there will be no marrying. The joys of that state are pure and spiritual, and arise from the marriage of all of them to the Lamb, not of any of them to one another.

(2.) It is like the state angels are now in in heaven; They are as the angels of God in heaven; they are so, that is, undoubtedly they shall be so. They are so already in Christ their Head, who has made them sit with him in heavenly places, Eph. ii. 6. The spirits of just men already made perfect are of the same corporation with the innumerable company of angels, Heb. xii. 22, 23. Man in his creation was made a little lower than the angels (Ps. viii. 5); but in his complete redemption and renovation will be as the angels; pure and spiritual as the angels, knowing and loving as those blessed seraphim, ever praising God like them and with them. The bodies of the saints shall be raised incorruptible and glorious, like the uncompounded vehicles of those pure and holy spirits (1 Cor. xv. 42, &c.), swift and strong, like them. We should therefore desire and endeavour to do the will of God now as the angels do it in heaven, because we hope shortly to be like the angels who always behold our Father's face. He saith nothing of the state of the wicked in the resurrection; but, by consequence, they shall be like the devils, whose lusts they have done.

IV. Christ's argument to confirm this great truth of the resurrection and a future state; the matters being of great concern, he did not think it enough (as in some other disputes) to discover the fallacy and sophistry of the objection, but backed the truth with a solid argument; for Christ brings forth judgment to truth as well as victory, and enables his followers to give a reason of the hope that is in them. Now observe,

1. Whence he fetched his argument—from the scripture; that is the great magazine or armoury whence we may be furnished with spiritual weapons, offensive and defensive. It is written is Goliath's sword. Have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God? Note, (1.) What the scripture speaks God speaks. (2.) What was spoken to Moses was spoken to us; it was spoken and written for our learning. (3.) It concerns us to read and hear what God hath spoken, because it is spoken to us. It was spoken to you Jews in the first place, for to them were committed the oracles of God. The argument is fetched from the books of Moses, because the Sadducees received them only, as some think, or, at least, them chiefly, for canonical scriptures; Christ therefore fetched his proof from the most indisputable fountain. The latter prophets have more express proofs of a future state than the law of Moses has; for though the law of Moses supposes the immortality of the soul and a future state, as principles of what is called natural religion, yet no express revelation of it is made by the law of Moses; because so much of that law was peculiar to that people, and was therefore guarded as municipal laws used to be with temporal promises and threatenings, and the more express revelation of a future state was reserved for the latter days; but our Saviour finds a very solid argument for the resurrection even in the writings of Moses. Much scripture lies under ground, that must be digged for.

2. What his argument was (v. 32); I am the God of Abraham. This was not an express proof, totidem verbis—in so many words; and yet it was really a conclusive argument. Consequences from scripture, if rightly deduced, must be received as scripture; for it was written for those that have the use of reason.

Now the drift of the argument is to prove,

(1.) That there is a future state, another life after this, in which the righteous shall be truly and constantly happy. This is proved from what God said; I am the God of Abraham.

[1.] For God to be any one's God supposes some very extraordinary privilege and happiness; unless we know fully what God is, we could not comprehend the riches of that word, I will be to thee a God, that is, a Benefactor like myself. The God of Israel is a God to Israel (1 Chron. xvii. 24), a spiritual Benefactor; for he is the Father of spirits, and blesseth with spiritual blessings: it is to be an all-sufficient Benefactor, a God that is enough, a complete Good, and an eternal Benefactor; for he is himself an everlasting God, and will be to those that are in covenant with him an everlasting Good. This great word God had often said to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and it was intended as a recompence for their singular faith and obedience, in quitting the country at God's call. The Jews had a profound veneration for those three patriarchs, and would extend the promise God made them to the uttermost.

[2.] It is manifest that these good men had no such extraordinary happiness, in this life, as might look any thing like the accomplishment of so great a word as that. They were strangers in the land of promise, wandering, pinched with famine; they had not a foot of ground of their own but a burying-place, which directed them to look for something beyond this life. In present enjoyments they came far short of their neighbours that were strangers to this covenant. What was there in this world to distinguish them and the heirs of their faith from other people, any whit proportionable to the dignity and distinction of this covenant? If no happiness had been reserved for these great and good men on the other side of death, that melancholy word of poor Jacob's, when he was old (Gen. xlvii. 9), Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, would have been an eternal reproach to the wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness, of that God who had so often called himself the God of Jacob.

[3.] Therefore there must certainly be a future state, in which, as God will ever live to be eternally rewarding, so Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will ever live to be eternally rewarded. That of the apostle (Heb. xi. 16), is a key to this argument, where, when he had been speaking of the faith and obedience of the patriarchs in the land of their pilgrimage, he adds, Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; because he has provided for them a city, a heavenly city; implying, that if he had not provided so well for them in the other world, considering how they sped in this, he would have been ashamed to have called himself their God; but now he is not, having done that for them which answers it in its true intent and full extent.

(2.) That the soul is immortal, and the body shall rise again, to be united; if the former point be gained, these will follow; but they are likewise proved by considering the time when God spoke this; it was to Moses at the bush, long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were dead and buried; and yet God saith, not, "I was," or "have been," but I am the God of Abraham. Now God is not God of the dead, but of the living. He is a living God, and communicates vital influences to those to whom he is a God. If, when Abraham died, there had been an end of him, there had been an end likewise of God's relation to him as his God; but at that time, when God spoke to Moses, he was the God of Abraham, and therefore Abraham must be then alive; which proves the immortality of the soul in a state of bliss; and that, by consequence, infers the resurrection of the body; for there is such an inclination in the human soul to its body, as would make a final and eternal separation inconsistent with the bliss of those that have God for their God. The Sadducees' notion was, that the union between body and soul is so close, that, when the body dies, the soul dies with it. Now, upon the same hypothesis, if the soul lives, as it certainly does, the body must some time or other live with it. And besides, the Lord is for the body, it is an essential part of the man; there is a covenant with the dust, which will be remembered, otherwise the man would not be happy. The charge which the dying patriarchs gave concerning their bones, and that in faith, was an evidence that they had some expectation of the resurrection of their bodies. But this doctrine was reserved for a more full revelation after the resurrection of Christ, who was the first-fruits of them that slept.

Lastly, We have the issue of this dispute. The Sadducees were put to silence (v. 34), and so put to shame. They thought by their subtlety to put Christ to shame, when they were preparing shame for themselves. But the multitude were astonished at this doctrine, v. 33. 1. Because it was new to them. See to what a sad pass the exposition of scripture was come among them, when people were astonished at it as a miracle to hear the fundamental promise applied to this great truth; they had sorry scribes, or this had been no news to them. 2. Because it had something in it very good and great. Truth often shows the brighter, and is the more admired, for its being opposed. Observe, Many gainsayers are silenced, and many hearers astonished, without being savingly converted; yet even in the silence and astonishment of unsanctified souls God magnifies his law, magnifies his gospel, and makes both honourable.

The Substance of the Commandments.

34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Here is a discourse which Christ had with a Pharisee-lawyer, about the great commandment of the law. Observe,

I. The combination of the Pharisees against Christ, v. 34. They heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, had stopped their mouths, though their understandings were not opened; and they were gathered together, not to return him the thanks of their party, as they ought to have done, for his effectually asserting and confirming of the truth against the Sadducees, the common enemies of their religion, but to tempt him, in hopes to get the reputation of puzzling him who had puzzled the Sadducees. They were more vexed that Christ was honoured, than pleased that the Sadducees were silenced; being more concerned for their own tyranny and traditions, which Christ opposed, than for the doctrine of the resurrection and a future state, which the Sadducees opposed. Note, It is an instance of Pharisaical envy and malice, to be displeased at the maintaining of a confessed truth, when it is done by those we do not like; to sacrifice a public good to private piques and prejudices. Blessed Paul was otherwise minded, Phil. i. 18.

II. The lawyer's question, which he put to Christ. The lawyers were students in, and teachers of, the law of Moses, as the scribes were; but some think that in this they differed, that they dealt more in practical questions than the scribes; they studied and professed casuistical divinity. This lawyer asked him a question, tempting him; not with any design to ensnare him, as appears by St. Mark's relation of the story, where we find that this was he to whom Christ said, Thou are not far from the kingdom of God, Mark xii. 34, but only to see what he would say, and to draw on discourse with him, to satisfy his own and his friends' curiosity.

1. The question was, Master, which is the greatest commandment of the law? A needless question, when all the things of God's law are great things (Hos. viii. 12), and the wisdom from above is without partiality, partiality in the law (Mal. ii. 9), and hath respect to them all. Yet it is true, there are some commands that are the principles of the oracles of God, more extensive and inclusive than others. Our Saviour speaks of the weightier matters of the law, ch. xxiii. 23.

2. The design was to try him, or tempt him; to try, not so much his knowledge as his judgment. It was a question disputed among the critics in the law. Some would have the law of circumcision to be the great commandment, others the law of the sabbath, others the law of sacrifices, according as they severally stood affected, and spent their zeal; now they would try what Christ said to this question, hoping to incense the people against him, if he should not answer according to the vulgar opinion; and if he should magnify one commandment, they would reflect on him as vilifying the rest. The question was harmless enough; and it appears by comparing Luke x. 27, 28, that it was an adjudged point among the lawyers, that the love of God and our neighbour is the great commandment, and the sum of all the rest, and Christ had there approved it; so the putting of it to him here seems rather a scornful design to catechise him as a child, than spiteful design to dispute with him as an adversary.

III. Christ's answer to this question; it is well for us that such a question was asked him, that we might have his answer. It is no disparagement to great men to answer plain questions. Now Christ recommends to us those as the great commandments, not which are so exclusive of others, but which are therefore great because inclusive of others. Observe,

1. Which these great commandments are (v. 37-39); not the judicial laws, those could not be the greatest now that the people of the Jews, to whom they pertained, were so little; not the ceremonial laws, those could not be the greatest, now that they were waxen old, and were ready to vanish away; nor any particular moral precept; but the love of God and our neighbour, which are the spring and foundation of all the rest, which (these being supposed) will follow of course.

(1.) All the law is fulfilled in one word, and that is, love. See Rom. xiii. 10. All obedience begins in the affections, and nothing in religion is done right, that is not done there first. Love is the leading affection, which gives law, and gives ground, to the rest; and therefore that, as the main fort, is to be first secured and garrisoned for God. Man is a creature cut out for love; thus therefore is the law written in the heart, that it is a law of love. Love is a short and sweet word; and, if that be the fulfilling of the law, surely the yoke of the command is very easy. Love is the rest and satisfaction of the soul; if we walk in this good old way, we shall find rest.

(2.) The love of God is the first and great commandment of all, and the summary of all the commands of the first table. The proper act of love being complacency, good is the proper object of it. Now God, being good infinitely, originally, and eternally, is to be loved in the first place, and nothing loved beside him, but what is loved for him. Love is the first and great thing that God demands from us, and therefore the first and great thing that we should devote to him.

Now here we are directed,

[1.] To love God as ours; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God as thine. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other God; which implies that we must have him for our God, and that will engage our love to him. Those that made the sun and moon their gods, loved them, Jer. viii. 2; Judges xviii. 24. To love God as ours is to love him because he is ours, our Creator, Owner, and Ruler, and to conduct ourselves to him as ours, with obedience to him, and dependence on him. We must love God as reconciled to us, and made ours by covenant; that is the foundation of this, Thy God.

[2.] To love him with all our heart, and soul, and mind. Some make these to signify one and the same thing, to love him with all our powers; others distinguish them; the heart, soul, and mind, are the will, affections, and understanding; or the vital, sensitive, and intellectual faculties. Our love of God must be a sincere love, and not in word and tongue only, as theirs is who say they love him, but their hearts are not with him. It must be a strong love, we must love him in the most intense degree; as we must praise him, so we must love him, with all that is within us, Ps. ciii. 1. It must be a singular and superlative love, we must love him more than any thing else; this way the stream of our affections must entirely run. The heart must be united to love God, in opposition to a divided heart. All our love is too little to bestow upon him, and therefore all the powers of the soul must be engaged for him, and carried out toward him. This is the first and great commandment; for obedience to this is the spring of obedience to all the rest; which is then only acceptable, when it flows from love.

(3.) To love our neighbour as ourselves is the second great commandment (v. 39); It is like unto that first; it is inclusive of all the precepts of the second table, as that is of the first. It is like it, for it is founded upon it, and flows from it; and a right love to our brother, whom we have seen, is both an instance and an evidence of our love to God, whom we have not seen, 1 John iv. 20.

[1.] It is implied, that we do, and should, love ourselves. There is a self-love which is corrupt, and the root of the greatest sins, and it must be put off and mortified: but there is a self-love which is natural, and the rule of the greatest duty, and it must be preserved and sanctified. We must love ourselves, that is, we must have a due regard to the dignity of our own natures, and a due concern for the welfare of our own souls and bodies.

[2.] It is prescribed, that we love our neighbour as ourselves. We must honour and esteem all men, and must wrong and injure none; must have a good will to all, and good wishes for all, and, as we have opportunity, must do good to all. We must love our neighbour as ourselves, as truly and sincerely as we love ourselves, and in the same instances; nay, in many cases we must deny ourselves for the good of our neighbour, and must make ourselves servants to the true welfare of others, and be willing to spend and be spent for them, to lay down our lives for the brethren.

2. Observe what the weight and greatness of these commandments is (v. 40); On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets; that is, This is the sum and substance of all those precepts relating to practical religion which were written in men's hearts by nature, revived by Moses, and backed and enforced by the preaching and writing of the prophets. All hang upon the law of love; take away this, and all falls to the ground, and comes to nothing. Rituals and ceremonials must give way to these, as must all spiritual gifts, for love is the more excellent way. This is the spirit of the law, which animates it, the cement of the law, which joins it; it is the root and spring of all other duties, the compendium of the whole Bible, not only of the law and the prophets, but of the gospel too, only supposing this love to be the fruit of faith, and that we love God in Christ, and our neighbour for his sake. All hangs on these two commandments, as the effect doth both on its efficient and on its final cause; for the fulfilling of the law is love (Rom. xiii. 10) and the end of the law is love, 1 Tim. i. 5. The law of love is the nail, is the nail in the sure place, fastened by the masters of assemblies (Eccl. xii. 11), on which is hung all the glory of the law and the prophets (Isa. xxii. 24), a nail that shall never be drawn; for on this nail all the glory of the new Jerusalem shall eternally hang. Love never faileth. Into these two great commandments therefore let our hearts be delivered as into a mould; in the defence and evidence of these let us spend our zeal, and not in notions, names, and strifes of words, as if those were the mighty things on which the law and the prophets hung, and to them the love of God and our neighbour must be sacrificed; but to the commanding power of these let every thing else be made to bow.

The Pharisees Silenced.

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

Many questions the Pharisees had asked Christ, by which, though they thought to pose him, they did but expose themselves; but now let him ask them a question; and he will do it when they are gathered together, v. 41. He did not take some one of them apart from the rest (ne Hercules contra duos—Hercules himself may be overmatched), but, to shame them the more, he took them all together, when they were in confederacy and consulting against him, and yet puzzled them. Note, God delights to baffle his enemies when they most strengthen themselves; he gives them all the advantages they can wish for, and yet conquers them. Associate yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces, Isa. iii. 9, 10. Now here,

I. Christ proposes a question to them, which they could easily answer; it was a question in their own catechism; "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? Whose Son do you expect the Messiah to be, who was promised to the fathers?" This they could easily answer, The Son of David. It was the common periphrasis of the Messiah; they called him the Son of David. So the scribes, who expounded the scripture, had taught them, from Ps. lxxxix. 35, 36, I will not lie unto David; his seed shall endure for ever (Isa. ix. 7), upon the throne of David. And Isa. xi. 1, A rod out of the stem of Jesse. The covenant of royalty made with David was a figure of the covenant of redemption made with Christ, who as David, was made King with an oath, and was first humbled and then advanced. If Christ was the Son of David, he was really and truly Man. Israel said, We have ten parts in David; and Judah said, He is our bone and our flesh; what part have we then in the Son of David, who took our nature upon him?

What think ye of Christ? They had put questions to him, one after another, out of the law; but he comes and puts a question to them upon the promise. Many are so full of the law, that they forget Christ, as if their duties would save them without his merit and grace. It concerns each of us seriously to ask ourselves, What think we of Christ? Some think not of him at all, he is not in all, not in any, of their thoughts; some think meanly, and some think hardly, of him; but to them that believe he is precious; and how precious then are the thoughts of him! While the daughters of Jerusalem think no more of Christ than of another beloved; the spouse thinks of him as the Chief of ten thousands.

II. He starts a difficulty upon their answer, which they could not easily solve, v. 43-45. Many can so readily affirm the truth, that they think they have knowledge enough to be proud of, who, when they are called to confirm the truth, and to vindicate and defend it, show they have ignorance enough to be ashamed of. The objection Christ raised was, If Christ be David's son, how then doth David, in spirit, call him Lord? He did not hereby design to ensnare them, as they did him, but to instruct them in a truth they were loth to believe—that the expected Messiah is God.

1. It is easy to see that David calls Christ Lord, and this in spirit being divinely inspired, and actuated therein by a spirit of prophecy; for it was the Spirit of the Lord that spoke by him, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, 2. David was one of those holy men that spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, especially in calling Christ Lord; for it was then, as it is still (1 Cor. xii. 3) that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now, to prove that David, in spirit, called Christ Lord, he quotes Ps. cx. 1, which psalm the scribes themselves understood of Christ; of him, it is certain, the prophet there speaks, of him and of no other man; and it is a prophetical summary of the doctrine of Christ, it describes him executing the offices of a Prophet, Priest, and King, both in his humiliation and also in his exaltation.

Christ quotes the whole verse, which shows the Redeemer in his exaltation; (1.) Sitting at the right hand of God. His sitting denotes both rest and rule; his sitting at God's right hand denotes superlative honour and sovereign power. See in what great words this is expressed (Heb. viii. 1); He is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty. See Phil. ii. 9; Eph. i. 20. He did not take this honour to himself, but was entitled to it by covenant with his Father, and invested in it by commission from him, and here is that commission. (2.) Subduing his enemies. There he shall sit, till they be all made either his friends or his footstool. The carnal mind, wherever it is, is enmity to Christ; and that is subdued in the conversion of the willing people that are called to his foot (as the expression is, Isa. xli. 2), and in the confusion of his impenitent adversaries, who shall be brought under his foot, as the kings of Canaan were under the feet of Joshua.

But that which this verse is quoted for is, that David calls the Messiah his Lord; the Lord, Jehovah, said unto my Lord. This intimates to us, that in expounding scripture we must take notice of, and improve, not only that which is the main scope and sense of a verse, but of the words and phrases, by which they Spirit chooses to express that sense, which have often a very useful and instructive significance. Here is a good note from that word, My Lord.

2. It is not so easy for those who believe not the Godhead of the Messiah, to clear this from an absurdity, if Christ be David's son. It is incongruous for the father to speak of his son, the predecessor of his successor, as his Lord. If David call him Lord, that is laid down (v. 45) as the magis notum—the more evident truth; for whatever is said of Christ's humanity and humiliation must be construed and understood in consistency with the truth of his divine nature and dominion. We must hold this fast, that he is David's Lord, and by that explain his being David's son. The seeming differences of scripture, as here, may not only be accommodated, but contribute to the beauty and harmony of the whole. Amicæ scripturarum lites, utinam et nostræ—The differences observable in the scriptures are of a friendly kind; would to God that our differences were of the same kind!

III. We have here the success of this gentle trial which Christ made of the Pharisees' knowledge, in two things.

1. It puzzled them (v. 46); No man was able to answer him a word. Either it was their ignorance that they did not know, or their impiety that they would not own, the Messiah to be God; which truth was the only key to unlock this difficulty. What those Rabbies could not then answer, blessed be God, the plainest Christian that is led into the understanding of the gospel of Christ, can now account for; that Christ, as God, was David's Lord; and Christ, as Man, was David's son. This he did not now himself explain, but reserved it till the proof of it was completed by his resurrection; but we have it fully explained by him in his glory (Rev. xxii. 16); I am the root and the offspring of David. Christ, as God, was David's Root; Christ, as Man, was David's Offspring. If we hold not fast this truth, that Jesus Christ is over all God blessed for ever, we run ourselves into inextricable difficulties. And well might David, his remote ancestor, call him Lord, when Mary, his immediate mother, after she had conceived him, called him, Lord and God, her Saviour, Luke i. 46, 47.

2. It silenced them, and all others that sought occasion against him; Neither durst any man, from that day forth, ask him any more such captious, tempting, ensnaring questions. Note, God will glorify himself in the silencing of many whom he will not glorify himself in the salvation of. Many are convinced, that are not converted, by the word. Had these been converted, they would have asked him more questions, especially that great question, What must we do to be saved? But since they could not gain their point, they would have no more to do with him. But, thus all that strive with their Master shall be convinced, as these Pharisees and lawyers here were, of the inequality of the match.

CHAP. XXII.

Verse 1. Spake [illegible: 2 words] again] THat by one [illegible: 1 word] he might peg in another. He had but a [illegible: 1 word] to be with men, and see how he bestirs him. [illegible: 2 words] is more swift and violent toward the end of it. It was as [illegible: 1 word] to Christ to seek mens salvation, as it is to the devil to [illegible: 1 word] their [illegible: 1 word]: who therefore doth his utmost, because he [illegible: 1 word] that he hath but a short time, Rev. 12. 12. his malevolence is [illegible: 1 word] to his [illegible: 1 word].

Verse [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] unto a [illegible: 1 word] King] God is a great King, and [illegible: 3 words] his [illegible: 1 word], Mal. 1. 8. will be served of the best, and curseth that cosener, that doth [illegible: 1 word], verse 14. He scorneth to drink the devils [illegible: 1 word], to take his leavings.

Verse 3. They would not come] They proved Recusants, and this rendered them unworthy of eternall life, Act. 13. 46. Gods Ministers sent to call them, must turn them over to him, with a Non [illegible: 1 word], and let him deal with them.

Verse 4. Behold, I have prepared my dinner] Luke calleth it a supper. The Kingdom of heaven is compared to both, to shew that the Saints do both dine and sup with Christ; [illegible: 2 words] at his table continually, as [illegible: 1 word] did at `Davids, yea they have, as [illegible: 1 word] had, a continuall [illegible: 1 word] from the King every day, a certain, all the [illegible: 1 word] of their lives. My Oxen and my fatlings are killed] Gr. Are sacrificed: but [non-Latin text not transcribed]. [illegible: 1 word] it is translated to common use, because even Heathen. Princes began their [illegible: 1 word] feasts with sacrifices (which was craving a blessing on their food in their way) and for that men should come to a feast as to a Sacrifice, Adeò ut gulae [illegible: 1 word] appetitus, as Novarinus here noteth.

Verse 5. But they made light of it] Gods rich offers are still sleighted and vilipended: and most men turn their [illegible: 1 word] upon those blessed and bleeding imbracements of his, as if heaven were not worth [illegible: 1 word] after; —Paris ut vivat regnet que beatus Horat. [illegible: 1 word]. 2. Cogi posse negat— One to his farm, another to [illegible: 1 word] merohandise] Licitis perimus [illegible: 1 word]; More die by meat then poison. Worldlinesse is a great let to faith, though men cannot be charged with any great covetousnes. See that ye shift not off him that speaketh to you from heaven, Heb. 12. [illegible: 1 word].

Verse 6. Intreated them spitefully, and slew [illegible: 1 word] ] This is that sinne that brings ruine without remedy, 2 Chron. 36. 16. Josiahs humiliation could not expiate Manasseh's bloud-shed. Our Popish Prelates in lesse then four years sacrific'd the lives of eight hundred innocents to their idols here in Queen [illegible: 1 word] daies. That precious bloud doth yet cry to heaven for vengeance against us. And it was a pious motion that one made in a Sermon to this [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. present Parliament, That there might be a day of publike humiliation, purposely set apart, and solemnly kept thorowout the Kingdom, for the innocent bloud shed [illegible: 1 word] in those Marian daies of most abhorred memory.

Verse 7. But when the King [illegible: 1 word] thereof] And Kings have long ears, this King of heaven especially, Cui [illegible: 1 word] muta [illegible: 2 words]. — Ut taceant homines, jumenta loquentur. In case of the abuse of Gods [illegible: 1 word], a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter, Eccles. 10. 20. John Baptist was beheaded in the prison, as if God had known nothing of the matter, said that Martyr. But when he maketh inquisition for blouds (which he oft doth with great secrecy and severity) he [illegible: 1 word] such to purpos, Ps 9 12. as he did [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word], Charles the ninth of France, Felix of [illegible: 1 word], and sundry other bloudy [illegible: 1 word].Flac, [illegible: 1 word]. Sent forth his Armies] The Roman spoilers, who were the rod in Gods hand, and revenged the quarrell of his Covenant: [illegible: 1 word] they thought not so, Isa. 10. 7. As in [illegible: 1 word] bloud by leeches, the Physitian seeks the health of his patient, the leech only the filling of his gorge: So when God turns the wicked upon his people, he hath excellent ends, howbeit they think not so, butIsa. 10. 7. to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

Verse 8. They which were bidden were not worthy] Who were then? Such as came from the high waies and hedges, vers. 9. that is, such as sit and shew their sores to God, as the cripples and others do by the high-way-side to every passenger, to move pitty. Such sensible sinners shall walk with Christ in white, for they are worthy.

Verse 9 Goe ye therefore to the high-waies] Those sinners of the Gentiles, Gal 2. 15. who wandered in their own waies, Act. 14. 16. and were, till now, without God in the world, Ephes. 4. 18. These are those other husbandmen, to whom the housholder would let out his vineyard, chap. 21. 41, 43. which truth to illustrate this parable is purposely uttered, and principally as it may seem intended.

Verse 10. Both bad and good, &c.] Such a mixture there ever hath been, and will be here in the Church. Doeg sets his foot as far within the Sanctnary, as David. There are sacrificing [illegible: 1 word], Isa. 1. 10. sinners in Sion, Isa. 33. 14. We cannot avoid the company of those from whom we shall be sure to carry guilt or grief.

Verse 11. And when the King came in to see] He is in the assemblies of his Saints to observe their carriage, and to adde measure unto them in blessing, as they do to him in preparation: he goes down into his garden to see whether the vinc flourish, and the pomgranats bud, Cant. 6. 11. he [illegible: 1 word] in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks, &c. Now therefore we are all here presentRevel. 1. before God, said [illegible: 1 word], Act. 10. 33. Which had not [illegible: 1 word] a wedding garment] i. [illegible: 1 word]. Christ apprehended by faith, [illegible: 1 word] expressed in his vertues by holy life. Justification [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and sanctification are the righteousnesses of the Saints, wherewith arraied, they are beautifull even to admiration: as withoutRevel. 19. 8. the which, Satan stood at the right hand of [illegible: 1 word] the high Priest, because (as some will have it) his accusation was as true as vehement, so that Satan had the upper hand of him, tell such time as Christ bad, [illegible: 2 words] the [illegible: 1 word] garments from him; Zech. 3. 1. there he pardoned his sin in heaven: and unto him he said, Behold, I have [illegible: 2 words] iniquity to passe from [illegible: 1 word], and I will clothe [illegible: 1 word] with change of [illegible: 1 word], There he pardoned it, in his own conscience also.

Verse 12. [illegible: 1 word], how camest? &c.] Not wretch, [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word]. Hard reproofs administred in soft language break the bones. See the Notes above on [illegible: 1 word]. 20. 13. Not [illegible: 1 word] a [illegible: 2 words]] Is it fit to come to such a feast in thy worst? in the leathern coats, in the tottered rags and menstruous clouts of wretched old Adam? And he was [illegible: 1 word]] He was muzzled or haltered up, that is, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Occlusum est illi os [illegible: 2 words] & freno ac [illegible: 2 words] animal [illegible: 1 word], ratione [illegible: 2 words]. [illegible: 1 word] in [illegible: 1 word]. he held his peace, as though he had a bridle or a halter in his mouth. This is the import of the Greek word here used. He was [non-Latin text not transcribed], self-condemned, Tit. 3. 11. and could not [non-Latin text not transcribed], chat [illegible: 1 word] God, Rom. 9. 20. as he used to do: he was gagg'd, [illegible: 1 word] it were.

Verse 13. [illegible: 1 word] him hand and foot] He that comes in to Christs table without a wedding garment on his back, shall not go out without fetters on his feet. Neither shall it help him, that he hath eat and drunk in Christs presence. For his meat is sawced, and his drink spiced with that bitter wrath of God, Job [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. He shall be taken as here, from the table to the tormenter. Look [non-Latin text not transcribed] Plut. to it therefore, and come not hand over head. The very Heathens saw, and could say, That God was not to be served slightly or slubberingly, but with all possible preparation [illegible: 1 word]; hand.

Verse 14. For many are called, &c.] With [illegible: 1 word] outward calling: but outward priviledges profit not, where the hidden man of the heart is not right, where the power and practice of [illegible: 1 word] is wanting. Many a ship hath been called Safe guard, and [illegible: 1 word], which yet hath split upon the rocks, or fallen into the [illegible: 1 word] of pirates.

Verse 15. Then went the [illegible: 1 word] ] They [illegible: 1 word], as one saith, [illegible: 1 word] & repuncti, minimè [illegible: 1 word] ad resipiscentiam compuncti. They were stung with the former parables, and grew more enraged. It is a [illegible: 1 word] perswasion for any godly man to think, by any discretion [illegible: 1 word] to still and escape the clamours and hates of wicked [illegible: 1 word]: Christ himself could not do it. How they [illegible: 1 word] intangle him in his talk] As beasts are in the [non-Latin text not transcribed]. [illegible: 1 word] toil, or birds in the [illegible: 1 word] net. Every man hunteth [illegible: 3 words]. Piscator. [illegible: 1 word]. à feris quibus [illegible: 1 word]. tur [illegible: 1 word] & [illegible: 1 word]. Par. [illegible: 1 word]. and Mon, sol. 1803. Ibid. 1116. his brother with a net, was an old complaint, Mica. 7. 2. And, They [illegible: 1 word] a man an [illegible: 1 word] for a [illegible: 1 word], and lay a [illegible: 1 word] for [illegible: 1 word] that [illegible: 1 word] in the gate, &c. Isa. 29. 21. Doctour [illegible: 1 word] rule to know an [illegible: 1 word] was, They will say, The Lord, and, We praise God, and, The living God. So, The Lord, and not to say, [illegible: 1 word] Lord, is called by Steven Gardiner, Symbolum [illegible: 1 word], the heretikes badge. But God will take these wisards in their own craft, 1 Cor. 3. 19. he will catch them in their own [illegible: 1 word]. [non-Latin text not transcribed], [illegible: 1 word] & quasi [illegible: 2 words]. Aret. he will over-shoot them in their own bow, he will take [illegible: 1 word] handfull of them, so that they shall not make escape, as the word there signifies.

Verse 16. With the [illegible: 1 word] ] i. e. Such as were of [illegible: 1 word] religion, as the Melchites, a kinde of mongrel-Christians in theNicephorus. [illegible: 1 word]: so called of Melech, as one would say, Of the Kings [illegible: 1 word], because they followed the decrees and examples of the [illegible: 1 word]. Some thinke these [illegible: 1 word] were the same with the Publicans, or toll-takers (so Origen and Cyril) whom the Pharisees took with them to our Saviour, as if the one [illegible: 1 word] tribute, the other refused to pay, and both came to our Saviour, as to an impartiall Judge, to end the quarrell, and decide the controversie. Master, we know that thou art true, &c.] Here's a fair glove, drawn upon a foul hand. Burning lips and a wicked heart [illegible: 1 word] like a potsheard covered with silver drosse, Prov. 26. 23: There are those that will smile in your face, and at same time cut your throat. Squier, sent out of Spain to poison Q. Elizabeth, [illegible: 1 word] the pummell of the Queens saddle with poison covertly, and as it [illegible: 2 words]. 1598. were, doing something [illegible: 1 word], praying with a loud voice, God: save the Queen, &c. That thou art true, and teachest the way of God] These all are high commendations and necessary qualifications of a teacher and instructer of others. These Cony-catchers tell the truth of Christ (for he was all this that they say of him and more) and yet they tell a lie, because they thought him not so, but spoke against their consciences. They thought, belike, to have tickled and taken our Saviour with their flatteries (as every winde will blow up a bubble,) and so to have had what they would of him: But Christ was not for their turn. He was inadulabilis, unflatterable, and might better say then Politian did, Assentatiunculis quorundam, ant etiam obtrectationibus non magis attollor Ang. Polit. epist. l. 3. ep. 24. [illegible: 1 word] deprimor, quàm umbra mei corporis. I am no more lifted up, nor cast down with mens [illegible: 1 word] or slanders, then with the shadow of mine own body. For I think not my self [illegible: 1 word] longer [illegible: 1 word] shorter at morning, or at noon, because my shadow is so, &c.

Verse 17. Is it lawfull?] They make it a case of conscience. [illegible: 1 word] sanctity is double iniquity. Covetousnesse goes cloaked or coloured, 1. Thess. 2. 5. So doth malice [illegible: 1 word] times: but God will wash off it's varnish with rivers of brimstone. To give tribute] [non-Latin text not transcribed], a kinde of coyn proper to this purpose. Sands his Surv. The Jews paid then to the [illegible: 1 word], as now they do to the Pope, and other Princes of Italy, a yearly [illegible: 1 word] for the very heads they wear. And yet how they brave it to our Saviour, and say, Joh. 8. 33. We were never in bondage to any man. And there is notAlst. Chronol p. 432. a more vain-glorious people this day under heaven, then the Jews, saith Alsted.

Verse 18. Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?] Hypocrites pretend Nathaneel in the skin of a Nicodemus, saith one, of a [illegible: 1 word] rather, who made fair weather for a while, [illegible: 1 word] at length forsook Paul, and became an idolatrous Priest at Thessalonica, if Dorotheus may be believed. Jesus perceived these mens [illegible: 1 word], and detected it. So dealt Peter by [illegible: 1 word] Magus. whom Philip took for a very honest man, and baptised him. All will out at length; Quod sis esse velis, [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word]. malis.

Verse 19. They brought unto him a peny] Monachi pecunias attingere pro piaculo ducunt. No Cappucine among the Papists may take or touch silver. This mettall is as very [illegible: 1 word] to these, as the wedge of gold to Achan; at the [illegible: 1 word] whereof he starts back, as Moses from the Serpent. Yet he carries a boy with him thatD. Halls epist. [illegible: 1 word]. 1, ep. 5. takes and carries it, and never complains of either mettall or measure.

Verse 20. Whose is this image, &c.] Not that he knew not whose it was, but that he might refell them by their own answers, judge them out of their own mouth; and that the people (into whose hatred they thought by [illegible: 1 word] captious question to draw him) might see that this was not more his, then the Pharisees own sentence.

Verse 21. Render therefore unto Casar] Not Give, but Render: As who should say, Ye give him but what belongs to him; ye doe him but right, ye helpe him but to his own, and that which he [illegible: 1 word] justly require of you, In [illegible: 1 word] patrocinij & [illegible: 1 word], in lieu of his care toward you. And unto God the things that are Gods.] The Greek article is [non-Latin text not transcribed]. twice repeated, when he speaks of God more then when of [illegible: 1 word]; to shew, saith one, that our speciall care should be to give God his due. For if Caesar will take to himself Gods part, by [illegible: 1 word] that which is sinfull, to pay him such a tribute, [illegible: 2 words] tributum Caesaris, sed servitium diaboli, saith Chrysostom, It is not a paying of tribute to Caesar, but a doing service to the devil. [illegible: 1 word] non & animam nostram Dei imaginem soli [illegible: 2 words], [illegible: 1 word]. Ens. Pandulf [illegible: 1 word] l. 5. [illegible: 1 word]. Neapol. saith one. Let God only have our soul, sith it bears his [illegible: 1 word]. That was a witlesse and wicked speech of him, that said, [illegible: 1 word] he had two souls in one body, the one for God, if he pleased, the other Ut eligeret ex [illegible: 1 word] tribus unū, vel [illegible: 1 word], vel [illegible: 1 word], vel perpetuum [illegible: 1 word]. &c. Hist. Gall for any one else that would. But that was a gallant [illegible: 1 word] of the Prince of Condee, who being taken prisoner by Charles the ninth of France, and put to his choice whether he would go to Masse, or be put to death, or suffer perpetuall imprisonment? The former, said he, by Gods grace I will never do. [illegible: 1 word] for the two later, let the King do with me what he [illegible: 2 words], I hope, will turn all to the best.

Verse 22. They marvelled and left him, and [illegible: 1 word] their way.] Demitto auriculas ut [illegible: 1 word] ment [illegible: 1 word] a [illegible: 1 word]. Horat. With a flea in their ear, as we say. Confounded they were that they were so disappointed. Christ shaped them such an answer, as they could neither dislike nor digest. The [illegible: 1 word] mans eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word]. 2. 14. Ad [illegible: 1 word] properat, citò qui judicat. He that precipitates a [illegible: 1 word], shall soon see cause to repent him. How oft doth an open mouth prove a mans purgatory? We had great need therefore [illegible: 1 word] a pair of balances betwixt our lips, left we be entangled in our talk. For, Sis licet in partes [illegible: 2 words], Nemo tamen [illegible: 1 word], nemo cavere potest.

Verse 23. The same day came to him the Sadduces] [illegible: 2 words] possunt [illegible: 2 words], [illegible: 1 word] tamen caudae in face eadem [illegible: 1 word]. Heretikes may differ as much from one another, as they all [illegible: 1 word] from the truth. Both Pharisees and Sadduces can conspire against Christ, though they cannot consent among themselves. These Sadduces were a brutish sect and sort of Jews, that held many [illegible: 1 word] opinions. Some of them are set down, Act 23. 8. Divers Lib. 18. [illegible: 1 word] cap. 2. & de Bel Iud l. 2. c. 7. other more grosse may be [illegible: 1 word] of in [illegible: 1 word], who also [illegible: 1 word] us, that they were but [illegible: 1 word] of them, yet of the chief among the people. And no wonder: for even at this day Atheists [illegible: 1 word] Epicures are rife; and among the great ones especially, who [illegible: 1 word] think or [illegible: 1 word] wish at least, there would be no resurrection, &c.

Verse 24. [illegible: 1 word], Moses said] They pretend Scripture: so did the devil, Mat. 4. So do heretikes all; Sed sensum afferunt, [illegible: 2 words], but they fetch not the meaning from the Scripture, but [illegible: 1 word] a sense (even that of their own devising) on the Scripture: Cadem [illegible: 1 word] faciunt ad materiam [illegible: 1 word], saith [illegible: 1 word], They taw the text, as Shoemakers do their over-leathers, saith Polydor Virgil, that they may bring them to serve their [illegible: 1 word]: They lay the dead childe of their own corrupt glosses in the bosom of holy Scripture, and then cry out, It is hers, and not [illegible: 1 word]. If a man die, having no children] This Law these Sadduces [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] to approve, when indeed they [illegible: 1 word] it, as the mother of much [illegible: 1 word] confusion, if there ever be a resurrection. So deals the devil and his Janizaries ([illegible: 1 word] I should say) at this day, by both Scriptures and Fathers, whom they [illegible: 2 words] or [illegible: 1 word], further then they serve their turn, to confirm their [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] up seed [illegible: 3 words]] Our children are a principall part of our selves, even the seed; as though now there were nothing left in us, but the chaff.

Verse 25. When he had married a wife, deceased.] Thus they that will marry shall have trouble, I, and that in the flesh, wherein they haply promised themselves most comfort and contentment. How many are there that seek an happinesse here: and, when to enjoy it might seem an happinesse indeed, they die, and [illegible: 1 word] all their thoughts perish. [illegible: 1 word] we have in Alexander the great, Iulius Caesar, Tamberlain, who making great preparation for the Conquest of the Turkish Empire, died of an ague in [illegible: 1 word] hist s. 236 the middest of his great hope, and greatest power. The like might be shewed of many learned men, that died, when they might have been most usefull, as Keckerman, Perkins, Preston, Pemble, young Drusius, &c. All our learning is soon refuted with one black Theta, which understanding us not, [illegible: 1 word] us unrespectively without distinction, and putteth at once a period to our writing and to our being.

Verse 26. And third unto the seventh] Happy it was, if seeing their brethren [illegible: 1 word] so fast, themselves were warned to number their own daies, and provide for deaths coming. But this is not easily done; for we naturally dream of an immortality, Psal. 49. 11. and it is death to us to think of death, though we see so many daily die before us. It fareth with us for the most part, as with fatting Cattle. The Butcher comes to day, and fetcheth away one, to morrow and fetcheth away another, &c. The rest that are left behinde do neither mifse their fellows, nor dread their own destiny. So here, this is brutish stupidity, shake it off.

Verse 27. And last of all the woman, &c.] It is [illegible: 1 word] credible that one woman should out-live seven husbands. But grant she did, yet impartiall death, that had so oft-times cut [illegible: 1 word] her head, [illegible: 1 word] her heart at last. Death as an archer aiming at us, misseth us [illegible: 1 word], and hitteth haply some beyond us, some short of us, some on either hand of us; now our [illegible: 1 word], now our inferiours, now our equals, till at length we also are wounded; and the longer deaths hand is exercised, the more skilfull it grows. [illegible: 1 word] Alsted Chronol. de Temporibus, who is said to have lived in France above 300. years, died at length: So did the old, old, the very old man, Anno 1635.

Verse 29. Ye do erre, not knowing] Ignorance is a breeder. All sins are seminally [illegible: 1 word] ignorance. S. Paul thanks it for all his Arist [illegible: 1 word]. l. 3 Chem. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 2 words]. 2. [illegible: 1 word], 1 Tim. 1. 13. Aristole makes it the mother of all the [illegible: 1 word] in the world. All heresies, saith Chemnitius are known to have proceeded, Velex [illegible: 2 words] velex [illegible: 1 word] dialectica, velex AEtij [non-Latin text not transcribed], from [illegible: 1 word], sophistry, or ignorance. Nor the power of God] Who can as easily raise the dead, as he did at first create them. This the [illegible: 1 word] with all their learning, understood not: and therefore counted all that S. Paul could say to [non-Latin text not transcribed]. it bibble babble, because he preached Jesus, and Anastasis, or the resurrection, which they took to be some strange goddesse, Act. 17. 18, 19. They saw not how there could possibly be a regresse from a privation to an habit. Neither can any of us see it, [illegible: 1 word] God by his spirit of revelation, give us to know what is the exceeding greatnes of his power, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in raising Christ, and us by him, Eph. 1. 19, 20. where it is easie to observe a six-fold gradation in the originall, and all to set forth the power of God, in Christs and our resurrection.

Verse 30. For in the resurrection they neither marry] Therefore our condition then shall be better then that of Adams in paradise, where he had need of a meet help, Chenegdo, such another as himself, a second-self. S. Luke adds the reason, why men shall not marry in the resurrection, viz. They can die no more; and therefore need not marry for propogation of their kinde, and immortalizing of their name. Mahomet, as he professed that himself had a speciall licence given him by God to know what women he would, and to put them away when he would: so he promised to all his votaries and adherents the like carnallD. [illegible: 1 word] on of Gods Attrib. Blounts voiage, p. 67. pleasures at the resurrection. Sensualists cast God and the things of God into a dishonourable mould: they rise not above their spring. But are as the Angels of God] Are, that is certainly shall be; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. yea, in their head Christ they are so already. For God hath even here raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ [illegible: 1 word], Ephes. 2. 6. And at the resurrection, the just shall shine as the Sun in heaven, nay, as the Son of God himself, with whom they shall appear in glory, as his Spouse, Uxor Phil. 3. ult. fulget radiis mariti, is a maxime in law. Their vile bodies shall be conformed to his most glorious body, the standard in beauty, brightnesse, agility, immortality, &c. and other like unspeakable Angelicall qualities and perfections. Their [illegible: 1 word] shall be [illegible: 1 word] from all evil, fraught with all fulnesse both of grace and of glory.

Verse 31. Have ye not read] In Moses, whose writings only they received, [illegible: 1 word] the rest. And the superstitious Jews at this day are said in [illegible: 2 words] to read two lessons, one out of the law, which is read by some chief person, another out of the Prophets, which is read by some boy or mean companion. For, savouring somewhat of these old Sadduces, they will in no sort do honour, neither attribute [illegible: 1 word] that authority to any [illegible: 1 word] of the Bible that they do to their [illegible: 1 word], which they do usually carry about their Synagogue [illegible: 1 word] his surv. at the end of the service in procession, with many ornaments of Crowns and Scepters; the children kissing it, as it passeth by them. Spoken unto you by God It is God that speaketh in the holy Scriptures: It is the expresse minde of God that is there set forth unto us. See my True treasure, p. 10 &c.

Verse 32. God is not the God of the dead] That is, in the Sadduces sense, utterly dead and extinct for ever, but in S. Pauls sense, Rom. 14. 9. He is the God of the dead. For the dead bodies also of the faithfull, whiles they lie rotting in the grave, and resolved into dust, are united to Christ; by means whereof a substance is preserved, sinne only is [illegible: 1 word] with it's concomitant infirmities. But the rotting of the body is but to refine it: it is but as the rotting of corn under the earth, 1 Cor. 15. 36. that it may [illegible: 1 word] more glorious. Once, death to the Saints is neither totall, but of the body only; nor yet perpetuall, but for a time only. See both these together, Rom. 8. 10, 11. Further, from this verse we may learn, That there is a two fold knowledge to be gotten from holy Scriptures. 1. Expresse, I am the God of Abraham, &c. 2 By due deduction and firm inference, God is the God of the living.

Verse 33. They were astonished at his doctrine] This was well: But S. Luke adds, that which was more strange. 1. That certain of the Scribes said, Master, [illegible: 1 word] hast well said: No [illegible: 1 word] hadLuk. 20 39, 40. ever so much ingenuity. 2. That the Sadduces were thenceforth [illegible: 1 word], and [illegible: 1 word] no more. [illegible: 1 word] her [illegible: 1 word] dare, quam turpitèr pugnare. Those Romish frogs the Jesuites will never have done, though neverAristoph. in Ranis. so much set down, but be still up with their hatefull Brekekekex. [illegible: 1 word]-coax.

Verse 34. But when the Pharisees] Nunquam bella bonis, nunquam certamina de sunt. Truth never wants an adversary. Christ had many conflicts all his life long, but most and sharpest at last cast. At death, Satan will muster up all his forces against a Christian: that last encounter is like to be the sharpest; as Israel in the wildernesse met with much hardship, but when they entered the Land, all the Kings of Canaan combined against them.

Verse 35. Then one of them which was a Lawyer] Pareus gatherethAd liberandum igitur se [illegible: 1 word], partes disputan[illegible: 1 letter]i adversus cum [illegible: 2 words] i uponi a [illegible: 2 words]. out of Mark, chap. 12. 28. that this Lawyer was one of them, that had applauded Christ for his conquest over the Sadduces in the last conflict, Luk. 20. 39. and that, for a penance he was enjoyned by his fellow-Pharisees, to undertake this following disputation with Christ. Tempting him and saying] Saint Peter saith, They found no guile in his mouth, which implies that they sought it, 1 Pet. 2. 23. There are that hear us meerly to catch, cavill and quarrell.

Verse 36. Which is the great Commandment] The Rabbins reckoned up 613. Commandments of the Law: and distinguished them into the greater, and the lesser. These later they thought might be neglected or violated with little or no guilt. The Romish Pharisees have also their veniall sins, their peccadillo's, as we know; but the Scripture makes all sin mortall and destructory. A little strange fire might seem a small matter, yet it was such a sin, as made all Israel guilty, as appears by the sacrifices offered for that sin. Levit. 16.

Verse 37. Thou shalt love the Lord] God must be loved and honoured by us, [non-Latin text not transcribed], saith one, truly, that there be no halting, and totally that there be no halving: he will not divide with the devil, as the Circassians are said to divide their whole life between rapine and religion. Gods service must be the totum hominis: Eccles. 12. 13. and the bonum hominis, Mic. 6. 8. We should Brcer. Enq. love him infinitely: which, because we cannot, we must love him unfeignedly: but how far short we come of loving him with all our heart, soul, strength, &c. (which yet the Papists affirm feisable) appears by our lives, which, do what we can, are fuller of sinnes, then the firmament is of starres, or the furnace of sparks.

Verse 38. This is the first and great Commandment] In respect of order, quantity and dignity. The second table is fulfilled in the first, and Luther is bold to say, Primo praecepto reliquorum omnium observantia praecipitur, In the first Commandment is commanded the keeping of all the rest. We rightly love our very selves no further then we love God: And for others, we are bound to love our friends in him, our foes for him.

Verse 39. And the second is like unto it] For it hath, 1. The same author. God spake all these words. 2. The same tye. 3. The same sanction and punishment of the violation. 4. It requires the same kinde of love and service: for the love of our neighbour is the service of God. Love thy neighbour as thy self] Now, thou lovest thy self truly, really, fervently, freely, constantly, hiding thine own defects and deformities as much as may be. Thou wouldst have others rejoyce with thee and condole with thee, as occasion serves. Go thou now, and do likewise to others. Howbeit our Saviour strains us up a peg higher, Ioh. 13. 34. His new commandment of the Gospel is, that we love one another, not only as we love our selves, but as he loved us. This forme hath something in it that is more expresse (in which respect partly it is called a new commandment,) and for the incomparable sufficiency of the president is matchlesse, and more full of incitation to fire affection.

Verse 40. Hang all the Law and Prophets] Yea and the Gospel too: for love is both the complement of the Law, and the supplement of the Gospel, Rom. 13. 10. Ioh. 13. 34. It is the filling [non-Latin text not transcribed]. up of the Law (as the word signifieth,) for that it clotheth the duties of the Law with the glory of a due manner, and seateth them upon their due subjects, with unwearied labours of constant well-doing. The Prophets also hang upon the same nail of love [non-Latin text not transcribed]. with the Law, so some frame the Metaphor here used: As some others rather think, that our Saviour, in this expression alludeth to the Jewish Phylacteries, Heb. Totaphoth, which were scroules of parchment, having the Commandments written in them, which the Pharisees ware about their heads and arms, to minde them of obedience to the Law.

Verse 41. While the Pharisees were gathered] i.e. Before the former meeting was dissolved. We should watch for, and catch at all opportunities of working upon the worst. Dr Taylour preached every time he could get his people together, holy-day or else.

Verse 42. What think ye of Christ?] Christus utram que paginam impleret. All our [illegible: 1 word] should be, with those wise-men, [illegible: 3 words] of Bethlehem, who is wrapped up, as it were, in the swathing-bands of both the [illegible: 1 word]. Whose son is he?] They were curious in genealogies. A shame therefore it was for them, to be ignorant of Christs [illegible: 1 word] and [illegible: 1 word]. They say unto him, the son of David] Herein they said [illegible: 1 word], but not all: for they conceived no [illegible: 1 word] of Christ, then as of a [illegible: 1 word] man. Our Saviour therefore takes a text, out of Psal. 110. and [illegible: 2 words] them of his [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] must be well versed in [illegible: 1 word] mystery of Christ, and neglect nothing [illegible: 1 word] to be [illegible: 1 word] by us.

Verse 43. How then doth David in spirit] The spirit [illegible: 1 word] Davia [illegible: 1 word] a sort, and by his mouth [illegible: 1 word] what he would publish to the Church, concerning the Godhead of Christ. Holy [illegible: 1 word] spake of old as they [illegible: 1 word] acted by the holy Ghost, as they [non-Latin text not transcribed] were forcibly moved, or born away, and as it were, carried out [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. of themselves by the holy Ghost.

Verse 44. The Lord said unto my Lord] God the Father to God the Sonne, these two differ no otherwise, then that the one is the Father, and not the Sonne, the other is the Son and not the Father. Sit thou on my right hand] As my fellow and coaequal, Zach. 13. 7. Philip. 2. 6. And as Christ is at the right hand of his Father, so is the Church at the right hand of Christ, Psalm 45. 9. which is a place both of greatest dignity and safety.

Verse 45. Lord, how is he his Sonne?] This is that great mystery of Godlinesse, which Angels intently look into, as the [illegible: 1 word] did of old into the Mercy-seat. That Christ should1 [illegible: 1 word]. 1. 12. be Davids Lord and Davids son, God and man in one person, this [illegible: 1 word] that wonder of wonders: well might his name be [illegible: 1 word], Isa. 9 6.

Verse 46. And no man was able to answer] Though they were subtile sophisters, and mighty in the Scriptures, yet they had nothing to oppose. Magna est veritas, & valebit. Great is the truth, and shall prevail. Neither durst any man, &c.] How easily can God button up the mouths of our [illegible: 2 words], yea and plead for us in their consciences, as he did for Mr Bradford and many more of the Martyrs, whom as they could not outreason, so neither could they but conceive well of the Martyrs innocency, triumphing in their persecutours consciences.

Spake--by parables. Mt 13:3.

The kingdom of heaven. Mt 3:2. The phrase here means, "God deals with man in his kingdom, or in regard to the dispensation of the gospel, as a certain king did," etc. This parable refers undoubtedly to the rejection ofthe Jews, and to the calling of the Gentiles. The gospel, with all its privileges, was offered to the Jewish people; but through their wickedness and pride they rejected it, and all its blessings were offered to the Gentiles, and accepted. This is the general truth. Many circumstances are thrown in to fill out the narrative, which cannot be particularly explained.

A marriage for his son. Rather, a marriage feast, or a feast on the occasion of the marriage of his son. The king here doubtless represents God, providing for the salvation of the world.

(i) "The kingdom" Lk 14:16 (k) "a marriage" Rev 19:7,9

And sent forth his servants. These represent the messengers that God has sent to invite men to his kingdom.

To call them that were bidden. That is, to give notice to those who had before been invited, that the feast was ready. It appears that there were two invitations, one considerably previous to the time, that they might have opportunity to prepare for it, and the other to give notice of the precise time when they were expected.

The wedding. The marriage feast. The same word in the original as in Mt 22:2.

They would not come. They might have come if they chose, but they would not. So all the difficulty that sinners ever labour under, in regard to salvation, is in the will. It is a fixed determination not to come and be saved.

(l) "And sent forth his servants" Ps 68:11, Jer 25:4, 35:15, Rev 22:17

Other servants. Who might press it on their attention. So God repeats his message to sinners, when they reject it.

My dinner. This word literally denotes the meal taken about noon. It is also taken for a meal in general. As marriages were, among eastern nations, in the evening, it refers here to a meal taken at that time.

Fatlings. This word does not refer to any particular species of animals. It denotes any fat animals. As oxen are also mentioned, however, it refers here probably to lambs, or calves, 2Sam 6:13; 1Chr 15:26.

But they made light of it. Treated it with contempt, as a thing of no consequence: an exact representation of the conduct of sinners in regard to the gospel.

One to his farm, etc. So men are engaged so much in their worldly employment, that they pretend they have no time to attend to religion. The world is, in their view, of more value than God.

Merchandise. Traffic; trading.

(m) "light" Ps 106:24,25, Prov 1:24,25, Acts 24:25, Rom 2:4

And the remnant, etc. That is, a part made light of it, and treated it with silent contempt, and coolly went about their business. The others were not satisfied with that, but showed positive malignity. Some sinners seem to be well satisfied by merely neglecting religion; while others proceed against it with open violence and bitter malice.

Entreated them spitefully. Used harsh and opprobrious words, reviled and abused them. This was done because they hated and despised the king. So sinners often abuse and calumniate ministers of religion because they hate God, and can in no way else show it so well.

(n) "entreated them" 1Thes 2:15

But when the king heard, etc. This doubtless refers to the Jews, and to Jerusalem. They were murderers, having slain the prophets; and God was about to send forth the armies of the Romans under his providential direction, and to burn up their city. Mt 24:1 and following.

Wroth. Angry; displeased.

(o) "destroyed those murderers" Dan 9:26, Lk 19:27

The highways. Literally, the exit or going out of the paths or roads. It means the square, or principal street, into which a number of smaller streets enter; a place, therefore, of confluence, where many persons would be seen, and persons of all descriptions. By this is represented the offering of the gospel to the Gentiles. They were commonly regarded among the Jews as living in highways and hedges--cast out, poor, and despised.

Bad and good. All descriptions of people. None are good by nature; if they were, they would not need the gospel. But some are worse than others; and they have special need of it. None can be saved without it.

(q) "together all" Mt 13:47

A man which had not on a wedding garment. Anciently, kings and princes were accustomed to make presents of changes of raiment to their friends and favourites, to refuse to receive which was an expression of highest contempt, Gen 14:22, 2Kgs 10:22, Est 6:8, 8:16. It was, of course, expected that such garments would be worn when they came into the presence of the benefactor. The garments worn on festival occasions were chiefly long white robes; and it was the custom of the person who made the feast to prepare such robes to be worn by the guests. This renders the conduct of this man more inexcusable. He came in his common ordinary dress, as he was taken from the highway; and though he had not a garment of his own suitable for the occasion, yet one had been provided for him, if he had applied for it. His not doing it was expressive of the highest disrespect for the king. This beautifully represents the conduct of the hypocrite in the church. A garment of salvation might be his, wrought by the hands of the Saviour, and dyed in his blood. But the hypocrite chooses the filthy rags of his own righteousness, and thus offers the highest contempt for that provided in the gospel. He is to blame, not for being invited; not for coming, if he would come--for he is freely invited; but for offering the highest contempt to the King of Zion, in presenting himself with all his filth and rags, and in refusing to be saved in the way provided in the gospel.

(r) "to see" Zeph 1:12 (s) "wedding garment" Ps 45:14, Isa 61:10, 2Cor 5:3, Eph 4:24, Rev 16:15 Rev 19:8

Friend. Rather, companion. The word does not imply friendship.

He was speechless. He had no excuse. So it will be with all hypocrites.

(t) "was speechless" Jer 2:26

Cast him into outer darkness. Mt 8:12. This, without doubt, refers to the future punishment of the hypocrite, Mt 23:23-33, 24:51.

(u) "him away" Is 52:1, Rev 21:27

Many are called, but few are chosen. Our Saviour often uses this expression. It was probably proverbial. The Jews had been called, but few of them had been chosen to life. The great mass of the nation were wicked; and showed by their lives that they were not chosen to salvation. The Gentiles also were invited to be saved, Isa 45:22. Nation after nation has been called; but few, few have yet showed that they were real Christians, the elect of God. It is also true, that many who are in the church may prove to be without the wedding garment, and show at last that they were not the chosen of God. This remark in the 14th verse is the in reference from the whole parable, and not of the part about the man without the wedding garment. It does not mean, therefore, that the great mass in the church are simply called and not chosen, or are hypocrites; but the great mass in the human family, in the time of Christ, who had been called, had rejected the mercy of God.

(w) "Many are called" Mt 7:14, 20:16, Lk 13:23,24

The Pharisees and Herodians endeavour to entangle Jesus; This narrative is also found in Mk 12:13-17; Lk 20:20-26.

Then went the Pharisees. Mt 3:7.

How they might entangle him. To entangle means to ensnare, as birds are taken by a net. This is done secretly, by leading them within the compass of the net, and then suddenly springing it over them. So to entangle is artfully to lay a plan for enticing, to beguile by proposing a question, and by leading, if possible, to am incautious answer. This was the kind proposed here to Jesus.

In his talk. The word his is supplied here by the translators, perhaps improperly. It means in conversation, or by talking with him; not alluding to anything he had before said.

(y) "Then went" Mk 12:13, Lk 20:20

The Herodians. It is not certainly known who these were, it is probable that they took their name from Herod the Great. Perhaps they were first a political party, and were then distinguished for holding some of his peculiar opinions. Dr. Prideaux thinks that those opinions referred to two things: the first respecting subjection to a foreign power. The law of Moses was, that a stranger should not be set over the Jews as a king, De 17:15. Herod, who had received the kingdom of Judea by appointment of the Romans, held that the law of Moses referred only to a voluntary choice of a king, and did not refer to a necessary submission, where they had been overpowered by force. They supposed, therefore, that it was lawful in such cases to pay tribute to a foreign prince. This opinion was, however, extensively unpopular among the Jews; and particularly the Pharisees, who looked upon it as a violation of their law, and all the acts growing out of it as oppressive. Hence the difficulty of the question proposed by them. Whatever way he decided, they supposed he would be involved in difficulty. If he should say it was not lawful, the Herodians were ready to accuse him as being an enemy of Caesar; if he said it was lawful, the Pharisees were ready to accuse him to the people of holding an opinion extremely unpopular among them, and as being an enemy of their rights. The other opinion of Herod, which they seem to have followed, was, that when a people were subjugated by a foreign force, it was right to adopt the rites and customs of their religion. This was what was meant by the "leaven of Herod," Mk 8:15. The Herodians and Sadducees seem on most questions to have been united. Compare Mt 16:6, Mk 8:15.

We know that thou art true. A hypocritical compliment, not believed by them, but artfully said, as compliments often are, to conceal their true design.

Neither carest thou for any man. That is, thou art an independent teacher, delivering your sentiments without regard to the fear or favour of man. This was true, and probably they believed this. Whatever they might believe about him, they had no reason to doubt that he delivered his sentiments openly and freely.

For thou regardest not the person of men. Thou art not partial. Thou wilt decide according to truth, and not from any bias towards either party. To regard the person, or to respect the person, is in the Bible uniformly used to denote partiality; or being influenced in a decision, not by truth, but by previous attachment to a person, or one of the parties--by friendship, or bias, or prejudice, Lev 19:15, Jude 1:16, De 16:19, 2Sam 14:14, Acts 10:34, Jas 2:1,3,9, 1Pet 1:17.

Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar? Tribute was the tax paid to the Roman government.

Caesar. The Roman emperor. The name Caesar, after the time of Julius Caesar, became common to all the emperors, as Pharaoh was the common name of all the kings of Egypt. The Caesar that reigned at this time was Tiberius--a man distinguished for the grossest vices, and most disgusting and debasing sensuality.

Jesus perceived their wickedness. This must have been done by his power of searching the heart, and proves that he was omniscient. No mere man has the power of discerning the motives of others.

Tempt ye me. Try me, or endeavour to lead me into difficulty by an insidious question.

Hypocrites. Dissemblers. Professing to be candid inquirers, when their only object is to lead into difficulty. Mt 6:2.

The tribute money. The money in which the tribute was paid. This was a Roman coin. The tribute for the temple-service was paid in the Jewish shekel; that for the Roman government in foreign coin. Their having that coin about them, and using it, was proof that they themselves held it lawful to pay the tribute; and their pretensions, therefore, were mere hypocrisy.

A penny. A Roman denarius, worth about 14 cents, [sevenpence halfpenny.]

(1) "penny" or, "In value, sevenpence halfpenny

This image. The likeness of the reigning prince was probably struck on the coins, as it is now on [English and] Spanish coins.

Superscription. The name and titles of the emperor.

(2) "superscription", or "inscription"

Render therefore unto Caesar, etc. Caesar's image and name on the coin proved that it was his. It was proper, therefore, to give it back to him when he called for it. But while this was done, he took occasion to charge them also to give to God what he claimed. This may mean either

(1) the annual tribute due to the temple-service, implying that paying tribute to Caesar did not free them from the obligation to do that; or

(2) that they should give their hearts, lives, property, and influence, all to God, as his due.

(z) "Render" Mt 17:25,27, Rom 13:7 (a) "unto God" Mal 1:6-8, 3:8-10

They marvelled. They had been foiled in their attempt. Though he had apparently decided in favour of the Herodians, yet his answer confounded both parties, and wholly prevented the use which they intended to make of it. It was so wise--it so clearly detected their wickedness, and foiled their aim--that they were confounded, and retired covered with shame.

Conversation of Jesus with the Sadducees respecting the resurrection. See also Mk 12:18-27, Lk 20:27-38.

The same day came to him the Sadducees. For an account of the Sadducees, Mt 3:7.

No resurrection. The resurrection literally means the raising up the body to life after it is dead, Jn 11:24, 5:29, 1Cor 15:22. But the Sadducees not only denied this, but also a future state, and the separate existence of the soul after death, as well as the existence of angels and spirits, Acts 23:8. Both these doctrines have commonly stood or fallen together, and the answer of our Saviour respects both; though it more distinctly refers to the separate existence of the soul, and to a future state of rewards and punishments, than to the resurrection of the body.

(b) "The same day" Mk 12:18, Lk 20:27 (c) "which say" Acts 23:8

Saying, Master, Moses said, etc. De 25:5,6. This law was given by Moses in order to keep the families and tribes of the Israelites distinct, and to perpetuate them.

Raise up seed unto his brother. That is, the children shall be reckoned in the genealogy of the deceased brother; or, to all civil purposes, shall be considered as his.

(d) "If a man die" De 25:5, Ruth 1:11

There were with us seven brethren. It is probable that they stated a case as difficult as possible; and though no such case might have occurred, yet it was supposable, and in their view it presented a real difficulty. The difficulty arose from the fact that they supposed that substantially the same state of things takes place in the other world as here; that husbands and wives must be reunited; and they professed not to be able to see how one woman could be the wife of seven men.

Mt 22:25

(1) "the seventh" or, "Seven"

Ye do err, not knowing, etc. They had taken a wrong view of the doctrine of the resurrection. It was not taught that men would marry there. The Scriptures, here, mean the books of the Old Testament. By appealing to them, he showed that the doctrine of the future state was there, and that the Sadducees should have believed it as it was, and not have added the absurd doctrine to it that men must live there as they do here. The way in which the enemies of the truth attempt to make a doctrine of the Bible ridiculous is by adding to it, and then calling it absurd. He produced a passage from the books of Moses, Mt 22:32, because they had also appealed to his writings, Mt 22:24. Other places of the Old Testament asserted it more clearly, Dan 12:2, Isa 26:19; but he wished to meet them on their own ground. None of those Scriptures asserted that men would live there as they do here, and therefore their reasoning was false.

Nor the power of God. They probably denied, as many have done since, that God could gather the scattered dust of the dead, and remould it into a body. On this ground they affirmed that the doctrine could not be true--opposing reason to revelation, and supporting that Infinite Power could not reorganize body that it had at first organized, and raise a body for its own dust which it had at first raised from nothing.

(e) "not knowing" Jn 20:9

Neither marry, etc. This was a full answer to the objections of the Sadducees.

But are as the angels of God. That is, in the manner of their intercourse; in regard to marriage, and the mode of their existence, Luke adds, that they shall be "equal to the angels;" that is, they shall be elevated above the circumstances of mortality, and live in a manner, and in a kind of intercourse, equal to the angels. It does not imply that they shall be equal in intellect, but only in the circumstances of their existence, as that is distinguished from the way in which mortals live. He also adds, "Neither can they die any more: but are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection," Lk 20:36 or being accounted worthy to be raised up to life, and therefore sons of God raised up to him.

(f) "angels of God" Mt 18:10, 1Jn 3:2

As touching, etc. That is, in proof that the dead are raised. The passage which he quotes is recorded in Ex 3:6,15. This was at the burning bush, (Mark and Luke.) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been long dead when Moses spoke this: Abraham 329 years, Isaac 224, and Jacob 198. Yet God spoke then as being still their God. They must, therefore, be still somewhere living; for God is not the God of the dead--i. e., it is absurd to say that God rules over those who are extinct or annihilated--but he is the God only of those who have an existence. Luke adds, "All live unto him." That is, all the righteous dead; all of whom he can be properly called their God, live unto his glory. This passage does not prove directly that the dead body would be raised, but only by consequence. It proves that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had an existence then, or that their souls were alive, This the Sadducees denied, Acts 23:8. And this was the main point in dispute. If this was admitted--if there was a state of rewards and punishments--then it would easily follow that the bodies of the dead would be raised.

Mt 22:31

(g) "I am the God" Ex 3:6,15,16, Heb 11:16

Jesus converses with a Pharisee respecting the law. See also Mk 12:28-34.

The Pharisees--were gathered together. That is, either to rejoice that their great rivals, the Sadducees, had been so completely silenced, or to lay a new plan for ensnaring him, or perhaps both. They would rejoice that the Sadducees had been confounded, but they would not be the less desirous to involve Jesus in difficulty. They therefore endeavoured, probably, to find the most difficult question in dispute among themselves, and proposed it to him to perplex him.

A Lawyer. This does not mean one that practised law, as among us; but one learned or skilled in the law of Moses. Mark calls him "one of the scribes." This means the same thing. The scribes were men of learning; particularly men skilled in the law of Moses. He had heard him reasoning with the Sadducees, and perceived that he answered them well; and he was thought to be better qualified to hold a debate with him, (Mark.) This man was probably of a candid turn of mind; perhaps willing to know the truth; and not entering very fully into their malicious intentions, but acting as their agent, Mk 12:34.

Tempting him. Trying him. Proposing a question to test his knowledge of the law.

(i) "one of them" Lk 10:25

Which is the great commandment? That is, the greatest commandment, or the one most important. The Jews are said to have divided the law into greater and smaller, commandments. Which was of the greatest importance they had not determined. Some held that it was the law respecting sacrifice; others, that respecting circumcision; others, that pertaining to washings and purifying, etc.

The law. The word law has a great variety of significations; it means, commonly, in the Bible, as it does here, the law given by Moses, recorded in the first five books of the Bible.

Jesus said unto him, etc. Mark says that he introduced this by referring to the doctrine of the unity of God--"Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord"--taken from De 6:4. This was said, probably, because all true obedience depends on the correct knowledge of God. None can keep his commandments who are not acquainted with his nature, his perfections, and his right to command.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, etc. The meaning of this is, thou shalt love him with all thy faculties or powers. Thou shalt love him supremely, more than all other beings and things, and with all the ardour possible. To love him with all the heart is to fix the affections supremely on him, more strongly than on anything else, and to be willing to give up all that we hold dear at his command.

With all thy soul. Or, with all thy life. This means, to be willing to give up the life to him, and to devote it all to his service; to live to him, and to be willing to die at his command.

With all thy mind. To submit the intellect to his will. To love his law and gospel more than we do the decisions of our own minds. To be willing to submit all our faculties to his teaching and guidance, and to devote to him all our intellectual attainments, and all the results of our intellectual efforts. With all thy strength, (Mark.) With all the faculties of soul and body. To labour and toil for his glory, and to make that the great object of all our efforts.

(k) "Thou shalt" De 6:5, 10:12

This is the first and great commandment. This commandment is found in De 6:5. It is the first and greatest of all; first, not in order of time, but of importance; greatest in dignity, in excellence, in extent, and duration. It is the fountain of all others. All beings are to be loved according to their excellence. As God is the most excellent and glorious of all beings, he is to be loved supremely. If He is loved aright, then our affections will be directed towards all created objects in a right manner.

The second is like unto it. Lev 19:18. Resembles it in importance, dignity, purity, and usefulness. This had not been asked by the lawyer, but Jesus took occasion to acquaint him with the substance of the whole law. For its meaning, Mt 19:19. Comp. Rom 13:9. Mark adds, There is no greater commandment than these. None respecting circumcision or sacrifice is greater. They are the fountain of all.

(l) "like unto it" Lev 19:18

On these two commandments hang, etc. That is, these comprehend the substance of what Moses in the law, and what the prophets have spoken. What they have said has been to endeavour to win men to the love of God and each other. Love to God and man comprehends the whole [of] religion; and to produce this has been the design of Moses, the prophets, the Saviour, and the apostles.

Mk 12:32-34 adds, that the scribe said, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth:" and that he assented to what Jesus had said, and admitted that to love God and man in this manner was more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices; that is, was of more value or importance. Jesus, in reply, told him that he was "not far from the kingdom of God;" i.e., by his reply he had shown that he was almost prepared to receive the doctrines of the gospel. He had shown a real acquaintance with the law, which showed he was nearly prepared to receive the teachings of Jesus. Mt 3:2.

Mark and Luke say that this had such an effect on them that no man, after that, durst ask him any question, Lk 20:40, Mk 12:34. This does not mean that none of his disciples durst ask him any question, but none of the Jews. He had confounded all their sects: the Herodians, (Mt 22:15-22;) the Sadducees, (Mt 22:23-33;) and last, the Pharisees, (Mt 22:34-40.) All finding themselves unable to confound him, they gave up the attempt.

(m) "commandments hang" Rom 13:9, Jas 2:8

Jesus proposes a question concerning the Messiah. See also Mk 12:35-37, Lk 20:41-44.

While the Pharisees, etc. Jesus, having confounded the great sects of the Jews, proceeds in his turn to propose to them a question for their solution. This was done not for the purpose of vain parade and triumph, but,

1st. to show them how ignorant they were of their prophecies.

2nd. To humble them in view of their ignorance.

3rd. To bring to their attention the true doctrine respecting the Messiah --his being possessed of a character superior to that of David, the most mighty king of Israel--being his Lord, at the same time that he was his descendant.

What think ye Of Christ? What are your views respecting THE MESSIAH, or the Christ, especially respecting his genealogy? He did not ask them their views respecting him in general, but only respecting his ancestry. The article should have been retained in the translation--the Christ, or the Messiah. He did not ask them their opinion respecting himself, his person, and work, as would seem in our translation; but their views respecting the Messiah whom they expected.

Whose son is he? Whose descendant? Mt 1:1.

The son of David. The descendant of David, according to the promise.

(n) "What think ye" Mk 12:35, Lk 20:41

How then, etc. How is this doctrine, that he is descended from David, consistent with what David said when he calls him Lord? How can your opinion be reconciled with that ? That is recorded in Ps 110:1. A lord or master is a superior. The word here does not necessarily imply Divinity, but only superiority. David calls him his superior, his Lord, his Master, his Lawgiver; and expresses his willingness to obey him. If the Messiah was to be merely a descendant of David, as other men descended from parents--if he was to have a human nature only, as you Jews suppose--if he did not exist when David wrote-- with what propriety could he, then, call him his Lord?

In spirit. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As a prophet, Acts 2:30, 1:16, 2Sam 23:2.

(o) "call him Lord" Ps 110:1, Acts 2:34, Heb 1:13, 10:12,13

The Lord said, etc. This is the language of David. "Jehovah said unto my Lord"--the Messiah--" Sit thou," etc. This was a prediction respecting the exaltation of Christ. To be raised to the right hand of a king was significant of favor, trust, and power. Mt 20:21. This was done respecting Christ, Mk 16:19, Acts 7:55, Rom 8:34, Eph 1:20, Heb 1:3; 8:1, 10:12.

Thine enemies thy footstool. A footstool is that which is under the feet when we are sitting--implying that we have it under subjection, or at our control. So he shall put all enemies under his feet--all his spiritual foes--all that rise up against him, Ps 2:9,12 Heb 10:13, 1Cor 15:25.

If David, etc. If he was, then, David's Lord; if he was his superior; if he had an existence at that time, how could he be descended from him ? They could not answer him. Nor is there any way of answering the question but by the admission that the Messiah was Divine as well as human; that he had an existence at the time of David, and was his Lord and Master, his God and King, and that as man he was descended from him.

[Go ye into the highways, &c.] That is, 'Bring in hither the travellers.' "What is the order of sitting down to meat? The travellers come in and sit down upon benches or chairs, till all are come that were invited." The Gloss; "It was a custom among rich men to invite poor travellers to feasts."

[With the Herodians.] Many things are conjectured concerning the Herodians. I make a judgment of them from that history which is produced by the author Juchasin, speaking of Hillel and Shammai. "Heretofore (saith he) Hillel and Menahem were (heads of the council); but Menahem withdrew into the family of Herod, together with eighty men bravely clad." These, and such as these, I suppose were called Herodians, who partly got into the court, and partly were of the faction both of the father and son. With how great opposition of the generality of the Jewish people Herod ascended and kept the throne, we have observed before. There were some that obstinately resisted him; others that as much defended him: to these was deservedly given the title of Herodians; as endeavouring with all their might to settle the kingdom in his family: and they, it seems, were of the Sadducean faith and doctrine; and it is likely had leavened Herod, who was now tetrarch, with the same principles. For (as we noted before) 'the leaven of the Sadducees' in Matthew, is in Mark 'the leaven of Herod.' And it was craftily contrived on both sides that they might be a mutual establishment to one another, they to his kingdom, and he to their doctrine. When I read of Manaem or Menahem, the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, it readily brings to my mind the name and story before mentioned of Menahem, who carried over with him so many eminent persons to the court of Herod.

[Whose is this image and superscription?] They endeavour by a pernicious subtilty to find out whether Christ were of the same opinion with Judas of Galilee. Which opinion those lewd disturbers of all things, whom Josephus brands everywhere under the name of zealots, had taken up; stiffly denying obedience and tribute to a Roman prince; because they persuaded themselves and their followers that it was a sin to submit to a heathen government. What great calamities the outrageous fury of this conceit brought upon the people, both Josephus and the ruins of Jerusalem at this day testify. They chose Caesar before Christ; and yet because they would neither have Caesar nor Christ, they remain sad monuments to all ages of the divine vengeance and their own madness. To this fury those frequent warnings of the apostles do relate, "That every one should submit himself to the higher powers." And the characters of these madmen, "they contemn dominations," and "they exalt themselves against every thing that is called God."

Christ answers the treachery of the question propounded, out of the very determinations of the schools, where this was taught, "Wheresoever the money of any king is current, there the inhabitants acknowledge that king for their lord." Hence is that of the Jerusalem Sanhedrim: "Abigail said to David, 'What evil have I done, or my sons, or my cattle?' He answered, 'Your husband vilifies my kingdom.' 'Are you then,' said she, 'a king?' To which he, 'Did not Samuel anoint me for a king?' She replied, 'The money of our lord Saul as yet is current'": that is, 'Is not Saul to be accounted king, while his money is still received commonly by all?'

[The Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection.] "The Sadducees cavil, and say, The cloud faileth and passeth away; so he that goeth down to the grave doth not return." Just after the same rate of arguing as they use that deny infant baptism; because, forsooth, in the law there is no express mention of the resurrection. Above, we suspected that the Sadducees were Herodians, that is to say, courtiers: but these here mentioned were of a more inferior sort.

[God is not the God of the dead.] Read, if you please, the beginning of the chapter Chelek, where you will observe with what arguments and inferences the Talmudists maintain the resurrection of the dead out of the law; namely, by a manner of arguing not unlike this of our Saviour's. We will produce only this one; "R. Eliezer Ben R. Josi said, In this matter I accused the scribes of the Samaritans of falsehood, while they say, That the resurrection of the dead cannot be proved out of the law. I told them, You corrupt your law, and it is nothing which you carry about in your hands; for you say, That the resurrection of the dead is not in the law, when it saith, 'That soul shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity is upon him.' 'Shall be utterly cut off'; namely, in this world. 'His iniquity is upon him': when? Is it not in the world to come?" I have quoted this, rather than the others which are to be found in the same place; because they seem here to tax the Samaritan text of corruption; when, indeed, both the text and the version, as may easily be observed, agree very well with the Hebrew. When, therefore, the Rabbin saith, that they have corrupted their law, he doth not so much deny the purity of the text, as reprove the vanity of the interpretation: as if he had said, "You interpret your law falsely, when you do not infer the resurrection from those words which speak it so plainly."

With the present argument of our Saviour compare, first, those things which are said by R. Tanchum: "R. Simeon Ben Jochai saith, God, holy and blessed, doth not join his name to holy men while they live, but only after their death; as it is said, 'To the saints that are in the earth.' When are they saints? When they are laid in the earth; for while they live, God doth not join his name to them; because he is not sure but that some evil affection may lead them astray: but when they are dead, then he joins his name to them. But we find that God joined his name to Isaac while he was living: 'I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac.' The Rabbins answer, He looked on his dust as if it were gathered upon the altar. R. Berachiah said, Since he became blind, he was in a manner dead." See also R. Menahem on the Law.

Compare also those words of the Jerusalem Gemara: "The righteous, even in death, are said to live; and the wicked, even in life, are said to be dead. But how is it proved that the wicked, even in life, are said to be dead? From that place where it is said, I have no delight in the death of the dead. Is he already dead, that is already here called dead? And whence is it proved that the righteous, even in death, are said to live? From that passage, 'And he said to him, This is the land, concerning which I sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob'...He saith to him, Go and tell the fathers, whatsoever I promised to you, I have performed to your children."

The opinion of the Babylonians is the same; "The living know that they shall die. They are righteous who, in their death, are said to live: as it is said, 'And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a living man,' [The son of a valiant man. A.V. 2 Samuel 23:20] " &c. And a little after; "The dead know nothing: They are the wicked who, even in their life, are called dead, as it is said, And thou, dead wicked prince of Israel." The word which is commonly rendered profane in this place, they render it also in a sense very usual, namely, for one wounded or dead.

There are, further, divers stories alleged, by which they prove that the dead so far live, that they understand many things which are done here; and that some have spoke after death, &c.

The design and scope of this parable of the marriage supper, is to set forth that gracious offer of mercy and salvation, which was made by God in and through the preaching of the gospel to the church of the Jews.

The gospel is here compared to a feast, because in a feast there is plenty, variety, and dainties. Also to a marriage-feast, being full of joy, delight, and pleasure. And to a marriage-feast made by a king, as being full of state, magnificence, and grandeur. To this marriage-feast, or gospel-supper, Almighty God invited the church of the Jews; and the servants sent forth to invite them, were the prophets and apostles in general, and John the Baptist in particular, whom they entreated spitefully, and slew.

The making light of the invitation, signifies the generality of Jews' refusal and careless contempt of the offers of grace in the gospel. By the armies which God sent forth to destroy those murderers, are meant the Roman soldiers, who spoiled and laid waste the city of Jerusalem, and were the severe executioners of God's wrath and judgment upon the wicked Jews. The highways signify the despised Gentiles, who upon the Jews' refusal were invited to this supper, and prevailed with to come in.

The king's coming in to see his guests, denotes that inspection which Christ makes into his church in the times of the gospel.

By the man without the wedding garment, understand such as are destitute of true grace and real holiness, both in heart and life. In the examination of him, Christ says, Friend, how comest thou in hither? not, Friends, why came ye along with him?

Teaching us, that if unholy persons will press in to the Lord's supper, the sin is theirs; but if we come not, because they will come, the sin is ours. The presence of an unholy person at the Lord's table, ought not to discourage us from our duty, or cause us to turn our back upon that ordinance. The command to bind the unqualified person hand and foot, and to cast him into outer darkness, plainly intimates, that the condition of such persons as live under the light, and enjoy the liberty of the gospel, but walk not answerably to their profession, is deplorably sad and doleful: they do not only incur damnation, but no damnation like it. Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness.

From the whole, note, 1. That the gospel, for its freeness and fulness, for its varieties and delicacies, is like a marriage-supper.

2. That gospel-invitations are mightily disesteemed.

3. That the preference which the world has in man's esteem is a great cause of the gospel's contempt. They went one to his farm, and another to his merchandise.

4. That such as are careless in the day of grace, shall undoubtedly be speechless in the day of judgment.

5. That Christ takes a more particular notice of every guest that cometh to his royal supper, than any of his ministers do take, or can take. There was but one person without the wedding garment, and he falls under the eye and view of Christ.

6. That it is not sufficient that we come, but clothed we must be before we come, if ever we expect a gracious welcome to Christ's supper; clothed with sincerity, clothed with humility; clothed with love and charity; if we be not thus clothed, we shall appear naked to our shame, and hear that dreadful charge, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

See Luke 14:17.

This is our blessed Saviour's application of the foregoing parable to the Jews; he tells them, that many of them, indeed all of them were called, that is, invited to the gospel-supper; but with few, very few of them, was found that sincere faith, and that sound repentance, which doth accompany salvation.

Learn hence, That amongst the multitude of those that are called by the gospel unto holiness and obedience, few, very few comparatively, do obey that call, and shall be eternally saved.

Here we have another new design to entangle our blessed Saviour in his discourse.

Where observe, 1. The persons employed to put the ensnaring question to our Saviour, namely, the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Pharisees were against paying tribute to Cesar; looking upon themselves as a free people, and the emperor as an usurper. But the Herodians were for it. Herod being made by the Roman emperor king of the Jews, was zealous for having the Jews pay tribute to Cesar; and such of the Jews as sided with him, and particularly his courtiers and favourites, were called Herodians.

Observe, 2. The policy and wicked craft here used, in employing these two contrary sects to put the question to our Saviour concerning tribute; thereby laying him under a necessity (as they hoped) to offend one side, let him answer how he would. If to please the Pharisees he denied paying tribute to Cesar, then he is accused of sedition; if to gratify the Herodians he voted for paying tribute, then he is looked upon as an enemy to the liberty of his country, and exposed to a popular odium: it has been the old policy of Satan and his instruments, to draw the ministers of God into dislike, either with the magistrates or with the people, that they may either fall under the censure of the one, or the displeasure of the other.

Observe, 3. With what wisdom and caution our Lord answers them; he first calls for the tribute-money, which was the Roman penny, answering to seven pence halfpenny of our money, two of which they paid by way of tribute, or poll-money, for every head to the emperor.

Christ asks them whose image or superscription their coin bore? They answer, Cesar's: Render then, says Christ, to Cesar the things that are Cesar's. As if he had said, "The admitting of the Roman coin amongst you, is a testimony that you are under the subjection to the Roman emperor, because the coining and imposing of money is an act of sovereign authority. Now you have owned Cesar's authority over you, by accepting of his coin as current amongst you, give unto him his just dues, and render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's."

Learn hence, That there was no truer paymaster of the king's dues, than he that was King of kings; he preached it, and he practised it, Matt 17:27 And as Christ is no enemy to the civil rights of princes, and his religion exempts none from paying their civil duties; so princes should be as careful not to rob him of his divine honour, as he is not to wrong them of their civil rights. As Christ requires all his followers to render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's, so should princes oblige all their subjects to render unto God the things that are God's.

Our blessed Saviour having put the Pharisees and Herodians to silence, next the Sadducees encounter him. This sect denied the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body, and as an objection against both, they propound a question to our Saviour, of a woman that had seven brethren successively to her husbands; they demand, Whose wife of the seven this woman shall be at the resurrection? As if they had said, "If there be a resurrection of bodies, surely their will be a resurrection of relations too, and the other world will be like this, in which men will marry as they do here. And if so, whose wife of the seven shall this woman be, they all having and equal claim to her?

Now our Saviour for resolving of this question, 1. Shews the different state of men in this world, and in the other world. The children of this world, says Christ, marry, and are given in marriage, but in the resurrection they do neither. As if our Lord had said, "After men have lived a time in this world, they die, and therefore marriage is necessary to maintain a succession of mankind; but in the other world, men shall become immortal, and live forever; and then the reason of marriage will wholly cease. For when men can die no more, there will be no need of any new supplies of mankind."

2. Our Saviour having got clear of the Sadducees objection, by taking away the ground and foundation of it, he produceth an argument for a proof of the soul's immortality, and body's resurrection. Thus, "Those to whom Almighty God pronounced himself a God are alive; but God pronounced himself a God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, many hundred years after their bodies were dead; therefore their souls are yet alive, federally alive unto God; their covenant relation lives still, otherwise God could not be their God; for he is not God of the dead but of the living. If one relation fails, the other necessarily fails with it; if God be their God, then certainly they are in being, for God is not the God of the dead; that is, of those that are utterly perished.

Therefore it must needs be, that although their bodies be naturally dead, yet do their souls still live, and their bodies shall also live again at the resurrection of the just.

From the whole, Note, 1. That there is no opinion so absurd, no error so monstrous, that having had a mother, will die for the lack of a nurse. The beastly opinion of the mortality of the soul, and the annihilation of the body, finds Sadducees to profess and propagate it.

Note, 2. The certainty of another life after this, in which men shall be eternally happy or intolerable miserable, according as they behave themselves here; though some men live like beasts, they shall not die like them, nor shall their last end be like theirs.

Note, 3. That glorified saints in the morning of the resurrection, shall be like unto the glorious angels; not like them in essence and nature, but like them in their properties and qualities, in holiness and purity, in immortality and incorruptibility, and in their manner of living; they shall no more stand in need of meat or drink, than the angels do; but shall live the same heavenly, immortal, and incorruptible life, that the angels live.

Note, 4. That all those that are in covenant with God, whose God the Lord is, their souls do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, at the resurrection, shall be sharers in the same happiness with their souls. If God be just, the soul must live, and the body must rise: for good men must be rewarded, and wicked men punished: God will most certainly, some time or other, plentifully reward the righteous, and punish the evil-doers; but this being not always done in this life, the justice of God requires it to be done in the next.

The Sadducees being put by Christ to silence, the Pharisees again encounter him; they send to him a lawyer, that is, one of their interpreters and expounders of the law of Moses, who propounds this question to him, Which is the great commandment of the law? Our Saviour tells them, It is to love the Lord with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the mind. That is, with all the powers, faculties, and abilities of the soul, with the greatest measure and highest degrees of love. This is the sum and substance of the duties of the first table.

And the second is like unto it, not equal with it, but like unto it. The duties of the second table are of the same authority, and of the same necessity with the first. As a man cannot be saved without the love of God, so neither without the love of his neighbour.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets: that is, the whole duty of man, required by Moses and the prophets, is comprehended in, and may be reduced to, these two heads, namely, the love of God and our neighbour.

From the whole, Note, 1. That the fervency of all our affections, and particularly the supremacy of our love, is required by God as his right and due. Love must pass through and possess all the powers and faculties of the soul; the mind must mediated upon God, the will must choose and embrace him, and the affections must take complacency and delight in him; the measure of loving God, is to love him without measure. God reckons that we love him not at all, if we love him not above all.

1. We must love him above all, appreciative, so as to prize him in our judgment and esteem above all, and before all things.

2. We are to love God above all things, comparative, preferring his favours above all things, comparatively hating whatever stands in competition with him.

3. We are to love God above all things intensive. That is, our longing desires must run out after him, we must pant and thirst for the enjoyment of him.

4. We must love everything in subordination to God, and nothing co-ordinately, or equal with God.

Note, 2. That thus to love God is the first and great commandment. Great, in regard of the object, which is God the first cause and the chief good. Great, in regard of the obligation of it. To love God is so indispensible a command, that God himself cannot free us from the obligation of it; for so long as he is God, and we his creatures, we shal lie under a natural and necessary obligation to love and serve him. Great, in regard of the duration of it, when faith shall be swallowed up in vision, and hope in fruition; love will then be perfected in a full enjoyment.

Note, 3. That every man may, yea, ought to love himself, not his sinful self, but his natural self, and especially his spiritual self, the new nature in him. This it ought to be his particular care to increase and strengthen. Indeed there is no express command in scripture for a man to love himself, because the light of nature directs, and the law of nature binds and moves every man so to do. God has put a principle of self-love and of self-preservation into all his creatures, but especially into man.

Note, 4. As every man ought to love himself, so it is every man's duty to love his neighbour as himself.

1. Not as he does love himself, but as he ought to love himself.

2. Not in the same degree and measure that he loves himself, but after the same manner, and with the same kind of love that he loves himself. As we love ourselves freely and readily, sincerely and unfeignedly, tenderly and compassionately, constantly and perseveringly; so should we love our neighbour. Though we are not commanded to love our neighbour as much as we love ourselves, yet we are to love him like as we love ourselves.

Note, lastly, That the duties of the first and second table are inseparable. The love of God and our neighbour, must no be parted. He that loveth not his neighbour whom he hath seen, never loved God whom he hath not seen. A conscientious regard to the duties of both tables, will be an argument of our sincerity, and an ornament to our profession. Let it then be our prayer and daily endeavour, that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves. For this is the sum of the law and the substance of the gospel.

The Pharisees had often put forth several questions maliciously unto Christ, and now Christ puts forth one question innocently unto them; namely, What the thought of the Messiah whom they expected? They reply, that he was to be The son of David, a secular prince descending from David, that should deliver them from the power of the Romans, and restore them to their civil rights. This was the notion they had of the Messiah, that he should be a man, the Son of David, and nothing more.

Our Saviour replies, Whence is it then that David calls the Messiah Lord? The Lord said unto my Lord Ps 110:1; how could he be both David's Lord, and David's son? No son is lord to his father; therefore if Christ were David's sovereign, he must be more than man, more than David's son. As man, so he was David's son; as god-man, so he was David's Lord.

Note hence, That although Christ was truly and really man, yet he was more than a bare man: he was Lord unto, and was the salvation of his own forefathers.

Note, 2. That the only way to reconcile the scriptures which speak concerning Christ, is to believe and acknowledge him to be God and man in one person. The Messiah, as a man, was to come forth out of David's loins; but as a god-man, he was David's sovereign and Saviour. As man, he was his father's son; as God, he was Lord to his own father.

The parable related in these verses is one of very wide signification. In its first application it unquestionably points to the Jews. But we may not confine it to them. It contains heart-searching lessons for all among whom the Gospel is preached: it is a spiritual picture which speaks to us this day, if we have an ear to hear. The remark of a learned divine is wise and true: “Parables are like many-sided precious stones, cut so as to cast luster in more than one direction.”

Let us observe in the first place that the salvation of the Gospel is compared to a marriage feast. The Lord Jesus tells us that a certain king “made a marriage for his son.”

There is in the Gospel a complete provision for all the wants of man’s soul: there is a supply of everything that can be required to relieve spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst. Pardon, peace with God, lively hope in this world, glory in the world to come are set before us in rich abundance. It is “a feast of fat things.” All this provision is owing to the love of the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. He offers to take us into union with himself, to restore us to the family of God as dear children, to clothe us with his own righteousness, to give us a place in his kingdom, and to present us faultless before his Father’s throne at the last day. The Gospel, in short, is an offer of food to the hungry, of joy to the mourner, of a home to the outcast, of a loving friend to the lost. It is glad tidings. God offers, through his dear Son, to be at one with sinful man. Let us not forget this. “Herein is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” ( 1 John 4:10 ).

Let us observe in the second place, that the invitations of the Gospel are wide, full, broad and unlimited. The Lord Jesus tells us in the parable that the king’s servants said to those who were bidden, “all things are ready. Come unto the marriage.”

There is nothing wanting on God’s part for the salvation of sinners’ souls: no one will ever be able to say at last that it was God’s fault, if he is not saved. The Father is ready to love and receive; the Son is ready to pardon and cleanse guilt away; the Spirit is ready to sanctify and renew; angels are ready to rejoice over the returning sinner; grace is ready to assist him; the Bible is ready to instruct him; heaven is ready to be his everlasting home. One thing only is needful, and that is, the sinner must be ready and willing himself. Let this also never be forgotten: let us not quibble and split hairs upon the point. God will be found clear of the blood of all lost souls. The Gospel always speaks of sinners as responsible and accountable beings; the Gospel places an open door before all mankind: no one is excluded from the range of its offers. Though efficient only to believers, those offers are sufficient for all the world: though few enter the strait gate, all are invited to come in.

Let us observe in the third place, that the salvation of the Gospel is rejected by many to whom it is offered. The Lord Jesus tells us that thwho claim to be Chose whom the king’s servants bade to the wedding made light of it and went their way.

There are thousands of hearers of the Gospel who derive from it no benefit whatever. They listen to it Sunday after Sunday, and year after year, and do not believe to the saving of the soul. They feel no special need of the Gospel; they see no special beauty in it; they do not perhaps hate it, or oppose it, or scoff at it, but they do not receive it into their hearts. They like other things far better. Their money, their land, their business, or their pleasures, are all far more interesting subjects to them than their souls. It is an awful state of mind to be in, but awfully common. Let us search our own hearts, and take heed that it is not our own. Open sin may kill its thousands; but indifference and neglect of the Gospel kill their tens of thousands. Multitudes will find themselves in hell not so much because they openly broke the Ten Commandments as because they made light of the truth. Christ died for them on the cross, but they neglected him.

Let us observe in the last place that all false professors of religion will be detected, exposed and eternally condemned at the last day. The Lord Jesus tells us that when the wedding was at last furnished with guests, the king came in to see them, and “saw a man which had not on a wedding garment. He asked him how he came in there without one, and he received no reply; and he then commanded the servants to “bind hand and foot, and take him away.

There will always be some false professors in the church of Christ, as long as the world stands. “In this parable,” it has been truly remarked, “one single castaway represents all the rest.” It is impossible to read the hearts of men: deceivers and hypocrites will never be entirely excluded from the ranks of those who call themselves Christians. So long as a man professes subjection to the gospel, and lives an outwardly correct life, we dare not say positively that he is not clothed in the righteousness of Christ. But there will be no deception at the last day: the unerring eye of God will discern who are his own people, and who are not. Nothing but true faith shall abide the fire of his judgment; all spurious Christianity shall be weighed in the balance and found wanting: non but true believers shall sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. It shall avail the hypocrite nothing that he has been a loud talker about religion, and had the reputation of being an eminent Christian among men. His triumphing shall be but for a moment: he will be stripped of his borrowed plumage, and stand naked and shivering before the bar of God, speechless, self-condemned, hopeless and helpless. He shall be cast into outer darkness with shame, and reap according as he has sown. Well may our Lord say, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Let us learn wisdom from the solemn pictures of this parable, and give diligence to make our calling and election sure. We ourselves are among those to whom the word is spoken: “All things are ready. Come to the marriage.” Let us see that we refuse not him that speaketh. Let us not sleep as others do, but watch and be sober. Time hastens on. The king will soon come in to see the guests: have we or have we not got on the wedding garment? Have we put on Christ? That is the grand question that arises out of this parable. May we never rest till we can give a satisfactory answer! May those heart-searching words daily ring in our ears, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

We see in this passage the first of a series of subtle attacks which were made on our Lord during the last days of his earthly ministry. His deadly foes, the Pharisees, saw the influence which he was obtaining, both by his miracles and by his preaching. They were determined by some means to silence him, or put him to death; they therefore endeavoured to “entangle him in his talk.” They sent forth“their disciples ˆ with the Herodians” to try him with a hard question: they wished to entice him into saying something which might serve as a handle for an accusation against him. Their scheme, we are told in these verses, entirely failed: they took nothing by their aggressive movement, and retreated in confusion.

The first thing which demands our attention in these verses is the flattering language with which our Lord was accosted by his enemies. “Master,’ they said, ‘we know that thou art true and teacheth the way of God in truth. Neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the person of men.How well these Pharisees and Herodians talked. What smooth and honeyed words were these. They thought no doubt that by good words and fair speeches they would throw our Lord off his guard. It might truly be said of them the words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” ( Psalm 55:21 ).

It becomes all professing Christians to be much on their guard against flattery. We mistake greatly if we suppose that persecution and hard usage are the only weapons in Satan’s armoury: that crafty foe has other engines for doing us mischief, which he knows well how to work. He knows how to poison souls by the world’s seductive kindness, when he cannot frighten them by the “fiery dart” or the sword. Let us not be ignorant of his devices. “By peace he destroys many.”

We are only too apt to forget this truth: we overlook the many examples which God has given us in Scripture for our learning. What brought about the ruin of Samson? Not the armies of the Philistines, but the pretended love of a Philistine woman. What led to Solomon’s backsliding? Not the strength of outward enemies, but the blandishment of his numerous wives. What was the cause of King Hezekiah’s greatest mistake? Not the sword of Sennacherib, or the threats of Rab-shakeh, but the flattery of the Babylonian ambassadors. Let us remember these things, and be on our guard. Peace often ruins nations more than war; sweet things occasion far more sickness than bitter; the sun makes the traveler cast off his protective garments far sooner than the north wind. Let us beware of the flatterer. Satan is never so dangerous as when he appears as an angel of light: the world is never so dangerous to the Christian as when it smiles. When Judas betrayed his Lord, it was with a kiss. The believer that is proof against the world’s frown does well; but he that is proof against its flattery does better.

The second thing that demands our attention in these verses is the marvelous wisdom of the reply which our Lord made to his enemies. The Pharisees and Herodians asked whether it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not. They doubtless thought that they had put a question which our Lord could not answer without giving them an advantage. Had he simply replied that it was lawful to pay tribute, they would have denounced him to the people as one who dishonored the privileges of Israel and considered the children of Abraham no longer free, but subject to a foreign power. Had he, on the other hand, replied that it was not lawful to pay tribute, they would have denounced him to the Romans as a mover of sedition and a rebel against Caesar, who refused to pay his taxes. But our Lord’s conduct completely baffled them. He demanded to see the tribute money.

He asks them whose head is on that coin. They reply, “Caesar’s.” They acknowledge that the Roman Emperor Caesar has some authority over them, by using money bearing his image and supercription, since he that coins the current money is ruler of the land where that money is current. And at once they receive an irresistibly conclusive answer to their question: “Render to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”

The principle laid down in these well-known words is one of deep importance. There is oneobedience owing by every Christian to the civil government under which he lives, in all matters which are temporal, and not purely spiritual. He may not approve of every requirement of that civil government; but he must submit to the laws of the commonwealth, so long as those laws are unrepealed. He must “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” There is another obedience which the Christian owes to the God of the Bible in all matters which are purely spiritual. No temporal loss, no civil disability, no displeasure of the powers that he must ever tempt him to do things which the Scripture plainly forbids. His position may be very trying; he may have to suffer much for his conscience’ sake: but he must never fly in the face of unmistakable requirements of Scripture. If Caesar coins a new Gospel, he is not to be obeyed. We must “render to God the things that are God’s.”

The subject unquestionably is one of great difficulty and delicacy. It is certain that the church must not swallow up the state; it is no less certain that the state must not swallow up the church. On no point, perhaps, have conscientious men been so much tried; on no point have good men disagreed so much as in solving the problem where the things of Caesar end, and where the things of God begin. The civil power, on the one side, has often encroached terribly on the rights of conscience—as the English Puritans found to their cost in the unhappy times of the Stuarts; the spiritual power, on the other side, has often pushed its claims to an extravagant extent, so as to take Caesar’s scepter out of his hands—as it did when the church of Rome trampled on our own English King John. In order to have a right judgment in all questions of this kind, every true Christian should constantly pray for “wisdom from above.” The man whose eye is single, and who daily seeks for grace and practical common sense, will never be allowed greatly to err.

This passage describes a conversation between our Lord Jesus Christ and the Sadducees. These unhappy men, who said that there was “no resurrection” attempted, like the Pharisees and Herodians, to perplex our Lord with hard questions. Like them, they hoped “to entangle him in his talk” and to injure his reputation among the people. Like them, they were completely baffled.

Let us observe in the first place, that absurd skeptical objections to Bible truths are ancient things. The Sadducees wished to show the absurdity of the doctrine of the resurrection and the life to come; they therefore came to our Lord with a story which was probably invented for the occasion. They told him that a certain woman had married seven brothers in succession, who had all died and left no children. They then asked, “whose wife” this woman would be in the next world, when all rose again. The object of the question was plain and transparent. They meant, in reality, to bring the whole doctrine of a resurrection into contempt; they meant to insinuate that there must needs be confusion, and strife and unseemly disorder if after death men and women were to live again.

It must never surprise us if we meet with like objections against the doctrines of Scripture, and especially against those doctrines which concern another world. There never probably will be wanting unreasonable men who will intrude into things unseen and make imaginary difficulties their excuse for unbelief. Supposed cases are one of the favorite strongholds in which an unbelieving mind loves to entrench itself. Such a mind will often set up a shadow of its own imagining, and fight with it as if it was a truth; such a mind will often refuse to look at the overwhelming mass of plain evidence by which Christianity is supported, and will fasten down on some one single difficulty which it fancies is unanswerable. The talk and arguments of people of this character should never shake our faith for a moment. For one thing, we should remember that there must needs be deep and dark things in a religion which comes from God, and that a child may put forth questions which the greatest philosopher cannot answer.For another thing, we should remember that there are countess truths in the Bible which are clear and unmistakable. Let us first attend to them, believe them and obey them. In so doing, we need not doubt that many a thing now unintelligible to us will yet be made plain; in so doing, we may be sure that what we know not now we shall know hereafter.

Let us observe in the second place, what a remarkable text our Lord brings forward in proof of the reality of a life to come. He places before the Sadducees the words which God spoke to Moses in the bush: “I am ˆ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” ( Exodus 3:6 ). He adds the comment, God “is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” At the time when Moses heard these words, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been dead and buried many years; two centuries had passed away since Jacob, the last of the three, was carried to his tomb: and yet God spoke of them as being still his people, and of himself as being still their God. He s said not, “I was their God,” but “I am .”

Perhaps we are not often tempted to doubt the truth of a resurrection and a life to come, but, unhappily, it is easy to hold truths theoretically, and yet not realize them practically. There are few of us who would not find it good to meditate on the mighty verity which our Lord here unfolds, and to give it a prominent place in our thoughts. Let us settle it in our minds that the dead are in one sense still alive. From our eyes they have passed away and their place knows them no more, but in the eyes of God they live and will one day come out of their graves to receive an everlasting sentence. There is no such thing as annihilation; the idea is a miserable delusion. The sun, moon and stars, the solid mountains and deep sea, will one day come to nothing; but the weakest babe of the poorest man shall live forevermore in another world. May we never forget this! Happy is who can say from his heart the words of the Nicene Creed: “I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.”

Let us observe in the last place, the account which our Lord gives of the state of men and women after the resurrection. He silences the fancied objections of the Sadducees by showing that they entirely mistook the true character of the resurrection state. They took it for granted that it must needs be a gross, carnal existence like that of mankind upon earth. Our Lord tells them that in the next world we may have a real material body, and yet a body of very different constitution and different necessities from that we have now. He speaks only of the saved, be it remembered: he omits all mention of the lost. He says, “In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

We know but little of the life to come in heaven. Perhaps our clearest ideas of it are drawn from considering what it will not be, rather than what it will be. It is a state in which we shall hunger no more nor thirst any more; sickness, pain and disease will not be known; wasting old age and death will have no place. Marriages, births and a constant succession of inhabitants will no more be needed: they who are once admitted into heaven shall dwell there forevermore. And, to pass from negatives to positives, one thing we are told plainly: we shall be “as the angels of God.” Like them, we shall serve God perfectly, unhesitatingly and unweariedly; like them, we shall be in God’s presence; like them, we shall ever delight to do his will; like them, we shall give all glory to the Lamb. These are deep things, but they are all true.

Are we ready for this life? Should we enjoy it, if admitted to take part in it? Is the company of God and the service of God pleasant to us now? Is the occupation of angels one in which we should delight? These are solemn questions. Our hearts must be heavenly on earth, while we live, if we hope to go to heaven when we rise again in another world (

matt22-34-46

In the beginning of this passage we find our Lord replying to the question of a certain lawyer, who asked him which was “the great commandment of the Law.” The question was asked in no friendly spirit, but we have reason to be thankful that it was asked at all. It drew from our Lord an answer full of precious instruction. Thus we see how good may come out of evil.

Let us mark what an admirable summary these verses contain of our duty towards God and our neighbor. Jesus says, “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.” He says again, “ thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself;”and he adds, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

How simple are these two rules, and yet how comprehensive! How soon the words are repeated, and yet how much they contain! How humbling and condemning they are! How much they prove our daily need of mercy and the precious blood of atonement! Happy would it be for the world if these rules were more known and more practiced.

Love is the grand secret of true obedience to God. When we feel towards him as children feel towards a dear father, we shall delight to do his will; we shall not find his commandments grievous, or work for him like slaves under fear of the lash; we shall take pleasure in trying to keep his laws, and mourn when we transgress them. None works so well as they who work for love: the fear of punishment or the desire of reward are principles of far less power. They do the will of God best who do it from the heart. Would we train children right? Let us teach them to love God.

Love is the grand secret of the right behavior towards our fellow men. He who love his neighbor will scorn to do him any willful injury, either in person, property or character. But he will not rest there: he will desire in every way to do him good; he will strive to promote his comfort and happiness in every way; he will endeavor to lighten his sorrows, and increase his joys. When a man loves us, we feel confidence in him: we know that he will never intentionally do us harm, and that in every time of need he will be our friend. Would we teach children to behave aright towards others? Let us teach them to “love everybody as themselves, and do to others as they would have others do to them.”

But how shall we obtain this love towards God? It is no natural feeling. We are “born in sin,” and, as sinners, are afraid of him. How then can we love him ? We can never really love him till we are at peace with him through Christ. When we feel our sins forgiven, and ourselves reconciled to our holy Maker, then, and not till then, we shall love him and have the Spirit of adoption. Faith in Christ is the true spring of love to God: they love most who feel most forgiven. “We love him because he first loved us” ( 1 John 4:19).

And how shall we obtain this love towards our neighbor? This also is no natural feeling. We are born selfish, hateful, and hating one another (Titus 3:3 ). We shall never love our fellow men aright till our hearts are changed by the Holy Ghost: we must be born again; we must put off the old man, and put on the new, and receive the mind that was in Christ Jesus. Then, and not till then, our cold hearts will know true God-like love towards all. “The fruit of the Spirit is love” ( Galatians 5:22 ).

Let these things sink down into our hearts. There is much vague talk in these latter days about “love” and “charity”: men profess to admire them and desire to see them increased, and yet hate the principles which alone can produce them. Let us stand fast in the old paths. We cannot have fruits and flowers without roots: we cannot have love to God and man without faith in Christ, and without regeneration. The way to spread true love in the world is to teach the atonement of Christ, and the work of the Holy Ghost.

The concluding portion of the passage contains a question put to the Pharisees by our Lord. After answering with perfect wisdom the inquiries of his adversaries, he at last asks them, “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?” They reply at once, “The son of David.” He then asks them to explain why David in the book of Psalms calls him “Lord.” ( Psalm 110:1 ). “If David then call him Lord how is he his son? At once his enemies were put to silence: “No man was able to answer him a word.” The scribes and Pharisees no doubt were familiar with the Psalm he quoted, but they could not explain its application: it could only be explained by conceding the pre-existence and divinity of the Messiah. This the Pharisees would not concede: their only idea of Messiah was that he was to be a man like one of themselves: their ignorance of the Scriptures, of which they pretended to know more than others, and their low, carnal view of the true nature of Christ, were thus exposed at one and the same time. Well may Matthew say, by the Holy Ghost, “from that day forth durst no man ask him any more questions”

Let us not leave these verses without making a practical use of our Lord’s solemn question, “What think ye of Christ?” What do we think of his person, and his offices? What do we think of his life, and what of his death for us on the cross? What do we think of his resurrection, ascension, and intercession at the right hand of God? Have we tasted that he is gracious? Have we laid hold on him by faith? Have we found by experience that he is precious to our souls? Can we truly say, “He is my Redeemer and my Saviour, my Shepherd and my Friend?”

These are serious inquiries. May we never rest till we can give a satisfactory answer to them! It will not profit us to read about Christ if we are not joined to him by living faith. Once more then let us test our religion by this question: “What think we of Christ?”