A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
1. ANd Jeſus anſwered and ſpake again to them by Parables, and ſaid, 2. The Kingdom of heaven is like to a certain king, who made a marriage for his ſon. 3. And ſent forth his ſervants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come.
1, 2, 3. The calling of men into the Church, is like a Kings inviting Gueſts to his Sons Marriage feaſt, that would not come.
4. Again he ſent forth other ſervants, ſaying, Tell them who were bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; Come unto the marriage.
4. Chriſts Miniſters are oft to invite men, and importune them to come in: and to tell them that Chriſt and his merits are ſufficient for them, and all is ready and done on his part, preparatory to their belief, reception and conſent: they ſhall not periſh for want of a ſufficient Sacrifice.
5. But they made light of it, and went their way; one to his farm, and another to his merchandize. 6. And the remnant took his ſervants, and intreated them ſhamefully and ſlew them.
5, 6. Note, As did the Jews ſo do many others. make light of Chriſt, and all his offers of Grace and Glory, and mind more their Farms and Merchandize, their worldly intereſt and proſperity. And others more wicked than they, do perſecute thoſe that would convert and ſave them. O odious unthankfulneſs! thus to requite the greateſt offers of Chriſt and his ſervants.
7. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth, and ſent forth his armies and deſtroyed thoſe murtherers, and burnt up their city.
7. Note, So did God ſend the Romans to deſtroy the Jews and burn Jeruſalem; and hath often plagued perſecutors, and the day of revenge will come.
8. Then ſaid he to his ſervants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9. Go ye therefore into the high-ways, and as many as ye ſhall find bid to the marriage.
8, 9. All was ready on Chriſts part, but the Jews unworthily rejected him. Go call all the Gentiles that will come.
10. So thoſe ſervants went out into the high-ways, and gathered together all, as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furniſhed with gueſts.
10. So the Goſpel was preached to the Gentiles of all ſorts, and high and low came in to the Church.
11. And when the king came in to ſee his gueſts, he ſaw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. 12. And he ſaith to him, Friend, how cameſt thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was ſpeechleſs.
11, 12, N. Among the Jews the Marriages of rich men were ſolemnized with extraordinary pomp and feaſting, and by the Wedding or feſtival garment, is meant, true Faith and Repentance. N. 1. Though all muſt be called in to the Church, it is meant that they come as Chriſtians indeed, with true Faith and Repentance, and diſhonour not the Church by worldly common hearts and lives. 2. God will find out every Hypocrite in the Church. 3. None will be more unexcuſable and ſpeechleſs in judgment, than ungodly hypocrites called Chriſtians, that live wickedly. 4. It is not the Miniſter that called ſuch, nor the company that joyned with them, that are blamed.
13. Then ſaid the king to the ſervants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and caſt him into outer darkneſs: there ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth.
13. Note As it is a double ſin to be ungodly after Baptiſm, and in the Church, diſhonouring the Chriſtian name, ſo ſuch ſhall have greater puniſhment than ignorant infidels.
14 For many are called but few are choſen.
14. For thoſe that are Baptized and called Chriſtians are many, but thoſe that have true faith and repentance and godlineſs, and ſhall be ſaved, are few.
15. Then went the Phariſees and took counſel, how they might entangle him in his talk.
15. The malicious Phariſees conſulted how to get ſome words from him, for which they might accuſe him.
16. And they ſent unto him their diſciples with the Herodians, ſaying, Maſter we know that thou art true, and teacheſt the way of God in truth, neither careſt thou for any man, for thou regardeſt not the perſon of men. 17. Tell us therefore what thinkeſt thou, Is it lawful to give tribute to Ceſar, or not.
16, 17. There were then two parties among the Jews: The King Herod's party who were for giving Tribute to the Romans, and the Phariſees party that were againſt the right of it. And they ſought to enſnare Chriſt, ſaying, It is the part of a Prophet not to fear man how great ſoever, but plainly to ſpeak the truth; and we know thou art ſuch an one: Therefore tell us, &c.
Note, That the Jews fell under the Roman Power, by diviſion, two brethren ſtriving for the principality. And one of them got the better by the Romans help, conſenting to be tributary under them: And his party (which ruled) were for this Tribute. But the party of the other Brother who was overcome, took them but for Uſurpers, and ſuch were the lower ſort, and many Phariſees. So that they thought to draw Chriſt either to fall under the Roman ſeverity, or to loſe the Populacy, by his anſwer. (A way of enſnaring not yet ended.)
18. But Jeſus perceived their wickedneſs, and ſaid, Why tempt ye me ye hypocrites▪ 19. Shew me the tribute money? and they brought him a peny. 20. And he ſaith to them, Whoſe is this image and ſuperſcription? 21. They ſay to him, Ceſars: Then ſaith he to them, Render therefore to Ceſar the things that are Ceſars, and to God the things that are Gods.
18, &c. He knowing their wicked enſnaring deſign, ſaid; ye hypocrites, Why come you to enſnare me on pretence of being reſolved by me—
Note, That they are three diſtinct queſtions. 1. Whether it be lawful to pay tribute to Ceſar, as being an owning of his power? 2. Whether it be a duty, and, 3. Whether Ceſar had true right to demand it? And Chriſt was deſired to anſwer the firſt: And he had taught his Diſciples how lawful it was for peace to give away their right: much more now doth he intimate this to be lawfull for publick peace and ſafety. 2. And the ſecond queſtion is by intimation reſolved in the firſt; For if it be lawful, publick peace will make it a duty. But he anſwereth ſo cautelouſly as not to reſolve the third queſtion, Whether Ceſar had right, or were an Uſurper, and ſo avoided their ſnare. Some think that Hircanus dedition to the Romans gave them right, and others think he repreſented not the Nation. And ſome think that many years poſſeſſion gave him right, and others ſay that meer poſſeſſion without right groweth not to right by time. And ſome think that the Jews ſo long uſing Ceſars Coyn and Officers, ſignified conſent, and gave him right. And others ſay, That this alone ſignified but Submiſſion or Non-reſiſtance, through diſability and not ſubjection or conſent to Government. If Ceſar were an Uſurper, paying tribute owned not his right, any more than contribution to conquering Soldiers; A man may buy his life or peace of a Robber. But Chriſt ſeemeth to anſwer but to the queſtion askt him, and not to meddle with any more.
Obj. The Tax intended in the queſtion, was that which Ceſar alienated from the Temple, and therefore the meaning was (Is it not Sacriledge to pay that to Ceſar that ſhould be paid to God.) Anſ. And Chriſts anſwer is perfectly ſuited to ſuch a queſtion: as if he had ſaid, (without determining Ceſars right to govern them.) You need not ask whether you ſhall pay it to God or to Ceſar: You may do both if you are able: Pay Ceſar that which is Ceſars, and give God nevertheleſs his due.
22. When they had heard theſe words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
22. When they ſaw they could not enſnare him, they went away confounded and diſappointed
23. The ſame day came to him the Sadducees, which ſay there is no reſurrection, and asked him, 24. Saying, Maſter, Moſes ſaid, If a man die, having no children, his brother ſhall marry his wife, and raiſe up ſeed to his brother. 25. Now there were with us ſeven brethren, and the firſt when he had married a wife, deceaſed, and having no iſſue, left his wife unto his brother. 26. Likewiſe the ſecond alſo, and the third, to the ſeventh, 27. And laſt of all the woman died alſo. 28. Therefore in the reſurrection, whoſe wife ſhall ſhe be?
23, &c. Theſe Sadducees were Hereticks that believed no life after this, nor Angels nor Spirits, and yet profeſſed to believe the five Books of Moſes, and ſo pretended Moſes words to countenance their fooliſh error.
29. Jeſus anſwered and ſaid to them, Ye do err, not knowing the ſcriptures, nor the power of God. 30. For in the reſurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the Angels of God in heaven.
29, 30. You err through the ignorance of your groſs and carnal minds, and carnally miſunderſtand the Scriptures, and the nature and power of God, and ſo of Spiritual things. In the life after this they have not fleſh and bloud that luſteth and generateth as here; but they are Spiritual ſubſtances like the Angels in Heaven that generate not.
31. But as touching the reſurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was ſpoken to you by God, ſaying, 32. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob: God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
31, 32. That there is a life after this, is proved by Gods words: I am the God, &c. That God is their God, implyeth that they are his people, and therefore live: For to be Their God, is to be their Ruler and their Benefactor and felicity; a relation which the dead are not capable of. And it is not ſaid, I was their God, but, I am their God. And if Abraham, &c. be alive, ſo are the ſouls of other men; and as they die not with the body, but live with Spirits, So they are capable of a Spiritual body which God will give them.
Note, It is well noted by Dr.Hammond, that as the Sadducees denied not only the riſing of the body, but the Immortality of the Soul, and all our life after this, ſo it was this future life which they here meant, and Chriſt doth prove out of the books which they received: And that foreign ſignifieth not only the Reſurrection of the Body, but our living after this life, when the body is dead. And if the Soul were not Immortal there could be no reſurrection of the ſame man: Another Soul would be another man imbodied: And God doth not make new Souls to be rewarded or puniſhed for that which they never did.
33. And when the multitude heard this, they were aſtoniſhed at his doctrine.
34. But when the Phariſees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to ſilence, they were gathered together. 35. Then one of them which was a lawyer, asked him a queſtion, tempting him, and ſaying, 36. Maſter, which is the great commandment in the law.
33, &c. To try whether they could poſe him, or enſnare him in his anſwer, one aſk'd this queſtion,
37, 38, 39. Jeſus ſaid to him, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy mind. This is the firſt and great commandment. And the ſecond is like to it, Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf.
37, &c. Note, 1. Heart, Soul and mind, ſeem to mean but wholly with all thy power, Tho we may diſtinguiſh them, as meaning the faculties Vital, Senſitive and Intellectual muſt be devoted to God: Or as ſome ſay, The Will, Affections and Underſtanding. 2. Chriſt tells us of a great difference betwen Gods commands: Theſe two are Great above the reſ…
40. On theſe two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
40. Theſe two are the very ſum and end of all that is ſaid in the Law and by the Prophets. Love comprehends all.
41. While the Phariſees were gathered together, Jeſus asked them. 42. Saying, What think ye of Chriſt? whoſe ſon is he? They ſay to him, The Son of David. 43. He ſaith to them, How then doth David in ſpirit call him Lord, ſaying, 44. The Lord ſaid to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, t…ll I make thine enemies thy footſtool, 45. If David then call him Lord, how is he his Son? 46. And no man was able to anſwer him a word, neither durſt any man from that day forth ask him any more queſtions.
41, &c. Note, They knew not that Chriſt muſt be the Son of God. They ceaſed their tempting queſtions when they found themſelves but ſilenced.