Observe here, 1. The preacher; HE, that is, Christ, the great prophet and teacher of his church. Observe, 2. The place where he preached, upon. MOUNTAIN; probably for conveniency to himself, and advantage to his auditors; though some will have. mystery in it; that as the law at first was given on.... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. It is not said, blessed are the poor in estate, but BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT: it is not. poverty of purse and possession, but. poverty of spirit, that entitles us to the blessing. 2. It is not said, blessed are the spiritually poor, but BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT: he that... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. That mourning for sin is. gospel-duty: the law allows no place for repentance, though we seek it carefully with tears. Observe, 2. The time and reason for this duty. Blessed are they that NOW mourn. Sorrow for sin is physic on earth, but it is food in hell. Repentance is here. grac... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The grace and duty recommended, MEEKNESS. 2. The wages and reward belonging to that grace and duty, THE INHERITANCE OF THE EARTH. Meekness either respects God, or our neighbour. As it respects God, so it implies flexibleness to his commanding will, and submissiveness to his provi... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe, 1. The character of the persons whom Christ pronounces BLESSED; such as HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS. 2. Wherein their BLESSEDNESS doth consist: THEY SHALL BE FILLED. By RIGHTEOUSNESS we are to understand, 1. RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JUSTIFICATION; the righteousness of the Mediator imput... [ Continue Reading ]
Here our blessed Redeemer recommends to us. compassionate regard towards the miseries of others, and that both in soul and body, name and estate; to be forward to pity and pardon, to relieve and help, to give and forgive. And as an encouragement, he adds, that as we deal with others, God will deal... [ Continue Reading ]
Note here, 1. The duty required and called for, PURITY OF HEART AND LIFE: the first expressed, the other included: for. clean heart will be accompanied with. clean life. Where there is. principle of grace within, there will be the acting of grace without. Note, 2. The incentive to this duty; the pu... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe, 1. The connection between peace and puity; purity of heart and peaceableness of life accompany one another. There is no inward purity where there is not an endeavour after outward peace. 2. The duty exhorted to, namely, to love peace, and to labour after peace; to love it ourselves, and to... [ Continue Reading ]
Note here, 1. That all the disciples and followers of Christ, live they ever so holily and inoffensively in the world, yet must they expect suffering and persecution. 2. That the keenest and sharpest edge of persecution is usually turned against the ministers of Christ, and falls heaviest ON the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour compares Christians in general, and his ministers in particular, unto salt, for. double reason. First, Because it is the nature of salt to preserve things from corruption and putrefaction, and to render them savoury and pleasant. Thus are the ministers of the gospel to labour and endeav... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. Our Saviour's doctrine. 2. The inference which he draws from it by way of application. The doctrine delivered is this, That Christians in general and the ministers of the gospel in particular, are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. But how? Not originally, but derivatively; not efficiently,... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour here informs his followers, That he had no design to abrogate any part of the moral law, or to loose mankind from the least measure of their duty either towards God or man, but that he came to fulfil it: 1. By yielding. personal obedience to it. 2. By giving. fuller and stricter interp... [ Continue Reading ]
Another reason is here given by our Saviour why he had no intention to abrogate or abolish the law; and that is drawn from the duration and perpetuity, the unchangeableness and immutability of the law: sooner shall heaven and earth be abolished, than the authority and obligation of the moral law be... [ Continue Reading ]
To evidence yet farther, that the moral law is. perfect rule of life, our Saviour tells his disciples, that if any of them did either by their doctrine or practice, make void any one of the least of God's commands, either by allowing themselves in the omission of any kmown duty, or in the commission... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. glorious prize or reward set before the Christian as attainable, namely, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Observe, 2. The means required in order to our obtaining of this prize, and laying hold of this reward; we must be holy and righteous persons: heaven is the reward of righteousness,. rew... [ Continue Reading ]
Here our blessed Saviour begins to expound the spiritual sense and meaning of the law, and to vindicate it from the corrupt grosses of the Pharisees: Where observe, Christ doth not deliver. new law, but expounds the old; doth not injoin new duties, but inforces the old ones. The law of God was alwa... [ Continue Reading ]
For preventing the sin of rash anger, which in our Savior's account is. degree of murder, he exhorts all his disciples and followers to brotherly agreement, and to seek mutual reconciliation with each other. AGREE WITH THINE ADVERSARY, that is, thy offended or offending brother; agree with him, as b... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Savior next proceeds to explain the seventh commandment, which forbids adultery; by which the Pharisees understood only the gross act of uncleanness, and carnal lying with. woman. But, says our Savior, Whosoever secretly in his heart desires such. thing, and casts his eyes upon. woman in order t... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour had condemned ocular adultery in the foregoing verse, or the adultery of the eye; HE THAT LOOKETH ON. WOMAN TO LUST AFTER HER, HATH COMMITTED ADULTERY WITH HER IN HIS HEART. Whence note, That the eye is an inlet to sin, especially the sin of uncleanness: list enters the heart at the win... [ Continue Reading ]
Our blessed Saviour still proceeds in vindicating and clearing the seventh commandment from the corrupt glosses of the Pharisees. Almighty God had tolerated the Jews, in case of uncleanness, to put away their wives by. bill of divorce, Deuteronomy 24:1 Hereupon the Pharisees maintained it lawful to... [ Continue Reading ]
The next commandment which our Saviour expounds and vindicates, is the third, which requires. reverent use of God's name. Now the Pharisees taught that perjury was the only breach of this commandment; and that swearing was nothing, if they did not forswear themselves; and that persons were only obl... [ Continue Reading ]
Here our Lord prescribes. proper mean and remedy for shunning the occasion and danger of rash swearing; and that is, by using and accustoming ourselves in conversation to. true simplicity and constant plainness of speech; either affirming or denying, according to the nature of the thing; letting oat... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour here vindicates the sixth commandment, which obliges us to do no wrong to the body of our neighbour. God had given. law to the public magistrate, to require an eye for an eye, and. tooth for. tooth, when. person was wronged: hereupon the Pharisees taught, That. private person, wronged by... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour here presses the law of charity upon his disciples: this is two-fold;. charity in giving to them that beg, and. charity in lending to them that desire to borrow. Christianity obliges all those who have ability to abound in works of charity of all sorts and kinds whatsoever. He that is tr... [ Continue Reading ]
Another corrupt gloss which the Pharisees had put upon the law of God, our Saviour here takes notice of: the law said, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, Leviticus 19:18. This they interpreted to relate only to their own countrymen, the Jews; concluding, that they might hate all the uncircumcised nations... [ Continue Reading ]
To encourage us to the foregoing duty of loving our enemies, our Saviour propounds the example of God himself to our imitation. THAT YOU MAY BE THE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER; that is, that you may be known to be the children of your Father which is in heaven, by your likeness to him, and imitation of... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet farther to encourage us to this duty of loving our enemies, Christ assures his disciples, that he expects more from them than others; more than common humanity and civil courtesy towards friends; for even heathens by the light of nature were taught to love those that loved them: but he expected... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, aim at perfection in all Christian virtues and divine graces, but particularly in this of love, in imitation of your heavenly Father, who is the perfect pattern of all desirable goodness and adorable perfections. TO BE PERFECT, AS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT, is indeed impossible, as to... [ Continue Reading ]