In our Saviour's miraculous cure of the centurion's servant, we have several particulars very observable: 1. The person applying himself to our blessed Saviour for help and healing: he was. Gentile, an Heathen,. Roman soldier, an officer and commander; yet he believes in, and relies upon the power... [ Continue Reading ]
There were three persons raised from death to life by the powerful word of Christ's mouth; namely, Jairus's daughter, mentioned by St. Matthew; Lazarus recorded by St. John; and here the widow's son, only taken notice of by St. Luke. The place where the miracle was wrought was the city of Nain; out... [ Continue Reading ]
About the time of our Saviour's appearing in the world there was. general expectation of. great prince that should come out of Judea, and govern all nations: this prince the Jews called the Messiah, or the Anointed, and waited for his appearance. Accordingly, when John the Baptist appeared in the q... [ Continue Reading ]
The poor hear and receive the gospel. Matthew 11:5 Note, that all along, in our Saviour's time and since, the poor of the world have been more disposed to hear and embrace the gospel than other men; and the reasons of it are these: 1. Because the poor have no worldly interest to engage them to rej... [ Continue Reading ]
No doubt our Saviour uttered these words with particular respect and reference to John's disciples, who, out of an extraordinary zeal for the honor of their master, were prejudiced against our Saviour; but the general import of the words does show that there are many to whom Christ is. Rock of offen... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour having given, as we may suppose, full satisfaction to John's disciples and sent them away, he enters upon. large commendation of John himself. Where we have observable, 1. The persons whom he commended John before: not his own disciples, but before the multitude; for John's disciples ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour having highly commended John in the former verses, here he sets bounds to the honor of his ministry; adding, that though John was greater than all the prophets that went before him, seeing more of Christ than all of them, yet he saw less than those that came after him. The meanest gospel... [ Continue Reading ]
These words are our Saviour's farther commendation of John the Baptist; he tells us, that John had two sorts of hearers. 1. The common people and publicans. 2. The Pharisees and lawyers: and declares the different effect which John's ministry had upon these two different sorts of persons. As to th... [ Continue Reading ]
Our blessed Saviour in these words describes the perverse humor of the Pharisees, whom nothing could allure to the embracing of the gospel, neither John's ministry nor Christ's. This our Saviour sets forth two ways, allegorically and properly: by way of allegory he compares them to sullen children,... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The Pharisee's civility and our Saviour's courtesy: the Pharisee invites Christ to eat with him; Christ readily accepts the invitation, never refusing any opportunity for doing good. There is. duty of civil courtesy which we owe to the worst of men: none are so bad but we may soberl... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. How unreasonably the Pharisee was offended with Christ, for permitting this poor woman to come near him, and touch him. Admit she had been the greatest of sinners, might not such come to Christ, when he was come from heaven to them? Oh, blessed Saviour! There is merit enough in thy... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. How our Saviour recounts and sums up the several particular instances of this woman's love and respect towards himself: she washed, wiped, kissed, and anointed his feet, according to the custom of those eastern countries. Love will creep where it cannot go, it will stoop to the mean... [ Continue Reading ]