Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 23:13

13 But woe unto you Scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in your selves, neither will ye suffer them that are entring, to go in.

Our Saviour now cometh to denounce Eight Woes against the Teachers of those times, the Scribes and Pharisies, Luke saith. Ch. 11.52. Woe unto you Lawyers, for you take away the Key of knowledge, you entred not in your selves, and them that were entring you hindred. It was written of old, that the Priests Lips should preserve knowledge, God hath committed the Key of Knowledge to the Ministers and Guides of his Church, not that they should take it away, but that the people might seek the Law at their Mouths, because they are the Messengers of the Lord of Hosts. Mal. 2.7. Now saith our Saviour, you have taken it away, this Matthew calls a Shutting up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men. Doing what in them lay to keep Men from the Knowledge of the Mind and Will of God, neither themselves Teaching them the Knowledge of God, which yet was their Office and Duty, nor suffering others to do it who would. You will neither go in your selves, neither will you suffer them that are entring to go in. Your selves are too Proud, or Lazy to Preach the Gospel, which is the way to the Kingdom of Heaven, and when others would, you suffer them not, nor yet will you suffer the People, who have an Heart to it, to hear it. For this he calls them Hypocrites seven times in this Chapter, they pretending to be Teachers, and openers of the Door to the Kingdom of Heaven, when indeed they did shut it, and de [illegible: 1 letter]ounceth a Woe to them, comprehending that ruin which soon after came upon them, and their City by the Roman Armies, and that Eternal Damnation which slept not, and was due to them. There are no worser Men in the World than Hypocries, Men pretending highly to God, yet neither themselves doing their Duty in imbracing the Gospel, nor suffering others to do it, but doing what in them lye, to hinder People from the means, by which they might come to the Kingdom of Heaven.