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 ]