A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
1. THe Phariſees alſo with the Sadducees came, and tempting, deſired him to ſhew them a ſign from heaven.
1. Not believing the reports of all his Miracles, they deſired that they themſelves might ſee ſome ſign from Heaven, which might certainly prove that God had ſent him: thinking that he could not do it.
2. He anſwered and ſaid to them, when it is evening, ye ſay it will be fair weather, for the sky is red. 3. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day, for the sky is red and lowring; O ye hypocrites, ye can diſcern the face of the sky, but can ye not diſcern the ſigns of the times?
2, 3. You can conjecture what weather will be by the sky: And is it to you ſo hard a matter to know by my doctrine and all the miracles and good works that I have done, that I am ſent of God, that you muſt preſcribe what ſigns God ſhall ſhew you from heaven, before you will believe.
4. A wicked and adulterous generation ſeeketh after a ſign, and there ſhall no ſign be given to it, but the ſign of the prophet Jonas: And he left them and departed.
4. When your own wickedneſs hindereth you bebelief, you call for a ſign from heaven to convince you. But I again tell you, you ſhall have no ſign but that of the Prophet Jonah. He that is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill.
5. And when his diſciples were come to the other ſide, they had forgotten to take bread. 6. Then Jeſus ſaid to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Phariſees and of the Sadducees.
5, 6. Note, Chriſt doth not bid them to avoid all converſe with theſe men, or not to hear them read the Law of Moſes, but to take heed of receiving any of their falſe doctrine.
7. And they reaſoned among themſelves, ſaying, It is becauſe we have taken no bread.
8. Which when Jeſus perceived, he ſaid to them, O ye of little faith, why reaſon ye among your ſelves, becauſe ye have brought no bread? 9. Do ye not yet underſtand, neither remember ye the five loaves of the five thouſand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10. Neither the ſeven loaves of the four thouſand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11. How is it that ye do not underſtand that I ſpake not to you concerning bread, that ye ſhould beware of the leaven of the Phariſees and of the Sadducees? 12. Ten underſtood they how that he bade them not beware of of the leaven of bread; but of the doctrine of the Phariſees and of the Sadducees.
7, &c. We are dull of underſtanding till Chriſt inſtruct us, and apt to put a carnal ſence upon his words.
13. When Jeſus came into the coaſts of Ceſarea Philippi, he asked his diſciples, ſaying, Whom do men ſay that I the Son of man am?
13. Note, Chriſt would not ſo much as urge his own Diſciples to confeſs him to be the Chriſt, till his works were a cogent teſtimony, that their faith might not be precarious, nor by bare command, but by convincing evidence.
14. And they ſaid, Some ſay thou art John the Baptiſt, ſome Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the Prophets.
14. Note, 1. Men were convinced that he was of God, (that is, the multitude, but not the Rulers:) But they thought he was not the Meſſiah, but ſome great Prophets Soul in a new body. 2. By this it is evident that the multitude then believed the immortality of the Soul: elſe they could not think that thoſe Souls came into other Bodies.
15, 16. He ſaith to them, But whom ſay ye that I am. And Simon Peter anſwered and ſaid, Thou art the Chriſt, the ſon of the living God.
15, 16. Note, 1. It was meet that thoſe that were to preach Chriſt to others ſhould be brought to an open confeſſion of him themſelves. 2. Its like the reſt believed as Peter tho he only ſpake.
17. And Jeſus anſwered and ſaid to him, Bleſſed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah; for fleſh and bloud hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
17. It is a point of ſo great importance to Sanctification, Juſtification, and Salvation, verily to believe me to be the Chriſt and Saviour, that this faith is the evidence and means of thy bleſſedneſs: It is not mere man that hath revealed this ſo as to make thee a true believer, but my heavenly Father, by my works and word, and by his grace.
18. And I ſay alſo unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell ſhall not prevail againſt it.
18. And as thou haſt conſeſt me to be Chriſt, I will ſay to thy comfort, that as thy name ſignifieth a Rock or Stone, So by thee (and thy brethren) I will build my Church on this Rock, agaiſt which all the powers of Hell, the Devils and wicked men ſhall not prevail.
Note, 1. It is a great controverſie whether by [this Rock] be meant, 1. Chriſt himſelf, 2. Or the faith and confeſſion of Chriſt, 3. Or Peter himſelf. But no doctrinal controverſie dependeth on it: For all three are certain truths. 1. No doubt but primarily Chriſt is the Rock on which the Church is built. 2. And no doubt but Faith and Confeſſion being the condition of our part in Chriſt, the Church is ſo far built thereon. 3. And no doubt but the Apoſtles are called Foundation ſtones on which the Church is built, and therefore Peter whoſe name importeth it, and was a chief ſpeaker among them, as the foreman of a Jury. 2. Though the Powers of Hell may ſeem to prevail as they did over Chriſt while he was on the Croſs, they are then next an overthrow themſelves.
19. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever thou ſhalt bind on earth ſhall be bound in heaven, and whatever thou ſhalt looſe on earth ſhall be looſed in heaven.
19. And hereafter I will make thee a ruling Steward over my Church as it is Gods Kingdom on earth, preparatory to the Heavenly Kingdom of Glory; and the due adminiſtration of thy office by theſe Keys of Power, ſhall be the ordinary way to Heaven, and a forerunner of the finall Juſtification of the Faithful, and of the final condemnation of the Impenitent and ungodly, whom by my doctrine and the due application of it, thou bindeſt over to my judgment.
Note, As Peter was the foreman or ſpeaker in their common confeſſion, ſo by Peter the promiſe is made to them all; And to them all Chriſt after gave this power: But he never made Peter governour of the reſt of the Apoſtles, Much leſs the Pope.
20. Then charged he his diſciples that they ſhould tell no man that he was Jeſus the Chriſt.
20. N. Becauſe this honour was reſerved chiefly, 1. To the time of the accompliſhment of all the evidences by his Reſurrection and Aſcenſion, and giving of the Holy Ghoſt. 2. And to the work of the Spirit then on the Apoſtles, by which they were ſuddenly advanced to a fitneſs for this work, above what they attained by Chriſts perſonal teaching them on earth.
21. From that time forth began Jeſus to ſhew to his diſciples, how that he muſt go to Jeruſalem, and ſuffer many things of the elders, and chief prieſts, and ſcribes, and be killed, and be raiſed again the third day.
21. Note, 1. This Chriſt did, 1. To make them know that he knew things to come; 2. And to make them know that it was not to reign as an earthly King that he was ſent. 3. And to prepare them to bear his ſufferings, and not to expect fleſhly proſperity by him. 2. It was the Poor that followed Chriſt, and the Rulers and Teachers that crucified him.
22. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, ſaying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this ſhall not be unto thee.
22. Peter contradicted him, ſaying, God forbid; Lord favour thy ſelf, and expoſe not thy ſelf to this.
Note, 1. The fleſh is ready to ſuggeſt fleſhly counſel, and to oppoſe all that tends to ſuffering. 2. We have need to be fortified againſt temptations of loving friends as well as enemies.
23. But he turned and ſaid to Peter, Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence to me: for thou ſavoureſt not the things that be of God, but thoſe that be of men.
23. He lookt at him with diſpleaſure, and ſaid to Peter, I ſay to thee as I did to the Devil, when he tempted me, Get thee behind me, for thou doeſt the work of Satan, the adverſary, in tempting me for ſelf-preſervation, to violate my Fathers command, and my undertaking, and to forſake the work of mans Redemption and Salvation: As thy counſel ſavoureth not the things that be of God (his will, work, and Glory) but the things that be of men (the love of the body and this preſent life) ſo it ſignifieth what is in thy heart: (take heed leſt this carnality prevail.)
Note, 1. All things muſt diſpleaſe us that diſpleaſe God, and are againſt his intereſt and the good of man.
2. Even the beſt men and neareſt friends may by temptation and errour, be made Satans inſtruments to do his work in ſome particulars of great moment.
3. Good men do the Devils work oft times when they know it not, but verily think it is all for Chriſt.
4. No love or reſpect to mens nearneſs or goodneſs, muſt draw us to flatter them in ſin, or to ſpeak lightly of it; we muſt not mince it or extennate it becauſe good men commit it: we muſt lay it home on them, that would by juſtifying it make it paſs for duty. Leſt the name of Good men ſhould ſerve Satan more effectually than men of known wickedneſs can do.
5. It is no railing on juſt occaſions to tell tempting friends, and godly men or Miniſters, that they are doing the Devils wo…k, and are inſtead of Devils to the tempted.
To hinder us in Gods work and mens Salvation, is to be Satans to us. O how many Satans then are called Reverend Fathers, who ſilence and perſecute men for Gods work, as the whole courſe of the Papal Diſcipline, and worſhip manifeſ…th.
7. It is carnal ſavouring worldly, and fleſhly intereſt too much, and the things of God, the Soul, and Heaven to little, which is the common cauſe of the ſinful counſels, and courſe, even of Sacred men.
24. Then ſaid Jeſus to his diſciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himſelf, and take up his croſs and follow me. 25. For whoever will ſave his life ſhall loſe it, and whoever will loſe his li…e for my ſake ſhall find it.
24. Chriſt took this occaſion to preach ſelf-denial to his Diſciples; ſaying, Let him that will be my Diſciple and follow me, and expect Salvation by me, reſolve to deny his carnal ſelf, and ſelf-intereſt, and reſign himſelf to me, as being not his own, but mine: Not making the croſs, but patiently taking and bearing it when it is laid upon him, and follow me by ſufferings unto glory. For this is the method determined by God, that whoever reſolveth to ſave his life and not be undone in the world to avoid ſin, this man ſhall finally loſe his life and life eternal. And whoever will loſe his life, rather than by ſin to forſake me and his duty, ſhall find that life with felicity in heaven, which he loſt on earth.
N. Chriſts peremptory terms of Salvation, are to prefer it and him before our lives.
26. For what is a man profited if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? or what ſhall a man give in exchange for his ſoul.
26. Will it not be an ill bargain to gain all the world for a ſhort time to the fleſh, and loſe ones own Soul and its happineſs for ever? And what will compenſate the loſs of the Soul? For what price would you ſell its happineſs.
N. 1. Men hath a Soul that liveth when he leaveth this world. 2. It were a mad bargain to ſell a mans Soul for all that this world can afford. O how many do that daily indeed, which they durſt not do by an expreſs bargain with the Devil.
27. For the Son of man ſhall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he ſhall reward every man according to his work.
27. Believe it I ſhall come at laſt in Judgment, in Divine Glory attended by Angels, and then I will reward thoſe that were faithful to me, or perfidious, and all men, according to their works: therefore whatever you ſuffer now, propare for the judgment of that day.
28. Verily I ſay to you, There be ſome ſtanding here which ſhall not taſte of death, till they ſee the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
28. And I tell you, leaſt you think this my coming in Glory to judgment incredible, that ſome here ſhall live to ſee a viſible repreſentation of that my glorious appearing.
Note, That this is meant of his transfiguration, the addition of it in the ſeveral Evangeliſts ſheweth. Nor is Dr. H. his reaſon againſt it from the former verſe of any force, it being not the ſame coming that is here ſpoken of, but its repreſentation.