And it came to pass, _that_ when Jesus had finished these sayings, he
departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond
Jordan;
Ver. 1. _And came into the coasts of Judea_] Upon the news of Lazarus
his friend's sickness, John 11:8, with the hazard of his life, he came
far on foot to... [ Continue Reading ]
And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
Ver. 2. _And great multitudes followed him_] Though he were then to
die. For all that follows from this Matthew 19:1,30; Matthew 20:1,34;
Matthew 21:1,46; Matthew 22:1,46; Matthew 23:1,39; Matthew 24:1,51,
seems to be a relation, of the a... [ Continue Reading ]
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him,
Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Ver. 3. _Is it lawful for a man, &c._] A captious question, purposely
to put him to shame or peril before the people. For if he liked
divorce, the better sort would be o... [ Continue Reading ]
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which
made _them_ at the beginning made them male and female,
Ver. 4. _And he answered and said unto them_] Our Saviour would not
divide the inheritance, when required to it, Luke 12:13, but he would
decide controversies touching divorce... [ Continue Reading ]
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and
shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Ver. 5. _And said, For this cause, &c._] _Dixit, duxit, benedixit_ He
ordered, he commaned, he blessed these three things are said by Moses
to have been done by God in the... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God
hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Ver. 6. _They are no more twain_] A man's wife is himself,
εαυτον, Ephesians 5:28; (as is likewise a man's country, Luke
4:23, to cure his country is to cure himself), and they twain,... [ Continue Reading ]
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of
divorcement, and to put her away?
Ver. 7. _Why did Moses then command, &c._] Sophister-like they oppose
Moses to God, scripture to scripture, as if God were against himself.
This is still the guise of graceless heretics; as also to... [ Continue Reading ]
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts
suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not
so.
Ver. 8. _Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts_] _Ob
duricordiam vestram, _ saith Tertullian. For the relief of the wife,
questionless, was this permit... [ Continue Reading ]
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except _it be_
for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and
whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Ver. 9. _Except it be for fornication_] This sin dissolves the
marriage knot, and directly fights again... [ Continue Reading ]
His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with _his_
wife, it is not good to marry.
Ver. 10. _If the case of a man be so with his wife_] viz. That he may
not rid his hands of her when he will; better be married to a quartan
ague than to a bad wife, said Simonides.
_ It is not good t... [ Continue Reading ]
But he said unto them, All _men_ cannot receive this saying, save
_they_ to whom it is given.
Ver. 11. _All men cannot receive this saying_] Nor may we simply pray
for the gift of continence, but with submission, since it is not
simply necessary to salvation, but only of expedience: inasmuch as he... [ Continue Reading ]
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from _their_ mother's
womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and
there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom
of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive _it_, let him receive
_it_.
Ver. 12. _Which we... [ Continue Reading ]
Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put
_his_ hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
Ver. 13. _Then were there brought unto him little ones_] By their
parents, careful of their greatest good. We must also present ours, as
we can, to Christ. And, 1. By... [ Continue Reading ]
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come
unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Ver. 14. _For of such is the kingdom_] That is, all the blessings of
heaven and earth comprised in the covenant belong both to these and
such as these,Matthew 18:3. Let them, therefor... [ Continue Reading ]
And he laid _his_ hands on them, and departed thence.
Ver. 15. _And he laid his hands on them_] So putting upon them his
father's blessing, as Jacob did upon Joseph's sons, whom by this
symbol he adopted for his own. And albeit our Saviour baptized not
these infants (as neither did he those that we... [ Continue Reading ]
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing
shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Ver. 16. _And behold one came_] One of good rank, a ruler, Luke
18:18, of good estate, for he was rich, and had great revenue
(χρηματα, saith Luke, κτηματα, saith Matthew,Matthew
19:22, h... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? _there is_ none good
but one, _that is_, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments.
Ver. 17. _Why callest thou me good?_] And if I be not good, much less
art thou, what good conceits soever thou hast of thyself. Here, then,
our Savi... [ Continue Reading ]
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou
shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear
false witness,
Ver. 18. _Thou shalt do no murder_] Our Saviour instanceth the
commandments of the second table only, as presupposing those of the
first, for the s... [ Continue Reading ]
Honour thy father and _thy_ mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself.
Ver. 19. _Thou shall love thy neighbour, &c._] Which because thou
doest not (as appears, because thou wilt not part with thy possessions
to relieve the poor), therefore much less doest thou love God, and
therefore ar... [ Continue Reading ]
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my
youth up: what lack I yet?
Ver. 20. _All these things have I kept_] Lie and all; as now the
Popish Pharisees dream and brag that they can keep the law, and spare.
_a_ They can do more than any that ever went before them, Psalms
143:... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go _and_ sell that thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:
and come _and_ follow me.
Ver. 21. _If thou wilt be perfect_] As thou boastest and aimest, and
which never yet any man was, nor can be here. The misunderstanding... [ Continue Reading ]
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for
he had great possessions.
Ver. 22. _He went away sorrowful_] That Christ should require that
which he was not willing to perform. If heaven can be obtained upon no
other terms, Christ may keep his heaven to himself; he will have... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich
man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Ver. 23. _A rich man shall hardly enter_] With that burden of thick
clay, that camels bunch on his back. Heaven is a stately palace, with
a narrow portal; there must he both str... [ Continue Reading ]
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Ver. 24. _It is easier for a camel, &c._] Or cable rope, as some
render it, καμηλον, καμιλον _funem nauticum._ Either
serves, for it is a proverbial speech, se... [ Continue Reading ]
When his disciples heard _it_, they were exceedingly amazed, saying,
Who then can be saved?
Ver. 25. _They were exceedingly amazed_] Because they knew that all
men either are or would be rich; and that of rich men, scarcely any
but trusted in their riches. Therefore, though our Saviour told them,
M... [ Continue Reading ]
But Jesus beheld _them_, and said unto them, With men this is
impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Ver. 26. _With men this is impossible_] Because rich men's hearts are
ordinarily so wedded and wedged to the world that they will not be
loosened but by a powerful touch from the hand of... [ Continue Reading ]
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all,
and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Ver. 27. _Behold, we have forsaken all, &c._] A great all, sure, a few
broken boats, nets, household stuff (_Retia, navigia, reculas, _
Pareus). And Christ maintained them too; and... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have
followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the
throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.
Ver. 28. _Ye which have followed me in the regeneration_] As if... [ Continue Reading ]
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake,
shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Ver. 29. _Shall receive an hundred fold_] In reference to Isaac's
hundred fold increase of hi... [ Continue Reading ]
But many _that are_ first shall be last; and the last _shall be_
first.
Ver. 30. _But many that are first, &c._] Because Peter and the rest
had called for their pay (almost before they had been at any pains for
Christ), he therefore quickeneth them in these words; bidding them
bestir themselves bet... [ Continue Reading ]