Annotations Upon the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Verse 4. GOe and shew Iohn againe those things which yee do heare and see] Our Saviour answers them by a reall demonstration.
Vers. 6. In me] With the simplicity and humility of my person, kingdome,Zepperus. word, worship and administration of the Sacraments. See 26.31. 1 Cor. 1.23.
Vers. 7. Iohn] His name was famous among the people, and they spake honourably of him, but his doctrine was little esteemed; therefore Christ telleth them that they lost their labour, which went forth to see him, except they would observe his doctrine.
Vers. 8. The simple meaning of this place is,Author imperfecti operis. Non simpliciter redarguit sed dixit cui statui conveniat. that there was no such thing in the Wilderness, which should allure the people thither, for al things there were rude, they should rather looke in Kings Courts for fine trimming, which delighteth the eyes.
Vers. 9. 1. Prophesied of all things, the old Prophets did. 2. In his Mothers belly, Luke 1.41. 3. Pointed at Christ with a finger; hee was middle betweene a Prophet and an Apostle.
Vers. 10. Behold I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee] It is a metaphor taken from Kings, for whom going forth the wayes are wont to bee prepared, the streets made cleane and adorned,Tostatus. Pareus. and his chiefe servants to goe before him, the chiefest of which is hee that goes next before him. Such a one was Iohn the last of the old Prophets, and the first of the new.
Vers. 11. John Baptist was nearer Christ in time, being the very next unto him of all the Prophets which ever went before him; hee was therefore more happy than the rest, for he saw what they desired to see, and saw not;See Luke 7.28. Calvin. Harm. Evang. Peter Martyr. loc. commun. Beza. in Annotat. and also of a more worthy calling, as pointing out Christ with the finger, which the rest onelyonly descried afarre off.
Hee gained more to God by his Ministy, than any of them had done, as appeareth verse 12.
Notwithstanding, &c.] That is, in the new estate of the Church, not in respect of his person and gifts, but of his ministry, greater than John Baptist. Hildersam. See Dr. Sclator on 1. of the Rom. p. 1. because hee is all what Iohn was halfe,John was so great, because Hee was last of the Law, and first of the Gospell, and the old rule is, minimum maximi, majus est maximo minimi. Instituitur collatio non juxta mensuram donorum, sed gradus revelationis, Prophetae nunciabant venturum, Baptista monstrabat praesentem. Chemnit. wholly under the Gospell of the kingdome. The least Minister of the Gospell is greater than Iohn, in respect of the preaching of Christ, so Bishop Down. de Antich.
Grotius saith, the comparison is wholly in the gift of the Prophet, which Luke 7.28. expresseth more evidently, as much as Iohn exceld all the Prophets before him, so much the lowest Prophets of the New-Testament excell Iohn, viz. in greater knowledge of mans redemption: for that before Iohn was a mystery, in Iohns time it began to shine forth, after the passion and resurrection of Christ, and sending of the Holy Ghost, it was more evident than the light at noone day.
Vers. 12. The Kingdom of heaven] Christ himself, Ambrose; Eternall life, or Heaven, Gregory and Bede; Faith, Chrysostome, Euthymius and Theophylact; some say the Church, or Gospell, Sancta fidelium in novi Testamenti Ecclesia irrumpentium violentia. There was such forwardness and zeal in them which heard Iohn preach, to procure to themselves the kingdom of heaven, that they strove most earnestly to get it. Mr Perkins.
The kingdome of grace is called the kingdom of heaven, in opposition to the Kingdoms of the world, and to the spirituall kingdome of the devill, and because the Lord of it hath his throne in heaven, and all good things come to them from heaven, and because it differs but in degrees from the kingdom of glory; this is mixt and imperfect, that is pure and entire.
s Metaphora sumta à Castris vel ab arce quapiam, quae irrumpentibus hostibus diripitur. Beza, Brugens.Take it by force] As a Castle is taken by a storme. These words are restrictive, the violent and only they, and promissive.
Vers. 14. And if ye will receive it] That is, if you will give credit to my speech.
This is Elias which was for to come] viz. in spirit and power like to Eliah, Luk. 1.17. but not the person of Elias, Iohn 1.21.
Talia apud Poetas, Audire est operae pretium, & audite atque animis advertite vestris. Grotius.Vers. 15. He that hath eares to heare let him heare] An Epiphonema with which Christ, and Iohn in the Revelation following him, Apoc. 2.7, 17. often shut up their speeches concerning things of great moment. Christ would signifie that it was a matter of great moment, to beleeve that Iohn was the Eliah promised by Malachie, for they mistaking in that might be deceived in the Messiah.
Vers. 16. Christ useth a similitude (as it is supposed) of a game commonly used by children, Children leading severall dances did so sing one to another; Christ that he might overthrow the pride of the Scribes, took occasion to reprove them from children playing together,Calv. Paraeus. their song was enough to condemn them.
Vers. 17. We have piped unto you, and you have not danced] They were neither moved to mirth with merry things, nor to sadness with sad things.
Vsus tibiarum apud Hebroeos duplex erat, Vsus tibiarum ad laetitiam erat in Templo & in festo Tabernaculorum.in hilaritate & gaudio, & in luctu, in nuptiis & infuneribus; We have mourned unto you (viz. with pipes) and you have not lamented. Mat. 9.23.
When as he had lived an austere and straight life, preacht repentance, and sang a mournfull song, and the Lord himself, as with a merry and cheerefull song applyed him self more pleasantly to allure them to his Father, yet neither of these waies profited amongst them.Vers. 18. He abstained from common meates, and common order of dyet. Luke hath it, not eating bread, nor drinking wine.
Vers. 19. That is, to live after the common order of men, but he drank only water, and did eate only locusts and wild honey.
Vers. 19. There is a secret Antithesis between naturall children and bastards, which vaunt of a vain title without a cause, as if Christ should say, let them go on in their pride which gloriously boast themselves to be wisdomes children in vaine, she shall yet have her praise, and her authority amongst her naturall children. Luke therefore addeth, of all her children, whereby he declareth, that the resistance of the Scribes was not such a let to any, but that all the Elect of God should remaine in the faith of the Gospell; that place, Luk. 7.29. well explaines this, that is, acknowledged the wisdome and goodness of God shining in Christ, and Iohn.
Vers. 21. Hypotheticall propositions presuppose not a truth, as here, and Luk. 19.37. not that stones can speak, nor Tyre repent.
Proverbialis est locutiò etiam Graecis & Latinis, ad astra tolli, aut sublimi vertice sidera ferire, pro eo quod est rebus florentibus & illustri loco esse. Grotius.Vers. 23. A proverbiall speech, and an allusion to the words of Esay 14.14, 15, 25. 1 Cor. 1.27, 29.
Vers. 25. These things] That is, the Doctrine of the Gospell, and the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.
Vers. 27. The opposition is made to exclude Creatures, and false Gods, not the Holy Ghost; the meaning is, None, that is, no Creature, or Idoll-God knoweth the Son of God but the Father. Mr Perkins.
Vers. 28. Come aNon simpliciter dixit venite sed foreign, quae particula est hortantis.] That is, beleeve, so Christ himselfe expounds it, John 6.35. No man can come, that is, beleeve, except the Father draw him. John 5. You will not come to me.
Wearied, and heavy laden bSee my Greeke. Crit. Observa emphases in vocibus foreign & foreign, Priori peccatum durissimo labori, posteriore gravissimo oneri comparatur. Glassius.]The first word signifies such as labour untill they be weary: and the other signifies such as are heavy laden with a burden unsupportable, and being grievously pressed therewith, desire to be eased of it.
Heavy laden] Some say, 1. with Crosses, as Aug. de verb. Dom. 2. Rigour of the Law, Theophylact 3. Sin, Ier. 9.5. as Chrysost.
Rest] From reatus, vis, regnum, paena peccati, not radix of it, therefore not said take away, but rest, from the foure first; Here is no exception of sins, times, or persons.
Vers. 29. Learne of me] Austin saith, what to do? Not to create the world, to walk on the water, to raise the dead; we must follow him, non in quantum Filius Dei, but in quantum Filius hominis; the same Father, He gives us a precept, and a patterne, the one requiring our obedience, the other our conformity.
And ye shall find rest.]Not outward, naturall, but the repose of the mind and conscience.
Vers. 30. My yoake) Not only Christs, because he as Lord puts it upon us,foreign a levitate & agilitate cervorum nomen habet. foreign non solū exonerabo, sed quod multo ampliùs est, in omni quiete vos constituam. but because he as a fellow-servant helps us to beare it. Metaphora à jumentis deducta.
Easie] 1. By presence of grace. 2. Help of the spirit, Ezek. 11.19, 20. 3. Love to it, yet a yoke and a burden; suave, sed amanti, is Bernards gloss, i.e. Ioh. 5.3, 4. Iugum ejus merito est suave, cui servire est regnare. Augustin.
My yoke is easie] The Greek word signifies more rightly, my yoke is a benigne, a gracious, a pleasant, a good, and a gainefull yoke, all pleasure and profit is made up in the Word.