Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 11:26

26 Even so, father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Luke, Ch. 10. v. 21. hath the same thing, only he thus prefaceth. In that hour Iesus rejoyced in Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, &c. He rejoyced in Spirit, his Heart was inwardly affected with this Grace of God his Father. Then He answered, and said. Answering in Scripture doth not always signifie, replying to the Words of others, but a speaking, upon some fit occasion offered, a beginning of a Speech. I thank thee, O Father! Lord of Heaven and Earth. In the Greek the same Word is used, which signifyeth to Confess. In all Thanks-giving, and Praising, there is a Confession of the Power, Wisdom, or Goodness of God, so as all praising is a Confessing, tho all Confession be not praising: By calling his Father Lord of Heaven and Earth, he acknowledgeth his absolute Power to have done otherwise, even as it pleased him. Because thou hast hid these things, from the Wise and Prudent. By the Wise, and Prudent, he here plainly means the Scribes and Pharisees. The Learned Doctors of that Age, who should have been Wise, and Prudent, and were so, both in their own, and in their Followers opinion. By these things, he means the Mysteries of the Gospel, as Matth. 13.11. The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. God is said to have hid them, because he had not revealed them to them, nor can it be understood of a meer External Revelation ▪ by the Preaching of the Gospel, but of an Internal Revelation by his Spirit, so as they embraced, and believed them, 1 Cor. 2.10. in which Sense Paul saith, 2 Cor. 4.3. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that perish. And hast revealed them to Babes. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. It signifieth Persons that are Young in years [Infants] and weak in Understaning. He Principally means his Apostles together with those ordinary Persons that believed in him, for Iohn 7.48.49. the Pharisees said, Have any of the Rulers, or the Pharisees, believed on him? But this People who knoweth not the Law are Cursed. O Father (saith our Saviour) thou hast all Power in thine Hand, thou art the Lord of Heaven and Earth, thou couldest by thy Spirit, have caused these Learned Men to have received, and Imbraced thy Gospel, and followed me, as well as these poor Fisher-men, and other Jews of none of the highest quality; in that thou hast not done it, thou hast declared thy Justice, for their rejecting of thy Counsel, for their Salvation, but in that thou hast revealed these things to any, especially to these Persons, not under the same Worldly advantages, for Reputation, Wisdom, and Wit. Herein thou hast shewed thy special, and abounding Grace, as well as the greatness of thy Power. Lord! I rejoyce in thy Dispensations, and I give thee Thanks, that out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings, thou hast perfected thy Praise. There can be no other reason given of this, but thy good pleasure. Even so, O Father, for so it pleased thee. We may from hence, observe, 1. That the further Revelations of Christ to some Souls, have more than others enjoying the same outward means, are not to be ascribed to the Power, or goodness of the Will of Man, but solely to the good pleasure of God. 2. That from the beginning of the Gospel, the special and effectual Revelations of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, have from the good pleasure of God, been made generally not to the most Learned, and Wise Men in Mens Account, but mostly to Persons of a meaner Rank. Su[illegible: 1 letter]gunt indocti, & Coelum rapiunt: Nos cum Doctrinà nostra in Gehennam trudimur. 1 Cor 1.26, 27, 28. Iames 2.5.3. That wheresoever God by his Spirit reveals the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, it is matter of great Joy and Thanksgiving: especially where God reveals these Mysteries to Persons, most unlikely to have received them.